First Things First - AFC & NFC East, OPOY predictions, Aaron Donald signs with Rams, Howie Long joins, Chiefs rebuild?

Episode Date: August 31, 2026

(0:00) Aaron Donald signs with Rams, OPOY predictions, Will the Bengals return to contender status?  (26:49) Drake Maye ranked 11th on NFL Top 100, Expect MVP Mahomes Week 1? (41:16) Will Aaron Donald make an instant impact?  (47:49) AFC & NFC East Predictions  (01:10:58) Howie Long joins (01:22:11) Rams Super Bowl favorites (01:28:04) Danny’s AFC and NFC East predictions (01:51:04) Chiefs in rebuild mode? (02:02:12) How worried should Brock Purdy be entering Week 1?  (02:09:39) Danny and Greg predict OPOY Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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starting September 8th on CBC Gem. Every autumn, before a single snap is taken, before a single overreaction fills the airwaves, there is a ritual, not in Canton, but here on first things first. A place where certainty is borrowed, confidence, manufactured, dignity, entirely optional. The door of destiny doesn't simply open. It's cracked, pushed to reveal belief. Some stroll through his visionaries, others walk straight into regret by Thanksgiving. The Cowboys' Trio of A-game singers once again harmonized with the optimism that only August can provide.

Every note, carrying the same timeless refrain, this could be the year. Then there's Nick Wright, who with unwavering conviction climbs the ladder to hang yet another Chief's banner, not because history demands it, because he's. he does. Nearby, the prince's trumpet sound, announcing royalty before a prediction has ever been proven and draped in purple, Chris Broussard slips into a raven's robe, a garment stitched together with faith, and the annual promise that this is finally Baltimore's season. Some predictions will age beautifully, others replayed mercilessly in January, because that's the beauty of this week. Hope requires no evidence. Confidence needs no apology. And for one glorious

moment, every fan, every analyst, every outrageous prediction is undefeated. So welcome to first things first NFL predictions week. God help us. Live from New York, the show that's off a vacation and is welcoming you to Predictions week 2026. I could not be happier to see you guys. Welcome back. There's only one way Brew and I could be happier if you were still

mustache-oed Kevin Wilde. I didn't even get to see it. What is your handle? Kevin Wilde. There's nothing tricky about it. D.S. Like Oscar Wilde, like if there's two of them. Okay. Oscar Wilde.

Like, okay, I'm probably been following the wrong guy. I didn't see it. But if other people didn't see it, KW had a gorgeous. I'm picturing it really looking great. 10 seconds here, Duss. No, it was great. Just 10 real quick. I spent all afternoon trying to come into wilds not to shave his mustache

because he came into work with it. And KW, in explaining me why he couldn't keep it, compared his mustache to owning a Porsche, to having the nicest house on the block and basically said it looks so good it's distracting. I can't have my mustache be the subject of every conversation.

That's how we started the show. We had a beautiful open from Tom Rinaldi. You're like, how about that muscle? I can't do it. The first look would have been everybody would have been talking about. First thing first. Today, Aaron Donald is back.

Are we on the verge of seeing a historic season or too much hype. Meanwhile, talking Raiders, talking defense, talking prediction, the great Howie Long joins the show. And finally, not in pencil any longer. Official predictions for the MFC and AFC East alongside Nick Wright. I'm Kevin Wilde's. Brew.

How are you feeling about predictions week? You've been flirting with a lot of predictions. You did the most flirting leading up their predictions week. Yeah, I'm surprised myself. Really? I'm my predictions that will be coming. I mean, over the course of the week, even today. Yeah, I'm surprised.

You never know where the evidence will leave. No, because I, you know, I just, I'm not a homer. No. I don't carry the pom-poms for anybody. I just do this research and wherever it leads me. It's not analytics, but it's just my brain. Similar to analytics. It's not.

Analytics. It's just my brain. We're starting in Los Angeles. We're after practicing with a helmet and full paths at training camp for several weeks. Aaron Donald's back. Yes. I'm shocked. Here he is on making his return official.

Just having conversations with Sean, obviously, seeing what we're being done with this team. Pieces that was getting brought here. Okay, it's a complete team. And then, you know, you see other moves they make and it's like, okay. Okay, I wish I was still out there playing right about now. Do my training prep, about 13, 14 weeks to just nonstop grinding and get to where we're at right now. So, you know, Aaron back playing football, I guess, right? Okay.

Rams are Super Bowl faves, brew. What's more likely? A perfect season that people are kicking around or completely missing the playoffs. Well, look, I'm assuming health. All right. So I'm not going to make the prediction based on all staff. is not going to last or whatever. I'm assuming health.

And secondly, I just have to say, I don't expect either to happen. But of the two, which is more likely, 17 and old baby. That's so crazy. I mean, I cannot see this team healthy missing the playoffs.

I mean, as they are stacked. Now, I guess you can say, hey, father time might just hit Stafford. If that happens, I guess there's a possibility. I know the division's tough, but I expect Seattle to take a slight step back. Still be very good. Right now they're without their two best running backs from Latt.

They're not getting Kenneth Walker back, obviously. But Charbonne's on the pub list. So they're without their running backs right now. Defense, they lost a couple people, you know. But they're mostly the same team. They're still going to be very good. But I just think, you know, they just won the Super Bowl. I think there'll be a slight letdown.

And San Francisco is just always banged up. already throughout the preseason. So I know their schedule is monstrous. Well, yeah. But if of the two, I would say 17 and 0, I think Donald coming back is just, I think that's going to, I'm sure they were on a high already getting Tripped McDuffie and Miles Garrett.

But now him coming back, I think will bring their vibes up to even higher. I think McVeigh is competitive to the point. point where he'll be like, you know, you want to take he's a great coach, he's going to be like one game at a time. But I'm sure they wouldn't mind doing something historic. Yes. And I think that's probably in their minds too.

So I don't expect it. But if I had, there's no way I see them missing the playoffs. So I'll go 17 and 0. So I agree with you. This conversation's not fun if someone's like, well, staffer could get hurt. So let's just assume, I'm just going to, it's just even though anyone can get hurt, particularly the second oldest quarterback in the league. But I'm just going to give them.

Sure, but I'm just going to give them a healthy quarterback throughout the year. Every NFL team is going to have some injuries. But let's just say Stafford's healthy the whole year. I still think even if that's a lock locked in, it is far, far more likely. This team misses the playoffs, then goes undefeated. Undefeated is a wild ask. And it is for, I should say this in front end. one of the few people that's wrong about Aaron Donald.

I thought it was a flirtation and just he wasn't actually going to come back. He is coming back. I don't, I maybe don't expect quite the impact that some other people do, but I still think even if he is

65% of old Aaron Donald, that makes him a top five defensive tackle in football. So I think he is going to he is going to be a huge addition for them certainly by mid-season, if not a little bit earlier. And so I am very confident in that defense.

I, however, despite my flirtation many years in a row with the Rams, am not quite as in love with the certainty of the offense as everyone else is. So here would be the concern points. Two of their, you could argue, there are two most important offensive players other than Stafford, are both potentially facing brief suspension from the league. Their left tackle, which is wildly important, especially with an immobile quarterback, and Puka, who you could argue is the most important wide receiver in the league

because of how much of their offense funnels through him. So that is a concern. Puka also is a right now, I think a question mark on, let's have six months straight of good decisions. and those things. I think that's a fair concern. Sure. So there's that piece of it.

You, I think, didn't give enough time to the schedule, which is one of the four toughest schedules in football according to what teams are projected to do this year. And if we show the schedule, there is a very real world where if the weird Australia game where they are getting there a day before and San Francisco is getting there a week before, goes wrong, where they come out of week five and they're two and three. I mean, they, they, they, if they lose on a neutral site to a division rival that has been, they've gone back and forth with for years, and they start 0 and one, they absolutely can lose two of the three at Denver, at Philly home for Buffalo.

They certainly, like, that's, that's not a tough, that is a, it's a brutally tough three-game stretch. I'm about this. If they win the game in Australia. And they're favored to win it. And listen, I'm not very high on the Niners. There's a lot of just tight. But it's a divisional neutral site game, which makes it hard.

But if they got, no one beats the Broncos in Denver besides the Prince. And if they won that game and went into Philadelphia and won, which Matthew Stafford has never beaten J. Well, yeah, if they start. If they're four and no, we're all of a sudden you're like, uh-oh. Oh, well, you start to believe that. Well, but even, but so that's, so that's the. where I was going to go. Once you get through those five games,

then it's pretty soft until the buy. And then after the buy, every single game is hard. And by the way, something that has not been given enough credit to, the Packers and the Rams this year don't actually have a buy. I think it's so wildly unfair what happened here.

That Packers' Rams game is on a Wednesday. So you know when like teams get a buy and guys go on vacation or whatever? The Packers and Rams don't get that opportunity. So now because of that, they get too many buys surrounded with each other, but they don't get a real break from it. So again, I'm like, Brew, the more likely is neither. I am not picking the Rams right now to miss the playoffs.

But I certainly see a scenario where they get off to a somewhat rocky start, where after the buy they lose a couple games. And all of a sudden it's like, wait, we have Seattle, two of the final three games of the year, and we need to go two and one to make the playoffs. I think that is a real scenario that exists. I also think that last year, KW, they didn't finish strong. At the end of the year, they lost to Carolina,

they lost to Atlanta, they lost to Seattle, and then in the playoffs, they escaped against Carolina in the final minute, and went to overtime against Chicago and then lost. So, like, I just, I'm surprised. Their defense last year was not. No, I think the defense is going to be a top three defense. I just think there's a world where the offense is not as dominant.

But you don't think it's because I get it if you said, I just think Stafford is five of times going to get it. But that's not what you're saying. I get it off-the-field stuff with puka and all that. I mean, I just don't, what, show this. Stafford last year versus the two previous years, which he was healthy. So here's, like, what Matthew Stafford do we think we're going to get? Because last year, I understand for some last year put him on.

I think I'm getting that last year, Stafford, or close. So do I. Yeah. Really? Yeah, I mean. I do. I want to find a reason not to believe in the Rams. And I'm like looking.

I'm like, well, they're kind of old, but I think the Donald acquisition sort of tilted the scales on their age. they're one of the older teams. Miles Garrett's, we haven't even said Miles Gary. I mean, Miles Garrett's the best defensive player in the league. And he just got more productive, let's say, on paper. It's like, oh, you're going to double team me, not anymore? Yeah, I think he, I think it could be surprising if he doesn't break his own sacrament. Really?

Because Donald, this is the first time, I mean, assuming Donald gets double teamed and he used to get wildly double teamed. Yes. If he's double-teamed, Garrett, not that he won't, but that's two guys you got a double-team, or what are you going to do with Garrett? And they're going to play with Leads, which he hardly ever did in Cleveland.

Like, he's going to just be reeking-hap. I think they're going to be excellent. But I think they're going to be 12-win excellent, not 17-win excellent. And that means you can't, and the Stafford thing I think is noteworthy. I understand that right now, and I was the, you know, the Pied Piper of if Stafford wins the MVP, I think it locks him into the Hall of Fame.

I was saying that, remember that all last year, I was like the MVP, this puts him in the Hall of Fame. Well, that train has left so far down the station. He's now, Matt Stafford might be one of the five or seven greatest quarterbacks of all time. And so I just think it is warrants mentioning that even with McVeigh, even with Puka, even with this infrastructure, even when, healthy the two years prior to last year, he wasn't by any measure a top four quarterback in the league. He was good. He was really good and dangerous and a great playoff quarterback. You need Adam to still be productive somewhat. And so I just think last year, I don't know if we're getting that

production from it. Head to Cincinnati, Joe Burrow feeling optimistic about the defensive side of the ball. Albert Brewer in Sports Illustrated, the headline. Why success for the Bengals in 2026 feels inevitable for Joe Burrow. Burrow saying it, you to feel like every possession was do or die. Got to go make a play on third down. Otherwise, you're going to fall behind. Doesn't really feel that way this year. We'll drop back and throw it 60 times if we have to.

But I don't think that's a recipe for success week in and week out. Are you buying the Bengals return to contender status? It's been a while. Yes. And you have to say this. But if Joe Burrow is healthy for 17 games, I believe they will make the playoffs and they will be dangerous. He's been healthy for 16 to 17 games a full year in 2021, 2021, 2022, 24. All those years, they had at least the top seven offense, averaging about 27 points a game.

So I think offensively, they're going to be great, all right? Defensively, they just need to be average, mediocre, and I think they will be. And they made some great additions. Now, I know they lost Trey Hendrickson, but Dexter Lawrence, Jonathan Allen. Trey Hendrickson is probably not going to make an, I don't even know what team he went to. He's probably not going to make an impact. He's going to be huge. Oh, I can't wait.

For my boys. They play defense, though. They are always great defensively, usually. And then Mafei and Cook from Kansas, like two Super Bowl winners they've added. Dexter Lawrence is great. In addition to Lawrence and Allen, like, again, I'm not saying they're going to be top 10 defense. If they can be 18th, 17th, something like that, then I do the end. And they play the third place schedule.

