Buffalo Plus Podcast: “NFL Network's Mike Giardi talks Bills, Patriots and AFC East”

Date: July 1, 2022
Guests: Mike Catalana, Jenna Cottrell, Dan Fetes (Buffalo Plus hosts) with guest Mike Giardi (NFL Network)

Episode Overview

In this episode, the Buffalo Plus team welcomes NFL Network’s Mike Giardi to discuss the shifting power dynamics in the AFC East, focusing especially on the Buffalo Bills and New England Patriots. The conversation covers the Bills’ ascendance to divisional dominance, the Patriots’ efforts to keep pace, the evolution and expectations around Mac Jones, and an in-depth (and entertaining!) debunking of the “myth” of the NFL salary cap. The episode also features candid insider stories about franchise culture, the challenges of NFL beat reporting, and a few lighthearted moments about the perils of mispronounced last names.

Main Discussion Points

1. Setting the Tone in the AFC East

• Buffalo’s Rise:

  • Giardi says the Bills are “the best team by far” in the AFC East and “probably the best team in the entire league” right now (01:23).
  • Bills’ roster depth is highlighted: “They’re going to have some tough decisions to make… there are a lot of NFL players that are probably fringe guys on this team may not make the roster. And that’s a phenomenal problem to have.” (01:45)
  • Credits Buffalo GM Brandon Beane for building a powerhouse over five years.

• Patriots’ Respect for the Bills:

  • The playoff blowout loss to Buffalo “changed the perception” in New England (02:55).
  • Bill Belichick seeking out Josh Allen post-game is cited as a sign of heightened respect.
  • Patriots’ offseason roster moves, especially getting younger/athletic at linebacker, were a direct response to being “embarrassed” by Buffalo in both regular season and playoffs.

• Patriots Now Chasing, Not Leading:

  • Giardi: “For the better part of 20 years, the Patriots looked at their competition in the AFC as… the Steelers, as the Ravens, as the Broncos... Now the Bills are the team that they have to… say, well, how do we beat that team?” (05:35)
  • The seismic power shift means Patriots now build rosters in response to Buffalo, much like AFC East teams did for years around New England.

2. Mac Jones & Offensive Evolution in New England

• Mac Jones’ Value:

  • Privately, there’s “great belief in the quarterback” among Patriots players and staff. His “superpowers” are intelligence and accuracy (07:45).
  • Giardi: “He’s incredibly intelligent and he digested a playbook that was 20 years in the making...” (07:58)
  • “At some point in a big game, you’re going to be stuck in the pocket... with this kid’s accuracy and intelligence, they feel like he can do that.” (08:31)

• Concerns for Year 2:

  • Coaching Uncertainty: The departure of Josh McDaniels and a confusing arrangement with Matt Patricia, Joe Judge, and potentially Belichick as play-callers. “There’s just a lot of questions about that… Is it going to be too many voices in the kid’s ear?” (09:34)
  • “If this year goes sideways, I can look at it and say, well, what did they do for him? …They didn’t get him a real offensive coordinator.” (09:50)
  • “It doesn’t seem like the Patriots have any idea of where they’re going in that direction. Or am I wrong?” —Dan (10:12)
  • Giardi clarifies: Only Bill may know the plan, but from the outside it's opaque and reminiscent of awkward multi-cook arrangements: “They have this thing about titles which I don’t get... I don’t know if they think there’s a competitive advantage to not telling… who the offensive coordinator is, but they’ve done it before.” (11:05)
  • Giardi draws comparisons to ‘The Office’ sitcom: “What business doesn’t have two co-managers? …Where would the Catholic Church be without the Popes?” —Dan (12:25)

3. Expectations for the Patriots & the Division

• Prediction:

  • Giardi: “I don’t think that they’ve done enough to keep pace with Buffalo and… probably haven’t done enough to keep pace with what Miami’s done.” (13:40)
  • “My expectations: they’re a borderline .500 team… the hope there is that these players they added last year… are going to be a lot better in year two.” (14:29)

• Belichick’s Legacy & Scrutiny:

  • “There is a little bit more of… an erosion of [the] trust, I think… There’s definitely more criticism of Bill.” (15:44, 16:06)
  • Patriots’ lack of playoff wins post-Brady is a growing concern for ownership: “A step back this year will raise questions about Bill’s future.” (16:55)
  • In contrast to prior years, there’s less patience for unorthodox decisions and more attention to the staff surrounding Mac Jones.

