First Things First - Dion Dawkins & Ben Johnson join show, NFC & AFC East predictions, Bad look for Micah Parsons?

Episode Date: August 25, 2025

Watch clips on YouTube! Subscribe to the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠FIRST THINGS FIRST YOUTUBE CHANNEL⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (00:00) Latest from Micah Parsons and the Cowboys / Okay with how the Browns are handling Shedeur Sanders? / OROY predictions (26:57) Worried about Caleb Williams and Bears “sloppy” offensive performance? / Feeling good about Patrick Mahomes and Chiefs? (40:04) Like Trey Hendrickson to the Eagles? (45:20) NFC & AFC East predictions (1:09:02) Dion Dawkins joins show (1:22:54) 49ers trade for Brian Robinson Jr. (1:26:06) More on Micah Parsons and NFC East predictions (1:47:55) Stock Up & Stock Down (1:56:34) Ben Johnson joins show (2:07:26) Final thoughts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Alive from New York, it's a show that it's back from vacation, is now three hours long, and we're kicking off predictions week. Oh, arguably the most important week of the year. That's true. It sets the template for everything we do all football season. And you know what? Sometimes we're right. Sometimes we have Chief Bears, Brew. You know what?

Can I ask you a question? Okay, here we. If there had been winners of prediction wink, who would it have been each the last three years? Bro, you haven't gotten a single Super Bowl team right? You have picked the bears to reach the super. Who did I have on the other side? It doesn't matter. You picked the bears.

That just trumped everything. Dolphins Cardinals is on your record. I never picked Dolphins Cardinals. A hundred percent. The year it was, yes. You might want to sit this. Thank you. To a led the league in passing.

For three years in a row, the home team. He's got Dolphins Cardinals. This guy, I can't even, you know, would I have. I have Baltimore at Philly. No, no. Didn't I bought? You're Green Bay, buddy. That's close enough.

Yeah. Honestly, Baltimore Green Bay is better than Chiefs Bears. Not when the Chiefs make it. It's better than the Bears. Yes, it's better than putting the Bears. You know what that was? Aura farming.

You are Aura farming before anyone knew what a hour farming was. Today, Mahomes airs it out. Just the preseason or a sign that the Light Show is about to return to Kansas City, along with the new steak restaurant that I got invited to. You did. not. You did not get invited to it. I don't know if I did or didn't. I haven't got in my mailbox. Meanwhile, three hour show more guests. Dion Dawkins joins the show and Danny Parkins

interviews Bears coach Ben Johnson. No fan of the twist push, but he is a fan of Danny Parkinson in a good interview. And finally, prediction week kicks off AFC and NFC East with more special guests, some classics and some new bits that we've been working on in the lab. Have we though? I don't know. I just had to play it by you. I don't know. I spent a lot of time on my vacation.

Remember you said you were sleeping on the Raiders? Is there a bit that we could do with like pillows and all that? Like, Dack is on the sleep? It'll be good. You know what don't, don't. I should have brought something. Darn it.

Don't fix what's not broken. Is that what they said? If you ain't broken. Thank you. I appreciate that. That's what I was trying to go with. Thank you. Oh, you came up with that?

Yes. Okay. I use ain't. broke. Okay. That's good. Yeah. Defense and the championship.

Okay. We're starting the show. We start with Micah Check 1-2-1-2. Cowboys preseason finale. Micah laid down on the medical table. That was good. And caught some shut-eye. He was also the only player, not in a jersey who was on the team.

Now, Coach Schoenheimer was asked about it and said, look, I didn't talk to Mike. I need to figure it out what he was doing and why he was doing it. So until I talk to him, I'm obviously not going to talk about it. You might have something to me. to do with the contract. But again, I also have not done an investigation. Micah then took to Twitter, retweeted a report clarifying Brew that he didn't

lie on the table all night. Yeah, it was just what? That's an important clarification, though. Is it? Ending it with, I'd never disrespect the guys out there fighting for their lives. Yeah. Was this a bad look for Micah? Yes, indeed.

This was a bad. This was Micah's first misstep of the offseason. Oh. This was bad look, but it's just a continuation of a summer long bad look for the Cowboys and Jerry Jones. Because, yes, Michael looked bad, but this is all because of Jerry Jones. And now, what are we, we're less than two weeks away. We're about a week and a half away.

If that, from them opening the seat, 10 days. If you followed Wilds on Twitter, you would know he does the countdown with his jail and Hertz. Yes, yes, yeah. But 10 days away. from the Cowboys opener at Philadelphia, the defendant Super Bowl champs, of course, your division rival and your best player,

look, Micah, if they signed today, I'm not sure he should play. Certainly if they sign a few days before the season, I'm just talking about health-wise. Not only him, but maybe the Cowboys. So now, at the very least, you're going to be limited with your best player on the field against the best team in the league.

So you are going to go out there on the opening night of the season, and I hate to say it, but it's the fat Cowboys, and put up an F game. Oh, wow. Jerry Jones. So bad.

Half game. No good. F game. F game. F game. Well, fellas, that was outstanding. See you in an hour. There's more F games coming for the town.

Honestly, they're the best part of the show. Easily. I get told that all the time. That's my best little segment. I'm not really even in it. Better than Ruto? People love that. Yeah.

So, yeah, it's terrible. All right, so listen. I don't care if it's a bad look for Mike at all because I've become radicalized on this. And also, here's another reason that Micah maybe shouldn't play against the Eagles, even if he gets signed. His back's hurt. I don't know if you guys know his back's hurt. Is it, though?

Well, so here's the deal. I am, I am, because I've become radicalized on this, I'm now treating Michael Parsons like he has a real injury. Because if Jerry Jones is going to, and in credit, you know, sports media on Budsman cuts both ways. Mike Florio, who I was very mad at a week ago, credit to Mike for pointing out something that we all knew, but no one put a point on.

Jerry Jones has, by negotiating directly with Michael Parsons, is violating this collective bargaining agreement. It's not a gray area. It's not like, oh, it is spelled out illegal to do what he did. And he is, not only did he do it, he's telling everyone with a microphone he did it,

and I did it, and that is a binding contract we agreed to. So if Jerry Jones is going to spit in the eye of the players union, of his best player, of everyone and say, no, we agreed to a deal back in March. I'm not, the agent is there just to make sure the legalese is there,

not for the negotiation, which again, and I give Florio credit because he wrote it, I think I knew it, but I had not thought about it. Like, you're literally not allowed to do that. Jerry Jones is saying, I broke a rule, no one's going to hold me accountable, and in fact, we are going to use,

the time where I broke that rule as the standard for our discussion. And so, in my opinion, when you look at how these two people have handled this, Micah has a very popular, very lucrative podcast. How many

episodes has he released during this whole time? Zero. How much has his agent gone on the record, hey, scorched earth? None. Micah has You know what? I hope he won't get mad.

I will reveal. I have a bit of a relationship with Micah Parsonsy, and I had talked a few times throughout the offseason about potentially, you guys doing a little podcast home at home thing. And guess what? We would love that. Yeah. Guess when Micah went, at least to me, zero dark 30.

When you got too annoying? No, no. No. Want to hang out? No. No, my number. I haven't heard from you. No, no, but in all seriousness.

I know. The moment training camp started and this got ugly. So in my opinion, when you have Jerry continually upping the ante, and now all of a sudden being like, we've got three years to get this worked out, when he's got one year left on his deal, is where I think Micah, if I were advising him, I would tell him, you are defecive.

definitively not playing another game for the Cowboys unless you win every aspect of this. Unless you get the deal that David Mulligata thinks you can get, you're not playing. But how would you do that? Just he sits out because he's injured? I'm telling you that. Okay, but then next year when they're franchising, then what?

If Micah Parsons misses this entire year with a back injury, they are not then franchise tagging him and daring him to do it again. And so like the, because Troy Aitman said it, Brew, and I want your opinion on this, because you've said he has limited leverage. Yeah. And Troy put it very succinctly. He said, yeah, his leverage is they can't win without him. And that is true.

Without him, they're going to be awful. He is arguably the most, if not the, the best, the most important defensive player in football because of the discrepancy of all the numbers with him on the field versus off the field and the talent they have around him. So if they want to have Schottenheimer

to have a chance of succeeding, DAC, everyone, they have to get it done. So I don't care that he's laying on the table. I think there yeah, I mean, I think it's a bad look, but it's provoked by Jerry. Here's the thing. I don't think he has any leverage. I don't think he has any. I would not advise him to lie.

and I also think he is going to want to play. I think he might sit out a few games, but at some point I think he's going to want to play. But regardless of that, if Jerry Jones is telling the truth in his interviews with the Dallas reporters with Stephen A. Smith, where he says, I'm offering Micah Parsons, the contract

where he will be the highest paid non-QB ever. Now, like we talked earlier, you saying maybe that was the case months ago. That's 35 million years. Of course that's different. But if that's presently the case and Jerry,

because Jerry's saying it like it's current. So if he would be the highest paid player in football outside of quarterbacks, if I'm Micah and that is what Jerry's offer, it might not be everything they wanted. Maybe they wanted $45 million a year and Jerry's offering $42. I got to be honest.

I go to my agent and I say, Because Jerry Jones, according to him, if he's telling the truth, he says he told Micah, have your agent call me. That's what he said to Stephen A. Smith. Have your agent call me, but then he went doubled down and said, the agent is calling me to be clear not to negotiate. He is calling me to agree to what we have negotiated. But here's what I'm saying, Nick, at this point, because I believe that Micah doesn't have any leverage. If that offer is for $42 million a year with the most guaranteed. I'm telling my agent, call him and sign the deal.

I think that deal would be done. I think the reason this is. Because if he doesn't sign the deal and maybe Jerry's bluffing, whatever happens this year, Micah gets $21 million. Then next year, Jerry franchises it. And he's threatening to do it again. He's done it with DeMarcus Lawrence. He franchised him.

He obviously franchised that press guy. Jerry Jones will use that franchise tag to lock up players. So I think. And then he doesn't get close to the money he would get on this contract. So I agree with you, Brew, that if he has sitting out there what is under current numbers, you know, the most money ever and the most per year in guarantee of any non-quarterback in league history, including everyone that's been signed this summer. Yes.

Yeah, I think that is a great deal. He should take that deal. My read of the situation is, to me, it's very simple. he was offered in March what would be the most guarantee and the most per year of any non-quarterback ever. He heard that from Jerry and said, it's exactly, I'm now speaking for him, just guessing, it's just what my agent told me I was going to get. I'm going to come the highest paid non-quarterback ever. Yeah, we're going to have a deal.

I have my agent call you. He then calls his agent. His agent's like, yeah, we're going to get you that. But that's not, but that number right now is $35,000, and $1,000. 10 million guaranteed. And in three months, it's going to be 41 million and 130 million guaranteed. Because I know these players are still coming down. And so that's the holdup here.

I don't think a current highest paid most guarantee is on the table. I think if it was, it'd be done. And so, and Micah, in my opinion, obviously deserves it. He's younger than the other players have gotten paid. It's not a question. But I also think Jerry's comments wilds have moved. this from where we were in the DAC negotiation, which was, in hindsight, oh, that was always getting done.

