Around the AFC in 48 Minutes 2023 Season Preview

The Around the NFL podcast.

It's breaking hearts, ankles and records everywhere. I'm the Chris Westling podcast studio, mighty high on our own supply lately with the Zummy drops. It's around the NFL. My name is Dan Hansas. They got heroes everywhere I look. On this important episode Around the AFC in forty eight minutes, Mark Sessler, Greg Rosenthal, Patrick Claybond back in studio.

What's up?

Gang?

Just glad to be here. This is a tradition. I'm excited. I see if I can get shranked a few times. This is one of my favorite parts of the year.

It's a special day. You wake up and the cereal just tastes a little better.

M hm.

Walk walk to school with your kids in back for you, the air is just crisper.

Football is back.

Well, I knew we were gonna get that that You get this, Greg football.

You're trying to make it a thing, Greg, And the more you try to make it a thing, the more it repulses Mark and I because we know football is not back until the second week of February.

It's been a thing for We're on like year nine of this spit going strong.

And yes, before the show we were talking learned a couple of different things. Clay Bonn tomorrow right, Actually you've heard the cliche, but Patrick wants to the world to know he actually did walk uphill both ways to get to and from his school as a child. And now they've cut a path through the middle of the easy path, which made me wonder, is oh, that sounds great for the kids of today. But that's where to use the

Burnout sounds right, burnoutsound Yeah.

We didn't necessarily have a parlance. There weren't any like creek Creek critters who would hang out on the past.

Critters that's like with the arsonists would be another word.

I guess the skit Well, that's different the it's just a lot of fires.

The only thing the skids really did that I ever clocked was they put one foot up against the side of the Walgreens over the fence from the high school, smoked a ton of cigarettes, listened to a lot of metallica, and threw snowballs at the normals.

It's very Simpsons as the Skids.

I was asking about Greg. I had to know because you had the long hair, you were in a gothmo band. Maybe you didn't know what the term was. Maybe you actually were in that crew.

Now, I don't think emos were like, there wasn't a huge ven diagram crossover with burnouts.

I mean, but also goth emo usually doesn't crossover, does it. Or maybe.

Certain Delaware are that man of your imagination now that they existed.

I don't know what the name is.

I do remember I was once like like kicked very hard by one and in a hallway in our class, in our What did you possibly do to elicit that react from a student?

Nothing?

Nothing.

They were just kind of the types that would just beat up fresh that's what the that's a senior.

Kids are gonna do what the kids are gonna do it. It's classic burnout behavior.

Craig's walking around his middle it's like marching. It's like we're gonna kick you.

Around the AFC in forty eight minutes. And this is like I said, I get a text from doing the Scott Hansen Okay, Scott Hansen of Red Zone fame.

Yeah, like seven hours no p breaks, which you can get on NFL Plus.

You can get on an NFL Plus. But you can get us on NFL Plus. Uh starting uh next week, we better get on that. He wanted to know when around the ABC and NFC was dropping. It is right now. We're going to go through the entire conference three minutes exactly. And another thing came up before the show, Mark, you grew up in Connecticut, also brief time in England. We've heard it. I don't know how many.

It's just factual biographical information, but I know it now that you've had kids.

What did they remember from years you know, zero to three? Nothing right, And I'm just saying.

Mark, looking at her, literally kill, they're from age three to six. I take it back childhood.

He always says, three.

Mark, there was a Mimosa Stabber where you grew up.

It was a section of my This is not in England.

It was back when I let out, Like a section of our town was called mosa like a neighborhood and there was someone someone called the MoMA.

Someone was a little stabby in that area, and that well, see how you made it real. And now it feels like not something I could even make light of anything. I think you can now I was fine, she escaped,

Well, plus he's playing hurt, so those tranks might not be totally.

Don't use use the right hand. It's gonna affect the accuracy.

Now I've become a little ambidexterrous here, So I got we have a role.

In that too, because I thought in the last couple of times we've done this exercise, like someone gets fired point blank in the middle of their forehead with a so called dart and they keep talking.

Right, we got it. You're right on this side of the last. You got to respect the TRNK, built.

Up a tolerance to the you know whatever the medical instrument is over the.

Time, and Graver got a little TRNK crazy in the final episodes. I think he started to lose his mind from us talking too much over it. So let's try to be respectful of the time allotment because this, if we do it right, this should be over in exactly forty eight minutes plus three time outbreaks. That we only have three clock management is important. Why don't we get it going? Here we go, We're going to start in the AFC East. Hit it, Eric Buffalo Bills, Greg.

All right, I want to know what Sean McDermott has in store with this defense when you look at what happened with Leslie Fraser leaving now working with us.

It's a little strange.

I think Sean McDermott wanted control of his defense, and you look at a team that I don't think the window is closing in any way. But in terms of this defense, Jordan Poyer, Tredevius White, Tron Johnson, Micah Hyde, that to me is the Buffalo Bills under Sean McDermott. What's made them really interesting and consistent. They've been together for five years. That doesn't happen. That's the core of this team. This defense, He've been as consistent as any

They could do it on the defensive side.

You don't have von Miller for the start of the year because of pup, but you are right, there's a lot of consistency here.

I always wonder like when you lose a coordinator.

I think Leslie Fraser was underrated in that role in Buffalo and part of why they were what they were. You know, you lost Brian Dable a year ago. Know Leslie Fraser, and sometimes I think mcdermt can handle it because he's been doing this for so long. But when you're the head coach that's to suddenly call the defense on top of it comes not always the smoothest transition.

And I think it's something that Pep Hamilton pointed out as last week we were getting ready for Game Day Live. Glad to have him, Glad to have coach Fraser come over. Well, Leslie Fraser allowed Sean McDermott some leniency in terms of how much attention he played to the defense that's gone. I wonder how the change in the offense comes with Ken Dorsey.

Are they going to run the ball more?

They're going to be a little more complimentary now that the head coach is calling the defense, if he's going to just because it's something that people do, pay more attention to the way that the offense does to facilitate better defense and success.

Now that he's the person that has to own it.

We all had McDermott in the safe grouping when we did hot butts. I still feel that way. Did get some pushback on social media that McDermott should be seen as guy may be a little bit warmer if the defense has a bad year, the team falls short, would he ever be in dangered? I don't think so. But I do think there's pressure on McDermott, like you're saying Greg to really build something up here on dates.

Well, and Ken Dorsey's entering the second year, and I think he did a good job for the most part. Last year they declined when Josh Allen got hurt. There's been some interesting things this preseason. I like what Dalton Kincaid's looked like. Trent Sherfield's their number three. Like, there's no reason to me why they should be viewed any differently entering this year than a year ago.

I did know they're healthier.

I think there's like no team in the AFC with kind of more of a tight butt pressure on them where it's like anything less than thirteen wins in an AFC title game appearance does not fly.

