NFL Power Rankings Are Back

The Rankings Return And The Twist

SPEAKER_02 0:13

It's missing the point, and the power rankings show has returned. Albeit a little different. Avid listeners of this podcast will know that it used to be the real BK Bob Kelly's rankings. Bobby joined the circus, literally. Matt replaced him, so now Matt does the power rankings. They're now Matt Wilcox's power rankings. And all the weight and albatross that come with it. I feel Matt, who is here with me now, um, to do the inaugural episode. Uh we are recording this just for full disclosure during the Patriot Seahawks game. We're gonna be watching that as we record this podcast. But such is the nature of when you decide to start the NFL season on a fucking Wednesday, Roger. Uh I I just will never understand that in a million years, but fine. Um, I mean, I'm not mad that football's here, but I was not emotionally prepared for this, to be honest. Like I wasn't mentally or emotionally prepared for this, Matt. Um, anything you want to say while I just get myself set up here about the uh Wednesday kickoff? I mean, it is your team, the New England Patriots, playing the team that just last beat them in the Super Bowl. So I any thoughts?

SPEAKER_01 1:19

Yeah, so let me start with I had to turn it off during the banner celebration just because I'm not ever going to be emotionally prepared to deal with that. But I'm pretty sick of the NFL trying to squeeze literally every dollar out of the can, every dollar that they can out of their fanhood. You already have my Thursday night, my Monday night, most some Saturdays now, and my Sunday all day, every day for 18 weeks. Do you really need my Wednesday to start the what like what are we doing here? Why are we doing this? Can we have some semblance of tradition in this fucking sport? But you know, I digress. I'm happy that it's back, and I think we're gonna win this game, and that's not, you know. I also think we're winning the Super Bowl, so this is a good start.

SPEAKER_02 2:03

For a second there, uh, you kind of sounded like the guy who does the Tucker Carlson impression on SNL. That is like, that's the rules now. What are we doing? What are we doing? Oh, Sam Darnold is limping off the field.

SPEAKER_01 2:17

That is literally limping off the field as we speak.

SPEAKER_02 2:20

Bose will for your team. That's why we play the game. That is why we play the game. Um, but avid listeners of this will know we are nothing if not in uh full of integrity. And your picks are locked in. No matter what happens here, your picks are locked in. I don't even really think this game, this one. We don't want to overreact to game one. Let me give you a great example of why you wouldn't want to overreact to game one. Last year the Super Bowl attending Patriots lost their week one game against the Oakland Raiders, and everybody freaked the fuck out. Everyone freaked the fuck out. So we're not overreacting to week one. We're gonna lock in these preseason rankings and we're gonna move the top ten accordingly throughout the season as we always do, except it's Matt doing it now.

SPEAKER_01 3:03

Um, not they lose week one, but you attended a game at Gillette Stadium last year where this team lost to the Steelers who sucked in a really, really dramatic fashion. As a matter of fact, I believe they had five turnovers in that game. What was that, week two, week three? So when the fans see these rankings and get mad, which I hope they do, understand things are gonna change. We're gonna move, we're gonna grow together, we're gonna learn about this season together. So I'm excited to get started here.

SPEAKER_02 3:28

I was I was uh happy for the Patriots uh season last season because you were so nice and gave me the your season tickets to take Leah to see the Steelers, and then Leah got to see them win and then not really win again. And so it was like a nice magnanimous payment that you made, like into the ether, you know, where you're like, oh, let them go to the game, whatever. And you were so nice, you took us to tailgating, and then you fucked off. Don't you feel like you paid so much karma into the Patriots season by doing that last year? And then like they went on.

SPEAKER_01 3:53

I do.

SPEAKER_02 3:53

I mean, Leah wouldn't shut up about it. Like, she was like, I was this is all because of of how nice Matt was to us when we went to when we went to Gillette.

SPEAKER_01 4:02

First and foremost, Leah is the number one homie. Shout out, Leah. But I I didn't think about that until just right now. That maybe I helped a lot more than I think.

SPEAKER_02 4:10

Yeah,

How The Tier System Works

SPEAKER_02 4:11

maybe. Um so Matt, you sent me your picks. Um, I locked them in and I've broken them into seven tiers in order to sort of make uh it easier to talk about this because within each tier, there's gonna be teams I don't really want to spend a ton of time on. There's not gonna be a ton of time spent on tier seven. I say that every year. We always spent end up spending the most time on tier seven. Um, I've actually I've I've changed the tier system around a little bit to hopefully maybe avoid that, but it you do end up talking about the dregs a little bit because like what is there to say about the LA Rams? It's like they're scary, like their fucking defensive line is crazy, you know? Like um, but here we are at Tier 7. I I I've decided it doesn't matter to me how you've ranked your first rankings. I'm gonna put point out situations where I think people, other people might think you're bullish on teams that they're not, or bearish on teams that they're not. What I will say is your tier seven, as I've made it, 27 to 32, is a little hard to argue with. I'll start thank you. I'll start just I'll read I'll read through the 32 to 27 here.

Tier 7 Begins With The Bottom

SPEAKER_02 5:19

Dolphins, Browns, Cardinals, Raiders, Titans, Jets. None I I've named all the tiers. If you're curious, I'll tell you the names as we go. Uh, I call this tier the um top seven mock draft for 2027. This these are the seven, these are the seven draft picks that you're gonna see selected in uh next year's uh college draft.

SPEAKER_01 5:41

I feel like people's order will vary, but I mean, show me where the lie is. These are the bottom seven.

SPEAKER_02 5:47

People's order will vary, except for when it comes to the Dolphins being at the very, very bottom. I I mean there's more dead cap space uh in in Miami than those uh that Homer's uh 10-gallon hat that he hides a fucking um he hides a camcorder in from the 90s. Like that is all dead cap space, my friend. That whole fucking that whole place is just dead money.

Dolphins Cap Hell And QB Bets

SPEAKER_02 6:09

Um I was always like sort of in on the Mike McDaniel thing. I always thought like a millennial coach was like a fun uh experiment. Um this is not a season of football for them. This is uh well, I wrote down an organizational demolition uh with football uh with football games scheduled around it, I guess. Um the roster and cap reset, competence is bad for them this year. If they win games, that is a terrible thing for the Miami Dolphins to do. It's one of the worst constructed rosters I've ever seen. And I understand what it took to get them there. And like, you know what ends up happening, Matt? And this is like it's gonna be a consistent theme, I think, throughout this this season and and especially this episode is in the modern day NFL. I'm not saying anything that's a hot take here, but in the modern day NFL, you have to, at a certain point in roster construction, go go all in on your QB. That's just what has to happen at some point, right? Otherwise, you end up in a Minnesota situation where you don't quite know where you're going all in. I think the I think the Steelers, this this happened to them when they were like, we'll gamble on this late-round pick. We always get good late-round picks. You know, we'll we'll see, we'll see if this guy works. And then now we have to get a fucking 900-year-old Aaron Rodgers in here. And it's like, but you gotta go all in with him because he's your guy, right? Tua is the reason why this he shouldn't even be in the league for the record, but like medically, but he's the reason why this Dolphins team is number 32 right now. Uh, they they built a roster to try to make it work with that guy, and I think we all knew it never was gonna. Um, but here we are, Dolphins 32, Browns.

Browns Chaos And Fan Hostility

SPEAKER_02 7:45

I mean, that quarterback situation is also fucking miserable.

SPEAKER_01 7:49

Like, listen, I can't if you and tell me if you remember this where I don't. I don't remember a time when there was a WWE level rivalry between the fans of a city and their starting fucking quarterback before we blame him. They're booing him, and yeah, I get it. He's uh he's a you know a wafist with an R, but they're booing him before week one. How can you, as a quarterback, go out there, 70,000 fans screaming, and complete your job? Every incomplete pass is gonna be met with hatred on every field he plays on. Good luck, son. You deserve it.

SPEAKER_02 8:27

That's really it's really eating into my hot take of Deshaun Watson as actually an MVP candidate this year. No, I'm just kidding. That'd be crazy though. It's an uphill battle for him to put together uh even uh I would say semblance of a good season, even from his perspective, or the standards have slipped considerably. I understand I agree the skepticism, the injury history is a problem. Um, there's looming backup situation, kind of, but like if he had if he still had the job by week seven, I'd be very, very surprised. Again, not saying anything groundbreaking here. Maybe because public expectations are at an all-time low, he could pleasantly surprise people. Is that is that something were silver line?

SPEAKER_01 9:08

The ceiling is the floor, so perfect.

SPEAKER_02 9:11

You're right. I mean, it's like there's it can't get any worse. They can't get any worse in Cleveland. Um, okay, it could be the title of many, uh many a young Cleveland man's autobiography, I would imagine.

Cardinals Identity Crisis And Young Talent

SPEAKER_02 9:21

Um The Cardinals. How do you do roster? What what is what is the what is the Cardinals ever? Like the conversation around them was centered around Kyler Murray, and I'm now understanding that that conversation is left town with him. We're still talking about Kyler Murray because there is still I I just think with QB prospects, like you go until you're a hundred thousand percent sure that they're not anything, right? I I I understand it. Uh, you know, fucking Kirk Cousins is still getting contracts in the year of our Lord 2026.

SPEAKER_01 9:50

We're gonna talk to about him. Don't worry about that.

SPEAKER_02 9:52

Yeah, there's there's not that many good QBs in the NFL. Um I think that that I think that that's actually becoming less true. Uh, we're I think we're entering in a new era of quarterback player, at least I fucking hope so. But there's a few years there for our benefit exactly. I mean, I especially since we come from what I would call the the golden age of quarterbacks, right? Like uh it felt like we had we were gonna have great QBs falling off of trees for for decades, and really that's just hasn't been the case. I mean, Mahomes, one of the sticks I choose to beat him with is that the hardest guy he ever faced is the guy he's apparently in the go conversation with and he lost, and the dude is old as fuck. So it's sort of every time, you know, it's like that's the still the hardest guy you ever played against. That's the hardest 1v1 QB battle you ever had. And he, if you look at what he came up against, that's not. I mean, I was just watching uh Eli Manning the other day. This is a total digression, but I was just watching Eli Manning the other day talk about uh Peyton coming back and setting the uh touchdown record. He was like, I took him outside, we were like on the ranch or whatever the fuck the Mannings are up to. And it was like they're like living inside an episode of Landman, I'm sure. But like they were like, We're on the ranch, and like or I think they're from New Orleans, actually. They were like, We're back home in New Orleans, but uh he he that's just their vibe. The um he talks about taking them outside and he's like, Let's throw the ball a little bit. And he was saw Peyton Manning throw, and he was like, You can't, you can't possibly play football, like you suck. Like that next surgery, it's like there's no fucking way. And then to watch him go set the touchdown record, it's like there's no guys like that, right? Like coming up to challenge Mahomes right now, and then Mahomes is also dropping off a little bit, you know. So it's sort of like, I don't know, we'll see. Um, there's a bunch of maybes. Uh there's there's Drake maybe to to uh to Caleb maybe, you know, to to Bo maybe. Jaden maybe. Yeah, uh, he's still in the conversation. I mean, they they seem to want to uh put him in a fucking meat grinder and just not put an offensive line.

SPEAKER_01 11:51

Michael maybe junior? I don't know.

SPEAKER_02 11:53

Uh yeah, but I don't know about that, Matt. I know I know you picked him in that game that hasn't been released yet, but I don't even know if he's getting a starting job. Let me tell you something.

SPEAKER_01 12:01

Let me tell you something about this podcast. I am so happy to be here, and I was begging to be here for a decade before I was allowed to be here. Um, Mike has a vendetta against Michael Panks Jr. So I'm gonna rank him high every chance I get.