They've got the NFC South, the worst division in football. They've got the AFC East, which outside of the Patriots and Bills is terrible. And then they got Arizona and Washington, too, as a couple of their other games. So I do think if Burroughs healthy, which isn't somewhat big if, then they'll make the playoffs. So I smiled when Bruce said in Burroughs healthy years, they've had a top seven offense because this is a great example of. of how people, because we're all working with the same data. But Brew and I are in different sides of the argument. And so I wrote down as one of my arguments as to why they're not going to be contenders.

At no point in Burroughs career, even when he's healthy, have they been a top five offense? Because they've been six or seven a couple times. So Brew's like, they've been top seven. And I'm like, they've never cracked the top five. Like, I just had that in there. So I think, like, but I do think that. It's probably decimal points in my guest, body. people that even the year

that borough, when they are, the year they were eight and nine or, two years ago is what I'm talking about. When they, he all was in MVP conversations, even though they weren't that good, it's like, oh, well, it had to be because they had the best offensive football. No, it was six. Like they, and so they, my, my answer

is no. And I think there's a flaw in the question even though I might have been the person who suggested it. Because the bank returned to contender status in our, in Joe Burroughs career, there were 14 months the Cincinnati Bengals were contenders from basically Thanksgiving of his second year through the end of his third year. In those 14 months,

the Bengals were 20 and 6 made a Super Bowl and an AFC championship game. The rest of his career removing his rookie year, not even going to hold that against him. The other five seasons, The Cincinnati Bengals are 31 and 34. They have never had a season with, you know, outside with more than 10 wins except for that year three. Year two, when they made the Super Bowl, they won 10 games. They have the last three years consistently not had a bad defense, but a god-awful defense. And this is the company that they are right now keeping. The longest playoff droughts in the NFL is, are these teams.

And I know I've said it before, I'll say it again. If we had buying the Falcons return to contender status, the Raiders, the Titans, the Cardinals, the Saints, we would say that's a laughable question. But that's the neighborhood they live in. Well, yeah, but they're not, you know, they're the Bengals. They're some great organization. Nope. Yeah, but they have, they have a great coach that we rely on. Nope.

Yeah, they do have a great quarterback and receivers. They have a great. And that's, and there, that to me is the whole thing. The other thing, and this is where Burrell maybe doesn't get enough credit for his production, they've never gotten the offensive line right. They still don't have a good offensive line. They've been trying, and I think Dexter Lawrence is excellent. I think they overpaid for him, but I think he's an excellent player.

The overpay hurt you later, not right now, so who cares? I don't think Dexter Lawrence and the other additions are enough to fix this level of defensive ineptitude. When you look at what the Bengals defense was last year, it's I just don't I don't think if they were the team to be adding Miles Garrett and Aaron Donald that would fix this it would make it better but I don't think it would make it all of a sudden top 10 and but you don't think they can be top 20 I think if you are top I think if you are the 18th defense and we have seen their ceiling evidently is the sixth or seventh offense you're not a

contender you're you're pretty good you're pretty good if you get if they You know, if they get to the playoffs, and I don't expect them to win the division, but if they get there as a wild card, and Joe Burrow is, you know, they're not scary. But that's always the ceiling. But the, you don't want to see it. They're a little scary, yeah. So that to me is, and again, this is maybe, I'm not trying to be pedantic. I think there's a huge difference between a team that could be scary and a team that's a contender.

That's right. Because there are some, now sometimes they're the same, but I think scary. sometimes is, man, if they can beat anybody. Yeah, that's how they got to the Super Bowl. But that's not necessarily the same as they can string multiple of those types of games together.

But if you look at outside of the Chiefs, the last few AFC teams to make the Super Bowl other than the Chiefs were you get, you know, they're scared. Like nobody really thought the Patriots were going to get to the Super Bowl. I mean, outside of you. We're on George's Destiny.

But, but you know what I'm saying? Outside of you as a super fan, when the Bengals did get there. You said, they won 10 games. Nobody expected them. But the Patriots even last year did something the Bengals under Joe Burrow have never done, which has just had a kick-ass start to finish regular season. You know what I mean? Good defense.

Yeah, yeah. All right, Bengals host the Bucks Sunday afternoon. Today, awards prediction. Offensive player of the year. Last five winners, JSN, Sequin, and 24, CMC, Justin Jefferson. in Cooper Cup. No QBs since 2018, Patrick Mahomes. So who is your offensive player of the year?

Mahomes won it in 2018? Yes. I mean, that's, that's, that's, he also won in BB. Right, but that's pretty, you know. That may, I think that's winner was like, you know what? Yeah, I didn't realize he won. I didn't think he'd ever won the award. I'm, this is a, cowardly's the wrong word, but it is,

and I hate to be chalky with picks, but I owe the audience honesty. And it's the most obvious pick. It's the pick that I think I'm most confident in it. A pick I maybe have put a little U.S. currency on. Jamir Gibbs. I think the Detroit Lions are going to score a ton of points. I am very worried about the Lions secondary and past defense, so I think they're going to have to score points.

I think the loss of Knuckles in the Sonic and Knuckles duo helps Shamir Gibbs from a stat standpoint. This to me is an award that tracks somewhat. This is where fantasy football is a little relevant. Yeah. Like who is projected to be the number one pick in fantasy football? It's him overwhelmingly. I think he's going to have a bunch of catches. He's going to get more touches than at any point before because of the loss of Montgomery.

So I just think, Jamir, I think the Lions are going to, the Lions also have a very forgiving schedule. So I think the Lions are going to have an excellent season, regular season, score a lot of points. Jamir Gibbs is going to be the reason. So my answer is Jamir Gibbs. Brews on his phone. Well, I wish I had made this graph because I was going to go Gibbs as well.

Like you said, Knuckles is not there. Like he's going to do his thing. But then I looked at this game log from last year. And the last several, like, 17 carries 41 yards against Minnesota. Seven carries two yards against Pittsburgh. 13 carries 38, 12, 43 against that. Slow down. Yeah.

So I was going to go gives. I think he's awesome. but that made me not go his way. Now, look, you mentioned it earlier. My pick, he might be suspended for a few games. But assuming he's not, I'm going with Puka Nakua. He's just, when he plays, I mean, last year, average 107 yards a game. He could have got it last year.

I know JSCN deservedly got it, Jackson Smith and Jigma, but he was right there with him. Assuming Adams can still be a threat, which I think he will. I see Puka playing 17 games or 16 games, whatever, being able to win this award. So I want with Puka. You know I'm the maverick of the show, I think, outside the box, you know. Oh, yeah.

I have a mustache in the morning, shave it off in the afternoon. I've decided to go with, I don't know, the best wide receiver in the NFL. Really? See, I'm fascinated that you would do that. Well, I'm only doing that because I'm not sure who it is. I think I think I know who you're going. I think it's obvious who the best wide receiver. Okay, now I do, now that you're saying it's obvious.

Now I do know who you're going. It's not A.J. Brown. No. I know who you're going to. And he and I are a friend of the show. Same wavelength. Justin Jefferson. Dusty, did we get the headline that caught my eye in the athletic?

Justin Jefferson thinks the public no longer sees him as the NFL's top wide receiver, but they will. Last year, 84 catches 1,050 yards. but only two touchdowns. But that was with a patchwork quilt of quarterbacks, including Max Brosmer, who led the Vikings to a win, even though he threw for, and this is real, 51 yards. Kyler in 2020 with DeAndre Hopkins.

In what year? Say it again? 2020. With the no fans in the stands? That's not. What was that got to do? I was trying to find Kyler with like a dominant number one. Why didn't you at Oklahoma what Kyler did? 2020 is not that long ago.

For a quarterback? Is LeBron and AD or champions that year? It's like ancient. It's not ancient entries. Kyle Murray. So you're predicting a great season for Kyle and Murray, too. Well, yes. Better than Max Brosmer, Carson Wentz, and JJ McCarthy.

Yes. If he had a thousand yards there and Kyler had 1,400 yards with DeAndre Hopkins. I have no problem with JJ. You're saying he's the best receiver in the league. But I'm not just not as confident that he's going to be. Are the Chiefs getting MVP Malmes week one and will be rested or rusty? We discussed next on Predictions Week, right here on first things first. Two and five Canadians will hear the words you have cancer.

That's why every step and dollar raised matters. On September 19th, join thousands in Toronto for the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation walk. Challenge yourself, friends, and family to walk. 21 kilometers in support of life-saving research. Together, we can carry the fire and help create a world free from the fear of cancer. Register today at pmcf walk.ca.ca. Back like in restaurants. Even monthly bills and streaming services.

Parked in a high-yield savings account and voila. We're on vacation. Time is America's number one choice for banking. Oh, check out the podcast and Gianna is already in her bag on YouTube stuff. Great job, Gianna. Just out here crushing it. And we're starting stuff. I don't know.

She's doing a platform agnostic. It's a little bit of YouTube. It's a little bit of native video players on Fox Sports. What else, Gianna? The Fox One app, TikTok. TikTok is a big thing I've heard of. Are we at Snapchat? You can message Gianna.

I don't know. We're big on what not. What not? Yep. That's true. Head to Kansas City where we won't see Patrick Mahomes on the field until a week one. Sat out of the final preseason game on Friday, one of 12 QBs not to play, but this is the first preseason he hasn't suited up at all. Greg Jennings is here looking wonderful. Welcome back.

Greg, I missed you guys. Yeah, we appreciate you working. I missed the stash already, wild. See, it's too much. It's fine. I have to get rid of it. How are you expecting Mahom to look week one against the Broncos? So have the chiefs announced he's playing week one? Have they? I just assume that was kind of a... So how do we know he's playing? Just because I assume it's obvious. Because he was...

Wasn't he dancing? Thank you, Bruce. Because I reported it seven months. First of all, we don't even know if that's... What do you mean? We do know. First of all, we think it's true. We don't know that I reported it seven months ago.

I know you reported. I just don't know. Okay, well, my reporting record is spotless. I don't know. I don't know the fake news hat very often. The hat is fake. The news is real. But when I do, I deliver the goods.

And I told you guys in March, He was going to be dancing at Travis and Taylor's wedding, and he's going to be starting in week one. And I told you two weeks ago, three weeks ago, how we were going to find out was Andy Reed, the press conference going in the weekly game. He's like, oh, he's going to be, yeah. So Patrick's good to go for week one,

and that's how they're going to do it. Okay. Now to the question. I want to reset the narrative on Patrick Mahomes last few years. Oh, gee. It's a two-hour show. I'll do it quickly. Okay.

Because we all agree beginning of the years without unimpeachable. Both. It's excellent. Bo, thank you, Brew. The best of all time is what Brew called him in Sports Illustrated or some document. I was the first ever. 2022, when Tyreek left, one league MVP.

So we're talking about post-2020. So, 2023, when there was an organized wide receiver mutiny that year, and by the way, all of those receivers are out of the league. I don't know if you guys saw that this week. They're all gone. Currently, currently. Currently out. Harley out.

The Chiefs might bring him back. Right. Oh, MBS. This might bring him back. But it was an organized mutiny. Oh, my gosh. And his numbers did suffer. And then he went on the road through one of the toughest playoff gauntlets ever and won the championship.

So I'm going to go ahead and say 2023, he was fine. Yeah. But then they didn't win the Super Bowl in 2024. And last year was obviously a catastrophe. So let's just zero in on the last two seasons. Because I would. offer up that Patrick Mahomes, even in these last two years when it just hasn't been the same guy, has had a month and a half of bad football.

And it's the last month and a half before he heard his ACL. Here are his numbers. Not the team. Don't worry. The team record's obviously great. But set that aside. Again, this is 2024 and 2025. The last two years, his numbers up until week nine of last year.

56 touchdowns, 19 turnovers, a 97 rating, 27 yards per game. That's who he was when he was in the down season. And then there is no excuse. There is to me an explanation. He got worn down, the three straight Super Bowls, all of it. The team was bad, and he was really bad. The six games leading up to when he blew out his knee last year. There's no denying.

But I think that has colored the fall of, Patrick Mahomes in the eyes of many. And because of that, I expect him to look really, really good and peak motivated. I expect against a Broncos defense that all of a sudden is going to be without Jonathan Cooper and going to have to deal with a Chiefs running game for the first time in Patrick Mahomes' career since his first year when they had Cream Hunt for 10 games, that he is going to have more open throwing lanes. I think Patrick Mahomes, I'm not going to say in his first game back is going to look like

vintage MVP Mahomes, but I think he's going to look like, I don't know, a top six quarterback in the league immediately. That's what I expect him to look like in week one. So I do believe that he's going to be spirited. He's going to be motivated. I do believe that. In terms of peak Mahomes, no,

we're not going to see peak Mahomes because when you look at him coming off of an injury, we have to take that under consideration. And I believe that Andy Reid and staff will take that into consideration. So we're going to see a much conservative approach, I do believe, offensively. That means what? Running the ball? That means they're going to lean into the run.

Third down, it's going to be let's get the ball out of your hands. We don't want you, particularly against this defense, against this defense that doesn't have to blitz to get home, that can get pressure on every single down, down in, down out. Like, you don't want your quarterback who, the numbers don't lie. What you just put up, they are real. And I do think there's a slight, you know, skewed view of us thinking Patrick Mahomes has been just bad as of late. And he has not. He's been good. His team has been bad.