Gotta get there. This is the year You've got to get there. Beautiful the Miami Dolphins. There is a general assumption that the Dolphins offense was good last year, even great, and for the majority of the season with two with the controls, it was. However, a close examination of the game log might give you a little bit of pause. After a Week twelve win over the Texans got into

Man, I thought, like the Jordan Rodrieg like podcast series about this crew of offensive dudes, like the Shanahan to McDaniel tree, I don't think there's catching up because they're working so hard week to week to recreate what they do and do it in different way. And I mean we've seen with Shanahan's scheme, which this so much is that it isn't so much a catchup.

It's like you're always ahead of it.

And I think that McDaniel, if anything would have been last year, would have been the growth year, and there was no growth. They were explosive right out of the gate, and you're still talking about how do you deal with their speed? Their speeded is something you're gonna have to deal with no matter what the scheme is.

I think he's the guy that Kyle Shanahan never wanted to let go. I think he almost held some of McDaniel's personal struggles as leverage to keep Mike McDaniel in his pocket. And so I'm very curious to your point sort of what Mike McDaniel's going to do for a second act, because maybe a little like Andy Reid and certainly Andy Reid earlier in his career, but I think he's gonna come out with a lot of different stuff, and he's got the speed, as you mentioned, to make it hurt.

I'm not worried about Mike mcdee.

Yeah, and it's not his first year at coaching anymore. And we see offenses go through lulls sometimes, and it just so happened that the Dolphins lull on offense coincided with at the end of it, their quarterback getting hurt and we never got to see them work their way out of it.

Armstead's got to be healthy though, yet when he was not in their last year. Don't you think Dan, like, one place you could grow is like the ground game, which is such a Shanahan staple, like was not really as much of a difference maker in Miami last year. I think that's something you can add to the offense and make it more balanced.

I thought one more note, because you can't have a Dolphins conversation without talking about to his health. Read this in the Football almneck Kel Clinton. Big hits on a QB are a part of the Shanahan system. The way they do the play action. It asks your running backs to do a lot of heavy lifting and tight ends on edge rushers and linebackers. So when you look at San Francisco's QB injuries, you connect the dots there. Look at what happened with Tua he's a guy that's vulnerable

The first one felt good.

Not gonna lie Patrick the Jets all right, So a lot of questions have been answered about this team already. Makai Beckton earns that starting job at right tackle, which felt like it turned it into a necessity versus earlier in the off season when we thought it was a little bit more of a luxury. They get Dalvin, which gives them some brief insurance as he's working his way back.

From that Week seven ACL tear.

My only question is we've seen such an egalitarian Aaron Rodgers the entire offseason. The opening schedule for the Jets, you start off with the Bills, and then there's the Cowboys, the Patriots, the Kansas City Chiefs. If things don't start out well, because it was full on Nate Hackett defense, like, where does the conversation go if the start is a little slower, And again I expect them to be good. But what if the start is slow?

You get a little r e lax, relaxed vibe from Aaron Rodgers, possibly because that schedule, especially you know, for the offense, is especially brutal those first couple of weeks, and I'm much more worth about the offense. I do wonder if Aaron Rodgers has enough support, like you think, Okay, Aaron Rodgers and Garrett Wilson, that's incredible, it is, but

I have questions.

They might be able to answer him, but I think people are assuming they have more talent on offense.

I really do.

I questions around Breeze Hall are fair come off the ACL, but you have Cook and Breeze Hall. That's pretty that's pretty damn good.

It's fine, Okay, I mean it's good. I think it's still really fun. I think I guess you're right.

It'd be great.

By the way, it could be great.

But if you put it up against all the other running back groups in the league and they're run blocking, it's fine.

Their defense is going to be so good this year that I think that's gonna help too. Like the offense doesn't. I don't think needs does not agree. It doesn't need to be studeley because when you have have that defensive line and the back end of the secondary led by Sauce and to the mark, to the point of look at the top of their schedule and I get it as a gauntlet like the old Bengals matcher from lest year, they got to play us too, Like Thatt's are a

I think there was no more dominant position group through the entire preseason what than New York's defensive line. They're so deep and you know that side of the ball, and those meetings they kept saying it, we're gonna keep this offense in games, and they are. And I think that Look at we've seen Aaron Rodgers go through periods and stretches where he didn't have immense talent around him,

Then that's the NFL season though, But that well, every team's gonna go through it unless it's just like a dream here, they're gonna have a two weeks stretch where everyone's getting on them.

And the schedule softens up after that.

Maybe they went for those games.

Time out first time out little Hard Knocks talk. First they plugged Colleen and I did our fourth episode, the penultimate episode of the Hard Knocks podcast, which you could catch in this feed whenever you like. You did see Aaron Rodgers get fired up in practice and angry. As a Jets fan, it was nice to see that the Snoopy Bowl and Rogers calling it Jet Life Stadium and really feeling like for the first time since the Rex era pre Victor Cruz. It feels like it could also

I mean the Jets, the Giants have left the door pretty wide open for you in the last seven or eight years.

We weren't ready to walk on the door and was ready to cut but uh, yeah, that was interesting and the and you have some of the smack dog just uh getting after Jihad Ward, the former second round pick Rogers, that was some good stuff.

Expect welcome on what that five?

I know you are? You know, I've never heard.

You, Gwards. I don't know who you are. That's a comeback. It's a comeback. Yeah.

Sometimes in a in the heated in the battle, you just repeat what the person said, even though it does makes no sense.

As soon as it left his lips. He probably wanted that one.

There, Rogers, like what all right? Time in to the New England Patriots closing out the AFC East Mark sas.

All right, I ask you this, do you still believe in Bill Belichick. It's the best coach in today's NFL. And if he is, how does he steer this weird offensive roster through the dark thicket of the AFC East and beyond great defense? We get it, But I see the worst QB in the division, all right, the lowest gaggle of why so banged up offensive line with issues of tackle and zero X factor on this side of the ball.

Where are we six months from now?

And if things go south to conspiracy theories around the idea of as Corporal's like to say, sun setting Bill Belichick as a Patriots coach become a reality. And if Belichick can be fired, what stops one thousands? What stops one thousand alien crafts from invading next? That would be a weird, like a very strange world we live in, but it seems more possible than ever before. If you're not a Patriots fan, this is the most interesting Patriots season ever.

Mark's still trying to get Belichick back to Cleveland.

He's still trying to get the Aliens invading. I think Belichick's answer would be or at least mine as a Homer, what he has up his sleeve is that defense. If he's still got it, it has to show up in this defense because he's been building up this defense to this moment for about three years and they're kind of fully formed. They've got some really young, intriguing players like Christian Barbera. They have guys who have been there for a long time wise, and you know Larry Guy and

Yeah, nobody's punning on Bill Belichick in general, I think, but maybe you bring Andy Reid into the conversation and you look, because part of being a good coach is developing a staff around you. And the decision with Matt Patricia was just so baffling for everybody. It's kind of like, well, hey, Bill can't always do everything all of the time, and so I think the team is going to be good.

It still goes on the list, and it makes me wonder.

