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- [00:00]
A
This is an iHeart podcast.
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B
NFL Cover Zero with Matt Jones and Drew Franklin is a production of the NFL and iHeart podcast. It's episode two of the NFL Cover Zero podcast. We welcome all the folks who listen to episode one or who just came upon this one as their first one. Please like and subscribe. Maybe give us a rating. Say something really nice. It's kind of exciting, Drew, to have new listeners who are not from where we're from. We're both from Kentucky. Like, I just got a follow on Instagram from the Chiefs fans of Nashville, which is very exciting, very specific. So if I ever go to Nashville and I want to watch a Chiefs game, I will go where those people.
- [00:57]
A
Say, you know, that's. That's drivable. We could go meet up with the Chiefs fans of Nashville if we ever need to.
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B
Yeah, I like the Chiefs fans of Nashville. I mean, I'd say maybe Taylor Swift's relatives would be part of it, but. So thank you to all those folks. You can follow us. He's Drew Franklin, KSR on. On Instagram. I'm KY Sports Radio, so feel free to join us. Now, Episode one went really well. We did the rank ability, or, excuse me, watch ability of all the teams, but, you know, there are actually games now. This isn't theoretical. We are recording this on Wednesday afternoon. Games start tomorrow night. Are you feeling the excitement?
- [01:35]
A
Oh, I'm very excited. I mean, I watched a lot of the preseason, probably more of the preseason than the average viewer got a good little taste of it. But now I'm ready for the real thing. And as always, we have some marquees games right out of the gate that.
- [01:49]
B
I look forward to. I watched more of the preseason this year than every preseason in my life combined, which is I watched 3/4 of a game because I don't watch the preseason. I always turn on the NFL hall of Fame game, get excited, and then say, this is awful. But I did watch. I did watch some of it for the local announcers, et cetera. But now I'm ready for the regular games. I do have to ask you, I don't know this about you. Do you do fantasy football? Like, do you. Do you do the. Hey, I got Lamar Jackson at quarterback. Like, do you do that?
- [02:20]
A
I don't. And there's a story. Ten years ago, I did. Like, we got together, like, in a group. We did the draft. It was a thing. I had an incredible year. I might have lost, like, one week. A lot of it was luck. I think I had, like, I think.
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B
A Lot of it's luck.
- [02:34]
A
Well, I think I had a running back. Maybe like, so far back. Maybe it was like when Steven Johnson was first put on the map. Whatever the case, Steven Jackson, excuse me, but at the end of the season, I'm a runaway winner. And the commissioner says, no one paid at the beginning of the year, but you. And I had to go person by person and be like, hey, you owe me 50 bucks from September.
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B
Did you ever get it?
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A
No. And it come. I got, like, three of the guys, but it completely soured me on fantasy, and I haven't done it since.
- [02:57]
B
You know, one of our fellow NFL podcasts, Bobby Bones, who I think does a podcast with the NFL with Matt Castle, he invited me to his league, and it was like, him, eight of his college friends and me, and they had a draft they drafted every year, and they used it like a lot of college friends would do. They talk trash to each other, et cetera. And I felt bad because I didn't know any of these people. So I did, like, a whole year where, again, I never met any of them. I think I came in, like, fourth or something in the league. And then the next year, it came for the draft, and I was like, I feel like I really didn't participate. So I just came in and was like, you know, you suck, like, to these strangers. You know what? Like, yeah, you can do that because you drive up a nasty car. And I don't think they liked it. I don't think his friends thought that I should be doing that since I didn't know him. So I didn't get an invite again after the next year. So I did two years, and then I got cut from the league.
- [03:57]
A
That's what I miss is the. The trash talk every week. You know, now it's become this thing to have a bet. I'm just still so mad from my league 10 years ago when the commissioner didn't collect the money, that I'm boycotting it. So I don't do it.
- [04:11]
B
So we're not in it, which means we won't be, like, during the year talking about who's the two things I never want to hear anybody about. Talk about their fantasy team or a hand in poker. Anytime anybody talks about the two of them, I punch them in the face. And so we're not going to do that this year as well. What we are going to do is talk about the games. So I think we got to get started. Thursday Night Football, you're going to have Mike Tirico and Chris Collinsworth. Live from the city of brotherly love, where they'll give out their gaudy super bowl rings, it is the Eagles and the Cowboys. You know, normally this would be a celebration of Philadelphia. We've seen over the years, though sometimes the team that is in this game will get upset, but the Cowboys seem like such a rudderless ship that I feel like this is almost a gimme for the Eagles. Is there any reason I'm excited about the game, but is there any reason it has any chance of being close?
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A
I don't think so. I think the spread's a little high. It's like eight and a half. But the Cowboys, we all. We all know the recent news. Not. Not a great PR situation for the Cowboys as they come into game one of the new season. But just as a neutral observer of the NFL, I love a good rivalry game right here, even if I don't think it's going to be very close. I love that we have Philadelphia, Dallas, first one up on our tv. Whatever you think of it, that's one of the better rivalries in the league.
- [05:30]
B
So I like Thursday Night Football because the NFL always, for the first game, they always bring a concert in, but it's like, it's usually not a huge star. They save those for later on. So they'll go, you know, they'll come in, they'll be like, for the game, 98 degrees. And then they come out and sing, I swear. And people get really excited about it. But it's week one, so they can just kind of give you anything and you'll be excited.
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A
Forget anything but Micah Parsons.
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B
Yeah, exactly. Every year, there's always one massive upset in week one. Happens almost every season. Any chance this is the one? I mean, is there any chance that this. We get a Cowboys saying, jerry Jones, middle fingers up, shirt off, in the center of the field, getting a victory.
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A
I won't write off an upset at all. That's why I think the spreads a little high. Rivalry game, game one. We don't know a lot about these teams. Eagle, secondary, what can they be? Maybe Dakota goes back to his best form, has a great year. Or the real scenario, the Cowboys win this, get all their hopes up, and they fizzle out as the year goes on. Cowboys, that would be the most likely scenario.
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B
There's only two there. There are two sort of results. I'm looking for one. Cowboys win. Philadelphia fans, I like to see them frustrated, but, you know, they can't get that far. They just won the super bowl, so. And they won a few years ago. With Nick Foles. So you can't really playing if you're the Cowboys. So an upset is cool. But second, I want the Cowboys to lose like 35 because I have to tell you, I've said on these here airwaves before, nothing is more entertaining than a Cowboys post game show when it's over. Because there's two radio stations, there's one that's official Cowboys radio and they'll come on and they'll go, you know, I think if Dak just starts seeing the receiver better, he's going to be able to next week CD Lamb will be more integrated in the offense. And then you go to the other one and they're like, J. Jones needs to be set off on a raft. Like the two combinations, it's so great how much they diverge from each other. I like to see a big route for late Thursday night falling asleep to random post game show.
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A
We, we root for the star. In my household.
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B
It's not because your wife.
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A
Well, I grew up a Cowboys fan because the Titans literally didn't exist. And then they being from Western Kentucky, when a protein pops up an hour from your house, you're allowed, you're allowed to pick up a new team. But I haven't forgotten when I was a child my bedroom was decorated in the cowboy stuff. So I haven't forgotten that. I still root for them as a secondary.
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B
I remember you used to walk around like in Alvin Harper socks and nothing else at the bar sometimes. And I was like, what are you doing?
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A
Oh, I had this picture above my bed was obviously photoshopped, but it's like texas Stadium welcomes Drew Franklin. Like my grandmother found it in some catalog. But big Cowboys fan growing up, it just died as time went on. Like the Cowboys.
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B
Yeah. I like the Eagles to win fairly easily, but I'm looking forward to it. I love Chris Collinsworth. Chris Collinsworth to me is kind of the modern sound of football. I still forget that Al Michaels is not on the game. I think I've said probably 15 times. Al and Chris, I guess he's now with Herb street on Amazon. But I miss him. I feel like Al and Chris, they were like good buddies. They both sweater vested together. And I just, I kind of, I miss them being on tv.
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A
Chris and the Slide.
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B
I think it's Mike Tirico. I like Mike Tirico.
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A
Yeah, everybody likes the Chris Collinsworth slide too, when he comes in from off screen. So it'd be good to see that again.
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B
Well, I didn't. They go Friday night always A wild card. They're going. They're in Brazil, Sao Paulo, one of the biggest cities in the world. They're going. I saw today they, you know, when we'll go to a foreign country, sometimes we forget just to be normal, you know, so. So, like they would, these American journalists would ask the players, they were doing the interviews and they were like, hey, hey, hey, Travis, Kelsey, can you spell Brazil? And you're like, you don't have to act.
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A
Well, could he?
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You don't have to act like you're going to a mystical land that no one's ever been to. It's just Brazil. But you get the Chiefs and the Chargers. Did the NFL hire influencers to go? Is I. Is I speed? I show speed.
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A
This would be a big game for him. This would be a big game for him if he's going to.
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I believe it's like the announcers are ishowspeed, Mr. Beast, now Michaels and Alex Earl.
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A
That get a lot of viewers, those three.
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B
But. So it is on YouTube.
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A
Yeah, I think so.