Yeah, a little scuffle. Yeah, to something different. And I think Mike is reacting accordingly. The weirdest thing about this, and then we'll move on as Shador, you know, you talk about the chiefs, how they play the bills, where it's like, you know what, they know they're going to see them in the playoffs. They're not giving away a game, but they're treating it differently. And the way we talked about the Bengals last year, where the Bengals were on a nice edge and

they lost week one, and that comes down to it. You've got no chance of beating the Eagles week one without Micah Parsons, and you're not good enough to give away games if you want to sneak into the playoffs. So this little contract negotiation standoff might cost them the playoffs if you miss one game. Or if he's not 100% for week two. And it's ruined in their season. And it already is to me hurt them. Because if during today's show they agree to a deal, he still will not be a,

as full of a participant in week one as he would have been if they agreed to it three weeks ago. Cowboys in Philadelphia, 10 days. Head to Cleveland where Chador's second preseason appearance didn't go as smoothly as the first. Didn't play with the starting O line was subbed out at the end of the game for Tyler Huntley, who has since been cut. So curious decision making, which made certain corners of the fan base. I think the Browns were submarining their fifth round QB. Mary Kay Cabot asked Coach Stefanski about that accusation.

Take a listen. Obviously, I don't concern myself with outside type of things. But, you know, I'm committed to his development, just like all of our rookies. So we'll continue to focus on getting our guys better. And that's what we'll stay committed to. And that's what's important to me. Okay, Brew, are you okay with how the Browns have handled Shador in this pre-standing? Well, I think he should have finished the game.

The two-minute drill that they put Tyler Hunt. in. I think you should have got more first, second team reps in the preseason training camp. But there's bad news and there's good news for Shadur. The bad news

is that the owner, I believe despite what the owner said, Jim Haslam, I believe he drafted Shadour. Yeah. All right. It doesn't make sense for the Browns to draft two quarterbacks that they realize both of them are

projects, right? Draft two quarterbacks. Now they got to keep four. All right. So I don't think Stefansky and Andrew Berry, the GM, and like I don't think they really like having Shadour around. I'm not saying they don't like him as a person, but I think they feel maybe a resent. I'm just reading what I'm seeing. You're saying is that. I feel like there's a little resentment there because it's like now we got to develop this guy to some degree. And it and it becomes a circus. because of who he is in his last name. So I think that's the bad news for Micah. I'm seeing for Shadur.

The good news for Shadur is that the owner drafted you. Because the owner is like, I want to see what this guy can do, all right? And we know they're going to start Joe Flacco. They're going to lose a lot of games early. And then they'll probably go to Dillon Gabriel first, I guess, right? He'll go first. And unless he's electric, then they're going to eventually go to Shadu. Sanders and he's going to get a shot.

Again, I don't like the way they've dealt with him, but well, Pickett, I think. But he's still on the team. He is for now. I think they may move off him for a draft pick, you know, late draft pick or whatever. But as much as I think maybe they've mishandled Shadour, the fact of the matter is this. And you guys know I like him.

I thought he should have went in the first round. When you play like he did in the second preseason game, it's hard to defend him. And people are going to say he's out there with the third stringers. No. He didn't have a chance. He has a fifth round pick. And look, no other team drafted him. If the Browns had not drafted him, it's very possible he doesn't even get drafted.

And so that's the situation he's in. Every time he goes out there, fair or not, he has got to deliver. Correct. And he obviously looked bad Saturday night. So that doesn't help him at all. All right. Listen, I said from the beginning, I thought that Tyler Huntley signing, except for when everyone was injured except for Chador, I thought the Tyler Huntley signing made no sense. Like, it was just like, hey, we don't want Chador to play 80 snaps in a preseason game.

That's fine. So I thought that was odd and unnecessary. But there's been a lot of nonsense said about the league as a whole. You know what I mean? They sent the code red to not draft him. and now that Kevin Stefansky is actively calling the bad plays for Shador, which I think is an opinion held by dumb people. So here's what I, here's, here are the things I believe to be true.

I wrote them down a list like Brutus sometimes. Number one, there was not a league-wide anti-Shadur conspiracy. I think that's ridiculous. Number two, I do think he has more talent than Dylan Gabriel, but I don't think for the job they're trying to win, which is backup quarterback. Raw talent is the deciding factor. I think readiness is, and it does appear right now, Gabriel is more ready, even though he'd practice poorly. He played better in the preseason than shorted. Number three, I don't think Stafansky ever wanted him. I do think that, and I do think there is an element of,

you know, I knew I was going to develop a certain, spend a certain amount of energy this offseason developing a young quarterback. I thought it was going to be Dylan Gabriel. Now, I have way more attention, and I have to split the time and all this because my boss made me do it, which I think has led to Gabriel maybe even when Shador is practicing better, Gabriel stays ahead of him on the depth chart. Number four, his biggest fans are delusional and hurting him. I think that the, I think Kevin Spansky having to answer that question in the press conference, hurt Shador, and it's not his fault.

Number five, there's not a team in the league right now he'd start for Shador fans. And there's only a couple, he'd be the clear backup. So this idea that, oh, you've just got to trade him. You've got to find him. Every team in the league right now, he'd be in a very similar spot. Fighting to be the backup quarterback and behind in that. And this is the last one. And you made it, bro.

Can't afford that type of performance. It's unfair, but that is, it's unfair for all these guys. You know what I mean? Ask the other, ask the sixth rounder who is drafted because they thought he might help him on special teams, and he muffed a punt. And it's like, oh, that's why I'm now a defensive coordinator at my alma mater.

You know what I mean? Like, weren't you going to play in the league? Yeah, my first preseason game, I muffed a punt, and then my life changed. I'm not trying to be mean. That's what life is for a late-round NFL pick. It doesn't take a conspiracy. And the people that didn't think he was a first-round pick

were worried it was going to look a lot like that. The spinning around, the running, you know what I mean, the not being able to get away. Like this isn't, it doesn't take, you know, a cabal of evildoers for this to not be good. He lost 41 yards on five sacks. So not great. Well, they had 14 dropbacks.

And they had negative 27 yards. That's not great. It's just not going to work. So, like, that's just not going to work. So like that's just, but with all that said, I do think he's going to play at the end of this year because the owner wanted them. And so, you know what I mean? Yeah, the only reason, the only way he wouldn't is if Gabriel lights it up. But right now he is staring at being inactive every game day.

Because Pickett's still on the roster. So it's going to go Flacco, Pickett, Gabriel, Shador, Healthy Scratch, every game day for the time being. All right, predictions week is here, of course. We're debuting with the players who are also debuting this year. We're all taking Abdul Carter for defensive rookie of the year. Wow, very chalky of us. Predictions sweet. So we're turning our attention to offensive rookie year where we have some

disagreement. Here are the offensive rookie of the year odds from our, our friends in Las Vegas or the digital world. Gentie Cam Ward, my guy, Hampton Hunter, Trayvion, hello, Tet, Abuka, Golden, and this. And then Jackson D'R in his aura. And his aura. His aura is unstoppable.

Yeah. Okay, who wants to go first? Bruden go first. Well, do you want to go first? Wilds doesn't do this. Wilds doesn't. Aren't you getting that? I'm going to do my predictions at the, you know how I like choose playoffs like to see the first half of a game?

Yeah. Really. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So he's got to give some. But obviously, before you go, Brew, obviously I have really spent a lot of personal. take capital getting behind a few of those guys on that graphic.

But, you know, the board is yours. Well, I offered you the opportunity to go first because I might be taking your guy. Who? I'm going with Cam Ward. You cannot take it for it. I'm going with Cam Ward. That's obviously my guy. Is that your pick for offensive rookie to year?

Yes, it is. Are you sure? Yes. A little birdie told me with somebody else. Well, look, we're going to platoon running backs, but Ramondre is going to get a lot of goal line stuff. So I don't think Trayvion will get enough. But, Bruce, if he does.

You're not a Cam Ward guy. You're not a Cam Ward guy. I think Cam Ward is going to have a very good season. I, no, you know, look, I love Travis, but I'm iffy on the both ways type thing. I think Cam Ward. Matthew Golden. I think they are going to win at least eight games. This is my team.

This is my tape. This is all wild tape. I gave you the opportunity. You passed. Brew. His dad's the offensive line coach. He's been doing this. Drew.

All summer. Brew, all summer, he has been forcing in Tennessee Titan stories. To the point where the executive sent us a chart. about how no one cares about them. And they said, hey, look at these small market teams. Stop talking about. I said, no. You know all that is.

That's you in practice. Looking good. Posting up, dunking on people. We got right here. And then in the game, I get in and toss you to alleyup and you clank it off the real. Most shows are over by now. Can I give my pick? Cam Ward, rookie deer.

They're going to have a nice year. They're going to be tough. Surprisingly tough. But everybody knows the rookie year is going to be Ashton Gentie. The Raiders are going to be better than people expect. He was a spectacular college running back. He is going to be able to catch the ball more. You know that Pete Carroll is going to want to run the ball.

What are you? You don't like that. He was a spectacular college running back. What running back in NFL wasn't? Well, I mean, a spectacular college runner. I mean, that's the argument. No. I bet he was great in high school.

No, that's okay. And he looks at a lot. And he looks great with his shirt off. I will attest to that. Brooke, he almost broke Barry Sanders single season record. I might have my numbers wrong. I think he, did he have 32 yards rushing in the preseason? One game I have more rushing yards.

Okay, okay. Yes, he had one memory. He had minus one. For three K. I mean, you know what? And I like Gentie. He just got no line. No wrong than the line.

Okay. And I, because I thought you might, I thought you might try to talk me out of it. And so let's just see what happens when I press this button. I can't believe. Oh, my. Oh, my. What if the light show comes back? And everyone's like, what's the difference?

They're like, Mahomes, with all that time. Is that, did the Chiefs remake the league by getting, listen, league history. Now, you might say, there have been 57 winners of all, 58 winners of offensive rookie the year, 35 have gone to running back, 12 of have gone to quarterback. 11 have gone to wide receiver. First ever?

Oh, my. Oh, my. That is a bad take. That's a bad. That's as bad as the Bears going to the Super Bowl. Why is it a bad take? Here are the last offensive rookie of the years. Jaden, C.J., Garrett Wilson, Jemar Chase, Justin Herbert.

I know. Uh-huh. I understand. Kyler, Sequin, Alva Camara, Dack. Yeah. Sometimes you got a... Todd Gurley. I think he will have a very good rookie season,

but Ashton... Quentin Nelson got some votes. He didn't win. I thought Joe Walt got a few books. What's the highlight reel look like? The Holmes throwing deep. Everybody calling the Holmes a dink and dunk artist. Now he's going to be hanging out. Ben Johnson rips his own team. That's next on First Things First and Fox Sports Radio on series six. We went too long. 27.