4. Inside Patriots Coverage: The Beat Reporter’s Perspective

• Cultural differences:
  • Giardi describes covering Belichick’s Patriots as often “like, you want to take your head and slam it through a plate glass window,” due to the secrecy and defensiveness (18:26).
  • Personal Growth: “It’s tough to cover Bill when you’re younger because... there’s an intimidation factor… I think when you get to be my age, you don’t give a damn… It becomes, I’m just doing my job.” (18:53)
  • Contrast with the Bills — they’re seen as more open and accessible.

5. The NFL Salary Cap: Myth vs. Reality

• The Cap is (Mostly) a Myth:

  • Giardi and Dan Fetes enthusiastically agree: If a team wants to keep or acquire a player, “you can figure out ways” financially, unless ownership simply refuses to spend (21:21).
  • “If you want the guy, you can pay the guy… Does your ownership want to put this money in escrow? That’s the real question.” (22:11)
  • Teams like the Rams are cited as examples of franchises that aggressively manipulate contracts and cap figures without true consequence.

• Notable Quotes:

  • “There are very few teams in the last 10 to 15 years that have found themselves in cap jail because everyone’s gotten good at being able to move the money around.” (21:51) —Giardi
  • “The Patriots love to use it and... But then there’s a quote from Bill Belichick... ‘the salary cap, as we well know, can be maneuvered and manipulated however you want.’” (22:54) —Giardi
  • Dan: “It’s an excuse for poorly run teams to say we can’t afford to pay this player. Or it’s what teams use as... a human shield.” (27:27)

• Real-World Application:

  • Bills’ decisions surrounding contracts for Von Miller, Jordan Poyer, and Tremaine Edmunds are discussed as examples. If the team really wants to keep a player, they can — it’s less about cap restrictions, more about valuation (26:29–28:46).
  • “They may look at him and say, he’s an $8 million a year player and he wants 14. We’re not paying them 14, so… Oh, the cap. Can’t. The cap. We just can’t do it.” —On negotiating player contracts (27:56)

6. Closing & Lighthearted Moments

• “G, R, D” — On Pronouncing Giardi:
  • The hosts share laughs over last-name mispronunciations and a running joke about Jenna’s earlier struggle to get it right. Giardi laughs it off, saying, “It’s close enough. It’s in the ballpark.” (30:45)
  • Story of Dan mistakenly including Giardi in a group Twitter DM intended for a colleague — more lighthearted banter to finish the episode. (31:38)

Notable Quotes & Segments

• On the AFC East:

  • “The Bills are the best team. I think they're still the best team by far. I think they're probably the best team in the entire league. So everybody else in the AFC East, everyone else in the AFC, period, is chasing that football team.” —Mike Giardi (01:23)

• Bills-Patriots Rivalry Shift:

  • "The Bills have now become the gold standard in the division." —Mike Giardi (03:58)

• Mac Jones & Coaching Uncertainty:

  • "There's just a lot of questions about that… I’ll be real with you, he kind of has a built in excuse. If this year goes sideways... they didn't get him a real offensive coordinator.” —Mike Giardi (09:34)

• On the Salary Cap:

  • "The salary cap, as we well know, can be maneuvered and manipulated however you want." —Citing Belichick, paraphrased by Giardi (22:54)
  • “It’s an excuse for poorly run teams...” —Dan Fetes (27:27)

Important Timestamps

• 01:23 — Giardi on Bills currently being the premier team in the NFL
• 02:55 — Patriots’ response to Buffalo's playoff blowout
• 05:35 — Power shift: Patriots now chasing Bills
• 07:45 — Internal Patriots’ view of Mac Jones
• 09:34 — Coaching uncertainty in New England
• 13:40 — Giardi sets Patriots’ expectations for 2022
• 15:44 — Erosion of trust in Belichick post-Brady
• 18:26 — Giardi on challenges of reporting on the Patriots
• 21:21 — Beginning of in-depth salary cap discussion
• 22:54 — Belichick quote on manipulating the cap
• 27:27 — The cap as an excuse for teams’ choices
• 30:02 — Lighthearted last-name mispronunciation stories

Final Takeaways

• There is genuine belief—both inside and outside New England—that the Bills are now the “gold standard” in the AFC East and perhaps the NFL.
• The Patriots’ unusual approach to both player development (Mac Jones) and coaching structure (no clear offensive coordinator) has fans and media alike questioning their direction.
• The oft-cited constraint of the salary cap is, according to industry insiders like Giardi and the hosts, a convenient myth; teams usually have financial flexibility if their ownership is willing.
• The episode blends deep football insights with humor and candid reporting stories, making it highly engaging for Bills, Patriots, and AFC East fans alike.