Most Fun NFL Story Lines With Peter Schrager

Summary

The Bill Simmons Podcast

Episode: Most Fun NFL Story Lines With Peter Schrager
Date: September 3, 2025
Host: Bill Simmons
Guest: Peter Schrager

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Episode Overview

Bill Simmons is joined by NFL analyst Peter Schrager (now at ESPN) for a spirited, insightful discussion of the most compelling NFL storylines entering the 2025 season. The two riff on quarterback hierarchies, the state of Mahomes and the Chiefs, AFC West intrigue, the impact of rookie head coaches, and shifting team identities, all with signature wit and deep scouting scoop. Schrager goes deep on the status of Ben Johnson, Daniel Dart, the Patriots, “nobody believes in us” teams, and behind-the-scenes media changes at ESPN. The episode is packed with dense football analysis, friendly banter, and a genuine love for the game.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs: Dynasty at a Crossroads

Timestamps: 04:01 – 16:58

• Simmons questions whether we're entering the "post-prime" era for Mahomes due to a less dominant 2024 season and issues with supporting cast.
  • “He wasn’t as good last year as I think people seem to think he was… and he finished fifth in MVP voting.” – Simmons (04:18)
• Schrager insists Mahomes is laser-focused:
  • “This guy is locked the fuck in. And it has been rampage season all summer.” – Schrager (05:05)
  • Mahomes’ competitiveness and offseason grind compared to Michael Jordan (“Last Dance” reference).
• Detailed breakdown of receiver and offensive changes: new targets (Xavier Worthy, Rashee Rice, Hollywood Brown) and health status of Kelsey.
• Debate on MVP odds and whether the Chiefs are “scorched earth” redux or entering a new phase akin to Albert Pujols in his 30s.
• Quarterback hierarchy discussion: The consensus “top four” QBs: Mahomes, Allen, Lamar, Burrow. Allen may now be the "default" guy, but Mahomes is still Simmons' “one game for my life” pick.
  • “If I’m taking a quarterback for 22 weeks, I think I’m picking Josh [Allen]. But… who do I want for 30 minutes? I think I would take Mahomes.” – Simmons (10:40)
• Schrager: Andy Reid + Mahomes “still going to reign supreme.”
  • “It’s a package deal… The two of them together are still going to reign supreme over those other three combos.” – Schrager (14:47)

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2. AFC West Showdown: Chiefs vs. Broncos

Timestamps: 16:16 – 22:15

• Denver as “sleeping giant”—most talented team outside of KC?
  • “Is it realistic to you that Denver could have a slight upper hand over KC in the West?” – Simmons (17:59)
  • Schrager recounts Sean Payton’s story to the team about “writing a new chapter” for the Broncos franchise.
• Widespread media sentiment quietly shifting toward Denver; many insiders picking them to win the division.
  • “I feel like more people have Denver winning the AFC West than they do the Chiefs right now.” – Schrager (20:53)
• Other AFC West teams: Chargers or Raiders unpleasant, but the top two are the real story.
• Simmons sets up: “KC vs. Denver is the most interesting big-picture storyline this season.”
  • Watch for whether Denver can handle “hunted not hunter” expectations.

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3. NFC North Coaching Shake-up: Ben Johnson & the New Bears

Timestamps: 24:08 – 32:44

• Simmons asks for the “Ben Johnson will crush it” case with the Bears.
  • Schrager: Johnson “could have had any job”, picked Chicago and wants to work with Caleb Williams specifically.
  • Thrives on “chip on the shoulder” energy; tactically sharp and a “dude,” not an aloof play designer.
  • “He’s the most interesting person in the NFL this season.” – Schrager (28:23)
• Bears offense may become “must-see TV” for the first time in a generation.
• Discussion of rookie tight end Loveland (“already getting drafted as a top 10 TE”) and the overall weaponry.
  • “Are the two weapons they drafted both going to have huge impacts?” “Yes.” – Schrager (28:52)
• NFC North playoff predictions: Schrager sees Bears as the odd team out, but says “any other division” they’d compete.

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4. Year from Hell Watch & NFC Wild Cards

Timestamps: 32:44 – 35:55

• “Year from hell” candidate teams: Lions (could miss Ben Johnson’s spark), 49ers (Simmons: “more arrow pointing down potential than up”), Chargers (injuries already piling up).
• Simmons says, “I don’t know who the year-from-hell team is yet, but we’re going to have one.”
• Quick-hit scouting on Seahawks (“one of my big week one plays”), 49ers, and Rams new look with Stafford-Garoppolo insurance policy and upgraded WR (Davante Adams over Kupp).

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5. Deep Dive: NFC West & Cardinals Skepticism

Timestamps: 35:55 – 39:09

• Both hosts express skepticism about the “hipster favorite” Cardinals; Schrager: “I don’t see the case.”
• Emphasis: NFC is “coach-rich, QB-poor” while the AFC is the inverse.

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6. ‘Nobody Believes In Us’ Team of the Year

Timestamps: 39:09 – 45:41

• Schrager’s surprise pick: Miami Dolphins
  • “They’re my nobody believes in us team… including their own fans. I like them to shock everyone.”
• Case for: McDaniel’s chip, Tua’s leadership, underrated offense (Hill, Waddle, Achane), healthy defensive stars returning.
• Simmons pushes back—concerns at DB, OL, and WR health—but is “jealous” of Schrager’s boldness.
  • “You’re the only one who believes in them that I’ve heard.” – Simmons (42:46)
• Schrager digs in: “That team will embody Mike McDaniel.”

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7. Rapid-Fire Team Discussion: Giants, Patriots & More

Timestamps: 46:03 – 55:42

Giants Hype & Identity Restoration

• Schrager raves about dominant Giants D-line (Carter, Dexter Lawrence, Brian Burns, Thibodeaux).
  • “Abdul Carter has been, to a man, unblockable.” – Schrager (47:12)
• Offense has a future: Daniel Dart’s swag, positive QB vibes.
• Unsure about cult rookie RB Cam Skattebo’s fantasy relevance.

Patriots Transition Era

• Simmons: “Give me 90 seconds on the Pats.”
• Schrager: Vrabel and McDaniels coaching staff instantly improve discipline, time management, and offensive optimism.
• Still sees Pats as improved but keeps them out of his playoff bracket (spots given to Cincy and Miami instead).
  • “Immediate upgrade with just Vrabel and McDaniels… never going to see an unprepared Mike Vrabel team.” – Schrager (52:09)
• Both agree: Week 1 is a true must-win at home vs Vegas for playoff dreams.

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8. Media/ESPN Life Update & Schrager’s Career Moves

Timestamps: 58:23 – 62:41

• Schrager: “More freedom and flexibility at ESPN” — invited on First Take, Get Up, SportsCenter, etc.
• ESPN’s platform impact: “The actual fire hose…feels like when I make a point on ESPN, people hear it.”
• Adjustment to being a “smaller fish in a massive pond” versus “big fish, small pond” at NFL Network.
• Nostalgia for camaraderie with Kyle Brandt.

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9. Tennis, Paddle, & Random Banter

Timestamps: 63:00 – 68:55

• Schrager attempts to convert Bill to “paddle” (the racquet sport), championing it as more fun than pickleball for tennis fans.
• Simmons’ “Serena Williams comeback” idea: would be the non-NFL story of the year.
• Tennis talk: lamenting lack of depth in men’s field, fun US Open moments, and a “tennis podcast” joke.

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10. On Air Relationships, McAfee Show, and NFL Media-world Camaraderie

Timestamps: 68:43 – End

• Lighthearted musing about Schrager’s new “pod relationships”—open to “swinging” between The Ringer, McAfee, and friends.
• Schrager notes similarities between his work on McAfee (“against the world” vibe) and Grantland/Ringer culture.
• Affectionate closing: plans for Schrager to return on future pods all season.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Mahomes’s Motivation:
  “This guy is locked the fuck in. Rampage season all summer. Whether that’s big talk or not, I look at last year… He still went to the Super Bowl.” – Schrager (05:05)
• On the AFC QB Hierarchy:
  “Statistically, Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, and Joe Burrow are better than Patrick Mahomes. So it’s this classic individual versus stats vs the non stats.” – Schrager (09:35)
• On Ben Johnson’s Drive:
  “He could have had any job. He made it very clear he wanted one job: the Chicago job...He chooses to coach against the Lions, the team he just spent six seasons with, and he’s like, ‘no, no, I’ll go up against them.’” – Schrager (24:49)
• On the Giants New Era:
  “Russ is going to get a couple games. He might get a couple months. I’d think the bye week is when we start thinking Jackson Dart. Unless Russ is winning and they keep him in.” – Schrager (51:00)
• On ESPN’s Reach:
  “The actual fire hose of the platform has been a pleasant surprise… when I make a point on ESPN, people hear it.” – Schrager (59:53)
• On Paddle:
  “Paddle’s coming. And I want you in on the ride, dude. I want to give you a racket, and I want to get you on the court.” – Schrager (63:26)

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Timestamps for Major Segments

• 04:01 – 16:58: Mahomes, Chiefs, and QB Tier Talk
• 16:16 – 22:15: AFC West: Chiefs vs. Broncos, What Makes Denver Scary
• 24:08 – 32:44: Ben Johnson & the Bears, NFC North Shakeup
• 32:44 – 35:55: Most Likely Team for “Year from Hell” and NFC dynamics
• 35:55 – 39:09: NFC West Deep Dive; Who's Real, Who's Hipster
• 39:09 – 45:41: Schrager’s “Nobody Believes In Us” Pick: Miami Dolphins
• 46:03 – 55:42: Giants Rise, Patriots Reset, Playoff Bubble
• 58:23 – 62:41: Media Life: ESPN Transition, Platform Change, On-Air Camaraderie
• 63:00 – 68:55: Tennis & Paddle Riffing
• 68:43 – End: Relationships, McAfee Show, Media Culture

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Final Thoughts

This episode is a prime example of everything the Bill Simmons Podcast does best—engaging football analysis, smart debate, deep insider nuggets, and a balance of big-picture storytelling and juicy specifics. Schrager’s fresh ESPN perspective and in-the-weeds reporting offers listeners a pulse-taking on the NFL’s shifting sands as the 2025 season dawns. (Plus, if you want passionate paddle/tennis takes, you’ll get those, too.)