SPEAKER_02 12:15

I do think you're bear uh you're bullish on the Falcons on this list. I I think they could have been in this bottom seven. Um but you know I think that's I mean, you think who's their QB?

SPEAKER_01 12:26

No, but again, like I told you what my what my game plan was. This is all about attacking Mike. Mike has a vendetta. I'm gonna disagree. It's a 50-50 shot. Fine. Um I just want to hit on this before we move on to the next team. Yeah, the Cardinals feels like there used to be a show on Food Network where one chef would come out and start cooking something, and then another chef would come in, have to look what was on the table and start cooking, and not know what the other person was thinking. The Cardinals are a mismatch of so many horrible decision makers that there's a lot of talent there, and none of it makes any sense. Yeah, they're young too. And they're very young, they're very young. It's just it doesn't seem like there's gonna be a cohesive moment in that offense. And yeah, I think they're horrible.

SPEAKER_02 13:08

Yeah, they're really bad. Um, I some people have them last, uh, just because there's the rosters, it's it's young and there's potential, but I agree it's totally badly put together. I think like I it's too bad we're not gonna hear anything about Marvin Harrison Jr. or Trey McBride, like outside of people having them maybe on their fantasy teams and them being the only producers, right? Like, like are we ever gonna hear about them? I well, I want to see Jeremiah Love. I I think he's gonna be good. I I think he's gonna be good, but their quarterback room is so bad, they have no defense, they have no pass rush. It's like even if you can see the Cardinals put some semblance of an offense together, their defense is just gonna completely destroy that, right? And I just I I it's bad.

SPEAKER_01 13:53

I it reminds me you need a quarterback to win, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 13:56

You do. I mean, it was like the last year of Matt Nagy, you know, like even if Caleb could maybe kind of put something together. Ironically, like that rookie year for Caleb Williams, and I know we'll talk about the words, but that rookie year for Caleb Williams was like what got me believing in him because I was like, this is a diabolically bad situation. Like, I really thought it was gonna be a better situation going into that year.

SPEAKER_01 14:14

Hey man, I it made me believe in them too. I've adopted that team because it's just our relationship works better if we're not at each other's throat the whole NFL season. I love them.

SPEAKER_02 14:24

Where's my NFC team? It got easier for me when I left New England, to be honest. To appreciate the Patriots because I'm not surrounded by you fucking Jamokes.

SPEAKER_01 14:32

So you've got to see what losers look like from the outside.

SPEAKER_02 14:35

Like I'll maybe that's actually honestly the most it's so insightful that you said that because when I started to hear other people talk about the Patriots in social circles, like outside, because I was just completely surrounded by Patriots fans, right? Like just completely and utterly surrounded by them. So I was always just like, I shut the fuck up. And to take that and like to just sit and live amongst you for my whole like formational existence, right? In the especially like it was a couple years after I became a Bears fan in Chicago when I came to New England. And I'm I I came out here and I started listening to football fans and how they talk about the Patriots. And I was like, you guys are losers. Like that's the problem. I like I might not have been a part of the winning culture, but I was at least adjacent to it. So I know I was a witness to it. And it also it fed so and what I didn't realize this until years later, it fed so much of what I think about when I think about my teams and what I want them to do to win. You know, I it's like standard, yeah, there's a standard there. It's just like, I don't, you know, stop, stop blaming the refs. You know, next man up, uh, do your job. Like these philosophies that like uh Bill Belichick would espouse, like I was like, this is yeah, this that all sounds pretty reasonable to me. Like I as I love it if my teams would do it.

SPEAKER_01 15:50

As American philosopher and uh mixed gender boxer Chris Brown once said, you're hating from outside of the club and you can't even get in. It's sad to watch.

SPEAKER_02 16:01

Um okay.

Raiders Direction And Bridge QB Reality

SPEAKER_02 16:03

Uh I what do you think of Clint Kubiak overall? Because I I think he might be able to move the Raiders. He might be able to move the needle on the Raiders here uh a little bit. I I think there's something to it. There's a discipline to his to his coaching style. There's a go-for-the-brand type culture. And Kirk Cousins I've never liked, but I hated him a lot more when he was like flirting with the conversation of being one of the best quarterbacks in the league, what I know he wasn't. And the reason he was flirting with that conversation is obvious. I mean, he was a great regular season quarterback, but we all knew what he looked like when the lights came on, you know. I mean, that's just the way it is. But they it's pretty smart what they did with the Mendoza Kirk Cousins situation, right? Like I've really enjoyed what Case Keenum has brought to Caleb Williams' game, you know, getting a veteran QB in there and plus, by the way, Aiden O'Connell, like another pretty capable build a quarterback room, you know. Like, I don't I the idea of just like a guy who can come in and play is kind of out the window. If your quarterback goes down, you're fucked one way or the other. So you might as well get development guys out there. And like, yeah, to a certain extent, I still think like Kirk Cousins can do what the Raiders need him to do this year, which is essentially nothing. I think Ashton Genty's gonna come through for fantasy owners this year. I think drafting him as a rookie was tough, but I think he's really good. And there's this whole thing on the defense with with Max Crosby, and I'm not entirely sure what's going on there. So they're not gonna be great. I understand why they're in the bottom seven, but I, you know, I think they have of all the teams we've talked about, the Cardinals maybe, but at least they I can see their path, I can see their future. And Tom Brady's like one of their owners, so I I can see that too. I mean, Mendoza is a character, I really hope he's good. I I have no idea.

SPEAKER_01 17:51

And like I have a I've always had a soft spot for Indiana because I mean to live in such a shitty place and have such passion for your teams is always like inspiring to me. But here's my problem we I think we have this weird thing with Kirk Cousins where we kind of like you ever talk to somebody and they're like, Oh, yeah, no, I went to Rome. It kind of sucked, and they're like, Oh, when did you go? They're like 30 years ago. Kirk Cousins was a great regular season quarterback three seasons ago, and then two seasons ago, he was average, and then last season he was horrible and he got replaced very fast.

SPEAKER_02 18:18

He was, yeah, different, but I mean, most of the that setup is him in uh in a pretty competent Minnesota Vikings offense, like not a Super Bowl winning offense by any means, but like a pretty he was in a pretty competent, well-run organization for the most part.

SPEAKER_01 18:32

That's true. Here's my problem. I think when we say the word bridge quarterback, there has to be an end game here. There has to, where's the bridge going? And the bridge with with Kirk Cousins is going nowhere. So Mendoza better get ready quick. He better get comfortable on the sideline quick because when it goes bad, when Ashton Gente can't carry the ball 30 times a game and competently do something positive, he better be ready to go.

SPEAKER_02 18:52

It might work out for him though. Look at look at Drake's entrance. You know, like look look at how he because like I always get mad actually on your behalf because when you start obviously those four QBs are always getting compared to one another, and but when you see their stats, like people think, oh, Caleb has more yards than Drake. And I'm like, Caleb started week one, year one. Like it's that's not really fair. That's gonna stop to stop mattering like over the course of the next few years, but like uh at the end of year two, I think it's a little unfair to like start comparing like total yardage, right? And it's like just don't compare, like just just wait, you know, like just wait and see how their careers pan out.

SPEAKER_01 19:23

It's always been like the MLB where you have to have so many at baths before we start talking about your stat numbers with like with distances.

SPEAKER_02 19:28

Come on, yeah, 100%, like a minimum 20 appearances in the Premier League to actually like win, you know what I mean? Like that kind of a thing. I think that I think that the Raiders, I can at least see their path forward, is the only thing I'll say about them. And I am at least, unlike the Dolphins, the Cardinals, and the Browns, semi-interested in them. Like they might be involved in some games that like I'm interested in watching. They might win a couple games against, they might take a couple games again off teams that like you know, they have pieces.

SPEAKER_01 19:55

Um they made front office improvements. If you're gonna start fixing your franchise, that has to happen at some point, and why not make it first?

Titans Go All In On Cam Ward

SPEAKER_02 20:03

Speaking of guys that uh control the quarterback position, I think Cam Ward is the guy I have a soft spot for, a guy I thought was gonna be a little bit better. Um uh the Titans, a team I've had a soft spot for for many years because I love Deddy George so much, uh, as uh long time listeners of this podcast will know. Well, there's the same development season uh would be like me at my most complimentary for this for this Titans team. Um obviously we're we're I I hope you have a blueprint, but it's a map to get the fuck out of the well. You know, you dig up, guys. It's it's not great. You're but essentially it brings me back to my original point. I I'm not saying Cam Ward's to a I don't know. I think the jury's still out on him. What I will say is they have to go all in on him now and hope for the best. So in order to do that, I think your best bet is to put the right development around him. Yeah, maybe he takes a huge jump this year. Like I'm not saying that's impossible, but if you put the right guys around him and hopefully protect him a little bit, let's see, right? I mean, Cam Ward's the interesting case here.

SPEAKER_01 21:06

It really is. And you know what? He didn't have an opportunity to even stand in the pocket last year with how bad that offensive line was. And yeah, did they improve their offensive line? A little bit, but not really. But you bring in Robert Sala, who we know is a defensive coordinator at heart, not a head coach, and they really worked on their defense. So great, at least they're starting somewhere. Unlike the Dolphins, unlike the Cardinals, who are sitting resting on like, I don't know what they're doing. Really, I it's crazy. That's why I feel like the Titans deserve a little bit more respect than these other bottom tier teams, with the Raiders as well.

Jets Talent Without A Functional Offense

SPEAKER_01 21:36

The next one hurts.

SPEAKER_02 21:38

Yeah, I mean, I never really minded Robert Salah as a figure, if that makes sense. Like I think he built a like there was a brief moment for him as the Jets head coach where I that Jets defense looked really, really scary. Like it was like a flash. They beat the they beat the Chiefs at one point, and and when the Chiefs were still like kind of hard to beat, like two seasons ago. I was like, hmm, hmm. They're they're getting to the ball really fast. Like they're, you know, they're disciplined. Like they're they know their they know their roles here. Um, bringing in Brian Dable, obviously massive, you know, confirmed douche, uh, but good offensive coordinator. Like, I am such a proponent of getting the coordinators that have failed as head coaches because they got the head coaching job in the first place because they're proven good coordinators. Like, I'm fine with it. Dennis Allen's our defensive coordinator. I'm good with it. Like, I'm so good with it.

SPEAKER_01 22:27

What did Brian Purse say? What did uh what did Parcel say? Brian Purse, Jesus Christ. What did Bill Parcel say? You are what you are. Some play some coaches are just better at one side of the ball. Mike McDaniels is an amazing offensive coordinator, not a great head coach. Robert Soller is an amazing defensive coordinator, not a great head coach.

SPEAKER_02 22:44

Yeah, fair enough. The New York Jets had zero interceptions last season. I think at the very least they will improve upon last year, uh, at least with takeaways. I mean, I can't really speak for much else. I get it uh why they're ahead of these other teams. I think it's another situation where you can make a case. They could they could fall. Um, there's teams ahead of them that I don't think that they can realistically pill for, but I think they could fall from here. Uh, you've once again entered the patented trademark New York Jets experience until they prove they can have a functional offense.

SPEAKER_01 23:17

Um I'll I'll give them this. They have they they have a roster this year, they actually do have some talent on their roster. I don't think they're gonna do anything with it because I don't think they know how to, but they have veteran talent on their team. So I'll give them at least the benefit of the doubt that they'll rise above Cam Ward, who could barely get the ball snapped to them without getting tackled. I'll give them that.

