Are you looking for a pro football podcast that doesn't put you to sleep with spreadsheets or insult you with mindless hot takes? Football is fun. Why shouldn't your football podcast be the same? Follow and listen to Heed the Call NFL Podcast with Dan Hansis and Mark Sessler wherever you get your podcasts. Botox Cosmetic, Atobotulinum Toxin A, FDA approved for over 20 years.
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The JR Sport Brief Show here with you coast to coast. on the Infinity Sports Network. And we got week seven of the NFL season getting started tomorrow in Cincinnati. It's the icy hot ball. 41-year-old Aaron Rodgers, a 40-year-old Joe Flacco, he just got to Cincinnati.
Are they going to get us started? Got a lot of other storylines going on in the NFL right now. Got the Chiefs with Rasheed Rice back and Baker Mayfield looking like an MVP. The Titans with a. Temporary head coach to chat about it all.
Joining us right now is someone who covers all things NFL for SI Now. Welcome back, Matt Verduran. Matt, how are you? What's going on? How are you?
I'm very well, thank you. I guess, are you excited for the Icy Hot Bowl tomorrow, or should we expect the Steelers beat now? Yeah. I I'd be lying to you if I said I was excited for that football game. I uh I am contractually obligated to cover it.
And so I will be writing about it. But no, I mean, look, honestly, if the Bengals were Just a touch more competitive. Are they okay? You know, it's a reasonable game. We'll see how it plays out.
No, it's in Cincinnati, but Man, the bangles are out, burro. Like you could make a real argument There there's not a single player. Meet you know, Lamar Jackson probably the other guy, and of course Alan drunk. who if they got hurt Their team would have like a bigger drop-off than that. Like, I mean, 'cause even Mahal look, as great as Mahal's is, of course, Chiefs now have Mahal's would be good, but like.
Gordon Dimitri would probably go in there. It'd be like five hundred teams. No, they have a defense. They get culture. The Bengals lose borough.
And building an expansion team. But they can't do anything.
So It's hard for me to see Pittsburgh losing that game short of just A bunch of turnovers, a ton of penalties, you know, stuff like that.
Well, it's nice to actually just kind of focus in on Aaron Rodgers in football. What do you think this season is ultimately going to look like for the Steelers? Is it going to be same old, same old? They'll be good, get into the playoffs, and then kind of move? Do you think there's so much parity in the league right now that even the Steelers have a chance to go far?
Well, you know, I think there are you look at the conference. And it's a conference that Kind of mirrors the whole league in the sense of there's not a team that's playing lights out.
Now, If I'm being honest, by the time we get to January, I do think the Kansas City Buffalo It's going to be really hard to picture Pittsburgh beating one of those two teams in the playoff game. Anybody else in the conference? Sure. Absolutely. They could beat in New England, they could beat Indianapolis, they could beat you know, Jacksonville or Houston gets in or Denver that charters it.
I think they'd have a shot at these themes. Um, I don't think they could score enough to beat Buffalo. And I just I don't think they're they're good enough across the board to be Kansas City. Um Yeah, they're they're passion game. If you look at the numbers, nobody has a lower average depth of target than Aaron Roxanne.
It's literally like barely over three yards.
So That passing game is so limited And it's so predictable. Against bad teams, you can play that way and kind of just dink and dunk your way through it, play decent defense. Um against a really good team when you've got to score twenty seven, thirty points, I think that's where it becomes difficult. But because of the weakness of the conference, You know, could I see them getting the divisional round? Sure, I think I think they could, but I think that's probably their standard.
Matt Verderam here with us from SI Now. You talk about the Kansas City Chiefs. We know that they're getting Rasheed Rice back. You feel good about them.
So ultimately, you think, well, I know people are kind of down on the Bills right now, a two-game losing streak, getting beat up by Atlanta on Monday. Uh you high on where the Chiefs can go. Do you think they'll also maybe add a guy here or two at the deadline? Yeah, I think they'll poke around at running back in an edge rush. You know, I could see them calling and making a calling like a Jalen Phillips in Miami.
