Bills-Chiefs: The Game That Defines Buffalo’s Season

Summary

Scoop City: Inside The NFL

Episode: Bills-Chiefs: The Game That Defines Buffalo’s Season
Host: James Palmer (The Athletic)
Date: October 30, 2025

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Episode Overview

This episode of Scoop City dives deep into several of the most compelling NFL storylines ahead of Week 9, led by the highly anticipated Bills-Chiefs showdown—a game loaded with season-defining stakes for Buffalo. Host James Palmer, alongside expert guests and The Athletic’s reporting team, covers the precarious state of the Bills’ passing attack, the Chiefs' offensive resurgence, trade deadline strategies across teams, evolving narratives around star players like A.J. Brown, and the mental health journey of Colts tackle Braden Smith.

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Key Segments & Discussion Points

1. Buffalo Bills at a Crossroads: Passing Struggles and the Chiefs Test

Guest: Joe Buscaglia, Bills beat reporter
Segment Start: [03:34]

• Bills’ Passing Game Stagnation

  • Yards per target to receivers is below one yard—historically low (04:24).
  • Last week, Allen's receivers amassed 110 yards; only 6 came through the air, the rest after the catch (04:42).
  • Offensive explosion (200+ rushing yards vs Panthers) camouflaged larger issues in the passing game.

• Is it Fixable?

  • Reminiscent of 2024, when the Bills pivoted by adding Amari Cooper (03:34).
  • Uncertainty lingered about whether current personnel could spark needed change (03:53).

• Trade Deadline Scenarios

  • General Manager Brandon Beane’s decision-making may hinge on the Chiefs outcome.
  • “If they come through here and they watch Patrick Mahomes pass it all over the yard on them...that might be a moment where he's like, ‘I have to do something more substantial…’” — Joe Buscaglia (05:41).

• Personnel

  • The offense is “one-dimensional,” relying on three-tight end sets—not sustainable down the stretch (06:55).
  • Bills are “likely to add a receiver before Tuesday’s [trade] deadline,” regardless of the Chiefs result (07:23).

2. Bills Defense vs. Chiefs Weapons—Personnel Updates & Adjustments

Segment Start: [07:54]

• Secondary Shuffling

  • Moving pieces after safety Taylor Rapp’s injury; Jordan Poyer (age 34) now on early downs, open-field rookie Jordan Hancock on passing downs (08:20).
  • Return of CB Maxwell Hairston from injury; more man coverage used after being burned by zone (09:24).

• Challenge Level

  • Facing Mahomes, Kelce, Rice, Worthy, and a suddenly deep KC WR group is “another animal entirely” (09:55).

3. Stakes for Buffalo: Season-Defining Implications

Segment Start: [10:23]

• “This is such a bigger game for Buffalo than it is for the Kansas City Chiefs…we’re going to learn exactly what they are this season.” — Joe Buscaglia (11:00)
• Bills have feasted on poor opponents, lost to “up-and-coming teams,” and have yet to face a real litmus test (11:23).
• The regular season vs. postseason dichotomy: “Bills in the postseason against the Chiefs? Never beat them.” (12:36)

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4. Indianapolis Colts—Jonathan Taylor’s MVP Case & Braden Smith’s Mental Health Journey

Guest: James Boyd, Colts beat reporter
Segment Start: [13:09]

• Jonathan Taylor for MVP?

  • First running back with a real shot since Adrian Peterson (2012).
  • Taylor on pace for “30 total touchdowns from scrimmage…last guy who did that was LaDainian Tomlinson, MVP in 2006” (15:38).

• Locker Room Transparency—Braden Smith’s Battle with OCD

  • Colts right tackle missed end of last season, later revealed he was fighting religious-themed OCD (16:27).
  • Supported fully by Colts organization, now in better space—shows power of player vulnerability (18:03).
  • “He was strong enough to say, yes, I play football … but I need to get myself together.” — James Boyd (17:16)

• Trade Deadline Aggression

  • The offense grades among the best of the century (20:00), but defense needs another edge or cornerback.
  • GM Chris Ballard unlikely to splurge on draft picks but “should try to capitalize on a championship window” (19:08).

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5. Minnesota Vikings—The Pressure on JJ McCarthy

Guest: Alec Lewis, Vikings reporter
Segment Start: [22:15]

• “This is his time…this is where this team needs to find out what they have.” — Alec Lewis on JJ McCarthy (22:57)

• After playing sparingly since being drafted (10th overall, 2024), McCarthy returns from a high-ankle sprain.

• Expectation baseline: “Can he get through this game healthy?” (23:34)

• Vikings offense is a work-in-progress, with investments in O- and D-line not paying off as hoped.

• “The process is still at the ultimate beginning stage,” despite the season’s length (25:20).

• Regret in QB Planning?

  • Team passed over on experienced options (Aaron Rodgers, Daniel Jones, Sam Darnold). If things go south for McCarthy, front office decisions will face scrutiny (28:14).

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6. A.J. Brown Deep Dive—The Person Behind the Player

Guest: Brooks Kubena, The Athletic (author of viral A.J. Brown profile)
Segment Start: [33:03]

• Key Insights from A.J. Brown Profile

  • “There are athletes that work and dedicate themselves to the craft and then there’s people like A.J. Brown who justify themselves through that work.” — Brooks Kubena (34:05)
  • Brown’s intensity, training, and film study are unmatched, sometimes setting him up for understandable frustration if not featured in the offense (36:00).
  • The WR position’s unique psychology—so much (scheme/QB/OL/defense/situation) has to go right to even see the ball.

• A.J. Brown, not a “diva”

  • “He’s very resistant to that easy phrase…whenever it seems like they're at the very least understandable for being squeaky wheels” (38:00).

• Story Genesis

  • Sparked by Brown’s IG post after the Super Bowl loss on the pursuit of fulfillment, not just rings (39:24).
  • Built from multi-week, candid conversations; rare openness from a star athlete.

• Would A.J. Brown’s Personality “Travel” to a New Team?

  • “I think those are the things he’s trying to figure out for himself…it’s the same challenge, no matter what building he’s in.” — Brooks Kubena (42:27)

• Eagles Offense—Turning the Corner?

  • Balanced dominance in last two games (big receiving and rushing performances).
  • “Answers are starting to emerge…talent is there,” with hope the bye week augurs a consistent run as in their championship season (46:31).

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7. Fantasy Corner & Fun: Halloween Candy Rankings

Guest: Jake Seeley (The Athletic fantasy columnist)
Segment Start: [50:30]

• Hosts appear in costume (Red Power Ranger, Darkwing Duck).
• Debates on best Halloween candy (Jake: “Nerds Gummy Clusters are the best candy on earth.” [52:06]).
• Overrated candies: “Milky Way is just lazy Snickers. No peanuts. Like, what’s the point?” — Jake Seeley (51:46)

Fantasy Buy Low/Sell High Notes [54:24]

• Buy Lows: Baker Mayfield (“tough schedule behind, weapons returning”), Quinshon Judkins (“bellcow role, friendly schedule”), Christian Watson (Packers, emerging as No. 2 option).
• Sell Highs: Bo Nix (Broncos, brutal late-season schedule), Rome Odunze (Chicago, tough playoff stretch).

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Joe Buscaglia, on the Bills’ passing woes [04:42]:
  “Of all the yards that Josh Allen threw to receivers, there were 110 of them total. Six of them were through the air. 104 were after the catch.”