But against this team, the numbers definitely have started to trend down against this defense. Well, and that actually, when the chiefs, when he was, I think he started his career 11 and O against the Broncos. And but when Fangio was there, his numbers were he had struggled statistically. against them. Like, they won 1916. They won low scoring games against Denver, even when they, like. And so with that history being true and in place and he coming off of injury, you naturally are going to see a much more conservative on schedule, on time, methodical,

Patrick Mahomes. You have to because he's coming off of that injury. Now, I do believe at some point, maybe it happens late in the game. If they're down, he just says, forget it. I just got to do what I'd normally do and tries to lean into that magic Mahomes magic. I think everyone in that building, training staff, coaching staff,

even Patrick Mahomes is on board with, we got to take this one step at a time. This is not the, you know it's not the end-all be-all. We need you healthy and at your peak towards the end of the season. So I think we're going to see a much more conservative Patrick Mahomes. If you're right, Nick, it will send shutters throughout the rest of the AFC.

Like if Mahomes comes out and plays close to vintage Mahomes and they win, it's going to be like, okay, they're back and he's back, you know, and he's only going to get better. But I'm more with Greg. Like, I think they will be conservative. You got Kenneth Walker for a reason, all right, and they're going to run him. You're facing the top three defense the last two years. Obviously last year with all the sacks they led the league in sacks.

so I don't think you want to put my homes in harm's way. I don't expect him to run. Like you said, if he has to go hero ball because they're down, I don't expect him to run like he has in the past, which he's been very effective, but I don't expect him to come out doing that. And Denver has given him a problem. Even last year, before the injury,

they held him to a 79 passer rating. And then you mentioned it, Nick, I'll give you credit the last six games of last year. He was really bad. He had five pass and touchdown, seven interceptions. his last two games, a 19 pass rating against Houston, 63 against the Chargers. So I just think he's going to have a good season, very good season. But I don't think right away he's coming against that defense in particular,

he's coming out the box looking like vintage Mahoney. Just to be fair, one thing to watch, and it has become a legitimate concern, the Chiefs have to have left tackle Josh Simmons. He has been mysteriously out of practice last couple weeks. Andy keeps saying he'll be fine. It's a back thing. I don't know. Like, if they don't right now, they just traded for two backup tackles,

which means they are at least moderately concerned. My confidence level will be greatly shaken if that is something serious. If he's there and healthy, I think they have a legitimately very good offensive line, but they have no one to replace him. So that's just something to watch. Back to the NFL 100, where we finally saw the Super Bowl silver medalist, win a bronze. Drake May coming in at number 11 overall and expected to be the third amongst QBs behind Josh Allen and Matthew Stafford, who haven't been revealed.

Some historical precedents, highest ranked QBs after first or second season. Lamar was first among QBs and overall. Carson Wentz, congratulations. That's quite company that you're keeping there. Then Mahomes, Drake May, and early DAC. Is this too high for a guy? who came in second in MVP voting and led the league in several offensive categories, Greg. Way to tee that up.

Just being neutral. It's fact. No, it's not. Based on what you're saying, because that's what we just saw. And so when we talk about this list, top 100, it is based off of last year's performance. We're talking about a guy who, what was he? Second in. Well, he's just missed out on a vote.

Maybe if Justin Herbert's anonymous Joseph vote. Went to Drake May. And he had a fantastic season. season where we were kind of waiting to see, is he going to fall apart completely in the postseason? He didn't. Now it looked slightly different. Not completely. But he still got his team to the Super Bowl.

He still was a reason why they were in that game. He had a fantastic season. And he was a lot better statistically with the support of the wins, which we put on these quarterbacks. So yeah, I don't mind him being third. Knowing what the poll is that they voted in December, sure, it's fine. He was lighting it up at that point. But he's not the third best quarterback in the league.

We know he's not better than Mahomes, Lamar or Joe Burrow, and you can throw in a few more if you want. I got to see it again. We've seen, I don't have to mention that CJ Stroud and J. Daniels, we've seen guys have one great year. Do it again. Okay. Before I put you in the top three or even the top five.

So, yeah, it's too high. KW. Yeah. It's your guy. I want you to go. Here's what he did last season. Okay? Just, just raw numbers.

And look, did we play a murderer's row of quarterbacks and offenses? No, well, we played some good defenses. How great Miles Garrett. We did, you know, smash the Browns. Wow. The Texans defense. You smashed the Browns, really? Sorry.

Go ahead. Sorry. You said. You were talking about the defense. I'm talking about the defense. Okay. Okay. Let's talk about running up the score on the defense.

Go ahead. Sorry. Sorry. I'm sorry. Go ahead. Go ahead. I'm not saying you. A lot of people beat the Browns. Baltimore put 40 out of them.

But go ahead. But go ahead. I got you. They also put like 17 on them, did it? Yeah. Go ahead. Maybe. All right.

Number one, a completion percentage, number one in 12 yards. I am not ready to say, and I'll be honest with you, that he's better than Patrick Mahomes. He doesn't have the pelts on the wall. I'm not ready to say he's better than Matthew Stafford. Stafford won the Super Bowl and has an MVP. The Joe Burrow stuff, I think. is a little bit tricky. And I'll tell you who's on watch.

Josh Allen. Wow. Josh Allen needs to have a better statistical year than Drake May this year, or else I think it's fair that Drake May will leap Josh Allen. Josh is still in the poll position. If you say do it again, he already has one, right? So you shouldn't need like three years. Here, I just showed you what he was number one in.

Here are the categories where he was better than Josh Allen, last year. Turnovers, air yards, EPA dropback, 20 yard touchdowns, 10 yards, all these completions. We have another.

Plus all the stats. The stats that he was number one in the league. And these ones. Completion presented over expectation. We're not doing CROE on the show. We have a band.

We have a band. So, and I like Josh John. He's one of my favorite quarterbacks. But you get a one year grace period of not being the best quarterback. Well, of being the best quarterback in the ASEs, not having better.

not going further in the playoffs and not winning the AFCs. If happens again, I think it will now be Drake Josh. So he's basically the best quarterback in the league outside of staff or Mahomes. No, we'll see how this year plays out. I mean, I do think I, the argument of if at the end of this season, Drake May has in his career gone further in the playoffs as from a team success standpoint than Josh ever has, and in each of the two most recent, recent years was better individually than Josh.

I think that would be, I do think, I, I, that's why I said the midway point of last year, I think he is, he is going to be a consistent top five quarterback in the league. I did say that before I saw the postseason and that shook me a little bit. That I'm not going to, the, it, it took my, my confidence level of Drake May barring injury is just going to be awesome for the next decade, headed into the playoffs. My confidence level was probably a 92 out of 100 that that was going to be the case. It left the playoffs in 84 out of 100. You know what?

And so that's... I think that is fair. And so even though they made the Super Bowl, the playoffs, to me, took him back a step. Two and five Canadians will hear the words, you have cancer. That's why every step and dollar raised matters. On September 19th, joined thousands in Toronto for the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation Walk.

Challenge yourself, friends, and family to walk 21 kilometers in support of life-saving research. Together, we can carry the fire and help create a world free from the fear of cancer. Register today at pmcf walk.ca. We're back from vacation. Aaron's back on the field. Rams taking on the 49ers in 10 days in Australia. Here's Sean McVeigh on getting Donald up to speed.

First step was, all right, if you're coming back, let's do that. Let's get you out on the practice field. Let's get you acclimated to your teammates, to your coaches. And then we'll see what that ramp up period looks like, whether or not he's available or whether or not we think it's best to be able to play him in Australia. And I think the best way to do it is take it one day at a time, but we're obviously excited to be able to have him back. All right.

Greg, is Donald making an instant impact? Already has. Already has. We're talking about Aaron Donald. We're talking about the impact that he's having. if you are the San Francisco 49ers, you have to. It is mandatory for you to now be preparing as though 99 is going to be on the opposite side rushing your quarterback. It's a good take.

And if you are the offensive line of the San Francisco 49ers, you feel like you're really good. We think slightly otherwise, know that that's the weakest, the most weakest part of that offensive line. It's their interior line. Yeah. If you get a push on Brock Purdy in that interior line, he's only 6'1 at best, like it's going to be a problem. Some people have been concerned about it. If there is one thing that Aaron Donald could do physically to impact the game, oh, he can bull rush.

If he doesn't have any of his other arsenal, let's just say he has no other moves that he's freshened and ready to go. I've seen it. I know he can jump over the guys. He can definitely jump over the little hurdles. Jump over the, yeah, go ahead, sorry. I just saw it. I know he can do it. I saw the video.

Can he bull rush? Absolutely. So if you are preparing for this Rams team, which the Niners are, regardless if he, despite, regardless if he plays or not, that he's already changed how you are going to approach this game. But he's got to play. Oh, I don't know that he's going to play. I don't know if he, I don't know if he has to play, but you talk about impact,

he's already started to impact on preparation. They got a two-in-roster exemption, so he doesn't really, he doesn't count against their 53. You're not ready to go. Maybe not. I mean, he's been training as long as anybody else. There's a fly going to go in your wilds. There's one fly.

You almost have it. He's going to be messing with you the whole show. Oh, wait, don't move. Don't, don't you dare. No, I've seen this. Don't you dare. It was on your lapel. Yeah, I know.

He's on your lapel. The wrong side. Guys, this prediction we get my right on your temple. May I? You know what? Let me show y'all. We're just going to have. Renewiction's week.

Go. All right. This quote from Donald is scary. Listen to this. Oh, wow. I'm playing. I recorded everything. I studied myself to a T.

Watch every movement. Evie cut. Evie hit flip. In my opinion, I don't see no difference. If not, it looks a little cleaner than me. I mean, look, and I, he put, I'm sure every great athlete that would come back would put everything into it. But he really studied this. He was like, I'm not stepping out there unless I'm going to look like Aaron Donald.

And I think with Miles Garrett drawing all that attention, we know he stayed in shape. We saw the videos even before he started coming back. Like, he has stayed in shape. He only played 10 seasons. I know he's 35, but we're seeing athletes play longer in every sport. He's only got 10 seasons worth of wearing tear on him. Maybe the two years off, I know they'll be rust. But the two years off might have done his body some good.

I'm sure he feels that way. So, yeah, I expect him to come in and with the defense paying so much attention to Garrett, I expect him to come in and really make an instant impact. I don't know if he'll play week one or not, but yeah, I think he's going to come in and wreak havoc. All right, so a couple things very quickly. One is, I want to just because people, at the top of the show, we did more likely 17 and 0 or missed the playoffs. And I believe of those two options, more likely is missed the playoffs. But I do not want this to be twisted into me thinking the Rams are not going to be good.

I think an overwhelming likelihood is the Rams are going to be really good. I also think it is probable Aaron Donald is really good still. I think it is on the board that he does not play the whole season. I think it's on the board that it's like two years off. He thought he was going to be able to do it. But his body,

I don't know what it takes to play in the NFL, obviously, but I think there's a possibility that what his level of training from the age of 12 to 33, you know, basically 340 days a year, taking time off from that, he's not able to get back to that place. But if he is, and if he is anything close

to vintage Aaron Donald, this will be something we haven't seen in the NFL in a very long time. The elite First Ballot Hall of Fame edge rusher plus elite First Ballot Hall of Fame detackle. The 70s brew, you know this better than me, I'm not being smart. There were a bunch of teams, the purple people eaters, the fearsome, foursome.

It was like dominant defensive lines with Hall of Famers all over it were throughout the league. In my lifetime, Jerome Brown and Reggie White before Jerome Brown passed with the Eagles, my team, Derek Thomas and Neil Smith had it briefly before Neil Smith left to go to the Broncos. In the 2000s, you could maybe that O2 Bucks team with SAP and, I forget who their biggest edge rusher was. He's going to be the... Taller longer. But we haven't really seen...

We've seen teams with two great edges. The Peyton Manning's Broncos had it in Ware and Miller. But the D-Tackle edge combo like this, no teams had anyone like this in years. If he's vintage Aaron Donald, that will be an unsolvable problem for teams. 236 and a half sacks combined. That's pretty good.

Miles Garrett and Eric. Yeah. Crazy. All right. Addictions week, AFC East and NFC East. Top of the hour. Next. Two and five Canadians will hear the words you have cancer.

That's why every step and dollar raised matters. On September 19th, join thousands in Toronto for the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation walk. Challenge yourself, friends, and family to walk 21 kilometers in support of life-saving research. Together, we can carry the fire and help create a world free from the feet. of cancer. Register today at pmcf walk.ca.ca. Sponsored by Ram Trucks. Every autumn before a single snap is taken, before a single overreaction fills the airwaves, there is a ritual. Not in Canton, but here on first things first. A place where certainty is borrowed. Confidence, manufactured, dignity,

entirely optional. The door of destiny is doesn't simply open. It's cracked, pushed to reveal belief. Some stroll through his visionaries, others walk straight into regret by Thanksgiving. The Cowboys' Trio of A-game singers once again harmonized with the optimism that only August can provide. Every note, carrying the same timeless refrain, this could be the year. Then there's Nick Wright, who with unwavering conviction, climbs the latter to hang yet another chief's banner, not because history demands it, because he does. Nearby, the prince's trumpet sound announcing royalty before a prediction has ever been proven and draped in purple, Chris Broussard slips into a raven's robe, a garment stitched together

with faith, and the annual promise that this is finally Baltimore's season. Some predictions will age beautifully. Others replayed mercilessly in January. Because that's the beauty of this week. Hope requires no evidence. Confidence needs no apology. And for one glorious moment, every fan, every analyst, every outrageous prediction is undefeated.

