Season Predictions!! (With Patrick Claybon)

And so before I throw two boys, let me just really quickly go through this because the season is less than two weeks away, now ten days away, really eleven something like that before the Thursday night game. Here's what's to come on this program. How's this? Greg? A little set up just to get people caught up what's going on? I like it today Today, Today, we're gonna do some

season predictions. Okay, We're gonna go through um an email that a colleague of ours, Gennaro Police as a police um, sends out every year and make a bunch of predictions for one that's fun. We will have another special guest on the show on Thursday, Steve Wish, and next week we will do our annual Sandwich Props are Week one preview our week one recap the Thursday night opener and the debut we believe of our new two hour around

the NFL broadcast and that's a bum bom. And that's in addition to the return of Power Rankings with Me and Money, NFL game debut with Rosie as some call him, never me Hawk, and Cynthia and yes, Patrick Claiban with the NFL Fantasy program. How about that getting the plugs out early. That's a lot. We're doing a lot of stuff. Yeah, and I will say it's a it's one organism right there there. We're all in and so we're all carrying

it together. But are fundamental your pillars, right, there's some likery. We're getting more to carry these days. So that's that's a little bit of us. You know, we complained sometimes. That's a little bit of a sign of encouragement. We're certainly asked to do more than we were years ago. That that's all three of us, because you're on Fantasy Live almost every day now, right, yeah, four days this week, foys,

how about that? And you know it would be easier to carry um what we need to carry up the hill of the NFL season with Mark Cesler. Unfortunately, Mark not back with us yet, as you've probably told. But sometimes markets quiet on the show and maybe he would pipe in right here, but he's not. Unfortunately, Um, as you know if you follow the show, Mark has been dealing with issues with blood clots. He's been in and out of the hospital as they're trying to make things, uh,

figure things out and the path going forward. He's in he's in good spirits. You have to believe me on this. He's going in the right direction. But it's a complex issue here and he's uh kind of the men at home this week. So we're hoping to have him back for week one, but no promises, you know, that's the goal. It's like, it's like what Jerry Jones says about Dak Prescott. Uh, if week one was today, he'd be on the field. I don't know if Mark would be on the podcast

off week one was today. But not to make light of it, we miss Mark. We want him back. We know you're the listener are worried about him, but just know that he is on the mend and he'll be back with us when the time is right. But the time is not right now. We we have a lot of time to get sick of each other and spend way too much time virtually, but then in person soon enough in studio, and so Mark will be back for that.

It's all. It's all happened. Yes, get will soon. He's on some powerful uh drugs right now that I told him to make save some from the middle of the season for the rest of us, because oh is it okay? Justin Graver filling in for Erica Tamposy who was on a tropical vacation right now, which is impossible, Justin, can you pop out a second. It's impossible that our producer is in Hawaii right now. This is essentially the season's already started. How does this happen? Who green lit it?

And was there any way you could have stopped at, Justin? Or maybe this is what you wanted because look at you now talking into the mike on the podcast exactly right. Well, Eric is my boss now, so technically there's no way for me to stop carefully, yeah, but you know, it's the last little week we have this little fun dead zone now with the way the preseason moved around, So if this is her last chance to get away for a second, maybe, I mean, what dead zone we've got

like six shows this week. An exceedingly diplomatic answer from Justin there, I support and understand. I guess the answer here is that Erica might be in her own little gray zone where she doesn't have a boss right now. And uh that's how this happened. I don't know, but Erica will be back next week. We hope Mark's back next week. Patrick, as you did on the network show last week and again today, and I think next week as well. You're you're helping us out and we are

so thankful for that. And Greg here, you and I, buddy, we're just we're just the rocks, you know, We're just we're here. Hopefully. The podcast gods have been coming at us, but we're not taking it lying down. Neither's Mark. We're fighting back. And as Debbie hands this is known to say, don't spit in the sky. Let's do some news. Hello, and welcome to the new West Coast home of the NFL. I'm Colleen Wolf and it is my sincere pleasure to introduce you to the future. If she's gonna kill me.

One more thing to note. I asked for Justin to cut that because after basically eighteen months of us looking into laptops to do this show. We are coming now to the end of the line on some level, maybe not permanently. I think this has been proven to be successful enough that will keep it in our back pocket when we need it. Uh these remote shows, But Greg, come, let's say week two, we're gonna be in there brand

new studio. It sounds like, uh in Inglewood at Hollywood Park doing the show as intended together, And I'm really looking forward to that in a new podcast studio. You know, Keisha is at work today, like a lot of employees, um going to their first day of work. She she's been there before, but a lot of people are going to their first day of work in Inglewood. Even more people are coming next week. And yeah, that's the plan.

If we don't do it by the first Sunday Week one show of the year, I think we'll be in there the next week after that for a week too. So I am looking forward to this show. It's like it's a little bit better being able to be in person. I think. I don't know, I don't want to slight the shows we've done over the last year and app but it's got to be better to I think we've gotten very good at this type of program. But I I agree with you. I think it's no substitution for

being together and on the production side. Uh, and I do a lot of that with Erica, Like that's much more difficult and harder to pull off. So the idea of being all together in the like state of the art studio is something to be very excited because I think it's good for us, it's good for the listeners. Um, let's get for Claibon. You know, we'll have Claibon in the studio. My my propensity to turn into a little spinning disc where nobody can hear me and I can't

hear you, guys. That doesn't happen in person. It's just my my slow mental calculation is the only thing that happens in person. It has been quite a ride, these eighteen months of computer life. Let's get into it. Let's start with what's going on down in New Orleans. New Orleans Saints practicing at the home of the Dallas Cowboys right now. Um, and for three days this week after evacuating because of Hurricane Ida, which made landfall south of

New Orleans on Sunday. Category for Hurricane um at wins of a hundred and fifty miles per hour. Very very dangerous stuff, obviously, And the Saints had a preseason finale that they moved up and then canceled entirely. Uh. And now they are in Texas preparing for their season. And this comes, of course Claibon sixteen years exactly in fact, after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans and forced the team

to move for the two thousand and five season. Thankfully, we're not talking about that right now in the in the situation, but very serious, very dangerous, and the Saints are juggling their schedule as a result. Yeah, and the memories are too fresh on everybody's minds. Um, you don't want to think about two thousand five too much when it comes to a storm in the Gulf, but it's hard not to write. And and you've seen a lot of people reaching out. Um there there's more connectivity in

the world now. People are able to ask for help and maybe find places to help a little bit better. I know power was out in all of Orleans Parish last night, and it still is in a significant number of places. But but it's been it's been good to see Um, you know, we had some players tweeting out some mutual aid sources, uh, for people to get help. And um, you know, as much as football is, our is is what we do and it's what keeps the

lights on for us. Um, it's it's hard not to prioritize the people they're down there that are dealing with this, especially in and on the coast of Louisiana and Mississippi as well. It's just it's it's tough to see. Yeah, it's you are. You do get flashbacks just thinking of even the the NFL relation to it that right now they're in Texas, you know, back then they spent the season in San Antonio. They're in Dallas that Saints are practicing.