• James Palmer, on the Bills-Chiefs ramifications [11:00]:
  “So many people are telling me and saying around the league right now that this is such a bigger game for Buffalo than it is for the Kansas City Chiefs. Why are people saying that?”

• James Boyd, on Braden Smith’s mental health journey [17:16]:
  “He was strong enough to say, yes, I play football...but I need to get myself together.”

• Brooks Kubena, on A.J. Brown’s mindset [34:05]:
  “There are athletes that, that work and dedicate themselves to the craft and then there’s people like A.J. brown who justify themselves through that work.”

• Jake Seeley, on Halloween candy [51:46]:
  “Milky Way is just lazy Snickers. No peanuts. Like, what’s the point?”

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• [03:34] – Bills’ offensive struggles: Is it fixable?
• [07:54] – Bills defense: Injury updates, tactics for Chiefs
• [11:00] – Why the Bills-Chiefs game is “season-defining”
• [13:09] – Colts talk: Jonathan Taylor MVP, Braden Smith’s story
• [19:08] – Colts trade deadline, championship window
• [22:15] – Vikings: The pressure on JJ McCarthy
• [28:14] – Vikings’ front office and QB debate/regret
• [33:03] – Deep dive: A.J. Brown profile, psyche, and fulfillment
• [46:31] – Have Eagles found offensive rhythm post-bye?
• [50:30] – Halloween candy rankings, fantasy football buy/sell

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Conclusion

This episode offers insightful analysis on the Bills-Chiefs game and what’s at stake for Buffalo, breaks down the shifting dynamics for several NFL contenders, delivers moving storytelling around player mental health and personal fulfillment, and wraps with timely fantasy advice and Halloween fun. Expert guests draw on deep reporting and locker-room access, bringing fans nuanced context and behind-the-scenes perspective they won’t get anywhere else.

For more in-depth NFL reporting, read The Athletic and tune in to Scoop City Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday.

Transcript

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[Jake Seeley]

Oh, Milky Way is just lazy Snickers. No peanuts. Like, what's the point?

[James Palmer]

And then an allergy. What if you have an allergy?

[Jake Seeley]

Okay, well then you know, fine, you found the technicality. Oh, wait, wait, wait, wait. I'm pretty sure the rappers say made in a factory. Peanuts. And you still can't eat them. Anyway.

[James Palmer]

So welcome into Scoop City on a Thursday. I'm James Palmer with you. We have all sorts of treats for you. Yes, it's the day before Halloween. Yes, I'll be dressing as Indiana Jones's father, Sean Connery. My son will be Indiana Jones. It's going to be dynamite. We're going to win the costume contest for sure. Don't forget to like and subscribe of Scoop City, please. We will love you forever. Coming up on this show, we have the AJ Brown drama. Brooks Cabina from the Athletic with us wrote just a brilliant profile of A.J. brown. Not just the player, but the person and what makes him tick. Brooks and I will go over that also. I must win game for the Bills. Ooh, we'll find out. We'll dive deeper into that Bills Chiefs matchup. We'll also figure out if the Colts are still the best team in the afc and will that continue throughout the course of the season. We're going to take our Thursday road trip around the NFL, so let's get moving. All right, we got a monster one on Sunday. Chiefs, Bills. That's why we have to bring in Joe Biscalia. Joe, this is the best hair that any podcast has ever had. Hopefully people are watching this, not just listening for the two of us, so they can, you know, see all the glory that is happening right now in this podcast. Appreciate you joining me. We always chop it up and have a great time. I want to know, because I read your last piece about what's going on in the passing game where with the Buffalo Bills, the numbers almost didn't make sense in my brain. And this is Josh Allen. Is this fixable what's happening in the passing game?

[Joe Biscalia]

Yeah, I think it is fixable because we kind of see, we saw them go through the same sort of arc last year. Like, I remember that Texans game. I think it was week five of the season last year where the receivers were just not helping Josh Allen whatsoever. And the Bills, it took them about a week and a half, but then they went out and got Amari Cooper. And even though Cooper didn't make the biggest splash statistically, it did help the overall environment, and it got them to a point where they started to figure stuff out from the run game, which helped the pass game. And then that's how they became such a dynamic offensive unit down the stretch of last season. So I do think it's fixable. Do I think it's fixable with the current personnel to be determined right now? Because like you alluded the. The passing stats and, you know, granted.

[James Palmer]

Take it for what it is for everybody. Throw a couple out there for everybody.

[Joe Biscalia]

Oh, I will. And just with a caveat that they did blow out the Panthers 40 to 9 and rushed over 200 yards. But the fact that they rush for so many yards, this kind of makes this more staggering. The Bills on completed passes to receivers, the air yards per target was under a yard, which is.

[James Palmer]

That's almost hard to do.

[Joe Biscalia]

It's. It's mind blowing. And, and my, my personal favorite one was of all the yards that that Josh Allen threw to receivers there were 110 of them total. Six of them were through the air, 104 were after the catch. So it's like, what's going on down the field? And that's, that's the biggest question here in Buffalo right now.

[James Palmer]

Yeah, that's great. And you bring up that Texans game. I actually remember talking to people in Houston last year after that game and they borderline as a defense, said we weren't even concerned at the boundary. We more or less just clogged the middle with our entire defense. We can play, man, have a thought that this is going to beat us at all. And I think that has, you know, kind of snowballed a little bit against this defense about where you need to put your personnel when you're playing against them. You mentioned with the current personnel right now, can it be fixable? Do you think before Tuesday something could change in terms of Brandon Bean making a move? And how much does this game against the Chiefs maybe change his thinking in terms of what the outcome is on Sunday about how aggressive he is on Tuesday?

[Joe Biscalia]

I think there could be more of us, like if it goes poorly on Sunday. I don't. He's not like a super reactive sort of guy, of course, but he still knows and understands and has a good feel for when he's got to do something and, and the magnitude of that something. And if they go through this game like they, they had a 40 to nine win over the Panthers, who were led by a backup quarterback in Andy Dalton. So I mean, that, that was fine for what it is, but it was still a bit clunky on offense, specifically in the passing game. So if they come through here and they watch Patrick Mahomes pass it all over the yard on them, which he very well might do because that passing attack is ridiculous right now and the Bills defense are still trying to figure things out in their secondary, then that might be like a moment where he's like, oh my God, like I have to do something more substantial than maybe I first thought to, to fix what is going on with this overall offensive picture that we have. So do I think he's going to make a move? Yeah, I do think he's going to make a. You can't go into the, the stretch of the season where you need your passing game too, because you need. Sean McDermott has stressed it time and time again, two dimensional offense and they are one dimensional right now. Like their best formations. Formation is when they have three tight ends on the field and that's not going to scare people throughout the duration of the game. Because like you pointed out in that Texans game, teams won't be concerned with what's on the outside. The numbers. They're. They're just going to bring everybody inside the box and good luck. Even though the Bills have a really good offensive line and a great running back in, in James Cook, like it's, it's going to be tough for them to consistently win like they did against the Panthers. So this could be an eye opening game or if it goes the other way, then maybe he goes, all right, well, maybe I don't need to make as big of a splash at the receiver position, but I still think no matter what, my guess is they're, they're going to add a receiver before Tuesday's over.

