And now move the sticks with Daniel Jeremiah and Bucky Brooks.
What's up everybody, I'm Bucky Brooks. This has moved the sticks and I am joined by my guy HBCU legend himself, Steve Weiss representing Hu. Each and every day is a great day to be a Howard body.
Great day to be Howard Bison. We take on those Hampton Pirates this weekend. I do not want to lose to them again. It seems like every time we play we lose. So let's go Bison, your favor to do some stuff in the miac. But Bucky, what about the tar Heels? What about your tar heels? What do they got?
So the tar Heels decided to get into the mix a little bit. They took on the mighty North Carolina Central Eagles last weekend. They were able to handle business against the Eagles, but I'm not gonna last year. Got a little nervous. The Eagles were going. Trey Oliver had them guys going for a minute.
I was nervous.
I was like, as much as I love representing, I did not want my guys to be on ESPN representing the case that a look at them snatch down a school.
They're back. So now it's great Seeingdrey Olivan those guys going. So the Tar Heels are trying to get it going. We'll see we're flying under radar, just hoping they can kind of continue to be okay and see if they can get better down the stretch. Today, those team we're going to talk about the National Football League. We're going to talk about the standings. We're gonna go through each division and talk about is the division winner or the
division leader? Are they gonna end up winning the division when it's all set and done. So, this should be a little fun, little exercise to see what's going on, to see who's who and what's what. I know, you got your ear to the street. So let's start in the AFC East Buffalo Bills sending it to and undefeated. The Buffalo Bills have owned the division and the Sean McDermott era. Do they continue to reign supreme over the rest of the AFC.
East folks, Yes they do, Bucky, they own it. There's no partial shares in the lead for the AFC East. I say that because not only you know, are the Bills different? Right, They've become a tight end centric offense, right, because they got two really capable tight ends. James Cook's been doing this thing out of the gate. But the rest of the division, you've got quarterback uncertainty in New England and Miami and the Jets. You know, you just
don't know what you're gonna get weak to week. So yeah, I mean, the Bills are not gonna go seventeen to know, but I do think they end up keeping their claim on the ownership of the division.
Yeah, now the Bills are that squad. I will say this, I am not surprised by the New England Patriots. I mean have been kind of like the lone wolf in terms of like believing that they would figure it out, that their defense would remain a very vulnerable unit, and then offensively they're doing just enough not turn the ball over, keeping the games close. They came up short last week, but you're gonna already see Jiro Meo has a nice plan for how this team needs to play to be
able to stay in every game. Hass off to him. But when I look at the Division, two of being out for the Miami Dolphin puts them behind the eight ball. I don't know if I can fully trust the Jets, particularly Aaron Rodgers, just kind of look different. So yeah, I'm all in on the Buffalo Bio Sean McDermott, even in what was thought to be a bit of a rebuild, it's still kind of to me head and showed us above the rest of the division.
Yeah, we'll see how they handle the versity because we all know it's coming. But they've positioned themselves well. All right, but let's go to the AFC North, the best division top to bottom in the NFL right now. The Pittsburgh stillers the mighty team that has scored one touchdown I think after the first two weeks of the season, but they're two to no. Are they going to finish the season atop the North?
Well, it depends on Steve. If I'm staying on brand, meaning I'm staying on brand with what I've said before on NFL dot Com, NFL Network, I'll be like, No, the clean Browns are the dark horse contended that you need to keep up with. If you go and look at that defense, town Swartze has them going. I think Deshaun Watson is going to come back. He might have turned the corner a little bit in that game against the Jaguars. I finally saw some of the swag that
he used to have in Houston come back. And it was nothing major, but I just saw a little bounce in this step. I saw him kind of have like a little shemi and a swagger. If he becomes anything close to the player that he was at Houston, the Cleveland Browns is gonna be all the way back to me. I think this is more Pittsburgh. I don't know if they can hold onto the division league having to play
the way they need their play with justin fields. In terms of winning the division, as much as I would like to think everyone comes back to the pack and a it's okay if everyone is right around nine and eight, I think they separate themselves. Whoever wins the division. I don't think the Stealers have that capacity. So I'm gonna go the other way. Give me the Cleveland Browns to win the division. Yeah, look at it.