Sean Payton said on Monday, you know, there's a strong chance that will be preparing for, you know, our Week one game somewhere other than New Orleans. But it's it's so early as we tape this on Monday to know what the damage is there, because people are just starting to get out and starting to do rescues in the power and it seems like a total mess. And our

our thoughts are with every everyone down there. So so many people are affected in in and out of football, but just from the the Saints is perspective, yeah, it would not be surprised if you know, they have to start doing some adjustments to where where they're practicing, where they're playing, and everything else, because that's it's not the

priority down in Louisiana right now. In other news, the San Francisco forty Niners doesn't sound like we're any closer to knowing what their quarterback situation is because Kyle Shanahan said that rotating Jimmy Garoppolo and Trey Lance will quote always be an option this season. Here's what Kyle Shannon had to say on opposing defenses potentially dealing with two quarterbacks, whether it's in their mind or not. Um, I mean,

that's that's up to them. But we've got two guys who can play, and um, while we've been doing in practice a little bit, wanted to do out there in the game, and I think it's always gonna be an option. He is referring, of course, to the preseason finale where Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo traded reps over the first twenty four snaps of the game. This is murky as it gets. Greg how do you diagnose what's happening in San Francisco

right now? I think Kyle is having some fun in that third preseason game, you know, thinking about Week one in the Detroit lines, thinking about that at just like hey, get ready, because not only were they rotating, but they were they were showing some things. They were doing these QB power traps, like they were showing what you can do with Trey Lance as your quarterback in terms of the read option, and he was mostly handy it off.

You wonder if he was almost told like handed off, like let's not get too crazy here in the preseason. But the crazy part was they replaced them twice on the goal line with Jimmy Garoppolo, which is like the opposite sort of what you would expect to happen. One of those times Jimmy runs it in. One of those times they didn't score with Jimmy in there, then they

bring Lance back in. Who does run it in? And uh, I really think, based on Jimmy Garoppolo's deportment last week leading into that game and what Kyle Shannon has said, that Jimmy Garoppolo will be starting Week one and that we that Trey Lance will be playing week one, and I do think that's gonna be the the early plan and and they're just gonna see how it goes. Yeah, not just having fun with with Dan Campbell and and uh Aeron Glennon in the Lions staff, but having fun

with us as well. Right. We ran the sound last night after the game of Kyle Shanahan seemingly saying right, Kyl Shannon, who famously was upset right at Sean McVeigh for not laminating the play sheet on a rainy day, Right Sean mc a Kyl Shannahan, who has meticulously planned everything, says last night at the podium, Um, hey, you know I was just playing it by ear. You know, Jimmy go In, Trey go In, he's acting as though that he's just making this decision on a whim, just to

kind of feel it out. And so, yeah, Kyl Shannon's gonna do what he wants, but he's also gonna have fun with us. He the whole, this whole entire offseason, he's maintained it doesn't behoove him to say who the starting quarterback is going to be. And I think ultimately what he truly showed us yesterday it doesn't matter. He's gonna call the points. He's gonna get guys open, and

they're gonna score points no matter what. I do want to point out that I think the Lances preseason in that game specifically supported this idea that Lance needs a little more cooking, a little more practice time. He's made a lot of mist aches. He does seem to run after the first read is taken away. He's also made a ridiculous amount of amazing plays and seems like an

awesome runner. So if there was any thought of, like, hey, let's go into it with Jimmy, but use Trey, I think that the preseason Lance has had sort of has supported that. That's like, Okay, we don't need to play in Week one. He's probably gonna start eventually this season, but it doesn't have to be right now. And the football gods laugh at any plans that are made because, as we know, Jimmy Garoppolo has hurt all the time.

So even if Kyle she And has this like grand vision for using both guys and just turning the offense into a nightmare for defensive coordinators, we'll see if both guys are healthy and able to do such a plan. But very interesting and we'll continue to track that. Speaking of the football gods, they did not smile upon j K. Dobbins, the second year Ravens running back who was tackled awkwardly

on a screenplay against Washington in the preseason. Finally for the Ravens suffered a torn a c l out for season. Uh So, Patrick, the Ravens did it. They are undefeated yet again in the preseason, breaking the Vince Lombardi record And that's cool, But no j K. Dobbins, that stinks. It will be opportunity for Gus Edwards uh to have

a main role on this offense. Yeah. No better example of a pyric victory, right than when in your twentieth straight preseason game and losing your starting running back who really has a unique skill set that's not represented anywhere else on the team at the tailback position, and you

wonder how they're going to go about this. I don't think there's a veteran out there that can fill that role, so they're probably just not They're just not going to have that aspect in their offense in a season where they prioritize the passing game, right, and he was your best option out of the backfield, and now he's gone, and it's it's tough, especially as somebody who would like the Ravens to win every single game this year, and then they've had a nightmare preseason. I don't know if

anyone had had a worse one. The Colts are in the midst Mark s. Brown returned, you know, to practice today for the first time since July, but Sammy Watkins has been hurt for much of the preseason. Rashad Bateman is out into the regular season. I think they do need another running back. Justice Hill was not guaranteed to make this team before the injury. I anticipate they'll either get they'll make a trade for someone's second string or third string running back, or they'll pick up some veterans

because they're a volume running game. I don't think you want to change your game plan because J. K. Dobbins isn't there. You can't replace him. He was by far their best running back. Out Edwards is a great too, but now you need another too, and I don't think he's on the roster and they're they're gonna have to run the Bay like I just don't see the recipe for them to start throwing the ball that much more than than they used to. That's what they do well,

is run the ball. ESPN's Josina Anderson mentioned or reported that Todd Gurley, who worked out with the Ravens, is not in the mix right now to potentially join the team. So maybe cross Girly off the list. You wonder where he's at at this point and what his future holds. In other news, and you know, I try to have I wish I could avoid these stories, but they're part of the news every single week. It's time for another episode of c s I COVID Stuff incoming Carson Wentz

and friends to the COVID list. Here is the Here are the names from the Colts Wentz, Zach Pascal, Wide receiver, Ryan Kelly, the center. All deemed close contexts with a staff member who tested positive. All eligible to return in five days as long as they remain negative and asymptomatic. So Wentz, who obviously is working his way back from the foot surgery and needs as many reps as possible that he has taken out of the mix. Here Patrick

for the next several days, as is Pascal, Pascal and Kelly. Yeah, it's there's a lot going on, and you wonder because a team where the the opportunity in the division right seemed to be right there first and foremost. And we skip ahead a few weeks later and you you're missing all of these guys. Um I I'm I'm searching for the positive you get, you get, um you eventually get these guys back. But it was sold as like, well, this is good news. We'll be back in five days,

so plenty of time before the season. I'm like, I'm sick of framing Carson Wentz missing days is like good news. Like, no, it's not good news. It's not good news. And they wouldn't miss it if they were vaccinated. That we know. Um So even though the vaccination status is are not announced officially, we know based on the circumstances here that these guys weren't because that's why they have five days with the close contacts. Yeah, similar to the Cam Newton situation.