SPEAKER_02 23:37

Yeah, yeah. I don't know if Aaron Glenn's the guy. And I think when, yeah, I think when Geno Smith is your QB, you're in trouble. And I think I it's a it's a little bit more dysfunctional of a situation than we've talked about for the last two guys. I understand why you went with the pieces, but like uh as far as if we were doing it on not power rankings, like you know, records and and performance, if it was really just like franchise health, I think we might have like a little bit of a change here. Um I think it's cool they got the number two overall pick. I think they drafted well with David Bailey. Uh, I think a new look defense is is good for them. I do think that you know Minka Fitzpatrick is good, Demario Davis is good. Like these, you know, they have guys that can play. They breeze good, you know. But Brees Hall, you're looking at and you're like, I'll take Brees Hall. Like, can we can the Bears just go get him so he's not like languishing and fucking editing for the Jets and like he actually gets to do something? Like, does doesn't that seem more fair? Like, I I don't know. It just feels like feels like Brees Hall's wasted on the Jets. I think he knows it too. Um but yeah, I mean, I guess we'll see. I guess we'll see what happens with them. But I I don't think we'll be talking about them when it comes to the top 10.

SPEAKER_01 24:45

God knows.

SPEAKER_02 24:47

All right, tier

Tier 6: Someone Has To Win

SPEAKER_02 24:48

six. Uh I gave a title to. I called it technically someone has to win seven games. Um I'll I'll read from 26 to 22. Uh 26 the commanders, 25 the Falcons, 24 the Saints, 23 the Panthers, 22 the Giants. Um these are more fun teams to talk about than the last teams. I agree. The broader outlook for the Commanders at 26, they've got enough talent where now we're finally in a tier where I could actually see these guys making a little jump. Like they could, they could potentially make a little run. I think that they they're they hit such a bad regression from their week one or year one peak with with Jane Daniels. I I think that there's some hope that that might have been all it was, and they could bounce back. Um what I will say is like the week after that Hail Mary got caught when they were playing Chicago, I would not have thought that the Bears would be where they are this week compared to where the Commanders are this week on the on the Power Rankings preview show. So, you know, uh it it came from a it came I came from a low place to to get here to talk with you today. Um, so there's something about the commanders that I don't mind seeing them languish a little lower in the power rankings because of how that day went, but that's not their fault.

SPEAKER_01 26:06

Um the reason I put them so low, and you're right, this is a far more interesting group. Oh sorry, pass interference uh at the one-yard line, and Brown's already making the impact. Sorry about that. Breaking news. Um here's the thing about the commanders. When you suffer a young quarterback's injury like they did, the foundation of your house starts to crack. And they have to prove it to me before they move up in the lineup. This is their O-line is horrible. Horrible damage. Now, an injured quarterback, he didn't get time on the field last year. Um Laramie Hunzel

Commanders Rebuild And O-Line Fear

SPEAKER_01 26:40

gone. Good luck to you, pal. Prove it to me.

SPEAKER_02 26:44

I'll say this for them, just to kind of get into brass tacks a little bit more for the teams that don't too terribly suck. They have 16 new week one starters. They're a completely different team. There's a it all of last season was completely injury plagued. I think Dan Quinn is a good coach. I I think to sit, I don't think anyone could have done anything with the amount of injuries and stuff that they got. We'll see. Um was it Stefan Diggs?

SPEAKER_00 27:09

Did Dan Quinn have a bad Super Bowl loss? From about 28 to 3.

SPEAKER_02 27:15

You have to be a good coach to get to the Super Bowl. Um, A. B, you do. You do. At least that year, you know. Uh uh the year you get there, you have to be a decent coach. Um, I do agree that their absolute number one problem is that is the offensive line. Um they're moving center to guard and guard to left tackle. And uh I'm pretty sure Nick Allegretti is starting at center, and the there's like a nine-year-old starting at tackle at blind side left tackle. So we'll see. Um, Brandon Coleman is his name. I think he's uh turning 10 next week. I I don't know. It's tough. It's tough to put a rookie on the blind side.

SPEAKER_01 27:52

Hold on, I got a lollipop somewhere. I'll get him one. Hold on.

SPEAKER_02 27:55

And I think I think the interesting thing, honestly, is that like we all sort of said, JD, you know, I we all sort of said he looked frail, you know. Like I I just feel like he looked real skinny coming into the league. You might want to get him some protection. You know, you might want to get him some protection. He doesn't look that durable. You know, that's all that's all I was saying. Um he looks good though. And I think that he can go out and beat other teams. I think that that they can go out and beat other teams. If it were me, this would be my first big disagreement of your rankings. I probably would have them ahead of every other team on in this tier, to be honest.

SPEAKER_01 28:33

And I think that's fair. I think that's a fair assessment, and I want them to prove it. You're you say it yourself, this is a brand new team. So what are we looking at here? We don't know what we're looking at here. All I know is Learn becomes got replaced by uh by a little squirt who's out here trying for the first time. Good luck. Hope the knees hold up.

SPEAKER_02 28:50

Um the Falcons.

Falcons Volatility And QB Drama

SPEAKER_02 28:52

They might hang around the NFC South. The NFC South is weird as fuck. It's been weird as fuck for like a few years. Uh there's also a good chance we're talking about who their next head coach is going to be come January. So I, you know, I don't know. Um it's a good look at first coach fired, potentially, but I don't know. There's like maybe their offense clicks, uh, something happens. I don't know.

SPEAKER_01 29:13

A lot of talent on that offense, a lot of talented, more talented than than I think their their recent seasons would suggest. There is a lot of skill on that field.

SPEAKER_02 29:23

Not a quarterback drama, though.

SPEAKER_01 29:25

Like, which is just like not, you don't want that. Can I just say something? And just in in defense of Michael Panics against our our horrible friend Mike. Um give the kid a shot. Right? There's no saying he's no we would love to.

SPEAKER_02 29:38

He's inactive. He can't, he's hit, he's hurt 100% of the time.

SPEAKER_01 29:43

Availability is is is your you know, it's a standard, right? So we'll let that go. But I just think that this team has a lot of talent and that they I think they also could surprise us this year.

SPEAKER_02 29:53

Well, what we just got done talking about Tua, though. You know, like I I think you've be the Tua's been given better weapons at a much healthier phase in his life than Bijan and Kyle Pitts. Like, I I feel like uh when when you have fucking uh the fastest man alive in in Tyreek on your team, like and you can't get you can't get it done. Like it's to me, it's like a their division, they're gonna get spanked by the fucking uh by by the Bucks for sure, right? Like I think that the Bucs look really good. Uh when we come on to talk about them, I I I it's gonna be injury heavy, heavily dependent, but like it's just tough for me. Like, I don't I I don't see I don't I I don't see the Atlanta Falcons ever recovering from that Super Bowl. I think it's the problem. I just don't know if you ever recover. It's like the Bills, right? It's like the the like what the going on that historic losing streak in in Super Bowls. Now they like their rosters so talented and they're at the top end of this list, but like uh are they always gonna be also Rans because of that? It's just weird. I feel like they don't have a defensive identity to be either, to be honest. Um, maybe they can develop one. Um, and Jalen Walker got card off in training in camp and his season's over, so it's just like, oh god, it never rains, but it pours, guys. Like, trust me. Um, additionally, the Steelers are always good at the start of the season and they meet the Steelers week one, and I just think it's it might be it might go from bad to worse for them. Um Saints are kind of interesting.

Saints As The Annoying Seven-Win Team

SPEAKER_01 31:16

I agree with you. I I think everyone this section of this list is actually kind of interesting. Yeah, I think the Saints are on a breaking point. I think that they you can see um a lot of talent on their offense make a push. I think their defense is completely solid. I think they've made a lot of steps forward, but I do think they're still in a rebuild.

SPEAKER_02 31:35

But they could be the most annoying seven-win team that anyone plays all year.

SPEAKER_01 31:38

Oh, big time, man. Tyler Show could he can come out and really upset us all, just really win games he shouldn't, and cost us and fans everywhere.

SPEAKER_02 31:47

Part a Josh Allen qualities, exactly, exactly. He got voted team captain, seems like they're behind him.

SPEAKER_01 31:54

Imagine that, imagine that step up.

SPEAKER_02 31:57

Yeah, uh Spencer Rattler behind him. Like maybe they can run some weird fucking plays with him at tight end or something. I don't know.

SPEAKER_01 32:05

Keenan Mahomes, I love him.

SPEAKER_02 32:07

Yeah, I think I think there's a lot of Saints players on fantasy teams. Like, I think everybody's got Alvin Kamara. I think uh most people have Travis Etienne Jr. I think Chris Olave is on a lot of teams, unless you've been burned by him in the past.

SPEAKER_00 32:20

Um watch the team.

SPEAKER_02 32:23

Yeah, I mean that's the thing. Oh, he gets injured every season, so it's tough. Um, Trey Lance's brother, I'm pretty sure, is on the team. He could be a breakout star. Yeah, no, I'm serious. Uh they got Cameron Jordan. 16 year 16-year Cameron Jordan. Um, Chase Young is apparently healthy for the first time in years, and he's playing with confidence, but we'll see. Um, they got a guy in their team named Cool Aid. That's fucking cool. Um, like aid, you know, I think that's dope. Um, I don't know. I kind of kind of have a good time watching the Saints this year, if you ask me.

SPEAKER_01 32:55

Honestly, I think having a second off uh defensive coordinator like Cam Jordan on the field is is super valuable. Especially with such a young team.

SPEAKER_02 33:02

I always I often say this when we do the full rankings, and and I'll do this as we do the top 10 all year. Who's who's in the power rankings of Glad they're on TV? And I think the Saints at 24 on your power rankings, I think they'd be a lot higher than 24 on on the glad glad they're on TV rankings. And I'll do a couple of those when we get to the better teams that I'm like, ugh, come on, you know, Jesus. So I don't know, kind of interesting. I might have had them a little higher. Um

Giants And Panthers Hope Versus Vibes

SPEAKER_02 33:28

I I I can never believe in the Panthers or the Giants. Uh, there's just something about it these days. What I will say is the Giants inheriting a harbaugh. What's what's a win? What's a win for John Harbaugh look like? What what does a winning season look like? I to me it looks like Jackson Dart played this the whole season and he's healthy. I like I don't think they're 100% ready for like any kind of meaningful push, but they need to develop an identity. Harbaugh's gonna be given time to do that. That'll be interesting to watch through the through the lens of the head coach, the young quarterback. Are they gonna be anything? We don't know. Again, we're still in like a lot of question marks territory with these teams. The tier seven teams were all fucking question marks, but like we're we're now in a place where we can say, okay, well, Harbaugh, Jackson Dart, that's something, you know. The Panthers, same deal. Talk to me about the Panthers. Why would you put them above the Saints just out of curiosity? What are they offering you?

SPEAKER_01 34:26

So, okay. I think that from last year's divisional title, that they have some sort of a momentum going here. And yeah, I agree with you. They've got a lot of injuries before one starting out, the roster doesn't look great. I just think it's a well-put-together little project they have going on there. And I think it proved it last year at the end of the season when they kind of got it moving here. Um, I I was unaware when I did these rankings though, that uh Taylor Martin has a has a blood cot in his lung. So that's not ideal.

SPEAKER_02 34:54

If if I could go back and a quam a quam room is is a quamu's on the PP list of Telitaire, so that's that's bad.

SPEAKER_01 35:01

Um I just I I when I when I picked them, I was not fully informed of their injury list, which is why I'm glad this is week one. We're gonna all learn together, we're gonna grow together. Um but yeah, to answer your first question, which I have a far more confident position on, a win. Uh I think if John Harborough breaks seven wins, he probably wins coach of the year. So not a high bar to reach. I do. I think that the I think that he's a known commodity for the NFL, and I think they know what they're doing. And I think any forward progress from that shithole team is is going to show it's gonna pay itself off in dividends. Um, and I think he can do it. I think that he's capable of doing that with them. Um it's just I don't know if I believe Dart. Dart gets hit kind of like he's fun.

SPEAKER_02 35:46

No, he's fun. So that was Dable. That was Dable trying to get him killed like he'd slept with his wife. Like those some of those schemes who were like, brother, he is in no man's land. You sent him over the top. What are you doing?

