Storming the Beaches, Power Rankings and Preseason Week 1 Preview

The Around the NFL podcast survived the swift E takeover from the Chris Westling podcast studio.

It's Around the NFL. I am Dan Hans's heroes here. Greg Rosenthal, Mark Sessler. Yes, she did six shows and seven nights here at Sofi Stadium, and now it is over. No more cars in the parking lot, no more maniacal fans, no more screaming.

It's well, I mean we were here typically in the morning to early afternoon hours. I didn't even notice it. I mean I drive in and out. Did you what did? Was there something happening?

Some extra grinding from daddy.

Daddy was at the Hard Knocks stuff on Tuesday, which took us right into another Swifty explosion.

Right, you are the daddy in this case, Well.

Obviously are daddy. I could if you want. We got that conversation.

I don't know you are young.

I'm already a daddy to two sons. I don't the whole dynamic would make me. I'm not looking for you to be my father, Greg request.

No, I'm not either.

It's just confusing because technically we are all father right, two children?

Well, yes, you know, yes, true? You know one other note that I didn't mention about that concert. The second song is the song that's a huge fan favorite called Cruel Summer. And now I know what it was like to see the Beatles. Seventy five thousand people in that building every and many women and girls, as I told you yesterday, screaming at the top of their lungs, either the lyrics of the song or just screaming out of control screaming.

Couldn't hear Taylor Swift.

I could see her, you could hear the bass stumping, but you actually couldn't hear her because the crowd was going that ballistic.

Yeah, I saw lots of video of like girls crazy, breaking down, crying like literally melty, it's nuts to tears.

You should have tried to buy them down. You're like trying to listen.

By Doddie's trying to enjoy the show.

That's weird too.

You know who I saw in the huddle yesterday. It's kind of reminded me of old NFL times where you just see random athletes in the huddle. Chris Johnson, the Great Titans Russia, and I told him he was once on the because he was walking around with their friend David Singer, and we were talking and told me he was once on the cover of a magazine I produced, the old fantasy magazine. And it reminded me the roador World. Now you told him that I did.

What was his react? Was it a Taylor Swift typer?

We were talking fantasy just how like how crazy people were.

I mean, he was like a superstar in the NFL. Yeah, that's a wild thing. Like, hey, do you know you were on the cover of a magazine once?

I was just like, it reminded me, how you know we're here in the Chris Westling podcast studio that Chris Wesseling at least partly made his name on Roadorworld dot com. I would say a solid brick in the foundation of Roadorworld dot Com was on Chris Wesseling's Chris Johnson take

Christmas and his personal website had some incredible Chris Johnson write ups, and I think in general, like around this time when the game, these preseason games would get started and you could argue to their relative meaninglessness compared to what comes next, but he would always have one or two running backs, especially at that position, that say, I'm watching them, I see how fit they are, they look

Like you with Toby Gerhart a few years back.

Well that was like, you know, to making the lead articles on Toby Gearhart didn't push him over the finish line.

Two thousand and nine Chris Johnson two thousand and six yards, fourteen touchdowns, rushing sixteen total, averaging one hundred and twenty five yards per game. He won Offensive Player of the Year.

For twenty five hundred yards from scrimmage is that the most Ever.

It's if it's not the most, it's it's it's close, I you know, And it's cautionary tale of course, because he had let's see fifty catch it. Yeah, yeah, four hundred touches, had one Pro Bowl the next year, and then was never a Pro bowler again or an All Pro.

It is by the way that I mean, that's kind of an underrated record as record's going, gaining the most amount of yards of anyone in the history of the sports record.

Marshall Fulk, Marshall Fox, Christian McCaffrey's number three.

Interesting, Yeah, and I early in our tenure, Mark he was kind of like the first running back to fail in his attempt to get paid. Remember that totally ponderous holdout that became a major storyline throughout the twenty eleven off season or twenty ten offseason. Going into twenty eleven. He wanted quarterback money. Think about that and how much

Now these guys are just trying to get like safety money. So yeah, it's gone south. It's going in the wrong direction.

Six straight years of fourteen hundred yards from scrimmage. I mean, I guess he's not even getting considered at all for Hall of Fame stuff.

But that's pretty good. That's better than he peaked early. I mean, that would be the only thing anyway. Good Chris Johnson talk. What did he say when you said you were on a magazine?

Yeah, the way I put it, either way I put it. I was just like, I don't even know how we were talking for a few minutes, Like it was taken a while for that sandwich to come to the point where I was like, I think we all were ready to move on in our lives. But he was very cool. We were having good talk.

I don't remember, do you think, Mark, do you think he remembers the conversation ed with Greg.

I think it's probably you know, if he sort of scans this entire trip to the West Coast, it's got to be in the top two or three things that occurred to him and.

A bunch of squares at that NFL network. That little guy that was pretty cool in the lunch room that one dude.

Yeah, so that's it. That's uh, the Chris Johnson tail. We have some fun stuff to get to. We have Eric Edholm coming up to talk power rankings.

How about that.

We'll get to that in a second. We also have football games kind of starting this weekend, starting tonight in fact Thursday, a couple of games tonight and then games through Sunday, the first full week of preseason action, and we're going to kind of spin through the schedule of games and share some things that we're looking forward to. Some of us are looking forward to.

Yeah, well we don't have We don't have the same take on the preseason. And I'm surprised that I'm the guy not even the most cynical preseason observe in this room.

Like if I could like the bit you did where you just got up and left the room during our quarterback conversation, it's.

Not a bit, then why are we doing this segment?

Because I am not a monster, and I know how much you guys.

I think you might have suggested it.

No, I was like, yeah, yesterday it was like you did, should we do so?

Hit the preseason is like part of the show tomorrow and everybody's like, yeah, good. And then we got on the phone and I was like, Mark's like, I have seven hundred takes to share it for the preseason.

I would argue this because I think normally, I think the preseason starts and you're like, oh, wait a minute, this is terrible.

But and it is right.

But this time around, I think that you got a lot of rookie heat at wide receiver, at quarterback, and it's a little bit different. You got some teams. Save it a little bit different.

Save it.

That's all. Save it. Not only do we have that this is our product, pedal. I appreciate the product. I actually have a gift.

That's what I mean.

It's a little out of character for you to fall the line with the corporate machine, and I like it.

We need more of it.

This is not on I think if you go and look at every the hours leading up to the first week of preseason, I'm jazzed up. But I do admit that about ten minutes into you know, Patriots Texans at four ten pm on the West Coast and be like, this is not a real product.

That's what kills me getry. I've done it before. I try to get in excited about the preseason, right, and trust me what we're going to talk about. And that's why I wasn't a jerk about it yesterday. I was even like, yeah, let's do it. I like the idea of the stories and who's gonna win this job and that job. But then the games start and I'm like, oh boy, I shouldn't say too much. Actually, all right, we'll be back monday. Yes that the games are still better than nothing.

I mean, are our boss? Are they?

Who was also in the huddle yesterday, Roger Goodell was there to not get a chance to speak with him, tell him that he's been on a magazine and he was walking around talking to some interns.

So I had I had a near Goodell running. But as Patrick Claibone was coming up the stairs from our yes, the book the basement level makeup area, and he said Goodell's down there, and so I had a like a hobo's paper bag of clothing that you know now I.

Noticed that bag, well yesterday it looked a little you.

Put it in the bag. And then it was said like, so I'm walking down the corridor, there's a gaggle of like high high looking officials, and I was not allowed into the men's locker room because apparently Goodell was in there changing. So I was told by someone that I'm not going to say it was, was like, please come back later, not for you right now, of course. So my sad little paper bag, and I turned around.