I'm not it's like it doesn't change their season. But we keep saying this. And the Titans have thirteen players, many of whom were vaccinated, on their COVID list. Um we keep saying this. That's like, well, this is all gonna happen during the season, and just like with each time it happens, we start to realize, like, yeah, this is gonna happen during the season. In other news, oh and other cults news, it has been Oh, what a

off rough summer it's been for the Colts. T Y Hilton, uh, their veteran wide receiver who uh he's getting up there in years, but he showed down the stretch last season that he could still deliver as a playmaker at age thirty one. Well, he's out because he's he's dealing with a neck injury sometimes a disk issue, and it's uncertain how much how much time he'll missed. The Athletic Stephen Holder reported that Hilton will be on the shelf multiple

weeks with a neck injury. And Greg, I mean, you don't have to be a physical therapist or a doctor in the field to know that when a football player has a nick in neck injury, you never know where that's gonna go, and sometimes it goes in a really tough situation direction hopefully not. Yeah, And it's not the first time for him with that injury either. He's played through his injuries for the most part throughout his career. Hasn't missed a lot of games. Um, but this is

not a first time. Think Paris Campbell is a really big player on this team. That that's kind of my takeaway is that third year guy Guy West really liked to remember, but just hasn't been able to stay on the field, and they they're gonna have to get someone to be an explosive guy on their receiver. Corp Pittman is a good player, but he's not explosive like that. Zach Pascal will play a lot, too, but they need Paris Campbell to be a factor. In other news, Hey, listen,

we don't have clarity uh in San Francisco. Maybe a little bit more uh in New England. But you gotta read between the lines here. Mac Jones played with the backups in the preseason finale. Uh. Cam Newton of course, also in the mix to be the starter or at least to start the season. Bill Belichick unusually verbose and talking on the topic after Sunday Night's game. Yeah, no, we we still have a lot of decisions to make. Just kidding, what did you expect? What did you expect? Dan?

What do you want? You want him? To announce? The starting cord back. He's loving this. He's always wanted to have a to be able to conceal his starting quarterback, but he always had Tom Brady, so there wasn't much mystery to it. There's no way that I think he's gonna do Yeah, I guess so. I mean it's a fresh it's a fresh thing for him here. I really do think that he wants Brian Floor as the Dolphins coach is preparing for Week one, to have to prepare for both guys, and I think he's gonna try to

take this as long as it goes. Usually like a rap sheet or a schefter gets the word out. But here's here's where I would push back on everyone's interpretation of this that just because Cam Newton played with the starters that he's not that he's the Week one starter. I don't think that matters that much. I think there's a real chance Mac Jones is the starter week one, and that everyone assuming they know what Belichick's thinking, based on how he like played them. I don't know. You

could look at it either way. You could look at it like, man, they didn't try to get Cam much work this preseason, you know, I I don't. I don't think the way they played with the ones and twos has anything to do with Belichick. One thing I believe what he said was, I don't think he was going to make that decision until they start meeting today, and now they're gonna start practicing with the real starter, whether that's Mac Jones or Cam Newton. Wouldn't surprise me if

it's Mac Jones. I would actually be surprised if it was Mac Jones. Just based off of Bill Belichick's career, I think he wants we'd like to start uh this season with the veteran quarterback, UM, not not necessarily making some kind of statement or some conclusion on his evaluation of Mac Jones. I would just believe that Bills going in with Cam as the starter, UM, he thinks they can win with Cam, and then if they can't, he's gonna adjust off of that. But it's it's not as

overwrought of decision to him as anything else. He's probably been more worried about the step on Gilmour Uh the situation. To be honest with you, he's just and Josh is going to do it like you would. You would like this, Dan that Pat's fans are freaking out about like who's gonna start Week one, and they're gonna be so mad that if Cam's starting. I'm kind of the mind, like, I don't think it makes that huge of a difference

who starts Weak one. It is a really long season, and like, I think they can win with either quarterback, and I don't know, there's not much separating two and Gilmore is like Patrick said, is it is a much bigger deal. The one reason that sit mac Jones is he did have some like like delay of games and struggles in the two minutes things that you would expect out of rookie quarterbacks throughout the preseason, which I think maybe registers in Bill Belichick's mind that like, Okay, this

guy is maybe not a percent ready. I'm curious, um how much if you ask defensive coordinators and just got their unvarnished opinions when you hear that things, Oh, the coach coach X is not going to decide who the quarterback is, so the other team has to prepare for both quarterbacks. Is that actually a huge pain in the butt or is that like is the defense able to

adjust either way? I'm just curious about that these two quarterbacks are so different, and you would you would kind of think the offenses would be so different with the two of them that I think at least Belichick would like to maintain that advantage. I mean, when when a doubt, Belichick is gonna say nothing. I mean, that's typically what his m O is. So none of this is a surprise. Really, you know, it'd be a surprise if he came out and said anything like about this before Week one, Right,

probably get anything. I don't think you're gonna get anything. I mean, it's different. Like I think Tom Current made at this point that he thought he thinks when Belichick saw the new NFL schedule that he was all about it, because you can start preparing for Week one now, so you're gonna be on the field preparing for your Week one opponent more than any other game that you'll ever

play except for the super Bowl. And if you don't think guys like Belichick and Andy Reid are going to cook up some fun stuff for Week one and want to like hide everything possible, like they're they're app that's exactly what Bill Belichick's gonna do. And and like maybe maybe they do a little rotation, a little Mac Jones

and Cam Newton. I was gonna say, I would see a situation where Bill Belichick knows he has arguably the best goal line weapon in the history of the National Football UM, and he's gonna use him throughout the season when he's available, UM, and they're better team than they were last year's I wouldn't put it past him to start one guy one week and start the other guy another week, depending on the team in the situation. Cam's luck.

Cam had a good camp, because otherwise he would have lost the job because Mac Jones ultimately did better, I think than than anyone could have expected in his first camp in his first prese who starts first, Trey Lancer Mac Jones, I would go Mac jun I don't know, yeah, I'll go Trey Lance. In other quarterback news, the Eagles acquire Gardner means Shoo the Warrior from the Jaguars for

a conditional sixth round pick. The move comes a couple of days after the Jaguars named Trevor Lawrence their Week one starter and one of the bigger, bigger shocks of the summer. So Minshew joins the quarterback room in Philly that includes Jalen Hurtz and also Joe Flacco, what does this mean? Greg Rosenthal, have I have some thoughts. I want to hear your thoughts. You had a great tweet

about it. It's just like it's not a healthy relationship, but right now between the Eagles and Hurts, so that well, I guess my point was like, yeah, I feel like quietly they're in an unhealthy relationship. And I got I. I think you guys have all been well. Clayboon, I know you have UM and I know Greg of course as well, Like you'll send us a tweet out and you know you won't think much of it, and then for some reason it strikes a chord, sometimes positively, sometimes negatively.

