Transcript
Speaker: Hello and welcome back. We are so excited because the day we have all been waiting for is finally here today when this episode airs.
Speaker: The NFL is back! So we are filming this the night before, but we are so excited. to be kicking off the 2025 season tomorrow.
Speaker: And um we cannot wait to dive in make all of our predictions about what's going to happen. Obviously, 0% them are going to come true because that's how it works.
Speaker: um But welcome to the playbook. on I'm Leighton, and it is very late, and so I am in my Bills Mafia jammies.
Speaker: my God. I am Jake. And I am already tired from a long, hard week, but I'm excited for the season to start. And that's going to be like my lifeblood tomorrow. I'm Noah. And it's been a depressing week because Alabama lost, but it's okay. Cause the Seahawks are back Sunday and we're goingnna do great.
Speaker: Yeah. He definitely hasn't been spiraling all week and already he's planning, he's planning Alabama's comeback for like 15 years from now. He's like, don't worry. It's a deep reset. It's a deep reset.
Speaker: Yeah. So yeah. Hopefully any of those Alabama fans out there hang in there. This is your first loss in like 15 years.
Speaker: You'll survive.
Speaker: But anyway, um this this episode, we're mainly going to be talking about what we think is going to be happening over the next few months in 2025 season.
Speaker: um We're going to start with the AFC predictions, and then we'll hop over to the NFC. um So, Jake, actually, before i meant to say this, this is on me.
Speaker: Sorry. Due to scheduling conflicts, Chris does not hear tonight, but she will be back next week. Do not worry. um So we didn't accidentally forget to put her screen up or something.
Speaker: Not that that's happened before.
Speaker: she's ready to take over for Jake May just in case. Yeah, exactly. So, Crystal will be back next week, and you should go to social media and tell her that you missed her.
Speaker: um But now, Jake, do you want to get started with your AFC predictions? Yeah. Do we want to go division by division, or you want run through the whole gamut? Let's do division by division. i love i love but being able dive in a little bit more.
Speaker: Okay, so let's start with the AFC North. And to me, there's one clear winner in that division, and it's the Baltimore Ravens. You know, they are just a tier above everybody else. Their defense is insane. lamars Lamar is Lamar.
Speaker: They've got, ah you know, if DeAndre Hopkins, even in his like past his prime as a wide receiver, three or four on that team, they are stacked. Zay Flowers looks fantastic. Their whole offense is just so creative. John Harbaugh is just a great coach.
Speaker: And, you know, you compare it to the rest of division, the Bengals didn't really address their defense. The only thing they did was make sure they keep Trey Hendrickson around for one year. But the O-line still worries me that pretty boy Joe Burrow is going to get sacked a million times again this year. So that's my big concern with the Bengals.
Speaker: um The Steelers, I don't know what to make of the Steelers. They confuse the hell out of me. Aaron Rodgers is a quarterback. Why would you want Jalen Ramsey on your team?
Speaker: I get George Pickens was a locker room cancer, but... don't know. They weird me out. And then the Browns are the Browns. They also brought in DK Metcalf. like That's basically the same version. It's basically what's pickings without the drama.
Speaker: Well... Based on the preseason, who knows? yeah But then the Browns are the Browns. The Browns are just going to crap their pants all over the division. They're going to be terrible. So Baltimore, easy victors.
Speaker: yeah Yeah. I also have Baltimore. Yeah, we we have a... clean sweep there. um i mean, agree with everything that you said.
Speaker: I just... It's kind of like the meme where it's the three um Hydra heads and the ones like Goofy at the end, except for the entire division is Goofy and it's just the Ravens. Yeah.
Speaker: Ravens are... the Ravens are the only ones that are really showing up in that division. And I feel like part of it also is because the Ravens are so good that it kind of makes the rest of them look silly.
Speaker: Like if you put those three teams against and pretty much any NFC team, they're going to be pretty solid, especially like Steelers and Bengals.
Speaker: Like, I mean, Bengals went toe-to-toe with the ah ah one of the NFC champions you know last year, right? In the Commanders, right?
Speaker: And to the rest of the division and the rest of the AFC, they just look silly. So I think they all suffer from being in a really good division, but they also all suck except for the Ravens.
Speaker: I also, i and I made a comment about this in our Taylor Swift songs as um like what what area you're, can't, this is really bad. is We're only like a few minutes in and I already can't talk.
Speaker: It's fine. I made a comment about how the Ravens, I feel like they just get overlooked because of how effortlessly they make everything.
Speaker: um like Lamar is superhuman and he does pretty much everything that Josh Allen does, but Josh Allen is doing it when everyone else on his team just looks like they're barely showing up for games.
Speaker: And so Lamar just, he doesn't look as impressive by comparison because everyone on that team is the absolute best of at their position.
Speaker: And yeah. This is such a make or break it season for for me, for Lamar. Like the regular season is a warmup. At what point are they the nineties bills where they just continually cannot get over the hump with an extremely talented roster.
Speaker: This is a huge year for him and for the team as a whole for me. and Yeah, i agree. Yeah. I think they're one of three teams that I have labeled as like super bowl or bust.
Speaker: i probably don't want to know I probably don't want to know what one of the other ones is. and I'll say it's two AFC and an NFC. Yeah.
Speaker: Anyway, let's move on to the South. and I feel that the conversation is going to end up being... pretty similar for the next two divisions, just because i think we're all in consensus. um But for the South, we all have the Texans.
Speaker: um And I think this is kind of the exact opposite of what I was just saying for the Ravens of everyone in this division needs a lot of help.
Speaker: um But I think that Houston's defense is going to save them and give them the, the not the conference title.
Speaker: The the division title. um and Yeah. I think Domingo Ryans is an excellent coach. I think CJ Stroud is an excellent quarterback, but I think that the moves that they made in the off season made their offensive line worse.
Speaker: And, and so I don't, and I mean, Can they keep a receiver healthy? But by comparison, you look at, i mean, Colts went through a quarterback search and the best they could find was Daniel Jones. So I think that tells you everything you need to know about them. And I don't, yeah, Jacksonville, I don't, I think i think the whole like,
Speaker: We moved on past the Duval way too fast because I think that that's just a summary of how everything's going to go. Like running back by committee, like everything about it has just been horrific.