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B
Okay. As NFL regular YouTube, not YouTube TV.
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A
As I'm saying it, I'm in my own head. Like, how does this work? You just log on to YouTube and there it is.
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B
You laughed. That's what I thought.
- [10:25]
A
No, I know as I'm saying it.
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B
I'm so on the YouTube and search football game. Like, where? Where is it?
- [10:32]
A
I got my cooking videos over here. And then the. The Chiefs Chargers pulled up.
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B
I mean, I did find. When. When Kelsey and Taylor Swift did their podcast, I got on YouTube and it was just there. So that's what will happen with this game too.
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A
Yeah, no, no subscription required.
- [10:46]
B
Just who's on the. Like, who calls it? I. I do. I'm not kidding. I think they have YouTube influencer. I don't think they're the main announcers, but I think you can watch a game where like Kai Sanat just does backflips up and down the field.
- [10:58]
A
I would tune in for that.
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B
I mean, I think. So do we know who's actually doing the game?
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A
I'm trying to pull it up.
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B
We'll get Billy our production. I'd like to know who. Who's on it. It's Chiefs and Chargers. Another division game. You know, last year the field got all messed up. Presumably that will be better. So this is chance to see if the Chiefs can kind of bounce back from what was a mediocre regular season last year.
- [11:25]
A
I prefer the international games when I get to wake up at 9am and they're just on TV. This one, I think we're kind of maybe an hour off time change. Isn't that crazy?
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B
I don't know. What's the Brazil time?
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A
I think it's just an hour off. It's not like the London games where we get a little early morning.
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B
You have some information?
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C
Actually, yeah, we got a little Rich Eisenhower Kurt Warner in Brazil.
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B
Oh, Kurt Warner. Nice. Rich Eisen. ESPN Network or ESPN and now NFL and Kurt Warner.
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A
Right.
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It is YouTube.
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It is YouTube and YouTube TV exclusively.
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B
And am I right that like I show speed is in it? Isn't there a YouTube influencer thing?
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A
Yeah.
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MrBeast Kai Sinette, speed. They're all doing something. Yes.
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B
I haven't read the. Look at that. See, you laughed at me.
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C
They're doing something.
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B
I literally named the only three people I know on YouTube and they're all there.
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C
All three of them are involved.
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A
Yeah. Shows. The NFL knows its audience. They know exactly who you wanted to see in this game.
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B
I wanted to see Kaiser Net, not show speed. Well, I. Well, good.
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A
And robe grill.
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B
Robe grill.
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A
As I just pulled it up.
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B
Who is. What's a robe grill?
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A
I don't know.
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What does that even mean? Is this robe like wear a bathrobe?
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A person's name. 4.15 million subscribers.
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B
Really? What does he do?
- [12:42]
A
Goes to NFL games in Brazil. Looking forward to it.
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B
Okay, good. What about. What about Todd Chrisley? Is he there? Actually, he just got out of prison.
- [12:52]
A
So he could be there.
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B
Okay. So I always wonder.
- [12:56]
A
And I actually heard a. I mean, we consider the. The travel on the players, but he was talking about. I think they played a game in Ireland and you have your routine of your. To your diet. And maybe Ireland doesn't have what you go out and eat every meal and that. They have to. Some. Some teams have to like ship entire, you know, meal plans to these countries just to get ready for the year. It's got a samba.
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B
You have to Sambo.
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A
Well, they have the vivizelas. What was the big World cup thing they had there?
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B
Yeah, where they going? Yeah, no, that was South Africa. That's a different. That's a different continent.
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A
Well, World cup was here. World cup was there. Maybe they had them too. Yeah, I think this is the. They opened the World cup in the stadium in 2014. So maybe there's still some. Some paraphernalia hanging around.
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B
I'm excited about it now that I know where to find it. I know it's on. It's. It's on YouTube.
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A
I'm excited about Actually, I won't be.
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B
Able to watch it. I'm going to Reds batting practice that night. They're letting me. They're letting me attend batting practice. I'm going to give Ellie some pointers. He hadn't hit a home run since early July. I'm going to sit, tell Ellie Dale Cruz gotta wait on the ball while.
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A
You'Re sitting there watching ellie, because it's YouTube you can be listening to. I show speed on your phone right there behind home plate.
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B
Do you like the Chiefs in this one?
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A
I don't love the Chiefs.
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B
I don't either.
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A
I like the Chiefs. I don't love the Chiefs.
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B
What's the spread?
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A
The spread is their three and a half point favorite.
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B
Three and a half points? Yeah. If I were going to bet, I'd bet the Chargers. I think I'm just going to call.
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A
I think I'm taking the charges.
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B
Yeah. Against the spread, I would definitely take the Chargers. As far as the game, you know, it feels like whenever there's a premium showcase when the world is watching, the Chiefs usually step up and I feel, you know, yeah, Travis Kelsey may be married to Taylor Swift, but I show speed is going to be there and Castanet and more importantly Rogue Grill and Taylor, Travis and Patrick are going to want to make sure they're ready. So I will take the Chiefs to win but Chargers to cover.
- [14:59]
A
The Chiefs also have a big advantage. I feel like here lately the NFL is like just put the Chiefs in this game. Last year they played on every day of the week. Tuesday, Christmas. Yeah, just make it the Chief.
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B
They always put them on Christmas, Thanksgiving, they make them play on Arbor Day.
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A
That was too far by the way. The Arbor Day game was completely unnecessary.
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B
They're big if they don't know what else to do with somebody. Just send the Chiefs there and they'll take care of it. Now throughout our game picks here, we also don't want to act like there's not news.
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A
We love news.
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B
News happens in the NFL all the time. And Billy, our producer is going to come in and give us in between games some news. So, Billy, I have not followed the headlines. Give me our first headline from NFL News.
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C
Yeah, Here's a piece of news for you, Matt. Today Roger Goodell was on the Today show and he confirmed that he is a swift.
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B
Who's on the Today Show?
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C
Roger Goodell.
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A
No, like every day.
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B
Regular host. Is it? So Matt Lauer's not on there anymore.
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A
Is this Hoda?
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B
I think she retired, didn't she?
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A
Well, then I'm behind on my Today show.
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B
Today show. It's not Katie Couric. It is not Deborah Norville anymore. Oh, Jenna Bush. Isn't she on it? George W. Bush's daughter. Correct.
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A
I'm usually watching football during this time.
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C
Savannah Guthrie.
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B
Okay.
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C
Craig Melvin.
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B
I've never heard of that.
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C
Al Roker, of course.
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B
What? Al Roker still going?
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A
Yeah. Good for Al.
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B
If I told you Al Roker was still on there, would you believe that?
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A
Wouldn't have. Good for Al.
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B
Wow. Who's Craig Melvin? Is that what you said?
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C
Craig Melvin?
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B
Never heard of that guy.
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A
Co anchor.
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B
And then who else?
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C
Carson Daly. And no, he's not Jenna Bush.
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B
Carson Daly is on there.
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C
He's also the host of the Voice.
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B
Wow. Carson Daly is. What happened to Jesse for me?
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A
Carson's not doing TRL anymore. I used to rush home.
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B
I'm not sure anymore Craig Melvin or Carson Daly on there. Okay, so he was on there. What did he say?
- [17:02]
C
He confirmed he's a Swiftie. And then he hinted at the possibility of Taylor Swift performing at the super bowl halftime show this year. Said it was a maybe.
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B
Well, I mean, everything's a maybe. I guess it feels like she should do it. If you're going to do it, this is the year you and your husband will be off knitting and going to pottery classes starting next year. So this is the year she should do it. And then, of course, if Travis is playing, he wins the game, they go off into the sunset, and she definitely. She's.
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A
I think it's happening.
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B
Yeah.
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A
The Internet even found, you know, she's all about leaving the Easter eggs and the nuggets everywhere, giving hints. And when she did the Kelsey podcast, there was, like a little Lombardi trophy on the shelf and a few other things that the Internet thinks might have been hints.
- [17:52]
B
And isn't it also, like, her number is 13?
- [17:54]
A
Yeah.
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B
And this is his 13th year in the NFL.
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A
Numberology, I think she calls it.
- [18:00]
B
Yeah, I saw on that podcast. She also said on that podcast that she. They asked Jason Kelsey said, what do you do for fun? And she said, sourdough bread, which I think is actually a really good answer because, you know, unlike you all, I still occasionally, you know, I'm single, so I'll have to meet somebody new. And inevitably, one of the boring first questions is, what do you do for fun? There's no answer I can give that doesn't sound like I'm the most boring person in the world. You know, I watched the Gilded Age.
- [18:36]
A
Did seven hours of radio.
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B
I read long walks Sometimes when it's crazy, I play golf. But, you know, I've been hurt. I've hurt my back, so. So if you can answer something like sourdough bread, That's a unique. I mean, I think.
- [18:54]
A
Are you saying you're gonna still tell his answer, like, on your next day you're gonna say sourdough bread?
- [18:59]
B
That would be bad because. I don't know. But it would be nice to be able to have something unique like that. Like who? She said sourdough bread. And I thought, well, that's a very unique answer.