Picturing you with like the the hobo stick, with the bandana, with the stuff far from it walking down the highway.

Like if I had not had the bag, they would have let me in the room.

I brought him up and we didn't get a chance to talk. Unfortunately. I've actually never really spoken with Roger Goodell in my life.

So we have multiple comers, but good ones good one. Yeah.

Really, but he tried. He tried to squash another week out of the preseason.

I remember.

I mean he was moving hard and he got so much pushback, so I mean he kind of shared your view.

He was trying to get it down there.

Do we have a preseason promo? Read later?

We do?

Okay, I want the Shadowy League figures to know that I'm going all the way in. I'm going hard on that read.

Because I like it.

Here, right before we get to Eric at Home, let's hit one bit of news. Not a bunch going on, considering we just did a show yesterday. But you know, the defending world champion Chiefs are a team that need Chris Jones in the building, and he's not because Chris Jones is a holdout. He wants to be paid at the highest levels in terms of defenders in the NFL. However, Red Veach, who you mocked famously a few years back, but then walk that back and apologize.

And the whole thing was I just liked I just made a funny voice and pretended.

To be Yeah, it was a little.

Less about him personally, and just you know, he just got caught in the comedy cross fire.

Sometimes when it's pure comic genius, like I guess, sometimes you just catch.

Astray and you know, it's all in the game, no surrender.

It's all the game.

GM Red Beach told The Athletic on Wednesday, do not expect Chris Jones to be sent out of town. They have no intention Here's the quote. We have no intentions of trading Chris since the start of the offseason. Chris has been right at the top of our priorities. Every year, it's a different scenario and a different dynamic. One of the dynamics this year was the fact that some of the players in that position group didn't get done until

The highest paid.

Player, by the way, at his position is Aaron Donald, who got three for ninety five last summer. Quentin Williams most recently got the bag four for ninety six. So you could figure out again different angle than Greg. You've been on the agents recently. I'm more like, why we it's all just all the contracts now are built out. Yeah, so you're if you're the if you're Chris Jones, be like,

For one oh four.

That's all you do. A total snooze fest of a situation, because of course he's gonna get paid.

And he keep the commission right, it's a bonkers financial strategy.

He's gonna get paid. We're just just we'll just check back in a fortnite here. I believe. I believe so.

I think I want to just give a round of a pause to us the football coknas SENTI ah that how little attention this has gotten. Nick Bosa is a holdout, Chris Jones is a holdout. These are two of the best players in the league that certainly would be the best two free agents in the league next year if they were free, if they got to free agency, and yet there's almost been no attention. I mean, back in the day we were writing daily stories about Javon Walker.

I remember back in the day writing roughly like four hundred and twelve like meaningless updates about Matt Fourte trying to get paid with the Bears was just like gun to head, toughy, and then it just happened. It's like just now I think we are learning just stay silent, put head to ground and it will happen at some point.

There's like an outside chance. I feel like, you know, these could go into like the week before week one and be a little surprising. If he would miss time, maybe Josh Jacobs would be the one dead.

That one feels a little angry enough.

The only thing that.

As a chiefs and I wouldn't be concerned, the only thing that would concern me slightly. Of course, he's an elite athlete whose production tells you he busts asked to be who he is. But if he's out of camp and doing his own thing and then he comes back in a week before the game start, is he gonna be kind of ready to go? Is he susceptible to injury? You want your guys in the bill and you want to feel like, yeah, that.

Part's and he's older. Yeah, this is his third contract. This is not as he's already gotten one big contract. And I think that probably is what's complicating it a little bit, because he's the best at what he does, basically at his particular I know he's a different player than Donald. He might get paid like it, but he's got to be thirty two to thirty three by the end of this contract.

Okay, there's a little news item. Anything else. It's the last time we had one news item. Well, you had one you wanted to add, No.

I was would mention that the Browns added Shelby Harris.

So you would mention that, wouldn't you.

Yeah, well, I think they've done a nice job this offseason. That was a huge weakness all last year. You could run right through them like an open barn door, and they've shored that up.

You think they've done enough. How are you feeling about the Browns offense? I was pretty stunned off side that defense. Rather that the Football Outsiders have their ninth in defense.

I thought that was high too, because for me, it's always like, let's see it first. But I think they've got a pretty elite group of cornerbacks. They've got some young safeties. You've you've put someone across from Miles Garrett, and the interior defensive line has been patched up. So they did about as much as you could do. And you get these August signings and like Shelby Harris like has been a really consistent player.

I think so right, all their draft picks haven't worked. I guess they just drafted someone siaki Ika, so he can play there. But you're right, it's kind of like the old the old big guy group, Dalvin Thomas and Shelby Harris, da Darius Smith. Probably they all they all won't work out. But defense to me is a little less about talent a little more just about like coaching and attitude. Are they playing hard?

You know?

So if Schwartz can get him to do that.

Yeah, the coordinator was a big problem the last two years.

You're bad. Don't just do your job. Do your job and more right, that's where football is.

That slogan on Tuesday after seeing that on Hard Knocks from the.

I can't wait to, you know, see Belichick shake Jeff Ulbrick's hand after the eleventh graate Patriots victory over the Jets.

And be like, little.

I knew more about football before you were even born.

Good stuff, all right, Transition, I remember you was a.

Player on the forty nine ers.

You were a jack transition, you know.

I one, it's not a criticism of Hard Knocks, and I'm not going to go dungee here, by the way, but the Jets are the hard knocks team and my son Jack is really starting to get into football. In fact, it's his birthday this weekend, and he asked his grandmother for an Aaron Rodgers jersey and that's arriving on Saturday. And he previously out of Sam Darneld jersey and a Zach Wilson jersey. So there are times to charm. How do you watch that with the eight year old? When

So I brought that up because Walker wanted to watch it and he's watched Quarterback, and I said, well, there's there's a lot of bad words there, and he's very Whenever I say a bad word something that's not even a bad word, like dumb, he'll be like, that's a bad word.

I'm like, that's not it.

That's not really a bad word, not in the array of bad words anyways. So I said that, I said, there's a lot of, you know, bad words on that show. He's like, I already know all the bad words, So what's the difference.

Yeah, I don't think that's a big deal. I was like, that's a.

Strong bombs are pretty heavy though, No.

But my he's like, I know the worst ones I was like, I know, I nobody.

My kids know them all. There doesn't seem to be a compulsion to say them out loud in our house.

They're a little older, but yeah, they're a little older.

But I watched like the first half hour of Saving Private Ryan with him yesterday, which I know is intense. Wait wait, well no, because like they're really into World War two and stuff, and I was like, well, I think.

You got a ring. That one of the most savage depictions.

It's insane, it's insane, but they handled the beautifully and like we're going to continue to watch it. Like it's like I think you ripped a band aid off at some point and start showing real things. I tried. There is a man that carries his own arm at one point, but like there's a lot of other things that happen. It's not that's nothing.

They not judging your parenting. I just think that movie I think of the opening scene being as horrifying as any depiction of it.

It is ever it is, But like they weren't, they were, they were in app attention.

Now I don't feel so guilty about Yeah, I.

Think he can handle It's like he's gonna you know it's a guy in a chair saying a bad word.

Jack got into his first fight last week at a camp.

Differing differing items of reporting on this, but Jack said the kid in front of him his hat fell off, and Jack said he stepped on it, but accidentally m.