Check out the podcast if you get a chance. John, any update on the YouTube. What? What is it? It's this week. Oh, really? Really? What a prediction. Wow.

Gianna coming in in predictions week as well. We'll see if that comes to fruition, but subscribe to YouTube it before you get a play. I got a glimpse of the Super Bowl that wasn't in Chief's Bears. You know what? What do you guys get one super? You guys get half of a Super Bowl right. But they weren't even close. I mean, these were in the ballpark.

I mean, my goodness. And the Chiefs, you just got an easy one. I mean, of course. Well, why didn't anyone else pick them? We did. No, you didn't. I picked the Chiefs to win the Super Bowl. No, you literally did.

I'm beloved Kansas City. I'm going to the Steakhouse opening. You're not. After nearly perfect outing against the bills, Chiefs defense proved trickier for Caleb and Ben Johnson. Ben Johnson didn't like it one bit. First two possessions was really sloppy football that, you know, has plugged us in and out of camp so far.

And unfortunately, that's, that's what we're. we got here tonight. It is disappointing to me, offensively, for sure, because I thought that we'd kind of worked our way out of that. Okay, Super Bowl champion Greg Jennings joins us for predictions week. Welcome, Greg. Was this a bad sign for your guy, Caleb? This is what I mean when I say the Caleb conversation this offseason. Not last offseason this offseason, has been so ludicrous. We'll call Ben Johnson. No, he has, listen, he, he, he, he, he, he, he, he, he, he, he, he, Did he say Caleb? I thought he said the offense.

We're talking about Caleb. He's talking about the offense as a whole. That the, the, the. But he's also talking about Caleb. Well, he's talking about, yeah, Caleb is part of the offense. But he was not singling out Caleb. More than a part. We are singling out Caleb.

But Caleb had, listen, they had one bad drive. The opening drive was bad. They have a mishandle on the jet sweep. And then the tight, the rookie titan false starts and the drive's dead. After that, they were. excellent. So like I don't like the and by the way if again if we are going to hold Caleb two standards of oh I don't know his contemporaries how has Caleb been who's been under this microscope oh he didn't play week one of the preseason because they were so afraid to show him so how did he

look how was how did Caleb do this preseason in this game where he was 11 of 15 for 104 yards and a 110 passer rating let's see okay roll the mike raebel clip of you know, ripping the Patriots offense. No, so again, KW, no, instead Mike Grable is too busy ripping his own coaches for being rats, but we don't care about it. Timeout. He could have been talking about executives. Okay, that's fine.

Fair enough, that's fair. But the, and roll the Sean, roll the Sean Payton clip of Bo Nix, how he's Drew Brees. Every coach has a different approach. Sean Payton is to gas up his quarterback to laughable proportions. Ben Johnson is clearly trying to really be hard on the team, but that's the numbers. And I know you don't like preseason practice numbers, but how can we look at that and be like,

oh, okay, we're worried about Caleb or we're not worried about Drake? You just told us. I'm just thinking what the coach said. The coach said in really sloppy football. Yeah, look, I'm with Nick to some degree. Like, I don't think it's a bad sign for Caleb. I think it's just a reminder to everybody. that there will be growing pains.

That's what this was. I don't think Ben Johnson, and I get why he's upset, because if my starting offense is in there for two, or in this case, three possessions, and one of them's horrible, then, yeah, I'm upset.

And so I think he is more about Caleb running the operation, handling the ball well, you know, reading the defense and all that, more so than the wild plays and the spectacular things because we know Caleb can do that. So I get that he's upset. This is just, like I said, it's just a reminder that there will be growing pains for Caleb.

But overall, he's going to be fine. Look, I don't think it's a bad sign. What was a bad look was that first snap of that first possession. And you talk about the second play. But the first nap, and particularly for me, because that's all on your quarterback. And it's not, none of us has this thought of. man, Caleb Williams just doesn't, he just doesn't hit the mark. Athletically, talent-wise.

We all, that's the issue because we know athletically, talent-wise, skill set. He has all these things. And so what is missing? And I feel like when you make a mistake like that on your first snap and your first possession, first play, it just shows me, I don't know how locked in he is from a mental standpoint. point, and I'm sure he's growing and developing, even in that area, because he's a young

quarterback. But that may be where there's this miscue happening. Because talent-wise, he can do whatever you ask him to do. But when he's asked to run the offense, does it look like what Ben Johnson is expecting him to make it look like? Is he putting us in the best positions? Can he just time a jet sweep when you as the quarterback puts the guy in motion that's going to be coming on the jet sweep.

So, but here's, like, those are the, no, and that's totally legitimate. Listen, the first drive went as bad as it can go. You fumble the opening play. You then have a false start, which I don't think is on Caleb, but you would, tied in, but I know we can sometimes just say pre-snap penalties are just on the quarterback exclusively. I think some are, some aren't, but regardless. And then they had the throwaway and then a 14-yard gain on, which the chiefs were fine

with them. It was third and long. It was, but here is what I'm saying. tell me if you think this is fair. If you did not watch the game and you're watching our show and then someone who did watch the game was like, hey, what do you think of Caleb? It was like, my God, what's a disaster? And then they're like, really?

I thought he started. What were his numbers? And his 11 of 15 for 100 some yards, a touchdown, no turnovers, and a 1-10 rating or whatever it was. But up until I just bullied our producers, all we showed was he had, in my opinion, two really bad plays and three, and took one sack. We showed that too. And so, like, I just think that that is, it just shows the way we are evaluating him, which we could say last year, that's because I was elevating him and all these things. but he is no longer considered more of a sure thing or a better prospect than Drake May.

It's just what, we're just going off what Ben Johnson said. If Ben Johnson's like, you know what, slow start, but we got it rolling, we would have been fine. We wouldn't even have done it. There's a bunch of preseason games we didn't do. So what do you think Ben John, you think he's concerned about Caleb? No, I think that he has a very, very high standard. No question. And he's been doing this the whole time of just really challenging Caleb.

I think this was actually great for Caleb. Because one, he did show that he could bounce back from a bad start. And two, if he got the big head, I wouldn't think so after just one good preseason game. But he looked great and everybody was singing his praises. This would bring him back to Earth and show you got work to do, young man. So I think this was good for him. Ben Johnson coming up in hour three with Danny Parkin. So maybe Danny can ask him about that.

Meanwhile, Mahomes keeps airing it out connecting with Taekwuan Thornton, who had challenges catching the ball for the Patriots. But hauled in this 58-yard bomb. Now, as you mentioned, I don't love preseason stats. But since the first throw at training camp, Mahomes has let it fly. Averaging 11.6 air yards per attempt this preseason, these are games, almost double the last two years, which were around six. So is this a good sign, brew for Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs?

Yeah, I think the light show is about to take place. If Patrick Mahomes is who we have said he is, who I believe he is, which is the best quarterback we've ever seen, then I expect him to come out and have a great year. Come out and have a great year. And look, he's got all the motivation in the world, right? We've seen all these publications and pundits put various quarterbacks ahead of him. Obviously the bad loss and he didn't play well in the Super Bowl.

like I mean he is he should be and I'm not expecting Nick the 50 touchdown year he had his second year in the league but I'm talking I do think a 2020 season where he threw for about 4,700 yards 38 and 6 38 touchdowns six or when he won the MVP in 22 41 touchdowns 12 pick that year he's somewhere around yeah I'm not saying he'll go that high but I think he's going to have another a prolific Like in the MVP conversation where he hasn't been the last two years is what you're Yeah. Go ahead, Greg. I'm with Brew on this one.

I'm with Brew. And when you look at teams in the preseason, there is no other team that you can get a great sense of what it's going to look like before this team. Because if you put those stats back up there, these are numbers that are consistent because they play in the preseason. Like this is Patrick Mahomes playing in the preseason. So when you watch him and watch, if you watch that last game against the Bears, just pushing the ball down the field, having time to throw.

Like he's not looking for when he had Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelsey and they were at their peak. Like that was like just let's go play backyard football. My guy's going to get open. I'm going to chuck it. And then you lose Tyreek. You have to change the way you play. They really wanted him to hone in on, okay, let's, Mathan. methodically moved the ball down the field, he had to learn that as a young quarterback.

Then he had to do it the last couple years. Now this year, you're back to, okay, I got kind of the best of everything. I know how to methodically move the ball down the field. And if I just need to go to my checkdowns, I can do that. But now I have weapons. Guys have been around me enough. I got protection up front. Man, I'm looking down the field and I'm trying to make plays.

They're putting the league on notice. So if there's anything that everybody's going to look at that film in week one, week two, when you got to play the Chiefs, you understand this. They're trying to throw the ball down the field. And here's the other thing. And I realized this this morning, and I was mad that I didn't realize it before. All of the folks with these jobs who have been signaling the chief's, you know, pending doom or that they, you know, they have been passed by Baltimore or. or they might even have some real competition for the AFC West. They all kind of during the Micah Parsons saga revealed they don't actually believe that.

Because you know what almost all of those same people have said whenever, who should trade for Micah Parsons has come up? No one said, you know, Kansas City probably needs to. If they're going to get back to where they were. Anybody's seen that take? Has anybody seen that, you know, who needs to? to trade for Micah Parsons. The Chiefs, no.

But you know who you hear all the time? There's two teams. Man, if Buffalo wants to get over the hump. Micah in Baltimore. So I'm just curious for those folks out there. In those fake scenarios, when Buffalo or Baltimore goes all into get Michael Parsons, when you're envisioning that,

that's to beat whom? The team that you're saying, those teams are already better, then that almost doesn't make sense. It's almost like all. summer, they have been pretending to think the chiefs are really vulnerable, but now the season's about to start, they're like,

oh, man, you know what? You know what two teams probably need to get better to beat the team that always beats them? The Bills and the Ravens. And so if they actually thought Mahomes was, you know, he's past his prime. He's not the same guy. Then they probably wouldn't be saying that.

Rough Caleb take, but that was excellent. Oh, thanks, money. Bouncing. Bouncing out. I appreciate that. Chargers, chiefs, in 11 days from South Paulo. News from our Trey Hendrickson News Desk. Man, a lot. We've been gone a week. Really? I've got all sorts of stuff.

Yep. More news about Trey Hendrickson. Okay, yep. From the news desk. We have Bengals scholars. We have breaking news from the Trey Anderson newsrest. Desk.

Friend of the show, Bill Barnwell, has a solution to the Trey Hendricksons to Stalme. Join the champs. Barnwell, running that Philly's young and moderately inexpensive defense would allow them to splurge on Hendrickson in exchange for a player in two picks, Barnwell, writing, if the Eagles want to give themselves the best possible chance of repeating its

chance, adding the best edge rusher available, would be a difficult opportunity to turn down. Anybody like it? Well, to me, and no disrespect to our important Tray Hendrickson coverage, and I know Brew will cover that piece of it. I think there's more about the Eagles. And maybe this shows up in predictions week in about 10 minutes. We can do the NFC East.