And I think part of this is just recalibrating expectations of what the Patriots are and what comes out of a season for them, because we're still living in the after effects of nine super Bowls and eighteen years or whatever. And yeah, I think they're a middle of the road team, and I don't think I think Belichick still has it. There was no medical incident that we know of. The Patricia move was baffling, but I think he's gonna coach up the day and they're gonna win probably between six

The schedule is so much suffer if he if they only win six or seven games. I don't think he'd be back next year.

Had they gone and got like DeAndre Hopkins, you've got to and he's here, he is what we think he is.

You got a starting guy.

I just don't I think everyone's being pushed up the charts a little bit where you're not really where you should be slotted as wide receiver on the team got a bunch of guys, but it's like, who scares you if you're a defensive coordinator going against this offense?

This is twenty.

That's the idea I think is Rimandre and old Zeke.

They can't be worse?

Should we? Should we take a time out here and talk a little? Uh?

Take it Grid?

I don't know, step On No, Actually it's a TV timeouts. It's the end of the quarter, so we can do it without blowing it up. What does that even mean the end of the first quarter? Well, I was gonna talk, take a time out and talk a little, Zapi. You don't have They're in a chiev e timeout. So it's great. We actually timing worked out.

For him a little, save the tomouts he did.

He did not approve of your Sannis planned all three timeouts. I thought we're doing a little cutdown Recapa any time out, Yeah, Zappi. In terms of like having things planned out, I think the fact that they cut Bailey Zappi and he made it through waivers and now he's their practice squad backup quarterback and I assume he'll be elevated if they don't find another quarterback. But it does make it feel like they're still winging it here on offense.

If I'm Mac Jones, I'm pretty pumped up about Baillie's Zappie summer because it removed any heat around him having to play for his job in September and everything.

Why was there a heat from Bailey Zappi any.

There never was except from the most basic of Patriots fans.

I saw a guy wearing a jersey had a game last year.

People that are paying tickets to go to the game.

Greg Right, Yeah, they were the most basic of like w e I listeners who thought this guy at a future When Mac Jones had a nice little rookie year and Bailey Zappie was never a threat, it was almost a shot from Belichick to that guy.

I mean, Billy Zachy came in and destroyed the Lions and beat the Browns and then came in off the bench against Mac Jones when Matt Jones looked, you know, had problems. Great for a couple of minutes, then he melted against the Bears. But that that's not that crazy that a fan base would start to go in New England would start to go over wild Frame late round white quarterback.

Sure, it's not crazy.

That the old late the quarterback.

That any fan base goes for like a backup, but they were they were.

Shirt so uh a little tight in the peck area. Wow. And the sleeves.

It's almost like you sized it's preseason. Maybe I'm just sizing up, you know. There we go on, it's preseason.

You gotta get the shirt sitting where you can.

It's a nice fit.

Uh, let's just run through a couple interesting there were a couple of backup quarterbacks.

TV over they're coming back and.

Okay, Jonathan Taylor on Pop we know he's out for four weeks.

That that might really handled that.

Some kicker trades will Latts to the Broncos, that's fun. Nick Folk to the Titans, that's fun, your boy. Kade York on the Titans practice my boy still though, Chris Jones and Nick Bosa updates. Alberto to the Eagles. Von Miller We mentioned.

It because the Eagles traded for him. It's it's perceived as if they got a young Travis Kelcey in this deal, and it's like, all right, we get it. You all love the Eagles and everything they do.

Kyle Allen is the becco Chamber.

Chamber, Chamber, I love that for the Eagles. All Right, we're back AFC North, starting with not me right, yes, me, the Bengals. No team, Let's get the whistle. No team has ever won the AFC North three years in a row. Do you know that? Did not know that? I believe the Bengals are fixing to make history. They nearly won the Super Bowl with their Cinderella run in twenty one, then fell short of the Big Game last season, even though they had the better team last year. That's funny

I'd like to see this. They came out of the gate last year zero and two. The Burrow CAF thing, I mean, just because it's like the kind of injury where like you're just sort of sitting there with your fingers crossed that it doesn't resurface.

On some level, I'm working under assumption that they played this smart and gave him extra time to get the date. Hopefully so yeah, hopefully nobody wants to Joe barroget Her.

Yes, it doesn't have a contract, which may be that should.

Come out in the next couple of days. That needs to be getting Browns. You're the Browns in week one and the Ravens in week two. These are huge games right away for a team that I mean, I think number one, you have Louis Arama Rumo back.

That is consistency. I love that for them.

He could have been hired away, but you lost a major chunk of your secondary. I kind of like the pieces they put in there, but there's some moving parts. I don't love what's happening with Jonah Williams at right tackle. And you mentioned the thin situation at tight end. I mean, there are some changes on this roster that leave some questions.

They're a little thin. There's certainly thin at tight end. The running back room has questions. I love the defense. I love cam Taylor Britt how he played at the end of last year, they get Uzi back, so that's actually a big addition. I mean that's their best cornerback.

Not that they'll go away in any way.

But like you're not gonna have t Higgins, Jamar Chase, and Tyler Boyd ever again, this is Tyler Boyd's last year in Cincinnati.

I just can't help but get over, Like I'm trying to get over the fact that Jesse Bates played ninety eight percent of the snaps last year. Von Bell played ninety nine percent of the snaps last year. They had so much I don't think we could just like handwave that away. We know the offense has been very good, it's going to continue to be good. But though these the secondary made so many plays.

But like I can't get I guess question would be, who was Von Bell before he was with this team. Not that he's not a talented guy, but this team to me, can help make these players.

They've done a good job developing guys and setting up for the next guy to come in. And I guess it's a little bit of faith in the Bengals operation, which is say, but we'll see they could take a step back, There's no doubt about it. And Brian Callahan's also back at OC. Their defense last year plus fifty one second half point differential Wow, plus seventy if you include the three playoff games. Captain loub the Pittsburgh Steelers, Greg Rosehalt, all.

Right, we've given the young offense a lot of love. They're primed. We can get to them if you want. But it's been a minute since Mike Tomlin had a difference making defense, and I think he's got a chance this year. It's one of the reasons why I think Mark's twelve win prediction is looking great right now, because the offense is fun, but the defense has Teacher in his prime. Cameron Hayward's still playing at a very high level. Alex high Smith a great second pass rusher who got some money.

We've loved what we saw Nick Krbig, Marcus Golden.

Like this is a pass rush with some good guys up front. Two that could be one of the better groups in the league, and I want to see it from Tomlin. Tomlan we talk about as a potential future Hall of Fame coach. He is great on overall, but he's also a defensive guy, and I think this defense is what really could put them over the top and compete with Cincinnati to win this don't you.

Think also, like the where Patrick Peterson might not work out somewhere else, I feeling he's going to work out in Pittsburgh. Joey Porter, I was pushing for that draft pick the entire time you mentioned Harvick. I think like you're starting to see depth. This is a team that found a way to win without TJ. Watt for the vast majority of last season. You got him back. We love the offense. Like I just think twelve wins in

I think twelve wins is out of control.

It is not out of control.