SPEAKER_01 35:56

Have you ever seen like like uh like like young kids fall down, like they don't know what's coming? Jackson Dart bounces his head off the ground like Tuatongailoa week one, like it's crazy. Like every time he gets touched, he's in the tent. So that's gonna be a huge piece for them. Also, what Scatterboot does because that key was electric when he was healthy. Um, a lot of unanswered from the Giants. That's why I put them ahead of the Panthers. Why I put the Panthers so high? I like them vibes. I like the jerseys, it's a fun color.

SPEAKER_02 36:24

Vibes. Um, as far as Coach Singer goes, I forget who he picked in the prediction show, but uh I think they picked John Harbour. Well, I think he's the betting favorite, so that's good. Um, yeah. I think now that I've thought more about it, D'Amico Ryan's would be a cool dark horse pick. I feel like that that Texans team turning around might be like them being back, which we'll discuss shortly, um, would be cool. Um, yeah, all right. Not true playoff expectations from this tier. Uh there's enough here that seven, eight, nine wins maybe might not feel supernatural, case by case. Um, all of these teams could fuck up a really good team Sunday. And I think that's why I put them in this tier. Yep, I agree with you. Tier five.

Tier 5 Starts With Colts Pressure

SPEAKER_02 37:04

Tier five. I called it in the hunt until the graphics guy gets burned out. Colts, Steelers, Lions, Vikings, Chargers, Bucks. I give the Bucks a little low. I'm gonna be honest with you. That's fine. We'll start with the Colts.

SPEAKER_01 37:23

We'll start with the Colts.

SPEAKER_02 37:26

Competitive enough that you won't outright dismiss them, but flawed enough that nobody uh thinks they're buying tickets for them in January. Um, talk to me about your expectations of a Colts season and put it in the broader context of where their franchise is because they're in a real I think it's really similar. Like that they're i i I wouldn't call it a make or break season, but I gotta figure out where these guys are going.

SPEAKER_01 37:48

So I wouldn't figure it a make or break season. Here's why I put them where I did, not higher than I thought, because I think they have a lot of roster talent. Um, I don't think it really I it hasn't yet been shown to blend. When your front office comes out and tells the news media that this is a this is a a quote unquote playoffs or bus season, you're asking for trouble. Um, I nobody thinks that about this team. This team is clearly fighting for a spot, fighting for a wild card spot at the on their best day. Um, and I don't like that confidence when you don't dump everything you have into your roster. So, because of that, I'm gonna go off vibes and say that they're gonna be on the bottom half of this list and miss the playoffs.

SPEAKER_02 38:28

Yeah, I wouldn't be surprised. I mean, they won eight games last year. I think having DJ is your starting QB with fucking Anthony Richardson backing him up. Like Anthony Richardson quit on a drive, guys. Like, he shouldn't even be in Indianapolis anymore. Like, that's nuts. Like, you got to drive him to the airport when that happens because he was tired. Like, come on, that's crazy. So um, yeah, he's never gonna be able to win a team. He's never gonna be able to win a team over. It's never gonna happen. Everyone's gonna always remember that. Not not in fucking Indianapolis anyway.

SPEAKER_01 38:53

Listen, you have to have a Lions heart to be a quarterback, and he that kid that has a kidding's heart. It's fine. You you are what you are.

SPEAKER_02 38:59

But I do think that it is. I do think I think it is a playoff for bus season. It is for fucking chance Dyken, that's for sure. Like he gets fired if he doesn't make the playoffs this year. And it's like if you weren't talking about prove it seasons, like then that's where they are. Um, I will watch them with interest for the first four to five weeks. If if they don't do anything in that time, then I'm gonna lose interest. And I feel like, yeah, prove it. Uh, it's I feel the same way about them as as as you felt about other teams in this in this list. Yep. Um, the

Steelers Defense Trapped By Offense

SPEAKER_02 39:30

Steelers, or otherwise known as the NFL's eternal cockroach. Uh, you just they just won't fucking die. Uh I, you know, my wife, obviously a uh an avid, notorious Steelers fan, um gives me a soft spot. My heart.

SPEAKER_01 39:45

Fucking towels.

SPEAKER_02 39:46

Gives me a soft spot for the for the uh for the franchise as a whole. I'd like to see her happy. And on that note, like, here's the thing. Miles Garrett's going to be defensive player of the year this year, precisely for the same reason why the Steelers haven't been able to put together a playoff run. When he was able to put up the sack numbers that he was able to put up on the Cleveland Browns, he was able to do that always behind when the other team was running the ball more than they were passing the ball because he was playing for the Cleveland Browns. So to be able to put those sack numbers up when teams are always ahead of you means he's about to go fucking crazy, right? Because the other team's gonna have to be throwing on them a lot. So this is gonna be one of the best defensive seasons barring injury that anyone's ever seen watched. This is just this is just a fact. The same thing is true of the Pittsburgh Steelers. You can't have the NFL's best collective pass rush be as effective when you can't put fucking points on the board. So when you drag your your opponents into these games that to me look like Steelers games, like they look like no other games but Steelers games when it's five to three in the third quarter, right? And you're and you're just watching Aaron Rodgers just you know make up a life and and hold his hip, and it's just like I it's painful. They have to bullet the franchise, and I know that it's not it, it's not the Steelers' way. They've been able to maintain good to great this whole time. You got the most expensive defense in the whole NFL, and you're sitting on Matt's power rankings at 20, you know, and I just I can't, you can't possibly justify that. I uh I know Tomlin's gone. Um, I think that was a good first step because I think staying in the middle of the road is gonna get you squashed forever. Um I think Mike Tomlin's a really good head coach, but I think that culture can sort of erode over time. I mean, if it can happen to Bill Belichick, it can happen to anybody. I think I I mean you if you don't think Mike Tom's a good head coach, that's fine. I I I personally do. I think if you never had a losing record, I think that speaks for itself. But fine. I I think that there's things he could have done better. I think that he was limited in some ways on the offensive side of the ball as like an offensive mind. I would have really liked to see like a really if he had had a really great coordinator come up over the last few years, like that might have been nice, but like who knows? Um he's gone, doesn't matter. Uh now now the the old Super Bowl winning Packers combination um is is their is their quarterback and coach, and I just couldn't hate that more. But here we are. Um, I do think it's time to give him the bullet. I I think that it'd be tough to see them with a winning record this year, but yeah, I guess you never know. Putting at 20 makes sense because like they could still do that thing the Steelers always do, and they might start hot, so I get it, but I don't know what what's your view of them as a coach?

SPEAKER_01 42:32

Here's my whole view of the Steelers. This defense is is amazing. I mean, it's it's top problem. Look at the roster, it's gonna be a great defense. My problem is that you have a moron behind the the center, and we're not looking at a Steelers football team in the traditional sense. They have been with Mike Talman for a long time, and Mike Thoman, you can say he's a good coach, but equally you can say he's not a good coach because not having a win. Not equally, not equally. I think equal I think the whole thing about being Mr. Evan Steven is that you can equally set up. It wasn't Mr.

SPEAKER_02 43:01

Evan Steven, you're acting like he was going, he was winning nine games every season. That's not the case.

SPEAKER_01 43:06

Almost the case.

SPEAKER_02 43:07

No, he won a shitload of fucking games in Pittsburgh.

SPEAKER_01 43:10

He also lost a shitload of games because he won as much as he lost. No, that's not true. Let's just look it up. He's like 500 career.

SPEAKER_02 43:17

No, no, no, no.

SPEAKER_01 43:18

Go ahead, pull it up. Watch this.

SPEAKER_02 43:22

You're just this is recent this is this is recency bias.

SPEAKER_01 43:25

Go ahead, look, look at the stats. What's his career stat with the Steelers as head coach?

SPEAKER_02 43:30

Uh the internet is thinking for me. Just give it a second. Soon it will do all my thinking. Soon it will do my breathing and my shitting. Yeah, it's not even close. 193 wins, 114 losses.

SPEAKER_01 43:44

Okay, that's not even close. Um, yeah, he sucks and he's a loser. And I thank him. I thank him so much for his support of the Patriots over the years. It's almost like he tried to get us to our Super Bowls. Um, and I I hate him and I hate his face. Although he did great in the commentary today. Really excited to see his brain in commentary world. Um it's not a classic Steelers team in the sense that you don't have a defense-driven coach leading the field here. What are we gonna see here when you have this quarterback who is a complete and utter asshole um running wild on a new coach? I it's it's very interesting.

SPEAKER_02 44:19

It's a so you think Mike McCarthy's a good coach, but you don't think Mike Tomman's a good coach?

SPEAKER_01 44:23

I think Mike McCarthy and Mike Tomman are two feathers of the same idiot.

SPEAKER_02 44:29

As we know, idiots always grow feathers. They're hand in hand, they're synonymous. Um, all right, fine. Um I it's it's bananas that you have

Lions Doubts And NFC North Fight

SPEAKER_02 44:42

Detroit this low. I think they're gonna win the NFC North.

SPEAKER_01 44:43

Let me explain. Can I defend myself? Can I please defend myself? Dude, they're secondary, they're down two starters and they lost players. Like their whole thing was we we get our offense back on the field, we allow our running backs to do this work. We have a system from a quarterback, from a coach that was elite at this process, and now they don't have any of that. So um, good luck to their running game. I don't know how they're gonna do if they if they're getting marched on all season, and they have a really easy schedule. And I love it when people have really easy schedules because sometimes that kind of flips where you get dog fights where you don't expect them, and you get a lot of hard-hitting players that aren't looking for end-of-season goals here. I just I prove it, fucking prove it.

SPEAKER_02 45:23

Nah, I don't know. I mean, I feel like they've been good for a number of years. I feel like Campbell's good. He may he may be uh questionably decision makes down the stretch, but I mean, I think we're talking about a divisional-round team at the minimum here, uh, and you have 19. I I that's crazy.

SPEAKER_01 45:38

Let me ask you this. So you have the Lions over the Packers, obviously.

SPEAKER_02 45:41

Uh, I think they're gonna win the NFC North, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 45:44

You think the Lions are gonna win the NFC North?

SPEAKER_02 45:46

Yeah, so do you. That's the prediction we made on the prediction show.

SPEAKER_01 45:49

Yeah, we did, but I you you introduced me. I didn't mean it.

SPEAKER_02 45:53

I really do. Officially, you agree with me. I agree, I agree. I fit on on the official channel. You agree with me.

SPEAKER_01 45:58

If you look at these rankings, I think the Bears are are are gonna be right there with the Packers fighting for a dog spot. The Packers? Nah, I don't think they're gonna be involved. Come on, then you and Jason, you gotta get over this whole love-hate thing. Love hate, that was pretty good.

SPEAKER_02 46:12

You hate love. Oh oh no, I don't hate him. I love him. I love him. I'm so glad he's him. Are you kidding me? Are you kidding me? I I am so happy that love is love. I have to watch Brett Favre and then Aaron Rodgers. You think I'm upset that Jordan Love is their fucking quarterback? I'm delighted. You know why? I've seen him play football. I've I've watched him play football, and I've watched those other two guys play football, and I am fucking thrilled that a somewhat above average quarterback is the quarterback for the Green Bay Packers. That's much better for me. Uh I I I wholeheartedly endorse uh love being the quarterback of the Green Bay Packers. What I will say is I I think the Lions are still a decent team. I I don't I'm to good. I think they're good. Um, I think 13 wins for them is like not completely implausible.

SPEAKER_01 47:00

Um I don't think it's implausible either. Let me ask you this. When they had to resort to their backup cornerbacks and safety.

SPEAKER_02 47:05

Yes, they have to keep their core healthy. Yes, I agree they have to keep their core. They're already unhealthy. That's true of like everybody though.