So welcome to first things first, NFL predictions week. God help us The show that it's full of predictions Second hour of first things first Thank you to Tom Rinald D.J. Well, I have a question about that. Sure. Because famously, at least for us,

we lost the Emmy. Oh, yeah. Tom's got, I think, 19. That's probably too many. I don't know. I might have made that number up, but I think it's burned. Here's my question.

Is this now technically an Emmy a winning show? An Emmy winning show. Tom Renaldi's on it. Tom. Ronaldi's now officially. Yeah, I would say. Yeah. Yeah.

Officially on the show. Yeah, we've done it. Yeah, we did it. We finally got it. We've done it. I mean, am I a Super Bowl champion outside of the Patriots? Just because Greg is here? Adjacent.

Okay. Super Bowl champion adjacent. Wow. Did I catch it? Touched that. Super Bowl? There's a lot of guys that did. Am I a Pro Bowl receiver?

Yeah. Because Greg's here? Yeah. Adjacent. Yeah. Do you like the gloves? Because we all wear them. We had them back in the gym.

He would have been. Second hour of first things first today. Is there too much hype around the Rams? Thought they were going undefeated? No, Aaron Diald might not even play. If he's not playing, they're like, guess what? I'm not taking the flight. Hold on.

I'll be here doing. Dumbbell press. I've seen enough of that, Greg. We get it. Real possibility. Yeah. He hasn't updated this passport. You can get that expedited.

That's hard to do. It's a pay. It ain't easy. Meanwhile, talking about Sacks, the great Howie Long. Wow. We'll join us right after, wow, the introduction of predictions week. Here we go.

Right now, we're headed to the NFC East, where the Eagles have gone back to back, A rarity in this division. The last few winners, the Eagles twice, Cowboys, Eagles, Cowboys, Commanders, Eagles, Eagles, Cowboys, Eagles, Cowboys, Washington again, Cowboys, Eagles, another time, Washington, and then finally the Giants who I wanted to get in there. 2011.

Brew, it's anybody's ball game in the NFC East. Start us off. What are your official NFC East predictions? All right, at number four, bringing up the rear. I hate to say it. The Washington Commanders. Thank you. I would love to see Jay and Daniels have a bounce back year, terrific year.

But that offensive line, Laramie Tumsel is now out. Maybe for the whole season with the, yeah, biceps tear, triceps tear. I think they're going to struggle. And I think the defense isn't that great either. So I think they're bringing up the rear. Love the hire of John Harbaugh in New York. I think they needed a desperately needed a culture change. I think he's in the process of doing it.

He's brought in some former Ravens. Isaiah likely I think will be good. You know, Malik neighbors, they got some good things in place for Jackson Darts. So I think it's going in the right direction. Defense should be better. But it's a tough division. I got them third. At number two.

This is where it gets interesting. Wow. They still will make the playoffs. Okay. But last year they became the first team in 23 years to repeat as NFC's champions. I don't think there's a three-peat. So they go, you know, I think Jalen is a winner. And he wins 11 games every year at least.

So I think they make the playoffs, as I said. But number two, that leaves, of course, the Dallas Cowboys. Unbelievable. Wow. Love the offense. Expect a huge year from 10. DAC and his receivers. Love the new defensive coordinator,

Christian Parker, and the additions that they made. I think their defensive line is going to be tough with Quinn and Williams and all these guys. I think overshone will just naturally improve. And obviously they got Caleb Downs, the draft pick. So I expect a much improved defense, not best in the league, but at least average, if not better. And I expect to be singing a different tune.

About the Cowboys. Wow. That man brew. The smartest in the room. Smartest in the room. Here is your in the state preview. Prediction week. Diction week.

Get out your sheets. Get out your sheets. The best in town. About to break it down. Got the cow is number one. When it's setting done. When it's setting done. Playoff bound.

Taking that NFC. East crown. Partisan the rules. Modest in the room. That man brew. That man brew. Smallest in the room. Smallest in the room. We're going to be in the room.

Here is your NFC preview. Wow. Oh. Cowboys. Oh, Bruce suited off. He's going to be the cowboys. Cowboys. Great news.

You guys. Hey, we're going to be singing a lot of joyous songs in hills this year. That's right. You disagree? I mean, the bulk of that song was just complimenting you about how smart you were. That is what it felt like. It used to be about the Cowboys and Dad and Barry. I don't write the lyrics.

It was just a lot of just Brew is the smartest person. And it wasn't just like is very smart. Yeah, smartest in the room. And there's not a lot of people in the room. It's been a good 2026. What? No one else on earth had the Spurs going to the finals. What?

I picked Spain, Greg. Oh, Argentina in the World Cup final. They thought I didn't know. Soccer. I didn't realize that. And I, they just, they're going off the whole season, the whole 2020 season. God, I don't write the lyrics. No, no.

They were like, remember Spain. Yeah, exactly. Okay. Greg, your immediate reaction. My immediate reaction is, I mean, I'm not mad at it. Look, I think there's a lot of people that would say this lineup is, is pretty accurate. I'm not so that the commanders are. coming in last, though.

Oh. And I'm not sure where you... Third, right? You got them hired in third? No, I don't have them hired in third. But look, I think this is going to be a very contested division. So I do think it's going to kind of feel like the NFC North did last year where the Lions was... All four of them have a shot?

They all everybody is not necessarily have a shot, but they're all like eight, nine, ten ones. Yeah, they're like bunched up. So I... But I do think the Cowboys come out on top. Oh. Giants are going to be exciting. They're going to be fun. We'll see what type of leap Jackson Dark

makes, but I do think they... Are you a Jackson Dark guy? Well, can I... Yeah, I haven't seen your predictions, but I think that's an interesting subplop. I'm guessing Nick's not. Okay. Brew is guessing correct.

However, they are not coming in last for me. Coming in last is the Washington Commanders at 5 and 12. And by the way, America, while we didn't have to give all of the team's records, I will give all 32 teams records. And if you check on your DVR and add them all up, it will be the same number of wins,

same number of losses league-wide. I spent a lot of time this weekend making sure that was the case. Five and 12. I don't like them at all. Bruce spent a lot of words explaining, you know what turns out? Jaden Daniels might not be able to stay healthy. Wonder who could have seen that coming three years ago?

I don't like their weapons. The offensive line is banged up. They have a bad defense. Jayden's talking trademarks. They have the fourth hardest schedule in the whole league. Their season starts at Philly, at Dallas, home. Seattle. O and three, good night, good luck.

And Dan Quinn, sadly, on the hot seat. Oof. Third is the New York Giants. I do have them winning seven games thanks to the fact that they get Washington twice plus Arizona plus Cleveland plus Tennessee. I'm a little worried that John Harbaugh in 2026 might be

Pete Carroll in 2025. Great take. It's all the board. Not that much younger. About 10 years younger. He's 63. He just looks good. About 10 years. Okay, but still a little concerning. He won the Super Bowl. He won the Super Bowl.

A long time ago. Yeah. And also on Jackson Dart. My dear friend and the flagship of this network, Colin Cowherd, for 20 years, has had a take that he's been mocked for. But deep down, everyone knows it's at least directionally correct, which is your franchise quarterback, shouldn't wear his hat backwards.

That it signals a level of unsuriasism. It's his Mona Lisa. Correct. And I'm here to tell you, Jackson Dirk's not wearing his hat backwards. He's wearing it sideways and cocked with maybe a bandana underneath it. And it is not someone you can trust to be your franchise quarterback. And he's whining about why he always ends up in the tent. All these things, people are like, they're a dangerous playoff team.

No, they're not seven wins. And now the important part. Second place in the NFC East, missing the playoffs. Uh-oh. Winning nine games, the Dallas Calvaries. Wow. Wow. I just couldn't get there.

Wow. We were like, oh, Jerry's been quiet this offseason. Here comes Stephen Jones with a feature interview talking about what he's going to do when he takes over the team. The schedule is brutal. Week 3 to 7, Baltimore, Houston, Tampa Bay, Green Bay, Philly. That's a tough five weeks. Then at the end of the, they get a little respite. Weeks 12 to 6, Philly, Seattle, Rams, Jacksonville.

That ain't great. And we talk about how bad the defense was last year. And we can show it to you. This is how bad the defense was last year. Awful. But it wasn't just last year. The last two years. But it got better.

What do you mean? What do you mean? Once Quinn and Williams showed up, it got better. Okay, well, the last two years, they've been awful. Since Dan Quinn left, they've been awful. Now maybe if Dan Quinn inspired Washington, can come back and help them out. But since he's left, they've been awful.

They've got nine wins. To me, I think they'll be fun, interesting, but not good enough. So that means I have Philadelphia winning the division. Wow, serious, huge win for Siri. I was going to say. Come around. Well, I don't know if it's about Siriani, but what I will say is this. All offseason, I have said the Eagles have, they could be 13 and 4,

they could be 7 and 10 and firing Siri on. I landed for the Philadelphia Eagles at 13 and 4. Wow. I think A.J. Brown is addition by subtraction. I think they know the salary cap chickens are coming home to roost in the next couple of years because of the void year. So they will be extra aggressive at the trade deadline is how often is. Jalen Hertz, when doubted, usually plays his best. Saquan bounceback year and the weird strength of schedule situation where they finished first, Dallas,

finished second in the division. But they get Carolina, Dallas gets Tampa. They get Pittsburgh. Dallas gets Baltimore. So even though they have the first place schedule, it's easier. I think Philadelphia is potentially very dangerous this year. They win and they go 13 and 4 and they're the only NFC's playoff team. Wow.

So one of the reasons why I didn't have the Eagles winning this division is because when I look at what mesh is quicker, offense, new offensive pieces or defensive pieces. And typically going into training camp, week one, we see defenses getting off to a faster start because is C ball, go get ball, takeaway ball, all those things, and they just jails. Cover one, cover two, cover four, whatever you want to play. Offenses, when you have a new coordinator, and we know the laundry list of coordinators in Jalen and his career,

but we didn't see them in the preseason, none of the starters. It just takes a little bit more time. And what we're about to see is them using week one as a runway for them to get started and turn their engine on. I just don't know what it's going to look like. I think it's going to take a little more time. Maybe a lot of Sequin.

And it might hurt if they can get back to that. Greg's official picks on Friday, along with mine, right now we're doing some research, you know? Yeah, you get extra time. You get extra time on the test. Meanwhile, in the ASEs, Patriots made it back to the Super Bowl. Bill's got a new coach because they didn't. Miami's new coach said success this year isn't defined by winning. And the Jets?

there are still the Jets. Brew, we are now ready for your official AFC East predictions. All right. Worst team in the division. Thank you, Brew. One second. Excellent job.

Chris, our new bagpipe guy. That is fresh. Excellent. Sorry, Drew, I wanted Jesus. That really was great. Got him. He's rude, but he's not. I love the music.

Yeah. I'll save it. Okay. At the worst team in the division, if not the lead. This is actually a competition. It's actually like a reverse. Yes, we'll be the Miami Dolphins. And poor Malik Willis.

Look, I don't know how good he is or not. He looked good in Green Bay last year and a few appearances. They have not set him up to succeed in Miami. And hopefully this isn't his only shot. Hopefully he'll surprise isn't play really well, but they're the worst team in the division. Number three, the New York Jets. I mean, to nobody's surprise.

I hate to say it because I really like the guy. Sure. But I think I'm going to be saying a lot of G. No! This year. I always like that, though. I think it's going to be coming a lot. All right, at number three.

Here we go. Wilds, I'm sorry. I got three words for you. Super Bowl hangover. I disagree, but it's a, a fair take. What you're not going to like is there's no playoff stamp. No stamp.

There's no playoff stamp there. All right. This year, I've said it again, and I'll say it again, they play 11 teams that last year had a winning record. And one of the teams that didn't have a winning record is the Chiefs. Last year they played three.

All right? The schedule's about to get much tougher. They are going to be, high on everybody's list, you know, the opponents. Yeah, good. And not sneak it up on anybody. Nobody's taking Drake Bay and the guys lightly. And so I don't have them having a losing record, but I have them missing the playoffs,

which leaves the bills. I love the addition to DJ Moore at Receiver. I think Jim Leonard, look, Sean McDermott was a great defensive mind. I think Leonard's going to bring some new stuff. They're going to be doing some more modern stuff. And I think he's going to have that defense clicking. So Buffalo is going to be a real threat to win the AFC.

Greg? You're really bullish on that defense and Jim Leonard leading that defense. I'm not as high. I think the offense is going to be great if you're the bills and you're the bills fan. You're rooting for the bills. Wilds, I believe in your Patriots. Yes, let's go. I don't see them coming in the second.