[James Palmer]

Makes sense. Makes sense. It's interesting when you're quarterback, he's not trying to dog any part of the offense, but when he says this is what's working with us, we're running the football well. We're really good between the numbers and inside the hashes and we're really good in the play action game. Okay, he didn't mention something there. I get it. I get it, Josh.

[Joe Biscalia]

I get it.

[James Palmer]

On the other side of the ball, you mentioned that passing attack that Patrick Mahomes has and all of the weapons are now back and they're healthy and Rasheed Rice is the focal point of this offense. Travis Kelce looks like he's hit the fountain of youth after what we saw a season ago and he's moving well. What is happening in the secondary? Are we getting healthier? Are we going to see any new faces that we haven't seen? What, what should we see from the group that's going to try to slow this passing attack down?

[Joe Biscalia]

Yeah, they're starting to try some new stuff out. Like Taylor Rapp, who is their starting safety for the beginning stage of the season. He went on IR with a knee injury which has already necessitated change. So what's old is new again. And Jordan Poyer is in the starting lineup again at 34 years old. And what basically what they're employing with is they have him in on early downs and then when it gets to an obvious passing situation, they bring in the rookie Jordan Hancock, who does have some starting potential down the line. They're really excited about him in a few, maybe a year or two. But to give him the full role right now, it's just a little bit too much for him. But he does offer some good juice in the back as like a center fielder type. He's he's good in that way. And then at cornerback, they did something slightly unexpected to where not only did they activate Maxwell Hairston off of injured reserve serve after nearly three months missed of practice time, but they also played him like five days after they activated him. And not just like a series, they split series between him and T.R. davious White. So I do wonder how that's going to evolve specifically in this game, because if they go at the same track that they did and what they did against the Panthers, they played a lot more man coverage out of necessity. Like that Falcons game when Drake London lit them up in the first half. They were in zoned a lot of the time and the Falcons were running like the same three, four concepts at them and the secondary just could do nothing. And Drake London was popping open all the time. So they knew McDermott knew they needed to do some tangible changes. They did that from a personnel standpoint. They did that by playing a bit more man coverage. And we'll see. I mean, this is a, this is a huge test because, you know, stopping Teto McMillan and everybody else with Andy Dalton as your quarterback is one thing. Going up against Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce and Rashi Rice and Xavier Worthy and juju Smith Schuster and Hollywood Brown and Ramila, you want to throw him in there. Noah Gray like it's, it's another animal entirely. So the Bills have their work cut out for them, and we're going to see how far this defense has come from what they did at the bye week.

[James Palmer]

Yeah, and what we saw in, in the Chiefs last game too, that second play, that, that scramble drill that, that they've almost seems like. It's not just Travis Kelce that understands what Patrick's doing now. It's almost the entire group. And the length of time that some of these times you're going to have to cover has been insane. And we're kind of back to that Patrick Mahomes where he can scramble around and make all that magic and still the cerebral player that is now as smart as he is in. It's going to be a lot to handle. Last one I have for you, Joe, honestly, is this. So many people are telling me and saying around the league right now that this is such a bigger game for Buffalo than it is for the Kansas City Chiefs. Why are people saying that?

[Joe Biscalia]

I think because. And this is, this is something I've been thinking about a lot this week. I think it's because we're going to learn and they're going to learn exactly what they are this season because think about all the results that they've had. They had that ridiculous back and forth game where they, where they came back in Week 1 against the Ravens and then after that they beat the Jets. Fine, whatever. You know, Justin Field's kind of limited as a passer. They beat the Dolphins who have, I mean, just been really the Dolphins this year. And then it was the Saints who, who just benched their quarterback that, that the Bills wound up beating and then they lost two in a row to two what seems to be up and coming teams in the Patriots and Falcons and then they beat Andy Dalton and the Panthers. So it's not like we, we have learned exactly what this team is going to be. So I think this is, you know, you can look at it two ways, like, okay, this could be a really eye opening experience that maybe, maybe the Bills aren't as great of a team as their potential showed at the beginning of the season. Or is this game coming at the perfect time to where they do have some time to do something at the trade deadline and learn about where they are, where they're failing right now and where they can improve from a personnel perspective and try to beat these guys if they wind up losing the game. Beat these guys in the postseason when it actually matters. Because I mean, you know it as well as I do the Bills against the Chiefs in the regular season, it's been pretty good for them recently. Like they've, it's been aces. Bills in the postseason against the Chiefs never beat them. So maybe they, maybe they lose this one and, and hope that they reverse the curse in that way.

[James Palmer]

Yeah, I've been to every single, and I know you have every single Mahomes Allen postseason game that they've ever had. And I've watched them all and a lot of them from the sideline where it ends in dramatic fashion in the closing minutes in the postseason. And it's usually obviously in the favor of the Chiefs. Joe, appreciate it. Enjoy this one. It should be the game of the week. So we'll be all reading your stuff on the Athletic come, I don't know, Sunday night, Monday morning, depending on your deadline and when you finish.

[Joe Biscalia]

Thanks for having me, James.

[James Palmer]

Rolling right along on our scoop City on a Thursday road trip. James Boyd, friend of the show. Been on here several times. We always have him in a different location. He's very secure here. He's very settled in, has a nice microphone. Sometimes he's standing by a lake outside the facility, sometimes he's on the move out there. In Indianapolis, coverings the Colts brilliantly for us. Halloween is on Friday. Do you have a favorite costume, James, that you had when you were a kid?

[Brooks Kabina]

Yeah.

[James Boyd]

So as a kid, I was obsessed with Allen Iverson. So I feel like the AI jersey, the headband, and, you know, my mom wouldn't go for, like, the tattoos down the arm.

[James Palmer]

The one on the neck.

[James Boyd]

Yeah, not one on the neck either, but I got to wear the arm sleeve and stuff like that. So he was my hero growing up. Besides my dad, obviously, but still got the Allen Iverson poster on my door. To this day, I think of my childhood home.

[James Palmer]

I love it. I love it. I had two of Allen's cousins on my high school basketball team, Corey and Greg Iverson. Shout out to both you guys. Great, great guys. Buddies in high school. And Allen gave our high school our team shoes. Actually, while we were there, we were in Philly. Man, Alan was everything. He's the best.

[James Boyd]

Yeah, exactly.

[James Palmer]

Yeah. Hell of a football player, by the way. One of my favorite things to do on YouTube, by the way, is to watch Allen Iverson high school highlight football plays. And they're unbelievable. Seven interceptions in one game. Are you kidding? Kidding me. It was an unbelievable safety outside of a quarterback. But I digress. Let's get to guys that are actually playing in the league right now. James, I've floated this out there. Other people are floating this out there with the way Jonathan Taylor is playing. We have not had an MVP as a running back since 2012 with Adrian Peterson. Do you think anybody in Indianapolis, in that locker room yourself, anyone around the Colts organization believes that he has a legitimate MVP shot? Or are we just saying this is now a quarterback award and he can settle? I would say settle with the way he's playing for offensive player of the year.

[James Boyd]

James, I feel like you've been eavesdropping on the Colts news conferences, because he was just asked this question today, and he said, hey, the last guy who won in Adrian Peterson, he earned it. So I believe if you are able to go out there and help your team win a lot of games and you produce, then you can still earn it. So he was asked flat, flat out, do you want to win mvp? Do you care about winning mvp? And he was like, yes. So it seems like he's someone who's. Yeah, just not going to go through the. The typical cliche answers. Oh, I don't care about individual awards. No, he cares. He's very conscious of it. And I do think he has a legitimate chance to win it if he keeps up this pace, I believe he's on pace for 30 total touchdowns from scrimmage. And the last guy who did that was Daniel Tomlinson, who by the way was MVP in 2006.