SPEAKER_01 47:10

But they're already unhealthy.

SPEAKER_02 47:11

Not season ending, you know, like they're gonna they're gonna start the season a little banged up. They got a pretty easy schedule, to be honest, because like the way that the NFC Norse shook out. Yeah, like I mean, uh it's crazy to me. Like, uh, you're gonna have to put them in the power rankings, top ten is the thing, because they're gonna have a good enough record where you're gonna you're it's gonna be undeniable. So I don't know. It's tough. Right after them is the Vikings.

Vikings Prove It With A New QB

SPEAKER_02 47:32

Um they've always had a good infrastructure.

SPEAKER_00 47:35

Yep.

SPEAKER_02 47:36

Uh they've always been able to win regular season games. I think last season was probably their worst season in a while. Um, I don't know if I can make the case that they're gonna be any better than that, but you can talk to me about why they're uh right around 500 for you, it looks like.

SPEAKER_01 47:49

Great. They have a they have a lot of talent on their team, and I want to see what Tyler Murray can do on a one-year minimum because he knows that if he doesn't do anything here, it's the end of his career. So prove it, kid, because you've shown us glimpses, and now you have a decent offensive line, you have a great wide receiver, you have a solid running back. So make a break here.

SPEAKER_02 48:07

Didn't he have that already? Didn't he have a lot of that?

SPEAKER_01 48:11

Not an offensive line. He didn't have the offensive line, he did have the wide receiver, but but I mean, you know, now he really has maybe the best wide receiver in the league. So go ahead, kid, prove it. And they have looked super sharp in the pre-season, like crazy sharp. Their defense is pretty is pretty reliable. Um, there's just a lot of talent on the field here, and there's it doesn't seem like there's a lot of money spent on it, which I love as well.

SPEAKER_02 48:31

Yeah, that's a good point. I mean, that JJ McCarthy experiment, I don't I'm not trying to toot my own horn, but like when he got drafted, I was like, that's insane. Like, I mean, I I know he had just won uh a national championship, but like everything in his mechanics screamed won't translate to the NFL, like everything in his mechanics, and it was just like you didn't you didn't have to be a fucking NFL Garuda to see that. And when they drafted him, I was I was honestly quite surprised. I I do think that there's upside for for the Kyler Murray thing. If he clicks in O'Connell's offense, sure. Carson Wentz is the week one backup, dude. Like fucking JJ's like he's out of there, you know. It's just it just didn't work. And honestly, I think that's the smartest thing they did is they just moved on quick because they moved on quick.

SPEAKER_01 49:12

You you just gotta rip the band-aid, pull it and get out of there, and you know you have to on the field. So take a shot with Kyle Murray. I think it makes a lot of sense.

SPEAKER_02 49:22

We're moving into teams like the Chargers and the Buccaneers that barring injury and performance to a certain extent. This is these are teams where if they went 11-6, I wouldn't go, wouldn't be shocked. If they went eight and nine, I wouldn't be shocked. Um I think that a lot of people are pretty optimistic though about the about the Chargers and the dark horse

Chargers Optimism And The Herbert Debate

SPEAKER_02 49:40

potential. And and I'm one of them. I I sort of believe in the Harbour Herbert combo, to be totally honest with you. I I this we haven't really done NFL content together on a podcast officially, so this might be the first time I'm telling you, but I I have to say I'm coming out of the closet as a as a as a Justin Herbert fan. I I I think he's good. And uh Mike is uh not not to the uh public. I've been saying this for years. Mike is very much on the other side of this. He's he thinks he's it's completely done. He's he's not the guy. Um, I still believe. I still believe there might be something in there. Uh where do you fall?

SPEAKER_01 50:15

I kind of I kind of agree with both of you. I always think of of Justin Herbert as being a $20 physical with a 10 cent head. He just he makes it he's got harbone now, and he has McDaniel, who we know is a great coordinator. Um, if you watch their preseason, their preseason is super, super positive towards this team. Mike McDaniel has said repeatedly he thinks he has a quarterback with a legendary arm. He's making passes back shoulder that he doesn't trust any other quarterback to throw. Yeah, but again, the reason that they don't crack my top 10 is because we have issues on their defense, they're already banged up, and fucking prove it. This is why it's week one. Prove it.

SPEAKER_02 50:55

We should call that tier the prove it tier.

SPEAKER_01 50:56

Yeah.

Buccaneers Ceiling Depends On Health

SPEAKER_02 50:58

The Bucks probably the cleanest win the NFC South bet. Um, they seem to shore things up with Baker contract-wise, everything's going okay over there. Um, I think they've got the most talent on their roster of anyone in that division, maybe in this whole tier, uh, with the exception probably the Lions. Oh, sorry again. But uh the I will have to see. I mean, it's this is where we we set our stalls and points of contention and agreements, and we look as we set these things up and and see who was right and see who was wrong and see who missed the point, as it were.

SPEAKER_01 51:31

Not just a ranking show.

SPEAKER_02 51:33

No, no, no. It's we're telling a story over here, you know.

SPEAKER_01 51:39

Um I'm the Travis Scott of the Rankings here, and I'm I'm starting to sing as the Bard.

SPEAKER_02 51:45

Yeah, there you go. That was that clanged with me in the movie. I I thought he was not that good uh at acting.

SPEAKER_01 51:52

I I I'll take it one better. I think he distracted the fuck out of me from the start of what was a you guys aren't familiar. We're talking about the Aussie spoilers. Travis Scott plays the bard who tells the story of the Aussie, and he is immediately an asshole.

SPEAKER_02 52:05

Yeah, he's pretty distracting. Yeah, I didn't I didn't love it either. Um, also the part where Robert Pattinson is just like pointing at various weapons that fall through the ceiling in the same shot, in the same like framing. I was like, this is weird. Um, Tampa, I'd put them probably a little bit below the Chargers. I get it why they're here. I think the Lions would be above them, but I would put them against all the other teams we've talked about so far. Replacing Mike Evans is a real challenge.

SPEAKER_03 52:33

Yep.

SPEAKER_02 52:34

Um, they've got a good variety in their group. I think Baker Mayfield's better than anyone ever thought he was going to be. Um, you know, they have an eight and a half win uh spread on DraftKings or whatever. And uh I think that's fair because it's it's hard to predict. Um, my if I had to come to my head predict, I'd say they start the season kind of hot and injuries derail them, and then uh they're not a playoff caliber offense, but they are on paper still. Um you have to start to get a little bit more, and this is true of Caleb Williams too. They're they're sort of similar gunslingers in that way. You have to start to get a little bit more consistent on the offensive side of the ball. You can't just have Baker be a cowboy every single drive. It's not gonna work. It's not sustainable. And we saw last year it's not sustainable. You got to save those moments for when you really need them. I think that they have a really high upside. So I see why they're sitting where they're sitting in this in this group. They've got a new offensive coordinator, they've got a really good offensive line. Baker's not gonna be running for his fucking life. So that that's where you start to build that foundation of like, let's see what we can actually do here. Um, I think the defense determines their ceiling, to be honest. I I think it we'll see. If their defense can like just be competent, I think we'll we'll see where they can actually be. Everybody gets hyped on them, is what's gonna happen because of what they see on the offensive side of the ball. Let's see if that defense can actually sustain and and and get them off the field, you know.

SPEAKER_01 53:55

Um, I think that the reason I put them above teams like the Lions is because I actually think they have more talent on their roster than the other teams below them. The problem is, or the benefit to them is that Baker Madefield has allegedly broken up a giant walker. That's great, good for him. Proud of you, bud. Um, but they have zero depth. If somebody gets hurt, they are it's a step down every step of the way. And I have that feeling about my own team, it sucks, but they have zero, zero margin for injury error.

SPEAKER_02 54:24

Yeah, I mean, there's already injuries. I hate to say it. It's there, they've already got uh who was it? Uh McMillan. Yeah. Bane, Tucker didn't practice, Akbuka. Yeah, this isn't good. The injury reports are already bad.

SPEAKER_01 54:39

I don't have a lot of stock in them losing Mike because Evans, he's he's an older guy, but you just went from having three number one options to having two number one options. It's not the end of the world.

SPEAKER_02 54:50

All right. Uh moving on to tier four.

Tier 4 Shockers: Eagles And Chiefs

SPEAKER_02 54:55

I called the tier four.

SPEAKER_01 54:57

Dame's about to yell at me, so let's let's let's do this.

SPEAKER_02 55:00

I mean, I don't know. We'll see we'll see what your defense uh if your defense holds up, but we'll see. Um tier four I called uh napping or perhaps in a coma giants. Um could be one or the other. Not sleeping, but maybe napping, maybe in a full-blown coma. We'll have to see. Um, the Eagles are at number 15 in your power rankings.

Eagles Slide And Hurts System Questions

SPEAKER_02 55:22

I I don't know if that's if there's a more incendiary pick on the board. Um, I would probably have them closer to eight, nine. Um I guess there's enough uncertainty to keep them out of the top tier, but this is a team that won a Super Bowl relatively recently. They've got a lot of established talent on their on their roster. I uh you're gonna have to make the case.

SPEAKER_01 55:45

I'll make the case. I let me let me make the case. Um, you just came off of a failure over season, right? We can all say that. They did not do what they thought they were gonna do. You lost AJ Brown, a a what number the top five receiver in the league, arguably. Um, and now you come into this preseason. Um, you've got some injury problems, you have a new offensive coordinator, and your quarterback is throwing 13 fucking interceptions and 16 practices. I can't ignore that. I don't care.

SPEAKER_02 56:11

I know you can. You can 100% ignore practices, bro. What do you mean?

SPEAKER_01 56:15

Practice? I have a theory that they have set themselves up for this coach to finally prove the fact that he's a lunatic and not a genius. He is a quarterback to prove that he's a fraud that's gotten an easy shake of it with a lot of talent around him, and for this defensive coordinator to lose his goddamn mind that he's not the head coach when he clearly should be. I think that they're gonna suck. I hate them, I hate their attitude, I hate their fucking fans. Shout out to all the fans out in Philly. Um, I just think we're gonna start to see the crack of an empire here.

SPEAKER_02 56:44

It can happen. I mean, they're they've always been a tightrope team. Uh, they've always been a team that was either gonna fall completely off the cliff or climb the summit, right? Uh I think to me, every good team is built in the trenches and they can still win at the line of scrimmage on both sides. And I think that that is an underrated piece to looking at uh all these teams across the league. Where where are they in the in the trenches? I know that their playoff loss last year was bad, but they still won the NFC East. Um I think Dontavian Wicks deserves a shake. You know, let's see if that works out, you know. Mikai Lemon, let's see if that works out. Like, I why not?

SPEAKER_01 57:18

But let me ask you this: is Jalen Hurts the kind of quarterback you think is gonna be able to change systems? He can barely play in this system.

SPEAKER_02 57:26

Yeah, I mean, I the twish-push percentages dropped pretty hard, and that seemed to make a big difference with him. I don't think he's good. I don't think he's a good quarterback. I mean, I know that like there's there's an argument to be made, but I mean, to me, if he wasn't black, people would call him the ultimate system guy way more than they do. You know, like that's just usually a term reserved for like white quarterbacks that are throwing like under 10 yards a pass, but it's like because he has like the the like uh athletic qualities that I've never seen a white quarterback possess. I think people go like that they're hesitant to call him a system QB. He is a system QB. I'll also add on to that, there's nothing wrong with being a system QB. Tom Brady was a system QB, it just happened to be the best fucking system ever, you know? And and yeah, within that system, of course, he had incredible moments of greatness. But if you think about Tom Brady's whole career, it's a lot of fucking check downs, brother. You know what I mean? Like it's a fucking billion check downs. So I I do think that I do think he's led an offense to the promised land, though. Uh and I think that he I think that for what he does do, and even if you were making the case for why he's not 100% a system QB, I do think he can make big plays down the sideline. I think he has an arm. I think that he his his line of scrimmage work is is pretty profound, you know, like pretty pretty unparalleled, to be honest, uh, with with the invention of that play. And he has led a competent offense almost every year he's been in the league. So unlike if if this new offensive coordinator comes in and makes it that not happen, I wonder, is that his fault?