Speaker: I will say if Travis Hunter stays healthy this season for them, Even if they do poorly, I still i still think like they they at least have something to build on, and maybe next year we'll be having a different conversation. But this year, no, I don't think Jacksonville will do anything.
Speaker: It's so incumbent on the Jaguars for Travis Hunter and Trevor Lawrence to develop chemistry immediately. Like this has to be spot on. Otherwise it's such a failure of a pick and that's not on Travis Hunter because he's super talented. The failure of the pick is Trevor Lawrence who was supposed to be the next Peyton Manning and has shown barely a flash of potential in the NFL.
Speaker: I feel so bad for him because he was such a prodigy coming out of Clemson and it hasn't translated. So Hopefully Liam Cohen can figure out the offense and get them going because the offense is the problem. The defense to me is decent. you know, it's not like Saxonville of like seven or eight years ago, but they to me, their defense is intriguing enough to where I almost considered it, but the Texans are just too good. Even if their wideout room is basically Nico Collins and company, you know, i Christian Kirk, I guess is fine, but.
Speaker: There's not much else that like excites me about their wide receiver room. And then the running back situation even weirds me out. Joe Mixon's out for four wins. guess the difference. Yeah, what earth is... Are they talking about it to be healthy?
Speaker: Who knows? It's a weird division. like If everything goes right, it's clearly the Texans division. But there are so many things that could go wrong with all four of these teams that I don't know what could happen. Yeah, I was about to say the Titans, I feel like are being very disrespected.
Speaker: like Yes, they are not a good team. But they're not like 2016-2017 Cleveland Browns bad. Right. um Yeah, and I was surprised.
Speaker: Yeah, I feel like if Cam Ward plays a number one overall pick, they could make some noise. I don't foresee that happening.
Speaker: But... yeah I could see them finishing second in the division.
Speaker: Yeah, like if they come out here and... He plays like Jaden Daniels last year. yeah Then he has George, you know, yeah but it, that's no offense, Cam Ward. That's not going to happen.
Speaker: Yeah. So i guess that, yeah, that division is kind of just bleak and I think kind of just the worst division in the NFL. i think I think once we get to the NFC, there are worse divisions. I think in the AFC, it probably is the worst division, but yeah oh God, just wait till we get to the NFC.
Speaker: Okay. So I think we're also in consensus about the AFC East. um Yeah, we are. We Pookie Bear Josh leading the Bills.
Speaker: yeah i think Yeah, I think that's another division that is just dominated by one team. um The Jets are going to jet.
Speaker: I hope Justin Field does good, but I don't think he's going to. Yeah. The Patriots, I don't know. I'm losing hope for them. I'm not going to Really? Yeah.
Speaker: If they had not released Jabril Preppers, I might have had more hope. And also, I don't know. I don't think that was an official depth chart, but I did see that Travion Henderson was listed r b three And that really pay them yeah it doesn't make any sense to me either.
Speaker: and think that will likely change. I hope it does. it It's a Ja'Cory Krosky merit situation. Yeah. That's fair. But yeah, i And then there's the Dolphins with a concussion monster as their quarterback.
Speaker: The Dolphins? Ready? The Dolphins are going to last. The Dolphins are going have a worse season than the Jets, is my opinion. That's a bold pick, but I agree. Yeah, I was going to say only other team I could see that's worse than the Dolphins are the Saints, maybe.
Speaker: Maybe. they're not in the same division, right? Oh, we're talking about the division. We're talking about overall performance. yeah I think the Dolphins are going to be miserable team to watch this. I guarantee you within the first four weeks, there's going some injury to Tua that we're all going to say, why is Tua playing football anymore?
Speaker: He's going to be out for at least five weeks. And then they're going floundering. It's Tyree Kaelin company. And that's just a locker room cancer mixed with a bunch of scrubs. And it's going to turn into epic frustration of like Antonio Brown level worthies of performance.
Speaker: So I think they're in for a really dramatically bad year. I think the Jets, I think Aaron Glenn will get that first year coaching boost, but it's definitely not going to be enough, especially because um Elijah, very, what is, what is the name? Elijah, very, barely Tucker or something like that. Yeah. fer tucker he's out He just had a season-ending injury. so yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker: Yeah, that guard, I think. Exactly. So that, yeah, Elijah Veritaker. So that doesn't help their um ah offensive line at all. So Fields is going to get slammed. The Patriots are a weird team for me. And yeah everyone can see if you're watching on YouTube or on socials, I'm repping my Patriots jersey here.
Speaker: it is still a Mac Jones jersey. I need to change that. Oh, man. But look, Drake May... This is the year he's supposed to take a humongous step forward. And if he does, the Patriots can go far. I think the wide receiver room, while it's still a lot of guys who I have questions about catching the ball, it's definitely better than it was last year.
Speaker: We just talked about the running backs. You know, if Raymondre Stevenson and Travion Henderson can be a two-headed monster, that would be awesome. You know, we did talk about Jabril Peppers, too. That cut was really weird, but the defense is still primed to be really good.
Speaker: I think they're going to be a shocker. i Look, they're not going to be 13 and 5 or 4. They'll hopefully be 9 8.
Speaker: And, you know, we'll talk about the wild cards in a little bit. But if they're there if they go 9 and 8, I'd be really happy with that year. I think that's a huge improvement. They're the better system under Ray Ball. Josh McSnake Oil. Sorry, McDaniels is bad.
Speaker: I think he was such a snake for the amount of teams he's gone back and forth on and ended up back in New England. it's like It's hysterical, and I love that he's a great offensive coordinator solely for the Patriots, but I think he just, it's total snake oil for me with him.
Speaker: But regardless, I think the Patriots have an interesting year, but it's it's the Bills division. like There's no question about it. And again, same pressure that Lamar Jackson has. When do the Bills take that next step? Can they get over their red and yellow-collar demon team?
Speaker: That is the Kansas City Chiefs.