I think a sneaky, let's see what it looks like story is, how good will the Eagles pass rush be? And I think that's why this is interesting. That Barnwell is saying, hey, that's a move Philly might not need to make, but you know what I mean, would want to make. They just had eight players from that defense that were real contributors last year. You know what I mean? Not all starters, but all guys that were regular contributors leave.

and I think they obviously have a great, great D-Lyman in Jalen Carter and the interior of the D-line should be good. But the edges are questions. And the secondary, really the corner spot outside of Quinnian Mitchell, because I think Dijin's a safety. Those two rookies or second-year players are excellent. But if Dijin's playing safety, Quignon Mitchell's excellent, quarterback two and three are real question marks,

which is a problem if you don't have fast rush. They got to cover longer. So to me, this is a little concerning for as far as the Eagles' ability to be as dominant as they were last year that they might want when they spent a lot of money already to go trade a young player away for more impact older, expensive player. Well, look, for the Eagles, I'd love it. I do it if I'm the Eagles. No question about it. But the Bengals, look, I don't think this will happen.

If I were the Bengals, they should have signed Trey Hendrickson. instead of T. Higgins. And T. Higgins is great. But you already have Jamar Chase. You got other good receivers. And the kid, what's the Tinsley? What's the other good receivers? Oshabas.

Oshabas. Andre O'Shavas. You don't like Yoshaas? No, I do. He's not T. Higgins. No, no, I agree. I agree that neither of them is T. Higgins. But I'm just saying that defense is horrific.

And the offense, one tremendous receiver. And then, Eosovaz is probably pretty well last year. and then the kid Tensley, if he's, I mean, I know it's preseason, but he made some phenomenal catches. So he could be good. Like, I just think they've got a gluttony of riches at receiver. So they need to get Trey Hendrickson. The defense looks horrific so far.

And it's preseason. But, I mean, guys are running, guys are within 10 yards of the rushing back, you know, on their defense. And Trey Hendrickson isn't going to fix it by himself either because he was there last year. But still, I would trade T. Higgins get maybe before I trade him. Before I saw this proposal. And I looked at it from an ego standpoint, too. And I actually loved it, but not for the same reasons you did.

Like for me, you bring in a guy like this, kind of like Sequin Barclay last year. He was a guy on offense, offense that already was stacked, super loaded, but a guy that was not really celebrated the way that he wanted to, value the way that he wanted to be in New York, didn't get paid there. You come to a place where they're already stacked offensively. Holly Rosam is going to roll out the bag and he's going to roll out the bag and just handed to you. Like Hendrickson has earned the right to be one of the highest paid guys as an edge rusher. And if you want to say on defense.

And so to see him a guy who contributes at a high level, not have success in SINC in terms of wins and being able to compete for a Super Bowl, get a position. on that roster to reignite a fire on that defense as you said lost a lot of guys those are the type of guys you want to bring in those are wins because he's going to have

a lustful hunger for what just happened to the guys in the locker room as in terms of winning a Super Bowl that they don't have and so he can be one of those guys that kind of performs like Saquo and Barclay defensive.

Bengals no. Well I mean well the Then they have to pay him. Yeah, correct. Then they have to. And now listen, maybe they do just give him the one-year bump. You know what? But that it is, the Bengals are, it was very clear that what you described, Brew, while I agreed with you, that's how I would have prioritized it.

You know who wouldn't have? Joe Burrow. Correct. Correct. And I think that that is going to end up being a mistake for how they built the team. but they did what their star quarterback wanted them to do, which was prioritized chasing neighbors. Two more hours of first things first.

Predictions. Predictions. Rules on. It's true, bro. It was sad. I mean, it's totally anonymous. Go ahead. The show it's not popular in Switzerland.

I mean, it couldn't be less popular. I'm just to letting me know. I didn't even know you went to Switzerland. And you just walked through these streets unimpeded. No one's like, bad taste. No, it's not. No heckling, no nothing. In Monaco, I had a group of women yell at me about my Jalen Hertz take.

Really? Yes. There's the, listen, people don't always know my name. They don't know the show. They just, they see probably my nose and they're like, I recognize that somewhere, and then they think of a take they hate. Switzerland, we might as well not exist, bro. What would they recognize?

I mean, let's be honest. I know. Second hour. On first thing first. Today. The hair has always been there. New weapons for Brooke Purdy? Does Brufield do.

Brother get a weapon. Oh, I'm sorry. Does a Super Bowl hero not count? I mean, my goodness. Really? I'm sorry. It's true. Just the guy scores, you know, the deciding touchdown in the Super Bowl.

I was Deion. Meanwhile, Dion Dawkins and Ben Johnson. Meanwhile, Dionne Dawkins and Ben Johnson both join the show. Not together. That would be cool, though. But right now, of course, prediction weeks. prediction week rolls on. I wanted to take a second to say welcome to predictions week.

Also wanted to take a second to fix this teleprompter that I wrote as beautiful open to. Now, unfortunately, I'll just . Now we have made these predictions courtesy of years of experience alongside our crack research staff and a little bit of happenstance to where our parents were born. So for me, it's the Patriots. For you, it's the Kansas City cheese for brew. It's about seven or 18. So without further ado, it's time for predictions week. Nick, you are kicking us off in the NFC East.

Indeed I am. And I did not expect this to happen because once upon a time, I did pick this team to make the Super Bowl, not that long ago. That's same quarterback. It's got star receiver. But I have been so. so radicalized by this Cowboys off season that I believe they were going to finish last place in the NFC stuff. I think that without Micah Parsons at full strength, they are a bottom three defense in the NFL.

The smart numbers, I don't know if I agree with them all the time, but the EPA per play, those types of things. Micah on, field, off field, they go from top three defense, bottom three defense over the course of his career. I also have questions about the head coach. Glad coach isn't here hearing me say that. And I think it's absolutely on the board. They start 0 and 4. And so for all those reasons, I have the Cowboys finishing last, which means, hey, shout out New York Giants.

They're out of the basement. And listen, they're going to have better quarterback play than they had last year with Russ starting. And they might at some point go to Jackson Dart. I don't know, but he's looked fine in the preseason. season. And I think they have a potentially great defensive line that can just win you some games on its own and a desperate coach, a coach that knows they've got to, you know, that they have to show some level of growth. So I think the Giants are a potentially frisky team based on the strength of the D line, great receiver, better quarterback play, but still just third place, not a playoff team. This is a stat that Brew used to love. You know, it's been 20 more than 20 years since a team repeated in the NFC East. I used to hear that all the time from him.

It's almost as if he forgot it for some reason. I don't know. Philadelphia keeps that trend going. They are a playoff team, but I do not think they are going to have the level of success they had last year. The last coach, the last team. The last team to win back-to-back NFC East titles was Andy Reid's Philadelphia Eagles. And contrary to what Kevin Wildes will tell you, Nick Seriani is no Andy Reid. And I also think the more difficult schedule, the massive losses on defense, and the likelihood that Seekwon goes from 2,000 yards to 1,500 yards, still be an awesome year.

and one of the best years ever after a 2,000 yard season can cost you a few wins and never underestimate the power of the curse of Kevin Wilde's. Let's be honest. The last team the one's going to win. It hasn't worked well as of late. And then at number one, only team left. Washington commanders, listen, I will admit,

I'm skeptical of very, very skinny quarterbacks. Maybe Jaden Daniels can change that because he was that good as rookie year. I like their improvements on the offensive line. I like their improvement. It got Terry McLaren done today, which I thought was very important. You have Debo.

And listen, they spent a lot of money. I don't know how much of it was good money on the defense. A lot of older players, but it should at least patchwork it as they try to rebuild the defense. I think they can win 11 or 12 games or 12 games, and I think that could be enough to win the NFC East. So I have the commanders and Eagles, both making the playoffs, commanders winning the division.

Man, that's interesting lineup. I'm going to focus on your, your first team, the commanders, because this is a team, obviously, Jalen, Jalen Daniels, Jaden Daniels, excuse me, coming into year two. Typically always, we talk about sophomore slump. I just don't, I know I said this about CJ. I don't see him having the sophomore slump. He just plays at a calm with a stoic demeanor.

However, they did have a ton of close games. Yes. Like that were, like, insane the way they want. It was. Yeah, that could have winning. Like to repeat that, obviously you don't want a season like that. But if they can find a way to not be in those situations and still come out winning a lot of those games, this team was going to be scary going into the whole season.

But I'm interested to see the commanders this year. All right. Well, my last place team in the NFC East is not the Dallas Cowboys. All right. I think the Giants, I think they're much better than they were last year. Like I really do. I think the defense is going to be potentially special in the future. All right.

And I think they're going to, you know, they're going to start Russell Wilson, which is fine. But to me, this season for them is about that defense establishing itself as, okay, they're going to be great over the next few years. and then Jackson Dart, when he gets in there, week six, five, six, whatever it may be, four, he was establishing himself as your future franchise quarterback. Like, that's what it's about. I think the division, and I don't have like three teams going to the playoffs, but I think this division is so solid and tough that they're, even though they've improved a significant amount,

I just don't think they're going to be able to get, they might get third. I think it'll be close. Like I think them and my third place team will battle, but I don't think they're going to be like a five or six win team, but I just don't see him going higher. At number three, the Dallas Cowboys. I do agree with you, Nick.

Look, and money changes everything. If Micah does get a $200 million guaranteed contract or whatever, and I'm sure he will be all smiles. But it just feels like this feels ugly. This feels way uglier than DAC, way uglier to me than. Lamar, which I didn't think personally was ugly. You thought it was ugly. He was talking about, you know, going to a different thing. Uglier than Chris Jones. Yeah, this is, this is like really bad. And obviously, Micah's popular on that team in the locker room. I'm sure of their players,

again, money talks, they're going to play and they're happy with their money. But to see this happen to your best player, a guy that is popular, a leader. I just think it sets a terrible president. And I think DAC will put up big numbers. But I think the, lack of a run game. When he doesn't have a great run game, they don't win a lot of games, even as he puts up numbers. So them number three.

This is where I differ with, well, that's differed from Nick two, but at my second team, I got Washington. And I'm going to be honest, I came this close to leaving them out of the playoffs. And I love Jaden Daniels.

Obviously, I've talked about that. And I don't think he'll go into a sophomore slump. I just think their defense is questionable. Look, I'm going to put faith in Dan Quinn to build it up. They improved last year. I think I'm going to have faith in him to build it up. But what put me over the top, and it just happened this morning, because I really was battling,

I said, you know what, I'm going to hold them out of the playoffs. And then when I saw they got Terry McLarence signed, I think that will, it just seems like it was bad vibes before that. I think that'll make everything much better as far as vibes. He was a team leader. And he's the deep threat that Jayden needs. So them trading Brian Robinson, the running back, like, I think they got depth in the back field. So, yeah, I think they'll, I do think they'll squeak into the playoffs.

And then I do have Philly becoming the first team to repeat in the East in what, since 2004. Yeah. Look, I think for a Super Bowl champion, they have a chip on their shoulder. That's hard to have as a Super Bowl champion. And I think it is everybody still questioning our quarterback. All right, Sequin Barclay, despite the great year last year, is still trying to establish his Hall of Fame credentials. The defense, like you said, Nick, they lost a lot of people.