- [19:07]
A
Also a very homely answer for a megastar. Anything she wants on the planet, maybe even on other planets. She has so much money, but she's like, no, I just like to sit at home and bake. She needs a little. Yeah, she knead. Bake. Like to have a little sourdough in her thing.
- [19:24]
B
Right knee.
- [19:24]
A
Yeah.
- [19:25]
B
With a K. What does that mean when you roll it?
- [19:27]
A
Yeah, you're just kneading the bread.
- [19:29]
B
You're. You're just wanted.
- [19:31]
A
You're getting it. Getting roughed up and ready to be baked.
- [19:33]
B
All right, well, good for her. I don't know what that has to do with this game, but I'm. I'm. I'm doing Chargers. Excuse me? Chargers cover Chiefs win. You're doing.
- [19:42]
A
You know, I'm just going to go the upset.
- [19:43]
B
Okay.
- [19:44]
A
It's. It's episode one for us of picking games. I'm not going to sit here and be the guy picking all chalk. Let's go.
- [19:49]
B
Chargers in Brazil. Love it. All right. Sunday Night Football. I'm kind of doing these games in order of my interest in Sunday night football. Ravens, Bills, what a great game. Can't believe we could argue that. I mean, this is probably the best game. Once again, they slide to Rico and Collinsworth. Back in. They get all the good stuff. Now, Lamar, Josh, Allen, two most exciting guys in the NFL, probably. The game is in Buffalo. They started drinking yesterday. It's going to be. It's going to be awesome. Plus, my mom is going to be close to Buffalo at that time, and I'm not going to tell you where she is, but let's just say it'll.
- [20:46]
A
Be.
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B
150 miles away.
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A
Okay. Draw a circle around.
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B
Yeah. She said to me, she goes, do you think there'll be traffic? And I was like, not where. You are 150 miles from the stadium. I think you're probably. I think you're probably good.
- [21:06]
A
No one's going to put you through a table.
- [21:09]
B
You might be in a Different time zone. I think you're going to be all right, but I'm excited about this. Who's more fun for you to watch, Lamar? Josh Allen.
- [21:16]
A
Oh, that's tough. I mean, when this was announced, just. Thank you, NFL. The one game off Sunday night. Wrapping up the weekend there before the Monday game. Well, you have essentially what could be an AFC championship. I got burned on the Ravens pretty bad last year. I never make future bets. I hate, like, just having the. The receipt in my account. The last year I bet on the Ravens to win the Super Bowl, I really thought Lamar was getting over the hump. They had my guy, Derek Henry, even though I want to vomit, seen him in that jersey. I thought it was their year and they burned me. I'm not putting faith in the Ravens again this year. I think I'm going to make a futures bet on the Bills. I'm going to ride the Bills to.
- [21:51]
B
Get over the hump.
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A
Somebody's got to get over the hump this season.
- [21:54]
B
If the Bills don't win this year, it's never going to happen for. I mean, this is the year. I think it's. It's set up well for him. They've got probably the best roster. They were the best team, I think, even last year. And it just, you know, they ended up losing a game at the end.
- [22:09]
A
How about a week one game with potential implications on, like.
- [22:13]
B
No, this is definitely. This is a seating game.
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A
First Sunday night.
- [22:18]
B
Yeah, for sure. This is a seating game, I think, for both these teams. They sit there and they look at how their season ended. Both teams ended with like a pass, dropped that if they won, they might have thought they'd won the Super Bowl. So I can't wait for this. This will be the best game. We just so you know, we will go. We're recording episode three live right after this game is over on. On Sunday night. So it'll be in your feed probably Monday morning when you wake up. I'm going to take the. I'm gonna take the Bills only because they're at home. Games in Baltimore, I would take them.
- [22:49]
A
Baltimore, a one and a half point favorite here on the road in Buffalo.
- [22:54]
B
Really?
- [22:54]
A
Yeah. But I also like the Bills. As I just said, Ravens burned me last year when I believed in them. I do think Henry is still Derek Henry and they're going to be right in the mix at the end of the year.
- [23:04]
B
But I got the Ravens be the favorite.
- [23:06]
A
I'm not sure.
- [23:08]
B
No, like, that doesn't make any sense to me.
- [23:09]
A
I mean, a lot of people have Ravens as the number one power ranked team. But, I mean, you're going on the road.
- [23:15]
B
Buffalo at night.
- [23:16]
A
Yep.
- [23:16]
B
I mean, I guess it won't be cold yet, but still, that's. That's really surprising to me. That's my first. They know something.
- [23:24]
A
Does make. It's a little fishy.
- [23:26]
B
Know something. What do you think? They know the outcome. Derek Henry fell in love. He might already be married. Billy, just for the record, I don't. I. I have no source. He probably is already married, but. Yeah, it feels like they might know something. Yeah.
- [23:43]
A
But I like the bills here. Bills year.
- [23:45]
B
Okay, Josh.
- [23:46]
A
Speaking of married, Josh Allen, first married game, Right?
- [23:49]
B
He married Haley Stanfield.
- [23:51]
A
Yeah.
- [23:52]
B
Yeah. She's in.
- [23:53]
A
He's laser focused.
- [23:54]
B
She's in Sinners, right?
- [23:55]
A
Yep.
- [23:56]
B
Yes. It's great. It's a good movie.
- [23:57]
A
First.
- [23:57]
B
First married movie. She's. She's. I. It's. First. Josh Allen had to spend four years his life in Wyoming. And so.
- [24:04]
A
And then he moves to Buffalo.
- [24:06]
B
And then he moves to Buffalo. You know what? He deserves to be happily married to Haley. His mind is probably blown on these.
- [24:11]
A
Road trips to LA and all these big cities. What is this?
- [24:16]
B
That's right. He goes to New York. What? Golly.
- [24:22]
A
Wants to play the jets every week.
- [24:24]
B
What? New York City, Haley. Can you believe this?
- [24:30]
A
Do you think he goes straight to the Applebee's in Times Square?
- [24:33]
B
That's exactly right. They got pizza open all night. I don't know why. This is my job.
- [24:40]
A
This is what you all are gonna get used to all season long. We're just getting started.
- [24:44]
B
I'm just telling you. That's what I think. He sounds like having spent Wyoming in Buffalo. All right. Looking at the Sunday day games, there's a lot of matchups that are kind of. But the 430 game I ranked fourth is Lions and Packers. For me, I put that fourth as the fourth best game because I want to see. You know, I think it's. It's Mike. Although he may not play. I got a lot of angry messages. One podcast in from people telling me that Micah did not hurt his F4. F5. It was an L4. L5.
- [25:16]
A
They were like.
- [25:16]
B
An F4 is a plane. An elf. Elf. An L4 is a lumbar injury. So I apologize to all the spine specialists out there that I screwed up in episode one.
- [25:28]
A
We don't claim to be a medical podcast.
- [25:31]
B
We are an NFL podcast.
- [25:33]
A
We're football guys. We don't know about.
- [25:34]
B
We don't know about lumbars.
- [25:38]
A
Another big one with huge implications though, for rest as the year goes on. I think this will be the closest division.
- [25:44]
B
Yeah. I mean, this is a.
- [25:45]
A
But.
- [25:46]
B
But this is a division where I think teams are going to drop it because all the teams are good or potentially going to be good. Do you think Micah plays? I would think he surprised it out. Right. He's got a. When you have an L4.
- [25:57]
A
Yeah.
- [25:58]
B
I mean an L5.
- [26:00]
A
I mean, he could play if it had just been his L2 or his F2. But being there for you don't want to further risk injuring that L4. Yeah, that too. Bingo. No, I think he sits out. I think he sits out.
- [26:15]
B
Yeah, I do too. I think it just adds to the suspense. I still am going to take. Well, actually, we went to week one last year in Green Bay and they lost. They're not going to lose two years in a row on week one. So give me the packers to. To win the game at home.
- [26:31]
A
Go. Another upset pick going Lions.
- [26:35]
B
What's the spread? Is it an upset?
- [26:36]
A
Green Bay's three point favorite. The odds for that division actually change with Micah. Lions were a favorite to win. Now the packers are. But I'm sticking with the line.
- [26:44]
B
Why do you like the L? I mean, we're lost both coordinators.
- [26:47]
A
I know they're my pick to win the division and I think, I mean, this game will go a long way and winning the division.
- [26:52]
B
But you have a Hutchinson back. He was out most of last year. But you lose two coordinators, you know, that's tough. I mean, you, you, you lose the offensive genius. People talk about Ben Johnson like he's, you know, Todd McVeigh or Shanahan. You think they overcome it, though.
- [27:12]
A
Dan Campbell's the type of dude that'll walk in and take a cheese head off someone's head and just take a big bite out of it and spit it out and kind of get his boys fired up. So even though those were, I mean, obviously two of the best coordinators anywhere last season, I still think their operation will be just fine.
- [27:26]
B
Yeah, I mean, he doesn't seem like an intellect to me to begin with, so I feel like he's a. He's a man. I mean, no offense to him. He feels like a manage. Like a CEO type more than a X and O guy. So maybe he could find people who were as good or close to as good to replace.
- [27:44]
A
I remember when he kind of debuted on Hard Knocks. We're getting the first look at him. I remember thinking, this is never going to work.