I'm with you, Bucky. In terms of I don't think Pittsburgh right now, which is leading Winter Division, just because they've got the most quarterback uncertainty of any team a division. You got Joey Burrow and the wing winless Bengals. Right now, the Ravens are winless. The Ravens look closer to being like a good football team than the Bengals do right now. And that's not taking anything from the Bengals. I think they're still very good football team. But I'm with you
on the Cleveland Browns. Right They've got some injuries out of the gate. They're getting their tackles back this week. Neither tackle has played the first two weeks. And you know, David Njoku's out. That's a big blow. He's eventually gonna come back. But defensively, they're just I mean, they're they're so stout. They've They've got players across the board. J Ok one of my favorite players in the NFL, best
dressed player in the NFL. So I'm with you, Pittsburgh Steelers do not win the North even though they are two to zero to start the season.
Yeah, Jok is one of the best dress My funny comment about Jok, like, I love seeing the pre game. But Steve, I've been on the field when he is modeling. Who heaven helped the person who is the photographer, They have to be out there a long time. A man has certain things that He's like, hey, you gotta hear me from this angle and that angle or whatever. It's just not ay, I step out and take the pick. He's definitely going back old school to making sure that his posts.
He reps like every country in West Africa with his gear, and I love it. He's from Hampton, Virginia seventy five to seven.
So good player, man, good player, Steve. I'll say that in watching him last week, he is shot out of a cannon on the so good. His instincts, his right now reactions are next level, and it's one of the reasons why they played really good defense towards He makes it easy for the guys. But man, those guys up front really high. I got a look for the Browns. Browns in the mix. Let's go to the a FC South. You got Htown putting it down. Do you continue to ride the Htown train?
Yeah, Buck, I mean it's it's the Texans all the way. I mean, they came into the season, in my opinion, as a legitimate threat to the Chiefs and some other teams to get to the Super Bowl and represent the AFC. They're deeper than any team in the NFL. When you look at every position, even quarterback They've got They've got
two good quarterbacks with Davis Mills and case Keenum. They've got wide receivers galore, They've got offensive line, and then defensively, I am not gonna stop talking about they will possibly threaten for the championship because their defense is so stacked. When I look at the rest of the division, I think the Jags are are in a tough situation. I'm starting ohing two is not good for them going up to Buffalo Monday night. They could be going three. They've
got an uphill fight. The Titans got a little bit sharper fangs in them than I thought they had. I mean, they're they're they're doing some things. If Will Levis got down the turnovers or they're gonna win some ball games. And I think the Colts are eventually gonna get together. They're very banged up. Yeah, they got to the start I thought they would, and I think they're going to finish the top that division.
You know, they're they're a tough team. Man. As much as I want to be optimistic about the Jaguars kind of climbing back into it, there's just different levels to this. When you look at Asheine. You look at Houston and how they put it together very quickly, I will I will say Undermiko rants that is just a great perspective by him in terms of how he wants his team to be. Nick Casario being able to keep his ego in check and just say, hey man, my job is to serve from the back end. They have a really
good thing going and the culture is real. It's very genuine when you watch the players interact with the coaches. Dimiko came winning with a plan and they certainly have executed a plan, which is why they may go back to back in the South.
All right, Bucky, let's get to the AFC West. Okay, technically the Chargers are the top of the division, but the Canton the Chiefs are also two and zero Chiefs are also to it. O. All right, so I'm gonna let you flip the coin here and see which you know what, Let's let's go ahead and play this. Do both of them? Let's twist this. Do both of them make the playoffs? Do the Chargers and the Chiefs from this division make the playoffs?
Oh?
Yes, Steve, because this is shaping up to be another gim Harbaugh story. So I'm not going to say that both of them make the playoffs. I'm saying they both make the playoffs, but the team in red is the wildcard team the Crown. Come on, Chargers. The Chargers win the division, no way, Hey man, I'm just telling you, man, I just feel like they're gonna they're gonna bloody their noses. They're gonna beat them up. And he's gonna do just like he did when he was at Stanford and he
tracked down USC. I just I'm all in. And look, he makes me want to go to football practice and cover them with football pants on, like he's just old school. I want to do squats, I want to pull slid with my Khaki's on. All of that. Jim Harbro's pushing all the right buttons. That's what I'm saying. The Chargers swipe the division from the Chiefs to year. Come on, come on, Buck, you don't believe that I do. Jacket Dobbins, Gus Edwards. I'm all them running the football, preserving my quarterback.
He is. Look, he's that fire extinguisher just in the glass. We only break it when we need it.
Okay, I'll say I'll say that both of them get to the postseason, and that's a real soft push.
I think.