And I'll tell you what Eaggles fans and I don't you know, I don't really know too too many Eagles fans outside of Connie and Gonzo and a few others because I am a Jet fan and an a f C guy when I was growing up. And but they were on fire. They were so pissed at me that I need to sinuated. I mean, if you went my mentions,

you would see hundreds. Maybe I must have gotten like quote retweeted by some popular whether it's like a blog or a calumnist or something, because they had their knives out for me insinuating that Jalen Hurts and the Eagles are on unsteady ground on any level. It was being told that it was a fake narrative and tire needs to go away. But I'm not basing this off on just like I don't know, like I just parachuted in totally.

This is an Eagles team that has been connected on some level uh through reports to Deshaun Watson uh that uh now is traded for Gardner Minshew. Uh. We were connected to taking a quarterback in the draft in reports, and the Eagles have as a ship they leak like the Titanic. So I just feel like there's a lot of stuff coming out of that building, and I'm just saying that's the way it feels. I didn't say the way it is, but I thought it was funny the

response to the victual Eagles fans don't want to hear that. Well, it's telling right that they're so angry about it. It's probably got some it's it's so true right now. I I thought I defended the Eagles for like not naming him the starter all summer because what does it really matter. He was getting all the first team reps. I do think they're making his if you know, Jalen Hurts a little tougher. That's a weird. It's a weird quarterback room.

And I kind of thought, like his Flacco really gonna be on this team and the cuts the cutdown day is Tuesday. We're taping this on Monday, so we have to assume right now Flac will be on this team. But that doesn't make sense. Why would you have Flacco a Minshew. I've kind of guessing. I kind of guessing they trade Flacco for like a conditional seventh or something to the Falcons, and he's not on this team, and

that Minshew's the backup, and that's an upgrade at backup. Greg, Greg meant they just traded for Minshew of her conditional sixth round pick. A conditional has not ended. Because this is the most discussed conditional sixth round pick trade of all time for a third string quarterback. That's that's why I think like he was a high quality. Yeah, but he's not a normal conditional six. We talked about Sony Michelle.

That's not different. Here's what I'm saying though, Like don't you think he's one of the best backup quarterbacks in the league. Now, if he was Greg, I'm a asuming that the value would have been more than a conditional sixth round. Also, let me say this, because I know what you're saying, we shouldn't be making that big a deal because it's Gardner Minshew. But at the same time, he's kind of like the New generations. He's the gen Z version of Ryan Fitzpatrick. And just watch out here.

If Jalen Hurts struggles, that's the difference I'm saying, so does so can Ryan Fitzpatrick. What I'm saying is he's a guy that people get behind. He's he's got the mustache, he's a bit of a folk hero down in Duval And I wonder if this is just going to make things a little bit that much harder for Jalen Hurts

if you truly believe in the guy. And while we're on the subject of things that, to me, we're a little curious what's going on with urban Meyer, who was taken away first team reps from Trevor Lawrence all summer, giving it to a guy who even traded for a conditional sixth round pick. What's that about? What are we

doing here? It's the mania, stupid, It's the mania. The mania is real and and and I understand that Gardner Minshew has played um, but the people that are going to call for him the minute Jalen makes one mistake right and his you know eighth ever start in the NFL, um, they're wrong too. Like we've seen Gardner Minshew. Uh, it's the conditional sixth. I get it. He's a third year player who has played a lot better than plenty of quarterbacks,

including some starters. Like I'm not a big Minshew fan, but like, he's a better player than Sam Donald or he has been. Like, and I know that the draft picks wouldn't be the same, but it's just I don't care that the fans are going to complain it. It's the Flacco part of it that bothers me. And I

suspect Flacco won't won't be on that team. Like I couldn't help but think when I heard Drew Lock lose the job to Teddy Bridgewater and talk about how much he had learned from Teddy Bridgewater in terms of how he approached being a starting quarterback, how to talk to his teammates, how to talk in the quarterback room, how to how to like be a leader, how to be positive, and he's like, I never had that before, And I was like, M, who are the veteran quarterbacks that, uh

that that you've been with just for Drew Loco, Yeah, it was Joe Flacco, the guy who froze out Lamar Jackson too. So that with this, you know what, I like, Rosenthal and Claibon almost always on the same page. I feel I like that there's some type of different opinion here and this is something to try the starter in week six. That's a great value. I think everybody's kind of bought into this idea that Carson Wentz was bad because he was mad and scared that the quarterback behind

him was good. And I just don't know. I don't believe that, and so that causes me to fundamentally believe different things about this current quarterback situation. To be clear, I think it was a good trade by the Eagles. You should add quarterbacks that are good for that cheap of a price, that are under contract for two more years. I don't think it matters too much about Hurts, but there will be that segment of the fan base that will be annoying if they have a losing record at

any point. And well, let's let's check in with a segment of that fan base while we're here. Let's welcome in. Hello, eating raspberries. I'm sitting here and listening. This has been fun, even on Yeah, we're gonna talk Okay, we're gonna talk Palindrome Gate with Connie in a second. But I just wanted to get your thoughts on, uh my song, great Digger, it still goes, it's still on, it's still happening. So Eagles fans absolutely to shreds this weekend. I saw actually

up that. First of all, did you were you behind that? And don't stand on this means shoot thing? Now that you got the warrior in that QB room, I well, so as you guys were talking about it, I grabbed out my raspberries and started just going through your comments and it was hilarious. Uh, there were a lot of takes on their many angry. I would say, I think you only had like one quote tweet that was like I feel the same way. But people were just like

you're a loser, Like how was this tweet loud? And it was just like all all sorts of crazy came out. But I think that that's um an anomaly because Eagles fans are usually very very even keeled. Um they don't pop off about anything, especially not the quarterback. How do you feel about it? Do you think do you think Jalen Hurts is the answer? I'm just I don't think we've had this conversation. I mean, we saw him for like four games slash. It's I have no idea if

he's going to be the answer or not. And I don't even know, Like I don't I don't think the Eagles, No, sure they didn't take a quarterback, but I don't think that that is really They can't base that off of four games starting, and he really didn't have a ton of work otherwise with like the first dring offense, and there really wasn't even a first dring offense because everyone was hurt. So it's kind of like a coin flip at this point. And I think it's smart that the