Win the division? I believe they'll win the division. for whatever reason everyone wants to put too much stock into their schedule just too much this is a really good football team

well coached good football team they made some great you didn't mention any of the additions that they made to improve their offense and we'll see we'll see you know he mentioned it when we were talking about the NFC or NFC East and Philly and addition by

subtraction but you know I like more Addition by edition. I do too. I do too. And we will see. We will see. But the rest is the rest, the bottom of the league of that division is what it is. Yes.

I'll go quickly on the bottom. Brewers and I are in lockstep on the Miami Dolphins. They have more money and more dead cap money than any team in the league. Their four highest paid players play for someone else. That's not good. These guys are NFL players and respect their careers. They might have the worst wide receiver court in the history of the league. I know as far as what the guys have accomplished up to this point.

And by the way, only the Cardinals have a harder schedule this year than the Miami Dolphins. I think they're 3 and 14. The New York Jets, get ready to say these words, interim head coach Frank Reich, because that train is coming down the tracks. Now, I've got them going 4 and 13. The only reason there's 4 wins there is because six of their games are against Miami, Cleveland, Tennessee, Vegas, and Arizona. but I am worried about Gino Smith as Brew was.

And then don't reveal it yet. Oh, sorry, I didn't know. I do have the Patriots in second place. Okay. I prefer to reveal it yet, Dust. I'll tell you when to reveal it. Three of their first four games at Seattle, at Jacksonville, at Buffalo. I don't love that.

I didn't love how Drake May finished the season. However, I think Mike Vrable is an excellent coach. Correct. Overall, I do believe in Drake May, and I believe in young players progressing, even if it's not linear. Also, while they, you know, even though they won the division, it doesn't really kill them in the schedule versus Buffalo. Because they get Pittsburgh, Buffalo gets Baltimore. That's not even that helpful. They get Seattle, Buffalo gets the Rams.

Like, there's not huge, you know, distinction there. So I believe they go 10 and 7, and I believe they make the postseason. We'll take it. The New England Patriots, you can reveal it now, Dust, with a playoff stamp, and the Buffalo Bills inch them out at 11 and 6. Listen, I am unsure about the new coach. However, Josh Allen is great, and contrary to what the Josh Allen media cabal will tell you, there's other players on the bills were pretty good, too. James Cook won a rushing title, and it's going to go top-did in your fantasy draft.

They have an awesome offensive line, and I think there's a chance this is the year Dalton Kincaid finally lives up to some of the, you know, his draft status. I like the Bradley Chubb edition, and I still think they are the standard in the AFC East. That changes as if they don't win it this year. I'm a little skeptical of the new head coach, but I think Josh Allen Healthy gives you a 10-win floor at the offensive line and James Cook enough to get that to 11 wins. and so I have them going 11 and 6 and winning the division. So a really quick question. How are, how is your outlook on their defense? Because we've seen this.

So I think, listen, I think that they are going, I think their secondary is going to struggle. I think they are going to have to get a good pass rush. Obviously, as we all learned over the last few weeks, the best player on that defense is dealing with an unspeakable tragedy. I assume, you know, and thoughts to him and his family. He's going to play, I assume. I think Bradley Chow will help them.

Jim Leonard, I don't know. I liked him at Wisconsin. He seems like a good guy. I don't know if he's going to be good or not. But I think that they are going to have a top eight offense. I think that they have four games against the Jets and the Dolphins. You know, I think they get to 11 wins. Okay.

Can the Rams go undefeated? We discuss with Howie Long. Wow. Next on first thing's first prediction. Howie Long was on one of these great D-lines. 83 Raiders. Ted Hendrix. Two and five Canadians will hear the words,

you have cancer. That's why every step and dollar raised matters. On September 19th, join thousands in Toronto for the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation Walk. Challenge yourself, friends, and family to walk 21 kilometers in support of life-saving

research. Together, we can carry the fire and help create a world free from the fear of cancer. Register today at pmcfwalk.ca. Welcome back to predictions week here on first things first. joining us now, Hall of Famer in one of the stars of Fox's NFL Sunday. It's Howie Long. Howie, welcome back.

You know, as you know, Brew had a great high school football career. And I am a award-winning flag football coach. And Nick, you are, of course, had a decorated track career. But no one has really firsthand experience with sacking the quarterback. Oh, got it. Like Howie Long, so we wanted to bring you in. Yeah, that's true. How do you think Aaron Donald is going to do?

and his first game back, whenever that might be. You know, I wonder where everyone's talking about the physical part of it, and that's, you know, you can't simulate football. You know, it's like, it's like boxing or something. You're hitting a heavy bag, that's fine. You're hitting a speed bag. That's fine. But, you know, throwing big people around and, you know, doing that is different.

And where was his mentality? I think it was probably a big relief when he finally said. said, I'm packing it in. I know it was for me. And can you get back mentally where you were when you were playing? That's a big thing. Physically, he's a unicorn. He's a freak. My son, Chris played with him, said, week one, he said, this kid in camp from Pitt, he's a Hall of Famer. In one week, he knew it. I think he's a guy that, I think they need to, you know, whether they play him early, they don't play him early. I'm not sure. I don't know what their plan is, but I would work him up to like 30, 40 snaps,

and particularly in the early part of the season. They've got a bunch of guys there that, you know, Ford, Fisk, the linebackers, they're built to play the run. He's a closer. And now they have the two greatest closers maybe in football on the same team. So, Howie, that's exactly what I wanted to talk to you about. the potential of a duo with him and Miles Garrett. We were talking earlier in the show. Back in your era and really before your era,

that's what defined the great teams. What are these defense, the purple people eaters, the steel curtain, the fearsome for some. Hell, you're 83 Raiders. I looked it up this morning. You guys recovered 37 fumbles and had 46 turnovers that year, you and the late Lyle Al-Azado, and that's the amazing interior and the outstanding edge rusher.

We haven't seen a team in the league in a long time with those two types of guys, Jerome Brown, Reggie White in the 80s, obviously as well. What does it do to an offense if you have someone on the inside that demands a double and someone on the outside that demands a double, does it make it a math problem that's unsolvable? I'm not a math major, but that doesn't. doesn't work out, doesn't think it's, you know, I just think it's, and here's the other part of it that makes it all the more impressive. Those guys can play anywhere. You know, I know that Aaron,

Aaron, his size, you know, you don't realize he's not necessarily, he's not, what is he, six, two, six three, top six to, six, two, maybe, okay, he's won the leverage game immediately, whereas Garrett is a different cat. He's big, he's fat. He's fat. He's fat. He's fat. He's fat. He's fat. He's He's really, it's like, you know, it's, you just don't see things like that. So Aaron can play inside. He can play outside. He can play on the nose. And I think Garrett has obviously played both sides of the offensive line.

So you can move everybody around. I think it's a defensive coordinator. He's going to have a field day with this. Now you, like I said, you're hitting bags. You're doing all that stuff. You're trying to simulate football. but until you get in, you start throwing bodies around. You're not sure how your body's going to react.

And that's going to be interesting. And how do they play him? I would not play him on early downs. I would play him on passing downs. And of course, that's like, that's kind of an oxymoron because we're in sub-packages 75% of the time now with, you know, three, four wide receivers. And, you know, we're throwing the ball more than ever.

Howie, I want to get back to your first. former team, the Raiders. How quickly do you want to see Fernando Mendoza out there? Let's look at where we are in college football. You know, he played eight snaps under center in college football at Cal and in Indiana. Eight snaps. He's not used to play action pass. He's not used to turning his back to a defense.

He threw the ball outside the numbers a lot in college. Didn't work if you if you looked at his hit chart. on throws, there's not a lot of throws over the middle of the field. In this league, you have to throw the ball in the middle of the field. You're going to have to play under center. You're going to have to go play action. In this Kubiak system, I think it lends to being quarterback friendly because you're going to go inside zone, outside zone. If you have a running back that can press the edge and give you that, the play action pass sets protection. And you know, you could say that for just about any team. If you can run the football, if you can play under center in today's game,

your quarterback's going to have a better opportunity. I wouldn't start him unless there was an injury until maybe after the Rams game, maybe week eight. How are we doing predictions week this week, so we're predicting all the division winners, Super Bowl, et cetera. We have a natural bias. Did somebody? Not yet. Not yet. Come to come and come and go. But we have a natural bias towards the teams that were good last year are going to be good this year, even though the Patriots won four games and made it to the Super Bowl. If someone picked a big fluke. Well, yeah, that's true.

It's a generational team. Do you have a sleeper team that no one is thinking about, but in Howie Long's bringing you, like, you know what? I got my eye on this team that is under the radar. You know, for me, it's always quarterback central. and, you know, can they, I like where Cincinnati finished at the end of the year on defense. I like what they did the back end of the season. That was promising, you know, can they, can that offensive line protect their so loaded,

the quarterback, if he can stay healthy. I think Cincinnati might be a surprise team. I don't know if that's a surprise to anyone else. So. And also, I think, I think New Orleans is going to be a little bit of surprise. Oh, wow. You want to explain? Well, the young quarterback, I think the way he played, the way he finished, and they've added pieces.

It's not a great necessarily. Tampa Bay took a step back. You know, the division is not necessarily a great division. Carolina, I think, was the team last year, and they surprised some people. I think it's a division that I think is very winnable. So all last year, there was a team. up in the Pacific Northwest that either blew people out or lost by, you know, one or three points. They had the best record. They had the number one seed. They were in the toughest division.

They even won the Super Bowl, brought most of the team back. And they are huge underdogs to win their own division. We've been doing that we're doing predictions week doing the show for 90 minutes. It's first time anyone's mentioning them, the Seahawks. The Rams have, you know, clearly overshadowed them from the Miles Garrett trade and now getting Aaron Donald. Is there, an element of typically one of the reasons I think I've been told it's so hard to repeat. So you have this target on your back and you're overhyped

and getting all this love. Seattle seems to be an underrated Super Bowl defending champion. Do you buy into that at all and how would you handicap their chances of repeating the success they had last year? They're on hard knocks. I'm not sure what

the ratings are. Jimmy used used to say it's that that team and that sleepy little town just in southern Alaska. You know, people don't really pay attention there. And the Rams are, listen, they went out and got two corners. They bring in Aaron Donald, Garrett. You know, it's one thing after another.

And High Simpson, you know, you think, well, Stafford's in a Winnebago in the parking lot last year. And we're not sure if he's going to play is on death's bed. And he ends up going to the Super Bowl or end up not going to the Super Bowl but having a great year. And there are things that I think people really, really like. And I think they kind of, it's the staff, it's the way they revolutionized the game. When they went to 13 personnel, it changed everything. They took that system, which seems to be the system de jour in the league. And they said, well, you can go two, three tight ends.

and it cuts down on if one of your wide receivers is injured or suspended. If there's a problem like that, you can deal with it. Howie, five of the last 10 teams to lose the Super Bowl missed the playoffs the next season. The two prior teams to last year missed the postseason. We never would have expected that from Kansas City. I predicted that the Patriots will miss the playoffs this year. Am I crazy? I think the coach is too good.

I think the quarterback is too good. I think they're just going to be there. I think I like Buffalo. The new coach is a guy that comes from within the building. It's the same offense. Maybe it's an offense that maybe does things a little bit differently. Maybe their defense is a little more aggressive. It's going to be interesting to see.

how they play, how they've changed with a new head coach, although he came from inside the building. I think New England will be right there, and that's going to be a great matchup between those two. Howie, thank you for your time, and thank you for your Patriots' realism.

I really appreciate it. First, I always like to mention this. This show is a week away from nine years on the air. First ever guest. Wow. Howie Long, the first guest in the history of this show. Yeah. I'm a big thing. are great.

You're the best. Thank you, Howie. Thank you, Howie. Looking forward to see you back on Sunday. Two weeks. Yeah. See you on the road. All right.

Yeah. We hope we saw. More first things first. Right after the break. Hear that? It's your money calling. It wants a promotion. Elevate your savings with the Scotia

high interest savings account. Always earn high regular interest rates that grow the more you save and invest. Conditions apply. Visit scotiabank.com. slash H-I-S-A to learn more. Scotia Bank. You're richer than you think.

Thursday, it's a special baseball night in America on Fox featuring the fight for the NL Central. Brewers, we're great. Taking on Peacrow, Armstrong, and the Cubs. Or you might see the Mighty Red Sox. Taking on the Orioles. You're trying to sneak into the wildcard. Check for the games in your air.

It's Thursday at 7 p.m. Eastern, only on Fox. Rams, Super Bowl favorites. Heavy favorites, actually. But is that a good thing? Not necessarily. via Ben Fox at Yahoo. Over the last 30 years, 20 teams have had plus 500 odds or better to win the Super Bowl.

Zero teams have actually won it. Wow. So the Chiefs only win the Super Bowl and they're not supposed to. How about that? This is a lot of Xs for Kansas for a team with three rings. It's a lot of Xs.