SPEAKER_01 58:54

Well, what pieces did they add to the offense to fix the problems that they had last year? You're gonna create a new system and you didn't put anything on the board as far as you built the defense. Great, Vic Vangios, he knows what he's doing. I I have faith in the defense. I don't see any effort put into Jalen Hurts. I see you're gonna switch him up now, and he when he knows this proven system, uh, you took his number one option away, and they're gonna tell him to go win. Let's hope Saquon's ready.

SPEAKER_02 59:20

I just told you the pieces that they added to their offense. Maky Lemmon, Don Savian Wicks, right, Hollywood Brown, right, Elijah Moore.

SPEAKER_01 59:31

Hollywood Brown's been really, really effective on the bench of Baltimore.

SPEAKER_02 59:35

But maybe in a winning culture, these guys, at least one of these guys, it seems like they they threw some shit at the wall here, no?

SPEAKER_01 59:42

No, I don't I just don't see it.

SPEAKER_02 59:44

They drafted that tie down out of Vanderbilt. I think he's he's ready-made to be a fucking Eagles player. Like he looked he looks the part. He does 54th overall. He looks good. I forget his name.

SPEAKER_01 59:52

Oh, boilermakers, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 59:54

Um, all right. Uh I like I don't know. I I do know that one of my favorite players ever was a Vandy guy. Can you tell me who that was? Uh Brian Erling. Jay Cutler.

unknown 1:00:06

Damn it.

SPEAKER_00 1:00:07

Oh, yeah. No, wait, hold on. Didn't Jay Cutler go to Colorado?

SPEAKER_02 1:00:11

No, Vandy. Um, you can fucking Google it if you want, brother. I I'm not gonna be wrong about this.

SPEAKER_01 1:00:17

Hey, hey, we're we're friends. I'm not gonna Google check you. I'll do it later.

SPEAKER_02 1:00:24

Uh do it before I put the podcast out so I can cut it if I'm wrong. No, you went to Vandy, I promise. Um,

Chiefs At 14 And The Prove It Rule

SPEAKER_02 1:00:31

the Chiefs are 14th. That's fucking shocking. I mean, not because they don't deserve to be, but because I mean Patrick Mahomes is their QB, and that's gonna be my whole argument for why they should be higher.

SPEAKER_01 1:00:40

Uh was it not two years ago that we were talking about how is he gonna challenge? Like the question was, is he gonna challenge Brady's Super Bowl record? And man, that last year really did a lot of damage.

SPEAKER_02 1:00:50

To you, apparently, you put him at 14th.

SPEAKER_01 1:00:53

Yeah, because again, prove it. You're not gonna rest on your wills from two years ago. They have proven it. Come on, they see Patrick Mahomes has proven it. Let me tell you something, Dave. Maybe the guy that ran the power rankings a couple years ago would have given them credit for two seasons ago. This is the goddamn NFL. Get out there and prove it. You didn't prove it last year, and you're not raising the top 10 of my power rankings.

SPEAKER_02 1:01:14

I'm not asking for them to be top ten. It's just 14 is a jarring. Can you understand me?

SPEAKER_01 1:01:18

Juggle? You want me to juggle for you? I can join the circus.

SPEAKER_02 1:01:22

I would predict that they at some point crack your top ten.

SPEAKER_01 1:01:26

I would hope so, but again, I and again, that's why this is week one, baby, to prove it.

SPEAKER_02 1:01:29

I think Kenneth Walker's a huge addition.

SPEAKER_01 1:01:32

Huge addition.

SPEAKER_02 1:01:33

I think Mahomes is gonna come in healthy.

SPEAKER_00 1:01:38

Danny, I'm gonna go to the big thing.

SPEAKER_02 1:01:40

The O-line is bad. Yeah, it's bad. It's really bad. Um I would call I would I would predict for them a measured rebound. Would that be fair?

SPEAKER_01 1:01:49

I agree with you.

SPEAKER_02 1:01:49

I agree with you. You're still not gonna want to play him come week 10. You're not gonna want to play him.

SPEAKER_01 1:01:53

I wouldn't I I've always said this. I Patrick Mahomes is the last person I'd want to see if I'm making a playoff push in the NFL right now. It's like he just knows how to finish the game. One minute is too much time for him. He's like Brady in that regard. It's just there's no safe space with Mahomes.

SPEAKER_02 1:02:09

Kelsey's done now.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:11

Oh, yeah, it's over.

SPEAKER_02 1:02:12

His best offensive weapon is absolutely clapped.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:14

Listen, it's kind of like watching a UFC fighter make a billion dollars and then start sexually assaulting weapons. Kelsey's not hungry anymore. He just married Taylor Swift. What's he running in this league for? Dude, you don't have to compare him to a rapist. They're both Irish, I think, so it's fine. Oh god.

SPEAKER_02 1:02:30

Um, yeah, I mean, if I married Taylor Swift, you would not find me out there getting beat half to death. My head on the fucking football field, dude. No way. Get out of here. I'm taking a private jet to go to the bathroom at that point. See you later. See you later, alligator. Uh yeah, I'll pretend to like her music. I don't fucking care. Um the guy's a that guy's a genius. Um hit though. He's getting dumbered by the hit. Uh, I think him and his brother's podcast is good. I think they they have they have nice little tete têtes. Why don't you just do that? Why don't you just do that, Travis? It's all good, bro. You're you're gonna go down in the top three tight end conversation. It's gonna be you, Gronk, and Tony Gonzalez for the rest of time. That's what it's gonna be, right?

SPEAKER_01 1:03:13

Like by the way, that's why you're my best friend. Yes. You put guns right there. That's my boy. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:03:18

And then there'll be someone in the room that brings up Antonio Gates, and you'll be like, bro.

SPEAKER_01 1:03:22

I mean, wide receivers.

SPEAKER_02 1:03:25

He is, you know, he established a certain yeah, anyway. Um, it's gonna be great, Travis. Just right off into the sunset, dude. This is gonna be an embarrassing season for him, I fear. Um, unless Andy Reek can't like sort of scheme for him or what he is now, because he couldn't he couldn't do that crazy superpower of being like, how the fuck is he in so much open space? Like, that was what what Kelsey was always so amazing at. Like, he was so different than Gronk in that way. And where it's just like, how how did you guys not cover him? He found a way to be open, that's fucking nuts. Um, fine. Uh, Chiefs of 14, prove it. We'll see, like you said.

Texans, 49ers, Ravens And Lamar Arguments

SPEAKER_02 1:04:00

Sorry, Texans.

SPEAKER_01 1:04:03

You really fucking killed me with that fucking Antonio Gates.

SPEAKER_02 1:04:07

Someone will bring up Antonio Gates in the case. I mean, his ability to get open in the like I like to bring up Mike Dick when they do that. I go like, only guys in the Hall of Fame in three different positions. Just saying. Um Texans, 49ers, Ravens. God, this is weird. I don't know if this would be my 13, 12, 11. It would be my 13, 12, 11. I don't know if this would be the order, though.

SPEAKER_01 1:04:31

Uh let me defend myself here. Me and you have talked about the Texans, and me and you are both very high on the Texans. I want to see them come back though.

SPEAKER_02 1:04:37

I want them to be good. I want them to be good, genuinely. Except for CJ Stroud shouldn't have said that to my guy. That's all. But I think he's learned his lesson.

SPEAKER_01 1:04:44

Has he though? Or did you just buy bad karma for the rest of your career, which is what we see in the NFL most of the time? Once you get figured out in the NFL, it's a real problem. It's a fast, hard-hitting defense. They're they fly around the field. It was awesome to watch them play last year. That wasn't enough for them to get through it. So you've got Stroud, who, if he doesn't take a step forward, if he stagnates even a little bit, they're in trouble. They have to be better on offense, and I just don't see that I I they added to their pass rush. Great guys, you defense was already elite last year. Why didn't you fix the things that were broken?

SPEAKER_02 1:05:15

That's why I think that's the Texans don't need an uh an MVP level performance from CJ Stroud to like crack the top 10 other things this year.

SPEAKER_01 1:05:22

They need him to be more serviceable than he was last year.

SPEAKER_02 1:05:26

But I think that's gonna depend on the offensive line. I think he's a good quarterback. Like I genuinely do. I think he I think he's good to serviceable. You know, like I think he's in that range, and I think that his offensive line is gonna determine like what he can actually do. I do agree. They're they're gonna have my favorite defense this year. I can already tell.

SPEAKER_01 1:05:40

100%. And I think they I honestly see a path for them to make it to the AFC championship and lose to us. So I you know.

SPEAKER_02 1:05:48

Great. Um the 49ers are the team I would uh uh of these three that I could see falling more likely than the Ravens or the Texans. Um just because they're apparently in like a uh I believe the conspiracy theory about that. Um what is it like a like a power station that's across from their practice field that's like giving them all like injury cancer.

SPEAKER_01 1:06:09

Like I here's the thing though. Here's the thing though they are fully healthy right now.

SPEAKER_02 1:06:13

Right now? It's just like they just built a fucking they're basically the roster construction of the 49ers is it's like the guy who constructed it is also the first little pig of the three little pigs and he was like I think I'm gonna make my house out of straw like I think I you know what this big bad wolf you know he looks big he looks bad he looks like he can huff he he looks like he can puff but I think straw's gonna do and that's historically the dumbest architect in the history of literature okay I mean it's it's it's it's between him and the guy Adrian Brody played in in the uh in the brutalist you know it's it's him and the little pig and and then the third place is the guy who put together the 49ers roster because god damn it if they made a straw sorry for belab belabering the metaphor there but I mean hold on time out chat that was amazing everyone better be going damn maybe just off the cuff he just made a little piggy argument off the cuff about this about the 49ers I can just see Kyle Shanahan like staring off into the middle distance like I can see it like just like oh my guys are broken is he gonna be in a wheelchair week one yeah I think he's a talented coach I genuinely do he's hurt he's hurt he's a car accident like a really Kyle Shanahan was a really bad car accident oh yeah yeah yeah yeah no I know but I mean he's still gonna be the coach of the 49ers this year is he or is he is it gonna be like that Liberty coach that was up in the city is it that is the is the car accident that bad it was pretty bad dude it was pretty bad oh man they have off field chaos I think they'd say they always seem to though I I still think the 49ers are always thereabouts though I mean I'm not saying you put them super low.

SPEAKER_01 1:07:51

I think 12 is fair they can still crack the top 10 at some point like we can still see good performances but yeah I think the fact you can have 53 human beings live in San Francisco with NFL player salaries and not have them flee for their lives is amazing given the nature of San Francisco at the moment so I'll give them that they are keeping it together interesting.

SPEAKER_02 1:08:15

Okay uh the Ravens what is your overall this has been a point of contention on this podcast since before you got here and I'm just curious what is your overall thoughts on the Ravens like Mike is very very down on Lamar Jackson he doesn't think he'll ever ever be anything more than a the more than a hater like if if if uh if Lamar Jackson doesn't have any haters left Mike is dead like so I don't you know and I just think he's so fucking fun to watch and I the whole like narrative of him not being a great playoff QB I still think he should be allowed more time but that's overall what what I think about them. I think they're pretty talented. I what's your overall take on them?