I could see them calling Brees Hall and, you know, the Jets and maybe even an Alvin Kamara in New Orleans. I don't think they're going to part with major draft capital. But I think they could part with a a mid to late round pick. Um You know, they're they're low on cap space, but they could always maneuver to open up enough to get one of those guys in there. I'm high on the cheese from this standpoint.
They look offensively. The last three weeks. better than they've looked since Mahomes was an MVP last in 2022. I mean, this is the first time in a long time where they get the ball. I just expect them to score a touchdown.
Yeah. And they move with ease. It's just easy. Guys are open. Mahomes is all day to throw.
you know, they've got weapons all over.
Now they're adding Rice back in. He's the best weapon they have. Um Look, I think there are teams in the West you have to respect like the Chargers, the Broncos. But when you leave the Chief schedule, it's a lot easier going forward than it is going back behind them. Um Yeah, I mean look before the year I picked them in the Ranski at the Super Bowl.
And I probably wouldn't change that pick. I mean, maybe you want to throw Tampa in there. That's fine. But I I just look at the Chiefs and say the only team that I really think in a playoff game can beat them, unless they beat themselves, is Buffalo. Um The way Buffalo's defense is played all year long, I I think Buffalo's gonna have to get to the forties to beat him.
I don't think they can stop Kansas City. They can't cover and they can't pressure the quarterback.
So. Um look the long season. We'll see where we are in January, but right now, yeah, I if I if I could team to get out of AIC it'd be them, even though they're friend prick.
Well, Matt, you talk about some of the issues that the Bills have on defense right now. We know the Eagles are also scuffling. I know you favor the Rams to go to the Super Bowl. What are your thoughts on the Eagles? Is this a natural hangover?
They have lost some pieces. It seems like the same team. They're going with a little bit more youth than what they've had with the Grahams retiring and whatnot. What are your thoughts on the Eagles? I think they'll figure it out and I think they'll get right.
They're still an extremely dangerous stand. Um Well, there's a few things that are obvious that are much different than a year ago. Last year, Saquon Barkley rushed for over 2,000 yards. This year, he's not even rushing for four yards of carry. They are just not.
getting anything in the run game. And if they can't get the run game going, you know, they're not like a lot of other big offenses. You look at Buffalo, you look at Kansas City. Those teams, yes. Look, Buffalo can run the heck out of the ball.
They're second, I believe, in the league in rushing. But You fear the heck out of that quarterback, just dropping back and throwing the ball. And I'm not saying Hurts can't do that. Look, he's played some great playoff games, he's thrown the ball really well in those games. But when you play Philadelphia, Their whole game is establishing the run, play action off of that, getting those one-on-one matchups with the.
big receivers and going downfield. When Barkley's not running the way he's running, it's kind of like when the Lions, like when they can't get Montgomery and Gibbs going. It just changes that whole offense. All of a sudden, you're like, all right, well, yeah, we don't mind Goss dropping back 35 times around the wall. He's probably not going to abuse.
Perch. I have I I I like Hertz. I'm a Hertz fan. But when they aren't going with Barkley, they got a problem defensively. They lost a lot of pieces.
You know, that they are not the same defensive team they were. I don't think they're bad defensively. But there's this kind of okay defensively, which is fine if the offense is really good, but if the offense isn't really good, then Then you got a problem. And I think they'll get right, but I don't think they're anywhere near as powerful as they. Yeah, or a year ago.
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Are you looking for a podcast about pro football that doesn't put you to sleep with an avalanche of analytics or insult your fandom with brainless hot takes?
Well, hi. I'm Dan Hansis. And I'm Mark Sessler. Oh, hi Mark. And we're the host of Heed the Call, the NFL podcast you've been waiting your whole life for.