Speaker: Yeah. And the Bills are my my second Super Bowl or bust this season. There you go. Yeah. Yeah, I knew that, but you didn't have to say that.
Speaker: Yeah. Yeah. yeah I think... Do you have any more thoughts on the East?
Speaker: I do, but now I can go first. I was just gonna start, i was gonna start moving to the west. So you're good. oh okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. okay okay I will cry if we lose to the Chiefs again in this playoff.
Speaker: Like, it's not even going to be, like, the one or two tears that have happened in years past. It's not going to be the shock that was the 13-second game. It's not going to be any of that.
Speaker: I will be ugly crying for the next five months if we lose again in the playoffs to the Chiefs. Like, for the love of God... Oh, my God. I will say, i don't think any of the moves that we have made in the offseason have been good. Like, Brandon Bean has seven phone numbers, and he just keeps calling the same ones. Like, I don't think he realizes that he's supposed to go find new talent and, you know...
Speaker: bring in people to help Josh Allen because all he's doing is just like, I don't know, it's like vibes-based drafting and the vibes are based off of how funny you are maybe what women you assaulted.
Speaker: Maybe we should do our homework bills. just I'm just saying, like, Brandon Bean...
Speaker: you basic and you need to do a better job because I'm pretty sure bill Belichick made better picks than you have.
Speaker: And that should be really embarrassing.
Speaker: Listen, i mean, if you look at like, a I mean, it's, it's so painful, but if you look at like, who was like the next pick.
Speaker: Like we, I think what Keon Coleman was right. Yeah. Keon Coleman was like the pick right before Lad McConkie. Like, oh my God. And you know, there's just been so many picks like that where it's very clear we're not great at sussing out talent.
Speaker: um No offense to like the people on the bills. You just aren't great. um But then beyond that, can someone please fire Sean McDermott?
Speaker: Like i i cannot handle one more year of like, he's supposed to be a defensive coordinator. He's supposed to be a defensive genius. And our defense is always the part that falls apart. Like, don't get me wrong. Our offense could use like, i don't know people who could catch the fricking ball, but and like the defense is the one who always like, let's, I clearly I'm getting very passionate about this.
Speaker: But I don't think the ah moves we've made in the offseason help. I do think we'll still make the playoffs. I do think we're still going to dominate this division. But it's all going to be on Josh Allen the way it has been for the past six years. It's going to be Josh and Josh's so show alone.
Speaker: And I can't wait for us to lose in the playoffs on a Tyler Bass missed field goal. That's what's going to happen.
Speaker: But I will say... ah for the rest of the division, and the Patriots, I think, I think they're going to be much better. You know, like, like you were saying, Vrabel is Vrabel is Vrabel. And I think he's going to pull together the team. i mean, even in preseason, they looked so much more cohesive, so much more together. They were like, ah they were a proper team again.
Speaker: yeah, and I just don't think that there's been enough time and enough, you know, ah additional players added to really take down the bills. I think probably next year we'll be in trouble.
Speaker: um So, Sean McBermott and Brandon Bean, get your shit together. Yeah. And then Miami.
Speaker: Oh, Miami. Like, i I don't know what you're doing. Like, yeah somehow you just keep getting worse every year. Like, I feel like you're just, you know...
Speaker: I feel like there's just like some big war going around, you know, everyone's fighting, taking things serious. And you're just over here, like the little TikTok song, like I'm spinning like a ballerina and you guys are just like spinning around.
Speaker: Like, what are they even doing? I don't know. um And yeah, Jets, I agree with what you said. Like, I think they're going to do better than the dolphins. I think that bar's really low, but I don't think that they're going to, you know.
Speaker: magically become not the Jets.
Speaker: Yeah. Going back to your point about how Sean McDermott is a defensive coach, the Bills have not exactly helped him either.
Speaker: I pulled up this year's draft and right after their pick at pick 30, they picked Maxwell Hairston out of Kentucky. He's a cornerback.
Speaker: Right after him went Jihad Campbell, who went to the Eagles. And that Eagles defense is already super stacked. and Jihad Campbell's already running with the first team.
Speaker: Like imagine what a linebacker of that caliber could do to a defense that's floundering like the Bills. And I don't understand. Like missing my one pick that like, it irks me because I love i love Josh Allen. Yeah.
Speaker: Or even trade up and get Malachi Starks because he went to the Ravens. The Ravens don't really need a safety, but he's just going to sit there and then all of a sudden like develop into a superstar. I also feel like the secondary is a part of our stronger part of our defense.
Speaker: Not that there's really a strong part of our defense, but I feel like our secondary is a little bit better.
Speaker: our edge our edge rusher joey bosa like von miller last year i'm sorry what can't wait until he stubs his toe and is out for 14 weeks like what are we doing sorry we need to move on this is good get it out no this is great but that's my point like John Campbell, I know he's from Alabama and everybody's gonna be like, Oh no, it's just, but you're glazing an Alabama player. No, like even Malachi Starks who like, he's somebody that you can move around on defense to fill multiple roles. Like he, he, yes, he's primarily safety, but you can move him to corner.
Speaker: You can move him to linebacker. You can stack him in the box to stop the run. Like he's, he's a unicorn on defense. Like that's the type of players that I feel like the bills need to be focusing on. Yeah. Anyways, we got the West.
Speaker: Yeah. There's our first little bit of controversy and I want to say, I'm so glad that we all picked the bills and then just, so when we should have the bills for like 15 minutes, we're like, here's why they suck. Also, they're going to dominate the division, but they suck.
Speaker: the Yeah. Yeah. Our first discourse division. Well, yeah and not as discourseful, actually.
Speaker: It's just one. I will say, okay, I originally was going to pick the Broncos as well. um But then Tristan talked me out of it the other day.
Speaker: And I was like, oh, yeah, yeah, know. And I was like, right, I definitely wasn't about to pick the Broncos. oh So I have the Chiefs, just because...
Speaker: As much as I want to say that they won't win the division, and as much as I want to say that this will finally be the year that everything catches up with them, not going to be the person who says the Chiefs aren't going to make the playoffs.