SPEAKER_01 1:08:54

Me and you hit the nail on the head if you guys want to go back and listen to two weeks ago when we were talking about uh our our predictions for the season um for the first time in Lamar Jackson's career he has a guy that's gonna scheme him the proper packages to succeed in this game not have to fit him as a puzzle piece fit him a square peg into a round circle Jesse Minter has high coach of the year potential high coach of the year potential. Absolutely Lamar Jackson you and when Mike you know I know he can't defend himself here so I'm gonna take as many shots as I can because he's terrifying um when Mike shits on the ex-MVP of the league Lamar Jackson um I think he's being a little dismissive of his ability to get the ball in the end zone.

SPEAKER_02 1:09:35

To be fair if he was here he would say I'm not saying anything bad about his regular season abilities but he's the black Kirk Cousins and he's never gonna do shit in the playoffs. That's what he would say. Right I remember Kirk Cousins winning MVP of maybe his family but not of the seems like a great guy doesn't seem like a great quarterback whereas Lamar it's like in this in this metaphor his kids call him Kirk Cousins also Kirk Cousins you'll be the MVP of our family forever. You're the best Kirk Cousins ever Kirk Cousins that's funny I like to think about it like that.

SPEAKER_01 1:10:07

Thanks thanks this acquire this this this bus full of children um I love that well I I listen I don't doubt Lamar Jackson I've been burned by Lamar Jackson as a Patriots fan that that man can play football um I don't think Mike's right about that I think he's completely off base and I also think it's a safe bet for him as far as he has a quarter uh an offensive coordinator and a head coach that are not going to scheme chop blocks for him and not going to scheme him out of the pocket.

SPEAKER_02 1:10:33

He had to create everything he did with Harborough that's not Harborough's style um I I'm very excited to watch the Ravens the Ravens are a team that I will watch every time they're on team yeah totally really high on the TV uh rankings for sure I'm like ooh the Ravens are playing it doesn't matter if they're playing a bad team because they can just gas them up so it's just like tool. Side note we should be doing a TV rankings which teams no matter how shit they are are you excited to watch every week that's we'll do that we'll definitely do that when we when we focus down the top 10 the format will become like what team are we crossing what teams are we crossing off what teams do we just still like even though they're never going to craft the top craft the top 10 and then we'll talk about the top 10 I mean we'll still end up talking about the whole league. It's just just sort of a this sort of a fake format in order to give an excuse to do that.

Top 10 Starts With Tier Three

SPEAKER_02 1:11:16

We're gonna move into the top 10 Matt for the first time the top 10 power rankings the thing we're gonna talk about all season we love it.

SPEAKER_01 1:11:23

This is obviously uh not tier one but tier two tier one there's some Patriots some uh oh spoiler alert um oh no you didn't put the Patriots in tier one that's fucking shocking you have the Patriots at five yes I do I thought you're gonna be a homer about this well could I was gonna put them in number one but I you know I I just it's such a fucking obnoxious Dave Portnoy move I wanted to be as realistic and divisive as I could be.

SPEAKER_02 1:11:50

Fair so here we are in tier three um there's three tiers in the top ten. Tier three is Bengals, Bears, Packers, Broncos. Um I have some things to say about nine and eight uh but you can I guess give me the outlook on the Bengals I'm really excited to get to the old Bears Packers conversation.

Bengals Belief And Starting Fast

SPEAKER_02 1:12:07

Uh I do think people are really high on the Bengals and I think it's fair that you put them in the top 10. I think the many people would agree. A full Joe Burrow season will change the outlook of any anything. They finally invested in their defense. They finally have a running game um the protection though I mean the protection's always a problem there I don't it's I I I hope that they've improved enough based on last season I hope that they've improved enough um that we can count on these performances for an entire year because I want to see Joe Burrow succeed. I like him as a quarterback of that group of that kind of age and and and era um you know the guys I'm talking about uh him Alan Mahomes that group I like him the best just on pure sort of vibes like I've always just sort of liked him um you still got to go execute I mean they're still in a prove it bracket uh to me to be honest with you because like yeah you you got new defensive personnel but I've seen that fail in in other situations you still got to go out there and execute my biggest thing for them is you got to start fucking strong for the first time I ever I mean you just you got you got to win your first few games or at least three out of your first four or something. I I need to see that from the Bengals um they're your 10th they're your 10th best team to start the season what what do you see in them?

SPEAKER_01 1:13:12

You hit the nail on the head from the mouth of a man it's it's really it boils down to they they sign Dexter Lawrence um they show a huge improvement improvement on their defense that matches Joe Burrow's ceiling maybe not his performance in the last season but his ceiling where he could be and I'm gonna be honest with everyone listening here I'm always going to be biased to Joe Burrow he paid for a trip to Spain with his uh uh NF uh his uh NCAA championship win for me um go tigers I'll always be loyal to him I think he's a fantastic quarterback I think him healthy that defense healthy is is a dangerous dangerous combo I think health is their only concern yeah health at

Packers At Eight Sparks A Fight

SPEAKER_01 1:13:50

the quarterback position strictly um for sure okay so you have the Packers at eight I'm just gonna name some teams I probably would have put above them um okay it won't take it won't take but a second it's just a lot of teams we've already talked about bears yeah Bengals yeah Ravens yeah Niners yeah Texans yeah Chiefs of course Eagles yeah uh Buccaneers no Chargers yeah Vikings no lions yeah Steelers no I think we're about done there uh yeah I'd probably have him around probably I'd probably have him around 17 18 that that that seems that seems right to me here you have the Packers here you have the Packers at eight um so I guess you think Jordan Love is something I don't think he is or you talk to me about that I I think Jordan Love is a is a proven talent if you watched that offense last year who was electric and you know I do I I want everyone to understand I love the Bears I really do I love watching the Bears being friends with you has has taught me that there's a deep seated passion in oh no breaking news we've got an injury on the field of I believe that would be Brown let me just give me one AJ Brown already yeah oh oh my god he just broke his leg oh my god he just broke his leg no you're kidding me his ankle just turned completely sideways oh no are you sure oh no we're gonna have to clip this oh no his leg just turned completely sideways oh my god I'm gonna throw up no it's like you hit the stage of your life where Tom Brady made you believe in something that you probably shouldn't have and they're just gonna take it away from you and chance I didn't just hurt me um yeah I um all right new rankings Patriots are 31 let's just put them all the way down there that's the end of the season dude I'm so sorry that sucks I don't even know what to say about that did he really break his leg I just saw him on the field dude his ankle just twisted completely the wrong way on on a tackle he just took a knee to the ankle and it landed flat his shin was facing the other direction something tore he and he came up and he was holding his leg from underneath his knee on his thigh almost like don't put my foot on the ground don't put my foot on the ground like you know I'm sorry Jalen Brown and now this and it's just starting to feel like Boston's the city if you have a fresh glass of lemonade come to Boston we'll turn it back into lemons for you especially um yeah let's talk about what you're talking about talk George about I hate this sport you know what I'm I'm sticking this I'm just gonna like I'm gonna try watching WNBA because this isn't gonna hurt the same way you haven't started watching the WNBA yet do you just not believe in equality for women? Yeah I'm gonna let me let me go out here on a limb no it's boring as fuck um um you know what came it I'm sorry man let's move on for the sake of the show let's refocus we got we got George here's the thing that offense last year fuck sorry that offense last year is electric and I love the Bears I love watching the Bears I've watched Dave be a diehard fan of a team that has broken his heart more times than I can count um the Bears beat them on one of the craziest plays I've ever seen last year that offense for the first eight leaks of the season was was almost immaculate um they have a very very high ceiling they have a very very high ceiling so again they're gonna have to prove to me that they're not coming back hot and that that really did ruin them um and that the loss of Michael Parsons who was not crazy stat wise last year not crazy stat wise that defense is still elite they still have a lot of talent in their front seven stop looking at me like that Dave um uh you know who's their biggest challenger I think it's Ben Johnson um listen man uh I don't know I don't know if you if you're doubling down on support for Josh Jacobs and the kind of man that he is right now but like it I know you're hurt about AJ Brown but the man the man's not a nice man he's not a nice man the the misdemeanor charges they're real this is the kind of this is the kind of thing that that uh gives your organization bad karma also Michael Parsons physically unable to perform physically unable to perform unfortunately for the first four games um the offensive line still got something to prove big big something to prove John uh Jordan Love can't do shit if he's not well protected he's not that kind of guy you're right if the defense struggles I can I I I can honestly make a case for an eight or nine eight and nine or a nine and eight season from them to be honest if if the running game loses the consistency I think it's gonna lose if the receiving core is not as good as I as most people think it is which I think is the case um I think love can play again and I can't stress this part enough I think love can play exactly as good as you guys think he's been playing that's totally fine by me I I think it's um it's just gonna be the support around him that drops um let me let me ask you this let me ask you this if none of that stuff happens if they come out hot and they come out and play like they did begin last season do you also see them as being a potential 13 win team no I mean I don't how what what does that look like like Christian watching watson Tuckercraft and Jaden Reed have not played a single snap together so far in in this in this offense like what what does that look like that 13 win team what's their identity I don't I don't know do you pass heavy run forward win okay I hope they don't without Michael Parsons do they still have a top five linebacker right in the league.

SPEAKER_02 1:19:48

Yeah maybe maybe I I sure but again I mean it's like I'm not really questioning their defense that much I don't think they're as good as you're making them out to be but Jordan Morgan at left tackle like there's no consistently consistency in that offensive line like I I saw a lot of plausible roots to stalled drives for them last year and and and I saw bad quarterback play from them last year and and I have to tell you in the order in order to for the bears to come back on them in the ways plural that they did there needs to be a mental weakness in your team there just needs to be a mental it's it the bears can't can't dance alone. If you want a samba you need a partner and you you'll know that better than anybody when the Patriots needed someone to dance with you needed a Dan Quinn Matt Ryan partnership where there was something weak in their souls. You know there was just something weak in their souls where they let that happen. And uh I just think that's true of the Green Bay Packers. I think we became their daddy at the end of last season the Chicago Bears I really do. And I think uh long may that continue because we've been getting fucking dommed by them for a long time.

SPEAKER_01 1:20:55

And again this is a hard one this is a hard one for me. And again I'm gonna say it it's week one I want teams to prove it the Packers came out really hot last year. They lost in a very very tragic way if you're a fan of them I do think that the Bears are going to rise my list. I think the Bears and the Patriots are going to be top four by week three um but where they sit now I want to see the Packers and the Bears in a dog fight. And I think we're benefited by them being in a dog fight because it's just the NFL feels better when the Bears and the Packers are in a battle I don't need them to be in a battle I'd prefer if the Packers just sucked.

SPEAKER_02 1:21:27

And honestly it's yeah no that's fine. I just think like to be honest it's always fucked the Packers to me I I can't help it.

SPEAKER_01 1:21:33

Yeah it's always fucked the Jets for me.

SPEAKER_02 1:21:36

Yeah it's nothing I can do about that. The Broncos at seven yours yeah that's true.

Broncos Respect And Cowboys Heat Check

SPEAKER_02 1:21:42

The Broncos at seven makes sense. I mean they were in an AFC championship game you know like uh and I think that if barring a little bit of a weather change they might have been in a Super Bowl maybe I'm just saying uh I think the Patriots were sort of ready to to be uh okay we were ahead of schedule this is about where we needed to be and I think that might have benefited them to lose in the AFC championship game instead of the Super Bowl to be totally honest with you. I completely agree with you I literally wrote the exact same thing down couldn't agree with you more their defense is elite I mean I think I think you're I know I separated them into into tiers here but I do think if I was going to make an argument I think you're a little high on the Cowboys compared to the Broncos all things considered last season's performances like what we can what we've seen out of that out of that broncos team I do you believe in Dak Prescott because I can talk about them as a package deal if you want it do you believe in Dak Prescott more than more than Bo?