So they've got something to prove you got new guys coming in there like, I've got to make a name for myself. So I think that they are going to, and Siriani is only always seems to be two straight losses away from the hot seat. All right. So they have a chip on their shoulder and I think they're going to come out and play. Go real quick, can I ask you a question? Sure.

Did I just become the Jaden guy? How did that happen? I didn't need. I mean, I mean, you definitely. Now, I didn't put it in the playoffs. I mean, I just said, I don't know. I kept it real. Brew was a.

Drew was a Terry McCorren, a tweet away from him out of the playoffs. Did I just. No, I think it's still coach. Oh, sure, but of the three of us at this table. At this table, I don't know. I mean, raise your hand. You can't lose the guy. You can't lose a guy.

You can't. You're not the guy that you put in the playoffs. It's not like I left him out of the playoffs. Okay, all right. Sorry, Greg. I'm not mad at it. I'm not going to go against the egos this year going back to back. I think that's over with this year.

Again, the relationship between head coach and quarterback, nobody's talking about that anymore. Like, they seemingly, because when you have success, it kind of covers up all the things that we once were talking about. Now, again, they have to. to continue to have that success. If they don't, that relationship might surface itself again. But the back end, I'm with Bruy on this. I just don't think the Dallas Cowboys, even without Micah Parsons, they're so established offensively.

And then you add another weapon alongside a CD Lamb. I just feel like offensively they should be, they should have enough to put up fights in these games. Kind of like the Bengals last year. But the Giants, I don't know. I just, you got to, those Giants preseason season. You got them laugh, right? You got them laugh.

I do have them last. I think he has the same order as you. Okay. The Giants preseason games are oozing aura out of your television. They definitely are. But preseason is so. It definitely. Remember, not nothing.

The, but the vibes difference between Cowboys and Giants preseason. Yes. No, I'll give you that. Like, the whole team. But offensively, their talent isn't close to Cowboys. James is up. I do like the. Eagles winning. I'm not I'm giving out my predictions. A lot of people think I'm gonna just because I always pick the Super Bowl champions

oftentimes I do no you pick NBA champions and now you're gonna do it in football well the chiefs went back to back Yeah, but you didn't pick him either either but that is music to my ears The Eagles Commanders the Giants number four Cowboys missed the playoffs again miss the playoffs players again four times again 20 years again nine and eight again I hate to say but there'll be plenty of fair games F games F games boo do boom my map my nose my fellas so bye guys

moving on to the AFCs where the bills have reigned supreme during an elongated Patriots dynasty gap year As New England's dynasty is your friend who moved to Hawaii for a winter to get some sun and now has a job in commercial real estate and two kids. Division titles. I wonder if they know Shohei. Who? Your friend. Stop.

That was his agent. No. No. Go ahead. My bet. I'm not aware of that stuff. Division titles. The cheats obviously are in first place with nine.

Bills are right there with five. Look at the box. Yeah. Bake show. Sneaky good back down there. Okay. NFC, excuse me, AFC East. All right, number four.

Don't do it. We're good. Number four. Will Campbell? The New York Jets. They might be the worst offense in the league. The reports out of their training camp practices have been alarming about Justin Fields throwing the ball. And all of a sudden, I'm old enough to remember I was getting yelled out about, you don't think Breeze Hall is a great running back of the Jets.

to see what he's going to be splitting carriers with Braylon Allen. I just, listen, I believe in Aaron Glenn. I think he's trying to build something. I think this is a foundation setting year. I think they're a last place team. Third place. Team, it's possible this team's good. They have a sneaky underrated front four.

And if the quarterback can stay healthy, maybe they surprise some people. Number three, the Miami Dolphins. Let's go. Here is, listen. I think we maybe have swerved too far in the, the dolphins or a train wreck, you know, lane, narratively speaking, because they had some bad preseason practices. But I don't, don't get mad to me, KW. I don't trust Tua's health.

I don't know that Tariq necessarily wants to be there, but they also, Tua, I'm Tarek and Waddle, a good front four. They should be, you know, they typically win when Tua is out there. All right. Don't reveal this yet. I mean. I have a system that has led me to, I'll be honest, incredible gambling success. Really?

Yeah, when it comes to these preseason things. Yeah, last year I think I was six and two in the, brew. Shut up with a. And the system demands I be unbiased. And when I put in the data, the system spit out that this team is going to the playoffs. Wow, wow. New England pay flags are in the playoffs. I knew it.

In a way that I got to tell you. I love what's his data? Well, I believe, terrible coach to really good one. Back. Soft schedule. Yep. Better quarterback, not because you change quarterbacks in this case, but just because it's year two.

All of these, the little bonus things play Miami in your building in week 18. That's a win. It's going to be zero degrees. I'm telling you right now, week 12, Cincinnati, the Patriots win that game, and that's the tiebreaker head-to-head that sends them to the playoffs as the seventh seat.

Listen, trust me, America. I don't want to be on this guy's side. You're on. You're a page. But I just want to be right. You're beloved in New England. I am not beloved in New England. You're not a chief's guy.

And in the bills, this is the most respect I can give them. You don't even need to talk about it. Anyone picking any team other than the bills to win this division for the foreseeable future, it's ridiculous. They have dominated this division. They're obviously going to be the division chance. Fantastic. Greg, do you agree with all that? You know what?

I kind of do. Wow! I kind of do. Included Patriots in the playoffs? Like, like, it's hard to, when you watch the Patriots and you watch, like, I'm a receiver guy, so I understand how important receivers are. You watch the impact that Stefan Diggs has had. It's real. It is real wild.

It is we can overlook it. We can act like we don't want to pay attention to it. Like Stefan Diggs, he's washed and all the things. I feel you fellow receiving. It's a real thing. Obviously coaching matters. The coaching is the thing. The coaching matters for sure.

But this is for number one, the bills, they have the layup of any division. They're always going to be number one until somebody dethrone. Sorry. Brew, before we get your predictions, I wanted to give you a quick update on my bud list prior to vacation. So I put the dolphins on the bud list and I ran through some preseason news, but we do have an update that I want to get your take on. So the issue that we had with Miami before you make your pick is that they're a lot of times they're thought of as a soft team. And that came from a joint practice with the lion.

where Grant Stewart said, I don't know if they practiced how we practice. And Mike McDaniel took a little exception to that. He's like, you know what? I don't worry about that. It's just a lot of noise. And then the report from practice came out, and it was called Dolphins get embarrassed during disastrous scrimmage versus lions, quote, as lopsided a joint NFL practices as I've ever seen.

I said, you know what? I believe in the dolphins. I want to like the dolphins. So they had a joint practice with the bears. And we got some new reports out of the bears. The Miami Dolphins didn't appreciate the Bears trying hard in joint practice because they were tackling during 7 on 7 and the dolphins really weren't up to the task. So I had them on the budd list. So before you make your prediction, I wanted you to be aware of the newest news out of Miami practice.

Well, look, look, the dolphins, they are what I have said. They are. All right. Their quarterback can't win in tepid. Forget cold weather. Tepid weather. Tepid weather. They can't be good teams and they don't want to.

They got mad at the Bears for tackling. Well, all right. It was seven on seven. You know what they are. Well, I was hooping. They're some break dancers. We can't be doing this again this year. We need a new bid.

We appreciate it. These guys are great to see you again. But again, we need a new bit. And we don't even have music this time. No, they don't need music. They get down. It would be help. They brought their own music.

That's right. Well, that was pretty. pretty good. Oh, yeah, my man. That was pretty good. Okay, okay. Look at them golfers go. That's how we settled beef in Miami. We dance. That's right. That's right. We ain't throwing nothing. We knuckling up. We want to dance. I mean, these guys have gotten better. I don't know. I don't know what you guys really worked hard in the office. Oh, okay, okay. Okay.

At least we're saying locked in on the break dance. If they're going to do something well, they're just excellent as well. They're just fantastic. It's awesome, man. We all know it. We all know it. Okay, Bruno. Despite that being the case, like Nick said that they're a train wreck,

they need a train wreck because they don't like contact. All right, it can't be a train wreck. Despite that, though. they are not the worst team in the MFCE. I'm with Nick. And look, I somewhat put the Jets like the Giants, where I do think I like Aaron Glenn. I think he's going to make a,

you know, he's already building a better culture. I think he's going to get that defense kind of back. You know, it was strong under Sala and then faded once he was gone. I think he'll get them back to playing good football. But, and I would love Justin. feels to be really good resurrected. Yeah, he just can't throw.

I mean, it's just, I mean, they, they, they might go wishbone or something. I mean, they can't throw the football. I think Gary Wilson is going to be frustrated. They're already talking about that. So, um, their number three or four, at number three, yes, the break dancers themselves, the Miami Dolphins. The best state for the Patriots in the history. Look, they, they do win.

And I think this will be kind of close, this division, at least as far as the bottom three teams. they do win when two a play. Yep, yeah. Like he's, you know, I think 38 and 24 as a starter. The problem is he's only had one fully healthy season in his five years. Obviously, we hope he stays healthy. But I just don't think the vibes are great too.

I mean, you know, Tyreek, does he, you know, want to be there? Is he going to have a bounce back year? Yeah, probably not. So I got them at three. At number two, my list is obviously the same as Nix. I just do not have them going to the plan. Oh, well, that's a big difference. Yeah, I think they're going to, I like Vrabel and obviously changing the culture,

but also bringing back the good stuff from the Belichick culture. And Drake May plays, well, you know, you saw them in the preseason. They looked fantastic. But I don't, the AFC is so deep. I don't see them getting in the playoffs. And then obviously the bill's no-brainer number one team. Okay, Greg, we've got Dionne Dawkins standing by. We do.

And I'm just going to be quick because obviously the. Buffalo bills. Everybody has the number one. But the Patriots, I actually am with Nick on them making the playoffs. Greg, you're just doing a great job. I'm going to be looking good. When they're nine and eight and don't make the playoffs. But nine and eight maybe do make the playoffs. Nine and eight, they can make it. Nine and eight, they can make it. Nine and eight, you can make it. I mean, you got a lot of teams that's going to beat up on each other. I like it a lot. Dion Dawkins. Are we going to ask him the question that Nick wanted to ask him that I don't want him to ask him. That's next. We all grooble. Yeah, that's what I was looking for.

Welcome back to First Things First Predictions Week, joining us shortly four-time Pro Bowler from the Buffalo Bills, Dion Dawkins. So here's the thing. There's nothing worse than a boring guest, someone that just gives canned answers. So what we all want is an interesting guest that says interesting things. So when Dionne Dawkins says something like, you know what, we would have put on a better show than the Chiefs in the Super Bowl. I think it's an interesting point.

That is incredibly. Now, Nick wants to challenge him on. No, I just, no, it's not. And there's all the guests of the show. I don't know. He's like, I'm going to ask Dionne Dawkins. How would they have done in the finals? I mean, there's a lot of, there's a lot of things.