I think I've seen some things in the Raiders to make me think that they could actually be better. Their defense is super legit, right, but Patrick Graham has done and adding Christian Wilkins to their front, they're super legit. So I'm not going to sleep on the Raiders possibly getting passing Chargers to be a wild card. The Chiefs are going to win the division. The Chiefs, barring injury to Patrick Mahomes, are going to be the face for it to rep the a f C again this year.
But the reason why I think two teams are coming out of the West is I did think two teams are gonna be coming out of the East, and I'm not so sure what TUA situation now that there will be two teams coming out of the East. I think we're definitely gonna get two coming out of the North, one coming out of the South, so maybe the West and it won't be the Chargers. I love what they're doing. They're not gonna beat themselves, but I don't know. I
think Antonio Pierce the in the way. Patrick Graham's got those guys going in Vegas let me just make sure.
Okay, so the Chiefs are not winning the Vision, No, they are Chiefs. Okay, but we're saying the Raiders. Now the Chargers are the other team that's representing in the postseason.
This I'm gonna call my shot. Yeah, I'm gonna call it. I'm gonna call it.
Oh, the raatest A's don't like that. AP's don't like that. You must, you must want to go. There must be someone that's gonna have a resident residency in Vegas that you want to see. Usher's not there more Adeals is coming to win.
They'll be on the road. There must be somebody road.
There must be somebody that's that's coming through New Addition. Maybe New Addition is going to be in Vegas and you're trying to catch them because you're saying that that they're in the building. I know. No, I'm not saying because of the playoff game will be in Vegas. I'm just saying, you're trying to curry favors so you can get one of those the discounted tickets. Get you like one of those.
Here's what I'm saying, Mark, Mark this, Okay, what was my number eighty nine? Who is number eighty nine for the Raiders. Rock Bowers.
Oh yeah, Yeah, he's legit, Bucky, He's the deal.
They've got some things showing up on offense, but I think their defense is so good. Their defense is so good that when the Chargers try to sit there and grind it on, grind it on, grind it out, they're gonna have some answers. They got some, they got some thieves on the back end. Okay, I'm calling my shot. I'm calling my shot. That's gonna be our surprise team come out of the division. Not the Chargers, call you, boy,
Shawn mary Man. Let me tell them too that the Raiders are coming out of the division.
Raiders are coming out of division wild card. All right, Okay, so we're gonna rock with that. We're just gonna let you live with it. We're gonna let you wallowing that Silver and black. We're rolling you staying. They're in already Aps Black Air Force One's on getting it done. So let's let's let's let's let's let's rock out. I mean, that's I guess that's just the way. It's just the way it's gonna go.
We'll be right back after this break.
All right, So let's go to the other side. Let's go to the n FC East.
Oh my god. So right now we have three one in one team. If you have Washington, Philly and Dallas at one in one, giants zero and two, giants are not winning the division. They're They're probably gonna end up right where they are in.
The fourth place.
Buck, this is a tough call for me. But when push comes to shove on all of this, I do think it will be the Dallas Cowboys who win the division. Uh. That is a soft that is like a soft of a But I mean Philadelphia. I love what they've got offensively with the line Sakuon Barkley's that man. But their defense, man, it is it is. And I'm not sitting here saying the Cowboys have the greatest defense. But I've got some
faith in Mike Zimmer fixing some things down there. So yeah, I mean a very I'm talking a marshmallow soft pick is. I got the Cowboys coming out of that division.
Marsh mellow soft Philly.
I don't know, man, Philly's offense is so good. I'm torn.
I'm torn, Buck, You're torn.
You know what I'm flipping. I'm flipping because I picked earlier. I'm sticking to my pre seats. I'm going to Philly. I just I think their offense is just too good. I'm going I'm going to Philly. I'm going to Philly's gonna win the division.
Okay, So I'm worried about the Cowboys, particularly after seeing them uh getting molliwopped by the New Orleans Saints. It's hard for me to have a lot of If you told me week I would have been, I'd have been all over. But the fact that Deiry Carr and the Saints went up and down the field with little resistance, I'm worried about it. Here's where the Cowboys get me and what could hurt them in terms of trying to win the depth? Like they have star power, but the
depth they don't have any of them. No, they don't. You got CD Lamb on the outside, you get Dave Prescott, but the fact that they're still spinning their wheels trying to figure out that running back. And I like dizzyke came back. That's cool, but they don't have a high end running back now, and the offensive weapons they have right now cannotwithstand an injury to one of their notable names,
So I worry about that part of it. So if we think about the rosters and the talent, the Eagles have to get it out because there's more talented squad.