With the Cincinnati Bengals in the division and no dog in the division. I don't think. I think twelve is a lot to ask.

It's it's out there, but I think it's very possible.

There's not a big weakness on this team.

Twelve might not be enough to win the division. It could be it could be that competitive. Looking looking at things, my I just the Matt Canada situation. He's gotten so much criticism, but I think that the success has been relative to what they've had on offense, and we saw towards the end of the year where Kenny Pickett started to figure things out. I don't see a problem with it overall. I think the offense will be find As Greg said that they're young and exciting, a really good team.

I don't think twelve is. I don't think twelve is.

Think of the red zone offense, like they added Dornell Washington, like the tight end, this massive bodied human that looks bigger than anyone else around him. Like, I think they're gonna be dangerous.

I'm with you. I think Canada like got over some of his issues potentially.

I love the depth because Friarmouth is a great starter, and then you have a nice right like Naja Harris is a solid starter. You have a great backup in Warren. I think Pickens needs to go to another level for this to be a great team.

Obviously. I'm in the I'm already here. It feels like this room thinks the Steelers are gonna be a superpower this year. I'm just not ready to go there yet.

And you guys, I don't even know if I like it more than the race.

Bro all you want if they're seven and one in October, but we'll see.

I don't.

I'm not with twelve wins because I'm confident the rest of the division is so good.

I like the first two weeks they have home for San Francisco home versus Cleveland. If you are a big time team, two dubs.

They learned about close games at the end of last year with pick It Too. I just think like something about them, like because I think the way pick It through in the preseason, Like if that none of that happened, I'd be in a different place.

And look out, San Francisco Cleveland, you get two wins, then at La Vegas at Houston.

Nice, very nice.

Baltimore Ravens Mark Selick, all right.

The Ravens are, you know, widely seen as a playoff team in a post Greg Roman world. We're about to witness the unveiling of Todd Monkins offense with a better group of wideouts on paper than Lamar Jackson ever enjoyed, and yet reports out a camp somewhat if he on the new offense. What if Greg Roman knew that a pass happy attack wouldn't work with his QB. There are holes on defense. It's going to take more than Genevian Clowney to save the day rushing the passer. Think that

Am I two down on this team?

Well, you're questioning that Greg Roman doesn't know anything, which is now stated fact that Greg Roman is bad, and it's he's holding the Ravens back in full Patrick ahead.

Well, where's Greg Roman coaching?

Now?

I'm sure Greg romanedingly coaching commander and somebody's.

Ails which aren't bad at all either.

No, no, they're certainly not. But he also there were players that were a part of that as well, And I think if Greg Roman thought that they couldn't pass the ball, then having pat Riccard run twenty yard dig routes might have been a questionable decision at the time.

They didn't have any receivers last year because to.

Be honest, why looking people look at wide receiver production the most. The highest snap percentage that Hollywood Brown ever had in this offense was eighty percent. The reason Lamar wasn't targeting receivers a lot. You just didn't get receivers on the field that much. In terms of the offense, I think the offense will be successful regardless, but it

I agree, just because his offenses tend to have shelf life. So it happened in San Francisco too, where it really got a little stale toward towards the end there. I think they're the highest ceiling team in this division really. I mean, I guess the bet they'd be tied with the Bengals, But to me, they have a chance to

Top two offense in the league since Lamar entered the league, when he's playing, worst offense in the league when they don't have.

Lamar, Tyler Huntley is still on the roster.

By the way, that Greg you was wrong, A bit of a disappointment for you because you were no what we'll.

See in over the next week. I still think you might get traded.

I mean, if Greg Roman couldn't make it work with Tyler Huntley, come on, now.

Well we wanted we wanted it to work with Josh Johnson. I'm curious about this line too. Ronnie Stanley's like another Boomer bus guy, like, yeah, it sounds great to have Ronnie Stanley back. He wasn't quite Ronnie Stanley last year, and he doesn't stay on the field for sixteen years.

The Cleveland Browns with Patrick claibont.

Okay, so we just talked went through this division and we discussed a team in the Pittsburgh Steelers that has Deontay Johnson and George Pickens. Of course, all of the additions that the Rave have made at wide receivers. A Flowers Odell comes in to go with Rashad Bateman, and then T Higgins and Jamar Chase don't even need to be mentioned. The Cleveland Browns come in with a twenty

I think it was.

You know, they came into the offseason with that as one of their clear, clear positional need. If Elijah Moore is like what all the hype says he is, and I think that's a real question mark at this point because they're talking about like he's doing a lot of Jets sweep stuff. And all this other pisode's like, is he what they want wide receiver? I think Cedric Tillman, the rookie, there's some promise there. They have bell from a year ago. It's like, if these guys work out,

If they don't work out, I don't think it's the receivers because I just think they're a model of a team that gets great pass protection and great run blocking, and that's what makes the receivers work.

Kind of like Green Bay.

Used to be, kind of like the Patriots used to be in the right year, that a great quarterback can elevate your wide receivers if you have great protection a great running game. The problem is like there's no expectations of Doshaun Watson to be a great quarterback, like he should be elevating everyone people are kind of hoping that he's back to being above average.

So the expectation I mean of.

Him to be great, of him to like make his receivers great, him to be a top five type of quarterback, I don't feel like I think that would be a surprise.

Yeah, maybe I think it's.

It's one of the question marks hanging out there like the Browns thought they were getting.

My point is with that line aligne that good and a good quarterback could make the receivers and the receivers aren't terrible.

And what we're gonna we're doing our season preview and predictions next week, like, yes, this could all go terribly for the Browns, and a lot of it hinges on the QB as much as you don't want to simplify it, but yeah, there is the other side of it where he plays really well and there's a lot of pieces here on both sides of the ball. And I wonder if this is the year you finally get that defensive player of the year from Miles Garrett and Nick Chubb.

I think a huge factor is that Jim Schwartz is just like if you're Miles Garrett, your Zadarius Smith. This offense, this defense is uncomplicated. Just go rush the quarterback and like Miles Garrett, is set up for a defensive Player of the Year type situation.

Oh fast, got him right in the jugglar, been shot twice, got your ace right in the jugular.

Let's take a break halftime. But before we hit a break, I want everyone to know.

Sam Spence NFL films.

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Okay, I look at the Titans defensive line, really their defense as a whole. I see a good group. I see a pretty loaded group up front. And then I look at the three big names on this roster that people know the best. Ryan Tannehill, can you give us one more surprise? People always think Tannehill's, you know, just a mediocre quarterback.

He's been a good quarterback there.

DeAndre Hopkins, could he get that second team boost for a Hall of Fame case? And Mike Rabel if he's really one of the best coaches in the league, which we were all saying halfway through last year and the year before when he won the Coach of the Year. If they're all that good, why not go win the Division? Tennessee Titan Man, you hate the Jaguars, I do not, you do.

I just don't.

Bet you're looking for a reason to pick anyone else other than the Jaguars. And now you've still some think.