- [27:50]
B
That's when he went.
- [27:51]
A
And then he absolutely turned them around.
- [27:54]
B
You know that Metallica song like, stare into the soul of the sea, of the depths of the abyss. And then you look at it and say, tackle it in the ass.
- [28:09]
C
You want me to clip that?
- [28:10]
A
That was great. That was exactly what he said.
- [28:15]
B
I think we leave it okay.
- [28:17]
A
Absolutely.
- [28:22]
B
Yeah. I don't know. I don't know if those are his exact words, but it was. It was something like an SNL character breaking.
- [28:32]
A
My character over here just giggling at your Dan Campbell.
- [28:36]
B
I don't think that was exactly what he said, but it was. That was paraphrase. That's another one.
- [28:41]
A
To welcome our new listeners that don't understand us.
- [28:43]
B
Yeah, exactly. So Lions lie. Packers. Oh, my. Billy, give us another piece of news now so we can break that up into the next.
- [28:53]
C
Yeah. So this news comes from the Pat McAfee Show. Do you guys watch that at all?
- [28:58]
B
Only if I'm forced to in a barbershop. Familiar with it?
- [29:01]
A
Yeah.
- [29:02]
C
Well, Scott Hansen was on the Pat McAfee show today.
- [29:04]
B
Yeah, I'm fine with. I don't know why I said that to a barbershop.
- [29:08]
C
He said that the NFL Red Zone will contain commercials in some capacity this year. His new intro will.
- [29:14]
B
Somebody has to pay for this podcast.
- [29:16]
C
Seven hours of Red Zone football starts now.
- [29:20]
B
Yeah. I was amazed they for so long did it without commercials. I would just ask this. I understand you got to have commercials. I wish there was an option, though, where you could still get it without commercials. Speaking of that, do you have our logins for Red Zone? You need to ask him for that.
- [29:35]
C
I don't know if I do.
- [29:36]
B
Let's see if we need to try to get that. But anyway. Yeah, that's sad though. I like, I always thought. What was it? Scott Hanson. Henson.
- [29:46]
C
Hanson.
- [29:47]
B
Hanson. And then what was the other guy's name? Andrew Siciliano. The fact that they could stand there and not use the restroom for that long, I was always very impressed.
- [29:57]
A
Yeah, it kind of felt like it was heading this direction when they merged. But it does kind of take away. What made it so impressive was you knew exactly you're getting on Red Zone. It was just non stop. We just assumed they had catheters and we're getting, you know, fed through a tube there to get through the show. Not the same tube as the catheter. But I. I'm not someone that even watched Red Zone, but I've seen a lot of people there upset.
- [30:20]
B
I love it. You don't watch it?
- [30:22]
A
Well, I get Sunday ticket and then I do YouTube TV, multi TV.
- [30:27]
B
It has made it hard for me to consume regular games because I love it. I think it's the best. I think it's one of the best products any sport has ever come out with. And I'm not even being a shill for it. I think it's awesome. I had the DirecTV version, so I got Andrew Siciliano and I thought he was great. And then last year I had Scott Hansen. I thought he was great. I mean that. So it won't stop me from watching it. But I, you know, it's a little bummer. It's a little bit of a bummer. It's kind of the last thing where commercials hadn't.
- [30:55]
A
Oh, yeah, I would subscribe and check it out.
- [30:58]
B
I'm just kidding. But go ahead.
- [30:59]
A
I was subscribed. Now I would check in on it. But I got my routine main TV Titans with sound and the side TV with four other games on Sunday ticket that I could rotate. That's kind of every Sunday you can expect that red zone. It's all, it was just a little too fast paced.
- [31:14]
B
It was, it's, it's part of the reason I can't sleep at night because of the red zone. I was so used to. Used to it. Well, you know, the, you know, now they have a commercial break and as somebody who's done a lot of radio, when I, when I do, you know, I host an ESPN Sunday morning NFL preview show and sometimes, you know, you try to use the restroom during the break. One time a couple years ago, I jumped up there like a minute left and I was like, I have to use the restroom. And I ran and I tripped over the cord and hit my head on the couch. So then I come back and I, my head is pounding. I've cut it. I've got like a little string of blood going. I'm like, it's Sunny Morning with Matt Meyer and you have to get through. So I, you know, Hanson and them having a bathroom break. Got to be careful.
- [32:08]
A
He said they're not going to miss a touchdown. Does that mean they're going to look at every game and be like, okay, they're all on the other side. Yeah, they show because I don't want to miss live. That's the point of it. You're bang, bang, bang.
- [32:17]
B
They've always missed some live. Like, they'll come back and yeah, they give you, you're on one and then sometimes they'll break in. So I think it's a great product. The Commercials are a bummer, but it won't ruin it for me. All right, my next one is Steelers Jets. Not because the game will be great, but the whole Aaron Rodgers, you know, Justin Fields. Although I feel like Justin Fields has got to be like, you know, I played for them last year.
- [32:46]
A
No one has been. Yeah, I think you're the first person to mention him.
- [32:48]
B
This one seems to care that it's the different for both. It's all Aaron Rodger. I will be watching and booing Aaron Rodgers. I'm going to boo Aaron Rodgers. We can have him as a guest on the podcast and I would just boo the whole time. So I'm all in on the jets this week.
- [33:06]
A
He's got to run it back with the American flag and just recreate the whole entrance. Right. Like, we gotta redo this. Yeah. My first big New York entrance didn't work. Let me try it again. Honestly, you saying Justin Fields. I'm on an NFL podcast right now.
- [33:21]
B
He's going back to that stadium where.
- [33:23]
A
He did the fly back in MetLife.
- [33:25]
B
He actually kind of has to do that.
- [33:26]
A
Yeah, you got to just replay it all over. Although he might have some bad memories from that. But if you're a Jets fan, you just got to be like this guy.
- [33:34]
B
They have to like. If you're a Jets fan, if he comes in and then plays well and beats you.
- [33:38]
A
Oh, especially if that. I just mean seeing him, period. You got to have negative feelings. Even though bad circumstances, injury, it did not work there. If he comes back and plays well and you know, Pittsburgh has a great. He has a great game. Leads Pittsburgh to a big. That's, of course, that's even worse.
- [33:53]
B
You've been to a game at that stadium?
- [33:54]
A
I have. Monday Night Football.
- [33:56]
B
Yeah. I was at WrestleMania there. I've told the story in other outlets, but the. The. The New Jersey train system shut down. They didn't. Somebody did not plan that 95,000 people would be trying to leave WrestleMania. And I don't know if you remember this. People got, like, stuck in the parking lot and. But I loved it because I think it was the closest that if the zombie apocalypse ever comes, what's it going to be like? The Metal Lands parking lot that night after WrestleMania because people were physically assaulting each other, trying to get in cabs and Ubers. And as we drove away, I looked back and I was like, it's Mad Max. You know, when they're all in the car and there's axes. So I've never been in the metal lands outside of that scenario. So I want to go to a game this year. I'm hoping the NFL send us just so I could have a better experience of that entire thing.
- [34:49]
A
I also had a very unique experience there. We were going to Monday Night Football, and I had. It was four of us, and I was in charge of the tickets, but I was trying to wait till the last minute because they're all coming down. So I'm on the train looking at tickets, and I lose service. And I think, oh, I'm starting to cut this a little close.
- [35:04]
B
Yeah.
- [35:05]
A
We get to the stadium. I buy them outside the stadium, walk right up to the gate, scan in four tickets, all good. We're inside. We get to our seat. The guy I bought them from had been scanning in at another part of the stadium. We both get to our seats. We both have the same ticket. He even says, these are my season tickets. I show him my money's gone. He shows he got my money, and he's like, well, they're yours now. I guess he ends up buying me a beer because we think it's so crazy. We both get it on the same.
- [35:31]
B
So he was gonna not.
- [35:33]
A
He was sitting at a bar with his best friend, waiting to see if the tickets would sell. I mean, we waited till, like, 15 minutes for kickoff. So they just get up from the bar, walk over, and we're. We entered at the same time and get to the. But after he saw that he had gotten my money and I'd paid, we just laughed it off. And he just kind of wandered around our section. He'd come over a little bit and squeeze in. But that was my one MetLife experience.
- [35:54]
B
Maybe we can go to a Jets or Giants game so that we each have a different interaction with the metal lands. It's not even what it's called anymore. What's it? MetLife.
- [36:05]
A
They still call it the Met, just in general. It's the Meadowlands.
- [36:08]
B
Who you like in this one? I'm. I'm. I will not pick the Steelers out of principle. So I'm going to take the jets and. Which is a shame, because I kind of like the Steelers before this. But I will not root for them as long as he's on the team. So I'll take the jet.
- [36:20]
A
Remember episode one? We ranked teams on watch ability. I had Pittsburgh get number 32. Not a big Steelers guy over here taking the jazz. I'm going to pick Steelers.
- [36:28]
B
Oh, come on.
- [36:29]
A
As much as I don't want to see it, I just think the jets are that bad. I don't know that a rod is going to light him up and have a big game. I think he's. He's a little too over the hill.