I'm just curious. I was curious. Well, I think it would have been a shutout? And Siriani's covered in confetti. And Josh Allen's still out there throwing touchdowns? I don't know. Dian, would you like to address former comments about the Super Bowl? Well, since we're talking straight off the gate,

Nikki wants to come in blazing hot. I didn't need to say anything. I just want to let you know, Nikki, that I'm not, I didn't say that. I was speaking more so for the offensive line standpoint, right? Oh. We are blessed that we had all of our guys. I, watching that game, I said. said that the chiefs had no, that they didn't have like a real fighting chance because their

offensive line wasn't really all intact. Their left tackle was out. It was just, it just wasn't the chiefs that I seen because they were beat up and they were their armor and was chinked. Like, I'm a chief, like, I like the chiefs. Like, the chiefs are a great team. We compete against them. Mahomes is that guy. And shoot, I like 95. Like, these guys are good dudes. But I'm, like, I just think just watching it, I'm like, dang. Like, if it was like this, I wish that they could just be like, all right, let's let the bills go. They got their whole line against the guys attacked. Come on.

You know what? You know what? I don't know if that's enough to take you off the bulletin board for the comments, but under the full context of it, I like it. Can I want to ask you, I just want to ask you a follow up of what you said there about Chris, because there like, there does seem to be an incredibly healthy respect between these. two teams. When you guys won in the regular season, Kelsey kind of, you know, famously did the clap

walking off the field when the chief were undefeated at the time. And that would Josh had that amazing run at the end. And then in the playoff game right after the unbelievable play by Josh on fourth down that went incomplete, you, the game's not, you know, there's a minute and a half left there. And you and Chris are embracing. Like, can you just tell us about the kind of. the feeling between the two teams and maybe you and Chris specifically. Yeah.

Yeah, man. Well, Chris is, well, let's start in with Chris. Chris is an OG. Chris is well and respected in the football world outside the football world on the planet. And to be able to play against guys like that, it's an honor, right? Like, let's just keep it there. It's an honor to play against greatness, right? When you want to be great and you get to play against great, it's greatness.

Chris is one of the best defensive players of all time. And we get to play against. them twice, sometimes once every year, and it's cool. And I think that when it comes down to it, right? Like, we're entertainers, and when we're entertaining, we're playing at our best. The Chiefs are at their best every year, year in and year out. We are at our best year in and year out. We try so hard over and over and over and over.

And I just think that it's a good healthy rivalry. We play hard. The 13th second games, we're making history. The NFL is changing rules and changing. things about the NFL. Don't get me sorry. Every time we see each other, they're like, man, these are two great teams. Wow, it was a, it was a overtime rule.

It was a this. Like, it was a first down call. It was a game of inches. Oh, let's try to make this where this can never be a who is really that every year. So, you know, I applaud it. Like, I'm cool with it. Like, even though that we've come up short, but it's a beautiful thing to be able to compete in those arenas.

with those type of guys. And all throughout their roster, throughout their coaches roster, throughout their trainers, there's everybody. It is like great against great. And I'm just honored to be a part of it. You know,

like I've been doing this for nine years and to be able to play and be in the same party as greatness. I'm thankful. I have no complaints. You know, we're playing great in football. And, you know,

shout out to the Chiefs. And I guess shout out to you, Nick, for holding them boys down. Well, D, there's a phrase. have made renowned around the world. It's called S-Bob, all right? And it means Super Bowl or bust. And you put a dent, yeah, you put a dent in the brand when you said y'all not

S-Bob, but here's a deal. I, of course I know if you guys don't win the Super Bowl this year, you're not getting cut. Josh isn't getting traded. It's going to essentially be the same team back next year. But what S-Bob means is nothing else will, will qualify as a good, satisfying season to you guys unless you win the Super Bowl. And there's only a handful of teams in that category.

And I think the bills are one of them. Am I wrong? I think two, you got two things wrong. And I respect you for it. Super Bowl or bust is not a thing. And there's 31 other teams in the NFL that are upset just like we are. No matter how close we get to it, no matter how far it is. But if the Jets, if the Jets.

If the Jets just make the playoffs, they're happy. Of course, you're disappointed you lost, but you're happy. I don't want to hear about the thing. What is it? I don't you. Go ahead. I hear you. I hear you, yes.

We want to win the Super Bowl. We are going to win the Super Bowl when we are putting our best foot forward every single year. And sometimes we might just need heavier gloves. Who knows? Who knows? I think two bowl or bus. whatever you want to say, the bills need to cross that threshold. We need to cross that threshold, and we will.

And the world wants to see it, and I want Mr. Nicky, Mr. Chief Guy, to see it as well. And one day it will happen, whether it's this year or next year, whoever knows, but we are fighting for it every year that we're on that field. I do want to be on the record on something here before you go out, which is, and I know this is going to be weird. Dion, I'm also the show's bills guy. I'm the only guy who believed in you guys last year. I'm the only guy who said Josh Allen was the MVP of the league last year.

It's all true. It's an odd narrative. It's all true. I thought people had, I thought the pendulum swung too far against you last season. And I'm like, yeah, sell the best offensive line in the conference and the second best quarterback in the world. I think they're going to be really good. And so I now have I, you know, do I sometimes revel in your guys close playoff defeats to my team? maybe. But I have real respect for your guys' team and belief that you guys can consistently be in it, which is

how gratifying for you guys last year was seeing Josh win that MVP, when that was, you know, I know it's for him, but it felt like a team success as well. So I would say in two things, and just to always throw this in there to, when you have a quarterback, that demands greatness and is great, and he could get his golden nuggets. I'm for it.

If we lost, when we lost, I know Josh would trade in his MVP for a Super Bowl ring, right? And that's the type of guy that we have. I'm thankful for Josh to be him and for us to help him get that MVP and for Josh to get that MVP. And two things, right? And the league is changing and the league is getting better.

Now we have an award for offensive linemen that are the best that can potentially be the best, and I can show a trophy that they are the best, protector of the year. So with anybody that gets their shine, when anybody that can hold up a trophy for their individual work, I am applauding it. I think that that's beautiful, you know, but to Josh and me knowing Josh, that MVP don't mean nothing. And not actually, I don't even want to say that.

It means something, but for the team, we all know that Josh is like, forget that MVP. I want us as a whole to have rings. and Josh is going to do everything that he can on and off of the field to do that as he's doing. And I'm thankful to have a quarterback like him. But the MVP thing, it's a beautiful thing, and I'm glad that Josh has it. But that has nothing to do with this year. And it's a whole new year, you know, so we have to see what the MVP and the Buffalo Bills and anybody else in the league does the following year, which is this year that we're currently in.

So good luck, right? You open up against the Ravens. Josh not playing in the preseason. I know you sat for the preseason. Is that a thing you guys used to play in the preseason? Now, Josh, not playing. Is it like a different approach or is it just your back and kind of threw a wrench in the system?

So I, the world sees one thing when we see another. Yes, he didn't play in the actual games, but McDermott's practices are games. One, we had joint practice, joint practice. He got his field from a different opponent, which is beautiful. We went down to Chicago and played against the bears, and practice was extremely hard. Two, we practice hard every day.

Coach made us go about three and a half days of padded practices every week. So in a row, boom, boom, boom. So with that being that, Josh is getting his feel. Josh is getting his stamina up. Josh is understanding what sudden changes. And when we're coming off up the field and then we get one play and then we're right back on, coach is putting us in those game-like situations that Josh and the rest of the guys can feel ready as if they were in a game. And I'm okay with that.

Like I wish that I could have an opinion on it, but that's out of my pay grade. McDermott's going to do what he does, and Bean's going to protect his money. You know what I'm saying? That's just what it is. I'm okay with that, too. One of the things that was most impressive

about Josh last year was that you guys didn't have, like, an elite receiver, and he still had this great season. Matt Collins. How did this thing? But Keon Coleman, obviously a lot of people feel He has that potential. You think this is going to be a big breakout year for him?

I'm telling you right now, you guys better buckle into your seats, man. Buckle into your seats. Kian is not the same kid from last year. And I'll start with off the field. He's not the same kid from last year. He's still a kid, but he's not the same. He's not the same. All this stuff, these highlights that we're looking at does it no justice.

It does it no justice. I'm telling you, this kid is he's taking a jump that I have never seen that big of a jump. But I'm glad that he has grabbed his mission, and he is on Mission Impossible 6 right now. And I'm glad he accepted that envelope, and he has accepted it with full force. And the NFL better get ready because this kid is different. This kid is unique, and this kid is ready. And he's on our team. So good luck to the rest of the people that have to defend them because Keon Coleman is with the boys in the blue.

Mission Impossible six. That was fallout. That was a great one. Oh, yeah, y'all. I wanted to show you guys. Look, look. I got my Labats guys right here. Oh, look at that guy is a little bats guy.

I got to call that one. Oh, wow. What's up? Everybody say, go bills. What's up? That's real. Yeah, we're living in this show, man. Yeah, I can ask you one last question.

Yeah, come on, come on. A great teammate. When you watch the Patriots play and you say, wow. step on digs and mac collins i'm really rooting for those guys a little bit yeah yeah a little bit yeah uh-huh see no that was for for the patriots he was saying for diggs and matt collins he was asking a dumb question because he's a patriot fan no hey tony Tony Tony tell him that we love step we love the patriots and we love mac hollins uh we like step you like mad collins okay good thank you about the patriots thing but yeah it's kind of all under one umbrella hey listen

But anybody that comes through the bills facility and puts on bills threads is cool. Family for life. Family for life. And there's no hate. There's none of that. Just know that when it's time for game time, the friend stuff goes from, hey, we're friends off the field to now we're not. And then as soon as the game is over, we can go back to being cool. But just get ready because, you know, step for step.

And we know that he is going to try to, you know, show up and show out and make a tabloid. Or a, right? It's called like a little ticker, whatever. going to try his best against us to show. That's what they do. And when we play them, we're going to do what we do. And that's just how it goes. So, you know, we got to keep it sparked up.

We're going to spark it up because we love them. And we're going to spark it up because they're enemies. I got to tell you, Dion, I really wanted to not like you. Why? Just because I just wanted to not like you. Instead, I think this is one of the best interviews we've ever had. You're the Bill's guy. Well, that is true.

But I understand. But still, like he said, you know, I don't know, but this, you're great, man. Good luck. Bill's right. Best of luck, Cicierre. Good luck, man, definitely. Much love, bro.

All right, brother. Appreciate it. Peace. I hope they win every game except for the last one. Day two of predictions week rolls on tomorrow. The AFC West, which the Chiefs have won nine straight times? Yeah, nine straight times. So who knows?

Do for an upset. And the NFC West, which we're going to talk. about now because guess what? San Francisco making some moves bro, trading for a running back Brian Robinson Jr. from the commanders and one-time show favorite who Greg Jennings sold us on his greatness, Sky Moore. How much more help? His college rock hurting get? Here's the thing. What? You ripped him because he had help. No. Now what are you going to, he's got very little help. Two times Super Bowl champion? No receivers. Yes, Skymore, no.