There's there's some huge separation when the Titans were destroyed by injuries, including that quarterback and had to lead over a Jaguars team and who struggled to beat the Titans in Josh Dobbs, by the way in the game.

That really helps the problem with what you're talking about, though, because like so I think Frabil is that guy I'm with.

He's that guy. He's got the defense, he's got some he.

Also has the worst offensive line in football. And that's how Tannehill got hurt a year ago. Is just beaten up week after week.

Then you're looking at what Malik willis or will the old Ryan Tannehill.

Right, No, but Tannehill can still play.

But like there is another world where maybe Dereck Henry hit the wall, I mean hope not. Maybe DeAndre hops Hopkins is like late period Julio Jones versus the last version we saw of Hopkins. So it's like in those situations, you've got one of the thinnest wide out groups in the league, the worst offensive line in football, and a lot of other questions on that side of the ball, So you need your defense to hold teams to nine or ten.

Points just on the O line.

Quickly.

They had the worst offensive line in the league, I would say over the last two to three years, and it might be the worst now. It's a lot of different players, it's different coaching, and so you're right that they need to creep closer to average there. But they do have a top ten pick, they have a guy they paid a lot at left tackle, they have different healthier players, so they're hoping and you're right, that's that's in their way.

Yeah, And the Tenhill injury did so much to the perception of the team because it happened at a point in the year. Derek Henry could have easily led the league in rushing again last year, but the offense just fell off such a cliff. You put Malik Willison in a situation where he probably shouldn't have even been playing at that point, and he had to play a meaningful time in meaningful games. It was just a bad situation. I'm not saying it because I have questions about the

They've been trying to write off Tannehill's whole career.

I like I like Tannehill. I've been speaking with regret about banging the under on this team because of figures like Tannehill and Henry and Vrabel. However, is there a higher Jeffrey Simmons? Is there a higher variance with a one two wide receiver combo than Hopkins, who could be cooked or could be good?

Uh?

And Treylon Burks who's entering year two. He's back at practice, which is good this week, but they need him to really kind of fulfill his draft potential. Those guys flop. The offense has nowhere to go but on Henry up next, the Indianapolis Colts. Oh, the Colts. Matron marksis all right.

We get the whole Jonathan Taylor thing a disaster. We've spent a lot of time on that. Let's peer elsewhere. What's a positive? If you're Shane Steiken, you might have the most intriguing player in the entire division in Anthony Richardson. But this is a quarterback with three hundred and ninety three college attempts all right, just thirteen starts and outrageous fifty three point eight completion percentage. These are major outliers. The closest comp would be Trey Lance, who had three

I trust Shane Steiken. I don't trust the organization because I think the organization is the problem with Jonathan Taylor right now. The fact that they were reportedly asking for Jalen Waddle plus picks for Nathan Taylor, he means they didn't want to make they actually it made me think they want to give him. The front office wants to give him the contract he wants, but ownership isn't ready to swallow its pride yet. And it's like, maybe they

And you wonder what it takes, because clearly Anthony Richardson has to buy in for his NFL career and whatnot.

To look past looking have the depth chart around Richard if you take Taylor out of it, and at the very least he's out for the first four weeks, Zach Moss, Deon Jackson, and a rookie Evan Hall.

I think Hall is the starter.

Yeah, you have Michael Pittman. Okay, we could live with Michael Pitton. He could be He's good, he could be great. Alec Pierce a second round pick last year, Isaiah McKenzie there now in the slot. I don't know. We got to see is the offensive line gonna bounce back after last year? And does the team have the stomach to go through the growing pains of Anthony Richardson, which there will be. There has to be. Unless he's a phenom that we're not. We haven't seen in a long time.

Job, but they're also going to be trailing that defense, like the secondary is maybe the most questionable secondary in the entire.

And untrafted players and rookies in.

Rookie it's crazy.

They have a lot of roster holes that even if Richardson wins Offensive Rookie, he can win Offensive Rookie of the Year and they could win six games. I've just seen Sam Bradford action like.

Ownership, front office, coaching staff not all on the same page.

Oh, c Jim ob Cooter JBC. Yeah, you gotta take that, you gotta take that.

I just wanted to.

The Houston Texans. Houston's offense ranked dead last in expected points added for play last year. Okay, that that leads to the number two overall picks. DJ Stroud should have been the first pick they watched that, but you know, Stroud could be great anyway. New coaches, a new quarterback, some new weapons. Hopefully that changes things. Bobby slowick Slowick Slow Slow. He's from the Shanahan coaching tree ys nice. All that's good. So you have one of the most

I think there's also, like we talked a couple weeks ago about you know, Dimiko Ryans and is he safe in our hot butts rankings?

Like, yes, I think he is.

I mean I don't trust this ownership group to your point, Dan, but I think there's some patients and there needs to be patients with CJ.

Stroud.

I mean, we didn't see a whole lot of them in the preseason, but the one thing that was consistent with his college tape was, man, when he throws, he's a couple throws a game where you're just like, there aren't that many people that throw the ball with that amount of beauty, And like, I do think that, Like he's a high growth potential quarterback. No quarterback in a two year window in the Big Ten history had more touchdowns than he did. So it's like he's done it.

And how quickly are these guys going to get open? I thought the offensive line was shaping up to potentially be a real strength, but you struggles a little hurt right now. They had to trade for a guard. They Titus Howard is hurt right now. They actually lost their center, their original center for the season, who maybe wasn't got to start. But they right off the bat, they're down about four offensive linemen. You hate to see that in front of a rookie quarterback.

Yeah, you lose Kenyan Green to ir in a preseason game. That is as bad as bad.

As it gets, especially considering where this roster was a few seasons ago, even till last year. They're gonna be thin because they just have to come back from what was a team that essentially didn't seem like it was putting its best effort forward. And so to suddenly go to, hey, the Texans are trying. Now, you're gonna have to have some guys really just stay clean, stay healthy, and to have that happened, it's gonna hurt a little bit, But at least we do need to consider where they were.

Well.

One reason the higher dimigo Ryans is it's been proven it's not that hard historically to go from a pretty poor defense to an above average defense. A coach and energy, tackling fundamental. Certainly some talent in the secondary with Petrie and Ward, and you got Anderson up front, like they could go to a frisky defense right off the bat.

I think that's his predecessor. Robert Salad did the same thing right York, so he can do that. The skilled players Xavier Hutchinson a little bit of a Darth throat, tanked Dell wide receiver. Are you and the Robert Woods is an actually cooked bandwagon? If you are, maybe you feel good. I don't feel good, But listen, all right, Greg, sharpen your fangs. Here is Patrick Claiban on the defending Division champion Jaguars.

So the Jacks made some cuts, most notably Doug Peterson cut his son yesterday. He got back on the PI better than me. I wouldn't be doing that, hey, son, you go yeah, you go ahead and fire me. They didn't cut Parker Washington a sixth wounder at whiteout. They're gonna carry seven windeouts as of right now. Doug loves his offense, not his son.

I think he loves his son. That's why he's on the practice squad. He was not getting a lot of NFL interest for a few years before that.