- [36:37]
B
But Steelers win and cover that all right now. So every week I'll do the big five. So those were my big. Now let's do the sort of second tier. Yeah, I'll watch them if it's on Raiders and pats. Pete Carroll goes back to his old stomping ground. The the Patriots have Drake May got a new coach. Your guy Mike Vrabel.
- [37:01]
A
I miss him.
- [37:02]
B
Should be. I don't know if this game will be interesting, but this feels like the kind of game where the Raiders win and then like in week seven or eight the Patriots might be pretty good. And you go how did that happen? So I kind of like the Raiders here in sort of a weird one o' clock upset. There is a guy however that does. There's a radio station that's called serious like betting. Okay. And you know they have like good people regularly during the day. Then sometimes like two in the morning. I think they just let guys in off the street and sometimes I'll be driving. I'll hear this guy when I hear his voice. He has a very distinctive voice. It's like his thing. The only thing he ever says when he makes his picks is west coast team going to the east coast. They're going to be tired and I've heard that for years. So when I see one o' clock game, west coast team go to the east, it's just Sirius XM2am Watch out pick.
- [38:05]
A
I get it, I get it. I gotta go with my guy Variable though. I want the best for him. You know, it's one of those, it's one of those breakups like well, you know, at least, at least he can be happy. I want him to go find.
- [38:15]
B
So you're rooting for.
- [38:16]
A
I am. You know even when he had the Titans rolling a little bit for Cal.
- [38:21]
B
Perry when he went to Arkansas.
- [38:22]
A
Well, that's what I was gonna say. Even when the Titans were rolling, we always knew we were, we were borrowing Variable from the Patriots. I mean he's a, he's one of their all time legends. He was always a patriot in Titan.
- [38:34]
B
So you feel him like maybe so.
- [38:35]
A
I want him to, I want him to, I want it to work for him.
- [38:38]
B
Like Kansas fans probably knew at some point Roy Williams was going to go back to North Carolina.
- [38:42]
A
Yeah, we enjoyed him but we always knew that when that opportunity opened he would jump at it. Also it's Kind of. It's not quite Taylor Swift, but you got Cardi B might be there for Diggs. The Stefan Diggs debut I enjoyed on a serious note. I thought.
- [38:59]
B
I didn't know they dated. They date?
- [39:00]
A
Oh, it's. It's the second biggest relationship in the NFL of entertainment.
- [39:04]
B
What's. I mean, I've heard of Cardi B. What. What's her big song like? Give me a Cardi B song that I would know. What are you laughing at? What are you. Okay, before you look it up, Mr. Computer, what's the Cardi B song?
- [39:15]
C
I mean, there's a lot of them.
- [39:16]
B
Okay, well, why don't you name one, smarty?
- [39:19]
C
Is it appropriate here?
- [39:20]
B
Yeah, I was gonna ask what's already. Maybe.
- [39:22]
C
I mean, Wap.
- [39:24]
B
Oh, that she does wop.
- [39:25]
A
Yeah. Oh, and up. She likes the one syllable song.
- [39:29]
B
Yeah, I know. It stands for other things.
- [39:32]
A
Drip, drip, Wap Up. I think we're starting to see a little routine here with the songs.
- [39:39]
B
I only know Wap.
- [39:40]
A
Watch the Patriots game.
- [39:44]
B
WAP stands for Watch our Patriots. There you go.
- [39:47]
A
Insane.
- [39:49]
B
Yeah, don't look it up. That's what it stands for. You don't need to Google it.
- [39:53]
A
Am I talking you into the Patriots here?
- [39:55]
B
No, I'm still going.
- [39:55]
A
Trevon Henderson in the preseason.
- [39:57]
C
Oh, yeah.
- [39:58]
B
Yeah. All right, so give me another piece of news.
- [40:00]
C
Well, you may have heard that Roger Goodell was on the Today show recently. He made a comment.
- [40:05]
B
Craig Melvin's on there. It's good.
- [40:08]
C
He made a comment and said that moving to 18 week schedule would be a really good move. And not shortly after that interview, the NFLPA interim executive director, David White told the Associated Press he hasn't had any conversations about expanding the regular season.
- [40:24]
B
Yeah, well, the players association is going to ask for, you know, something in return because they, you know, you had an extra game. That's a lot of money, right? I mean, that's the money for the TV deal and the players are going to want more money. I think that's. That's reasonable. Do you like 18 games? I mean, we used to be. When I was a kid, it was 14. Now it's then 16 for a long time. Now it's 17. 18 would make sense. So you'd have the same amount of home and away games. Because right now, you know, you get one more than the other.
- [40:52]
A
Even though it's been 17 for a little bit, my brain still will occasionally when I'm making 8 and 8, doing the math on 16. So I never really have gotten all the way in on 17. So let's just make it 18 for being even.
- [41:02]
B
Would there still be a bye week?
- [41:03]
A
I'm never going to complain about more meaningful NFL games.
- [41:06]
C
I didn't see that detail. But the current collective bargaining agreement doesn't end until March of 2031, so we still got a while.
- [41:13]
B
So you got a while. My guess is they go to two preseason games and then 18 regular season games. That'd be about the same amount of time. You know, again, when I was a kid, there were six. Six preseason games, which is crazy to think about now.
- [41:25]
C
Didn't know that.
- [41:26]
B
That's a lot. Well, I hope there's 18. But at the same time, there comes a point where, you know, these. These dudes. Wear and tear will start to add up.
- [41:34]
A
You'll have guys out there just in a full cast trying to finish the year for their team. But I'm for more football anytime. I can have it.
- [41:39]
B
Yeah, well, who knew, Roger? Who knew that today's show provide Jenna Bush as hard questions.
- [41:45]
C
Guess we need to tune back in.
- [41:46]
B
Let's take a break right here. By the way, I just got a message here, Drew. So for people who don't know that are not regular listeners bars. We own a sports bar in Lexington, Kentucky. And. And you know, we. We closed for a little while and reopened to kind of revitalize. And one of the things we do, we got this system which most people had 10 years ago, but we kind of just got recently where when things go wrong, we know why. So we just got the report of orders that are voided. Why they were void. Okay, can I. Can I read you? Well, that way you can fix what's wrong. Right? So like for instance, one of them. Server error. It was entered wrong, so I had to void it and put the right thing. Got it. One of them was food was missing items. Fix that. Right. Okay. One of them was kitchen is backed up, had to leave. All those are reasonable. This one, this customer. It's. I think it's on them. Customer changed mind. When you come. You don't get to change your mind after the food comes out.
- [43:10]
A
Yeah, I was gonna say, at what point in the process are you three bites in and you change your mind?
- [43:15]
B
Did you just order? You can change your mind while you're ordering, but you cannot, like after you've ordered 10 minutes later. You know what? I was thinking about it. I'm glad they didn't do that in front of me. Here you go, Mr. Frank. The customer is always right. Unless you're being ridiculous. You Cannot change your mind.
- [43:39]
A
Imagine being at a nice steakhouse. Here you go, Mr. Franklin. Medium rare, blue cheese topping, baked potato. Oh, it looks good. You don't want to change my mind. I'll have the spaghetti. Take that back. Eat that cost.
- [43:50]
B
I didn't like that, so I need to investigate that more. All right, a couple more mid tier excitement. Bengals, Browns. These two teams that feel like they open with each other quite a bit. The Bengals had some crazy streak where they had lost to them like a ton and now they've kind of flipped it. This is one of those games, the bingo. The Bengals are so bad at the beginning of the year, I believe they've lost something like 63 straight season openers. I mean, they are bad the last few years. Can't lose this one. I know it's in Cleveland, but Cleveland has, you know, my, my great uncle at quarterback right now. Bengals, if they're, if they want to sort of have a flip from the last couple of years, got to win this game, right?
- [44:33]
A
You nailed the last few years, the.
- [44:34]
B
Most pressure any team has in week one.
- [44:36]
A
Yeah. The last few years, the Bengals have kind of really crippled their playoff chances by losing games they're favorite earlier in the season. This year they start out with a couple winnable games they absolutely cannot lose. Week one, two, I think you go to Minnesota, Week three, we'll let them have that. But you got to be two. And oh, as a Bengals fan, wasn't.
- [44:52]
B
It last year they ruined everybody's survivor league by losing the Patriots, I think.
- [44:57]
A
Year before that, McPherson missed like a chip shot extra point against the team they should have beaten. Bingles fans can be crushed this early. It's the Browns. It's an in state rival. It's. It's Flacco and everything going on up there. You got to get it done healthy. You got the best quarterback, wide receiver duo and in the entire league. This has got to be a win for them.
- [45:17]
B
Gotta win, right?
- [45:19]
A
Absolutely.
- [45:20]
B
Sure.
- [45:21]
A
It's a road game. Doesn't matter. You gotta win this.
- [45:23]
B
Gotta win. I think they will. So I will take the Bengals. The other, the other mid tier game I have is 49ers Seahawks. Another game that will have implications potentially at the beginning of the year. You look at these two teams, they have two of the easiest schedules in the league and really especially the 49, the 49ers schedule, we went over it the other day. I mean, the 49ers schedule is just absurdly easy. And this on paper is like their second hardest game of the season. And it's the one they open with. If they win this, watch out. There could be a run where I don't know if they're that good and they have an amazing record. I will say the 49ers and Seahawks play this game at 439 different weeks during the season.