[James Palmer]

Yep. So there's, there's a lot of comps there. I mean he's doing everything for this team and we know how much talents around him. But I think this offense we all know doesn't go because it goes through Jonathan Taylor and it operates through him. Coming up later in the show, we're going to talk to Brooks Kabina who did a profile that's brilliant on A.J. brown. And not just A.J. brown the player, but A.J. brown the person, the stuff he has dealt with behind the scenes. We know that he's struggled with some things behind the scenes and he's been very vulnerable and open with about it in the past. He's not the only NFL player that has other things going on in this league, James. And I think you covered that brilliantly in your locker room. If you could just shed some light on that because that's a big part of why this offense is working as well in Indianapolis.

[James Boyd]

Absolutely. So last year, around this time, right around Thanksgiving actually, Braden Smith, the Colts right tackle, their starting right tackle for years now, left the team, missed the final five games of the year. We didn't really know what was going on. And then in basically a tell all with the local newspaper here, the Indianapolis Star, he came out and said that he's dealing with OCD and specifically religious scrupulosity, which I had to look up what that even means. And basically it means that his form of OCD plays on his belief in God and Christianity to the point where he can obsess over thinking everything is a sin or everything is going to be damnation or something like that. And it's a real thing that he was battling with. So he took some time away from the team. Kudos to the Colts that paid all of his salary while he was away. Never once told him he weren't, wasn't allowed to get that money even though he was on a non football injury list. And so I checked in with him at the midway point of the season this year because we talked to him in training camp, he had come back to the team, he was saying he was in a good space, but I wanted to kind of know what it was like to just play again and feel a little bit freer and lighter about his life. And he was very candid about everything he's been through as far as, you know, therapy and opening up to his wife and his teammates and just being a more vulnerable but also I believe, a stronger person because he was strong enough to say, yes, I play football, yes, my job is to move a lot of big men around most of the time, but I need to get myself together. And I think the most heart touching part about the entire thing is him saying he has a young son, Wyatt, 21 months old. And he was saying when he was going through the height of his mental health turmoils last year, he couldn't be present for his son. He couldn't enjoy being around his son and his wife. And so this year he was telling me, look, man, I try to take things day by day, be in the present. And he's excited to dress his son up as a construction worker tomorrow or Friday for Halloween because his son's really big into monster trucks, excavators and tractors right now. So it was good checking with Braden Smith, who is a part of an incredible Colts offensive line that is helping to lead one of the best offenses you've seen in the last 25 years in this sport.

[James Palmer]

Yeah, unbelievable. Great story. Thank you for doing that, James. Honestly to football, Tuesday is the trade deadline. This is not something that Chris Ballard does. I believe Naheem Hines, when he actually asked to be traded is the only time he's really done it in eight years. Do you see with where this team is right now, you mentioned the historical pace that this Colts offense is on. Do you see them trying to find a piece maybe on the other side of the ball to take advantage of this role that they're on? Do you think Chris Ballard will be be aggressive in making this team even better before the 4 o' clock deadline on Tuesday?

[James Boyd]

It's always hard to predict what he might do or could do, but I will say he should do this. I think that they need to capitalize on, like I said, one of the best offenses you've seen in the last 20 plus years. If you look at their points per drive, 3.64, that's the highest through eight games since the 07 Patriots, who by the way had Tom Brady and Randy Moss. So those offenses. Right, exactly. They don't come around very often. So. But capitalize on this, what I believe to be a championship window that they opened up. You have to get your defense, I think, to a level where, yes, they're sixth, I think in scoring defense. However, they've given up a lot of third down conversions. They're not that great when it comes to passing defense. Give them a lot of Yards as well. They need, in my opinion, one more playmaker, whether it's, you know, up front, a defensive end or on the back end as a cornerback. And I believe the belief internally is like they. They do believe they are, you know, perhaps one from getting there. Now, like you alluded to, James, the trick is, what will Chris Ballard be willing to part ways with? He loves his draft picks. He always tells us he likes to trade back and get more picks and keep us in a, you know, draft room very long when it comes to our draft coverage. However, I just think that, you know, your defense doesn't have to be lights out, but it's just got to be middle of the pack. If you can get there from a yard standpoint, a playmaking standpoint, and be able to still survive some of these defensive lapses without getting turnovers like they've had, then you will be cooking with some gas here down the stretch of the season because like I said, this team has opened up a great opportunity, and this year it feels like the AFC is more vulnerable than it has been in years past.

[James Palmer]

Yeah, that's a great point. That's a great point. If only they were the only team looking for corners and edge rushers right now before the deadline.

[James Boyd]

And that's going to be the fascinating.

[James Palmer]

Part about it, right? It's going to be whether you're willing to give up more. If there's competition for said players, the price can go up. And then where do you draw that line? You might be very interested, but you don't want to go past a certain, certain pick you value. And we know Chris Ballard values his picks, so it's going to be interesting to see if he can make something happen. I would assume Lou Anarimo is probably knocking on the door.

[James Boyd]

Exactly.

[James Palmer]

Maybe during the week going, if I had this could help us. We could, you know, Luke could be persuasive. We'll see. Enjoy this one against the Steelers. You have a prediction for me, James, before you go?

[James Boyd]

Yeah. I think the Colts will get this done. They haven't played there, I believe, in a number of years on the road in Pittsburgh, and this is the first time, I think, since 2020, since they played there. And of course, in 2020, they had no fans, so it'll be a hostile environment, but I'll pick the Colts 31 20. I don't think this to be like a super close game, not a blowout by any means, but this offense is rolling. I think they can take advantage of this Pittsburgh defense, which I believe is number one in the league in yards allowed. And we know, like, they're not really the Steelers of old that we've seen, and we kind of are used to they. They are kind of, you know, I think, vulnerable defensively. And so if it is kind of a shootout type of game, I think it's the advantage of the Colts.

[James Palmer]

Okay, well, what's painful for Omar Khan there in Pittsburgh is that they're also number one in salary as a defense the last four seasons, which is the painful aspect of it. James, appreciate it. Enjoy the game on Sunday.

[James Boyd]

Thanks for having me.

[James Palmer]

All right, moving right along. Big one between the Vikings and the Lions, honestly. And I don't even know if the opponent matters that much this week, and I tell you why in a second. We have Alec Lewis joining us. Covers the Vikings just brilliantly for us here at the Athletic. All eyes are on J.J. mcCarthy, and that's why I set it up that way. You know, obviously it's alliance. Obviously it's a big game, but really, just how J.J. mcCarthy plays is really what everybody's looking for. Because it's been a minute and we're curious, how is he handling coming back? How is he handling the pressure that I believe has kind of been put on him because of the situation? And what could we expect on Sunday?

[Alec Lewis]

Yeah, thanks for having me, James. This is a fascinating time period, a pivotal point, I feel like, for this organization. You've got 10 games left in this season. J.J. mcCarthy has played two of the 24 regular season games since he was drafted with the number 10 pick in 2024. And so this is his time. I mean, this is like the way I phrase is, like the presence are under the tree. And you get. This is where you get to find out what you got. And this is where this team needs to find out what they have as they make decisions moving forward with this position and with the roster in general.

