KSR NFL Cover Zero: Coaching Changes and Wild Card Weekend!

Date: January 8, 2026
Hosts: Matt Jones, Drew Franklin, Billy

Episode Overview

This lively episode of NFL Cover Zero focuses on the swirl of NFL coaching changes following Black Monday and dives deep into analysis and predictions for the upcoming Wild Card playoff weekend. Joined by regulars Drew Franklin—checking in from vacation—and Billy, the crew provides an entertaining mix of banter, sharp takes on job openings, playoff seeding debates, notable player stats, and touchdown-pick competition. As always, the discussion keeps things fresh, humorous, and opinionated, offering plenty for fans of coaching drama, playoff scenarios, and hot takes.

Main Sections & Key Discussion Points

1. Coaching Carousel: Who’s Out – And Who’s Next?

(Starts ~02:50)

• The Black Monday Firings:
  • Four coaches fired: Raheem Morris (Falcons), Kevin Stefanski (Browns), Jonathan Gannon (Cardinals), Pete Carroll (Raiders).
  • Quick, sometimes sarcastic, takes on the appeal of these job openings, with questions like “how eager would you be for these jobs?” and debates about the franchises’ prospects.
• Raheem Morris (Falcons):
  • [06:41] Matt Jones: “The GM did him wrong with that Michael Penix pick where you just paid Kirk Cousins all that money and then go waste your first draft pick on a quarterback when you could have gotten a lot of other pieces. Maybe Penix is good long term, but I think that... set him up for failure.”
  • Atlanta’s lack of identity, mediocre QB situation, and their history of lackluster coaching hires are discussed.
• Kevin Stefanski (Browns):
  • [09:34] Drew Franklin: “I understand why they did this, but I’m not sure that I think it’s a great decision to let him go… It wouldn’t shock me if he gets one of these other job openings, to be quite frank with you.”
  • Speculation over the leaked info Stefanski didn’t want to work with Deshaun Watson.
  • [10:50] Drew Franklin: “One thing the Browns have always stood for is getting high character guys. ...It’s 2026. Just say anything, right? Like you can just say whatever.”
• Jonathan Gannon (Cardinals):
  • [11:30] Drew Franklin dryly recalls Gannon’s awkward intro and predicts anonymous, endless cycles for the franchise.
• Pete Carroll (Raiders):
  • [13:50] Drew Franklin: “A great career...like a lot of old people, lost his fortune in Las Vegas when he tried to go one more… They did get one last win so he could go out on top at 3 and 14.”
  • The perils of holding on too long and a humorous reflection about aging and perseverance.
• General Theme:
  • The “revolving door” nature of struggling franchises; nearly all have been “horrible for the last decade.” [12:34]

Notable Moment: Facial Hair Banter

• [03:22]–[05:23] Extended, light-hearted ribbing about Billy’s new goatee and his “villain” look, paralleling the episode's theme of firings and adversity:

  Drew Franklin: “With the goatee and everything, you kind of look evil, and I like. I’m kind of liking evil Billy here.” [03:44]

2. The Two Existing Openings: Giants and Titans

(Starts ~16:59)

• Giants:
  • GM Joe Shane’s unconvincing commitment to using “AI extensively” in the coaching search gets a lot of skepticism and comic disbelief.

  Matt Jones: “What is AI going to do to help you pick a coach?” [17:50]

• Titans:
  • Drew, as a fan, is unimpressed with the rumored retread names (Mike McCarthy, Matt Nagy).

  Matt Jones: “I would like a name I haven’t watched lose on Sunday before.” [20:31]

Kurt Cignetti for the NFL?

• Brief discussion about college winner Kurt Cignetti as a wild-card coaching candidate. Agreement that he’s intriguing but likely “just a true college coach.” [22:01]

3. Ranking the Six NFL Job Openings

(Starts ~22:09)

• Both Matt and Drew believe the New York Giants are the clear #1 job (“runaway number one”).
• Raiders, Arizona, Titans, Browns, and Falcons follow, reasons ranging from roster flexibility to organizational dysfunction.

  Matt Jones: “...organization is embarrassing...There are Titans everywhere making big plays right now for good teams and they let them all walk out the door. So I just have no faith in that organization.” [24:46]

4. News and Noteworthy NFL Headlines

(Starts ~25:22)

• Nick Sirianni & Resting Eagles Starters:
  • [25:22–26:54] Hot debate on whether sitting starters in Week 18 was wise.

    Drew Franklin: “If he believes...rest is more important...that’s an incorrect point.” Matt Jones: “He better win...it’ll be a bad look if they drop that game.”

• Bears-Packers Playoff History:
  • The Bears have never beaten the Packers in the playoffs; only two previous matchups in history ([27:27]).
• Seahawks/Pope Super Bowl Trend & Playoff Odds:
  • An elaborate segment muses about the Seahawks Super Bowl odds and the odd “Pope gets chosen, Seahawks reach Super Bowl” trivia.

    Drew Franklin: “If the Pope has Seattle as a Super Bowl, I’m out on the Pope.” [29:42]

• Kicker Sympathy:
  • Discussion on Loopty Loop’s missed kick, public response, and faith in his future.