- [46:10]
A
I thought it was just on loop. They're like in Here you go. The 49ers Seahawks.
- [46:14]
B
Listen, Lions, packers is your main game. We will now switch you to 49ers Seahawks.
- [46:19]
A
We'll take you out live.
- [46:21]
B
Please join Matt Versag. But I think this will be a good game. Interesting to see what happens with with Sam Darnold who you like in this.
- [46:35]
A
The 49ers receiver room is held together by the tape right now and band aids. But I'm going to take them here. They need to win. I think they're more of the 49ers we saw in the Super Bowl a couple of years ago than the team that went 6 and 11 and was crippled by injuries last year. They got to start fresh this year and get back on the right track after last season. I'm going to take them to win. I guess. Ricky Pierce all might be the only receiver that's healthy but he's a pretty good one.
- [47:01]
B
I think the Seahawks, I still think the 49ers are going to have a great record but I think in this particular game setting and all this, I think I'll go with the Seahawks. Billy, let's get another news item.
- [47:11]
C
Yeah, some big injury news today coming out from jets right guard Elijah Vera Tucker. He is out with a significant arm injury. It looks to be a tricep injury that will likely hold him out for significant time this year. The 26 year old was a first round pick in 2021 and in 2022 he had the same injury but on the opposite arm.
- [47:31]
B
That's bad luck.
- [47:32]
A
That's bad luck.
- [47:33]
B
So we'll see if that's insane because you know you see that sometimes with like ACLs because you end up putting too much weight on the other one.
- [47:40]
A
Right.
- [47:41]
B
I wonder if that happens with triceps.
- [47:44]
A
In some ways it's like well I've already been through this. I know the rehab. I know exactly what I have to do. But that is crazy to be the.
- [47:50]
B
Same Elijah Vera Tucker.
- [47:52]
C
Yep. He was just named a captain for the first time as well too.
- [47:55]
B
Yeah. So it's on the jets same thing they have with Aaron Rodgers. I mean different injury obviously, but I don't know that I will ever. There's never been a moment in my life that I was strong enough to contemplate a tricep injury. I'm not sure I've ever used a tricep.
- [48:13]
A
I have one. Never put it through much.
- [48:16]
B
Yeah, I have one too, but it's been pretty sleepy. Most of it's, you know, my traps. I would have to do something to get, you know. Is there any tricep exercise? Except the one thing where you just like, go back? What is this, Mario? That's not. That's. That's a different kind of exercise. That. Isn't that a tricep exercise.
- [48:40]
A
That's why I don't do it on podcast. Just watching you do that, that looks hard.
- [48:44]
B
Well, it stinks for him. It stings for the Jets. They just always have constant bad luck.
- [48:50]
A
Yeah, and especially an injury. I mean, the season's about to start and it's the same injury you've already had on a different limb. Awful news for him. It makes you think about, was it Rondell Moore, freak injury and back to back preseasons just a few weeks ago? You hate it. You're right here at the edge of all the work you put in, and you're gonna have to miss the year.
- [49:08]
B
If I put 32, if I put every team's right guard in front of you. Wow. What are the chances you would have any idea who any of them were? They don't have their jersey on. They're just in normal street clothes. I give you all 32 starting right guards.
- [49:29]
A
I would certainly fail the test. I'm trying to think if I could even get four or.
- [49:34]
B
I don't think you could get one.
- [49:35]
A
I could get the Titans.
- [49:36]
B
What's his name?
- [49:37]
A
Swarovski. He was a draft pick for yourself.
- [49:39]
B
And you think you would recognize him? Not in Titans gear. Yeah, okay. I'm challenge flag.
- [49:46]
C
I couldn't even do my own team.
- [49:48]
A
Tampa Bay.
- [49:50]
B
I don't know that I've ever known a right guard ever come on for any team. Okay, again, smarty pants, give me some right guards of the past.
- [50:02]
C
Yeah, I'm sorry, I don't have it.
- [50:04]
A
I cheated instead of left guard too, knowing you wouldn't catch me.
- [50:08]
B
So you don't know a right guard either?
- [50:11]
A
Not one that I would, you know, recognize.
- [50:13]
B
What is Quentin Nelson? He's a guard.
- [50:18]
C
Ali Marpet. That's my one. He's retired.
- [50:24]
B
Hey, I thought like, wasn't she a lawyer on a television show? Oh, no, sorry. That was somebody else. I got another one.
- [50:33]
A
Yeah, Zach Martin. I could spot him easily.
- [50:38]
B
Yeah, I couldn't. No, I certainly couldn't recognize. And of the people you've named, I've heard of one Zach Martin.
- [50:48]
A
Big beard, cowboy.
- [50:49]
B
Yeah. Okay.
- [50:50]
A
Quentin Nelson.
- [50:52]
B
I said Quentin Nelson. Were you not listening?
- [50:54]
A
I'm sorry.
- [50:54]
B
Is he a right guard or is he a left guard?
- [50:57]
C
Now we're getting into.
- [50:58]
B
Now you're getting. Yeah, I know. Quentin Nelson.
- [51:01]
A
Yeah, you said that. Sorry I popped in my head.
- [51:02]
B
Dan Orlovsky would always tell me people don't understand what Quentin Nelson means to the coats. And I was like, no, they don't. Why would anyone understand that? Listen, our guy went to Notre Dame. I. I know way too much about Quentin Nelson. So if he's a right guard, that's one.
- [51:17]
A
Our guy, Freddie Maggard, who covered Kentucky sports with us here in Lexington, he covered Quentin Nelson's draft. He talked about Quentin Nelson like Quentin Nelson invented the sport of football.
- [51:26]
B
You know, Dan Orlofsky has like triplets and Dan Orlofsky, I think have had the choice would have named them all Quinton Nelson. That is. How can you be more like Quentin Nelson? Let's say it to all three of them.
- [51:37]
A
Them.
- [51:38]
B
All right, let's go through these quick. Cardinal. Saints.
- [51:41]
A
Oh Cardinals are. I think they're. They're set up to have a good year. Offense is improved. Collar if he can put. Quit playing Call of Duty, I think and have a good season and I think the Saints are going to suck.
- [51:54]
B
So I'm going to Saint Stink. I'll go the Cardinals, Dolphins and the Colts. This is a loser. Their coach gets fired.
- [52:03]
A
Got. I just.
- [52:04]
B
I mean these two are good chances for first coach get fired like one if Mike McDaniel, if he loses this game at Indianapolis with Daniel Jones at quarterback.
- [52:13]
A
That's my thing. I can't pick the Colts with that quarterback situation. I know, I know the Dolphins aren't exactly knocking on the Super Bowl's door, but I cannot pick Daniel Jones and.
- [52:23]
B
I'll take the Dolphins. Giants at the Commanders. Commanders by a lot Commanders you like. You think things are going to go well for Russell Wilson?
- [52:33]
A
No, I think Daniel's.
- [52:36]
B
He's married to Sierra, right?
- [52:37]
A
Correct.
- [52:38]
B
Yes.
- [52:39]
A
I think the Commanders are going to come down just a little bit, but they won't be threatened in this game.
- [52:44]
B
Russell Wilson, I've noticed kind of changed his. His swag. I don't know if you know like now he's like dressing like he's, you know, like he's dressing like Sierra clearly got his closet. He was like out go the Polos and in comes, you know, versa. I don't know what designers are, but Versace name a designer of choice.
- [53:06]
A
Be careful. Jackson Dart still in all the attention in that room, I saw a guy tweet it was a reporter to that. I don't know if they're in the locker room or sideline, but the Giants Colts Dave Owl just went up to Jackson Dart and hugged him and said I love you.
- [53:18]
B
Who said that?
- [53:19]
A
The coach. Giants coach.
- [53:21]
B
So that's not good. If you're Russell Wilson, you got dart already. When people are saying they. When the coach is saying he loves the backup quarterback and then you've got.
- [53:31]
A
James in the corner eating his W's.
- [53:34]
B
I saw a picture online of somebody of Alex Smith and Patrick Mahomes and they were like Russell Wilson. And why does every. Let me ask a question though. Why is everybody think Jackson Dart like, why is he supposed to be so great? He was. He was pretty good at Ole Miss. But remember, I mean that offense, you don't make any decisions. Lane Kefin tells you who you're going to throw to before the play. Like, why are people so confident he's going to be good?
- [53:56]
C
I think the report is that he has aura.
- [54:00]
A
He's. He's one of the, the stars of the.
- [54:03]
B
I have auras too. I have to take medication for it.
- [54:06]
A
Different one. If there is such thing as being a star of a preseason, he was one of them.
- [54:11]
B
Yeah.
- [54:11]
A
If you look at the, the risers, you know, everybody does their stocks after preseason.
- [54:16]
B
His gray hair, I don't know how much that's playing into everybody's thing. I think part of it. I think when you're handsome, people want you to be good.
- [54:23]
A
Got an X in his name.