Transcript

[A]

The Bill Simmons podcast presented by FanDuel Sportsbook. Don't forget about their fun promotion for NFL Kickoff and each of the week one primetime games, which we have 1, 2, 3, 4 primetime games anytime. TD bets. You can earn a share of $2 million in bonus bets. Predict the first TD score, you can predict the last TD score. You can do it for Philly, Dallas or whatever game you want. So don't forget about that. You can win a share of bonus bets. Don't forget about the new rewatchables I put up, which was American Gangster, our 400th movie. Me van Lathan, Chris Ryan broke all of it down. Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe. Don't forget about all of our great football coverage from Ringer Fantasy football, Ringer NFL, the Ringer gambling show, which is every day now live at noon ET. You can watch it live on YouTube with the guys or you can watch it as a video podcast on Spotify or wherever you get your platforms. But we have a whole bunch of stuff coming because we have the Ringer 107 that we're launching this week. Nice little contest for all of us. I'll explain more when when House is on the last BS pot of the week. So this is going to be the third one of the week. We had cousin Sal, we did a whole thing on Sunday. Charles Barkley was fantastic. And now we had to have this guy because the season's about to start. Our guy, Peter Schrager now at espn, we've not had him on during the preseason. He was getting a little antsy. So we had to like we had. We just had to carve out an hour and do it. It's coming up right after the break. We can do a Pearl Jam and then our old friend Peter Schrager. It's the Bill Simmons podcast presented by FanDuel. And the NFL is back and thank God FanDuel has everything. They got an awesome app, they have SGPs, they have great futures, they have good prop bets, live betting your way Bets, clean app. It's great to use. Been using it for a few years. Every time I go back to Boston or any place that has Fando and I get to use it. I'm always excited. I'm on an airplane Runway. You done the airplane Runway?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Have you, buddy? Airplane Runway. There should be a button, the Runway button. I'm on the airplane Runway. I gotta get this in. Get your bets in. Build something bold, make every game feel bigger. Download the FanDuel app or head to Fando.com BS to get started the ringer committed to responsible gaming. Please visit rg-help.com to learn more about the resources and help lines available and listen to the end of this episode for additional details. You must be 21 + in President select states or 18 + in President DC, Kentucky or Wyoming. Gamb problem. Call 1-800- Gamble or visit rg-health.com Call 1-887-89777 or visit ccpg.org ChatInConnecticut paid endorsement. All right, we're taping this late Tuesday afternoon. This guy has a busy schedule. He's doing a lot of stuff at espn, but he is still on this podcast. The King of the let's go, Peter Schrager.

[B]

Let's go. Come on, let's go. I'm so happy to be back with you. I texted you. I very rarely would admit this, but I was, I was fishing. I said, you know what? I've done the Pablo Torrey origin story. We've had Diana Rossini, we've had Kyle Brain on a dozen times. Can I get back in here? And you were like, yeah, let's do it.

[A]

And I said, I didn't know if you had to check for permission from mullet number two on the McAfee show or not.

[B]

Those are my guys also. I know. I am everybody's guy.

[A]

You're everybody's guy. I don't even know where I fit in anymore. You're just, you've guys everywhere, guys, all these different shows, you're busy as hell. They're using you in all these different ways, which I'm not surprised by. You're doing great. So much to cover with the NFL season. So I don't think anything will happen before people hear this. I hope nothing happens over next year.

[B]

I don't think so. I don't think so.

[A]

I had a bunch of things. I only gave you heads up on one thing that I wanted to talk about. Otherwise I'm just going to throw some shit at you. But this is the one thing I wanted to talk about because you, you know, we've talked a lot about the Chiefs over the, over the last few years.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

Mahomes has the stature of best QB in the league. The guy. And I'm with you. Like, if it's, if it's one game for my life, I'm picking him first. But he wasn't as good last year as I think people seem to think he was. And he finished fifth in the MVP voting. Even though he played the whole year. Stats were down the deep. Throw Stuff was really bad and you could say the supporting cast got a little worse or you could say maybe he just didn't have a great year. Now they got killed in the Super Bowl. What kind of Mahomes year are you expecting? Are we moving into like an Albert pujols in his 30s, just not quite the same as good as he was in his 20s situation? Or is this I am taking back all prisoners. I am laying the smackdown. I am Kaiser. So Zane, this entire league, what's your vibe?

[B]

It's funny because I think this season could go one of two ways. It could go the former where it's all right, this is Albert Pujols. This is one of those other players that we have seen who just hits the cliff and it's still very good. Just isn't in that thing or it's scorched earth. I would say this, everyone I speak with in Kansas City and I know your listeners love when I give this because it always means it's going to be positive. This guy is locked the fuck in. And it has been rampage season all summer of like we're taking this thing back. And whether that's just big talk or not, I look at last year, he was playing catch with Skymore. Xavier Worthy was in his first season. Justin Watson was like his number two option. Mikole Hardman and DeAndre Hopkins, who, let's be honest, still has a great red zone target, but was not a true number one weapon. And they still went to the Super Bowl. And this year he gets Xavier Worthy, he gets Rasheed Rice for at least some of this season. Rejuvenated Kelsey and a healthy Hollywood Brown. Like I, I think the options and the weapons are significantly better.

[A]

And they still lost Kelsey going this way. Yeah. So that's, that's the, that's. That would be the one thing I would be like, all right. When Mahomes was at his apex, yeah, 51 of the best receiving tight ends in the history of mankind. And now that guy is moving into a different phase of his career.

[B]

No doubt. And Tyreek Hill and him were. We're going to look back and say, you know what? Like, we only got a few years of that. We should have gotten more years of that because the two of them were electric. Kelsey is an interesting one because his numbers were there last year at the end and they still sustained and they had big catches and they needed again. They lost one regular season game last season until that final, you know, week 18, whatever with Denham.

[A]

But you, you were there for all those Games. I mean, each game had one player where it's like, well, if that happened, they lose that.

[B]

That flashy. But he found a way.

[A]

Never dominant or anything awesome, but he.

[B]

Look, last year, he was not going to win you a fantasy league. He's not going to be the analytics darling. But like, like you said, two minutes left. He still found a way every single time and made the clutch play until the super bowl when the wheels fell off. And then that left me and everyone else thinking, all right, is the chapter closed? Like Kelsey. This hasn't been reported. Like, Kelsey was in New York. He was not himself in that Super Bowl. He also was under the weather. He also was truly like a shell of himself in that game. So he isn't the one coming out saying, hey, I was sick. But I know from chief sources that he was not himself because he wasn't 100%.

[A]

Well, let's be honest. Like, the healthiest Kelsey ever. They still get killed in that game. They couldn't block the Eagles. That's it.

[B]

Point blank. Yes. And they, they add Simmons, who I think is going to be good eventually. Obviously he's a rookie as an offensive tackle and they feel good. Like, I don't. Look, I don't know if he's ever going to put up 5,000 yards and 50 touchdowns ever again. I don't know if it's possible for him to do it with just whatever it is. I do think Josh Allen could still do that. I do think Baker could still do that. And what they have in their offenses right now, the Chiefs are going to be great. Mahomes, is he coming out here? Look, if I had to put my, my hand up and say, is he going to win MVP because of his stats and all that, I don't know if he's my pick to an mvp. I do know that the Tuesday after the super bowl, he was like Michael Jordan in the gym and last dance, working out with the guys and encouraging them to get in the, in the gym. And he didn't just cut his hair, he's been working out ferociously. And what felt like a big off season because, you know, he was out and about and they opened a steakhouse and whatever else they have been working and they are dialed in and Andy has gotten them back in the lab. So.

[A]

But when you, when you talk to, you talk to a million people.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And it feels like as we head into this year, there's four QBs that are ascending above everybody else. And then Jaden Daniels as like, can you wait here in The.

[B]

Yeah, in the.

[A]

Can you just wait? The bouncer will let you in if we've decided to let you in. The way he gets in is if he goes 12 and five again with a much harder schedule in a team that, you know, probably went sideways from a talent standpoint, a year ago, we would have said, all right, Mahomes here.

[B]

Yep.

[A]

And then this next group, when you talk to other. Other people in the league, do they think somebody else is the best qb? Do they think it's him? Do they think it's a group? Like, what is the. What are the different reactions?

[B]

It's the group of four. And I think maybe we're just putting them all in the same conversation and we're not valuing enough the. The. The. The stuff that doesn't come up in the stat sheet. So I have Mahomes as one because of the clutch moments, because that's what we have been trained to. To treasure and to value in our quarterbacks. We treasure and value who wins on the road, who wins in the AFC championship games, who wins when you're down, who's the guy you want the ball in. But statistically, Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, and Joe Burrow are better than Patrick Mahomes. So it's this classic individual versus the stats versus the non stats. So, like, give me an NBA comparison. Adrian Stantley fills the stat sheet. You never put him in the same conversation as Magic Johnson. And yet.