He the Call covers every game, every storyline, everything that matters, and we do it all with a touch of mirth. Football is fun. Why shouldn't your football podcast be the same? Follow and listen to Heed the Call NFL Podcast wherever you get your podcasts. Matt Verduram here with us from SI Now, covers all things NFL, a team that I'm kind of like, wow, they're just doing it.
It makes Baker look. Absolutely amazing are the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They are five and one, it's just them and the Colts. Every week somebody goes down. We know about Godwin's injury dating back to last year.
You got. Evans, his hammy was bothering him last year. It's bothering him now. You got Bucky Irving going down. They're finding wide receivers off the street and they're still winning.
How sustainable is this for the Bucs? I have to say anybody is really impressive. Look, I said earlier I had the Jason Rands in the Super Bowl. I had the Bucks in the FC Thales. And I eat I expected a lot out of them, and then Evans gets hurt.
Godwin obviously came in to get hurt. Macmillan got hurt over the summer. Book has come in and been amazing. But now he's hurt. He's got a hamstring.
Irving, as you mentioned, he's out. Twist and Works missed a lot of time earlier. They were beat up on the interior at one point. They. It is a miracle that team is 5-1.
And Mayfield deserves all the credit in the world. You said it at the top of the interview, like. Right now If you're talking about the MVP of the league. It's gotta be made filled with holes. Right, like it's got to be one of those two guys.
And you can you could argue it either way, although I think even at this point I would even probably give them out to Mayfield in the sense I think he's had a harder lift. Um And they're 5-1. The Chiefs are 3-3. But look, I think Mayfield has been. spectacular.
Uh his numbers are excellent, and he's throwing To virtually nobody at this point. I mean, we're, you know, Sterling Shepherd and a bunch of guys you've never heard of. Yeah, Kate Otten. Like, this is This is really interesting stuff that Tampa's playing like this. even without all these guys.
What do they look like when all these guys come back, or at least most of these guys come back? No, look, they've won a lot of really tight games. The first four ones they had were all like at the end of the game. That's right. You know, I mean, you could argue, hey, like, is that kind of is that magic gonna wear off?
Maybe. But I still think they're really good. I think they're a legitimate threat to get the Super Bowl. And if they're there, win it. I think they are.
They're a really good team and Mayfield has clearly established himself as one of the best quarterbacks. Oh, without a shadow of a doubt. I mean, just even that run that we saw on Sunday against the Chargers, I was rooting for him to become the juggernaut. He looked like it. You got to appreciate anybody.
Who plays like that? Staying in Florida, Matt. Let's go to South Florida, unfortunately. Is Tua, is he okay? He got diarrhea of the mouth.
Is he trying to get Mike McDaniel fired faster? What's going on with that train wreck? Yeah, I wrote about this after they lost to the Panthers. Um and it it's still certainly true now. Like If you are Stephen Ross, you're the owner of the Dolphins, you you've got to just ball this thing.
sky high. I mean you can't You cannot sit here. and have a straight face and tell anybody that you think this thing's gonna work. It's gotten worse year after year. They they went out.
Look, they went all in on Tyreek Hill, and they went on on Bradley Chubb and on on Jalen Ramsey and on and on and on. They put all these guys.
Well, Hills played his last games at Alphonse. I mean, maybe unfortunately ever, but certainly is it all. Ramsey's gone. You brought Micah Fitzpatrick back in. That hasn't worked out any meaningful amount.
Um Bradley Chubb, I'm sure okay if they could trade him, they're gonna trade him at the deadline this year. That's huge done. That team is terrible. You're not going to win with this team. And McDaniel You know, what concerns me with McDaniel is they have shown no signs.
That they can stem the tide. Like, I don't expect that team to be good with the roster they have right now. They're not even competitive in a lot of these games. I mean, they just get a night.
Now, the Chargers game. Then up thirteen points for five minutes left, then the Chargers became the Chargers briefly, gave up fourteen points in like four minutes. for winning, but Yeah, like two uh You can't do what he did, man. You can't go out there. and start throwing everybody under the bus.