Yeah.

The boy then turned around, gave it to Jack and said I thought you were my friend.

Why'd you do that?

And then kicked him and on the playground it was like kicking him and calling him the B word, and then Jack called him the B word back, and then the counselor say the B word.

I don't think you need to worry about the jet Steve, Yeah, exactly, he's already well, this is my point.

And I actually didn't even come down too hard on him about getting busted by the counselor because he's now at that age where you're gonna have dust ups with kids sometimes. I had it when I was I remember Saint Margaret's in the Layup line with Tommy O'Hara, him going back and forth with him, that that was right around that age, and the language starts to ramp up around his age. I was just like, maybe, again, I don't want to dongify this, but maybe.

There's a it's HBO Max.

You can do anything on that streaming platform. You could put the belief version and the uncensored version.

You could also fast forward through that part too. Great part you the parent Well, I know, but then's and that's not just that.

Part obviously, you know.

Yeah, let's let's get to a very important matter here, vitally important.

For the past.

And I think I have to address this because I was getting some stuff on social that seemed to there are people that were curious if this was.

Went down a different way.

We've had some let's face it, we've had some unnecessary drama involving turnover connected to this podcast in this offseason and the transfer of duties. I will no longer be doing power rankings NFL dot com this year. This was my idea, It was our idea collectively, because we are really excited to do some more stuff connected to this show,

I think in any.

Kind of group or organization for a nation, what have you a peaceful transfer of power, right because without that you have chaos.

Like when one president's chanding it off to another president.

We need that peaceful transfer of power.

And with that set, I want to welcome on a highly qualified individual who has taken the scepter of not just the Power Rankings. This is what Eric and I spoke last week, the Power Rankings. Eric at Holme Writer NFL dot com. The Power Rankings got.

Your handwritten note in the top desk drawer, you know in the presidential office.

Thank you for that. Was a nice touch.

But and I do sorry about all the F bombs in it. You know that. You know I've been watching.

This is such a parenting show. I didn't know that that was such a big topic. But I'm I'm going to tune into every format you guys have going forward to make sure I'm.

Knowing when to screen Shindler's List for my kids. You know that sort of thing.

That's what happens when you have one news item.

So yes, right, right, right, yeah, that was Dad in June, right, Yes, Eric, who is a lead draft writer for US here at NFL dot Com does awesome work there, and and yeah, after four years of Power Rankings, it was time for me to graduate do something else. And and who's more qualified than at home? Who's done it in the past, different in different places, And the first one.

Was a banger in fact.

And I point everyone over to his Power rankings because one thing, for example, Eric's he's streets ahead of me in terms of this time of year, especially because he can tell you, all right, here's my rankings, and the ranking especially this time of year, arbitrary of course, however, the rookie classes and how they're going to look and what we're going to be looking for in these upcoming

So good job, Eric, And terrible job putting the Chiefs number one. I just don't see it.

It's time to get after some people on Power rankings. But yeah, good stuff, Bud, a great start.

Yeah, thank you.

It's funny that one of the last Twitter replies I just got was somebody imploring me to be different, to be bold, to be creative, to think outside of the box and not.

Just put two last year's two Super Bowls to top the list. But I didn't want to break the news to him.

If I if I did that, I would have you know, I would have had Bengals Cowboys at the top. I would have gotten more you know, garbage from that too. So I have been indoctrinated into the the fan response thing. The last two days have given me a kind of a tiny snapshot of what you've gone through for four years. So it's gonna be a ride. It's gonna be a ride. I'll say that it'll be fun.

I'd ask you this because I know that Dan took a lot of heat. No matter what you do, you got big groups of people coming after you, and like, what is your confrontational style? Are you someone that's just gonna absorb it and like it, you know, go water off a ducks back, or do you get on Twitter and start telling people you sit down? I'm the writer.

Yeah, the old at home would would have would have fired back and thrown haymakers as best I could.

I think I've melted a little bit.

I don't know if if that's a having kids saying or getting married there, I don't know.

Just being in the business for for a while thing.

But I do save up some little, quick, pithy responses whenever I have them in my back pocket. But these days, I mean, you can look. I think I've responded about five or six people. The other two hundred and thirty six are gonna have to wait.

I'm trying to guess, and you can tell me if I can guess right, because it's I'm trying to guess who has already been going after you the most that weren't happy with these rankings.

I'll throw the Seahawks out there.

I don't know, they're like a nicer fan base in general. They're smart, but they might not be happy with being fourteenth. I mean, I was trying to think other than that, I don't see anything popping too too much.

Yeah, in fact, a lot of right above them, the Browns mark. You can weigh in on this if you have a strong feeling. I was gonna put the Browns a little higher than thirteenth. I had Seattle fourteenth, Cleveland. I know, I know, and I said to myself, I don't think I can do it. In fact, I had just read Greg your little tantalizing nugget about what Collinsworth was saying about Deshaun Watson.

I hadn't seen it yet.

I hadn't I hadn't watched the TV broadcast. Was that for the face all Greg could probably set it up better than I can, but basically kind of questioning whether Watson was a fit in this offense.

Yeah, that was Thursday night and we didn't really ever hit it on the podcast, but it was interesting reading between the lines. It sounded like Collinsworth had talked to the coaching staff and to Watson and there was a little bit of a disagreement of the direction of the offense.

Was going to say, there's one guy that has a two hundred and thirty million dollars guaranteed contract and one guy entering his fourth year who hasn't made the playoffs in two and there're one playoff when he was on the couch on his in his basement.

Isn't that why it's totally fair to have Cleveland at thirteen. I love it because I.

Shared number thirteen real quick, just setting you up this way mark that to me, and we didn't talk about this.

Eric. Thirteen was always my twilight zone.

That spot thirteen was where I couldn't quite figure out, and it was always natural fit.

So I think it works for the way you kind of came up with it too.

When I couldn't quite buy in on a team, but I also couldn't I couldn't think I can't bury them fifteen sixteen, seventeen. Thirteen was like this is my I'm gonna park him here because I don't know what to do.

Yeah, and you can't be offended if you're a fan of a team sitting at thirteen. I think Cleveland just has this variance because we don't know what's going to happen with the most important position. They're talented, you can see it on paper. But that's been true for a number of years and the wins haven't come. So I have no issue with them being where they are.

I that twelve through probably let me look at my list here.

Eighteen, seventeen eighteen. I would say I had the Giants at eighteen. That got some people gathered up.

Steelers at nineteen got was really yeah.

That one set people off, and I understand it, right.

I just think the division's brutal, and the same could be said for the NFC.

So that's where has the Steelers a pin for nineteen wins this year?

I set up a double digit wins, But I don't think, well, yeah, well, I would ask you a question because I so I did QB index Greg Greg has done in a number of times. I always felt like when I'm writing that thing and you get from like twenty two to twenty eight and like I'm staring at quarterbacks that I'm not even sure she should be in the league based on injuries. It's like, you, what sort of substances do you and buy at that point just to get through that lurky area that's just like undefinable.

Yeah, it's usually cold coffee by that point because I'm so dialed in. You know, this is a piece, and I've sort of realized quickly that you know, you can do in small chunks, or you can just try to sit down for a three hour chunk and knock.

Out as much as you can.

That's what I did, and I didn't refill my cups, So it was it was the cold coffee taste in my mouth that I was like, We're getting to the point where I'm going to make some people mad, and I don't really know what I'm doing here, because like you said, there's so many unknown, so many variables.

It's a lot of dark throwing. Some of these picks are gonna look ridiculous in a couple.