[A]

But this was Brady versus Manning 20 years ago. Brady had the three Super Bowls, Manning had better stats, and Manning had the mba. And I was arguing over for Brady, Brady, Brady over again. I guess my issue is. Or not my issue, because I think this is a fun argument.

[B]

It's a great argument.

[A]

I just think if I'm taking a quarterback for 22 weeks and I could have any QB in the league, I think I'm picking Josh.

[B]

I think I am too.

[A]

And if I'm taking one guy for, say, if I'm taking a guy for. This is now the most pressure we've ever had. It's a fourth quarter, it's a tie game. Who do I want for 30 minutes? I think I would take my homes. But I just think to me, Allen is like LeBron in the late 2000s now. It's like I don't even care who's on his team. I don't know who is. You can't even name the weapons he had last year other than James. Cook was really good down the stretch. But I just think he's a guaranteed now 12 to 13. Wins and he's going to be heard from in the playoffs. And I don't know if you can say that about Mahomes based on. On how that playoffs ended. I thought they could have lost to Houston, thought they probably should have lost to Buffalo. They got killed by Phillies. So it's a good one. It's. It's the kind of thing if you want to be the goat or you want to be the best guy in your generation, you kind of need to get kicked in the teeth a little bit to bounce back and be like, all right, I'll show everybody. Brady certainly needed it.

[B]

Brady needed it. And Brady had an 07 season where he was like, all right, if Peyton's the individual that you guys all think and Peyton's the guy and he just won the super bowl, here I'm going to go scorched earth and break all these offensive records. Does Mahomes have that in him right now? He's already done that. Can he do it again at 30? I don't know, honestly. And I don't. I don't know if in the NFL and like, history, like last year, Baker threw for 5,000 yards. Are we talking about Baker? I don't know if stats matter as much in football as they do in baseball or they do in the NBA.

[A]

Mahomes was getting the wins, and that's right.

[B]

And that's it. It's the ultimate team sport in a different way. So we look at Lamar, like, Lamar, statistically, last year had as good a season as anyone's ever had in football. I will never remember Lamar Jackson's 20 as a special season because it came up short and because he was the third quarterback in the afc, not even. Maybe the fourth, maybe behind Burrow, because Burrow stats were as good, if not better. Mahomes, I'll remember Mahomes took that team and they won again. Carolina game, like, they're winning by three. To your point. They're playing the Raiders. They're basically. They're barely getting by on a Black Friday game. And it's like, what is going on with this team? And yet they find a way that good.

[A]

Yeah, it's. It's a weird one because, like, you know, LeBron, who was the best player in the NBA for a long time, but didn't win the MVP after 2013. And there were. There were real reasons for that because it was either he didn't play full season, he had injuries, or he was mad at the team and didn't really try for three weeks. There was always like something. He didn't play enough games. The NFL, like Mahomes played the whole season last year and he was. And we watched all season. We're like, you're fifth. So that's why I wonder, like, how much of it. Do you think he reads this stuff? Does he care?

[B]

Yes.

[A]

So you think he does. He's one of those, like, I know what people are saying, guys, this is.

[B]

Le Bradford Smith shit. Like, yes. Like he sees it all and knows it all. And a couple years ago the NFL network put him fourth on the top 100 list and he scores a touchdown against Lamar and He's seen doing 1, 2, 3, 4 and does a shrug. Like that stuff is so he sees it, he reads it and he's motivated by it all. I honestly, I think he's got this like otherworldly competitiveness and killer instinct to him that maybe wasn't valued enough in the pre draft process because he played for a losing Texas Tech team. But like Kingsbury will tell me that like this, this has always been pat. We just didn't surround him with enough and he would have won maybe two games if he wasn't the quarterback. And they ended up winning what, eight or seven every season at Texas Tech. He's got this killer instinct and he and Andy Reid, that's the thing. Like you start realizing it's not just one on one and it makes for great talk radio and podcast stuff, but at the end of the day it's coach and offense as well. So are you taking Sean McDermott and Josh Allen, Zach Taylor and Joe Burrow, John Harbaugh, who has shown that in these big games there are some head scratching decisions, and Lamar or Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes, it's a package deal. And the two of them together are still going to reign supreme over those other three combos.

[A]

Yeah, you think like he had that whole Tyreek section. Tyreek was one of the best field tilters we'd had at receiver this century.

[B]

Yep.

[A]

And then you have Kelsey, who's been the best receiving tight end in the last 10 years. So he had those guys in his formative years and now this feels like he's still in that 2006 Brady area where you're just kind of carrying the supporting cast. That's not quite good enough.

[B]

I think the cast is 07 LeBron when it's like Anderson, Vera, Jo and you know, Ilgaskas and whoever else that he had out there.

[A]

Think Allen, I thought he was so good last year.

[B]

He was amazing.

[A]

And that the last Piece of this. I picked Buffalo over Green Bay to win the super bowl. And I really, really. It's a pick on, like, I think that guy's a special player. And at some point, a guy that good is going to have to win a title. It's just the way the NBA works. I think it's the way the NFL works for the most part.

[B]

If you're knocked on the door, right, Like. And that's what we always need. You need to knock on the door. And he's done it so many times. There are a couple other things. Like last year, we're going to get that stadium, right? Like, it just. It feels like this is like, all right, Buffalo's been ascending, ascending, ascending. He feels like the guy, and it just feels like the torch is ready for him to just grab it. When you picked Buffalo and I heard you do it when you went to sleep at night, did you wake up and have any second thoughts on it? Because that matters to me. If you're like, did I really just pick against Mahomes? You felt comfortable.

[A]

Here's the big thing for the Mahomes thing this year is the schedule combined with that third division. I think the Chargers. I have the Chargers as the worst team in the division. Other people to have Vegas, but it's just not a walkover like it used to be. And then you have all these night games, all these other stuff. And I took note of. And I think they're the most interesting team to talk about out of all the teams. I took note of some of the stuff they talked about during the super bowl last year about the grind of it. And just 22 weeks a year of. Of this bullseye and. And how. What didn't feel as special to be in the super bowl this year? And like, weird shit that you say when you've just been exhausted.

[B]

They were exhausted. And. And I'll. I'll add this. Like, Pacheco played in the playoffs door. Well, like, Isaiah Pacheco was a huge, huge part of that offense. He goes down in week two, and they have to pick up Kareem Hunt off the scrap heap. And they won 17 games with Kareem Hunt and Samaj P. Ryan as the running backs. Pacheco's back. Pacheco's healthy. And I know you've already done your fantasy draft and you've had your fantasy podcast, like, please, everybody take Pacheco. Trust me on this. Pacheco is ready to go. And that is a huge piece to their offense also. So they get back, guys, Hollywood Brown is healthy, you know, Rice and Worthy. I, I just feel like for the Chiefs, it's, yes, they hit the wall and it eventually caught up with them and they were sneaking by, sneaking by, sneaking by. But this was like a hard reset and they feel a lot better about their team coming into the season now than they did at the end of the season.

[A]

Last year, I had Denver winning the AFC west over them, but then be having the same record, and Denver is now like the sexiest.

[B]

Isn't it sexy? I hate it, too.

[A]

But is it realistic to you that Denver could have a slight upper hand over Casey in the West?

[B]

Yeah, I, I, yeah. And like, I talked to Sean today and he. Peyton, Sorry, first name, patience. It's like when Collinsworth just calls him Patrick. You know, that's me talking about Sean. But Peyton and I spoke today and I said, all right, two days, three days away. Like, what? What are you thinking? And he's like, here's the deal. This is what he told his team. He's like, every team has a book on them. And some books are small, some books are medium. Some books are like, big. The Denver Broncos franchise is one of those teams that has a big book. There's a lot of chapters. You have the Orange Crush, you've got Elway, then you've got Peyton Manning, you've got this big book. And he's like, we have the chance to add a really cool chapter to this franchise's history, you guys. It's all here. There are only a few crown jewel franchises. The Denver Broncos are one of them. And it's all there. They're the number one race defense. Last year, the quarterback, if you listen to Peyton, like, he talks about him as if this guy can do no wrong. And they added a whole new running back room that they're very excited about. That said, there are expectations. Now, last year, they snuck up on everybody. You and I had them in the playoffs. We did before the season.

[A]

It was the easy schedule, you know, newish coach bunch that we liked. But it was also keeping our fingers crossed that Bo Nix was competent, which he was.

[B]

He was.

[A]

No idea. We had no idea to know, but we felt relatively confident.

[B]

And you take Peyton's word for it. Now, Peyton's 61 years old. He's been doing this for a long time. And he's like, this is one of the best teams I've ever had. Like, I, I love this group.

[A]

So the negative I told you about when I did my talent rankings, I was shocked just how much talent they have.

[B]

It's everywhere.

[A]

I don't think people realize.

[B]

And like they're the number one defense last year and they added pieces. And here's the. Here's the thing that scares you. What scares you is that every NFL media outlet came through Denver. And whether it be the aforementioned Rossini or it be ESPN or BK Adams and FanDuel, whoever, they all leave and they say that's the team that scares me because.

[A]

But this was Detroit last year.

[B]

It was.

[A]

Right. And Detroit went 15 and 2 and then the wheels came off. But they had some bad luck.

[B]

They had injuries. And also they handled the expectations. Can Denver handle the expectations? Because now you're not the hunters, you're the hunted, especially. I mean, I was talking with McCourty last week, Jason McCourty, who I love, and he's like, I've got. He's like, I've got Denver winning the AFC West. I'm like, all right, I walk away. I talked to four other people. They're like, I got Denver winning the AFC West. I feel like more people have Denver winning the AFC west than they do the Chiefs right now.