Eagles brought in other bodies. And I mean, look, I don't think Joe Flacco is going to help out book Gardner, and she's a really good backup, and Philadelphia loves a backup quarterback. I forgot the one other thing that was just on my radar that that ridiculous facata strategy they had in week seventeen when they put Hurts on a bench and brought in what's his face? Just a bunch

of weird stuff with the Eagles. Here's the thing, like, yeah, the Eagles fans love a backup, but sometimes those backups are like a J feely and your quarterback Donovan McNabb, And you've been totally unfair to Donovan McNabb throughout his all that happens. That happens too. We still love a J feely, Hey, Connie, um uh uh palindrome Gate. We just got to address it because we're on some level,

we're an educational program. We seek to bring knowledge to NFL fans and uh when we went down the road of you were kind of hung up on a cam Mac and you said, it's that problem. What did you call it? And then I said, and then I said, oh, is it a palindrome? And then I looked it up and I read the definition of a palindrome. And then you guys like, oh, that's it. And then like Paul Rudd like said some nice words to me, and then

we kind of and then we just move forward. But as it turns out, um, Cam and Mac not a palindrome. In fact, like taco cat is a palindrome, Race Car is a pald Madame former Detroit Tigers backup catcher the eighties. Um, what was his name? Matt Salis Salad the number one thousand one that you know that that would be a palindrome. Cam and Mac is not that, But Connie is we saw some other things out there. Does it actually have Is there a word that connects Cam and mac or

is it just two words? I think that so the palindrome, it's the same words spelled front back, but the more I don't even know how to pronounce it. A more than a lap, which is palindrome backward. That no, I don't think so I think there is. I've been. That was the other thing I was doing while I was listening to the parts of the show, was looking up definitions of a more than nil lap and uh, that's a different word spelled backward, and there is some debate

whether or not that's a word at all. I also saw some mordni lap, which is palindrome's plural backwards so, um yeah, still a lot of debate here, and I think we do need some type of English language expert to come on the show. I'm thoroughly confused. Yeah, Ham and Mac, I mean didn't so I'm someone who transport is a real thing. I mean yeah, so Mac really had me. Are just messing with us by doing because that feels like something that would be made up to

I don't know to make it. It's in an article on NPR dot org and from two thousand and fifteen, and just to put a bow on it, Um, what happened on the last show? Um, So Colleen was wrong and then Dan was wrong, and I all I did is I mentioned palindrome. I didn't say that was the answer, and I read the definition and then you guys all agreed and congratulated me, and then we moved on. I never said that was the answer, So I was never

technically wrong. I just want to get and we just need to redact all of the congratulations and everything else your way. You can't take that back a bunch of dummies. Connie, thank you for joining us for palindrome gate. You know, I added so much to the show today. And Morgan lap I don't know, pick up that guitar behind you and play us out. I would all right, bad connection. I'll see you guys later. She goes Connie Fox, all right, let's finish up the news quickly and then we'll get

into predictions. The Vikings news. Harrison Smith signs a new deal. IRB. Smith out for a while with an injury. Greg, I'll tee you up that way. Yeah, I was. I was already for the IRV Smith breakout season. They that's another team that's had some bad vibes in the in the preseason. The Vikings, just if you watch them, played football. The football has been ugly on the field. But Harrison Smith yet one one of the all time great Vikings. Give him his money, paithe Man baith Man. He's been solid

at that position. And there were people arguing because some people want their saying they want safeties to be ed read only Ed Reid can be at read. You still need box, guys. And that's why there were people that were upset about Jamal Adam steal. They were saying it was too much. Was actually great value and I think the Vikings got a great value here in Harrison Smith.

The safety's the league wide is still underpaid. Still, one of my favorite memories in the history of my time here at NFL is when me and Chris Brockman, the producer or um and sidekick on the Rich Eyes and Show, went to the Oscars and we were supposed to go with Gronk, and then Gronk had a surgery, so they got Ed Reid to fill in last second, right after

the Ravens won that Super Bowl. And remember us driving in a limo to pick up Ed Reid at the hotel on the west side of l A and like waiting in the lobby, me and Brockman in full tuxedos for like forty five minutes waiting for Ed to come downstairs, and then spending the whole day with Ed and his his buddy, and um, that was a great memory, much better, much better than it would have been with Gronk. You know, I'll due respect, I think so. I think Ed Reid was a lot of fun and a good guy. All right,

Let's move on. Shack Lawson, hopefully for the Jets will be a decent fill in for Carl Lawson, who of course blew as Achilles Uh a couple of weeks back and that position. That edge rusher is such an important role for um Robert sale on defense. So Jack Lawson acquired uh in a trade for a late round pick. And also former Jet Brett Perry not Brett Perriman. What is it again? Why am I? Of course? But Perriman the former Jet. He signed a one year deal with

the Lions earlier this offseason. He didn't make the team, he gets cut. Greg that that wide receiver group in Detroit is is rough. And the fact that Perriman couldn't even make the team, that's that's no bueno all the all the more reason to pick up I'm on st Brown. I forgot who's sleeper that was? It was that Liz Lowses sleeper. I liked it, though, Uh yeah, it's very rare to give a guy two million dollars and then

cut him. That's that might be the highest paid player that signed this offseason that did not make the team, although Shack Lawson, who got traded from the Texans, is up there. And I do wonder if the Jets are taking advantage of this week and a half build up to the season to just kind of take a look at him, and he's not guaranteed to make the team, because anyone that could not make the Texans defense at this point, you would figure something's going on and you

might struggle to make any any roster. There's a lot going on with the Houston Texans right now, none of it good. UM. And finally in the news, I just want to hit on it. Yes, I mentioned the Ravens. They won, they finished off that undefeated preseason. I looking at the standings, did you guys check this out? The here here are the records in the a f C for the preseason. I'll go east to West ten one and one, ten, ten and three, eight and four, nine

and three. And in the NFC in the East one eleven and one, the North two and ten, the South three and eight, the West four and seven. UM. Should we read into any of this because there is absolutely I think a disparity in talent and UM contenders. The a f C, I think is far better than the

a f C right now. Is there a connection between preseason action with a much derided preseason Patrick Levan and what we're actually going to see coming up in in terms of outcomes other than something like the j K. Dobbins injury. The only news you can get out of this particular preseason is bad news. I don't think you can draw anything. But we have a proliferation of coaches who do not want to play anybody in the preseason

that's in in both conferences. I think it's impossible to know anything, although it I agree it has nothing to do with the season, and I also agree this is the deepest AFC I've ever seen, or that since we've been doing this job. I think I think there are more good teams in the FC. I can't remember when that was ever the case going into a season. I guess we'll see if it holds up. But it is

a show of which teams took the preseason. Seriously, it actually does match up like the Ravens, the Steelers, the Patriots, the Chiefs. Uh, those are all the teams that didn't lose the game or I don't think any of one of those lost the game, as Steelers lost one, and those are the teams that won the games, which that there probably is like a one to one you know thing there that they were playing their starters, whether whether that's the right approach. The Dolphins or another team that

played their starters like throughout throughout the preseason. I don't know if I don't know if that's a good idea or a bad idea, but it's it is pretty interesting how different like some of the best coaches in the league view it now like hard like these are good coaches, Hard bough Tomlin Flora's Belichick read and that so many and I guess it happens to be in the NFC, they're going the total opposite way. You see James Morgan, hail Mary, his time expired and the two point conversion

the Jets escape with a tie against the Eagles. No, but and I didn't I have to me, I didn't know any of that. But I think you can actually draw I'm taking a take from this game. The fact that the Jet backups scored thirty one points in any scenario is to me a sign of something. Oh, even in the preseas, there's no way Adam Gates's backups are scoring thirty one points. They couldn't They could never move the ball. Even I watched those preseason games, it just

wasn't happening. There was well, I don't know. There was an infamous Green and White scrimmage last summer where the backups absolutely. It would be the backup against the starters in a scrimmage at MetLife Stadium, UM and the backups absolutely wipe the floor with the starters. It was because they were just as good as that mono in four teams. Basically, no more Adam Gates talk. That's what's happening in the news. Alright.