[James Boyd]

I.

[Alec Lewis]

You asked how he's handled it. Um, I mean, it's been a. It's been an interesting road. Like, he suffered the high ankle sprain in week two against the Falcons. He played the rest of the game. He was not accurate throughout the second half in that game, and then he's missed five games since. There has been work behind the scenes done on some of his lower half mechanics which have. Which failed him a little bit in that Falcons game. And that's been a big point of conversation here. And now he's coming back against the team that, you know, will hit you hard. And so, I mean, really, for me, people have Asked locally, like what is the expectation? What is the, what needs to happen? Can he get through this game healthy? Like that is the benchmark of, of where this thing needs to be. I don't think the expectation needs to be that he goes out and dominates and shreds the Lions defense. If he gets healthy, if he shows that he can be accurate and consistent in some respect, some respects, and see the field, well, that would be a good foundational point in terms of, you know, the beginning of this 10, 10 game journey. That, that is as crucial as it is.

[James Palmer]

Yeah, it's, it's massive considering the, the structure of this team, considering the head coach and what he's done with quarterbacks past. And we know what Typ QB whisperer is. You know that Alex, so take me inside the locker room. And obviously you mentioned how little they've seen him play football. Are the guys on the offensive side of the ball, like, do they have faith that he can do it? I mean, I understand why some may not because they haven't seen him play a lot. How do they feel about their quarterback considering there's so many veterans and they've seen this offense play at a high level?

[Alec Lewis]

Yeah, I mean, at this point they don't have a choice. Quarterback room is J.J. mcCarthy, Max Brosmer, who is an undrafted sign who played his final college season in Minnesota. And then John Wolford, who is a phenomenal dude, very sharp guy.

[Jake Seeley]

But the.

[Alec Lewis]

It would be last resort to have him be playing quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings. I mean, look, the Vikings, everybody internally knew throughout training camp and leading into the season that this was going to be a process. The hard part is you're seven games in and the process is still at the, the ultimate beginning stage. So like that is, you know, that's been the hard part for everybody. It's been hard for players who expected this thing to come along. It's been hard for the coaching staff that wanted to get to this point and feel like you're starting to build some momentum. And really the other thing I think I have to say is I came on this show specifically before the season and I'm like, the Vikings are handing the keys to this Ferrari to JJ McCarthy. And this is no disrespect to Hyundai because I drive a Hyundai, but like the car has not been a Ferrari. It has been the Hyundai type version. If we're endorsed by them, then then look, I, you can cut that out. But, but really like that's the nature of, of this roster right now. The interior defensive line which they overhauled. Has not been good. The interior of the offensive line has not been phenomenal, which they overhauled as well. And so now the, the. What's so crazy is like the whole idea was you position and cushion JJ McCarthy and really now he's returning in a position where he has to almost lift the foundation. It's just not where in a lot of respects, none of this is really where the Vikings wanted it to be. And it only furthers the interesting aspect of what this game and this next time period for this organization is.

[James Palmer]

God, that's wild. Don't worry. We used to be sponsored by Saab, but that's the only thing that we'll have to cut out. Saab was usually a big sponsor for us here. Liz, you're right because of the money that they have spent. Spent. And you mentioned in the positions that they did spend it. And before we go, I just. And, and maybe you don't have the answer to this. And I know we can't look back and I. We think we know how Sam Darnold's playing and Daniel Jones is playing and what's that? Do you think there's any sort of regret right now from Kevin o' Connell and company that we maybe did put all our eggs in one basket and now we're here. How do you keep the rest of the group happy? This is a team that wants to go to a conference title game, potentially a Super bowl, and they're all there. But your decision at the most important position in all of sports has put your, your team here. Is there any sort of regret? It's not buyers remorse right now he may turn out, but regret for 2025 specifically.

[Alec Lewis]

Yeah, I mean it's such a hard question. And, and it's. I mean Kevin o', Connell, you know, like that's not how he would think. But, but I mean it's. It's so interesting to look back. Sam Darnold before the last two games, it seemed almost impossible that you. That, that like you could move on from. Then the last two games happened and it was a disaster, an offensive malfunction for. In, in all respect, then, then Daniel Jones who's in this building. The Vikings wanted to keep Daniel Jones. Like I want to make that very clear. They really did. He ended up choosing the more advantageous opportunity for him. And then Aaron Rodgers wanted to be here. And that was a very big conversation inside this building. We and a lot of Vikings fans who wanted this to be JJ McCarthy's time couldn't understand the idea that that would be something that would be kicked around. But part of the reason it was was because of the youth and because of the development that JJ McCarthy needed. And they ultimately gave him the opportunity. They wanted him to feel like he was the guy. And I mean, it's hard to arrive at this place and not consider what it might have looked like. How would JJ McCarthy have felt if he had to sit another year? I mean, these are, are all valid questions. But there, I mean, look like here's the reality. If the next 10 games don't go great, J.D. mcCarthy suffers an injury. I mean that the conversation of what they had in this building and now what they have, I mean that is going to dominate and it should because of the importance of this position to being successful in this league. You know that the people listen to this, know that. And again, that's what makes this final 10 games. Can JJ's play these final 10 games, you know, place a different referendum on what this season is? That's, that's really the question.

[James Palmer]

We'll probably have you back on to discuss it further to see exactly where this goes. Alec, appreciate it, man. Enjoy the game. Everybody read what he's going to bring to the table at the Athletic after this one because I think it's going to be a fascinating watch and all eyes are going to be on J.J. mcCarthy. I appreciate it, man.

[James Boyd]

Thanks, James.

[James Palmer]

Great to be with you, man. Well, it wouldn't be the 2025 season if we weren't talking about the Philadelphia Eagles. Even on a bye week, they're one of the most talked about organizations in football. Coming up next, Brooks Cabina joins us who wrote a brilliant profile about AJ Brown, the player and the person. We're going to dive into that and what that might mean for Philadelphia season and perhaps the trade deadline. More scoop city coming up next.

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[James Palmer]

Welcome back to Scoop City on a Thursday. We teased it because it's pretty much the most popular thing on the Athletic right now, at least in my opinion. Brooks Kabina joins us. And Brooks, I love the hair, by the way.

[Brooks Kabina]

I love.

[James Palmer]

This is. This is like a, this is like a. Is this like a vibe that's going on during the bye week as we're on the move here? We're enjoying maybe some time.

[Brooks Kabina]

I'm just growing it out over the season. I haven't gotten a haircut in months. It's like a baseball thing. I guess the good luck is coming.

[James Palmer]

Yeah, it's like a baseball thing. It's like hockey. It's like a hockey beard in the playoffs. You know what I mean? This is what, this is what Brooks is rocking. You wrote an outstanding piece for the Athletic. Everybody please go read it. Profiling A.J. brown, which is maybe the most talked about name in the NFL right now. And that's what I want to start with, with everything you gathered, which was, you know, from, from talking to DK Metcalf or Elijah Moore and guys he was with at Ole Miss. And if you were to sum up who AJ Brown is with all the time and work you put in and you told me that right now. How would you describe A.J.

[Brooks Kabina]

I mean it's there, there are athletes that, that work and dedicate themselves to the craft and then there's people like A.J. brown who justify themselves through that work. You mentioned DK Metcalf in that. There's this scene in that story where they're both just getting the most out of each other at Ole Miss and weighted vests and, you know, pulling pull ups beyond 30. They'd throw on 325. He'd go and try and one up them each time. And you know, it's, he's, he takes himself to that degree because he really does, is determined to be the best. And that's a journey in itself for him to realize that he is the best. So I would say that that's probably where I'd place him and what. I'd say that.