[A]

Yeah. Still three to one on FanDuel. But yeah, I think it's 5050 with the, with the schedule the Chiefs have combined with just the talent thing where you look at both sides. Coaching staff's both really good. But I think the reason I wanted to lead with this talking to you. Cause we haven't really talked in a couple months on the pod Is I think KC vs Denver is the most interesting of all the big picture storylines. You can give me anything else. But I, you know the way last year where we were like the NFC north and maybe we thought it was gonna be Chicago instead of Minnesota, we were like the NFC North. It feels like that's going to be driving a lot of story for us this year. I think it's going to be the AFC west whether Denver can be a real team. And then combined with the Baltimore, Buffalo, Casey, Denver, like those four. Those might be four of the best five teams in the league. Do you put along with Philly.

[B]

Yeah. Do you put Cincinnati anywhere near there?

[A]

Nowhere near. Not even like.

[B]

Cause I.

[A]

They're not even in. Oh, you're.

[B]

What.

[A]

What. What's the case for that with their defense?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And they're offensive line.

[B]

I think big picture. They got everything done this offseason that you could have asked for and bringing back those two receivers healthy burrow and they could light it up. They're going to be a pain in the ass to play. You're going to have to score 35 points to beat them every week. And I don't know if a lot of teams you're going to be able.

[A]

To with their defense.

[B]

You're going to have to though. That's it.

[A]

Let's take a break and I have the other big storyline that you're uniquely qualified to discuss. This episode is brought to you by State Farm. Having insurance isn't the same as having State Farm. It's like expecting the leadership of a team captain on the football field, but getting a sea captain. Sure, they're both captains, but who's going to run your offense? You wouldn't settle for just anything for your team, so don't settle for just any insurance. When it comes to getting the help you need, State Farm is the real deal. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. This episode is brought to you by Uber Eats. Parents, if there's one thing you deserve to make it easier on yourself, it's Back to School season. I know. That's how I feel as well. On Uber Eats, you can get up to 40% off back to school essentials like notebooks, pencils, calculators. You got lunch boxes to fill. Get discounts on fresh fruit, juice boxes, string cheese and more. Get everything you need for Back to School delivered right to you. Just a tap away in the Uber Eats app. Offer ends September 16th. See app for details. All right, you don't know anything else we're talking about because you don't need to because you've been doing this nonstop. So it took me a while to come around on this and I talked about it last week when we did the Bears, Sal and I, and I was saying I was over. I think they're a playoff team. It just seems like the Ben Johnson, all of it, the hype, which I was resistant of, you know, I always, I always want a zag. If there's a zag. I've just been really impressed with everything I've read and heard this whole training camp. Give me your best. Ben Johnson will be immediately awesome case like that. He will immediately ascend to the McShay, Lafleur, Shanahan, Andy like that. He will get there right away this season.

[B]

He chose to come here and he leaned in so hard and didn't have to. He could have taken the Washington job last year. He decided to punt on that at the last second. The story is actually crazy. He was on a plane, a private jet last year. Or I'm sorry, the Washington brass, Josh Harris and the executives were all On a plane, the private jet, to go court him and finalize a deal with the. And. And then while they're in the flight, they find out over Twitter that he's backing out. And they land, and he's like, guys, I'm sorry. I'm staying in Detroit. So. Could have had that job. Could have had Carolina, I think, two years ago. David Tepper loved him, and he was a North Carolina guy.

[A]

Good whiff on that one.

[B]

Yeah, look, he's calling his place. Like, I'm waiting, I'm waiting, I'm waiting. Any team. He could have any job this year. I know everyone will say no, actually, that. No, he could have any job. He made it very clear he wanted one job. He wanted the Chicago job. And in his opening press conference, he's like, I can't wait to beat Matt LaFleur. And I texted LaFleur. Cause I'm like, that's funny. You guys obviously know each other. LaFleur's like, I don't know that guy. I have no relationship with that guy. That's crazy that he would call me out in his press conference by name. But, like, he wanted that. He chooses to. He chooses to coach against the Lions, the team he just spent six seasons with and slicing up, you know, the rest of the NFC North. He's like, no, no, I'll go up against them. And then the last team he goes up against, a Vikings team where Brian Flores was hired as the head coach of the Miami Dolphins and had this. Had this staff. And one of the holdovers was Ben Johnson and Brian Flores. Like, I don't need this guy. We're good. Like, we'll move on. And Ben Johnson's like, all right, I guess I'll find another job. And wasn't retained by Brian Flores. Flores is now defensive coordinator of the Vikings. Ben Johnson brings to Chicago all of this with, like, this giant chip on his shoulder.

[A]

And so he's got a chip on his shoulder against two of the teams and then knows the third team exceptionally well.

[B]

Exceptionally well. And could have chosen to take in the soft AFC team in Jacksonville or wherever else and said, okay, I'll just get paid a bunch of money somewhere else and not take on this challenge. The last piece, he wanted to work with Caleb Williams, and not everyone necessarily after that first season would want that. If you're the offensive genius and you're the boy wonder, you might say, give me a more established quarterback that I can work with, or let me pick my own quarterback that I can work with, like Cliff did with Kyler or whatever it else in the history of offensive coaches taking new jobs. He gimme Caleb because I'll coach. I'll coach him hard. And Caleb's big thing is like, he's never been great with timing. Like it's always been off script. And Caleb like, likes to work and be freestyle and like, that is not what Ben Johnson's offense is. Ben Johnson's offense is. Hey, Jared Goff. Here is the. Here's the play. Here's the first look, here's the second look. Play action. Go. You're not doing it on a shotgun. And Caleb's got to rewire his whole brain. And from what I hear out of Chicago, it's working again.

[A]

Well, wasn't they doing the thing where he threw a lot at him and then he started scaling it back and they actually.

[B]

Kitchen sink.

[A]

So that's legit. Because then you read this training camp stuff. You never know what.

[B]

Well, everyone's going to be amazing at a training camp. That's what we hear. So you got to read it with a filter. In this case, like, all right, so Mike Martz, I was brought. Someone brought up Mike Martz recently was like, Mike Martz, offensive mastermind. Kind of like a, like sit in the lab and not exactly a social butterfly and maybe not the best communicator.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Mike Martz becomes head coach of the Rams. They go to one super bowl and then it, you know, never happens again. For him. He's just an offensive corner. It's just what he was. This guy a lot of people immediately thought was some bookish nerd, just sits there and draws up plays. He's not like, he's not. He's not. He's not a nerd. He's not a geek. He's not a guy who sits in the lab all day long and can't talk. Like he's a guy and he's a dude. And he, from what I hear in Chicago, has established that pretty quickly. Like, they're not going to play just air raid football and this guy's going to draw up fancy plays where the offensive lineman goes in motion. No, they're going to run the ball down your throat and he's also going to do that stuff and then he's going to talk some smack on the way. Also, I said on ESPN a couple of weeks ago that he's the most interesting person in the NFL this season because if he can revitalize not just the Bears to a winning team, we've seen them win and go to the playoffs Last couple of years. But if he can make the Bears like a fun and sexy offensive team where we're like, oh, shit, I've got to watch the Bears on red zone or oh, I'm going to. You and Sal always talk about the four screens and what you're choosing. Like, they're going to be one of.

[A]

My teams every week to be there. Yeah. Yeah.

[B]

That is a totally new chapter for them, and I think with Ben Johnson, they can do that.

[A]

Are the two weapons that they drafted both going to have huge impacts?

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Loveland's already getting drafted. Like He's a top 10 tight end.

[B]

Yeah. And they took him before Tyler Warren and they had options to take. I know. And they'll find out. They could have taken wide receivers. Like, off topic a little bit. Like, I've heard a Buka out there in Tampa Bay is already like the captain of the team and Baker's absolutely in love with him and he's going to be right out of the gates like a guy that they're going to feature in the offense. I haven't heard that with Loveland yet, but that's because they have D.J. moore and they have Burden and they have the two running backs. And I don't know in that offense if it's going to be tight end focus, but if you look at the way Ben Johnson used LaPorta, I would think that they're going to feature him heavily.

[A]

So if you had to say three NFC north teams make the playoffs and one does not, who is your. Does not.

[B]

The Chicago Bears.

[A]

Still, you have them fourth.

[B]

Yeah, I do.

[A]

What's the Minnesota case?

[B]

The Minnesota case is that they might have the best roster in football besides that quarterback. And that quarterback might be awesome. We just don't know the balls on Kwesi, the GM and Kevin o' Connell to move on from Darnold when you could have easily franchise tagged him or paid him what he's making in Seattle. To move on and say we're better off with a guy that we've seen throw three preseason passes is a crazy decision. But they are so convicted in this that I have to believe that they believe they can win with this guy right out of the gate. So, J.J. mcCarthy. What is giant X Factor?

[A]

40 million for Darnold. Instead they keep. They just Basically use the QB money for JJ, which rookie scale. Take the 40 million for Darnold, spread it out, give a couple to a backup and then you get like four starters out of it.

[B]

Basically, yeah, more or less. And then I thought all right, let's see, JJ McCarthy and maybe they sign Aaron Rodgers to a minimum deal and Rodgers probably would have been open to that. And they're like, no. Like, no, we're good. We're going with J.J. mcCarthy.

[A]

It's a pretty big spot for that dude, though. It reminds me of the Arch Manning, all the hype he got all summer. And then it's like, all right now, noon Saturday at Ohio State, go knock yourself out. Like, it's. I don't know, it's a pretty big spot. A couple of those Monday Night Football.