You know, you brought a great point about the division, like every team has got a legit running back, especially Washington with Brian Robinson. I love that, dude. Even the Giants and Devin Singletary Cowboys don't have that. And at some point you've got to be able to run the football. That's gonna be an issue. If you're asking Dak that through forty four times a game every week, that's that's
not it. All these other teams, or let's say the competitive teams Philadelphia and Washington, they have to run the ball. They can run the football. Dallas can't do that. And I think you know, And now I'm feeling better about me saying the Eagles are gonna are gonna.
Walk with the East. Now you feel better. I feel better.
Here here's one okay, now let's go to a super the toss up division. Right the NFC North, both Conference in North divisions are tough top to bot right now, the Vikings are unbeaten. Everyone else is one and one do they end the season atop the North?
Okay, so, so my team's in the North. I feel like because shout out to Fife Dog. I feel like Fife Dog had all the different teams that he liked, he supported them all. Track delate to Fife Dog. He loved them all, and so I kind of feel like this in my division, Like I can see myself rocking with the Packers. I also love the grittiness of the Lions.
I'm feeling what they're doing with the Minnesota Vikings and how can you not like the fact that the numb one overall pick lands in a nice spot in Chicago. That said, the Lions are so talented. Man, I have to go with the Lions because if not for the quarterback situation in Green Bay, I would lean towards Gopak Go. But because the Lions have everyone available right now, as we're not gonna w let's go Motown. Let's go with Detroit running it back and being able to get it down.
I'm with you, Detroit. Detroit has been one of the few teams we've seen bucket. Usually when we see teams get to the playoffs year after year, they're either a consistent team like the forty nine ers, right, or the Chiefs, or there's a pop up team that comes and goes. The Niners are sorry. The Lions are one of the few teams we've seen, like an NBA team build, take a tough loss, build, take a tough loss, and continue
to escalate. I think. I think by the end of the season, the Lions are going to be a legitimate threat to come out of the NFC. I'm going with Detroit. I like two teams coming out of this division. We'll see if it's gonna be the Packers or the Vikings. But I do like two teams coming out of the North with the Lions.
Get the nod. Mmmmmm, that's good, all right. So now let's go to the Let's go to the South, the dirty We used to always talk about the South. There's so many rivals in this thing. When I think about it, I'm always thinking about the Atlanta Falcons and the New Orleans Saints. But you got to throw the tam Bay Buccaneers in. Yeah, they're they're they're tied at the top. When we talk about the Saints and the Bucks, the Carolina Panthers are way behind. They're kind of like the
JV Unit to everybody else, who are we thinking? Who are we picking in that division?
Well, right now the Saints are two and oh the Bucks are two and oh oh it is here's a crazy thing. It's really harder for me at this point not to rock with Todd Bowles and the Buccaneers. I know the Saints are lighting it up. I know they are so good defensively, they're putting points up. But the Bucks are just so steady, you know, Todd Bowles, It's like Brian Flores right, They've They've got a million different defensive structures and looks and everything. They're gonna give you
every game. I think it's crazy as it sounds. I think Baker's probably the most consistent, stint looking quarterback when I look at the quarterbacks in this division. Boy at Atlanta is gonna get better as the year goes along. And I love how they run the football with Jean Robinson and Tyler algi year. I love how they run
the football. This is Buckey. What's interesting This looked like the doggie bag division in the NFL coming into the season, and now they're legitimately three teams from that division that can make the playoffs. I know people say that sounds crazy, but there might only be one team from the East. There might only be one team from the North, even though I think there's gonna be multiple teams from I'm sorry,
from the from the West. Even though I think there's gonna be multiple teams from the West, I think we're gonna have multiple teams coming out of the South now when it comes to the playoffs.
Yeah, it's funny. These teams are well constructed. I'm surprised because I think I've always been late to the party with the Saints because it's hard for me to believe they have an older defense, that the older defense is going to be able to carry it. But the reason why the older defense can work is because they now would be nursing leads as opposed to having to play I would say even Stephen contest, where they're having to
dominate and create turnovers and all this other stuff. To me, this team is built to play from ahead on defense, and that offense is so legit they may be able to do that the full season. I like Tampa Bay. I like what Todd Bowles routinely does with their defense. Look, he blitzes all of his answers. Baker Mayfield is playing outstanding ball, which should give Carolina Panthers fans or Bryce Young fans hope Baker Mayfield was able to resurrect his career.
Bryce Young can do the same in the right and.
Doing it Carolina.