SPEAKER_01 1:22:31

I I don't uh more than Bo I I think he's about as serviceable as Bo. I just think the Cowboys again and I I always say this and people laugh at me it's just really hard for me to look at their their their roster and and think that they're gonna falter um I think that they had a lot of upside going into the end of last season. I think they have a new defensive coordinator who's gonna really help rebuild and retool that that team that already has a lot of talent but wasn't being used in the proper way. I just think that they have a lot of upside and I really think that putting up number six is going to piss off a lot of people um which I'm super into it does make people mad when you say the Cowboys are going to be anything but terrible it is kind of funny to do that.

SPEAKER_02 1:23:12

I mean I think they're both conceivably playoff teams in sort of similar scenarios. I mean they they I'm looking at them and they remind me of each other in weird ways just like roster construction like out season outlook right around QB level I'd say I mean I'd go Bo you you'd go Dak apparently but it's not it's not outrageous. I do think Bo has a much higher potential ceiling uh than Dak. Yeah I mean we'll see I I mean I I I didn't expect the Broncos to be where they were last year so we'll we'll have to see. Right I didn't expect that defense

Patriots At Five And The AJ Brown Scare

SPEAKER_02 1:23:44

to have the stats they had last year and they you know they really shocked me um just an update from our from our our brother in podcast Mike when it comes to the injury he wrote fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck in our group chat um so go on what let's go into the next one because I'm just gonna I'm gonna really mourn myself here um number five patriots are at number five Drake May to to be fair has elevated your whole franchise's timeline um your defense very good sorted out your contract situation on the defensive side of the ball your defensive best defensive player got signed uh a lot of new offensive supporting cast not just AJ Brown and uh I don't think they're an interesting rebuild right now I think they still have potential despite this injury what's uh what's going through your mind I think they're I think the only thing that stops them is the fact that their offensive line sucks and that they have no depth so the first time that there's an injury we're gonna see them fault here.

SPEAKER_01 1:24:39

And oh by the way we just saw the fucking injury alright happen. Um man you know it just you know I I I'll I'll let me explain this. I I love this team I'm realistic about the team here I'm be I know I'm super high on them uh week one rankings I'm gonna be very honest about their output throughout the rest of the season but when you go to the Super Bowl uh with your essentially you know fresh out of the gate quarterback when he finishes uh what three votes behind MVP um when you add a guy like AJ Brown um all I can do is see progress forward. I didn't see them take a step back anywhere. I wish they improved more I wish they improved on their pass rush I wish they improved on their offensive line. They did but I just see a strong team that should be at least considered to run again the way that they did and if there's any coach that I think is going to bring a team back um from a loss of the Super Bowl and not have that hangover I think it's Frable I think he's a coach first I think he's a player first coach that's gonna keep them going forward and by the way Roussini would so yeah um I it's the journalistic integrity that I rub up against there.

Bills Fatigue And Jaguars At Three

SPEAKER_01 1:25:49

She has real good journalistic integrity I heard I heard her writing style is fantastic.

SPEAKER_02 1:25:54

All right that's quite enough um the Bills at four uh I mean goddamn if this team hasn't been talked to death in the national sports media I don't even know if I want to spend that much time on it just especially considering that your sick your signature take is sitting at number three your absolute signature take is sitting at number three um Josh Allen is the Bills the Bills is Josh Allen uh that's the whole paragraph right there they can have flaws everywhere and still be a Super Bowl contender they fired their coach um they have probably the best physical advantage at quarterback of any team every everyone knows that uh because of him they're they're gonna be top tier um they could regress I don't know maybe they could regress let me just say this and we just because we haven't mentioned it and everyone's talked about this team to death and they're boring and they they seem to always underachie at the very end um Joe Brady is is responsible for Joe Burrow's progression into the NFL let's see what he does with a real real real proven talent here. Yeah fair you have the Jaguars at three which I know they won 13 wins last year uh they had 13 wins last year but damn that's high that's fuck uh the only thing higher than the jaguars is me because I keep accidentally hitting this vape pen but go ahead I wasn't gonna say anything chat this guy must be on the fucking moon right now it's I'm doing it like as a as a tick.

SPEAKER_01 1:27:14

It's like a cheech and chong episode over there. Oh AJ Brown's limping off to the to the locker room great and just like that you know what dude I'm just gonna like I'm just gonna like become like a like a video game guy and play GTA and not watch the NFL because this is fucking stupid.

SPEAKER_02 1:27:28

And why do I not for nothing but like you the way you describe the injury the fact that he's limping off seems unrealistic.

SPEAKER_01 1:27:34

Yeah but he's like tough as nails so like we'll see uh you know what dude I fucking the sport why does that do it this come on do the Jaguars outlook for God's sake this is depressing. Okay listen the Jaguars had a great end of their season last year so great in fact they scored so many points in their last nine games um I think that this kid is now in a system with Cohen where he I believe in Trevor Lawrence. I just do he's got a huge He makes the right decisions. He can get away from the sack. He has survived with horrible, horrible teams. And now his team is not horrible. His team has the ability to prove it on the field and to win. Zero playoff rules. I understand. I understand. This is make or break. This is week one. And I have this full-on belief that this kid now has a what ESPN said a graduate level understanding of his offense. He gets it. He's in a system that has been proven. That's true.

SPEAKER_02 1:28:26

I've been banging the drum for giving quarterbacks a little fucking time in this league. You know, like the writing him off after one or two years thing is really stupid. It's I'm I do the same thing you're doing for him for Herbert. You know, I just think it's yeah, it's just it's I I agree. And I think Trevor Lawrence like has a fundamental knack for playing the quarterback position. I still think he's got elite level. Yeah, he really did. I think he's still got elite level awareness, pocket awareness. I think he came into the league with that, to be honest. I just think it was like re getting up to speed with the game was was his thing. I think he did that towards the end of last season. If he does sustain, I could see it. I still personally would have them as like a divisional team at their cap. I think 10 wins seems more realistic to me, but honestly, we'll set those stalls out and you get to make a victory lap if uh if this happens, because uh we're these are just made up.

SPEAKER_01 1:29:14

Right, exactly. That's why week one is so fun. Guys, we're gonna learn together, we're gonna grow together. And when I'm right, you guys are all gonna have to bow the knee.

SPEAKER_02 1:29:21

Also, the crazy thing is it's the NFL. It's the fucking NFL. What we end up saying every single week when you track it this closely is damn, dude, didn't know that was gonna happen. Like it's what makes the product so good half the time. So, like, we'll see. Like, you know, I'm I'm not gonna hold you to these.

SPEAKER_01 1:29:34

Everyone, think about this. We haven't even we don't know who that first player that you've never heard of that's gonna be that's gonna be an MVP race. Like, there is every single year. Who thought Sam Darnold was gonna win a Super Bowl last year? Fuck you guys, don't judge me yet. Let's let's watch, let's all watch together.

Rams Superteam And Seahawks As Champs

SPEAKER_02 1:29:49

Um tier one, I'm actually gonna spend the least amount of time on for two reasons. One, everybody's been talking these two teams, the Seahawks and the Rams, uh, to death all offseason. Obviously, the Rams have been in the news. Listen, I borderline don't want to talk about the Rams because they they're reminding me of Michael Myers from Halloween. Like I it it's like it's absurd how fucking good that roster is. So like I don't know, unless a meteor strikes LA and I'm not even gonna be here to see it uh if they if they do do badly this season. I mean, it's been a while since I've been this sure of a Super Bowl favorite. You know, like I I they are really the best odds of any Super Bowl favorite of the last few years. Um maybe Peak Mahomes was the last time.

SPEAKER_01 1:30:33

Let me ask you this is anything short of a Super Bowl appearance a failure for the season. Depends on the context.

SPEAKER_02 1:30:40

I mean, I I mean if they if they stay healthy and they just can't put it together, yes. If they get hurt at key positions, what are you you know, what are you gonna do? But um, I agree with you, but historically, teams that have built up like this do not succeed the way that they think they're going to I know, but like I'll counter that with Aaron Donald and Miles Garrett on the same line. That shouldn't be allowed. That should there should be 500 pounds. There should be that like they need to make a rule. I'm not even joking. They need to make a rule to prevent this from happening again because like this is fucking absurd. The dude definitely took two years off or however long it's been to just like rest up and heal up, and now he's gonna come back. He's gonna be a fucking beast. It's nuts that he's on the same line as Miles Garrett. It's nuts. I I have no idea what teams are gonna do. I have no fucking idea what teams are gonna do. And I I I pity any team that has to play them this year. I can't wait to see it. I cannot fucking wait to see it. It's gonna be a cheat code, dude. It's it's the last year you play your franchise because you've made it too good, it's not fun anymore. That's that's what it's giving me, to be honest. You shouldn't have these people. The only way we can get them is the way they got Capone. We gotta figure out if Miles Garrett's been paying his taxes.

SPEAKER_01 1:31:54

Who owns all these properties in South LA?

SPEAKER_02 1:31:58

We gotta get them on a we gotta get them on a technicality because the because Capone was he was too far away from it. Um the Seahawks, though, I mean, they're defending champions. Uh, the one thing I would say about the Seahawks just to get it on record is like they're kind of being looked past because of everything that have happened with the Rams. Like they're still an elite defense defensive identity, they're still way hard to kill. They're still got the one of the best home fields in all of football, if not the best. They are the defending champions. And at two, the only thing that could have happened to not have them at one and not and it'd be just completely unfair when having not played a single game of football since they won the whole thing, would have been Aaron Donald and Miles Garrick get on the same defensive line in Los Angeles. It's the only thing that could have knocked him off one, where I wouldn't have been like, dude, come on, they're the defending champs. The last competitive game of football that got played, they fucking they became the champions. Like they got to start out as number one. But yeah, too much happened in the offseason that I I agree. I I gotta agree with your top two here. There's not gonna be any contention.

SPEAKER_01 1:32:52

I will say this as we're sitting here today, we just what we're we're watching Locke play for the Seahawks, and boy, oh boy, do they look different now. They're not getting gone is gonna be a real problem.

SPEAKER_02 1:33:01

Bad injuries in week one.

Wednesday Kickoff Backlash And Wrap

SPEAKER_02 1:33:03

It's almost like, and I'd love to just finish where we started, that playing football on a Wednesday is not a great idea. I mean, I know everyone's had the same length of off season, except not these two teams, all things considered. They're the teams who played the most recently, and we played them, we made them play the soonest, also, and now Darnold's hurt and AJ Brown's hurt. I mean, could have been freak accidents. I don't know. I can't.

SPEAKER_01 1:33:26

We don't know what's wrong with AJ Brown. Don't say that. Don't say that.

SPEAKER_02 1:33:30

Correlation is not is not causation, is all I'm saying. I'm just saying Wednesday games are fucking stupid. I was not emotionally prepared for this. In fact, I would argue that if you want to start playing games on uh on days of the week that are not Sunday, you gotta kick the NFL season off on Sunday, and then you can start putting in Thursday and Wednesday and Tuesday and Friday and whatever fucking stupid other days of the week you want to play in an NFL game. Maybe I'm a traditionalist, I don't know. Um, but there you go. That's the power rankings, everybody. We started off strong. We started off with all 32 NFL teams, but it's gonna be a little bit more truncated as we go on because uh too much is gonna happen in the NFL is the thing. There's gonna be a new story every week. Um, I'm gonna end the show here, and I'm gonna go ahead and call the suicide hotline for my friend Matt because he is not doing well. He's done talking a lot about AJ Brown and the fact that we are gearing up to talk about the New England Patriots when that happened was kind of depressing. We had to gloss over it. Uh, but hopefully, hopefully they stay in there thereabouts, and maybe the injury's not so bad, you know, and maybe he does yoga. All right, for myself, for Matt Wilcox, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, the NFL is back, and this has been as it always was and always will be missing the point.