So every year, and this always sneaks up on me, and it's one of those things that, like same thing with certain UM office mandated security videos you might have to watch or I t learning things you have to do. It just like sits in the corner of my brain, like just nagging at me, you gotta do this, you gotta watch this thing, take care of your corporate UM

corporate drone activity. When Gennaro sends out the email, hey time for predictions for the season, Uh, that just sits in the corner of my brain and I should just do it right away, but I don't, and it just sits there and then I'll get an email, hey man, remember this, and then eventually I do it. Greg. I applaud you because you had a great idea, which was why don't we just do this email on the podcast and making our predictions conversation for the season. I love it.

We're we're work shopping. You know, we could always I did send one in, but we can change our answers. If I think that's the best idea you've literally ever had on the podcast. I think it's brilliant on three different levels. I think this one will serve as the official it's there, it's there, it's there. It's Gennaro's idea. So that was really a backhanded compliment. That's what I'm year and that was it. That was it, that was

the best idea. It's in the top three. I'll come up with the top three at a later date for the show. So anyway, let's bring in Justin the grave digger I call him. It's gonna be digging Ricky's grave if he continues to kill it in this production. Whoa Justin? First of all, because i'd like your help with this, if you could just kind of tee us up with the different categories. I'd like you to get a plug in for your Titans podcast. Let it really Oh wow,

thank you so much. Yeah. So then Music City Audible is a podcast we do every Friday previewing the upcoming Titans game. Thank you but here we ever think of taping it like earlier in the week, just to give a little more a little more time for them to listen. Um, we have thought about it. He's about the content, Greg, He's not about he's not about views or listens. He wants to give people what they what they How about how about grave Figger says that, and you say, oh man,

I'd like to check that out. That sounds great. Everybody should do the same. Why can't you do? That's just heating them up over here, I'm not it's not heating him up. It's like sometimes the producer needs a producer. So it's just something to think about. Yeah, alright, you've ruined everything again. Let's get into it. Uh So justin tee us up and we'll Patrick, Greg and myself will will share. So the way it breaks down just above

the tree tops, it's gonna be different. Um Awards predictions and then playoff teams and then we'll all make our super Bowl super Bowl pick where we stand on August. I mean, let's we want to hold that for right before the season starts. But now this is good, let's just do it all right, Let's go on, dreful all right, We'll start with the individual awards, beginning with the most Important Most Valuable Player m v P award. I'm a basic bitch. I got my homes. Everybody else, yeah, super

chalky homes for me. I did. Yeah. I decided not to get cute with it. Get cute with the other ones, but not with my homes. Yeah. That this one is just I just uh. It ain't a brave feeling, but I just got a feeling this is gonna be one of those seasons for the Ages with Patrick Mahomes Offensive Player. Oh sorry, no, see, I'm so used to doing it myself, justin set the table. How about Offensive Player of the Year. Well, I'll get this out of the way. I'm a conscientious

objector every year to this award. Um, I don't believe in it. It's not a bit. Uh. I just think even contributing to this answer, so I always just put nah, always just. But now I used to say, hey, can you can you print this sentence about how dumb an award this is? Um? But they wouldn't. They didn't narrow,

they wouldn't, they wouldn't print it. So I just sit this one out, Okay, Patrick Calvin Ridley I think he has an opportunity to get it a lot of catches and perhaps you know, as Greg's previous objections to the ward, it's the award itself in the way that it plays out. Uh yeah, maybe it's a maybe it's a spot I could just give some pop to a player I like you. It's it's a smart way to do it. Well, we

all of us. I have Kyler Murray. I think he's gonna be the first guy to ever go four thousand, one thousand and that type of statistical production, even though his team's gonna go eight nine, it's going something that lifts him to that award. And justin uh, just gonna quiz you off the top of your head, who was the offensive player of the Year in two thousand twenty. That was Derrick Henry two thousand yeards? Whoa see that's but Greg, look at it, look at it that way?

What have you done? The answer Claiban because I I wouldn't have, yes, Josh Allen. But to see doesn't that in a way justify it, Greg, Because it's a quarterback award m v P. Everybody knows that Rick Henry runs for two thousand yards. It puts that team on his back for like, just make that. Make that the award non Quarterback award, because it is sometimes sometimes the same guy wins m VP and Offensive Player of the Year pretty often. Like so I don't understand why wouldn't just

be Mohammed Mahomes. Make it at the Non Quarterback award. That's what they should do. About half of the last m v P last ten years. M vps also one of year, but only about half. Well that seems Yeah. It's like when there's a good running back to to vote for them, that guy wins it, but otherwise, or

Michael Thomas when he set the reception records. But it's like when a player like a receiver, quarterback or non quarterback sets a record of some kind where becomes the eighth player to run for two thousand yards, then they're like, okay, a different person than the MVP can have it. So offensive player there just be the guy who came second in the MVP vote. Right, That's some sort of where I'm coming up. I mean, I know what you're saying, Like,

I'm not putting that against it. I guess it's it's a house of cards and we need, you know, award realignment, like we'd have to change everything to fix the problems with the individual awards. Yeah, to say nine QB, I think that solves it. Well, why couldn't Aaron Donald win m v P one year and then a QB went Offensive Player of the Year exactly? Speaking of Aaron Donald, how about Defensive Player of the year. Erica is in trouble, man,

It's gonna be Miles Gear for me. I think I think we we get the twenty SAX season that we've been waiting for for Miles this year, especially maybe if we get a healthy Clowney season that the Browns score some points. Other teams were passing us Miles Gar I like that one a lot. I thought about that, But I'm gonna go Chris Jones, which I threw out there

as like, what's the the long ticket? Uh? If he's even on the board, some someone, some listener, I think, And we're not encouraging this, This is against the policy. We are not encouraging any one to do anything. But some listener took my Chris Jones Defensive Player of the Year thought and acted upon it. So I think that's a it's a real long chat. I don't think It's like, yeah, it's a real long chip, but I'm gonna go Chris Jones.