Doug Peterson hates his own son. That the headline.

My only question about the Jags offense is what's to do in the meantime While Cam Robinson is dealing with this suspension, the question is defense. They didn't make any changes in the secondary. They were able to overcome that towards the end, but they'll need those guys to grow a whole lot. Is there enough growth in what's there, like guys like Campbell in that secondary to be what they need to be to win the division.

I thought it was a weird offseason because yes, you exited, you know, January, thinking this is one of the new teams in the AFC. They're completely set on one side of the ball in many ways. Dwayne Smoot arden Key, two of their top three sack leaders from year ago exit. They don't draft the defensive player till the fourth round. It's like other teams well are rebuilding in one year. It's like you pour all your resources into your weakness, and the Jaguars did the opposite.

They're building on strength. They're kind of like the old cult system and it might might not be a bad idea in this division.

I'm not.

I'm just down relative to consensus because I think there's a chance, to Patrick's point, that they could be a bottom five defense. I just think they're very thin at ed Rutger, not like a very promising cornerback group, and Boomer Buss at linebacker. Maybe it all works out, but they didn't really show that they were like coach that well on defense last year.

To your point, the Trayvon Walker move is not looking good right now. This is a big year or two for him. Number one overall pick last year when you could have had Hutchinson, Calvin Ridley's there, and you know what,

We don't know that. Like Trevor Lawrence has maxed out.

I mean he had no year one obviously, so last year was essentially like the first look and he almost had like two seasons in one, and that second one was he and the offense were among the best in the entire conference. It's like we have but he's on level seven of ten. If he gets better, then they are a big problem in the South.

I think that's the biggest question.

Can he be a top five quarterback now for a seventeen game schedule, It's possible.

Well, we saw all of it in the comebacks against Dallas and the one of the playoffs against the Chargers. But they had to come back in the first place, right. They built those deficits because they couldn't necessarily stop those offenses early. And I just wonder has that changed enough?

So to me, yes, he's in his third year, But to me that that makes me think he's going to be better in year six and seven. And I'm not as convinced he's as lee out of the gate as Burrow, Herbert Lamar, some of the guys we've seen come up lately.

Well, the gate was locked for the first year.

Time out, Sessler, and this is the time out that you saved by.

Not no, I'm winging it really, I'm like Todd Bowles, real confused and need somebody by my side. I just want to clarify my stance. I get a kick out if you're not liking the Jaguars. I don't love the Jaguars. In fact, if you look at what are the who are the four kind of favorites in the divisions in the AFC, it's the Bills. I guess the Bengals would be the popular pick. Overall, the Jaguars definitely in the South,

I think you just hit on it. For me.

You can't just pick all the favorites. And there's other three I feel good about.

But you can. You could, but you won't.

I don't want to.

I truly do believe there's a special magic sauce in Tennessee that like, at the end of the year, you're gonna be like, how did they win ten games? Like there's an organizational belief that I have in them.

That that I think they've done that. So it's not outrageous.

Yeah, I think it'll be interesting to see where the Jaguars come down because I think they are beneficiaries of a much weaker division.

Than in schedule.

You're right, I mean, there's opportunity for Tennessee and Jacksonville to have better records than people expect, just because the Colts in Texas could be that bad.

The achieve like ride for months at a time over the past couple years with like a bottom five defense, and there's still winning in debtoning fe I mean I'm just not as concerned about the defensive statistics when you've got what they have on offense.

And Doug Peterson's building something there. He built something in Philly with.

Howie literally a new facility open this summer, thank god. And his film name is Soni Electric Complex.

All right, let's head to the AFC West. I'm out of the doubting or even softly questioning Mahomes and Andy Reid game. It's a waste of time. I don't care if Travis Kelsey's a year older, or Canarius Tony is a stretch at wide receiver one, or Sky Moore is untested, or that they lost their left tackle and free agency, or and it sounds like doubting Isaiah Chenko, is he ready really to lead the backfield? I don't care whatever. Here's a crazy stat. I don't care about any of

I'm with you one hundred percent.

I mean, according to you, the Bengals because you said they're in. Didn't you say it's a fact that what are they?

Well, they were the best team in the conference, I believe the one seed.

But you can ticket Kansas City, so there's your game. Absolutely, And like I like this way. Andy Reid is unquestionably the best coach in football for me because last year, at this time, in this various exercise, we were like, whoa are the Chiefs? What are they gonna be? Can we trust them anymore? It's like they refashioned their attack in one season and change that we do it now.

I think he's gonna have to turn you know, those tackles, I guess could be a question. Juan Taylor right tackle, he should be fine. Donovan Smith left tackle. That's new, but there's not much. I think you hit on some of the names that are key to me. The key for the Chiefs staying where they are is they continued to find these young guys who aren't highly drafted that turn into really good players. McDuffie was a first round pick, but can they develop m McDuffie, can more step up?

Can Karloftis step up? Because really he.

Was okay last year, he wasn't great twelve. Nick Bolton be like a star. Keep developing these young guys.

Yeah, we saw Justin Ross a lot in the preseason.

I'm starting to kind of park my ears up about what he's able to accomplish there. I do worry like Patrick Mahomes having to come back from ankle injuries and play through that. We're not you want to see less of that. It's the fact that it has to happen. But we're in Belichick lamb with retreads. We got Matt Nagy back an offensive coordinator. It's the parallels.

He was looking. I think you got away. Yeah, I was trying to stink it in there. Oh all right, justin.

One of the most I got a huge clock to the left.

I'm watching you guys over here.

Our clock is not reflective.

I guess I think it's fair for the producers to start to get a little, you know, irritated with us, and he sounded a little irritated.

Right there. It's good.

I'm giving hi leeway. This's a it's a weird chime.

It's not really precise at the zero excuses, two excuses and right not fight. All right, we move on to the Los Angeles super Chargers.

Okay, so the Chargers just picked up a cast of other teams discarded linebackers. Brandon Staley's defense was twenty first in points allowed last year finish twenty eighth in yards allowed dead lasting yards per attempt allowed last year at five point four. If that trend continues, what change does Brandon Staley make or is the only change left to make regarding the Chargers defense?

The head coaching position.

It's whoa when you see your houser attempt you mean on the ground? Yeah, yeah, okay here it's per carry. Well that I guess answers. The question I would ask you them is like, why not the Chargers? I don't I think they look pretty good on paper defensively, You're right, have they done enough to It's not really much of a different crew in terms of stopping the run. They're just gonna have to coach it better. They're gonna have to be healthier out of Bosa, a little better out

No.

I mean, they poured all that money into the defense a year ago and got all these pieces that you know, they knew Staley if you're you know Mac, like all these guys, and it was a disaster. They were like a That had to be one of the biggest disappointments in the AFC was LA's defense under Stalian. Like, there's a lot of pressure there, but I think a lot of it is that I from the on the other side of the ball that I think the Kellen Moore

I think they get the reverse like tax that I just was talking about the Chiefs like Greg your quote just and I think they look better on paper. It's like this happens every year and then something happens, either by bad luck or poor play or slumps. It's like, is this the year the Charges finally shut up and just take this rock and maximize it. I'd like to see it, but I'm still used to it not working out that you just assume that it won't.