Speaker: Like, it and well i will believe it when I see it, but I have seen so much like Mahomes' magic and them pulling off impossible wins and, you know,
Speaker: yeah and destroying my hopes and dreams that um um'm I'm not going to count them out. And I'm not going to say they're not going to win until they don't.
Speaker: Yeah, I agree. And i also originally had the Broncos. And then also Tristan was talking, but I remember I was somewhere are between like eight to 12.
Speaker: And my grandpa is a c Colts fan. So this is when Peyton Manning was there and i made a bet with him that the Colts would beat the Patriots in one of the AFC title games in the playoffs.
Speaker: And he was like, are you sure about that? I don't know that you want to be betting against Tom Brady. I was like, no, I'm for sure. Look at the numbers. They're favored by like two touchdowns. And can't see that. I have a framed.
Speaker: signed a picture of Peyton Manning with the that check that I paid him laminated on the background because I lost the bet. So that just reminded me, don't bet against the teams that are just, that just get it done no matter what.
Speaker: the dinosaur yeah din pan out So I, yeah I'm sticking with the chiefs until, until they're, well, not dynastying. Someone ah until someone to cat piccates them.
Speaker: um Yeah, i well, I'll let Jake talk about the Broncos, but to hit on the other two quickly, like the Raiders definitely think that Pete Carroll is an improvement. Geno Smith is an improvement. I think there are so many improvements to this team. I think that they're actually going to win games this year and might actually, you know,
Speaker: cause some some commotion. i don't think that there's going to be enough to dethrone the Chiefs and I definitely don't think that there's enough to beat both the Chiefs and the Broncos.
Speaker: and But I will say in a couple years, they might be worth you know looking at and then chargers i love the chargers i love the chargers so much but they don't have a single receiver who can catch the ball and yeah had i forgot about him blind
Speaker: man I'm on like 15 of my fantasy teams too. Like, okay. Other than Ladd, who they will all triple cover because there is no one else on the team that can catch the ball.
Speaker: They don't have anyone who can catch the ball. So. They're to be very dependent on their run game between Omari on Hampton and one-eyed Najee Harris. Oh my Yeah. yeah Yeah, but what O-line? They have Joe Alt and that's about it.
Speaker: Yeah. Who was their... their guard who is out for the season. He tore his ACL or something. Sean Slater. Yeah, that's right.
Speaker: Yeah. The only other decent alignment. um Yeah.
Speaker: yeah Okay. Here we go. I think that the question marks surrounding the chiefs are bigger than the question marks surrounding the Broncos. Yeah.
Speaker: And that's why I have the Broncos. It's going to be literally by a game. It's going to be neck and neck. But I think the Broncos just edge it out. I think Bo Nix is primed to take a step forward at quarterback. I think he's primed to avoid a sophomore slump.
Speaker: I think that they have a little bit more balanced offense. I think their defense is fantastic. Adding in Dre Greenlaw, Talanoa, Pufanga was great for them.
Speaker: Um, I love the JK Dobbins, RJ Harvey, two headed running back combo there. If but that's the question mark, if Harvey has the potential to be great in the NFL and if know Dobbins can stay healthy, then I think they're primed to have a really interesting offense.
Speaker: Um, their wide receivers are actually decent. I don't know. I'm just, I'm a little higher on what the Broncos bring to the table than the chiefs, you know?
Speaker: i get I think the chiefs are finally due for a little bit of regression. It happened to of the Patriots dynasty as well. If you look in the like early 2010s, they had that regression where they were like a great team, but not a super bowl echelon team. Yeah. Um,
Speaker: Can Isaiah Pacheco stay healthy? Can Elijah Mitchell stay healthy? Can Hollywood Brown actually show up as a wide receiver too? um Are you using Taequann Thornton at all? Is Rishi Rice going to actually play this year?
Speaker: Is Juju Smith actually going to play and stay healthy this year and be an effective wide receiver? um This is Travis Kelsey's last ride ostensibly. So is he going to have like that last season bump and have an awesome year is he going to regress and you know be distracted by the bright lights of his wedding you know and that's not a bad thing it's great for him that he's got so many awesome things going on in his life it's just I don't know how that affects the rest of the team um Harrison Butler wasn't at Harrison Butler last year there's just a lot there to me there's just enough question marks and enough regression on this team to where I think that the Broncos have
Speaker: just enough to eat it out. And then the chiefs will somehow work their black voodoo magic with the refs in the playoffs because they're the chief and it'll work out somehow. But so I do, I do have a question. Yeah.
Speaker: So all of the things that you mentioned, all those injuries, everything, i completely agree, but last year they all happened and they ended up in the super bowl and they almost had a perfect season.
Speaker: You know, what's difference between what's the difference between that last year and this upcoming year where, you know, going into it, at least they're all healthy um and potentially they could stay healthy, but pretty much everything that could go wrong in terms of injuries besides Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelsey went wrong last year and they still ended up in the Super Bowl.
Speaker: Great that they should not have been in the Super Bowl because that was awful, but you know, that aside. Well, they got what they deserved. I
Speaker: i think there were, I genuinely think there's going to be enough regression. I think that sometimes these guys have now been in the system with Andy Reid for so long and you get so comfortable. It's not going to be, you're not going to to Ryan anymore. and i think that Mahomes is going have to scramble way more than he did last year.
Speaker: And it's going to cause some commotion.
Speaker: I would be so happy to see it. But as someone who has watched many Bills games, thinking we could win. Layton knows all too well.
Speaker: That's true. But that puts us in our wildcard situation already because I had the Chiefs as wildcard one. Like, again, I said it's going to neck and neck, and both the Broncos and the Chiefs are going really good. So I think for the wildcard, we should say our three wildcards, and then we can run off from there.
Speaker: Yeah. I have Broncos. So we, we just swapped Broncos, Patriots, Steelers, ah mainly Steelers, just for tradition.
Speaker: They're going to go nine and eight and they're going to lose in the wildcard round. um I think Patriots, we talked about that already. i think they're really solid. And I think those are going to be the three wildcards. Yeah. I also have, I have the Broncos and then I have the Bengals and Chargers. Yeah.