- [54:25]
B
Jackson. Yeah, I think that helps. Dark. I think it's a really good point. If it was Jac S O N I don't think people.
- [54:32]
A
Where's the headband but the.
- [54:34]
B
See but the hair is key. Handsome get you a long way when I, when you're a quarterback. To be honest with you, I kind of want my quarterback to be handsome. I mean, think about the great quarter. Peyton's the only ugly one, right? I mean, I mean no offense to Peyton, but you got big forehead but like, like, like Tom Brady. Handsome Aaron Rodgers in his prime. Pre vaccine stuff. Handsome Mahomes. Handsome Montana Roethlisberger at one time probably.
- [55:04]
A
Had a Rothsburger as time went on, I think.
- [55:09]
B
Yeah. No, but in his prime, handsome Burrow. Oh, come on. Jalen Hurts. Handsome Jaden Daniels. Joe Namath so who are the ugly quarterbacks? Well, Peyton. Just Peyton.
- [55:24]
A
Peyton. Catching strays.
- [55:25]
B
John Elway good looking.
- [55:27]
C
I wouldn't say that. Make or play.
- [55:29]
A
Oh, I'd say John Elway was a good looking guy.
- [55:32]
B
You think so?
- [55:32]
A
Yeah. We're just going to rank the hottest quarterback series. That's what people want.
- [55:36]
B
People want. I think people want to know.
- [55:39]
A
What about way back in the day when the guys looked like they were 50 years old?
- [55:42]
B
Why a 10? Kittle was not the most handsome quarterback in the world. He played with a horseshoe. He was bald. He played like with a horseshoe.
- [55:51]
A
Stabler.
- [55:52]
B
Stabler. Stable.
- [55:53]
A
Stan.
- [55:54]
B
That was my country coming up when TV started. You know, Terry Bradshaw, maybe not the Aikman handsome. I think there's something to my theory. So I think Jackson Dart. That's partially why people are. Are excited about. Yeah.
- [56:12]
A
Yep. In New York. And Brian Deo loves him.
- [56:15]
B
Jimmy G. Well, he hurts because he's too handsome and thus not good. By the way. I'm. I'm a Jimmy G truther. I think he's going to do well with the rings. Matter of fact, let's just go ahead and get to their game. Rams. Texans. I didn't put this as one of the games. It could have been in the sort of mid tier games. It's just. It's hard for me to ever get excited about watching the Texans. But. But these teams, both these teams could be good.
- [56:52]
A
Yeah. At least the Texans picked to win their division. Even though I might go against that. I like the Rams here. I think the Texans are due for a little bit of a comedown. AFC South's terrible. I don't even know if they'll win that division.
- [57:05]
B
Yeah. I'm going to go. I'm going Rams. Even with Jimmy G, who's probably everywhere. He's probably gonna play. Right. I'm gonna go. I'm gonna go with the Rams. Let's do Panthers Jags. The Chris Myers special. Liam Cohen makes his debut. I'm excited to watch. I actually will watch a little bit of this one just to say hi to Chris Myers. I always miss him during the off season. I'm gonna go with. I'm gonna say Liam gets a W in his first one. Give me. Yeah, give me the jazz.
- [57:33]
A
I'm going with the Liam Cohen experience. Well, I think he'll be good for Trevor Lawrence. And you have to turn this game on just to see what they're actually doing with Travis Hunter. I mean, if they're truly playing in both ways, that's going to be pretty insane to watch.
- [57:45]
B
You think it's going to be. You think he will they'll do it a little bit.
- [57:49]
A
I don't think he can consistently do this for a career this season but I think early on they're going to try it out.
- [57:55]
B
It'd be fun to watch.
- [57:56]
A
Yeah. When's the last time you're like man I want to turn on a Jags game. You haven't but I think Travis Hunter now has made it to that point.
- [58:03]
B
Yeah.
- [58:03]
C
My news note here is Travis Hunter was listed as the starting wide receiver but backup corner on the Jags depth chart.
- [58:10]
B
That just came out Starting wide receiver backup corner.
- [58:12]
C
Yes.
- [58:13]
B
So I could see like they play him at wide receiver a lot then doesn't get much action at corner that but then but gets enough that so that you're able to say he plays both who's the last play. I mean I know occasionally they would throw Dion out there at wide receiver but not regularly has there been a guy who's the last one. Sure.
- [58:28]
A
I can't think of anyone to do what he's trying to do. I mean sure they've put a corner at wide receiver here and there to.
- [58:33]
B
Try Sometimes they would put a receiver.
- [58:36]
A
In to try to but like listing a guy on offense and defense on your depth chart.
- [58:41]
B
I I don't Titans Broncos I'll let you take the floor.
- [58:47]
A
I love them. I just I don't have a lot of faith. Maybe Cam Ward can be something special and have a Daniels Commanders like surprise a year ago but I don't think he has the pieces around him outside of Calvin Ridley. So I'm going with the Broncos here on the road.
- [59:03]
B
Yeah we go with one time the.
- [59:05]
A
Titans aren't on at 1 o' clock too.
- [59:07]
B
Yeah 4 o' clock game this will be on in exactly 3% of the country beyond in my house but Broncos Broncos would be are the pick for.
- [59:17]
A
Me spreads eight and a half though I will say that's and then Monday.
- [59:22]
B
Night my Bears make their debut. JJ McCarthy starts for the Vikings. Caleb Williams and Ben Johnson Cale's got all the weapons feels like a perfect time for my team to get this harder hard destroyed I want the Bears to win but I will pick the Vikings because it's the kind of game where we get our hearts broken.
- [59:42]
A
I'm going to believe in you. If you won't believe in your team.
- [59:45]
B
I will thank you.
- [59:47]
A
I actually believe in the McCarthy Viking experience but I say in this first game one it'll be too much for him and Soldier Field Eat them up on Monday Night Football.
- [59:56]
B
I love it. I hope you're right. I wish I could go, actually, but maybe I will go. Why not just go life short. What are you going to do?
- [60:02]
A
I'll go.
- [60:03]
B
Yeah. All right. So those. Any other news items?
- [60:08]
C
There's one more you guys didn't mention. The Bucks Falcons game and Tampa Bay Bucks right tackle Luke get a key. Just signed a four year, $90 million extension with 50 million guaranteed this week.
- [60:19]
B
I forgot to mention the game.
- [60:20]
C
I mean, that's for the NFC south.
- [60:22]
B
You could say, but maybe I should have mentioned that. Well, that's the thing. You never know if you're going to get to all your games mentioned here. Who signed an extension?
- [60:30]
C
Luke get a key. It is the right tackle for the Bucks.
- [60:34]
B
That's really a big news item.
- [60:36]
C
Well, you got to invest in your offensive line.
- [60:38]
B
You just wanted to say that because you're a buck four year 99.
- [60:41]
A
No, you're the Bucks fan. Are they winning?
- [60:42]
B
You can't.
- [60:42]
C
You can't forget the Bucks. Yeah, they're winning. They're at home.
- [60:45]
B
Okay, I'll take the.
- [60:47]
A
It's in Atlanta, but that's a great start. It's drivable.
- [60:52]
B
I'm taking Atlanta. Hot Lana. I think Falcons win another game that couldn't pay me to watch, but I will. I'm going to take Atlanta. What do you got?
- [61:03]
A
You're going against Maker Playfield right here.
- [61:05]
B
Yes. This is Michael Penix Jr. It's time for him to make his. Make his nut again.
- [61:10]
A
Just like I picked your Bears, I'll pick Billy's Bucks here. Even though we're not exactly sure where it is, I think they'll handle the Atlanta atmosphere.
- [61:19]
B
Well, actually, it's going to be somewhere in between. Mobile on the way. All right, so now it is time for our official. Let's do it. Let's do our official cover. NFL cover. Zero playoff picks. I'm going to go first. I'm going to do the nfc. Let's start with Philadelphia. Eagles will win the NFC east in the NFC North. I'll take Green Bay in the NFC South. I'm going to take the Atlanta Falcons and then the NFC west because of the schedule. I'll take the 49ers, my wild card teams. I'm going to go with the Commanders as a wild card team. I'm coming out of nowhere. The Bears, even though they lose in week one, will be one of my wild card teams. And then I'll take the Rams as the final wild card team. Those are going to be my seven teams. Lions missed the playoffs for the nfc. Give me your nfc.
- [62:14]
A
I'll start with the NFC east with our defending super bowl champs. Even though the Commanders will give them a fight, I think the Eagles win the NFC East. NFC north. This one's going to be a little closer. Packers are favorite favorites. That flipped with the Micah Parsons trade, but I'm sticking with the Lions. Yes, the packers will be better with Micah, but it's still the Lions division. I will go to the NFC south with Billy here. I will pick your Bucks. That's probably just because I watched an entire preseason game of the Bucks and they look good, but I actually think maker play field in those running backs will have them winning that division. And in the west, little torn between the rams and the 49ers. I'm going to go with the Rams. Devonte experience will work well. I don't know what Matthew Stafford will be, but maybe your guy Jimmy G leads him to the playoffs and wins the division. Wild card wild card teams. Packers, as I mentioned, they'll be in contention with the Lions but won't win that division. 49ers. I just said. And then the Commanders.