That w never happened, Never happened. He probably should never shot up again with the Carolina Panthers based on how they dismissed him after only eighteen games. But that's for another pod. Yeah, no, just give me on saying so I think the Sames are the ones to get it done, even though I like what Raheem has at his disposal with Atlanta Falcons.
You know what's intriguing when I look at this division, this is probably a great podcast for you and DJ to do. Look at the safeties in the NFC South, where you've got Winfield, Ty Matthew is freaking playing lights out in New Orleans, and then look at the deuce package that they've got in Atlanta, and when you watch that game, money Night, Jesse Bates is at a whole other level in this scheme. So again, I've given you an idea for a future podcast. But look at the
safety play in this division. And how it may impact things going down the line. All right, Buck, let's go to that NFC West that I was just talking about. Okay, your squad, your forever squad. The Seattle Seahawks sitting on top two and zero, win a tough one at New England, playing early for a West Coast team last week Arizona Cardle's one to one Niners one and one, and what's left of the Rams at zero and two? Do you think and this is a this is actually a great question.
Do you think Seahawks finished the season on top of the West?
I do. I felt like this the San Francisco forty nine ers were gonna suffer from the hangover. So I am all in on the Seattle Seahawks. Mike McDonald being able to fix the defense that Pete Carroll could not get fixed, the offense, being able to really thrid on the Ryan Grubb. This team has the pieces in place to be a dominant unit. And I would say this, there's a level of seriousness that Mike McDonald exhibits. It's a little different than its predecessor, but it still looks
like a fun environment. And so he's kind of mixed that delicate balance that you have to have. I'm all in, man. I think one he's legit as a coach. To Leslie Fraser being there to kind of help you out is an underrated move because Leslie Fraser has been a head coach, he's been a quality defensive coordinator. He just kind of is that. I call it, man, He's the old dude in the barbershop that everybody needs to bounce off of.
Leslie being dead. For Mike McDonald, it'd be a huge advantage for the Seahawks as it gets tight down the stretch and they need to find a way to win those tight games.
I love that you said that because Mike McDonald hold you thirty six? Yeah, I think he took a page out of Sean mcvay's pay. But GM, when Sean evay took over the Rams at age thirty two, who do he hires DC Wade Phillips, right, So he brings in a stage he's been a head coach, who's been a coordinator, who knows a billion people, has seen everything that football's had to offer, and that's what Leslie Fraser brings them. Do I think Seattle can win this division? I absolutely do.
I have been calling their number for months. I think they're completely underrated because defensively they're going to be sounded. Look at boy MafA, he is killing it right now. They got pressure up front. Their secondary not only is good in disciplined, they can run. Rake Willins one of the fastest dbs in the NFL. Devin Weatherspoon is gonna emerge as a defensive Player of the Year candidate, right
But look what they're doing on offense. Okay, we keep on thinking they're a run heavy because of Kenneth Walker and Zach Sharpy. They're hitting the big play in the passing game. Bucky Gino can throw the deep ball, and we saw against the Pages to DK metcalf the Jackson Smith and Jig who both went over one hundred. They have got explosiveness. So now Ben Grubb comes in and they're not they're not. We know, we know, we always knew what the Seattle Seahawks identity was before. Offensively, now
we're not quite sure. They got us guessing mm hm. So I love the forty nine ers, I think the the most talented team. These injuries. I don't like what's happening with some of the injuries that they're having. With McCaffrey and Deebo already down. We've seen this happen before. But I think Seattle is gonna give the forty nine ers all season they can win the division. I still think the forty nine Ers end up winning the division. But both of these teams are gonna be in the postseason.
Yeah, No, it's gonna be It's gonna be an interesting thing. I love the way this division is shaping out. I like how it's going to break down my pick on the Seattle see how solid. I kind of feel those same vibes that I fell back in twenty eleven, twelve thirty. You were calling it back then, Bro, It's kind of funny for it to come back around. See man, I appreciate you jumping on the pip, and it's always fun to kind of reconnect, get your knowledge, your insight. Make
sure we catch Steve on everything on NFL Network. My man is doing it all. Sometimes I see you on the road, sometimes I see you in the building with Yammer talking about games on Sundays and all that other stuff. Look, man, we gotta do this again. We got to bring you on. Let's do it.
But keep on doing your thing. Keep on shining your lights, spreading knowledge, and.
Hit you yeah ags in the building. It should be a lot of fun. Missure you guys. Keep on checking out the movie. Six podcasts. We'll be back next week. Five new freshmans for
H