Speaker: With what defense? I think Joe Burrow and Jamar Chase are just going to will this team to a playoff spot. And then they're just going to get pummeled because there's going to be an actual elite defense waiting for them.
Speaker: And I think the Chargers run game, in spite of missing Rashawn Slater, I think, i mean, we seen what a Harbaugh did at Michigan, even though he cheated. um That's neither here nor there, though.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: He is his teams are always about defense and running the ball down their throat. So he even though he's down. You know what?
Speaker: I said what I said and I stand by it because that is a good football philosophy. Run them into the ground and pound the ball down their throat. And I think that's what the Chargers are going do. And I think it's going to get them the wild card three spot.
Speaker: 33 minutes and change. Okay, clip that for a social. like that That's going to be our first social post immediately.
Speaker: um but I've got the Chargers too as my wildcard two and I have the Patriots as my wildcard three. And this isn't to say that any of them are good enough to deserve being in the playoffs. This is because all the competition around them is going to be so terrible. Those two teams will just end up falling ass backwards into the playoffs.
Speaker: That's why.
Speaker: They'll get pummeled by whoever they face, but i'm gonna say it'll be a great learning experience for the Patriots and something reinvigorating for the region. And the Chargers, it'll save Jim Harbaugh's ass for another year.
Speaker: Yeah, think one, at least one, if not two of the AFC wildcard teams will have losing records. All right, that's not far off. Ooh.
Speaker: Yeah. We should write that down so that when none of them do, we can be I told you so. Yeah. feel like we were remiss to not talk a little bit about the Steelers before we move on to the NFC. but Come on. Tradition is tradition, guys.
Speaker: Mike Tomlin has that... I can't be racist and say it's black magic, but he has like black devil magic in him. And just like he, but he's never had a losing season in Pittsburgh. I don't know where the fuck he wills this from.
Speaker: no either. Like what? what on Okay. Okay. Hear me out. This is the perfect story that this is how going happen. Week six, Aaron Rodgers is going to pop his other Achilles.
Speaker: Will Howard is going to come in and just dominate. yeah I think a lot of Steelers fans would be thrilled to hear that. know what would be even better? First drive of the game. First drive, first game, other one goes out.
Speaker: ah ah have that ah Just for the record, I don't wish an injury upon anybody, but that just would be poetic. ah Yeah. It's okay.
Speaker: He would be fine with it. He would just, but he would just, yeah. Yeah. I just, I mean, it's tradition at this point. They're going to get a wild card spot at nine and eight. And I think it's like the chiefs.
Speaker: I will, I will stop believing it when I see it happen. Otherwise I'm going to say the Steelers are going to make it But talking about teams that suck and getting into the playoffs when you shouldn't, let's talk about the NFC.
Speaker: um i think we all... What the hell?
Speaker: I think we all can agree that the NFC might be a little bit ah less dominant. But... I disagree.
Speaker: There's a lot of parity. Yes. Yes. I disagree. All right. I think the NFC, I think the AFC has better offenses and ah QBs, but I think the NFC has more complete teams.
Speaker: I think the NFC wildcard race is going to be insane because there's easily six or seven teams that could grab any of those three spots. Well, i agree, but I agree because I think that they're all going to be playing poorly.
Speaker: And none of them really deserve the NFC. So anyway. let's Let's start up Let's go same divisions. Let's start up north. Let's start. Leighton and I each have the Detroit Lions and Noah has the Packers.
Speaker: I came so close to putting the Packers as the division winners. I just think that the offense of the Detroit Lions is poised to take that next step. Even losing Ben Johnson to Chicago. i think they are I think Jared Goff has and not These are some of the best weapons he's had in his entire career. Between Sam Laporta at tight end, Amon Ross St. Brown and Jamison Williams at wide out, Sonic and Knuckles at running back, I think they are poised to have a flash of an offense, and I think it's going be just enough to get them over the hump.
Speaker: I agree. i See, the thing is is, I just don't think that there's enough stability in the Green Bay wide receiver room to really elevate um jordan love i think that for once the packers didn't draft a hall of famer he's still good he's just not he's not enough to to over overcome that really interesting pick it's just not like screaming i'm a wide receiver too right now yeah i think probably in the next couple years
Speaker: you know, he's going to develop, but I don't think he's someone who can come in and their rookie year and be like lad or something like that, who I definitely never forgot. um Yeah, I think it will be close, but I think that the Lions just have that extra fighting spirit that's going to get them.
Speaker: The extra bite of the kneecap. Yeah. So they can lose in the playoffs to the commanders again. I also think in regards to the ah Packers,
Speaker: First year Jordan Love was off the charts. Second year Jordan Love hit a sophomore slump. Real Jordan Love is somewhere in between. and it's just, it's not, it's bang average, which is fine. They've got Josh Jacobs, who's a really good running back.
Speaker: It's just not going to be enough to create a fully fledged offense. I think Matt LaFleur is going really frustrated for quite a few games. Yeah. I do like seeing a flustered Matt LaFleur though.
Speaker: Oh. yes Just had to put that out there.
Speaker: See, Noah's reacting like this as if he's not the one sending me the the edits on TikTok with the caption, smash.
Speaker: Listen, some of these coaches, man. Yeah. Stay tuned next week, MFK, pet coaches.
Speaker: Marcus Freeman, smash. ah Yeah, i i am I will admit I'm just buying fully into the Green Bay Packers hype. I i saw a lot of people predicting them in the Super Bowl before the Micah Parsons trade.
Speaker: And I was like, what in the world? Maybe, okay, no, I don't think so. And then they traded for Micah Parsons. And I was like, okay, maybe still not quite Super Bowl, but at least deep playoff run.
Speaker: Um, and I think I do agree. ah Jordan love is not the friend, not necessarily the franchise game changer that maybe prime Aaron Rogers was, but I do think he's a good system quarterback. And when he's injury free, I think he can do really well.
Speaker: Um, as long as his receivers keep all their ligaments intact. Yeah. that I think that is the big hinge point for me, and I am just taking the blind leap of faith that everything is going to stay healthy and their offense is going to actually hit a striving point after basically just handing Josh Jacobs the ball and saying, go.