[James Palmer]

Yeah, that seems it. I mean, I remember covering that pro day there at Ole Miss with him and DK and them bursting through the double doors together before their both topless, both just like great gods essentially. And they were both going to go out there and show the entire NFL while they're competing against each other in that pro day how talented they both are and the way that they carried themselves and with everything that you described with the work ethic and the intensity and you really got into kind of the film work and looking at everybody all the way down the depth chart right to, you know, he may be going against a third corner, somebody gets hurt, he wants to know about that guy. It painted this picture for me, Brooks, that, that went. If there's that amount of time that's put in and he only seems to be wired one way, like he can't work another way. It has to be that way in that dedication. And then if you don't get the football. I almost started to feel for him reading it. Did you get that? Writing it, where I go, I understand this work and if there's not a payoff, I actually do understand a frustration.

[Brooks Kabina]

I think there's a sense in this where you look at the confines the, that this position is in. It's an interesting one. I, I wonder about other sports where, you know, golf or tennis or others that, you know, someone can be a little bit more focused on themselves. But yeah, it's, it's a, it's a, it's a sense that I got from a lot of people, including AJ where, you know, the wide Receiver is a very interesting position. I posed this question to Nick Sirianni, who was a receiver coach, and Kevin Batula, who was a receiver coach, and even to Jalen Hurts, who has this connection just because he's the quarterback and the person that is throwing in the ball. DK Metcalf put it really well in the story where so much has to happen. The blockers have to hold their blocks, the quarterback has to be protected and see you and deliver a good ball, and the play has to go in there. It has to be the right situation and you still might not get thrown the ball. So throughout all of that, he is. Is putting himself like it is not a performative thing whenever he's talking about how much work he goes into the workouts that he does. I tried to do a story once about how he incorporated boxing into his workouts and he wouldn't want to talk about it. Johan Dotson, whenever he got to the team before he had been traded for A.J. brown, let him train with him. And he doesn't let anybody just do that. You have to be serious about it and you have to be talented at what you're doing or you're not, or it's just not going to happen. So he's very serious about the way he goes about his business. So whenever he's out there and puts himself through every play perpetually over and over again, that is within the game, a confine that he has to come to terms with. And he's very open about how that is a struggle. I think DK Metcalf puts it in his own words. And several receivers over the past years, whether, you know, know it's, you know, it's been received in kind, or if people paint them as divas. AJ Brown has been pretty resistant to that easy phrase for everyone whenever it seems like they're at the very least understandable for being squeaky wheels within this confines. Going back to Keyshawn Johnson and Terrell Owens and others who might have handled it differently in the way that they talked about it and the other things in the way they carry themselves outside the game. But like when you look at A.J. brown specifically, how he puts himself through all the work, that's unquestionable. So whenever he gets there and the ball's not getting there, those are things that, beyond just the game itself, are moments where he exists. The way this story opens, we talked about that at his locker, why it is so important to him whenever he gets the ball in his hands. That's really what I wanted. People to understand throughout this story, it, yes, there's this confines of whenever the passes stop, so do their meaning beneath that. Why that matters to him so much beyond other players who are in that specific position, I think is what I wanted one of the major takeaways from the story to be.

[James Palmer]

Yeah, Brooks, real quick, how did you get into this story idea? Did it come from a conversation you had with AJ Just he was wanting to talk and then it came from that, or did you approach him kind of with the thought process of going down this rabbit hole with him?

[Brooks Kabina]

So after the super bowl couple days, he posted on Instagram, I think a lot of people saw that, where he was pretty open about how he thought that all of his work would be justified by winning the super bowl. And he was open in saying that it didn't. So that already got the curiosity there. Whenever the off season came, he talked during OTAs and that exchange, talking about fulfillment and got things in my mind to really pursue that more. And then over the summer, you start hearing about other athletes talk about this. Scotty Scheffler and others. And before the season, on the first day of training camp, AJ Brown had a podium session and he talked more about what he wanted out of the season. Someone asked him what was left for him and he said, to be the best version of myself. And I thought about that. And on the first day of open locker room, when the regular season began, I went up to him and I said, I'd really like to do this story about fulfillment with you. I want to explore that idea that you post. And he agreed to that. And we had a couple of conversations, two or three conversations at his locker over the course of four or five weeks of the season and some of the scrums and games and during the weeks as well. So really it was a long time talking to him about this and I appreciated his openness and his willingness to do that because most, most players don't talk like this. And to further still star players open about their feelings in this way. So it was a story that required a lot of, I think, thought and to talk to the other people that were in that story to understand where to understand him in this. Because it can become a place where it gets so tangled, because I think it is a place where of entanglement. So that's how that came about.

[James Palmer]

That's awesome. Yeah, the piece is brilliant. You were able to paint that picture. I just hope, you know, somebody who read it will tell you that you did really good job of painting that picture of the way AJ Thinks and the way he goes about it, and I think you're spot on. The way that he is a lot more open and different. I remember last year being at that game with the famous book game where he's reading on the sideline. But I remember being in that locker room and maybe I think arguably the last person in there, and him and I are just reading the book together, and he's like. I was like, can I take a picture of this? This kind of moves me. He's like, 100%, man. That's why I have it here. Take a picture. Like, it was all not on the record. It was all just to better himself and myself in a conversation about what he's going through and why he reads it. And that's just kind of the way he is. He's a bit of this enigma in the way he thinks and goes about his business, maybe compared to other NFL players. So that lets me pose this question to you. If AJ Were to be moved or if he were to play somewhere else, if a trade happens now or after the season or whatever it may, do you think this is the same player, the same person, the same quote, unquote issues that maybe a locker room feels like they have to have under wraps with AJ Would be similar, no matter what building he's in because of the way he's wired.

[Brooks Kabina]

This is an answer that I think is conjecture for me, because I think those are things that he's trying to figure out for himself. Part of the reason why I wanted to ask him these questions, because in the story, I put it like this. Like, is it. It's fair to suggest that, you know, would. Would any other team be better equipped for this? When it seems like the game itself is the thing that creates these confines that he's dealing with, the short list of player people that he would talk to to advocate for himself in an offense. Quarterback, play caller, head coach, it's the same in any place. And the structure of those systems, different game plans for every week. We've heard enough from coaches who talk like that. So the. It's hard to answer. Yeah, I think, you know, one of the parts of this is. It's just a very. This is. This is a thing where a lot of people find their identity in their job sometimes. And we find that balance between what is too much and what is too little and when someone is just excellent at their craft. I mean, I think of it in superhero terms, like, are they okay with just seeing the bat signal and then that being their moment to be called upon. You know, those are, those are things that you have to wonder about. And if there are some coaches or some other teams, and I think the Eagles, I know the Eagles are doing what they can to talk to him. You know, the Nick Sierra and he talks with all the players, including AJ Brown and Nick Ceriani's role as a, as a coach, he took a step back, more of a CEO type last season. These are the kind of relationships that he's in a position to manage. And you know, the quarterbacks that AJ Brown's work with over time, that's a relationship too, where understanding is there. You know, Jalen Hurts, you know, has been asked about AJ a lot, and they've all said that they're professionally aligned, they both want to be great, and they're both pursuing that where that lies. You know, A.J. brown has been so someone who's talked a lot about his, his personal aspirations and the things that he wants out of what he pursues. And whenever you talk to Jalen Hurts, he talks a lot about the collective and the team and, you know, there's there. And I wouldn't put words in either of their mouth in this. And I'm just saying, like, you know, from a perspective, looking at their, each position, for sure, the quarterback is one that gets the ball each time, you know, can, you know, whether it's running or passing or doing, there's. There's a different role playing there and a wide receiver has got a different role. So that understanding there is going to be the same in any other team. And I don't know if the answer is really contingent on where he is, because he dealt with, you know, he had, he had. He's been dealing with his journey even before this, even with the Titans. So, you know, it's. I think this is something that he's, he's working out for himself.