Is the hype around the Rams too high? Touch too high, Greg. A touch. Touch too high. Because for this conversation, will bring into the fact that if we were ranking quarterbacks by likelihood they play all 17 games, Stafford is not, for me, going to be one of the first 10 guys I take because of the age. You know, and so like so that piece of it, I think that the only spot on the team that is a legitimate,

not guaranteed, but a legitimate question mark is the spot on a team that if it, breaks down, everything breaks down, that's the offensive line. So that to me is, you know, a concern. I also think, and I was the last few years as high on the Rams as anybody, I think we are slightly in our mind's eye over-inflating how dominant they were as a team last year because they, Stafford individually was so great. Now, maybe it's just like, yeah, the past defense wasn't good, they fixed it. And so that'll fix all of it.

But I don't know if I think Stafford's year last year is anything close to duplicable. Because he'd never duplicated. He'd never had a year like that his entire career. He's 37 years old last year. And he had almost as many touchdowns last year as he had the previous two years combined. And he was healthy those years. So, again, I think they're excellent. I think they can win the Super Bowl.

But I'm not convinced I'm going to pick them to win their own division. and you know, we'll see when we do it a few days. So, yeah, I think it's a touch too high. So I'm with you. I say yes, the hype is too high. On paper, if we were to take all 32 rosters and we were to line them up on paper and we were to look at them,

think it's warranted, think it's valid. But that's not how you play the game. That's not where you play the game. And when I look at this team, you have a different kind of concern in terms of Stafford, didn't really pay attention to that until I saw you put that up in the A block as well, his numbers and comparing his career numbers to what he did last year.

But for me, it's the depth of this team. Like when you get beyond those names, where's the depth? Because to win Super Bowls, you have to have depth. Every coach knows it. Every general manager knows it. Every team really knows it. You're going to be reliant upon guys who, nobody's talking. talking about today predictions that are going to help you win those Super Bowls or get at

least get to those points. If this team, because they are so top heavy, loses Aaron Donald or specifically like a Miles Garrett or even Trent McDuffie or Puka Nakua, which he's had injuries, it changes the landscape of this team because when we look at the depth, it's not really existent. And so that's for me the main reason why I think the hype is a little high because one thing is guaranteed. Teams are going to all have injuries. They are not going to be exempt. They are going to have injuries.

We would hope that they don't. All teams don't. But the reality of it is as they will. Plus 500 is too high. We saw historically those teams just don't. This is not the NBA where you can just throw together a super team and win the Super Bowl. So I do think it's too high. but I disagree with you guys on Stafford.

I think last season is very duplicable. I'm not expecting him to repeat his MVP and have those numbers, but I think he could have 39 touchdowns, 41, you know, like have another great season. He's just, it's a great coach. He's obviously got the weapons. And Tom Brady in his 40s, his numbers are better, his best of his career.

So I do think that Stafford can have a great season. So I, but I think this is way too high. You know, you're seeing things on the Internet, like give them the Lombardi already. Well, brew, an hour and a half ago, you said they could go 17 and 0. Well, I heard it. No, I heard it. I heard it. I heard it.

And Nick said they're not making a playoff. I said they could miss the playoffs. I just said, I just said they could just the playoffs. Would you be shocked if they went? They went shocked if they went 17. No. Oh. But I don't think it's happening.

I don't think it's happening. How can you be shocked with that talent and the hype? I'm not predicting 17. No, I'm not predicting. I'm not predicting. I know. But you mean if they are 16 and 0 or 15 and 0, you're going to be shocked? Yes, I'm going to be shocked.

I'm going to be shocked. That means Aaron Donald and Miles here are freaking out. If they're 15 and no, we'd be like, yeah. I'm going to be shocked. I won't be shocked. I won't be shocked. I'll be like a little bit surprised. And then eyebrow will be ranked.

Okay. Will be shocked. Live from New York, first things first. Overtime today, what are the chances that the Rams come up short? Danny Parkins is here with some hot takes. Meanwhile, he took off his Cubs jersey. I like the Cubs jersey. You outfit change.

Who says this might be a rebuilding year for the very young chiefs of a very old wide receiver? I didn't even get my Travis Kelsey take in. That's what the overtime is for. And finally, when in the show? You do Travis Kassie? Oh, and the Mahomes. Anytime I talk up, yeah, one of the Holmes' favorite targets. Yeah.

And finally, Predictions Week rolls on. We're doing the AFC and NFC East. Chris Bichrist, Kevin Wilds, Nick Wright, and the great Danny Parkins. I would say welcome back, Danny, but while we've been on vacation, on all sorts of just extravagant vacations or just working on chores around the house like I was. Yeah. You were holding it down here on first things first overtime and regular time. So thank you.

No problem. And as I said in the walk-in video. You guys might feel a little rusty heading into predictions week. You don't take two weeks off before a marathon. You saw my predictions. I know you loved them. Were you working on your predictions at Pinehurst when you're golfing? I was going for two days.

I went for two weeks. You know what? Seniority has its perks, my friend. That's true. I take a lot of my favorite golfing Rams. Last year in the NFC championship game, the Rams competed in what Danny called, quote,

the real Super Bowl. Hurt my feelings, but turned out to be a fair assessment. And since then, they've overhauled and reloaded their defense, the latest edition, Aaron Donald, who said this about his return. Kind of be honest with you, I kind of been in the football mindset the last 14 weeks, grinding and things, if anything, it's just getting back on the grass and knocking a rust off as far as playing football again. I put myself in the best position, the best way I can with training to get to where I'm at now. Now, the only thing I can do now is play 11 on 11. And, knock the rust off, get going, get caught up with the speed of the game, and, you know, and the rest is the rest.

But, you know, do I feel like I can play at a high level? Yes. Do I feel like I can still be myself? 100%. If I didn't feel like that, I wouldn't be here. Okay. Rams defense notable additions, Miles Garrett, Donald McDuffie, and Watson. It's pretty good.

Pretty good. Do you expect Donald to immediately dominate Parkins? I do. And I think more importantly than what I expect, Like, the Rams clearly expect him to immediately dominate. Was anyone else kind of shocked by his contract? I thought it was going to be more LeBron-esque. Like, yeah, throw me a few million bucks.

That's never been Aaron Donald's M.O. Now, it wasn't LeBron Zimmo previously either. But remember, because he held out twice. Like, he's always gotten big. And it's just a one year thing. You know what I mean? Yeah. That mitigates some of the.

But he had retired. Like, he won the Super Bowl, walked off the field, pointed to his ring finger, said he got the ring, and he walked away as a first-team all-pro who had the best pass-rush win rate of any defensive lineman in football. Like, he didn't walk away because he wasn't able to earn more money. He was like, I have enough. Like, my career is complete. I've done the thing that I wanted to do. So I always read this as him coming back was he wanted to play with Miles Garrett, and it was like somewhat ceremonial. Like last week, Jeff Schwartz and Greg Jennings were talking to me. They're like, he's not going to go to Australia. He's going to like come back.

He's going to ease it. You give a guy $20 million with the upside of $30 million. There's five defensive linemen in football this year who are going to make more than $30 million. I mean, $20 million. Franklin Myers, John Franklin Myers, the guy who left Denver to sign with Tennessee. That was the biggest defensive tackle contract that saw him. He's getting $21 million. And this is a 35-year-old who's going.

coming off of the beach to come back and play. So yeah, his last six years in the NFL, he played 92 of a possible 99 games. They added two first ballot Hall of Famers in one off season. They're the Super Bowl favorites, and they are giving him massive, massive money. Again, if he makes 30 million bucks, it's Chris Jones, Jeffrey Simmons, Jalen Carter, Quinn and Williams, and Miles Garrett, who are making more money than Aaron Donald this year. So yes, I expect him to great. It sounds crazy to say they're going to get the old Aaron Donald because it just seems like if they have the old Aaron Donald and Miles Garrett, like what are you we talking about? I mean that that is Stefan LeBron in their prime playing together. Like so it feels crazy to say that,

but I do think Danny he's going to come out and play extremely well. Number one, he's kept himself in shape. I know not football shape. But he's kept himself in football. But he's kept himself in football in shape. And then over these last 14 weeks, as he said, gotten into some type of football shape. He's going to, for the first time in his career, play with somebody else who's going to get double-teamed than Miles Garrett, which is going to open things up for him. And so I expect him to come back and be great. Again, maybe not peak Aaron Donald, but he's not going to face as many.

He was double-teamed, like, ridiculously. And I actually think that is what excited him about. about seeing him get Miles Garrett. It's saying, oh man, I would not get double-teamed, you know, nearly as much if hardly at all, you know, when I come back and play. He only played 10 years. He's got two years of his body recovering and resting. I think he's going to be very capable of being one of the great linemen again.

I certainly think he's very capable. I don't. If somebody said, I think, and Downs, the greatest defensive player in the history of the NFL, I would say, it's a legitimate opinion. You know, and to your point, even though he's been retired for two years, because he played relatively short period of time, he's not crazy old. Like 35 is old for an NFL player, but it's not, he's two years younger than Travis Kelsey.

You already on? I mean, he's not, he's not, he took two years. Right, he's not crazy old. So I think it's on the board that he comes back. And it's like, oh, my God. They have the two best defensive players in football. I also think it is absolutely on the board that it seemed like when we talked to Howie Long, he was not skeptical, but had a little trepidation about, okay, you were still great,

and you only played 10 years, and you were making all this money. And you walked away. that was, you know, and Howie said when he walked away, it was a relief. And he talked about how, and this was really interesting because how he, again, most of the audience, I understand, hasn't been in the same room as Howie Long. We've been fortunate enough to be. He still looks like he has the body of an NFL player. Like some of these guys stay in shape.

It's a lifestyle, you know, who they are. Howie made it very clear. Like, it's one thing to stay in shape. It's another thing to be physically and mentally ready. to play NFL football games. And I, so I just do wonder if it's possible that come week six, there is an element of Aaron Donald isn't quite as dominant. And that, you know, bums him out a bit and is reminded a bit of,

oh, there was a reason I stopped playing that I, you know, like I think that has to be on the range of possible outcomes that a guy who, walked away relatively early when he was still great. There was a reason for it. And yes, he missed it. But once he comes back, so I'm just not as ready to stamp it as a guarantee as I think some that, well, this is just that he and Garrett are going to be this unstoppable duo.

Obviously, though, if he is anything close to his old self, it is the best D-Tackled D-N duo at least this century in the NFL. at least this century. Danny, but are you a believer, full-on believer in the Rams? Because you were a big Seahawks. You were a- No, I think we've completely overlooked the Seahawks, and I think that there are still,

there are problems with the Rams. Like, I think that they are a top-heavy roster. I think that's part of the cost of trading away all of those first-round picks is that you don't have a lot of blue-chip, young talent behind your premium-expensive guys. Like, is Devante Adams going to lead the league in touchdowns again? I mean, probably not.

Like they had a lot of touchdowns inside the five to Devante. Is 38-year-old Matt Stafford going to hold up again for that whole thing? Obviously, there are questions with Donald. Miles Garrett missed a dozen plus practices with knee swelling. Like that's been a thing in Rams camp. So I think that the age of their stars, the top heavy nature, Nick mentioned the potential suspensions to Alaric Jackson and Pooka Nekul. Like there's things there.

And I just think we've forgotten about how dominant Seattle was. last year. But this specifically, Aaron Donald was awesome when he walked away. He didn't walk away because he lost the step. I also will add, just as someone, it does feel like the American NFL media and general public are considerably higher on not just McDuffie, but certainly Jalen Watson than they were a year ago when they were there like, man, they added those two quarters from the, like I felt like I was higher on McDuffie than just.

about anybody. Now I see him as a top five corner, which I don't think he was considered when he was in Kansas City, even if I consider him that. And Watson, I think, like, I think there is still reason to be at least slight concern about is the Rams back in totally fixed. I think McDuffie fixes your slut. I mean, I think, Watson's not on that level, but he's still a, you know, I think Watson's a good player. I like him. And if they use McDuffie in the slot, I think he is the best slot corner in the league. The best. If they put him on the outside, I don't think that's getting the most out of him,

and it seems like that's their playing. But it doesn't, if the quarterbacks have a second and a half, it doesn't matter. All right, predictions week rolls on. We're going to start in the NFC East. Danny Brew had the Cowboys winning. Nick had the Eagles. Greg and I have our picks on Friday. We're ready to reveal your predictions.

And you are notoriously great. predictions between he lost last year well I don't know I don't remember it last year not it's a regular season competition you lost everyone knows it before that it was excellent before that I was excellent 60% against the spread again yeah excellent I'm fresh there's no rust here exactly been locked in for a while there is a consensus though in the NFC East with the fourth place team wow the Washington commanders are in trouble and I think Dan Quinn is a heavy favorite, should be the heavy favorite, to be first coach fired.