Speaker: Yeah. um And yeah, I, I don't know something about the lions. I love the lions. They have so many Alabama players. I love Dan Campbell. Dan Campbell such a phenomenal coach. I love his mentality, but something, i don't know something about them just makes me wary of them this year. And yeah I think that's why the Packers will eke them out.
Speaker: Yeah. I mean, I, i I could see it going either way. I think lightning the lighten Lightens, the Lightens, yep. think the Lightens just have a little bit more I literally could find Lightens. That's your own name. You know TikToks of like the boyfriends quitting their girlfriends on the NFL logos? They're now just the Detroit Lightens. They're like...
Speaker: the second Yeah, well, the Lions, I think they're going to do really great this year. So, but ah just to touch on the two other teams in the division, I think that the Vikings, I mean, I just don't see JJ McCarthy elevating them to get them over that hump.
Speaker: And um well, the Bears are the Bears. And I don't think that Ben Johnson is going to change that. See, I think the Bears going to be Okay. And frankly, that's all the Bears deserve right now. Yeah, agreed. Yeah.
Speaker: They're going to be great for the Bears, but they're just still going to be the Bears. Exactly. Yeah. Yeah. Well, okay. So the South, we're all unanimous on this one. Tampa Bay.
Speaker: and i I would be very surprised if... Actually, just go ahead. We can just go ahead and clip this one, keep this one. I would be so shocked if anyone but the Bucs won the NFC South.
Speaker: There's just really no competition. So we can just go ahead and clip that for socials when the Bucs get fourth in their division. um yeah, no. I think there's so much more solid of a team. i think Baker Mayfield...
Speaker: just has, you know, that I think that their wide receiver room is excellent. I think that, you know, I think they're just solid.
Speaker: And i don't think any of the other teams in the division are, and I don't think, I don't think any of the other teams in the division even have a shining part of their team.
Speaker: They're mostly in their re well, okay, Atlanta, whatever, you know, Atlanta has Kyle Pitts, so i shouldn't I shouldn't discount them.
Speaker: And Bichon. It's Bichon and company, though. It's so dependent on how Michael Penix does, because they like really threw him in to be the starter there. i want to clarify, ah before we go any further, Kyle Pitts was a joke.
Speaker: but um was That was not me seriously saying that Kyle Fitz was a force to be reckoned with. Oh my God.
Speaker: so the Bucs. Baker Mayfield, bang average quarterback, going to get you what you need. Bucky Irving, I think he's an interesting wide receiver. If Mike Evans can be great, awesome.
Speaker: But Emeka Agbuga, I think, was such a steal in the draft. And I think he eventually is like the heir apparent to Mike Evans. And he is going to carry these guys so far.
Speaker: Because Todd Bowles, again, bang average coach. That's so... Sad to say that bang average, and I know I'm going repeat this so many times about this division. Bang average is all you need to win the NFC South.
Speaker: That is it. That is so bad to say because they are going, again, they'll go nine and eight and they'll be a division winner and they will be the worst division winner on the in the NFL. The Falcons, Bijan going to have to run like a mother effort to do that.
Speaker: ah The Panthers, yeah this is, again, it different perspective from Lamar and Josh Allen, but it's a big year for Bryce Young. Can he actually take the step forward and be an NFL quarterback, or is he going to be a humongous bust?
Speaker: The Saints... What is going on in New Orleans? What in the dumpster fire? Spencer Rattler is your QB1 and Tyler Shuck is your QB2?
Speaker: What are you doing? You could have kept famous Jameis and had a at least a decent season. Wow. They are going to be so bad this year. They're going to be awful.
Speaker: The Superdome will not be a fun place to be. So by default, it has to be the box. Yeah. Huge shout out to Dave Canales and his biceps though. We'll be watching a lot of Panthers games.
Speaker: You're welcome. No. For those of us not watching YouTube. not watching on yeah Noah is emphatically agreeing. Yeah. yeah So let's, let's move on to the NFC East where we all unanimously picked the commanders. None of us thought about the Eagles at all. um Actually, Leighton put whatever.
Speaker: she didn't actually pick a team. yeah I refuse to put the Eagles on there. Okay. Yeah. Whatever. The Eagles might be a good team.
Speaker: You didn't even spell Eagles right, Noah. Oh, my God. Yeah, I did. That's Eggles. Now they're Eggles. Hey, if you don't know, that's how it's pronounced. They're the Eggles.
Speaker: They're the Eggles. um Anyway, i I hate having to say this. He is a great yeah He makes moves every single off season that somehow strengthened an already good team.
Speaker: I mean, Jalen hurts is so underrated just because of the amount of talent around him. mean, sake one is that. I mean, like you, you could go on and on and on and talk about every single position and they have people that are one or two in their position and Yeah. the No one's dethroning them anytime soon.
Speaker: Someone else please talk. Oh yeah. I'm about to keep talking about the Eagles. for For our NHL fans listening, the Eagles GM is essentially the equivalent of Bill Zito for the Florida of Panthers right now.
Speaker: Pretty much. I would say those teams are synonymous right now and a lot of people just don't see them slowing down including me. Like... what are you going to do with the team that like most of their starters are still under like 26 too?
Speaker: Like they're, I think their oldest player is 30 and I think that might be Dallas Goddard. Oh, let me, let me fact check that. Oh, Lane Johnson. I forgot about Lane Johnson. My bad. Cool. Cool. We can, we can just see the tears welling up in my eyes.
Speaker: um Yeah. core cool coolk Cool. Cool. Cool. Great. But outside of Lane Johnson, who's 35, there are only two players who are 30. Everybody else is like 27 younger.
Speaker: It's a phenomenally young team. Yeah. It's again, so dependent on Nick Sirianni, not being a dud. don't, I still don't know if he's a good coach. I still don't know if he is, but they're uber talented. We didn't even get to talk about my favorite guy. Cooper to gene is not like he's just incredible.