[James Palmer]

Yeah, it's. Yeah, it is. It's. He seems like a complex person. I think you captured it very, very well. You know, I host a show with one of my best friends and Steve Smith senior, and we talked about AJ this morning, actually about this, and he had an unbelievably accurate, in my opinion, assessment of what AJ's going through, because I think they're wired pretty similarly. You know, they both, you know, talk about the, the sacrifices that you have to do and everything can go right and you still don't, you don't get football. It's different than every other position on the field, whether it's an offensive lineman, defensive you really, you can win your battle right on that play and be satisfied with it outside of the receiver position. So it is a different mindset that you have to deal with as a player before we let you go and get back on the road. Brooks, has this Eagles offense kind of turned the corner as a whole? Like what have you seen the last couple of weeks and are we starting to find our footing a bit little? We know the talent's there but new play caller piecing it together, not being predictable, have we kind of found a bit of a groove offensively from what you gleaned and whose you talked to?

[Brooks Kabina]

Well, the last two games suggest the answer is yes because going into the bye week they had a game against the Vikings where both Devontae Smith and A.J. brown had hundred yard games receiving and then they followed it up with a win against the Giants where Saquon Barkley and tank Bigsby have 100 yards rushing, both of them. So there were also things where the offense wasn't experiencing lulls against the Giants. They didn't have two consecutive possessions where they didn't score. That was where a lot of the issues were happening within the offense under first time offensive coordinator Kevin Petullo. Or there'd be this half of brilliance and then the next half it would just be 4:3 and outs in a row. And then there were frustrations from everyone on the offense. So it shows that they're starting to figure out where they work as an offensive unit, where things work against their opponents who were doing some different things to this team that other teams in the past weren't doing a lot of zone coverage to stop some of the passing and some of the ways that they were approaching the run game. Now their blocking systems are different and that worked against the Giants. Will that continue to work? So answers are starting to emerge and they by far have the talent in order to solve these problems. You know a bye week gives a lot of hope for that because of what it did last year where they came out of that and committed to the run game and then went on to win on the Super Bowl. There are the pieces there. There are a couple of signs in those last two wins that suggest that they can figure this out and make a run again.

[James Palmer]

Well, we're going to see. That's why we're all following to see if there will be a repeat for the super bowl champs and Brooks will be there every step of the way again. Go read his piece on A.J. brown on the athletic. It's outstanding. Kind of really getting really into the intricacies of A.J. brown as a human being, what makes him tick, what drives him, all of these aspects of him as a person and as a player. Brilliantly told by you Brooks. Appreciate it and thank you for spending some time with us while you're on your bye week and enjoying this great country and the sights and sounds as you travel it for your bi week Man.

[Brooks Kabina]

James Anytime.

[James Palmer]

Just a fascinating article, fascinating conversation. Appreciate it Brooks. Coming up, Jake Seeley is going to be joining us because it's a Thursday, but I don't know if you're going to see Jake. You might see someone else when he talks about fantasy and his favorite trick or treat treats. Coming up next on Scoop City.

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[James Palmer]

Not available in all states. Welcome back to Scoop City on a Thursday. Happy Halloween everybody. I am a red Power Ranger. No big deal. Been wearing this costume since I don't know Jake. I was going to OU to celebrate Halloween at Ohio University when I was at Ohio State, known as the biggest Halloween party in America I'm not sure if you knew that Jake Seeley's with us as he is Darkwing Duck and this makes the Palmer household very happy. One of our favorites in terms of cartoons. And Jake, apparently one of your favorites cartoons were. Where does Darkwing Duck rank on your list of cartoons before we get to your other list?

[Jake Seeley]

Oh, 100% is number two. It's DuckTales Den. Darkwing Duck forever, forever, forever.

[James Palmer]

And you will be sending this to the voice of Darkwing Duck, I assume.

[Jake Seeley]

Yeah. Jim Cummings asked. He wants to see the full on picture when I'm out with my niece. This has the bot, the feathery bottom, the feet, the glove. I didn't wear the gloves. Although it kind of looks weird when I put my real hand up.

[James Palmer]

It's kind of creepy. Keep your hand out of the shot.

[Joe Biscalia]

Yeah, certainly.

[James Palmer]

This thing is amazing.

[Jake Seeley]

I don't know what to do with my hands.

[James Palmer]

Yeah, I know what you do with your hands. You keep them away from that camera because it's very terrifying. A big part of Halloween is candies and a big part of Jake being on the show is lists. I haven't been able to contribute with some of the lists lately. This one I certainly can. This is your top Halloween candy rankings.

[Jake Seeley]

Yes.

[James Palmer]

These are nerd gummy clusters. I'm glad they're there because they are just a special, special treat, aren't they?

[Jake Seeley]

Oh, I found these back in 2020. I have the tweet before anybody knew about these things before Mina Kimes was tweeting about them. I like I want the credit for finding these before anybody else did. They are the best candy on earth. Here's the spoiler, James. Well, not really a spoiler, but I was reached out to by the company who makes it. Them saw the list. They said we got to send you the new ones we're coming out with that are bigger and have juice in the middle.

[James Palmer]

Juice like gushers like juice in the middle like an old gusher.

[Jake Seeley]

Yes. I'm so curious.

[James Palmer]

That is fascinating. You're going to have to send maybe a little over here. I'll give you my address. I like. You know, there's also a list about peanut butter that you've come out with as well. But we're not going to get entirely to that yet. We're going to go to. Number eight is one of my big ones and number nine is one of my big ones. Hi Chews and Swedish Fish Me Minis. Just the reds. I remember when I was a kid, I had to sort through. I don't want green. I don't want yellow. I want the red ones. And then my mom would look at and go, why are there just like the green and the yellows and the whatever's left? I'm glad they just got the minis in the red.

[Jake Seeley]

Oh, and the minis are so much of a better texture, too. I don't know if you saw. Did you see the red, white, and blue that they came out for 4th of July? Whoa, whoa.

[James Palmer]

No, I did not.

[Jake Seeley]

Those were really good. The. The blue were like a berry flavor and the white were supposed to be lemon, but they tast more pineappley. They're really good. But yes. Hi. Chews hot take here. Better than Starburst.

[James Boyd]

Hi.

[James Palmer]

Chus are amazing. I'm going to be right there with you. I think. Hi. Chus are outstanding. I want to get to real quick, which is because Kit Kat's way too low for me. If you throw those in the freezer, they're outstanding, but overrated. Whoppers, Tootsie rolls, Milky Ways, Three Mouseketeers. Come on now. There's a couple of OGs on there. And Milky Way and Three Mouseketeer.