Y'all wouldn't have got rid of him. You know what I mean. You couldn't wait to get rid of Sky. Oh, you can't use a guy you can have game-changing punt returns in conference championship games and go-ahead touchdowns in Super Bowl. I'm talking about lining up on the line of scrimmage and getting some of the same. He has not caught a pass since December of 23. That's been the problem.

What's the opposite of the vendors? Now, the Brian Robinson thing, look, obviously. I think that's too you know, they don't want to overwork McCaffrey in hopes of keeping him healthy. I don't know. I feel like they needed him because I think Garindo is pretty good.

See, I think it's an indictment of bit on Garindo. Yeah, it seems that way. It's too strong. Garindo is a good last year, but apparently there. They think Garindo is like a change of pace. I don't want to say gadget. It's a bit of an indictment. Clearly, Brian Robinson is going to be their backup

running back. That's going to go CMC, Robinson and he's going to get a lot of touches though I bet I would imagine as well and listen sky got in his head on the drops to where I've never seen it to where he couldn't catch in the preseason either that's almost a good thing well that's the the hope for it is that it is like a change of scenery because in the same preseason game for the chiefs that he had two just awful drops he returned a pump for a touchdown you know what I mean like so it was It was a very clear thing that was going on that he just couldn't get out of his own head that he hadn't caught a pass in forever.

And so, listen, he was obviously not the, he had the two great playoff moments, but that's, he was a miss on a draft pick. But there's something that made him, you know what I mean, drafted where he was, and he still has the athleticism that you see in the return game. Also in practice, brew, those pillowy balls from Mack Jones getting comfy, and then the laser beans from Brock Birdie. Look, if you're Ricky Piersoll or, heck, even Skymore, you got to be saying, I got an opportunity. Well, especially with all of a sudden, the Tim Kawakami reported, oddly, that IR is a slight option for Joanne Jennings, which is something weird. Another hour of first things first coming up after the break, and it's live.

Yes, I'm going to stay here. We will be here. We will be here. Ben Johnson. Did you know that? from New York with Danny Parkins. It's the third hour of first things first for predictions week and guess what even when it's not predictions week we will still be doing three hours yeah absolutely that would have been weird that would have been

weird if it was just this week. No, it wouldn't be weird at all. predictions week oh okay fair enough I think power packed I'd be a little weird for me yeah yeah yeah yeah break the rules today on the third hour first things first Ben Johnson sits down with Danny Parkins later in the show that wasn't pre-taped. I did fake it. Early on, I did fake it. I was like, maybe Danny can ask him about that.

It's a valiant effort. Did you talk about the twist wish? It comes up. Oh, my gosh. He comes up. Meanwhile, the tale of two rookie quarterbacks, Jackson, Dart and his aura and Chidorah Sanders, who's rising, who's falling. Danny has a brand new segment. But right now, we're starting with Micah Parsons, sick and tired of his contract situation.

So he took a little nap on the medical table, caught some shut-eye and was one of the only players on the cowboy who's not wearing a jersey. Now, Coach Schottenheimer was asked about this, and he said, you know, without talking to Micah, I need to figure out what he was doing. So I talk to him, I'm obviously not going to talk about it. Micah then took to Twitter and retweeted a report, Brew, clarifying that he didn't lie on the table all night. Oh, okay. Just briefly. By the way, that is an important clarification.

No one thought he was there all night. Like, he literally was sleeping for three hours. It's an important clarification. He wasn't there for like a whole quarter that it was a couple minutes. That would be absurd. Well, I know. That's why he said. Thank you.

But laying there is nuts. He said he'd never disrespect the guys out there fighting for their lives. Was this a bad look from Micah, Danny? I already heard from Brew on this. Yeah, you did. And Brew, I love you. You said it was the first misstep, I think. I think it was his first misstep.

What do you think? I mean, I think if it's a misstep, it's a misdemeanor, right? I think it's Jay Woy. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. I think this is a big old fat, nothing burger. I know what he was doing, by the way. I've had some back problems in my day. Stretch it out the lumbar.

You lay on the table, you lay on the back. You put one leg off to the side. Loosens the lower part of that. Lower right tightness, I would like to exclusively report for Micah Parsons in that spot. But also just the idea of us hyper-analizing this is very silly and very cowboys and very Micah Parsons. We don't have video. We don't know if it was during a commercial. We don't know if it was coming out of halftime.

We don't know if it was during warm-ups. We don't know how long he was on the bench for. He just, like, laid on a table with a bad back for a couple of minutes. And Terry McLaurin skipped a whole preseason game. That was a bad look. He got $96 million today. The bad look here is on Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys for allowing it to get to this point,

where we are even taking an out-of-context snapshot of Micah Parsons and trying to put value or meaning onto it. I still think he's playing week one and the deal gets done, and this is just the latest chapter in a really dumb Dallas Cowboys story. So I was leaning towards he's playing, you know, that Jerry is just hijacking the off season, like the similar to what he did last year. But this has, in my opinion, maybe I'll be, you know, wrong again. I was wrong about DAC last year.

This has gotten far more vitriolic, certainly than Terry McClureen got, you know what I mean, between. And it has been by Jerry continually upping the ante. Jerry started this by breaking a rule. Maybe it's a never enforced rule, but a rule in the CBA. which is if a player has a certified agent, you must negotiate with that agent, not the player. And then by saying that negotiation stands, those are the terms, there's nothing else to talk about,

and then by doing a media tour. And that's the part of this that I think is the most unfair to Micah. Is Micah has not talked. Micah, you know, he did a brief little press gaggle at training camp early on, He hasn't done any, you know, one-on-one interviews. He hasn't done his own podcast. He posted the thing to Twitter. You know what I mean?

The long notes app, a trade request, and that's it. Jerry's talking to Stephen A and to Michael Irvin, and, Brew, he is upping the threats. He is saying, oh, Jerry started with he has a contract. Remember that was a month ago, like reminding everyone he has a contract. that has now escalated to we've got him for three years the last two years of which he does not have a contract for it's just

Jerry being like I can slap you with the franchise tag and so I am as close to 100% on Micah's side as one can be like and I'm not bothered at all by him laying on the training No I'm totally on Mike aside I do think this was a misstep it's just not

a good look but I'm totally on his side because Jerry has created this whole situation and I get why Micah is, if you want to call this, acting out, because he has very little leverage. He took his first stab at it. He shot his first weapon when he demanded the trade. And Jerry has completely ignored it.

It's like that trade request didn't even happen. I mean, really. And I believe, Jerry, if I was in Jerry shoes, we're not even thinking about trading him. I'm not even listening. I would ignore it too. But after that doesn't work, then you go to this, you know, and that's something.

I don't want to make it too big because I agree it's a misdemeanor. But it is clearly a statement when you're laying on a table like sleep. And him not wearing the jersey is more of a statement. Right. Him not where the jersey is calculated. I just. And I think, and there were reports to date at least some people said they didn't, they didn't see him on practice. But someone then reported he was in the building.

That he's in the building. I just, we know and Brew, I know you agree with this that he, he's a television producer, he being Jerry Jones. You know, in the Netflix documentary that's out right now, he's like, it's a soap opera, 365 days a year. He's already impacted their week one game. He's going to be limited if he plays against Philly. And so that has hurt him.

But I do think that there is some sort of, I like it. I'm fine with it. You mean him. Yes, to me, like Nick said earlier, this is uglier than Lamar and Baltimore was. I agree. I think it's even uglier than Trey Hendrickson is with the Bengals. Like this, this looks to me like. But that's Jerry.

But Dad didn't get this bad seeded. Emmett sat out for two games. But Emmett even made the distinction. He was not under a contract. He was a straight up free agent at that point. But it's also the other problem is this. He has rewarded guys who have accomplished less in less time because they have been bad team.

Not bad teammates. Because they have held out. CD held out, did not show up and got paid. Zeke, as a running back after year three, held out and got paid. The guys who have tried to be good cowboys, DAC, what did he do? He made him wait, franchise tagged him, and now Mikey's threatening to do the same thing. So that, to me, is bad business from how you want to run your team. The point that you have been trying to make forever is the way it impacts their ability to win week one, which I feel like if you believe, Danny, that this is ending with Micah becoming the highest paid defensive player.

Which I do. Well, then to me, then you also have to believe Jerry Jones does not care that they have now a far less chance of beating the Eagles, that he is fine trading off publicity for. for even if it's 1% better chance to win the Super Bowl this year. Right? Yeah. Like, that's what we're saying. I don't think that Jerry Jones, he says the only thing that matters to him is another Lombardi trophy in his trophy case.

It clearly isn't the only thing that matters to him. No, I agree with you on that. Right. So I absolutely. I don't even know if he's doing that calculus in his head about this cost us 1%. This has gotten personal. And it might be more personal between Jerry. and the agent.

And David Muller- Yeah, he's talked more about how, according to Jerry, when after he and Micah came up with this deal, that the agent said, well, shove it. Yeah, exactly. Shove it, you know, with more explicit language.

I'm trying to help you out there, bro. I knew you didn't want to say it. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But Jerry seems to really be bothered by this because he is just ignoring, and I would say publicly disrespecting David Mulligetta, who's one of the greatest agents in the NFL. And so it seems.

personal almost between those two. Danny, I threw out earlier, I think if Jerry's telling the truth when he says there's an offer on the table for Micah that will make him the highest paid non-quarterback ever, if that's still the truth, like after all the latest signings,

T.J. Y and all that, yeah. Then even if Micah they wanted to really break the market and get a few million ahead of the highest paid guy, he needs to go and sign it. Get his agent to call Jerry and sign it because I believe Jerry's threats about we'll make him play on this $21 million

deal and then franchise him for two years. So I don't believe Jerry's threats. Dack got done. They always get done. Chris Jones missed a game and got done. Emmett missed two and got done. I do not see a world where Micah Parsons misses a serious amount of time. I'll be shocked if he misses one game. And I do still think that Micah wants to shatter that record. So week one, 10 days, Cowboys in Philadelphia. Yeah. And the Cowboys are a big draw, obviously.

You know, America's team, and they've got the Netflix special. The thing that we always talk about is the magic of the Cowboys and how they remain relevant. Are they the supporting actor in the opening night? No doubt. Do you think Jerry realizes that? Like, does Jerry realize, like, hey, man, it's the champs and, you? you. You guys have second billing on the marquee. Like, I

would think that Jerry Jones, like you said, he wants to win the Super Bowl and he loves the spotlight. Like, why don't you do everything you can to knock off the champs opening week, all eyes of the sports universe on you? He's like, you know what I'll trade it for? A gaggle

of reporters around me as Michael holds out. It seems in conflict with winning and in conflict of the heat that he desired. I think it is, and I know we have to on. I'll just be quick. I think it is two things that are in direct conflict to winning that are hurting the cowboys here and they in relation to Jerry. One is I do think he just likes, he told us. It's my, you know, if there's not news, I'll drum it up. He was very transparent about that.