[B]

In Chicago, that's about the same kind of platform as Arch is having, where you're going to have a pregame show all day long and everyone's looking at it. And you got Ben Johnson on the other sideline. I guess I trust KOC and Flores in a way that I just don't know from the Bears what we're going to get yet. So I would say any other division, I could argue that the Bears could, could compete, you know, at least Gauntlet.

[A]

You're not obeying the three and three out rule, which might even be the two and two out rule.

[B]

I know somebody's got a.

[A]

It's. We're not just running it back with three NFC north playoff teams again, the same three.

[B]

I do think the Lions, I feel.

[A]

Like one of them has to flip.

[B]

I think the Lions do take a step back and I think it's because of Ben Johnson. I think he's incredible and his ingenuity and the way he used Jameer Gibbs and the way they got Penny Sewell in motion and the way that they got open all these guys and used all. I think they're really going to miss that. And I don't know if John Morton, who's a longtime NFL coach, this isn't like they elevated some 28 year old that they feel good. John Morton's been around for 30 years. I don't know if he's got the ingenuity and the spunk and all that that Ben Johnson had. And I hate saying this about Jared Goff because here's Jared Goff, who took a Rams team to the super bowl, took the Lions to an NFC Championship game into a one seed last year. And we're still, after all these Pro Bowls and his name being chanted to the draft, I still kind of like without McVeigh or Ben Johnson in his ear, like, I still kind of don't know what that looks like with John Morton as the oc So I might put an asterisk on the Lions. I might just go two teams and say it's Vikings, packers out of the NFC north this year.

[A]

Well, and weaker offensive line, too. I said this to Sal. I like, I don't know who the year from hell team is yet, but we're going to have one. And if you're doing fanduel ads on that, they're probably the ads on favorite. But I think the fact that the Chargers have already lost, you know, one of the three best guys in their team, they're a candidate and maybe somebody else. Last year was pretty easy to look at the Niners and be like, huh? Yeah, the IU thing was stuff happening.

[B]

Gross all summer and we didn't know what was up with Trent Williams. Like, so that's an interesting team. I heard you guys talking about it when you and Sal were doing all the NFC over and under. Like, what's your. What's your 30 seconds on the Niners.

[A]

Ambivalence? Like, just winning six games last year and then losing a shitload of veterans. And then people are going, no, they're going to be good again because they have Kyle Shanahan and Iuke's coming back in October and McCaffrey might play. I just don't really see the case. It feels to me like there's more arrow pointing down potential than arrow pointing up. I don't really know, but I just know that I like Seattle more and I think after that's one of my big week one plays is I just think Seattle is going to be good and I'm in the minority. I know it's a nobody believes in us thing, but I just trust. I think they're. I think they're just like, steadier than this Niners thing, which is like all over the map. I don't know what I'm getting. Are they going to be able to block? Are they going to have a pass rush? When are their receivers going to all be healthy? Am I getting 12 games out of McCaffrey?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And like, the schedule is the only case. It's like, their schedule is decent. Okay, cool.

[B]

Great. They cut. They cut Kylie use check. And it was like, ooh, it looks like they're changing the look of this team. Kittle's contract was still not finished. I'm like, what are they. Are they going to move on from Kittle? Like. And then they were like, no, actually, we're going to resign. Kyle use check. Then we're going to extend Kittle to a monster deal. Like, legit money for Kittle. At this stage in his career. And then, oh, we're also going to give money to Purdy and Fred Warner and we still got Ayuk and we're going to bring back Salah. It was almost like, hey, fuckers. Like, we were, we were in, we were in the super bowl less than, you know, 18 months ago. Like, chill out. Like, don't, don't, don't give up on us yet. So the conviction of John lynch to not just say, all right, let's do a little changing of the guard here, let's get younger. But to bring back all those guys tells me that they think they can still compete. And oddly enough, I'm not a big gambling guy. I see the odds. They're still the favorites in the NFC west, and I guess that's because of the schedule. But to say that they're the favorites over the Rams is crazy to me.

[A]

Right. Okay. That was going to be the next thing I asked you about Matthew Stafford. God only knows.

[B]

Yeah, I don't either.

[A]

The left tackle seems like he's okay. He's. He's scheduled to maybe play. So you have uncertainty with the quarterback and the left tackle, like real uncertainty. And yet I still picked them to make the playoffs. Cause it's just like you and you were the one who was kind of talking me into the Garoppolo piece of it that you felt like that is about as good of an insurance policy as anyone has. So make the case.

[B]

Yeah. For the, for the Bill Simmons Reddit folks who don't think you and I talk all the time. We still talk on text all the time. And we were talking about the Rams and I said, this guy Garoppolo can still win 10 games if they need him to. And when they played with the Cowboys in these inter camp practices, to a man, both sides said he lit up. The Cowboys defense was going up and down the field and he and Devonte, which everyone assumes because of what was said on the wide receiver documentary, hate each other. They're great. They're also adults that have made a ton of money and are like, let's just go win football games and try to get a Super Bowl. So with Stafford out, Garoppolo was under center and McVay was like telling me, Jimmy G looks awesome. So at the very least they have a capable backup that they know they can win games with if Stafford is unavailable. And I hate saying this because Cooper cup has been a great player and as a triple crown winner and all this thing, they view Devonte Adams as as a big upgrade from what they had at Cooper cup last year. So now you have Devonte Adams, Puka Nakua, Tutu Atwell, Karen Williams, and at quarterback, you hope Matthew Stafford at 37 can stay healthy. And if he isn't and has to miss a few games, you're not going to Brett Rippy in like they did a couple of years ago. You're going to Jimmy Garoppolo, who is a serviceable quarterback in this league.

[A]

Okay. It's really hard to bet against McVeigh winning nine or 10 games and dude versus with an easy schedule, by the way. With an easy schedule, yes.

[B]

And that defense was awesome down the stretch last year. You know, they were one pressure away from playing in an NFC championship game against the Commanders and you know, they got to Stafford and that was that. But like they were in that game with the Eagles. They were the only team that competed with the Eagles in the playoffs last year. They had them on the ropes in the snow and they came up short.

[A]

And then you have the 2025 hipster champs, the Arizona Cardinals, everybody's team.

[B]

Geez.

[A]

I don't get it.

[B]

I don't either.

[A]

A freely admit. I don't understand it. I. I don't think from a talent standpoint they have as much talent as the other teams in the division. I don't. I was there last season. I thought they had a chance a couple times to maybe make a run and then would just have a terrible loss. I'm not a Kyler guy, as I've mentioned many times, and I just. I have them fourth in that division. I don't really get it.

[B]

So do I. And maybe we're wrong and maybe this shows up on old takes exposed or someone digs this clip up and is like, see told you guys.

[A]

But like I'm not worried about that one.

[B]

I don't see it. I don't. And I think it's a competitive NFC the way it is for me. It's like the best coaches are in the NFC and the best quarterbacks are in the afc. So I let's. Are you going to. If you're going to win that NFC west, you're going to have to out Coach McVeigh, you're going to have to out Coach Shanahan and then you're going to have to also out coach Salah and Chris Shula, who are the defensive coordinators. And oh, by the way, Mike McDonald did a pretty good job in his first year and they love Kubiak as a new offensive coordinator. Like that's really good coaching stats. So Jonathan Gannon, like year three, you should be competing. You should be doing it. And if we're wrong, we're wrong. But I don't know if they have the talent and I don't know if they've got all that goes into actually competing for a playoff spot and a loaded nfc.

[A]

I don't see the case. Who was your nobody believes in us contender this year? And I know you're doing some prediction stuff on espn. Yeah, Last year it was the Washington, former Redskins, now Commanders. And I remember us talking about it, and I couldn't get there to them as a playoff team, but they checked a lot of boxes for the. For the bump. Nobody had them in the playoffs. Nobody in the planet had them go to the NFC title game. So who is the team this year? Who does nobody believe in?

[B]

Okay, so last year there were two teams that I had that I was very high on, and it was the Broncos and the Commanders. And I kind of puffed my chest out all season about that. This year I have a team that literally nobody on earth, including their fans, seemed to be in on. And I kind of like them to shock everyone and compete in their division. The Miami Dolphins are very intriguing to me. This is.

[A]

This is a good one. You're right. Nobody believes in the Dolphins. I mean that. It's like this is everybody's. This team's going to suck team.

[B]

Mike McDaniel has been hearing it all off season that he's on the hot seat and that this thing is kaput. Tuatanga Violoa has heard it all offseason that he sucks and he can't get over the hump and he can't win in cold weather. Tyreek Waddle. Guess what? I know guys with the Dolphins, they love Tua and Tua's really good with them. That is as good a 12 in the league outside of Cincinnati that you're going to find. And McDaniel can still put up 40, 50 points with his offense. Hn great running back. And their defense did not have their two best players last year in Phillips and Chubb. They get them back. And you get Chop Robinson in year two. I know they lost a lot. I get it. And maybe Jalen Ramsey is the greatest cornerback of his generation. Maybe he's not. But Jalen Ramsey is out. And with Jalen Ramsey being out is you have a bunch of young guys who are going to step up and the locker room is maybe a little different than it was last year with a lot of veteran guys. I like Mike McDaniel with a chip on his shoulder. I like Mike McDaniel knowing that he's got his guys on the field. And I like the fact that absolutely nobody, including the most die hard Dolphins fans are riding with this team. I'll take them. I'll take the Dolphins. Are they going to win the AFC East? Probably not. Can they compete for a wild card? You better believe it. Over.

[A]

Under is still seven and a half.

[B]

Take the over, folks.

[A]

So legitimately bad defensive backs.

[B]

We don't know that.

[A]

I'm going to say they're bad.

[B]

We don't.