Wow. Take that, Aaron Glenn. Yeah. Aaron Glenn, Zach Taylor. Good competition this year, but I think that they are in big trouble. When you need to keep your quarterback healthy and you have a bad offensive line and you do all that to get Laramie Tunsel and then Laramie Tunsell goes down, that is just a very bad recipe in Washington. But now it's where it starts to get a little spice. Wow. Let's throw up number three, please.

missing the playoffs. Wow. What a predictions week. Wow. Wow. I mean, they... I thought you weren't rusty. All they were last year was a bottom half of the league team in points,

passing yards, rushing yards, total yards, and third downs. And they lost AJ Brown. And Jalen Hertz is averaging about one interception per practice. Oh, wow. How many games did they win last year? Interception counter. With all that, how many games they win? last year? Yeah, 11. This is not a juggernaut team. This is not a 14-win team. This is a team that

eeked out. Eleven wins, by the way, would have been good enough to win four of eight divisions last year. An 11-win division winner is not that impressive. So you can chase them down. I think the defense should be very good. Fangio is amazing, but I have huge question marks about we're going to put Jalen Hertz and put his back to the defense and have him dropping back to throw a ton of age on their offensive line. I think, that they're and we know it could snowball fast and get ugly in Philly. High-end talent, low floor also. City of Philadelphia, just remember when you're seeing me at Sixers games this year,

who's the only person on first things first that picked the Eagles? Well, we'll see who you do. Pick the Eagles to win the division. I'm going 13 and 4. I'm beloved in the city of brotherly love. Everybody knows it. Now, this one could break the show. This would be a...

This could break the show. I think he's in agreement with me. Well, coming in at number two, they're going to be in the playoffs. They're very good. It's the Dallas Cowboys. This is unreal. They are a great offense. What a take.

I love it. I don't understand. The Cowboys are going to throw 600 times. They're going to score a bunch of boys. You can go back. We get it. They're going to be good on the offense. Move on.

We got it. I wish on the Cowboys making a play out. Okay. What? Let's do it. You talked about Rust. Let's throw in the new. Brew.

What a take. the New York Giants. Jackson DART, I can't believe you're attaching your wagon to Jackson DART. Jackson DART. Since you last talked about him, he was like, why am I always in the tent? I don't get it, bro. Yeah. What's going on in there?

That's a great way. That's not cool in the tent. That's a great way. Why didn't it make me go to the Trees season? It's not rad. To pick winners is to be judge a guy off an eight second clip as opposed to eight second clip. How about his whole life?

He had 24 touchdowns against seven turnovers week four on. scored 27 or more points five times. Six of his 10 losses were by one possession. That was with zero complete games with Malik neighbors. And they added Isaiah likely. And they upgraded a head coach. What about the... You like the division?

You like his offensive coordinator? Listen, Matt Nagy and I have personal history that I'm not letting cloud my judgment. Yeah. What about is Greg Roman involved? I don't remember. Greg Roman and Matt Nagy. Did you think John Harbaugh did a good job last year? I think it's going to be better than firing your head coach.

play caller in week 10. I think it should be a more stable situation than he dealt with last year. How many games you think they're going to win? When he had double-digit touchdowns in 10 of his 12 games, and they have a great pass rush, and they had top 10 pick on the offensive line, and a top 10 pick at linebacker and added Tremaine Edmonds at linebacker. I mean, they upgraded their linebacker core, which was the biggest problem last year because their rush defense.

Their pass rush is great. If the offense is good, pass rush tees off. Boom, 10-win team, 11-win team. Hold on. Wait a second. Because you have two teams. in this division making the playoffs. Yeah, 10 and 11 wins.

Okay, so the 11 win New York Giants. Yes, sir. Oh, my. Can I? We're about to do the AFCs. Yeah. I don't know. This doesn't seem crazy.

The Mighty New England Patriots last year had a quarterback. It was like, looked good, had some decent numbers, but it was more of a project. Yeah. And got an established coach and an established OC and fixed the culture. And it worked. Is the established OC, you're, okay, so Matt Nagy is Josh McDaniels. But it just, no, he's not, but it's just not an unknown. It's not a totally unknown like we have in Philadelphia.

Like, I don't know what's going to happen. Look, it's prediction. I think Jackson Dart is, I think Jackson Dart is good. I think he's a playmaker who was dealt an incredibly awful hand last year and still scored a bunch of points. Can I, can I, I would like to make, what a prediction. Majority rule on this. Sometimes on this show, you may.

a prediction and then quarterback goes down and we like give you amnesty. We're like, what are you going to do? You couldn't have seen it coming. What happens? I am, I bring to the table that's true. That Danny is ineligible for quarterback injury amnesty

for this take because Jackson Dart is one of the reasons that I think this is so crazy is because he plays away as if he is daring the other team to knock him out of the game, and he wants to prove that they can't. Do you accept that? Sure. Okay. No problem.

He scores points. I'll give you a little amnesty if they're like five and one when he gets hurt. No. Okay, that's fair. Because I don't even think if he's healthy for 17 games, they're winning. You think it's off the board that week one night game at home, Giants, Cowboys, they win that game. And you guys all come in here. No, I don't think that's, I don't think it's off the way.

I don't think, I will give you this, Dan, you deserve a dinner if this is true. I don't think any divisional game is off the board for either team to win. Winning one divisional game is a big difference than winning the division. No, I understand that, Nick. But I'm just saying, just get ready to sign a different tune the first Monday of the season. That's great. Love it. First of all, you're off to a hot start.

Let's see what you got in store for the dolphins. All right. We're going to the AX. East Parkins. I was doing. All right, friendly reminder here. I think yeah, this is just between you and me. Blowing out Drake Mays candle does not make Caleb burn any writer.

Okay. Got it. Your predictions in the AFC East. Coming in at number four, the Miami Dolphins. You guys asked if 17 and O is on the board for the Rams. If they lose week one to the Raiders, O and 17 is on the board for Miami. We have not seen a team. carry this much dead cap eat. I had in my notes the same thing Nick said earlier.

It's the worst wide receiver pass catcher group in the history of football. Stop copying off my paper. Listen, Malik Washington might be their number one. And if your best player is a running back but you're never going to be leading so you're not going to be able to run the ball in the second half with Devon A-chan. That's a problem. They're paying Tyreek not to play for them, Jailen Ramsey not to play for them, Chubb not to play for them, Tua not to play for them, Waddle not to pay for them. It's really bad. Cover number three. I actually think this team has some talent. But no quarterback, no coach.

That's a problem. New York Jets come in at number three. Number two, making the playoffs, the New England Patriots. We'll take it. They are the most obvious better team, worst record candidate that I've seen in the last decade in the NFL. They're really good. It's just a really solid football team, but they're not taking anyone by surprise. All of the breaks that went their way last year, the schedule from last year, the schedule from last year.

Your schedule is much tougher this year, obviously. But you add Romeo Dobbs, you add AJ Brown. I still think they can be an 11-win team, but better team, worst record, still very, very dangerous. Coming to number one, the Buffalo Bills. What's the weakness on offense? Prediction, we're doing a little bit more fantasy content this year. DJ Moore is going to be excellent for them. He got 140 targets last year for the Bears.

He's healthy. Josh Allen's number one. Got an accurate quarterback. Got an accurate quarterback. There you go. That for you, Kate. Great line, great running back, great tight ends. A true number one for Josh Allen.

Do you think CJ Moore is a true number one? Yes, absolutely. I agree. Okay. I think he will be a, I think he will, I think he's performed consistently as a true number one with way less quarterback talent, including in Chicago two years ago. Last year was weird for him in Chicago for a number of reasons. I think he's going to get a ton of.

of targets and be really good. So, Brew, this is the exact order you had, correct? And so we're, the three of us at least are in lockstep on the order. You and I are in lockstep on all of it because we both have the Patriots in. Brew is the Patriots missing by a game. I think you have the Patriots making by a game. Yeah. I want to ask you about the bills.

Okay. Because I agree with you, the bills are going to win the division. What is your concern level? Like, how many first time head coaches? They have a 50% hit rate? a 35% hit rate. You know, so if we think, I think you think, Jesse Minter is going to work.

You know what I mean? In Baltimore, that's a rookie head coach. Like you go through him, like, is, is halfly going to work? He's got a rough spot. Those different, the Seattle offensive coordinator, the Cubia Coobie acting, Raiders. Are you concerned at all? Because I know how much you adore Josh Allen

and his spectacular wildcard performances, that they actually. took a step back at head coach moving on from McDermott. I think it just, it needed to be done. So no. I think that Joe Brady is largely responsible for what has helped Josh Allen cut down on the turnovers in the aggregate over the last few years with giving him an actual running game and giving more balance to that team.

Everybody says Jim Leonard is excellent and that he can be like one of the great difference making defensive coordinators like Minter was, like McDonald was, before he got the head coaching job. So I'm thinking that it's an upgrade for the defense just with a new messenger on the defensive side of the ball. And then continuity on offense. And most head coaches don't get a Josh Allen or Omar Jackson. But it is weird to say we need a change. Let's just promote from within the OC.

There's not like Josh and I looked at it. The Colts did it. Call Well. Like there isn't a ton of like that decision being made. Well, the Colts did it because Dungy retired, right? Yeah. That was that? Tony Dungy, it happened sometimes like that where it's like the coach is retiring and they want to keep the same.

Straight up fire the head coach and promote the OCs. They did it. They handled it very odd for sure, but Josh Allen signed off on it. The fly literally just put in my mouth. We even, we're going to get them. Get them. Bam! Oh, yeah.

What an end of the first. I mean, it's pretty much. It died when you get it. Wow. He did fly in my mouth. He's been getting up all show. You should have let me kill him earlier. I think you bet him.

That's your fault, KW. I had a clean shot at him two hours ago. Go Giants. God, I'm going to get some. No huddle time, 53-man roster edition. We run through the biggest stories as teams set their roster ahead of the season. We begin in Kansas City. After a handful of off-season moves, the Chiefs roster, as expected.

Biggest thing of note, though, how many young guys make up the four? final depth chart. When you look at the offense and defense, Greg, there are only four guys who will finish the season at age 31 or older. Now, you have heard of them. Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelsey, Chris Jones, and Drew Tranquil. Now, Mahomes did not play this preseason as he is recovering from injury. But when I present the roster to you like that, it is one of the youngest teams in football with only four vets over 30. Could this be a rebuilding year for the chiefs? No, not a rebuilding year. Not when you have what you have. What you believe in deemed to be as the best player in football and Patrick Mahomes, regardless

if he's coming off injury or not. Now, a retooling year, absolutely. When you get rid of some of the guys that they got rid of the McDuffies of the world that were all pros and you start to retool Mansour Delaney comes in, your first round guy, like, that's a retooling. You still believe that you can win because you have the best player in football. So there is no rebuilding when you have that. And those guys that you put up there, the Travis Kelsey, you decide to bring him back.

You're not bringing him back because, you know what, we're going to rebuild with Travis Kelsey. I'm not saying they see it as a rebuild. I'm asking if you see it as a rebuild. I don't see it as a rebuild. And clearly they don't either. Yeah. But retooling, they're always trying to see what pieces can we keep that are pillars of who we are, that we can add around them, and then we can still be competitive.

and we can still go out there and put together a championship team. I'll just put it like this. I have a lot of questions. Oh, like, of course. Is the offensive line going to be ready for Denver in week one? I think that the offensive line has talent, but the injury concerns at this moment are not great, and one of the best pass rushes in football is fast approaching.

Do they have enough pass rush? Like, do they actually have a pass rush? They're relying on Peter, on Woods, the guy from Clemson, Interior Player would have been the number one pick if the draft was held 13 months ago. Problem was it wasn't. That's not a huge investment there. They're banking on, we've always been able to retool our secondary. Well, maybe you will. Maybe you won't. Spaggs is an amazing defensive coordinator. Everyone's, all the reports are that Delaney's been great, the rookie out of LSU. There's just in the past catchers, a huge question mark. So you've got Mahomes, you've got the coach,

you've got the pedigree, but there's a lot, there's more questions on Kansas City right now than answers is how I would describe it. And when you have a guy like Patrick Mahomes, there's going to always be questions because you have to pay that. You have to pay him like he's the best player in football. And you also understand if he is the best player in football, with the expectation of him is you mask a lot of what we don't, what other teams may need to have. And I believe that. And he has always done that. He's always done that. He has always done that. So, yeah, this is not a team that rebuilds when you have the best player in football.

I think the thing that's going to be most interesting, just to put a button on this, like they paid a lot of money for a running back. I think Kenneth Walker is the best running back Mahomes has ever had since he's been a pro. I know Kareem Hunt had really statistically productive seasons. But I think Kenneth Walker is the most talented. And they have been using him, according to the practice reports, a lot out of the backfield. There is some hope in Kansas City. that this could be like a throwback for Andy Reid,

that it could be a LaShawn McCoy, Brian Westbrook situation, and that they're going to be running that offense through the running back. Let me tell you something. You just named two running backs. Brian Westbrook, Shady McCoy, O'K.

I know, and Kenneth Walker's never had a receiving season, like either of those guys at all. But, like, that's to me, if they can get, like, that level of dual threat ability out of Kenneth Walker, that's, I think, what they're going to try to run this offense through. Because I don't think you could trust

for She. She Rice, Kelsey at this stage of his career. That to me is going to be the key to their offense going on. Let's move to Denver, though, where the Broncos are looking to repeat 20-25 success and take it a step further. And it seems like on paper they're in good position to do so. 21 of 22 projected starters are returning from last year. So the question is, do you buy, Greg, that the Broncos will pick off where they left off?