I think that based on my time writing, especially last season and the way Justin Fields broke out in some ways last year, and then the very busy offseason for the Bears, the Chicago fans coming after you, a little bit of having them at twenty five.

Yeah, it was funny because I think I had him. I did some shuffling and I think I started him at twenty three and then just kept kind of saying, well, I'm gonna put right commanders ahead of Yeah, I mean the defense of the commanders, Mike Rabel for the Titans. You know, Green Bay could surprise people whatever. I kept sliding people ahead of them. So yeah, I got a

Am I optimistic? Is the arrow point in the right way? I think so?

But there were still enough kind of reports about fields and having some some up and down practices that it made me think I can't really graduate these guys up to contender status just because Aaron Rodgers in the AFC East Right now.

I should say, bad host job.

Here's the top ten Chiefs, Eagles, Niners, Bengals, Bills. You could move maybe the back end of the top five round you want, if you want, But I think that's fine. Cowboys six, Ravens seven, Jets eight. See I'm a little bit relieved I don't have to get killed for being a Homer. Sure, but I would have the Jets right in that zone as well, Dolphins nine, Jags ten, and then right on the outside looking in Lions and Chargers eleven twelve.

I have no issue with that, except I think the Ravens are coming in a little higher than I would have thought.

Yes, I think that's another team that I had some regret on and probably would have put a little bit higher.

But yeah, I mean, look, it happens, Greg, it happens, and you send it in or you know, you have regrets, no weight.

Yeah, I mean I think it's strange though, that we've gotten some some some real frustration out of Ravens camp about the offense.

Not strange, I shouldn't say that. You know, these things happen, right, I mean, but I.

Really was expecting there to be a little bit more of a smoother runway, that they would kind of get this thing rolling and then kind of branch it out offensively. I mean, you know, it's it's not as if he hasn't been an offensive coordinator before, but it's a different thing. So it seems like there's been a little bit of frustration from Lamar and the receivers aren't quite fitting in yet.

But yeah, I might have gone a tiny bit higher if I had a redo.

Right below kind of the six. I feel like there's six teams this year Chiefs, Eagles, forty nine, Ers, Bengals, Bills, Cowboys, where if like they don't make the playoffs, right, it's a catastrophe, And I do think there's sort of a cut after that.

Now.

I'm sure Ravens fans or Jets fans.

Will feel like it's a catastrophe if they don't make the playoffs too, But it's like, not everyone can make the playoffs. But those first six I suspect are kind of a consensus for six though, But looking at the power in general, like, I feel like the bottom of the league isn't as bad as it's been in some years. The Cardinals, yes, and and some other teams will pop in there. Maybe it's the Colt so you have a

Here comes a one hundred dollars Just stuff.

Where's my MVP coin? Are we still giving you?

Get free usage of the locker room.

It is crazy.

Well, it's like the Raiders, I get I get it. They're at twenty nine. It's like, man, the Raiders have a lot of players for twenty nine.

Same with the Buck It's an optimistic time of year obviously for almost every team except for the Cardinals. And that's when this is so hard, because it's like somebody's got to be thirty twenty thirty one, twenty nine, twenty seven, and you know, then the games start, and Eric, that's when it gets really fun and really busy and really contentious.

But I think you're the right man for the job.

I appreciate that the scepter has been passed for and the one thing I would say, if you can continue to carry on the legacy of just unearned confidence and letting people know that there are many power rankings, but there is only one that truly matters, and it's the one that comes from the NFL itself, and now it is you in control.

Good luck, sir.

I'm a little nervous all of a sudden, the way you painted it that way, but yeah, all right, I'm in I hope you guys willow me back on to talk power rankings sometime and yeah, I appreciate everything you've done.

Remember what RG three said, the grind is the fine.

Dan every every Tuesday before he pressed published would actually bow to this shrine of of Vic Carriucci, the first person to George Washington of power ranking.

True.

That's sure, get his mug behind me as a tribute.

Going after it turned the rev. All right, Eric, thank you very much, buddy, good luck, will be in touch.

Thanks Eric, all right, boys, thank you.

See Eric, of all the great things connected with power rank is the most annoying thing that the only thing that really got me pissed is if, like I don't do as much, but if I posted on Instagram, like a shot of me and my sons or something, and then some bonehead would do that, Yeah, yo, Rams at twenty four, you suck. You should be fired. It's like bruh.

Yeah.

I think the greatest insult I ever got was underneath one of an article you're dumb and your kids are dumb.

And I only had one child at the time, like.

Well you have the daughter too, maybe reference maybe that was stepfather and perhaps because you were compared to the absentee until she was eighteen, I mean it stuck with me a time. All right, let's take a break and then we'll get into preseason Week one promo time. Welcome back, and this is an important one. My employment hinges on how much I put into this week free two one. Football is back and NFL Network has every preseason game,

NFL Network?

Okay, is back in action. It's time for football. The NFL preseason August tenth through the twenty sixth on NFL Network and stream on NFL Plus.

Ty is August tenth. Football is tonight.

Football is back.

Kind of Minnesota Vikings at Seattle Seahawks, Houston, Texans at New England Patriots will see j Stroud. Vikings at Seahawks, Is that? Yeah? Texans at New England at Patriots winch me.

All right, let's get into why don't we do it like this?

You killed that read by the way, genuine zeal was kind of pouring out of you.

Okay, it's a big, big mom. I mean, Walker has been counting down. He's he's into the preseason. I think it's he's a boy. Yeah, he don't know anything. Well, the adults are the adults are too thin. I mean, I don't think what adults talking out of school. I mean the Hall of Fame game got higher ratings than like like NBA.

Playoff games, MLB playoff game.

It's our it's our biggest couple of weeks of the year on NFL network because we're just preseason all the time and tons of people watch it.

You're right, but Greg, you're suggesting that Dan and I aren't totally we're bought in, we're involved.

Yes, the the popularity of say, the Hall of Fame game, which is outrageous, that game from a competitive stamp point competition standpoint, just shows you how the juggernaut the NFL is that that we have and we're you know, very lucky to cover this sport that could that could garner numbers like that for a game in which virtually no starters are even on the field. We're going to see starters on the field, not not everybody.

You know, a lot of big names.

Very rare that you see big names, especially a quarterback position playing, but We're going to see a lot of players that are going to matter. And let's start with the let's just go and Ond Vikings at Seahawks, Mark, you.

Got a whole list of stuff. What are you looking for in this game?

Well, I wouldn't say when game by game. This way, I've got them sprinkled throughout. Vikings, I think they sort of said no one's going to play, but Jordan Addison, the rookie wide out, is someone i'd point to. And

He's too good to play in the preseason, I'm a little disappointed, and some teams do play their starters more.

And because Pete Carroll has historically done a lot of.

That right he has.

It's when Russell Wilson won his job. Yep, was really in the preseason. I'm a little disappointed Devin Witherspoon's had a second a hamstring injury. He's their top five pick at cornerback, who they picked over Jalen Carter, and so he's had one of those camps where he started a little late because of the contract, then the hamstring, and he actually wasn't taking starter snaps for the most part. And that's maybe it's Pete Carroll making him earn it,

Yeah, DJ Dallas, you would think is going to get a good run here potentially with all the injury Seattle has in. Yeah, Smith and Jigba hits the ground running, and Lockett has been as underrated as any receiver the last ten years. And of course metcalf Is I think is a superstar. As long as Gino doesn't create here, they're gonna score points.

They're gonna do very well. Their turnaround to like less than a year.