You know, Myles Garrett was my pick. And then when I was filling out the document um, I blanked on it. Put Aaron Donald and I could send a follow up email to Gennaro, but I won't. I'll just keep it and Aaron Don just to show him the love as an all time great, He'll get my vote. What about Offensive Rookie of the Year. Well, this is like the starting of a theme for me, but I am going Tray Lance. I'm not worried about week one. I'm thinking

long game. I'm thinking that team is going to be good, and I think the quarterback on the best the rookie quarterback on the best team, probably wins this award, and I think that'll be Tray Lanes Badger Jalen Waddle for me. The opportunity is there waiting for Will Fuller to get back,

gonna they're gonna throw the ball. I think two was gonna have a solid year and just statistically he's gonna edge out the guys like Chase Um probably, you know, Davante Smith, You're gonna have to be a monster to beat out these rookie quarterbacks, You're gonna have to be a monster. Could happen. They could kind of cancel each other out and he could have a monster you or they could just be like, Okay, you're gonna have to be good. I believe could just uh, Justin Jefferson did

not win. No, correct. J Brown had an unbelievable year and lost to Kyler Murray, who had an average year and he actually a j Brown came in third behind Josh Jacobs, who didn't even play the last game of the season that year. And the last year Justin Jefferson had like four hundred yards and still lost. I mean, Justin Herbert did set the recurver. You need a grave digger of sound effect here when you're making good points like that. Yeah, let's get that. Let's get that. What

they have the monster truck racing. And remember it would always be like grave digger. Every time you make a salient point, bang, hit us with a grave digger. All right, I'll need an objective person to tell me when to hit it right now? All right? Um? Oh, Zack Wilson is okay, that's my choice. And I think he's gonna be great, and I believe in him and he's the best quarterback ever. Next defensive rookie of the year, I

went chalk here and Michael Parsons. I really think even before training camp he would have been near, if not at the top of my list. He probably is the favorite. I haven't actually looked, but he should be the favorite because he looks incredible and that's a position that you can get noticed easily. You know, you're not playing You're not on an island playing cornerback. You're not even Chase Young. We're like, yeah, have you had a great season, but

you only ended up with X amount of sacks. It's like everyone else see Michael Parsons all the time. I'm with you. I have that as well, and just waiting for that other shoe to drop with a trade of the Cowboys to really clear the path for him and any other distractions that might be lingering in the locker room. I'm gonna go with Gregory Rousseau. Uh. The rookie up in Buffalo has has had some pop in the preseason.

As much as I said, preseason doesn't matter, Uh, he still showed the skills that you know you can't you can't teach, right you can't make somebody have long arms. You can't make somebody six seven. And I think in draft season, right he got like, uh he was shirtless right with Jalen Phillips his his Miami counterpart at defensive end, and Phillips was impressive physically and people are like a Russo took the year off. I don't know, He's done nothing but play. He beat Panay Sul in the preseason

game and he looks great, So why not? Gregor was got of good things there. How about Comeback Player of the Year. Oh, I just think Christian McCaffrey is gonna put up the numbers that it's gonna for whatever this this award is about. Um Like last year Alex Smith, all he had to do is get back on the field, and it made it was a no brainer that he would get it. This is gonna be to me more traditional type of year where who's gonna have a huge year,

who has hurt last year. Christian McCaffrey is my piccause I think have sixteen seventeen, eighteen hundred total yards and fifteen touchdowns and that's gonna be tough to beat. Dak felt like the basic picks I wanted to be you know, a little cute, you know, a little more creative than that. So I went Nick Bosa just because I feel like everyone kind of forgot about as a person, as an amazing player, and he's coming back from the big injury too. Yeah. Last time I talked to you guys, I said, Darwin

is gonna have a huge year. I think Darwin is the comeback player of the year. This is good. This is a great field for comeback Player of the Year this year because all those make a lot of sense. Um, who do you have for comeback player of the Year? Grave Digger, I would go Chalky Dak just because the Cowboys are going to get so much media attention. I mean, listen to that, because I'm glad you said that. So we threwout the names Dak Prescott, Christian McCaffrey, Derwin James,

and Nick Bosa. WHOA, that's some beef in there, sake. Jan could be in there if you wanted, you know, they would have to. Well, what about like Philip Rivers if he's already won it once just for sucking and then having a good year, But what if he came out of retirement in December? I want to award. First of all, like that year that he quote like sucked. He was like, I always look back to this, he

like finished seventeenth in my QB Index. Although I'm a homer for Philip Rivers, so maybe you have to adjust that down. It's like he was fine, and they should make that an award, Like I guess that would be most improved. They don't have the most improved, Like like Sam Donald to me would be a better Comeback Player of the Year Canada. But he's never gonna win that. He's never gonna win that because he's gonna first. He

would have to play well. But even if he did, he wouldn't win it against all these superstars who are just like better. It doesn't make you'd be so mad if Sam Donald won, I would be wrong. I would be mad, and I would I would not I don't like being wrong, and so then I would be mad. Here right about Jameis Winston, Yeah, I mean, all right, what about a Coach of the Year. I'm going Kyle Kyle Shanahan again, continuing my forty and I gave him

three awards. I gave him both a Jim Lance, I gave him Kyle I just think they're gonna be good. And I think I know who you're gonna pick for the Super Bowl. By the way, and he's feeling himself too. We talked about it with this quarterback shuffle. Yeah, I think it's I'll have to go somebody off the Kyle Shanahan coaching tree. It's the entire league. So you know, people who want to give me a hard time, like, oh, DNN talks about the Jets too much, blah blah blah.

I've been doing this podcast since two thousand thirteen. We've done like episodes and that team has never even they sniffed the playoffs once. It's been a real rough run for the Jets in the history of this podcast. I'm allowed to have some optimism. I do. I sincerely believe Zack Wilson has a chance to have a breakout rookie season. And I really like the direction of that franchise with Robert Sala And I don't know, would have to look back at the history of that award. Um do they

give it? Like did Brian Flores get it that year where they really competed? Um? Do you have to win? Multiple vote? He did get some votes, but he didn't. He didn't win. The Jets might win six or seven games, but if they're going in the right direction, I feel like he should be in the conversation. You might need to win at least. I feel like you gotta have a winning record. Maybe go to the year that's how

So let's do that, Rob Alright. If you look at the last ten years, they all had not only winning records, but like extremely good records, And Okay, I don't know if that's always the way to look at it. I

think maybe it's time to have a different perspective. And it looks like of winners of the last ten years were in their first year with the team, So there is a lot of It's a lot of like Ditoron going thirteen and three, Like if David Culley right went eight and nine this year with that team, how would he not be in consideration for that a war? I

think he should be. But all right, the the the year, it seemed like the Jets were rolling out that Abraham's tank for Todd Bowls and they and they managed to get all those wins. I was saying all season the Todd Bulls should win Comes of the Year that year. But it just it didn't materialize. Flores was my guy throughout last year, and I think he would have been a fine pick. And yet by the end, no one wanted to hear because they didn't make the playoffs, even

though they totally overachieved a year ago. We gotta get Claybon to make up in like ten minutes here, alright, grave digger, let's cycle through the rest of us. All right, we gotta go playoff picks. So a division winner for each division and then three wild card teams from each conference. Maybe let's let's rip off like the a f C division winners. Does anyone have all throughout mine? In which are pretty pretty chalky? But it's Bills, Ravens, Titans in

Chiefs to either of you have any differences there? I have Bills Ravens, and I wanted to get cute with the South, so I just went with the Cults and once another company player of the Year guy potentially and the Chiefs. No, none of us have the Browns. That feels uh feels tough? All right? Well, what about the wild card? I have the Steelers, Titans, and Browns. What do you guys, Dolphins, Broncos, Steelers. Oh so you left. You left the Browns out of the places on this one.