[A]

Considering they've been still scrambling to try to sign guys to potentially throw out there. They don't have a single shutdown anybody on there there. I mean Fitzpatrick's there. And the offensive line young. Yeah. It shades of the Pats last year. Like it might be bad. Bad.

[B]

Look, I know.

[A]

So those two things worry me. Then you have Tyreek. I have no idea where Tyreek said is that they removed his captaincy, which I thought was interesting. Waddle's already banged up the running back situation. It's gotten the point that Ollie Gordon has got gotten buzz in some of the deeper leagues because he might actually. Yeah. So I don't know. I like. To me it's like, are they going to be better than. Are they more talented than the Patriots?

[B]

Yeah, I think they do have more talent on the roster than the Patriots.

[A]

Still.

[B]

They. The coaches.

[A]

I make your case. Your. Your case is pristine. Look, you're the cause. You're the only one who believes in them that I've heard.

[B]

And that's where I like to hitch my wagon. Give me that team. And I'll tell you, this team will embody Mike McDaniel. And you might say, well, what the hell does that mean? It means high powered offense, fast. Let's get the ball out, let's go. And like the noise of like, you know, all the shit that's been going on this offseason. They had 100% participation this offseason. And that's the first time I could say that's happened in Dolphins like recent history. And as much as we all say, like last year was terrible like that they went 6 and 2 after starting 2 and 6 like they finished the season strong last year. So.

[A]

Right.

[B]

I don't know. I look at this team two years ago they were a playoff team. Injuries hit them. They went into Kansas City in the coldest game ever. It was played on Peacock. And everyone just remembers Andy Reid's Frozen mustache. That wasn't a good draw the year before that. They were awesome all season. They get hit with the injury bug and they have to go to Buffalo. And it's Skyler Thompson at quarterback. I know they had a bad year. It's like the Niners. They had a bad year last year. Can they bounce back? Absolutely. All those guys are still there for the most part. I still think that they've got an offense that put up 70 points on the Broncos two years ago.

[A]

I mean, the better case is they're playing beyond what you just said. Where are they? So they have at Indy, Week one win, home pats, Week two with the Gonzalez hamstring thing, which is now dominating my life as I just wait for updates.

[B]

Patriots in September at the Dolphins, September.

[A]

Of Miami, not a great history. At Bills Thursday night, that just crossed that. Probably lost.

[B]

Probably lost.

[A]

Jets Monday night at Panthers, Week five home Chargers at Browns. So you're saying five and one.

[B]

We could be six and one at that point. We. I don't give a. But we.

[A]

No, it's a. Well, we. Because you're the only. This is your.

[B]

This is it.

[A]

This is really good. I'm.

[B]

I'm.

[A]

I completely disagree with you, but I'm also really jealous.

[B]

And this is it.

[A]

Like, it's so funny because we've known each other so long. I thought for sure. No, I thought for sure you're going to Tennessee. They check a lot of Schrager boxes and I was ready for a whole Cam Ward and this defense and the culture. And I, I just thought you might be in on them, but you zagged on me.

[B]

I'm not in on them yet. I like the Dolphins as a pick. A good team that has a coach that has something to prove, that has his guys on the field and that I think has been really, really dismissed this offseason. And all the stuff about, like, they don't get along and Tyreek was questioning, you know, the running backs room. Like, don't. If you're not there and you're seeing stuff in press conferences, it's hard. And I, again, I think I might be the only person, including JJ Jastremski and all the different Dolphins fans out there, actually feels that this team on paper still is as good as anybody on offense. And that coach put the league in a blender the last couple of years when he's got his weapons.

[A]

7 to 1 win the AFC East. McDaniel is 2 to 1 to be on get up with you in mid November.

[B]

I know, I know.

[A]

Let's take one more break. I have a couple more things to throw at you. You did this already on espn, but, you know, I feel like you have to do it here. You got to just do your whole Giants thing. I did. I had to do an imitation of you doing the Giants thing.

[B]

I heard it.

[A]

Just. Just do the two minutes. Because every Giants fan I know is over the moon with the potential. You know, they're not going to win the super bowl this year, but, like, just having an identity again, knowing that they're not going to have a shitty quarterback, knowing that they're going to have a pass rush that's like the mid-2000s pass rush, knowing that they're, you know, Michael Parsons now out of the division. They have a real chance to be the second best team if Washington goes backwards. But there's just a lot of buzz neighbors, you know, so give me. Give me the spiel.

[B]

The spiel is this. I went to a couple practices, and then I saw him at the joint practice with the jets, and Abdul Carter was absolutely unblockable. And then you add that to Dexter Lawrence, who is arguably the best defensive tackle in football, who next to him is Brian Burns. And then on the other side also is Kayvon Thibodeau. You have a front four that is as good as anyone in the league, and that includes the guys in Philly right now.

[A]

I know. I think it's them in Philly. Right. And I would even say if Carter is as good as we think he's going to be, they might even have the edge. Yeah.

[B]

And Abdul Carter has been, to a man unblockable. And it's funny, like, you get that one clip against the jets or whoever it was in the preseason game where he gets chipped and people are like, see, he sucks. Like, no, no, no, no, no. You guys don't get it. He's that good. They love their defense. They think their defense is as good as anybody. I look at the defense, the jets could not move the ball in practice, and the jets had just got done running the ball down the packers throat in a preseason game. And the jets could not do anything against this, this Giants defense. The question is, what do we get on offense? Well, the days I was there, neighbors didn't practice. The days I was there, Slayton or Hyatt wasn't out there. So I can't tell you what the offense looks like. I do know that every time they put Jackson Dart in, the kid comes in with a ton of swag. He walks in there like he owns the Joint. The other quarterbacks, James and Russ don't seem threatened by him. In fact they love him. They're like, let's promote this guy. Like we're going to do the best thing we can. There just seems to be positive vibes. And like Daniel Jones, he was tough, he was reliable. He came to practice like he was never, he never really embraced the whole like let me be a badass, let me be a New York City leader now. Nor did Eli in a lot of ways. But then Eli just did it on the field and that's where he gained the everyone's like love this kid Dart comes in, you know, dressed in, in his kids shirt and is in his necklace that's from his sister and he's got these sunglasses on. He's just got something to him where from the very get go it's like, oh, this guy's coming in here with something a little, a little swag to him that maybe we haven't had at the quarterback spot in some time and that there's a future. And I know that Dable and Shane, they've casted their lot with them and they absolutely love the guy. And Brian Dabel doesn't need to talk up any quarterback. He's had Josh Allen, he's had all these guys he's been with Brady like he loves his Jackson Dart. So at the very least last year you look at this team, they've got a great front seven and then Newbin and Phillips and some of these other guys, they bring in a player that they really are high on and Javon Holland at safety like the defense is going to be great so you're going to be in games, it's can this offense score enough? And if Neighbors is even close to what he was last year with some inferior quarterback play then shit, they could put up some points too.

[A]

What about Giants cold hero Cam Scatterbo?

[B]

I don't know if. And like it's funny because I see him going in fantasy leagues like really early. Like they really like Tyrone Tracy and they really like Motor Singletary. So I don't know where Cam Scatterbow fits in now. It's funny.

[A]

People just want it to be.

[B]

I know. And it's. We went. I saw you at a party over super bowl week, a Saturday afternoon party and we're there and like there's a lot of a list NFL players and entertainers and you and I were hanging and there was only one player I wanted a selfie with and it was Cam Scatterbow and he walked by like, he's got that to him. Like, he is very, very appealing as, like, a fan favorite. I just don't know what role he has in the offense just yet.

[A]

So Pittsburgh has the 21st pick in the draft in 2025. April, they took defensive tackle Derek Herman Darko's. Four picks later, Giants trade up. That might have been a massive mistake because it really seems like dart might be good.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And Pittsburgh hasn't had a quarterback since Ben Roethlisberger, and he was sitting there, and they must have checked him out, and everybody thought they might take Shadora there because this was during the part of the draft before we realized Sugar was going to drop multiple rounds. But, man, I wonder if I'm a Steelers fan. I'm dreading this dart thing. When do you. When do you think we. When do you think we see him? Yeah, because Sal and I did this on the schedule. Like, it's. We were thinking like, week four, week five range. Or do you think they're going to let Russ steer the car for a while and kind of wait until December or something?

[B]

I don't know if it's December, but they're not going to yank Russ. Like, I remember just to give it a comparison, Bill O' Brien talking to him, and he's like, Look, DeSean Watson will get in eventually, but Tom Savage is our guy. And then literally halftime of the first game, DeSean Watson replaced Tom Savage. Like, this isn't that. This is. Russ is going to get a couple games. He might get a couple months. I would think the bye week is always a weeky circle. You know how brutal the start of the season is. I think they have one game where they're going to be favored in that first nine weeks. It might be against the Saints. I would think at the bye week is when we start thinking Jackson Dart. Unless Russ is winning and they're going to keep him in.

[A]

Give me 90 seconds on the Pats.

[B]

Great, right? Like the arrows, you know, pointed up. And as we see Belichick on Monday night, and it's like, geez. And now you've got Frable where it's like, okay, we have a piece of the good of Belichick, but it's like fresh and young. And Vrabel is so good at time management and so good at having his guys be disciplined and ready to play every week. It's the exact opposite of last year's team. There's an immediate upgrade with just Vrabel and McDaniels. And I'll throw stretch in there who is Vrabel's like game and clock management guy who is like the next Ernie Adams up there. And McVay loved him in LA and he left LA to come be with Vrabel, who he had in Tennessee, a very, very niche name. Stretch.

[A]

Not, not shy about doing media.