Stroud is the is the headliner for the Thursday night games that we get to see Stroud because it according to xens at pats right the reporters there, he started camp a little slower like like most rookies do, and has really come on and trading camp, I mean preseasons for rookies, and so him in Tank Dell. Tank Dell is the third round pick. Kind of that shifty slot receiver Mold getting wide open like that.

That should be fun to watch.

On the Patriots side of things, what are we seeing mac Jones today?

I don't think so he is. They never say ahead of time all the you.

Know, we didn't dwell on it too much.

But any speculation through the spring and into early summer about the Bailly Zapi Mac Jones QB battle, there is no battle.

Mac Jones is the guy. He's getting the first team reps.

I would say, if Jones isn't playing a lot, Zappi is gonna get some playing time. It is an opportunity to put a bug in Belichick's ear, you know, if he lights up a bunch of practice squad guys and future FedEx stra ZAPPI, Yeah, Zapi.

I think Belichick Gordy has a bit of a Zappi fascinating, right, So yeah.

This is an opportunity for him to further dig into that infatuation.

I mean I would I would play Mac Jones. I mean it's series or two because like they used to, Tom Brady would roll out during the preseason more than you'd think, right, I fould have said, I have no idea if he's played right, we'll see if this is a new offense. In theory, it's been corrected a lot. But like the reports out of New England, especially at like that very thin, unelegant UH wide RECEI position, have been kind of disastrous. So it's like, what are we

That's the thing. You get so fixated. It's crazy to take much away from those non padded practices. To Mario Douglas, is that how you say his name, an undrafted rookie smells like a patriotsy guy that he might be their starting slot receiver. They might have an undrafted guy playing a lot of snaps, so he is someone where the preseason matters for him. They had a second rounder last year, Taekwon Thornton they got all excited about, and he might already be passed by this undrafted kid.

Douglas, You're right about Belichick and the Patriots being unpredictable.

I kind of remember vaguely, like year fifteen for Brady or around there, him playing with the first team off out until like the second half. Oh yeah, yeah, just letting it rip.

And it's now with the three weeks, so it's also unpredictable which weeks starters will play because there's less and I feel like a lot of teams aren't using that third week that actually some might use the first and second week almost as what used to be the second and third week, Like those are the kind of the

I doubt Aaron Rodgers.

Is playing, but maybe Bryce Young plays a little more because they didn't get that second joint.

They seem to like those practices so much more because you can work with the other coach to set up what you actually want to do.

We're in a game, like you a little more control.

Yeah, you may not get to the red zone in a game with the people you want to have there.

Let's move to Friday Jummon at Detroit lines from Ford Field, I would say from the Giant side of things, we all know Darren Waller is going to be they hope will be the focal point kind of their passing attack and their red zone offense. They have a bunch we've talked about on the show, just a bunch of guys, A wide receiver and if I'm a Giants fan, you know we're looking at Isaiah Hodgkins, Darius Slayton, Paris Campbell, Jalen Hyatt a rookie, Sterling Shepherd's there, Wandell Robinson even

We just saw Connie Fox outside. I waived her to come in, so we'll see if that happens. So sometimes it's like about who does and doesn't play in the preseason, but the reports in camp.

I think Hodgens is a starter.

I think Jalen Hyatt, their third round rookies, had a nice game, and I think Paris Campbell might have wormed his way into playing time there. So basically, all the guys who have been around, like Sterling Shepherd and Wanda like they might be getting left.

But I want to see Jamison Crowders in that camp. Is that true?

He is there as well.

Cole Beasley's there, Like they're not gonna need those guys if the Paris Campbell's and the Jalen Hyatts end up performing.

Eric, can you give your head said to Connie, say hello, yeah.

I'm one that like waved her forward. Yes, Greg, yes, the job. I'm just saying it. You did a great job. It seems like, uh, she didn't want to come.

This is not great for the hair. Right now, it's.

Okay, Hey, how are you, Colleen?

I'm great?

Are you?

I just got back from Seattle last night.

You loved it there.

You suggested you might not leave.

I love Seattle.

They put you on Puget Sound.

Over there Lake Washington that looks tranquil.

Is that a real lake? Because you say George Washington might not be real? What about Lake Washington?

I mean it depends what mental state and where Connie was and what she was doing.

Well, I was working, so I was in a very straight lace state. But it was still superla what reality got it got it?

Miss you guys. Great to see you.

Great to see you. What do you got going on right now?

I'm here to just do the double header today?

Oh beautiful?

Yeah?

You got any any take?

We just hit on the two games and he takes.

I can't prepare. We went home at ten o'clock last night.

We were thorough for five weeks.

Did you did you have a I saw you gave Pete Carroll like a pair of you know, air Carrols or whatever air monarchs.

So Pete Carroll gave us Bucky and I Bucky got some monarchs because Pee Carroll gave the whole team monarchs, but they didn't have monarchs in my size, so they gave me some air maxes.

What is your shoes?

I'm a six and a half in women, so I can fit in a five youth Like, what is.

That in the range of women's shaking your head in smaller stun disbelief that a foo could be that small.

Yeah, but it's great.

I can I can buy boys shoes, so they're cheaper, so jays are and like more availability.

To Yeah, that's good. That's good.

It's great, so good times.

Right, Okay, well, Connie, thank you for this one.

I've said it all.

You've said it all, and it's good.

Your your my Hard Knocks co host and we're gonna be together in studio on Tuesday. We got to get and if we can get you in on ATM next week.

Yeah, I'm available. There you go, Okay, bye?

All right for well to check.

Her out on the NFL network. I mean we did extra promo.

Yeah, you know what, I definitely in the clear.

We had a corporate meeting that started two minutes ago, and we're just sticking it to the corporals because we're still here at doing this bang.

I had two corporate meetings at the exact same time scheduled.

All right, here we go.

So we talked about the Giants, anything, guys on the Detroit side that you're looking.

For, Sam Laporta, who has been like the rave reviews all camp. I don't know how much we'll see of them, but.

Pittsburgh at Tampa Bay, this is the most uninspiring quarterback competition since.

What's the Chief's hard knock season? You remember those guys Brody.

Coyle and yeah that's Tyler? Think Ben was that?

Iggy?

Was that one? Or was Castle in there? There's Matt Castle and Brady Quinn one year but you both you knew it was over for both.

It's a tough one when you sign Baker to a one year, three million dollar contract, which is like less than good backups make. But then he's your favorite to start Week one. Problematic, I feel like he has a chance. I also I actually feel like if John Walford had a huge preseason, like it will increase the chances that we see John Walford playing NFL football.

This inch me, uh, let's move on to Green Bay.

At Cincinnati, well, I don't know what we'll how much we'll see of Jordan Love, but I mean that's these playing.

There's that. I mean, there's the Bengals are just probably they've been practicing against each other the past couple of days and they've been intense practices where a couple guys got kicked out of practice for fighting. And you know, Jordan Love reports in general that he's been sort of up and down, that he's like in those scrimmages there was a lot of sort of conservative play and checkdowns and stuff. So I want to see how they use him.

He's playing, I mean, and I think he'll play at least the first two weeks of preseason, maybe all three. They have so many rookies that matter on a team that I think actually will matter this year, that they are one of the teams to watch I think in the preseason. Like Jaden Reid it sounds like is going to be their slot receiver.

He's a rookie.