I don't listening. I don't feel good. I know it really kept me up. Um. I thought about it a lot because I was just like, well, maybe Mark won't even notice you in the hospital if you don't have the Browns on this. Like. I also looked at this because I know how that NFL dot com article comes out and it's just like fourteen people picked this team, and like no one picked this and it's only just like you kind of want to like have it a

little more representative, like spread it out. So I wanted the Dolphins and the Broncos and the Patriots to get some love. I didn't think that the Dolphins would maybe get much love whatsoever. The Claybroon did it so uh and he gave the Broncos some love too. We are too much on the same Sessler. I want you to make note I have the Browns as a wild card

team playing relevant January football. Patrick Clayban, Greg Rosenthal. No, we want to motivate the Browns who will now try hard because we have I don't even know if I totally buy that. That's what I mean. Like, I really wanted to I was thinking tired about the Chargers too, uh there, and and love so many teams, Greg, that's your problem. It's not so much love, like yes, but I don't you think like the Steelers, it could be good, that the Browns should be good. But I could see

it going a little sideways. Tough schedule and the Chargers to those are like three teams that didn't even make my my playoff list anyways, alright, FC Division winners. All right, I got Washington, Green Bay, Tampa, and Los Angeles chalky as hell. I went with the forty Niners in the West. Really, I think they need to stay healthy. The fact that they had like a healthy camp for the first time in the Shanahan era like gave me the vibes. That's like, okay,

maybe the health luck is turning around. I just think they can be a Jugger, not if if things go right. So I went forty Niners, Bucks Packers, And at the last second I switched it to the Cowboys. I just I just think I always say quarterbacks and offense, and so it just didn't feel right. I switched it to the Cowboys that they not You remember I earlier in the offseason, I said I will not pick the Cowboys, I know. And I said this, and I was like, yeah, I almost did it, and I said no, I must

be a man of my own word. So Washington about you, Claibon, Yeah, I've made no such promise in me and Greg do think too much alike. The only difference is I've got Seattle and Russ in the West. Um in the Niners in that first wild card spot. Okay, so all right, so I have wild Card one to three Niners, Seahawks, Vikings. Uh what do you have, Patrick, I've got I've got three West teams making the playoffs. Uh, the Niners, Los Angeles and then New Orleans sneaking in in the wild card.

I like that. That's either some onions hanging there about you. Greg, I had no, it's this one like say that doesn't matter, and then somehow it's like, well Jamis and his Sean pay and um, I did not have the Seahawks in though, you know, because you have I had to leave a team out. I have, um, you know, the Rams, the Vikings also making the playoffs. I think the defense is going to be good. And yeah, the Saints is my last team. Interesting, good offensive line. Hawks didn't make it.

Mm hmm. What about your Super Bowl matchups and winners? All right? Did you guys write your blurb? Want to just read our blurbs? Sure? I got Chiefs over Rams. The pairing of Sean McVeigh and Matthew Stafford proved to be a smashing success. But even in excellent Rams, defense could not figure out Patrick Mahomes Comma, who followed up his second NFL m v P award with another Super Bowl MVP. Period. Well, if you if you think it doesn't have enough juice, then you can still change it.

You should go. I always go for a hyper specific prediction there, just in case one year you get it right. So I went. I went forty Niners over Ravens. Um. I had the Chiefs initially, but then I was like, wow, if I'm gonna pick the forty Niners to win, you might as well just go go balls out here, uh and my sentences. Trey Lance becomes the first rookie quarterback

to lead his team to a Super Bowl title. Fred Warner tips Lamar Jackson's potential game winning throw at the buzzer hyper specifically, I don't I don't know, okay, Okay. The tray Land is gonna win the super Bowl this year. Tray Lance wins a Super Bowl and warners like Lamar has him open, makes a great throw, But but Fred Warner diving immortal play that you remember you have a different outlook on the whole exercise. It's kind of like what you want to happen in your dreams of the

best NFL season. Um this time? Yeah, because when I went with more like tryn just get it right, and I've tried. I've kept trying to do that, and that's I always get it so wrong. That's why it's like, well, I'll just pick what I want, all right, Patrick, what do you got a storybook ending in Hollywood? Aaron Rodgers walks off the field a champion as Patrick Mahomes loses his second consecutive Super Bowl. I like that. I thought

hard about going Packers all the way too. I feel like they're not getting like a lot of love for a team that absolutely has a chance to win the Super Bowl and might have the best quarterback, absolutely Devil's advocate, and maybe their defense is better this year. But if they weren't able to get over the hump with Aaron Rodgers having an all time season at thirty eight or whatever. Yeah, it didn't happen last year, is not gonna happen. I don't know. Balls not round hey and maybe that helps.

Who knows. That got me really excited, um, because it is just a reminder even though we've been doing this forever and all, you know, we've all been NFL fans since we were we boys at the beginning of the season so fun. It's just like they can go in so many different directions. Um. So we get to now see how it all plays out. And that's one of the great things about this podcast. Like we tracked that boys, we track how the season plays out after all the

hype throughout the spring and summer. It'd be weird if we just like we're an off season pot. We're just like you next in February. We're so anti climactic. Now, you're right. I love I love that feeling. Um. I'm glad it still hits me and it is hitting me and it will more, you know. With Week one, which I always think is like the best week of the year, but there there is something about it. I'm still a sucker for the NFL, which is good. Well that's good.

Otherwise podcast would probably suck. Patrick, thanks again, and yes, watch Patrick all season on Fantasy Live on Nfilm Network. And uh, I believe if we can grab you a little more of your time next week, you'll be joining us for another special episode. Let's do it alright, beautiful there he goes Patrick Clayban. Uh and yes, well soon, Mark Sessler. We told Mark do not worry about getting back. He's bummed out because he knows he's missing these ramp

up shows. But it's very important to him, uh and to us and his family that he handles the recuperation the right way. Um, So get well soon, Quiet Storm Until Thursday, he's the car m