Speaker: Their defense is stacked from top to bottom. And Howie is a magician who knows how to cut the fat from that team so well. It's hard not to see them winning. Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker: But let's talk about NFC East teams that suck, because this will make me happy. yeah boys Sorry, there's something in my throat there. What the hell is Jerry Jones doing? like This is even a new low for him. like I think everyone has probably seen the memes at this point of how Madden wouldn't even accept that trade, because it's so ridiculous for Micah Parsons.
Speaker: um I mean... it It's just absolutely nothing about the team is going well, except Brandon Aubrey fantasy stock is going up because they're not going to score any touchdowns.
Speaker: Yeah, that's pretty much the only. They're just not going score. Well, don't worry. Brandon Aubrey can hit it from like 70. So they're fine. um i mean, and I think the Giants as well um are going to.
Speaker: Well, they're still going to be the Giants. I do think they are going to improve. And I think we're going to probably see Jackson Dart somewhere in the year. And I think that that's going to be a good move for them. I just don't think that they're there yet.
Speaker: um And the Commanders, I do have them making the playoffs, but um I don't think they will have enough to dethrone them. Who's the worst GM in Dallas, Jerry Jones or Nico Harrison?
Speaker: Because they both made generationally awful trades in the last 12 months. I'm going to say Jerry Jones just because it one point he was good, so he knows how to.
Speaker: Nico Harrison maybe just, you know, he doesn't have the right brain cells for it. I think Jerry put himself in the worst position possible this year because of Brian Schottenheimer.
Speaker: that He didn't get an established NFL head coach. He got himself a puppet who's going to listen to whatever plays he wants to call from the owner's box. And it's all on him. I mean, it's never not all on him, but for the last couple of years, it's been so easy to blame Mike McCarthy for things. This is all Jerry land now.
Speaker: And right now it's as broken as like Coney Island in the winter. It's just so bad. Um, yeah the giants. Yeah, I guess they got better. Like a good neighbor. Maybe he'll make a catch if he has a good quarterback.
Speaker: I don't know. Giants country. Let's ride. And we'll get to the commanders in a little bit. Um, as far as playoff hopes go. The oldest team in the league.
Speaker: So, okay. So the next one, NFC least, I mean, What is that word? I thought you said weast.
Speaker: Poor Jake is going to have such a hard time editing this episode because there's going to be so much to edit out.
Speaker: We actually all have different picks. And I think this is the only one is that we have all different picks. Yeah. I'm the Rams. And I want to say for the record, Krista also had the Rams. So clearly that's the right pick.
Speaker: um I also want to say Krista had the Packers as well. Shout out, Krista. You're amazing. We miss you. um Listen, i i think that Sean McVay is one of the best coaches in the NFL. I think he's criminally underrated.
Speaker: i think he manages to make magic out of nothing every single year. um don't really believe in Matt Stafford's back, um but they have – They have a really, you know, talented wide receiver group.
Speaker: um And I just don't think that there's anything else in the division that's enough. I think the Seahawks are still in a recovery year and I do think they're going to get better, but I don't think that it's going to be enough.
Speaker: I think San Francisco regressed significantly in this off season. um And there's only so much that Christian McCaffrey's calves can handle.
Speaker: um i just...
Speaker: Who's the other team? Cardinals. her I forgot that you existed. I forgot that you existed. may or may not have done that intentionally so that you guys should go and watch our NFL teams as Taylor songs.
Speaker: ah We picked, I forgot that you existed for the Cardinals because i keep forgetting that they existed. um Yeah, I just, I think that it's going to be close and and don't think any of them are going to be particularly dominant, but I think the Rams are taking it.
Speaker: Also, I hate the 49ers. You can justify the Seahawks. i i just i think people are riding off this young team. i i think Mike McDonald's defense is going to work nightmares on the division and just in general.
Speaker: um Last year was just a disaster. and i also think we got the piece that we needed for the offensive line in Gray's Abel. That fire was missing oh so much last season where all of a sudden have all eight blitzers in the backfield devouring Geno Smith and everybody wondered why he threw so many receptions.
Speaker: But that's a topic for another day because not everybody's going to agree with that. Um, yeah, I just I also think Byron Murphy and Leonard Williams are primed for ah good year.
Speaker: ah More so Byron Murphy, he's younger, and I think the Marcus Lawrence is really going to help mentor him. I know to Marcus Lawrence is older. um But yeah, I really believe in our defense.
Speaker: um
Speaker: I'm still iffy on the offense, but we'll see. um But defense wins championships, so I believe on the defense, and I believe the defense will win us the division.
Speaker: Sam Darnold, though?
Speaker: Really? You have faith in that? I don't think he has faith that Sam Darnold is going to make it all the way through the season. He just has faith in his backup because his backup went to the Holy Land. That's right. yeah My whole argument is built on our defense. I think our defense is going to take a lot of people by surprise.
Speaker: His whole argument is based off of the fact that the Seahawks are his favorite team. Well, no. guy right sure we believe that all right but shake didn't give flack for picking his favorite team
Speaker: I picked them as a wild card and said they would fall ass backwards in the playoffs. I didn't pick them because I said they were going be dramatically amazing. I have so much faith. Click this for later. We'll come back to this and I'll either my words happily. I don't remember even picking the Patriots to win the divisive award.
Speaker: I've forgotten in like 15 minutes what's happening. No, no, no. Okay. Time out. I need to hear Jake's explanation for why he thinks the 49ers are going to win the division with the worst coach in football.
Speaker: I think that Matthew Stafford's armor is going absolutely fall off. And then you can't trust the Rams after that. What about Jimmy G? What about the greatest thing to ever appear on a football field?
Speaker: Jimmy G will then hurt his back because that is all Jimmy G does is play three games, yeah have a lower back injury, and then not play the rest of the year. was a Patriot first. I am so used to the Jimmy G experience.
Speaker: He also looks beautiful doing it. Who cares if he's injured? He's beautiful. Just put him in a back brace. I don't care. I don't care if he's just sitting on a bed and not scoring points.
Speaker: I want to see it. I think that I don't trust the Rams as far as I can throw them with that. You Puka's great. Devante's awesome. Tutu Atwell's interesting.
Speaker: Of course, they've got a running game in Kyron Williams. But is it like the most enthralling? i You know, is Puka a one-season wonder? And can he really show off that he's an elite NFL wide receiver?