Why am I spacing on the guy that I'm not totally must crave Their tight end, rookie tight end has had a big training camp, so they those guys will be out there, and like the Bengals, I do wonder if their backup quarterbacks continue to play like you would expect Jake Browning and Trevor Simons play. It's like, what are we doing here? You're trying to win a super Bowl? You're really gonna be one heartbeat away from Jake Brownie

Hey, you on a second.

I know what you're saying, but if Joe, if something happened to Joe, Bro's over any But I'm saying, like, doesn't matter who you get off the it does.

Because if you misses two or three weeks and the difference between Jameis Winston and Carson Wentz and freaking Jake Browning, it's like you got no chance with Jake brown You throw Wentz or Winston or someone like that.

On a I thought you meant more like a long term affair. You call it, Matt Ryan, But you're right, you should have something. We'll get to Winston because that jumped out to me. And doing some reading this morning.

Uh.

The Packers thing, by the way, just the theory, because I've seen a lot of positive buzz around love and I wonder how much of that is Packers fans trying to kind of will this into a happy outcome for the team at a time when Aaron Rodgers is on this wild honeymoon romp with the Jets that features no absolutely zero carnal boundaries.

It is a crazy Arnold boundary. Yeah, I see what he's saying. It's it's like the best honeymoon period ever.

Like they're not leaving the room, the Jets and Aaron Rodgers right now, and it's like, well the Packers, like I love you so much, Jordan love We're not going anywhere either.

Yeah.

But there was a there was to get a report that like finally Aaron Rodgers got agitated at his at his teammates and some of them, wow, well you know he's been really kind and patient with but it's you know, can turn a little bit. So maybe they one of them did leave the room.

It gives me a Rogers on TV is a lot there you go, So they could cross that off the list.

Oh okay, it gives me t O and Philly vibes.

When to arrived in Philly, it was like the greatest honeymoon period ever and it and it remained that way for an entire year. That's kind of It's kind of what I expected.

Uh, Atlanta at Miami. How much were we going to see a be John Robinson Miami? That's what everyone's excited about. I think this is this is like the Falcons. There's something about them right now that's exciting.

I think Ritter might might play some I'm curious Dave Devon a chain the running back, rookie running back for the Dolphins, because as we mentioned kind of with Wes at the top of the show, I feel like rookie running backs you can't see it. Practice reports on running backs just don't matter. But this is where like those mid round guys, and there's a there's a few in this class, uh that I want to see this weekend.

You know, I like the Falcons better this year than the last two years, right, but I did. I was at the barbershop on Saturday and I looked up and the TV had Desmond Ridder practice reel and then underneath it his his numbers in the final four four starts of the season, he threw for seven hundred and fifty

And now he's the unquestioned Q.

I went back and watched those you know how many interceptions he had zero.

Zero, and they talked about very accurate during this campus. I don't know seem to love him. I mean, I know, I just wonder if there's some convincing going on in that building as well. That's all they also could runs think it's like we're not going to learn too much quarterbacks.

It's fun to watch, but that's where I think the preseason can get a little fake. Sometimes like Bordos pops. Sometimes some pretty great rookie quarterbacks have struggled in preseason.

Washington, do you have anything else from Miami side of things? Washington at Cleveland, we're gonna see you'd like to see if you're the commander, especially after that story slash non story around you know, Eric the enemy is too mean. You'd like to see Sam Howe go out there and lead a scoring driver too, just to get some good vibes in that building about what their quarterback situation is

There was some reporting that he'd play a little bit.

He's one guy that I would think it makes a lot of sense based on his underwhelming clothes last season he.

Played last preseason. I mean, I think you got to like this again. This is another one of these teams where if it's if you're like, you know, Russell Wilson, like get out there and play, like take some of this.

A kind of fun.

He had just signed that huge contract. Why did he even play in the preseason last year? If he was going to disappear for twelve weeks? Like, what was the point of that other than risking a blown ACL It's their centerpiece.

That's what I mean.

I don't know, are they making good decisions the.

Well? Was it? Yeah?

Denver at Arizona, go ahead, I got I got a take on the Broncos in this one.

This one matters to me.

Well, this game matters to me because it's it's time for the Clayton Tune Express to start cranking it up. I mean, we got a chance to have a fifth round rookie possibly start Week one. That's outrageous. I gotta think it's Colt McCoy, but maybe it's Clayton Tune. And this reminds me. I actually brought in a gift today was that the Last Bookstore Downtown. Los Angeles are a city home to one.

Of the world's great bookstores.

Last bookstore.

Really good classic and I saw in the sports section the nineteen Actually I don't know when this was released, the twenty eleven classic Growing Up Cult by Colt McCoy and Brad McCoy with Mike Yorkley, a father, a son, a life in football. Just think of the wisdom you can get from well, twelve years ago.

I assume you're not gonnit. This is from Mark so number one. That's really nice. Appreciate that about like in twenty or twelve or so.

Look at his open Look at his I'm a good old boy with my damn shirt.

No book wrote it with his dad.

I've actually read this book.

Is that a John already read it.

I read it when it came out, and so I wait, this is this is an incredible get to white like the Five. It's one of the It's one of the reasons that I named my son Colt, because it's really actually a good book if you're a dad. But secondly, I was at a Browns bar once, had the book with me and gave it to a Browns fan who I thought i'd see the next week, and he never showed up again. So I've not had the book for a decade, and now you that's really nice.

I got to take it back that you had already read it.

No, no, no, no no, I'm gonna put on my bookshelf.

I got a feeling and I'm passing no judgment, but just just the vibe.

There's a lot of Jesus stuff in that one.

It's they are a religious family. There's no doubt.

I love football, I love family.

I love my John Deere truck that I put on the cover of my book on Jesus Christ.

But they kind of raised him to be kind of a you know, a tough kid out of the gate and.

Stuff I want growing up. Colt Sessler. I want that one.

That's gonna be a while. That's that novel comes out about fourteen years from now, and there could be some there could be.

I mean, he's about the same age as Colt McCoy was when this book came out. There is always something funny to me about, like biography as of a twenty one year old.

Yeah, calm down about that. Uh.

The the Jared Stidham of it all matters me, just because Sean Payton obviously likes him, and maybe Stidham can light up these FedEx drivers and turn a curiosity into an obsession for a head coach who's you know, egomaniacal and wants to put his stamp on his new team, and that would start with the quarterback that I brought in when I got here. My take is, I don't think we're gonna see Russell Wilson much but or at all today or this weekend. But like, I don't know

He's got to be the old Russell Wilson this season. I think the experiment my Week six or seven.

And my thoughts on the Cardinals. Clayton Tune, I don't care. Jeff driscoll, I don't care. David Blouse, I don't care well.

The second two David Blau I understand, although we do have a co host, uh writing a newsletter about him, so that's kind of rude. I don't think there'll be factors in the battle. But uh, Clayton Tune, they drafted him, he's their guy.

Tennessee at Chicago.

You know Chicago, they have a rookie running back Roshan Johnson justin Fields is going to play in this game. I think he's going to play potentially in all three preseason games.

So good.

Uh.

Ros Johnson is one of those guys that, like the draftnicks get super excited about and the fantasy heads are like, no one else is really there. It's Khalil err but they just like pencil him in as a potential starter and then you hear like, actually he's not past protecting that well in camp and like so that he's one of those guys that's like needs to get playing time in the preseas.

I think Tennessee, I want to see will Levis, I mean, any of these rookie quarterbacks. It's like, let's watch the entire play for what it's worth.

They're still listing Malik Willis as the backup on those depth starts, but those depth stats don't mean much.