[Jake Seeley]

Oh, Milky Way's just lazy Snickers. No peanuts. Like, what's the point?

[James Palmer]

What if you got an allergy? What if you have an allergy to peanuts?

[Jake Seeley]

Well, then, you know, fine, you found the technicality. I'm pretty sure the rappers say, made in a factory with peanuts and you still can't eat them.

[James Palmer]

Anyway, on the level of the person's allergy that we're talking and discussing about here, Three Musketeers.

[Jake Seeley]

I just found out this year, somebody told me in the comments, they're like, you have to try it frozen. So I will give it that. I haven't done that before.

[James Palmer]

Yeah, and then throw it in your vanilla ice cream. Okay, let's do it.

[Joe Biscalia]

Wow.

[James Palmer]

On to some buy low, sell high type of fantasy situations going on here. Three by lows. Let's start Baker buy low.

[Jake Seeley]

Why? Two reasons is one is Baker is coming off two poor games. And as you well know, there's a game right there where K was overturned. Taken down at the one, there's another touchdown. You could argue that Igbuko should have caught on that one. So we're having a completely different discussion. And nobody's talking about, oh, Baker's heading to his buy off two bad games. It's time to worry. Maybe starting to see a downtick. We're also talking about Baker Mayfield's played with one of if put the 49ers aside, they're in their own world. But another injury situation of like he just hasn't even had consistency at wide receiver. But he comes out of the buy. He's got the Cardinals, Saints, Falcons. I don't know that they're tough anymore. Panthers and Dolphins. The Dolphins in the championship game and you don't get much better than that. It's the schedule and then the ability to get healthy with this team.

[James Palmer]

I love that you brought up the schedule.

[James Boyd]

Quin.

[James Palmer]

Sean Judkins what, what's the story there? I'm curious.

[Jake Seeley]

Bell Cow running back for one, talent for two. The concern of the injury heading to the buy and this is another one where I'm looking at the schedule. He's got jets, ravens, raiders, 49ers, titans, bears, bills, Steelers. Where are you, where are you worried about the Steelers in the championship game? That's fine. I'm already in the championship game.

[James Palmer]

That's fine. I love that you talked like a big game there and real confident in a Darkwing Duck costume like yeah, I'm already in a championship game. Let's go, let's talk about it. Christian Watson, I believe was your other.

[Jake Seeley]

Yeah, that was a little different. I was originally going to Talk about Terry McLaurin if he wasn't going to be missing some time and it's the same injury. There was initial concern at the earlier of the week and the thought that hey might be one week or whatever but so replaced and want to give you a wire receiver. And Watson's not even so much schedule dependent because he does have the Broncos in there. You know, we assume that the Ravens are getting healthier in the secondary. The Vikings are on the schedule. There are some cupcakes, you know, the Giants, the Lions secondary, the Bears twice. But it really comes down to Christian Watson in his first game back 24 to 37 routes immediately out there already making Matthew Golden a nod factor. And it comes down to if I need a wide receiver four, which is understanding you're going to get some 15 point games, you're going to get some threes like that's what a wide receiver four is. But nobody seems excited about him even after he comes back and essentially was running as the two in his first game back in an aggressive return from his injury. Which tells me what the packers want to do is get him out there back as a top two option.

[James Palmer]

I love it. I love it. I love that you threw cupcakes in there too. Way to stay Brandon Brand Jake. Two sell highs one. Yes what's this? Bo Knicks in the Broncos and the other one, Romo, just.

[Jake Seeley]

And so this is purely fantasy. So everybody don't panic that like, I don't hate Bo Nix and I've been a Troy Franklin proponent for the entire year coming into this, but this is the one week where it could immediately go bad. The Texas defense is super concerning. And then after that they do have the Raiders twice, which we do know get after the quarterback. And there's been some concerns throughout the year of the Broncos offensive lines, inconsistency. But it's more so if you look at the final three games too. And I know this is looking. Looking really far ahead and this comes down to RJ Harvey coming off three touchdowns. Troy Franklin, the big game. It's context. If you can sell Bo Knicks for a top 10 cost, sure, do it. If you can sell Troy Franklin as a wide receiver, three, do it. R.J. harvey's an RB. Two, do it. Don't sell them just to get rid of them, but to go to those final three games. Packers, Jaguars, Chiefs. They have one of the worst schedules for the final three games. Playoffs only that you could possibly find. And that's the only reason why.

[James Palmer]

Well, that's huge. Yeah. They are looking for offensive line help. Kind of in the market for a guard, to my understanding, to see if they can help protect Bo Nix. What about Roma Dunze? Because this has been an interesting offense to watch evolve as the season's gone on in Chicago and with what Ben Johnson's doing.

[Jake Seeley]

Yeah. So Romo Dunes is a good one potentially right now. If you get top 10, top 6, 7 like he was. And then if not, you might even want to wait. He's got the Bengals and Giants. So then you can be like, hey, maybe, I mean, get a little bit more. But this is where it can go sideways. We've seen the inconsistency from Caleb Williams, which he definitively looks better than last year, but he still doesn't look like what we've hoped Caleb Williams can be from a consistency standpoint. But after that, Giants, I said the schedule doesn't get worse than Bo Nicks for the playoffs. Well, it doesn't get worse than for the Bears for the rest of the season. For those final seven games. Vikings, Steelers, Eagles, Packers, Browns, packers again. And 49ers. The 49ers maybe not healthy, and we know that, but that stretch of seven games, there's nothing worse in the league than what the Bears are going to be facing.

[James Palmer]

That is brutal. Jake, do you know who in Your neighborhood, by the way, has the king size. Do you already know which house has that? Do you already know how to get there? We do.

[Jake Seeley]

Last year was experimental, so we do have. We have a lot of Middle Eastern people in our neighborhood and they go all out because they have the Diwali carryover too. So we were walking down the middle of the streets with all the kids. It was like. It was like being in the 90s again. Like there was cars getting out of the way. It was amazing. But yes, the. There's one on my street and then there's one right behind the street that's like two blocks over. There's gonna be the first we hit up with my niece. We know where we're going.

[James Palmer]

I love it. Are the feet gonna slow you down in the costume?

[Jake Seeley]

No, I won't that. Like that. As long as it's not raining, I'm good.

[James Palmer]

Okay, good. Because one year I was a. I was a hockey player and I wore my. All my hockey gear and I wore my rollerblades because I thought the rollerblades would let me cover more ground. But you forget how many sidewalks are just absolute trash and Philadelphia and how everybody also just sprints and I'm just falling in my rollerblades thinking I speed up. I actually slowed myself down. So I'll be wearing maybe this costume, who knows, as a Power Ranger with some tremendous set of sneakers. And my son and I will be on the move to make sure we can get a couple of those king size. Okay. This was an outstanding segment. Maybe our best of the year for Darkwing Duck, AKA Jake Seeley, for all the writers that joined us in this show. What is it? James and Brooks and Alec and who else we got? We got Joe. Oh my God. We got everybody. Appreciate you catching the Scoop City on a Thursday and have a wonderful, wonderful Halloween in the middle of your NFL football weekend. Thanks for watching Scoop City.

[James Boyd]

Don't forget to like, subscribe and feel free to leave a comment.

[James Palmer]

New episodes of Scoop City drop every.

[Jake Seeley]

Monday, Wednesday and Thursday.

[James Palmer]

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[Jake Seeley]

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[Jake Seeley]

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