- [63:12]
B
All right, you're going chalk we. I went a little bit off the beaten path, so I got a bunch.
- [63:17]
A
Y' all hear me? All right, My sound went out over here, so you're doing great. Just make sure.
- [63:21]
B
Let's go. I'm going to go to the afc. Bills. When the east easy in the AFC North. Ravens easy AFC South. Jacksonville Jaguars end up winning the South. Liam Cohen and Trevor Lawrence surprise everybody and take it in the AFC West. I'll go with the Chiefs. My. My wild card teams are going to be the Broncos. I'm going to go back to the north and get the Bengals and then the last one can go a lot of different ways. I'm going to say the Texans even squeeze in and get the last one because the Titans and Colts are so bad. They'll add up those wins. Those are my wild card teams. What about you?
- [64:05]
A
All right. I got my sound back so I can actually hear myself. I'm pretty sure.
- [64:08]
B
Pretty.
- [64:08]
A
Pretty chalky in the afc. But I'll start with my upset pick, which you also just picked. I'm going to go with Duvall and the afc. Look at that.
- [64:16]
B
Both of us picking Jackson.
- [64:17]
A
Yeah. I just think the Texans, they're not as good as they were a year ago. They're fluky. They took advantage of a bad division. The Jaguars have come up. They're Going to take that one. And then east got to go with the Bills, heavy favorite. North going with the Ravens. Sorry, Bingles. And then west Chiefs also there. My wild cards. I'm going to do two out of the way Chargers and Broncos. And then I do have the Bengals making the playoff as the other wild card.
- [64:42]
B
Neither one of us pick pick the Patriots. No, that's. That's interesting. And you don't even pick the Texans in the playoffs.
- [64:48]
A
No, no, no, no. Had two. Two west teams in the Bengals.
- [64:51]
B
All right, there you go. Okay. Every week we're going to do a couple of sort of predictions for the week that we will keep score of. We'll start with. We're going to try to do a survivor league. I ran a 50 person celebrity survivor league last year and it was over after week four because everybody missed so many games. Week one, you look at this week one slate, there are almost no gimmicks. I mean, trying to just get through. I tend to want to pick the Eagles, but I don't want to be out night one. Right. Like, that would be the worst to be in a survivor League. I very rarely make it past week one. I'm going to take the Broncos over the Titans. That is going to be my. That is going to be my survivor league team. Now the rules of this are once I pick, Drew can't pick the same team and then Billy can't pick that one. Then next week, Drew can go first, I'll go last, etc. So I'm going to take the Broncos over the Titans as my survivor league. Of course, I can't use the Broncos for the rest of the year. Drew, I will let you go. What do you got?
- [65:54]
A
I'm going to take Washington playing the Giants.
- [65:58]
B
I like that one.
- [65:59]
A
Washington's got a pretty tough schedule. If I'm going to use them, let's just go right out of the gate with the team that I think is going to be pretty terrible. You're at home. So I'll take the commanders one.
- [66:07]
B
All right, Billy.
- [66:09]
C
Yeah, he took my pick, so gonna have to scramble here. But you guys got me on the Liam Cohen train a little bit. I'm taking Jacksonville at home.
- [66:19]
B
I mean, that's a lot of belief. You might be out right here, Billy.
- [66:23]
A
That's fine.
- [66:24]
C
If Bryce Young can get it done week one, then he's made a believer out of me.
- [66:27]
A
Wow.
- [66:28]
B
All right, so Billy takes. None of us pick the Eagles, which is probably. I would say the Eagles are probably gonna be the most common pick. Eagles. I Guess maybe Commanders will be the other one. That'll be the most common picks in this league.
- [66:39]
A
I'll be honest, the thing that deters me from the Eagles is being Thursday. I don't want to be the first person eliminated. And then you got to wait two days, same with Friday. So I think it's hard to pick those. Those early Thursday games.
- [66:50]
B
That's right.
- [66:51]
A
Just embarrassing to be out before the weekend.
- [66:53]
B
Definitely is. Then the other thing we want to do is guaranteed touchdown. So to add a little wrinkle, when Drew picks one, I'm going to let you go first this week. When you pick one, you are picking a person and a position. Okay? So if you pick a quarterback, then Billy or I have to pick a running back or a wide receiver and vice versa, and it's score a touchdown. So if you throw it as a quarterback, that doesn't count. You've got to actually score it. So going first you get to pick the player and you take the position off the board. We will tally over the course of the year how many people get right. The position thing is an added wrinkle. I'm counting for purposes of this. Tight end as a wide receiver. Okay, Tight end as a wide receiver. And if you want to pick a defensive one, here's what I will say. If you want to pick a team to score a defensive touchdown, that is also available and you get two points if you pick a defense and they score a touchdown. So there's some value in reaching out and trying to get a defense so that. So there you go. So you quarterback, running back, wide receiver, slash tight end or defense. But defense is worth two points. Drew, what do you got?
- [68:04]
A
Earlier in the show I mentioned I don't play fantasy. My fantasy is anytime touchdown bets, I love it. I bet one every single game. One o', clock. Spray the board. I have a player in every game and I already had picked one out. It's actually I've already bet this and it was my first NFL bet of the entire season. That's how much I like this. We're going to Ohio where Joe Flacco will find in Joku against the Bengals for a touchdown. So that's a tight end and it's a little bit of a long shot. It's plus 250 for a touchdown bet. That's some good odds.
- [68:34]
B
I don't trust Shock that you could pick anyone and you're picking the joker.
- [68:39]
A
I'm going odds. Listen, as the season goes on, any.
- [68:42]
B
Time get odds for this. This is just a point.
- [68:45]
A
This is my life. I've already bet it. It was the first bet I made of the entire NFL.
- [68:50]
B
You're going with me. Najoku.
- [68:52]
A
Buckle up anytime. Touchdowns is what I do.
- [68:54]
B
You all can have your believable.
- [68:56]
A
Take your Saquon, Barclays. Take your Derek Henry. Don't want it. That's. No. It's not fun picking Saquon Barkley to score touchdown. I'm having fun. Flacco hits in Joku against that Bengals defense.
- [69:06]
B
By the way, you can only pick a person once during the year, just for the record. So, like, you can't ever pick Najoku again. Do you want to waste your Najoku pick?
- [69:15]
A
Stress this enough. I already. I bet it before any overs, Saunders, any week one bets. I am on flat go.
- [69:22]
B
All right, throwing it, Billy, what do you got?
- [69:25]
C
I'm not going to overthink this. Christian McCaffrey scored in 16 straight NFL games. It's an NFL record. He's coming back from injury. I think he's got a score of week one.
- [69:34]
B
Interesting. Yeah, that's. I like that pick. All right, so you got McCaffrey. Well, that leaves me. I can get a quarterback or I can take a run into defense. The unders are pretty good in the first game of the year, but I'm not going to take a defense yet. I'll only do that if I get behind and I'm gonna take a quarterback. I'm gonna go Jalen Hurts, right? If. If you're giving me a quarterback to take, he's playing against a team that's not very good. Tush, pushy, wooshy. So I will take Jalen Hurts with my pick as well. So there you go. You got Najoku, McCaffrey and Hertz. And if you want, we could do. Should we do a Anytime parlay for NFL Cover 0?
- [70:14]
A
I will have so many touchdown parlays on Sunday.
- [70:16]
B
Well, we should do at Najoku. So I'll tell you what. If you're a listener to this podcast, if you bet the Najoku McCaffrey Hurts touchdown parlay and it wins, you can be happy. I'm not going to give you anything because I don't know how many of you actually listen to this, so it might be a lot, but you will have won a lot. I mean, that'll probably be. That'll pay very well. Don't you think that'd probably play, what, 30 to 1? Maybe if you got all three.
- [70:44]
A
Yeah, I was trying to pull it up on the fly. It's a little harder to do than I imagined. But yeah, I got. I got a bit of a long shot in there for us which is definitely going to hit.
- [70:50]
B
Yeah.
- [70:50]
A
So.
- [70:51]
B
So there you go. That's our. That we'll be keeping that competition, guys. Looking forward to it. We will be Sunday night here late at night taping the next episode and that was a lot of fun. I hope everybody feels completely has all the news they need to get ready for the week.
- [71:12]
A
I feel like everyone can now watch the games. They were excited but didn't know what to watch now that they've heard Cover Zero. Okay. Aaron Rodgers is going back to and.
- [71:20]
B
Now I know what Dan Campbell sounds like. Right. They didn't know before that.
- [71:26]
A
That was the highlight of the podcast. To be honest.
- [71:28]
C
It wasn't hot quarterbacks for you.
- [71:30]
B
No, I think the hot quarterback Ray. I mean maybe one week we'll just rank them.
- [71:34]
A
Yeah.
- [71:35]
B
Some wins historically hottest quarterbacks. Thank you very much. Don't forget to like subscribe, review, tell your friends ends Wear it on a billboard. It's NFL Cover Zero. NFL Cover Zero with Matt Jones and Drew Franklin is a production of the NFL and iHeart Podcast. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast.
- [72:06]
A
This is an iheart pod.