Nice move by the way, Mike Frable naming DL the defensive line coach Trell Williams the acting head coach for this game. That does tell you a little bit about how much this game means.

Yeah, but they should do that.

But also a great job by a guy who's trying to, you know, pump up one of his dudes that he believes deserves.

It's funny plot for him because I hear you in terms of what it means in the wins and losses, and that's right obviously. But whenever, whenever they on hard knocks, like are wired, and this is true all throughout the preass like they care so much they get like Aaron Roddy was going absolutely nuts just because they're competitors and they're playing football and people that they know are literally fighting for their livelihoods. Like that, they get super fired

True Indy at Buffalo Anthony Richardson not a surprise, barring injury.

I don't think there is any scenario in which Jim or excuse me, Shane steich In doesn't go with the first round rookie.

In week one.

We're starting this game too. I mean, I think they're.

You're right, how do you keep What would he have to do, like, honestly, would Anthony Richardson it be through an interception in every one of these games and didn't move the ball.

I still think he's starting week one.

He'd have to go like a wall for ten days and no one knows where he is, and it's like, we're not sure we can count this guy. But he's not gonna do that.

Minshe's reportedly, you know, played really well practice. I actually think if he was really struggling in practice, if he was Zack Wilson as a rookie in practice, I actually do think they would be more hesitant. But there hasn't been that feel. It sounds like everything is on track enough and yeah, he's starting this game.

That kind of stays and you talked about the Bengals backup QB scenario. But like these reports out of Buffalo that Kyle Allen and this is not a big surprise if you watched much Kyle Allen, like they have a serious issue at backup quarterback in Buffalo. That like if and you know Josh Allen, the same thing. If Josh Allen goes down, check you later. But they could be looking around.

Didn't we see Kyle Allen uh win a football game overseas? Only so many quarterbacks have done that. Did they win that game? I can't even remember anymore. Jamis through like five interceptions in the Panthers.

Yeah, those bad performance, Mark Jonathan Taylor. A wall just clears the runway. Because it's Jake funk season.

Baby exciting.

I mean, it's.

This is fun.

That's good, that is fun.

This is your time, baby, I mean to speak over this music is a tough, tough ad. But I know Jake Funky note flamed out with the Rams. Surprisingly, I think everyone was surprised that he didn't thrive there and everyone everyone, But now I think he's got a whole new opportunity. And look at like your star running back is obviously a little bit cowed by the idea of going up against Jake Vanished practice.

Eleven funk seasons. Love those what running back?

That is not what's happening here in a mondable.

It's funny with all the budget cuts we could just afford such a quality session player back there.

Just that's actually Eric Light got a keyboard and from He's like a guy that went viral on TikTok. He's a New York City guy and he's in his uh like his tidy whities in a bathroom rebel a love that guy.

I will give credit to Randy though, He's the one he dug for that big.

Spot.

For me, not surprising that Randy would be the guy that found the.

Funk that guy. That guy is funk.

Jets at Carolina Panthers, Bryce Young, Rice Young, and you know he'll be up against the Jets defensive line is pretty wild. They they're deep, they got a lot of rotational rushers. I'm excited to see some of these guys, including their first round a pick Will McDonald and you look good last week too. Tremaine Johnson flashed is the first round of last year. He was like the other first rounder that was kind of forgotten, but he made an impact for them, and he's gonna have a bigger

How long do you like play Bryce Young? I think that's interesting because like the it's not the old school preseason, it's like the holes season. Your whole franchise pivots around this guy. Do you not treat him more?

Like?

I want to see him too, because the whole yeah thing about his size and everything. Now we're gonna see him in an NFL game kind of with giant offensive linemen and huge front seven coming at him, like is it is it going to be jarring? Is he gonna Is it gonna be one of those things like with Kyler for instance, or it was like, whoa, this guy's small as hell.

Except his head. Yeah, it'd be like except jes will be like that.

Like Jonathan Mingo was listed as a starter, one of my favorite rookie receivers, so they're not wasting any time with him.

Jacksonville at Dallas, we didn't see a lot of Dallas receivers making plays with Ceedee Lamb out of practice on Monday. The guy really I want to see is Michael Gallop, but I just don't know what their plan is for him, but.

Would be interesting to see if he flashes.

East Vaughn feels very much like a preseason since I can see that happening, Tank bi Bigsby. What a name? Tank Bigsby h and could it be a sneaky fantasy factor this year? He's almost certainly their backup running back in possibly their red zone. Guys had a nice camp and I feel like you need someone with Etn. I don't want to give Etn three hundred touches, so he's someone you don't like that much. I like him fine, but I don't think you want to give him three

Tank Bigsby's real name Cartavius Bigsby.

That's pretty good, though you should have just kept cartables.

Tank is not a bad name too. You're so right a red zone hammer.

Duce Vaughn is so the favorite to be preseason MVP because he plays for the Cowboys. They're trying to figure out things. His size leads to all that Deuce porn as we heard on Monday, he's gonna run for like seven hundred yards and that.

You know, like you get to like to go to these practices in person, like you did mention the Bryce Young thing, like Douce Vaughan the human being compared to everyone else on the field, Like it's a reason to watch a Cowboys game alone.

You don't see this very Just don't.

Ask him to pick up a blitz with Dak Prescott behind center.

Yeah, that's all. That doesn't go so well with Eagles at Baltimore Ravens. How about the Ravens. Uh, you know the way they treat the preseason and they're incredible. Oh streak, great call, Yeah, the dynasty.

What is the streak? What are we up to?

Let's see Ravens winning three. This is kind of what they're known for at this point in their franchise.

Twenty three straight. Think about this.

This is I think unbreakable records in pro sports, Like, you know, you throw them.

Out there, you know, I don't know.

Joe Diamagia fifty six game hitting streak, twenty three straight exhibition games, winning across what five or six years when you're not playing your starters, and and there's all sorts of things that can happen that that really don't matter and would end a game.

Imagine how many of these games have gone down.

Greg to the last couple of plays, because that's just how a lot of these preseason games go because nobody ties, so you just start doing crazy stuff and they've won them all.

The streak is so long I would I would have to fact check, but I'm pretty sure Robert Griffin the third is like a big part of this streak as the Ravens.

I like how they bring up Dustin Tucker to win the close ones. That is wild.

The Eagles quietly signed a couple veteran linebackers this week, Myles Jack and Zach Cunningham. They clearly weren't happy with what they were seeing at linebacker. And I've seen some reports that Nolan Smith has really had a nice camp the rookie and if they've actually played him at off ball linebacker a little bit, which is kind of shocking because he's such a fast pass rusher, kind of like

I would maybe, I mean, with with these reports that you know, Lamar is a little the fuddled in the offense, isn't looking that sharp, Like, I don't know, do you not? Do you just wait till week one to see how things go with him?

We just keep Odell and shrink wrap until September.

Yeah, I would do that, but I mean, there's something about this favorite group. I mean, Rashad Bateman just came off pop. I'm afraid Dave Flowers has supposedly been as advertised.

Raven's just a little more context on this the streak the last loss September third, twenty fifteen.

On that day, twenty fifteen.

On that day, Ravens star quarterback. This is from Fox Sports. Lamar Jackson made his debut for the Louisville Cardinals two days after that twenty to nineteen defeat to the Falcons to finish the twenty fifteen preseason on A three.

This game is huge.

They're laying wood six points to the Eagles, so they're they're a pretty heavy favorite.