[B]

Right. He's been out, right.

[A]

That was like a Boston Herald like 4000 word feature that I devoured by Andrew Callahan. And then exciting. And he popped on somebody's podcast. I'm like, look at Stretch. Not an enigma like Ernie Adams.

[B]

I know Ernie Adams was down there in the basement and was like fed like, like scraps of food and meanwhile stretches out there at the podium. But like that's a real thing. That's a, that's an elite, elite clock management guy that has been long valued in the league. And then Vrabel, of course, I think is the best in the sport as far as knowing the rules and knowing all that stuff. And again, you're going to fall asleep listening to that if you're like, oh, we've got a guy who knows all the rules in the playbook. Don't. Hey, a lot of these NFL head coaches do not know all the rules in the, in the playbook and do not know how to do time management. And you bang your head against the wall saying it. You're never going to see an unprepared Mike Vrabel team. You're never going to see Mike Vrabel, you know, botch a timeout or not know that. Hey, wait, actually, this is a 10 yard loss and a stoppage of play, whatever it is. So I don't have them in the playoffs this year. I don't. I think that they're better this year. I think Drake May is in much better hands with Josh McDaniels than he was in the previous.

[A]

You probably gave them that. You gave Cincinnati their spot.

[B]

I love Cincinnati this year.

[A]

Yeah, yeah, I get it.

[B]

And Miami. And I got Miami in there too.

[A]

Okay, so I had the, so the Pat's Vegas spots you gave to Cincinnati and Miami. Yes, I have the Pats in Vegas.

[B]

And do we both have Denver?

[A]

Yeah, of course we do. I didn't feel good about 6 and 7 in the AFC. I changed my mind a million times.

[B]

Me too.

[A]

And, but I think the Pats, the Gonzalez thing, if they don't win this week one game, I don't think they're going to make the playoffs. I know not to sound like it's a must win game, but like this is like if you're going to get to 10 wins. This has to be one of the 10. And I, it, I just find it hard to believe they're going to go 10 and 6. Like the kind of you have to beat Vegas at home if you're going to make the playoffs. Right. Washington would have beaten Vegas at home last year in week one.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

So if it's going to happen and we'll kind of know right away. I feel like, well, I feel like.

[B]

I got egg on my face last year when, you know, Gerard Mayo's team goes into Cincinnati and beats them in a really hard fought week one game. And I'm like, Gerard Mayo had them running drills. They're in better shape than they were under Belichick. And then that all went off the rails. Of course, I do feel without any second of hesitation like Vrabel, McDaniels and the rest of that coaching staff and that go. I mean, it includes even like on the offensive side. You know, you've got all these different guys who have been with Vrabel before and I think that they play a big role also. Like, this is a very experienced coaching staff.

[A]

It's funny to read the quotes and we have really good beat reporters for the Pats.

[B]

You do.

[A]

It's funny to how many players have not come out blatantly and said, wow, this coaching staff is so much better than last year. But it's just been a lot of between the line stuff that's been pretty fun. Like, it's like, wow, it's nice to have some stability this year. Just like all these little.

[B]

Yeah, and remember Mayo was saying crazy stuff in the press conferences too. And you're like, what? Like we're in like doing appearances and saying things on the radio show. That again, not his fault. First year head coach.

[A]

I know, but it's just unnecessary distractions.

[B]

Yes. Variable comes in and variables. He's busting shots with the reporters. I think he went at Mike Girardi. I think he went at Tom Curran. Like, he's not going to back down. He also knows these guys and he knows Karen, knows all them.

[A]

Ben Volan hard.

[B]

Oh, he did. And it's like part of you is like, oh, I hate the way he's talking to the media. Part of you is like, he's comfortable with these guys. He's not going to be bullied around by them. And he also respects the fact that they're the best in the game when it comes to a media market.

[A]

He's aggro. He's getting into scraps. When the breaking up scraps of practice, he's yelling at media people. It's great. It's good to have an identity again.

[B]

What was your reaction to Belichick on? Because I guess this is probably the first time you'll talk about it on Monday night. Because that was.

[A]

I was really bummed. I thought he was going to be awesome as this. That, like, this last act college thing. And it was so bad, I almost don't even know how to process it.

[B]

It was so bad.

[A]

It was interesting how many people were delighted that it was. And some of that he brings on himself like he was a dick the last 12 years when he coached the Jordan Hudson things. Weird. Like, I get it, but this guy is still the greatest NFL coach of all time. And it's kind of. It was the first time I was thinking to myself, oh, man, I hope they don't go like 3 and 8. And this is just, like, sad.

[B]

I know.

[A]

I don't want that to be the outcome.

[B]

What's the word? Schadenfreude. Like, I'm not pronouncing it wrong, and I know you pronounce wrong words. Yeah. So we all do it. But, like, it was so real and my phone was lighting up. And it's not just for Bill. It's for Lombardi, our boy.

[A]

Also.

[B]

People wanted to see these guys because they thought, just let us get there and we'll be all right. And I think people want to see failure because of jealousy, but also because of the way that they came in. And a lot of those players that were at North Carolina, like, we're good, they can walk. We'll bring in our own, we'll be okay. And obviously, it didn't go well the first day. Now they play a Charlotte team next week. That, from what I've heard, you know, App State is not a powerhouse this year. It's not a great App State team. And App State, you know, waxed Charlotte last week. If. If they struggle against Charlotte in week two, then we've got a real problem. And this thing can get real ugly.

[A]

It did feel like a moment for about 40 minutes.

[B]

Oh, it was cool.

[A]

They had MJ and LT in the. In the suite. They scored the first drive. I was like, I'm in.

[B]

I'm like, who's this quarterback lefty? And I'm like, ah, first 15 plays, it's amaz. And then she ends up on the sidelines at the end, and you're like, what the hell is going on?

[A]

So give us. Before you go, give us the first, like, how many months at ESPN now?

[B]

I got there in March, popping on.

[A]

All the different shows, being like, Swiss Army Knife. What's been the biggest surprise the first three months of being in that whole world?

[B]

It's been cool because I thought it was going to be like, all right, you're signed on as NFL analyst. Here is your role. And what I've realized very quickly is I have more freedom and more flexibility at ESPN than I ever did at NFL Network. Because they're like, oh, you know, Molly Caram's out, why don't you host first Take this Week in July. Or Mike Greenberg's out, why don't you host get up. And then McAfee was out and they let me fly to Indianapolis and do that. And then like when the Knicks were doing their thing, and I'm a Knicks fan, they're like, why don't you get on SportsCenter and talk Knicks? So all that stuff I never really thought about. And then the bigger surprise is like, I was doing a three hour show five days a week and I thought everyone was watching Good Morning Football. And I thought, okay, if I make a point on Good Morning Football, everyone in the media world's going to know what I said because I'm Peter Schrager and I'm so important and the world revolves around me. What I very quickly learned was when you get to espn, like, that's what's in the airports, that's what's in the barbershops, that's what's on in the bowling alley, and that's what's on in every hotel lobby. Like, the NFL Network stuff was big fish, smaller pond. This is. I'm a smaller fish in a massive pond. But everyone's listening to what I say. And it feels like when I make a point on espn, people hear it, that I'm like, oh, shit, I got a text from XYZ because I said that at 9am on ESPN with first take. And it's like, all right.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

So I think just the actual fire hose of the platform has been a pleasant surprise.

[A]

Yeah, the face being on in the airports and all these different places, that's when you start.

[B]

I have.

[A]

The thing I noticed when I, when I was in that whole world was like, when you start getting recognized by the TSA guys, no doubt. And the cab drivers, that's it. And I was like, I'd. I'd been so. I was a writer. I'd been so anonymous for so many years. And then once, all of a sudden I'm on these shows and you kind of forget. It's like, oh, that guy's was. And then people are, yo, man, what's going on with the Lakers? What's it, you know? And you're just like, like, I'm just having coffee right now. It's 8 o' clock in the morning.

[B]

No doubt.

[A]

And you're just kind of on call, like a doctor for sports conversations.

[B]

Totally. And I live in Brooklyn where. And I, you know, I. You don't know if people are into sports or if they're into like the new Strokes album. Like, you don't know if they're into it. So I'm doing NFL Network for years, living in Brooklyn and like, maybe I get a head nod once in a while from a sports fam and I'm like, all right. It's just Brooklyn that people would much rather talk about craft beer and, you know, some indie band. No. Since I've been at ESPN, everyone's like, oh, shit. Like, I saw you on SportsCenter. I saw you on this or that. The one thing that's different is like at Good Morning Football, I came into work with Kyle and it was like, it was our show and it was like, what do we want to talk about? Let's do it. I've got to navigate that a little bit. And the season's going to be interesting where tomorrow, for example, I'm on Get up first take and then I'm doing SportsCenter from the US Open. I'm going to be asked questions by Greenberg and by Molly, and I'm going to be talking with Steve May. But like, it's not me coming in and saying, hey, should we talk about Travis Hunter? Like, it's. I don't have that anymore. So we've got to figure that out and navigate it where my voice is. You know, my thoughts aren't just being call and answer. It's more like, hey, what can I provide and offer up proactively?

[A]

Yeah, I miss you and Kyle. I'm gonna really feel it during the season. Just. Cause it was. It was great. A habit.

[B]

I love that dude and like, listening to him and you, I get jealous and FOMO and I'm like, ah, they're good together. Like, I miss Kyle. Absolutely.

[A]

But I've been monitoring your pants stuff. You've stayed true to yourself. You're still.

[B]

You trying.

[A]

I'm monitoring. And if I feel like you start veering in directions I don't like, I'm.