Speaker: I don't know. We're going to have to see. Otherwise, you're dealing with Stetson Bennett as your third string QB and you're hoping and praying. Oh, I forgot about that one. um Kyler Murray, this is your make it a break it moment. You either go ham this year or you become a journeyman quarterback because he has never lived up to his potential in the NFL.
Speaker: He could have been an awesome Drew Brees type character and just never, ever lived up to that. So, um I mean, they've got Trey McBride who finally scored a touchdown last year. And Trey McBride is an interesting piece.
Speaker: If Marvin Harrison can take a step forward, sure. If James Conner doesn't get hurt, it's just, it's not there. The pieces aren't completely there for me. Yeah. No, i there's nothing impressive with them.
Speaker: And then the the Seahawks. It's going to be an adjustment year for them. I completely agree with Leighton. They need to figure themselves out. Yeah, they've got some interesting pieces. I love Jackson Smith and Jigba.
Speaker: i think they I think, again, cutting the weight of DK Metcalf, um Tyler Lockett, I think is really good for their offense. um I hope Kenneth Walker can stay healthy um because I don't necessarily trust Zach Charbonnet as fully as an RB1.
Speaker: I think he's a great... I think he's ah i think he's like just under the threshold for me. And that leaves the 49ers, who, yeah, they've got some injuries to start the year and some weird shit going on.
Speaker: and they lost half of their defense, and they've got the worst coach, and They have no wide receivers. But they're going to scam their way in. That's the way it's going to happen. Brock Purdy is going to find some magic. with I think Ricky Pearsall is actually the X Factor on the team. George Kittle catches a bunch of touchdowns.
Speaker: I think Ricky Pearsall is finally going to get unlocked this year and be used well enough in the offense to make this team good enough. so um We'll see what happens when Isaac, you know, they've got three decent running backs.
Speaker: McCaffrey, if he stays healthy, is one of the best. And then Brian Robinson and Isaac Garendo behind him. Super interesting. Okay, but Brian Robinson couldn't even secure a spot on Washington.
Speaker: And do think he's going to dominate on the 49ers? I think he'll end up being more of a pass catching wide out. I think he's not a bell cow, but I think he'll be put in a much more appropriate role.
Speaker: if McCaffrey gets hurt, then they're screwed. But I'm banking, hopefully, on McCaffrey not getting hurt this year, I hope. There's lot I hope on that.
Speaker: There's a lot of i hope in that division. It's such a scary division, which is why I think it's awesome that the three of us each picked someone different and no one picked Cardinals. Yeah, i was going say, the poor Cardinals.
Speaker: I will just always be a Kyle Shanahan hater, so I will never be someone who picks the 49ers, but um yeah, whatever. They're fine, I guess.
Speaker: So let's talk about better teams. but Washington commanders. My three wildcard picks are going to be Washington, the lions, which I just realized that means I picked the lions twice.
Speaker: So I think what I meant there was green Bay, um Washington, green Bay and the Seahawks. But honestly, I really struggled with that last pick because once you get past, you know, like Washington and the cheese heads, um, um
Speaker: then i think it really is a toss-up. i I mean, it could be anyone, and there's a lot of teams that could sneak in. So I'm going to pick the Seahawks, but honestly, it could be anyone.
Speaker: It could even be the Cardinals. JK could never be the Cardinals. Unless Kyler Murray plays like he did his Heisman season.
Speaker: which I don't think he can anymore because he tore his ACL. Yeah, he doesn't have a knee. Yeah. But my three wild cards, I have the Lions, the Rams, and then I have the Falcons sneaking in. Geez, I wonder why. um Because I have faith in...
Speaker: ah And some people went to Alabama, and they're his faith second favorite team.
Speaker: Wait, who in the Falcons went to Alabama? have no clue. But I'm assuming that there is someone since you like them. No, I just like Michael Penix and Bijan. Oh, okay.
Speaker: Didn't Bijan go to Alabama? He to Texas. Cool.
Speaker: Yeah, there's like zero knowledge in my head right now. I just love simply on your sheet here because the only thing I think of is the James May meme. That's just like crunchy, like heavy bass audio.
Speaker: Jeez. That's all I can think of. You're welcome. um I got the Rams again they could easily be division winners and the 49ers sneak in there that's fine by me but I've got the Rams as wildcard one the Packers as wildcard two and the Commanders as wildcard three
Speaker: yeah I mean I don't I don't disagree how australia i think that's all Krista and I are the two that have Washington missing yeah yeah ah do you want to defend yourself there
Speaker: I just don't, I think age is going to catch up with the commanders. I think Jayden's going to a phenomenal year, but I think the age of the defense is just going to catch up. I think, I think the commanders are just going to be like the bangles of the NFC.
Speaker: That might be valid, but I reject that. but so Even though my football brain says, yes, that's valid, um I am just a Washington fan.
Speaker: and is being led out of the desert. We finally can support this team after like 30 years. So you know what? No, we're winning the Super Bowl.
Speaker: It's going to be my worst nightmare. It's going to be Commanders versus Bills. And I'm just going to cry the entire evening. If it is, you got to get a custom jersey that's split down the middle.
Speaker: Nice. I think so. Yeah. It almost happened last year. I think we're not putting the commanders either. but If they didn't have Scary Terry, I would have flipped them with someone else. But I think that having Terry there is tremendously helpful to their offense.
Speaker: And hopefully, the Corey Krosky merit actually shows off the potential that we all think he has and takes over the RB1 from Austin Eckler. Yeah, I really hope so. But anyway, tell us about all of your hopes and dreams for your team. Tell us who you think is going to win all the divisions, even if they're not your team.
Speaker: um We can't wait to see what you guys pick. We can't wait to see what actually happens. um The day is finally here. i mean, it's almost midnight, so it's practically...
Speaker: football season again, in the words of Taylor Swift, his, the damn season. Let us, let us embrace the season's change. Um, but yeah, let us know, let us know what, what you guys are thinking.
Speaker: Tell us where we went wrong. Um, tell us what your thoughts are. And we can't wait to see you next time on the playbook.