    Matt Jones: “I’m buying stock in Loop de Loop. That’ll be the worst moment of his career by far...Straight up from here.” [32:04]

• Carolina Panthers’ Losing Record Playoff Berth:
  • Should division winners with losing records get home field?

    Drew Franklin: “I don’t really…I mean in college football there’s an argument about using divisions… but in football it’s a salary cap. Everybody’s the same. Why not just take the seven best teams?” [34:10]

5. Regular Season Stat Leaders & Awards

(Starts ~37:31)

• Passing: Matthew Stafford wins the passing title, favorite for MVP.

  Drew Franklin: “Who would you vote for for mvp?” Matt Jones: “I’m giving it to me (Stafford).” [37:49]

• Rushing: James Cook surprises with rushing title.

  Drew Franklin: “I would have lost a lot of money on that. I would have gone Henry or Jonathan Taylor and bet the house against the field with those two.” [39:48]

• Receiving: Jaxon Smith-Njigba leads receivers.
• Kick returns: Ray Davis tops with 30.4 average.

Memorable Moment: Celebrity News Tangent

• Hilariously off-topic, Drew gets a phone alert:

  “Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban finalized their divorce. Why would they think that’s high priority?” [39:57]

6. Wild Card Weekend - Game-by-Game Picks and Touchdown Props

(Starts ~45:42)

The crew rotates picks for each playoff game, predicting a winner and each selecting a player for the “Anytime Touchdown” market. Banter on possible outcomes is laced with genuine insight and comedic asides. (Full results in transcript; notable highlights below):

• Rams at Panthers:

  Matt Jones: “I wanted to pick the upset…but it’s just too big of a gap between these teams. Rams go in there and win.” [46:23]

  • TD picks: Puka Nacua (Billy), Kyron Williams (Drew), Rico (Matt)
• Bears vs Packers:

  Matt Jones: “This is the moment where everything flips. ...This starts the beginning of the Bears owning that series.” [49:10]

  • TD picks: Loveland, Swift, Manungai (all Bears)
• Bills at Jaguars:

  Drew Franklin: “Look at your path (Josh Allen). ...If he can’t do it now, as good as he is, he’s just not going to.” [51:35]

  • TD picks: Josh Allen, Parker Washington, James Cook
• 49ers vs Eagles:
  • All think Eagles are due, with Billy lone-wolfing with a McCaffrey/49ers pick.
• Patriots vs Chargers:
  • Mix of faith in Herbert/upset call.
  • TD picks span Drake May, Trayvon Henderson, and Hampton.
• Texans vs Steelers:
  • Discussion of defensive slugfest.
  • Picks: Nico Collins, DK Metcalf (unexpected pick), Kenneth Gainwell.

Victory Bundle Presented by Liberty Mutual:

Each chooses a spread they “feel the best about.”

• Matt: Bears (+1.5)
• Billy: Houston on the road (-3)
• Drew: Buffalo as a road favorite (-1.5)

“That’s your victory bundle presented by Liberty Mutual, start your quote at libertymutual.com.” [59:19]

7. Additional Notable Stats and Trivia

• Jets become 1st team since 1933 with zero interceptions in a season; their playoff drought is the longest in any sport. [44:13]
• Bills have lost 8 straight road playoff games since 1992.

  Drew Franklin: “That’s an amazing stat. I didn’t know that.” [43:50]

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• [03:44] Drew Franklin: “With the goatee and everything, you kind of look evil, and I like. I’m kind of liking evil Billy here.”
• [10:50] Drew Franklin: “One thing the Browns have always stood for is getting high character guys.”
• [17:50] Matt Jones: “What is AI going to do to help you pick a coach?”
• [29:42] Drew Franklin: “If the Pope has Seattle as a Super Bowl, I’m out on the Pope.”
• [32:04] Matt Jones: “I’m buying stock in Loop de Loop. That’ll be the worst moment of his career by far...Straight up from here.”
• [39:57] Drew Franklin: “Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban finalized their divorce. Why would they think that’s high priority?”

Tone & Style

The hosts keep the discussion high energy, quick-witted, and rooted in genuine fandom. They balance sharp football analysis with humorous asides, pop-culture references, and personal anecdotes, creating a show that’s both informative and highly entertaining for listeners—even those who missed the episode itself.

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Time | Topic | |:--------:|--------------------------------------------------------| | 02:50 | Start of main show content, coaching changes rundown | | 06:41 | Raheem Morris & Falcons firing analysis | | 09:34 | Kevin Stefanski & Browns discussion | | 11:30 | Jonathan Gannon & Cardinals | | 13:50 | Pete Carroll postscript | | 16:59 | Giants & Titans openings | | 22:09 | Ranking the six head coach job openings | | 25:22 | Eagles resting starters, Sirianni’s rationale | | 37:31 | Regular season stat leaders and MVP talk | | 45:42 | Playoff predictions and “anytime touchdown” picks | | 59:19 | Victory bundle (best bets of the week) |

Conclusion

This episode is a must-listen for anyone following the NFL coaching carousel, curious about postseason matchups, or just in need of some football-fueled laughs. The KSR crew lays out all the drama, balances optimism and skepticism for every franchise, and peppers in just enough nonsense and self-deprecating humor to keep everything engaging—even through the most “melancholy violet Tuesday” in the league’s annual cycle.