[B]

Going to be testing. It's going to be a test. Like on Mondays, on First Take with Stephen A. Smith and Cam Newton and me. And it's like, all right, dude, like, you want to still make your, like, pithy joke about some reference to the 90s? Like, I don't. It might not. It might not land like it did with Kyle Brandt giggling.

[A]

You know, like, Adam Durrett's joke might not work.

[B]

It's a long December wink. Like, no, it might not work. It might. The third Eye Blind reference might go over some heads, even though Kim's hat is very high. We'll see. I've been through with it, though. It's been cool.

[A]

You'll be fine. It has been fun seeing you just pop on all these different places. I don't even watch as much ESPN as other people, but I feel like when I would tune in this summer, you were somewhere involved, somewhere on some show.

[B]

Can I say one thing? I've got a new passion, and you see me posting about it on Instagram. I know you're a racket sports lover and you love tennis.

[A]

Are you going to do paddle?

[B]

Yes, dude, paddle. This is so up your alley. I hear you doing these Michelob commercials and you're like, crapping all over pickleball. And I'm nodding along, but then you're like, tennis is my sport. I play tennis. You have to get into paddle. You would love this sport, Bill. And if your listeners don't know, it's two on two. It's doubles, but it's got the glass wall. I know how much you love tennis. This is easier on the body, and it's the most social thing in the world. Paddle's coming, and I want you in.

[A]

On the ride, dude, paddle's coming. Where's it coming from?

[B]

It's coming from South America. It's coming from Miami prime time. I don't know if it's ever going to be on prime time, but it's a great sport. And I agree with you on pickleball. I couldn't get into pickleball, but as a tennis player and a tennis lover, this sport is so fun and I want to give you a racket and I want to get you on the court, and I just want to play with you because I think you would love this sport.

[A]

I would be an immediate natural because it's a racket. I'm good at racket sports.

[B]

I, I this is my goal over the next year.

[A]

Did you go to the US Open?

[B]

I'm going tomorrow or recording this on Tuesday. I'm going tomorrow and I'm excited I. I love it. Do you. Are any chance you'll be in town? No. Right?

[A]

No, no, no. I. I don't go. But I. I did. I'll give you one. Take that. I had that. I've been thinking about.

[B]

Is it about the honey juice or the chicken nugget with caviar?

[A]

No. I've been cultivating this take factory.

[B]

Let me hear.

[A]

You know Serena, who's been back in the mix a little, and. And she. She lost weight. She's in great shape, and she's been.

[B]

She's on row.

[A]

Yeah. She's pitching this row thing. And she's the best she's felt. I think she should come back.

[B]

Let's go. I see Venus every night on these doubles with Fernandez, and I'm like, I love those two.

[A]

I feel like if she started planning it right now and aim for, like, French Open, Wimbledon, US Open, like, all right, seven months. Her kids are a little bit older.

[B]

How old is she?

[A]

She's early 40s. But I was thinking, like, I was trying to think, like, what would be a bigger non NFL storyline than Serena coming back in shape? Almost like MJ coming back to the Wizards, but more favorable and trying to take her throne back. I think it would be.

[B]

It's a boxing reference. I feel like it's a boxing reference more than anything.

[A]

I feel like everybody would be interested in this.

[B]

I don't know.

[A]

There's not a single person in my life who wouldn't be interested. And a Serena comeback, and I just think she should consider it.

[B]

I know you and your wife love the tennis, and I, and me and my wife as well, we watch it and, like, Sabalenka is unbelievable, and IGA is unbelievable, and you've got these two women right now playing at such a high level. You think Serena can still roll with those two?

[A]

I don't know. That's what would be so fascinating, because it would be a whole thing like, she can't do this. There's no way. And then there would be this other side. Be like, she's Serena Williams. She's the goat. She's the best female athlete we've ever had. If anyone could do it, it's her. And it would just be, like, incredible theater. I wonder if she's thought about it or not.

[B]

I'm sure she has. She looks amazing. She's. What she do now. She owns all these things. She's like a crazy business.

[A]

She's a great businesswoman. It just would be so interesting if she. I was trying to think of, like, anyone who could come back. That would be a more interesting subplot than her because nobody else is realistic. Right. Tiger's like, he's in his 50s now. He's had some. All these surgeries. Like, he can't come back. There's no, you know, LeBron's still playing. But if, when, when LeBron retires, then it'd be like, oh, could LeBron come back? We'd have that whole thing for two years.

[B]

But for two years that we've done the Brady.

[A]

I guess Brady would be the other one. But Brady's too old now.

[B]

Yeah, at this point. It would have happened last year, would have happened with the Niners a couple years ago. Like, he had his opportunities. He didn't. Serena coming back would be awesome. Now on the. My hot take on the tennis is like, we always had Nadal and Federer as the top guys, and then Djokovic obviously joined them. But there was always this like, Stan Warinka, David Ferrer, like, there was always these other guys. Right now it's just. It's just Sinner and Alcaraz, and I don't like, the gap is so big between those two and everyone else. Like, I don't know if this US Open has been as exciting because they win 616161 and it's like, all right, they'll play in the finals. But we have two weeks of tennis. And I gotta be honest, I'm going tomorrow. I'm seeing the Canadian guy play the Australian guy. I don't even know their names. And I follow this thing on a daily basis. So it's really just a two man sport right now. And I don't think that's great either.

[A]

Well, the Ben Shelton getting hurt was a murder because that was. I think they were counting on him to really potentially be heard from, especially because the crowd would have gotten completely.

[B]

Tiafo loses in straight sets.

[A]

Like, wasn't great. And then Coco is like, Coco just got waxed by Osaka.

[B]

Worked her.

[A]

But yeah, it's. It's. I don't know. The Serena thing would be pretty fun. I like the US Open.

[B]

Hey, should we do a tennis pod together?

[A]

No, I don't think anyone would listen to it. The one at the ringer who loves tennis is the Bundo.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

The Bundo's like all like, I'll just like, I texted him today on Tuesday about like, what's a tennis bet that you would go for? He's like, I like both underdogs in the woman's like, he's like, really into it. But yeah, I don't know how hot the tennis pod would be. Maybe paddle. Maybe that's the pod. When paddle becomes a major thing.

[B]

You would love this. And the games you get in with these random guys that are. I work in oil. It's a crazy scene, this paddle scene. And it's big in New York right now, and I think it's LA.

[A]

So are you, like, you're officially like a McAfee guy and I'm like the old girlfriend or like, how does this work? Just walk me through it.

[B]

I don't know. I'd like to be able to swing a little bit and. And have you both and open relationship. I want to be able to just. Just be open and, like, that's great. Just fun, you know, and we'll try.

[A]

To get along for you and it'll be good. We just want you to feel good.

[B]

Because, like, you mentioned mullet number two. Like, that's Boston Connor. He's a good guy. He's a Patriots fan. Like, he was.

[A]

I like the Boston guy. Yeah. Give. Give my best to the Boston. I like that he sticks up for us.

[B]

What you would appreciate about them, and it's got a good ringer. Grantland feel like it is like them against. They live in Indianapolis. It's five friends. They don't have a rundown. I go down there and it's like, let's just talk football. And I so appreciate it. It's like the part that you and McAfee have, like, the shade of thing is like the complete distrust and disrespect for middle management and that kind of stuff of the khaki pants and the suit and the lanyard and all that speak to me like, pat doesn't suffer fools and he will tell. And that's just what it is. He licenses his show. It's his deal. But I know you guys both speak a very similar tongue when it comes to, hey, we're the talent. We know what works and just trust us and don't try to interfere too much. That's the game he plays. And I kind of respect you both for that.

[A]

I always respected Woody Built. I just didn't like the Kimmel, Aaron Rodgers thing. But I'm over it.

[B]

Fair enough.

[A]

It is. It was like, what, two years ago? It's fine.

[B]

It's done.

[A]

It's fine. Now you're there sometimes.

[B]

Sometimes.

[A]

And now we are, you know. What's that guy's name? Boston Connor.

[B]

Boston Connor. I would love for you to have him and Ty Schmidt on Ty's great.

[A]

Also, these are your guys. They're good.

[B]

They're good.

[A]

I'm like the old girlfriend you got.

[B]

You've got Diana and Pablo and the rest. Pablo. Pablo Torre comes on talking about his quote unquote origin story. I'm texting Bill. Can I come on and talk about the Seahawks? What are we doing here? I want to talk. I've got some thoughts on Johnny Smith. Can we talk?

[A]

All right. Well, so you'll be popping on a few times during this season. I would love to have you. I'm excited for everything that's happening for you. It's great to see you as always.

[B]

Dude, you're the best. You've always been such a champion of mine and my love for you and the, the listeners that you guys have.

[A]

All right. Good to see you. Thanks, man.

[B]

Thanks, dude.

[A]

All right, that's it for the podcast. Thanks to Peter Schrager. Thanks to Gahau and Eduardo as well. I'm going to be back on Thursday doing Ringer 107 with house and a whole bunch of other stuff. So stay tuned for that as we get ready. We might even go after the Philly Dallas game. But at some point Thursday, you'll have a podcast for me. So stay tuned for that. I will. See you then. Must be 21 plus the President. Select states for Kansas and affiliation with Kansas Star Casino or 18 + in President D.C. kentucky or Wyoming. Gambling problem. Call 100 Gambler or visit rg-help.com, call 188-or visit ccpg.org chat in Connecticut or visit mdgamblinghelp.org in Maryland. Hope is here. Visit gamblinghelplinema.org or call 800-327-550 for 24. 7 support in Massachusetts or call 1-877-8-HOPE NY or text Hopeny in New York.