And it'd be funny if he continues because they I think they play Washington every year. It's just like, you know local, why not Belt? It'd be funny if Attle at the Belt with RIVERA just was like, I'm sick of this freaking streak. I'm sick of and just like played all of his starters.

Sam Just like Sam Howe, you're giving me four quarters and forty pass to day, I'm gonna win this game.

They lose, right, I guess the quarterback wouldn't be great either, But like you play your entire awesome defensive line for three quarters, you're calling trick plays.

Someone should do that. It's time for somebody. It cannot extend through this year.

In fact, I might go the other way and route against the streak, just for the drama of it. At this point, the second longest winning streak, by the way, is the Buffalo Bills, who.

Have won ninth straight. That's a lot too.

Is that tells you how tough this this Shore would.

Be a battle.

That's so far Chargers at Rams think about in terms of energy and electricity. Six Taylor Swift shows in seven nights, and then you go straight to the battle for Los Angeles Chargers Rams preseason.

It just gets more I'm going to this game, so I can't wait game getting paid for that. No, I'm gonna go. As for myself, it's rude. You're going with your kids, right, I'm.

Taking them to a different Rams game.

This one. I am going in a different, different situation. But I just want to go see what it's like.

I've been to I believe I've been to three Rams Chargers games since so far is open. Maybe it's only two. You know that these are two teams. I don't play a lot of starters. Unfortunately, Kyrin Williams is maybe someone who watch the back up running back. The Rams are gonna have to play more guys that are going to be starters because they don't know who their starters are.

Well, they're kind of if you're a Rams fan, it's like it's not it's sort of depressing time a little bit, but like you're kind of relearning an entire roster.

Yeah, I remember so many guys.

Josh Palmer had a big game in this in this Battle of l A last year, and you know what he ended up having it.

I'll sell this one.

I don't think there's any team in the league that fashions itself competitive and potentially a playoff team where the preseason is more important than it is for Sean McVeigh and the Rams to find some bodies on that defense and establish some type of cohesively.

I wonderful get to see people walking around in the sh it's with the and and the ambersons like the slogan trick if you're on the side.

Yeah, and let's see if they've Let's see if they've upgraded the concession situation, because this is the nicest stadium in the league. It's beautiful. Can the food's terrible?

What about the the lady with the axe? Is she going to be there?

Is it that's a RAMS thing or a Chargers thing?

Well, it's Rams and it's a game, then you got you should have her unless she's on tour.

She's very successful.

I don't know if she does preseason though, but she would have to start to practice and.

Get and I would say, Mark, if you're if you're, if you're going to the game, which you are, bring your shoulder pads. You might like they might be like, I need I need a body to get out there, and I need a safety.

I need a free safety.

Oh if they'd let me in with that kind of stuff.

I'll bring them in uh chiefs at Saints.

How about this the Derek Carr goes to New Orleans and there he is right right back to playing uh Andy Reid in Kansas City and showdown.

I don't know if we'll see him on Sunday.

We'll see.

We'll probably see some Jamis.

They might.

I think they might be trying to advert ties Janey. If they like Jake Hayner enough their rookie quarterback, and if he plays well in the preseason, I feel like Winston could be had for a song if anyone is out there.

Yeah, speaking of that surprised me, but I read Eric at Holm, who we just had in the show, did a nice kind of ramp up to preseason week one on NFL dot Com Check it out, and he noted that, you know, there's a real battle here for QB two and if Winston goes from starting quarterback to can't even be the backup. Yeah, it makes a lot of sense for a bunch of teams who are looking for a guy that has experience in some level of skill.

It just seemed like this between him and Dennis Allen, like last year, things just seem a little weird behind the scenes. I'm almost surprised he's even I still there.

I am very surprised he's still there. Chiefs actually have like a decent amount of interesting position battles. We mentioned generic Prince Rishie Rice, Rookies justin.

Ross first, Jake at quarterback since Locker Plumber Locker was after Plumber Dell home, Jake alone, Brisket, Cha Kobe, but yeah, he's Jake Brisket.

Yeah it's us anyway.

Finally San Francisco at Las Vegas. Yeah, there you got Sam. This is it, Bud Trey Lance versus Sam Donald. Is how I see this? Who's gonna be the backup slash waiting in the wings if Rock Party struggles or isn't physically right and then hold on tight if you got a chance to play in a game that matters.

I'm excited.

And the Trey Lance of it all is remains to me intriguing because of his pedigree.

And I'm not like I've become almost convinced that Shanahan prefers Sam Donald at this point that like I you know, not unlike Jameis Winston, is the whole endgame here to maybe move Trey Lance because you know, other teams know nothing about him, but there's all this potential and like, if they're gonna one of them, it could be him.

You guys would get mad at me when I ever even brought him up in recent years. But Kyle Shanahan starts talking him up, and now it's like, yeah, but we got to see this guy.

Yeah, but when you pair him with Shanahan, you've.

Gotten Gregg's out here saying that Sam Donald is the biggest bust in the history of the quarterback position in the NFL.

A couple of good movies that.

I said he was on the list.

I never was on the list, but you said he was on the list.

He still is.

The numbers say it. The numbers say he's been one of the very worst quarterbacks in the league since the minute he got drafted. And he was a top five pick. So what more do you need?

Because it's not very at some point beyond the just the statistics, it's the where he was.

Well, you think, like Jimmy Clausen and all these other guys that are thought of his huge bus were like in great situations.

Now, well, I'm just saying in nuance that he actually can play. I think he can if he gets the opportunity. I don't think Laston could play no matter where you play. I think consistent, but you can see it.

I think he had a five He had a five game stretch last year that was easily better than any five game stretch of his career where he looked like a decent backup.

Well, I hope he gets a job and I hope he sticks it.

Well, his numbers will be great. Nick Mullins, you know, has has like a higher yards per attempt to start his career than any quarterback in NFL history. It's like you walk out of the get out of bed with the eight yards per attempt in this offense.

Yeah, I was kind of I'd mentioned that last week.

I don't know whoever is the quarterback this offense is going to be good, but Steve Young that throws righty, so it's like, maybe go with him.

Sam Donald, I always said was why couldn't he be another Steve Young, which is like, yeah, why couldn't have already four or five years into his career. It was a little like people didn't think of Steve.

You know, given how easy it is quarterback to thrive in this offense, makes Sam Donald throw lefty, really make him Steve Ye?

Sure?

Well, Steve Young was also kicking butt in the USFL. It wasn't like he had right.

In the and the forty nine ers actually gave up I believe a lot for Steve Young, whereas Sam Darnold was freely available for low price.

I'll give you something freely available, all right. That's it.

So we'll be back on Monday with kind of a look back at all all of these games and uh.

And you know, we'll see what we could take from them.

We're gonna step into the competition cauldron on Monday. I'm excited for exactly.

Also, big week, Big week coming up. Why Fantasy Extravaganza coming up next week?

Right?

I don't think so.

I thought we moved it up to Wednesday. Yeah, I missed that.

A lot of guests, a lot of guests, bigger summar.

Reason.

I thought it was the following week.

Well originally was, and then we kind of said, maybe, will set it up to make sure we give as many people the chance to listen to it before the draft. So we we we have that show coming up with a bevy of high end, top tier guest.

Greg.

You you helped build Rotal World, brick by brick. We're gonna have to reach out to some heavy, heavy hitters. We got some big dogs in house with NFL media. That's coming up on Wednesday.

Uh, Andy, I should call my buddy Chris, Chris Johnson see if he's available.

He was on a magazine cover Best Friends, that Greg guy. He was different.

I like that trip balladated.

He the call