But I just want to throw these numbers at you before you answer the question. Not only do they return 21 of 22 starters on the roster. And the one they want, Franklin Myers signed a huge deal to go to Tennessee. Very good defensive tackle. Yes. But if you look at the sheer production, just like 41 of 43 touchdowns, 59 and a half of 68 sacks for a team that's a lot of productivity. That's a lot of productivity for a team that won 14 games

and is a broken ankle in the AFC championship game away, or ahead of the AFC championship game away from being in the Super Bowl. That's the argument for it. The argument against it is they want 11-1 score games. I tend to side on the 11-1-score game side, but the production argument is fairly overwhelming. Where do you come out? Look, I think this is a team that's going to be able to build on what they were last year.

Now, you talked about the New England Patriots being a really good team, but having a step, taking a step back. Better team worst record. Better team, worst record. This is another one of those scenarios where I think this is a fantastic team. I really do. Bo Nix, I think he'll take a jump. When you add a guy like Waddle, Evan Ingram at the tight end position,

you have Cortland Sutton. Like, you have pieces. You like Brian. You like the young guy Brian. You like the Franklin. The one piece that I think we overlook that was fantastic for this team, J.K. Dobbins in this running game. And when you look at it, and we don't really look at this,

but weeks one through 10, when he was healthy and available, they were a top 10 rushing attack. Once he got injured, they dropped down to 21st in all of football. But you look at the numbers, rushing yards per game, 128 to 97 under 100. That's a lot to ask of Bo Nix and that type of offense when we didn't see that skill position being one of the best in the league. Now you upped his skill position guys and you get J.K. Dobbins back.

You expect that run game to take that next step and lean heavily into that run. Why did they play down to their competition consistently last year, even though they would win? Like, why are the Jets in that game in the fourth quarter? Why are the Raiders in that game? The Giants. It was an offensive problem. And a lot of times in the locker rooms, even defensively, when you have a really, a solid defense. They grow frustrated with the offense too when it's like we're doing all these

things to benefit our team, but you're not doing your part. We're getting you the ball back. We're making stops. We're keeping us in the game. We just need you to score. And this team struggled to put six points up on the board. And I don't think they do that again this year. I love the addition of Jalen Waddle. And I think that helps everybody down the chart. I do think that he's a legit number one receiver for Sean Payton and Bo Nix. I don't know if you heard, but I have the Giants winning the NFC East. Yeah. So let's talk about him.

While Aaron Donald is dusting off that Rams jersey, O'Dell Beckham Jr. is dusting off his old Giants won. 76 yards this preseason earned him a spot on the Giants 53-man roster. Now, you could say there were injuries in other spots that got him here. But Greg, do you like O'Dell Beckham as a weapon that will matter for my guy Jackson Dart? Did you add that matter part? I like it, though. Yes.

I don't think anyone's like, Odell Beckham's going to have nine catches for, you know, 28 yards. Like, whatever. Like, he's going to matter. I think it's an awesome story.

I think it's great. I like the fact that he's in the building. I think it's smart. Somebody who has dealt with the type of fame, had the type of success as a player. Do I think he's going to be impactful in terms of productivity, no. And this is not a shot at Odell.

This is based on expectations of what we've once seen him in this same uniform do versus his last few years and playing football. Can we define it real quick? Would 40 catches for 500 yards be considered? That would be awesome. Okay, because that's around what I think is possible on the high end. If they could get that type of productivity, because I have the numbers and we can put them up.

Like with Odell Beckham, I won this, 2021, Rams, he ends up getting hurt. We see the numbers. Yep. Then he didn't play after the ACL injury, goes to Baltimore, puts up decent numbers. He didn't play consistently down after down, but when he was available and when he was on the field, he was productive. Then he goes to Miami. Crickets. Last year, again, crickets. Like for me, if you get Odell Beckham and you can get him to where you're utilizing him like the Baltimore Ravens did and he has that filler spot. Who is the head coach of the Baltimore Ravens?

Here's the problem. Here's the issue. Here's the issue. Malik Neighbors is their number one guy coming off of injury as well. Odell Beckham is where on the day. depth chart. He's far down. I agree. I agree with you. And like maybe this is more of a mentor thing. And a lot of those reports in camp have been good. But he's not going to be drawing a lot of attention. He's not going to be neighbors is your true one. They paid likely. I'm a long time Darnel Mooney guy.

I think Darnel Mooney is really good. So you like that? I think I think Darnel Mooney is good. I think every time the team's target Darnel Mooney, he's productive. And so like he doesn't need to be great. But if he has If the coaching staff believes in him and DART has that improvisational ability, which Odell has always been excellent at, like, over the course of the season, I think O'Dell Beckham is going to matter for this team, not as a number one or a number two, but like a guy who is going to at times matter and have a few games. We're like, wow, Odell Beckham, six catches, 65 yards and a touchdown. That's a meaningful game.

Aaron Donald is back. Yes, he is. You know who's concerned? Brock Purdy. It's got to fly all the way to Australia to get hit by a 35-year-old. Doesn't seem fair. Predictions week continues on the OT. Tune in tomorrow.

The crew, myself, NFC West, AFC West predictions. Greg, this is a bad teammate move, but I'm going to do it anyway. Nick's going to pick the Chiefs. What do you think? You think he's going to pick the Chiefs? No, I'm like 100% in alignment with you with that tape. My prediction for predictions week is that Nick is going to pick the Chiefs to win the AFC West. But I have no idea what Bruce is going to do.

Tune it. Speaking of the NFC West, 49ers taking on the Rams in Australia, September 10th, right around the corner. Good news for Brock Purdy. Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle, could be traveling to Australia with the team. Bad news looks like Aaron Donald might be making the flight. Here's Rams head coach Sean McVeigh on Donald's readiness for week one. Take a listen. First step was, all right, if you're coming back, let's do that.

Let's get you out on the practice field. Let's get you acclimated to your teammates, to your coaches. And then we'll see what that ramp up period looks like, whether or not he's available or whether or not we think it's best to be able to play him in Australia. And I think the best way to do it is take it one day at a time, but we're obviously excited to be able to have him back. Should Brock Purdy be worried? Yes.

Okay, me too. I'm like worried on his behalf. And one of the reasons why you, you're, one of the reasons why you, worry. And again, he's not going to literally worry, but offensive line-wise, if they have a weakness, is their interior offensive line? Well, who lines up across from you interior offensive lineman? Aaron Donald. And in years past, when we last saw Aaron Donald, he was getting double and triple teamed. Well, they had this guy, I don't know if you know, but they acquired this guy named Miles Garrett. He's pretty good. He's okay. Set the record for

sacks, I believe. Now you have to decide who are you going to, well, you're not going to double and triple team Aaron Donald who's coming out of retirement. And if you're Brock Purdy, you're like, so we're going to go man and man, one on one with him. If he plays and

all he has to do is bull rush and collapse the pocket immediately, yeah, you're going to be in trouble with your Brock Party. It's a mortifying concept. You're not literally afraid. I'm not suggesting that Brock Party. But in terms of what do you do?

It's like, Jared Verse is very good. They upgraded from Jared Verse to the best pass rusher in football. And then in addition to that upgrade, they added arguably the greatest defensive tackle in the history of the sport. They literally in one off season added two first ballot Hall of Famers who are among the most double-teamed players in the NFL in the last 10 years. And that's including Aaron Donald, who didn't play for the last two. And he's still top two at his position.

So it is a remarkable thought of what it can be. And oh, yeah, by the way, the Rams offense is excellent, and there's other talent on that team. And I would also just say, like, the act from Sean McVeigh, it's very inspiring. You're out there in Hollywood. You could probably get an extra role. Who are you kidding?

Like, Aaron Donald is obviously playing week one. You do not give him up to $30 million to be like, like, take your time. Like, what are we talking about? He's been working out for months. He has been practicing with the team for weeks and weeks. He just signed a $20 million deal with an upside to $30 million.

He's not like moonlighting. This isn't ceremonial. We were taught, you guys were talking about it, well, maybe he just won't make the trip. Or like, I made the Roger Clemens comparison. Like, maybe he'll come back in the middle of the season. He's playing for $30 million, man. He is going to play, and he is going to play a lot.

You know how I know? Because they are offering him up to $30 million to play football. There's nothing ceremonial about this. Yeah, well, you said the act that Sean McVeigh is putting on. It's an act. So this is one of the things that you do as a coach. You never tip your hand and you're of what you're going to do. Spoiler alert.

Aaron Donald's playing week one. In terms of your opponent in their preparation, you don't want them to know exactly. Oh, yeah, he's playing. But you better believe, you think Kyle Shanahan is at practice now or preparing for practice saying, hey, guys, I don't know if Aaron Donald's going to play so we don't have to script or practice and prepare for it.

I think they're going to prepare for it. Yeah, you prepare for Aaron Donald. It's a very funny, like, I saw that contrast. I was like, oh, like, there's nothing. There's nothing ceremonial about this. This is clearly we are going to try to win a Super Bowl, and we think that this guy can be a significant contributing piece to those efforts. And even if you don't play him but third downs, he's going to be a problem.

I agree completely. And again, it should be noted. He walked away. First team all pro, number one in pass rush win rate among defensive tackles. I am interested in this, and we'll get more into it, of course, in the lead up to the season. So they're five and a half to one to win the Super Bowl. They're the heavy favorite. They added two first ballot Hall of Famers on their defensive line. If it goes poorly, like how does it go poorly if it goes poorly? And I'm not, and don't just say injury. Like, because they're not, no team is

perfect. Do you see a way that the overwhelming Super Bowl favorite thing can be derailed? Of course. Yeah. Look, the league has overall gotten better. And so when you look just within their division and it's not just about the injuries. It's just about depth. There is no Super Bowl team that can win without depth. Yes, they have to have stars. They have to have players that we look at as their marquee guys. But beyond those guys, there has to be depth behind that.

We don't know what that depth looks like for the Rams because we're so focused and laser focused on the Aaron Donalds, the Trent McDuffies, the, the, the, the Trent McDuffeys, the the Miles Garrets, the Pug and the Kuhu, like we see those guys, we hear the, and the volume and the usage is so high and it's so great, well, what about the guys behind them and what do they look like? Because they're going to have to play a massive role into the productivity of this team in terms of them getting all the way to the Super Bowl and winning it. So I feel the exact same way.

I think it's a top heavy roster. And a lot went wrong for the Niners last year, and they won 12 games. and the Seahawks won the Super Bowl in dominant fashion took two of three from the Rams albeit a combined score

of 88, 85, three excellent close games and while the Rams added and the Seahawks lost, the Seahawks didn't lose that much. They lost Kenneth Walker,

Boye Amothe, Clint Kubiak, they did not lose a ton. So I just think the NFC West is stacked and the depth of the Rams could be an issue. Rams are excellent,

but I do not think it is a guarantee that they're winning this thing. Prediction week, though, rolls on. Offensive Player of the Year. He played offense. Yeah, buddy. I've gambled on Offensive Player of the Year, so we'll make a prediction. Next, first thing's first overtime.

Let's close out day one of Predictions Week here on the O.T. With some awards. Today, offensive player of the year. Now, the last five to take this home, three receivers and two running backs. JSN, Sequin, Christian McCaffrey, Justin Jefferson, and Cooper Cubs. So we'll start with our favorite receiver, Greg Jennings. Make your case who is winning the 2026 offensive player of the year. Well, since you ended with Cooper Cup, I'm going to go back to that well of the Rams.

And I'm going to say Pooka Nacua. I mean, when you look at his numbers last season, he already put up OPI numbers last season. Could have won it last year. You know, I mean, 129 catches, which led the National Football League. He was second in yards only to JSN. We know who did end up taking away. the award, but he's the primary focus of this offense when you look at what Sean McVeigh wants to do. We know he wants to run the ball. They have a great running attack. But he is the central focus

of this passing offense. And if he is out there, he's going to get opportunities and he's going to produce. He is excellent. I couldn't get there with just the small chance of the suspension, but he is a spectacular football player. And he blocks, which I like my receivers. I'm going with the favorite. I'm going with Jemir Gibbs. His touches have increased the last three years. He's becoming more and more a workhorseback. He was seventh in the NFL in touches last year. And that was with David Montgomery having 180 touches. Now, obviously not all 180 of those touches will go to Jameer Gibbs, but do 20% of them? Like, can he add 36 touches to his total from last year and be north of 350 touches this year feels to me reasonable.

Now McCaffrey was first in the NFL last year with over 400 touches, the only guy because he had over 100 catches last year. But I think great player, great volume, great offense, bad defense, easy schedule. Jemir Gibbs as a top five touch guy in the NFL this year takes on the award. I wouldn't be shocked. And he's one of those guys that he's now paid to do that, to be the work. They're going to use them. They're paying them. Hey, we're going to get you that ball.

You're going to do something special. That's right. Sorry to be John Robinson. Jemir Gibbs, taking it home. Don't you wish you could just hit skip on the worst parts of your life? You know, the same way you can skip an ad? I get it. I'm Siaiaa and I live in Ice Cove.

I've made some questionable decisions that didn't end up the way I planned. And today, I'm still figuring it out. Somehow things usually get worse before they get better. Apparently, that's how I roll. So bundle up and come along for the bumpy ride. Don't miss the new season of North of North starting September 8th on CBC Gem.