I have been in enough locker rooms to know as you start doing that kind of stuff. Guys, you're done with you. And once guys are done with it, it's over. There's no con like there's There's no way to fix that. I think look sooner rather than later, they're gonna have a wholesale change.
GM and the coach. And two, I think he's probably there next year just based on his contract. That's probably where he at. Yeah, I agree with you on that one. Speaking of people moving around in that same division, the Jets are equally as awful, if not worse.
They don't even have. A victory. There's a lot of rumors about who might get moved. We got Aaron Glenn already getting into it with the media. What's going on with the Jets?
Are they going to blow things up? I feel like they just did. That's that's kind of look, so the Jets The Jets, there's a more nuanced conversation to have about them. The bullet points are Woody Johnson is a terrible owner. He's a terrible owner.
He He's involved and he shouldn't be involved. He's hands off and he shouldn't be hands off. And When you have an owner on that level, a bottom three to five owner in the league. You're just going to stink unless you luck into something. Like, unless you just fall.
Rear end backwards. Into something good, like you're just you're not gonna be good. Like, I think Aaron Clinton. genuinely deserves. a couple of years to figure this down.
Justin Fields can't play. I mean, let's just be honest. Justin Fields is a backup quarterback in the NFL. He's not good. And he was the guy that that new GM Darren Mogie decided to give 30 million guarantee to.
Like, you're not winning with that guy. You're not. He can't play. He's been on three teams in three years for a reason. It's not good.
Okay. They defensively, it you know, it's alright to find But they They need to get a real quarterback. I mean, when you look at the Jets' history. They have not had a legitimate franchise quarterback since Joan Avery. And you just You're not going to win in today's day.
Yo, look around at the vision. You got Josh Allen, you got Drake May. You have no shot. without a quarterback. Look I don't think they're gonna one and done Glenn.
It's the Jets, you never know. But you know, I think I think, you know, th you could see a fire sale but that that I could breeze fall I think's gone. You know, Jermaine Johnson, they'd have to probably get a lot for him, but I could see them moving off to him.
Some other peop they need as many draft picks as possible. And they need for once, for the first time in about 60 years, actually hit on some of them including a quarterback. Yeah, I mean, yeah, the the Jets are in the uh well, yeah, I they're one of the worst professional sports teams in the Entire country. Unfortunately, that's not even just the NFL. Hey, Matt, thank you for reminding the Jet fans how bad it is.
No problem. It's uh they get reminded of every something. Oh, you're right about that one, Matt. Hey, tell everybody where they can find you and all your work with SI Now. Yeah, just at fi.com.
Also in the magazines, subscribe and then Just on Twitter, uh at Nadveram. I've got a Sunday Column that goes out every week, the good, bad and ugly, and it's kind of a recap with a spin on how it affects things going forward. Um, Friday preview column, best five or six games of the weekend.
Something to look for and a prediction.
So. Um you want to check that out, like I said, si.com or at my Twitter feed. Hey Matt, always a pleasure, man. Thanks for dropping by to tell us about the good, bad and ugly, okay? Hey, thanks a lot.
Take care. Are you looking for a podcast about pro football that doesn't put you to sleep with an avalanche of analytics or insult your fandom with brainless hot takes?
Well, hi. I'm Dan Hansis. And I'm Mark Sessler. Oh, hi, Mark. And we're the hosts of Heed the Call, the NFL podcast you've been waiting your whole life for.
Heed the Call covers every game, every storyline, everything that matters, and we do it all with a touch of mirth. Football is fun. Why shouldn't your football podcast be the same? Follow and listen to Heed the Call NFL Podcast wherever you get your podcasts. Botox Cosmetic, Autobotulinum Toxin A, FDA approved for over 20 years.
So, talk to your specialist to see if Botox Cosmetic is right for you. For full prescribing information, including boxed warning, visit BotoxCosmetic.com or call 877-351-0300. Remember to ask for Botox Cosmetic by name. To see for yourself and learn more, visit BotoxCosmetic.com. That's BotoxCosmetic.com.
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