I think the difference to me is the offensive line on paper again, but it's based on how these players have performed. Looks great, like I think this could be, like they have a chance. I'm sure they don't have odds in Vegas for this, but I would take the odds that, like the Chargers finished first in DVA for offense just because they probably would be the ninth or

You know what spooked me a little bit on Fantasy draft days was Austin Eckler twenty touchdowns eighteen touchdown. How many running backs have three straight years with that amount of workload and that success. Is he going to be able to keep it up? And what's a pivotal season for him.

Probably not, but they've showed a little bit more of like a power North South running game. I think the other guys will get more involved.

But again, the even with Joe Lombardi, the offense did everything it needed to do to have a lead in the playoffs.

In the defense let them down.

I think the answer your question, the answer is if the defense doesn't work, yeah, they should get rid of them.

Defensive masterminds got it back. That was one from last time.

Uh the ratas Greg Rosenthal, all right, are we buying any defensive improvement from the Raiders. One of the most surprising storylines to me of the preseason was how consistently good they looked in practice and in the preseason to it to the point where I'm starting to buy into it. You start off with Max Crosby, Chandler Jones, and Tyree Wilson who's now come back and looked pretty good. And a coordinator if you don't remember, Patrick Graham, who's had.

Some big ups in the NFL and big downs.

But I would describe his system as maybe a little too complicated. Maybe year one you got through a little bit of that, and maybe he's got players who know what to do now, because if they are a decent defense, if we're buying it, is anyone buying it could be competitive at least not really okay because the players don't look great on paper.

But defense is more than just like the roster.

You know what I feel like, if you lose, like you go, you go about two or three deep on this defense, if you lose Max Crosby for two months, or you lose Marcus Peters, Like.

Yeah, but the no, there's teams.

There's teams that I think you could say on defense, you've got like the Jets defensive line. We talk about layers of players, like this is like a really Jenga piece type defense with one or two guys and like also, you know, I guess that's one area where like preseason practice or preseason games and like camp practices where they're looking good.

All right, I definitely to Mark's cynicism around the Raider is like putting too much in the preseason on how the defense looks. But you're saying also camp reports and what the beat reporters.

More about the practices and stuff.

Now, granted, these weeks of practice were against the offense, but it was partly the two joint practices too, that they were just like Okay, I don't know, well, I.

Don't think I don't think they're terrible.

Yeah, there's so much talk about the Raiders being one of the worst teams in the league. Is there a path to them surprising and hanging around to the wild card race?

Patrick, Yeah, I think that might be a little bit too far. It's just a team in transition, and every single year it's become more accepted. The defense isn't going to be as sticky and there's a little bit easier to turn a defense around. But I think maybe we should give more credit to the defenses who are consistent year over year because of that. Uh, And I don't know if I've seen enough to make that determination.

Well, now, they need Jimmy G to be better than Derek Carr. I think there is a world where Jimmy G is better than Derek. Actually, I expect him to be better than Derek Carr was for the Raiders.

People are so low on Jimmy G.

Do you expect him to be better than Derek Carr this year?

I think it's about the same.

Yeah, I don't like to say I expect them to be an upgrade from what they had a year ago.

And they still have Devanta Adams.

They have Judgy yeah, and DeVante Adams, who were months removed from saying that he's simply going to have to buy into this and try to be as optimistic as possible. I just think there's a couple of like ticking time bombs all over this place, and it starts with Josh McDaniels and his people skills.

We did that. We did that. The kids draft. Uh Dan, my kids are in the same fantasy. Divanta Adams is still sitting there like late in the second, like the radio is out there active.

Josh Jacobs back. Did anybody say give up? I mean, one of the best players in the league last year, back and happy and paid. I'm happy, man, No effect Wait, I'm disrespecting the game.

Yeah you are.

Can't do it.

But you know, Josh, you made you were the one that made the biggest speech about respecting the drink.

I know. I just wanted to say, Josh Jacobs is back.

We could the messages and don't I'm on your side, but it's just like shooting me.

Well we said I did say it.

All right last time?

Out.

Jimmy Garoppolo is better than Derek Carr.

I think he will be an upgrade. Okay, Eric Carr with the Raiders in twenty twenty two.

Day Adams one of the top five wide receivers in the sport. Yes, yes, Josh Jacobs at least the Josh Jacobs one of the top running backs in the sport. Max Crosby one of the best edge rushers in the sport. I'm saying, there is.

The highest ticket price in the sport.

Sure, sure there is a there is. I think a case to be made that there's enough talent, top tier talent to maybe lift all boats to mediocrity. I'm just saying, like.

That that's better than the old runs.

But not every team needs to have like Super Bowl aspirations every year, Like if they is a transition year, if they can fight for a wild card in January, even if they fall short, I think maybe that's success for this team, because I don't. I think Roppolo's a bridge. I think that's all he is, and then they can figure out what their next big step is. At QBIT, they.

Fit perfectly as a team that will win just enough games to disappoint in terms of the standings, but also be out of the running for one of the great college cour uarterbacks next year's draft.

That's a blueprint. Yeah, but I thought you said they're going to be horrendous.

I think they could be.

I'm saying that all these things that you're ticketing off, which they had last year, by the way, come to fruition in a more glorious way than last year.

They win seven games.

It's a tough conference. It's a tough one conference.

Tough is a tough conference. We got one more team. We got one more team, and that team is the Denver Broncos with Mark Sessler.

All Right, last year's coaching staff disaster much renowned in some way, but to this year's Sean Payton regime, Okay, I think it might be the biggest leap I can recall in sort like a talent jump, maybe outside of like the Urban Meyer thing that we talked about in Jacksonville. And we don't know what will happen with Russell Wilson, but I think number one, the only evidence we have is that his body looks like he looks he went and got in shape, and I think it's going to solve some of the issues.

From very hot here, he looks very tight. Congratulations, Absolutely, it's a good job by her. But I do have this twenty years of evidence telling me that Sean Payton is better than ninety percent of other coaches in the NFL, And so I think if even if RUSS is somewhere between like good Russ from a while back and last

Am I a fool to think this?

I don't see it unless yeah, unless coaching is just that important. They're a great test. I mean, he said it's one of the worst. He's one of the worst coaching jobs in history according to Sean Payton's which is like, look, if you don't win more than five or six games, then you're now the worst coaching job in history.

Sean Payton.

I just I don't see a lot of position groups when I go through them that are above average, it doesn't look like a great roster to me. They have a couple great they have a good safety justin Simmons. You have Patrick Sartan in the secondary. After that, it's like, what am I excited about on this team? I don't know if they're in the coach.

I don't know if it's fair to even if they didn't have a good year this year, to put it on Peyton because you got to build the program. I mean, even Sean Payton.

They win five games after he says winning five games was the worst coaching job in history.

Tough sitch.

I'm putting it on.

It's a tough sitch. But remember before they hit on that big draft in UH twenty seventeen, he had back to back to back seven and nine years with New Orleans. I mean, he's not not like he's never failed in his life or had teams that were didn't reach the playoffs. So like, it's all I say.

Over seven and nine teams was that the offense was still Sean Payton's offense. Those defenses were an absolute disaster during that stretch. But I think the most delicious thing if he rips the coaching staff that won five games, then he won five games.

Just he doesn't have Drew Brees anymore either.

And that was and that was in an era in the NFC South where you had like Matt Ryan Julio at their peak.

He had Cam coming up, and so there was explanation.

But also now in the AFC West, it's not it's necessarily an easy situation there. I think they can clearly be better than they were last year, but is there enough improvement to kind of heal all those wounds from when we were saying, oh, the Broncos are going to be Super Bowl contenders and they.

Were miserable.

Bronco's Raiders Week one, sneaky fun. I don't know what I'm getting.

It's over so I can talk about this and that people love love to chicken and egg Belichick, Brady, but we don't really talk about Sean Payton and all success coming with Drew Brees, one of the greatest pastors who's ever lived. How's he going to do without Drew Brees.

I think it's partly because his record without Drew Brees was so good in those last few years, although that was true of Belichick in the Brady Era too. This record was great without.

Coach up Teddy coached up Winston. It's like, I don't know, like I didn't. I think Sean Payton is not for me in a world where suddenly I think without one player, he's got no ability to coach, right.

I don't like that argument. That's why I don't do that with Belichick. I'm just saying like that was a massive advantage that he had. Drew Brees was an incredible player, and I and you could also say, well, Drew Brees gonna become incredible player until you got in New Orleans. That's fair too. It'll just be fun to see Sean Payton with a fresh start a new QB, whether it is Russell Wilson or who's the Fellows, if they they recruited over from Jared Stidham or whoever comes next down the line.

If if Wilson fails, though, Sean Payton will not be taking any credit for that, Like I guarantee there would be any you know that's.

Called Jared Stidham a fellow.

I always am a little wary because of the historical precedent of a coach taking a huge contract as he's hitting you know, he's getting to his sixties with a lot of previous success in an NFL history that hasn't generally worked for the teams doing it, coaches in a new spot after they've already achieved a lot, and oh, by the way, he was like their third or fourth choice.

That part was weird.

That part was My mind goes to Jimmy Johnson's Dolphins that I believe the last game he coached, like Dan Marino lost in the playoffs, like seventy one to ten to the Jaguars.

Right, there's also like a very depending on who you are and where you stand on what a head coach should be doing. Disturbing Draft time video that rolled out also fine completely of course you would say, I'm just saying a completely insane, unhinged interview and which he wasn't wrong about Nathaniel Hackett, but like completely like the type of interview for you you give when maybe you're not thinking clearly, we good, everything good, well, we good.

Un precious it's it's wild to say that we good. We literally agree with everything that he said.

It's not just about what he said, it's you know who he said it to. And then not having the good sense to understand that was going to make just massive waves that him and his team didn't need to deal with.

Well, I hope, like everybody has cried sufficient tears over at this point because it was a whole thing, and I can't remember anybody saying he was wrong.

Everybone's like, well, just don't you it's a code?

Yeah?

Is this baseball now? Like I'm so confused by it.

Well, I'm not going to acknowledge Sean on that giving he's giving off and believe I believe he has a difference maker as an offensive coach, and I believe his Bill Parcells in autumn vibes that he's giving off a little Dallas, a little Miami even as an exect.

Like I love that the NFL can use that. Let's have fun.

It's well, now that he's been sufficiently punished for it, no coach is going to.

Say and he apologized too, and he was going to maybe reach out as well. I don't know if I don't know if that ever happened.

It's not according to Nathaniel Hackett.

By way, it doesn't have to be patrick unwritten code or whatever. But like the reason why you don't do it is because like, if you follow the sport, it's really hard to be a coach. It's a really tough life. You bounce around, you grind through different levels.

If we criticize Hackett to the to the nth degree, so why can't other colleagues do it?

Well?

The reason I'm trying to make but you interrupted me is that he is also a coach, and you understand when things go sideways unless you don't care about it, and your ego is so out of control that you speak that could shoot off the lip of USA today, which is fine. I thought it was fun too. I love the story. I don't care that he's connected to the Jets now. I think it's great. But I'm just saying, you know, that's everything, all right, shun.

It is in the realm of possibility that he's like external based, high ego individual that like doesn't care about all these codes and things.

But if you get the guys open and Russ hits them, none of it matters, right, That's my question is like how much does it necessarily matter? It's a thing to talk about, but like what impact does it happen?

But he's okay, I.

Say, if you're gonna you know if you're gonna take a breather from coaching and go take a studio gig pre game, like where's that fire?

Then right exactly the most vanilla comments I've ever.

Heard that there is something to that that's it's annoying, like he could have had a different tone about it, but there is something gutless about it that like we're fine with all of us can say it, but they can't say it about each other. It's kind of similar how like we can't say certain things about other people and broadcasting that we actually hold our tongue on some level about that those sort of things because it's like it didn't.

I don't remember a certain broadcast are coming up to you had a coach's breakfast and shaking you down and wagging his finger in your face.

It's happened.

We'll leave it right there.

That's how Greg knows where Sean Payton was when he.

Gave it interview. But yes, insummation, I'm happy Sean Payton's back to He's a character. He's from the parcels world, and I love parcels and those guys that are a little rough around the edges. Everyone else seems to be so streamlined and smooth these days. Maybe I saw Nate Hackett with his daughters after the Taylor Swift concert.

Also, we're past hating on him too, he's a he seems like a likable fellow.

Great Dudek took him to Vegas.

I mean past might be exaggerating. If they're the twenty fourth ranked offense in Week four, we won't be past it. So it's it's all based on how things go.

My name is Nathaniel Hackett. Thanks, it's nice to see you out here. All right, coming up tomorrow is around the NFC. In forty eight minutes. We could not have done literally well, we could have. It would have been an inferior program without Patrick Clavin, who.

Said it all well. Thanks Dan.

Any final words, just go out there.

And love football and love Ingle Hackett, who's a very nice man.

And check out Patrick hosting this year on Game deviut with the plug Our our Pick shows.

You're plugging yourself and may it seem like, yeah.

It's Cynthia's it's Cynthia and Patrick guy. But now he's the host.

We've been down this avenue before.

What else are your NFL fantasy?

Yes, you've got fantasy tonight, six o'clock Eastern, right here on NFL.

Now, I feel like you're a valued member of the team. I think you're held in good regard with the people upstairs.

Well that's that's because of the people on the floors with me, which includes you guys. Anybody who's the chance to do things and go all the way back to t D and Dave Damashek put me on the first podcast over Oh.

My god, hit the music. You're right check Davis ires start that's true.

Talk about a great guy.

Dave listens every episode of the show. That is not true. Heed the call.