And I think the other one is he, his own ego in a feeling that, man, you know what people say a lot? I lost that negotiation. You know, you know, you know what hasn't been. You know what hasn't been said much, you know, in the last big deals. Wow, the Cowboys got a bargain. The last one of those that happened was Tyron Smith. And I don't know this. I'm just guessing. My guess is that was done like this one where he negotiated with Tyron because it was a bizarre

deal. It was like eight years long. It was a player who was dealing with financial troubles because his family reportedly had stolen from him. And that felt like that. And so I think Jerry might feel like, you know what? I'm not. When I do get on the phone with, you know, David Moolie.

Legato or Dax agent or whatever. Then I turn on Sean Sharif's show on 1053 the fan and they're like, man, they sure paid top of the market. I don't want to do that. So I think it's ego and attention that is hurting the Cowboys ability, which again, if you

didn't know the game was in 10 days, follow Wilds on Twitter. 10 days. It's a good bit. Well, you'll see how Jalen Hurts does. It's a terrible bit. It's not the best. Jaylon Hurts fell in the ESPN rankings. You see that? Won the Super Bowl. Went from 32 to 36. He wins again. Be down to 45. Prediction week rolls on.

We're starting with the NFCEs. We're staying there, actually. Danny, as you know, it's been 20 years since there was a repeat division champion. Eagles won four times in a row, 01 to 04 with Andy Reid, one of the great Eagles coaches. One of the great? Yeah, his winning percentage. Right up there with Nick Seriani. Are they on the verge of another run, Danny?

Or will they be thwarted by Jackson Darts ORA, your NFC. Predictions. All right, well, they're not coming at a number four so we can stay I know so I'll keep the suspense going just a little bit for the repeat division champs but number four is Jackson DART and his aura wow the New York Giants tons of aura though tons of aura he won the preseason you might see Jackson Dard on stock up stocked out coming up in just a little bit in segment in secede they have 10 10 playoff teams from last year on their schedule this year six of the first eight games it's I don't think moon from Russell Wilson to Malik neighbors are going to be quite enough. Who does love the moonball? It's a fun thing to watch. But there's nothing else.

Third place, the aforementioned Dallas Cowboys. And it has very little to do with off-season nonsense, because I am baking in that Micah Parsons will be there. I don't think it's about off-season distractions. I think that is how Jerry Jones fills the media time, and we thank him for it for the content and the off-season. They can't stop the run, and they didn't get much better at that. And I have to remind people,

to remind people. Dallas had a losing record with Dak Prescott last year. People talk about, oh, that Prescott got hurt and it derailed. They were three and five with them. And Micah. And the wins were not very impressive. Now two in one, there's a late change.

I went back and forth. I agonized over it. It's true. And I'm coming in, and we can reveal them kind of back to back to back. Two Washington commanders going back to the playoffs. One, the Philadelphia Eagles, back to back division champions.

This is brews, by the way, as well. So aligned with brew, I know you'll start. That's good news for you. Well, here's great. When I saw that Nick had Washington overfeiting, because I was thinking about it, but I'm like, now I'm the top prognosticator on FTF because I beat him last year. And I beat you handily and I've been beating you for years. It wasn't that close.

You're right. It really wasn't that close. And I think this comes down to week 18. Nick, you did. Week 18. Wow. Week 18. A specific prediction. I think it comes down to week 18. That game happens to be in Philly. I think Philly deserves the edge for being the champs. They deserve pole position. They lost, though, 4,400 snaps on defense. And they are the youngest defense in the NFL. And they had the second best health of any team last year. So you get a little too young on defense. You get a little bit worse health. I just don't think they're as much of a lock, but because Nick picked them. Maybe second. I can't do it.

KW. Go ahead. Sorry, it looks like you want to say something. I'm putting the commanders on mid-alert. Whoa. Middle-ear. So this is like my thing last year. You see what I was.

You ripped me for questioning Jaden. They're on mid-alert. That's exactly what I said. Everything you say about the commanders, you could. It's brand. I just invented it. Okay. I'm sorry.

Everything you say about the commander is like, sounds like last year's Texans. Yes. Superstar, defensive coach, changed the culture. All the Texans, by the way, made the playoffs, I know. And on a playoff game. I know, but they were in winning games, Hail Marys and

middle. They're on middle. I could go either way. They're just on mid alert. But the Texas weren't mid last year. That's the thing. Nick's right. They're certainly a mid alert. They were on mid alert at the time. But it didn't do it. Well, it would be, here's the thing. And you don't, I don't know that you want to say this

because you are a Jaden guy. And I, listen, CJ, they won the division. they ended up winning a playoff game. You can't say it was a bad year. But CJ's statistical production plummeted. You know what I mean? It took a ton of sacks. It took a ton of sacks and had a pass rating, I think, sub-90.

I think it was like 87 for the year. I'm not worried about my concern for Jaden is, will he play all 17? If he plays all 17, I think he'll be good. My concern with Jaden is the durability, but he was durable last year. But also their defense. I think Jaden will play well. My question, and I do have them in the playoffs, yeah, but I just think the other aspects of the team can hurt them. Tell me if you think this take is insane.

Is it possible the best defense in the division is the Giants? Very possible. Yeah, their front seven is going to make them competitive in a lot of games. A lot of losses against better teams, but they'll be competitive. You get a good defense and a quarterback with aura? It's a good combination. When he plays. AFC East, Danny, dominated thoroughly by the team.

Patriots since the turn of the century, 17 AFC East titles. The dumbest staff ever. Since Y2K. But to be fair, the bills turns out, people are like, the bills, they lost all those Super Bowls. Turns out they've been very good recently. A lot of people still think about the Patriots. Your AFC East predictions.

I don't think anyone was willing to go this far with the fourth place team, but The Miami Dolphins are coming in last in this division. That is different. Wow. They cannot win or score points when Tua doesn't play. And Tua routinely doesn't play. Oh, you're going to make Wilds mad. You're not allowed to call Tua injury prone on this show.

He's played a full season once in his career. He missed six games last year. They scored 13 points a game. In those six. Sorry, go ahead. I'm just saying, like, I don't trust a team that can't score without a quarterback who often doesn't play. The coach might get fired, the GM might get fired, the star wide receiver

doesn't seem to want to be there. They're trading away a bunch of guys. They don't like hitting. They're not tough. They can't win in cold weather. Tough. There's a lot of things that are going to break dancing. I don't know if we have the break dancing budget.

No, it's very confusing. Third place team, the New York Jets. I'm rolling here. Aaron Glenn, what he did in Detroit when all of their guys got hurt and the defense was like, not good. to be very clear, but it was better than it should have been. They were gritty with all of the practice squatters. I feel like the team has talent on the roster that they'll get the new coach bump just to competency.

They will be they will be a competent tough out with Aaron Glenn there. And coming in number two, the big reveal wilds. Yes, your new England Patriots. You don't have the playoff stand. It's a graphic issue. It's not a graphic issue. Is it possible that your guy, Mike Frable, touch over rating? this point where people are putting him in Canton, so probably.

Okay. Take it down one notch. Thank you. Because people look back at Tennessee, they're like, what Mike Brable did in Tennessee. That's true, though. Okay. He had Derek Henry and A.J. Brown. But two guys right now were like,

he didn't go well. The last couple of years losing record for him and different coordinators every year. There were power struggles. Like it did not end well for Brable. Now, an upgrade to be clear, they spent $100 million more than everyone else in free agency. They're going to be better. And I love Drake May.

I'm just not ready for the playoffs yet. And then, of course, at number one, there's no debate here. This is, by the way, the ultimate sign of respect for the bills. I think we spent 25 total seconds for all of us on that because we knew it. I am, okay, if we all think the Patriots are good enough, I think can go to the playoffs and are good enough to be in second place. Here's the question I have for you. What is the expectation level for your quarterback?

Because he's the only top three pick for a team that we now think, you know, should be good, whatever it is, that it feels like there is no... You want a statistical? I'd have to like, who's year would I be happy with? Yeah, like, I mean, I were the... Caleb's. Caleb, who? Last year? You know, three and a half to one touchdown, the interception ratio, 3500-past. No, hold on.

Go a full, like, holiday season without throwing a touchdown. No, but oddly, if you had Caleb's stat lines, on a team that went 10 and 7, it would feel fun. Just not joking around. You're talking about USC or the Bears? I do not know if I'm being pranked right now, okay? Because there is a level of faith I have to have in our producers. But coming up after the break, they have told me that Trey Hendrickson's deal just got done.

Late breaking news from the Trey Henderson News desk. Danny, I know you wanted to do stock up, stock down. Looks like you're doing a Trey Hendrickson. Love it. More first. After the break. Welcome back. First things first.

Time for a little stock up, stock down preseason edition. Who improved their stock? Who we investing in coming out of the preseason? Danny Parkins here joined by a couple of Super Bowl winners. Greg Jennings and making his FTF debut, my man Willie Colon. We begin with, I would say, the guy, guys, who won the preseason. If I had to give it out for one person, Jackson Dart. Not only did he have touchdowns in every performance, but he made people forget,

oh yeah, Russell Wilson and James Winston are on this team, and our coach and our general manager are on the hot seat. And now all of a sudden, nice little defense, nice young quarterback, thought he was a project. He looked good consistently, Greg. Yeah, he looked excellent. And one of the reasons, in my opinion, of Jackson Dart looking so well is because there's no pressure. There's no expectation of week one starting. You know Russell Wilson is going to be the guy. He can go behind him, learn, understand.

I have time. Probably has been told this is going to be your key. You're going to get the keys to this vehicle. Moving forward, just this year, we just need you to learn. And just be that guy if your number needs to get called. But he looks great. He can make any and every throw. And he looks very poised.

Yeah, let's keep it funky. Promise doesn't equal product. It's a promising IPO, though. It was a good debut. But I look at listen, I think he showed that. he's competent enough to play at this level. You talk about the no interceptions. You talk about the yard.

He's talking about his ability to show his athleticism. But the Giants have a rough September ahead of him. You talk about Washington, Dallas, Casey, the Chargers, man. Like, if I'm Brian Dable, and this is why I give him a lot of credit, because he did say, hey, man, Russ is I got. This is what we moving forward with. But at the end of the day, I don't want the Giants to get antsy. Leave the Lambeau in the garage, right?

You're going to need a tank in a general to get you through the month of September because if you do start him early because you're listening to the critics, Where do you turn if it doesn't go right for you? Right? So you've got to be smart. So stock is up for me, but let's move with caution. I think we see him sooner than later. But if there's a stock.

Oh, yeah, I do. If there's a stock up, there's got to be a stock going down. And that is, oh, I'm sorry to all the media pundits and the conspiracy theorists. Shed Shedur Sanders, five sacks, six pass attempts. I didn't play in the NFL like you guys, but I don't think that's a very good pass attempt to sack ratio. And, you know, I think it's a reminder. that he was a fifth round pick. And Dylan Gabriel was picked in front of him.

And Kenny Pickett is in front of him. And Joe Flacco is in front of him. And people have just gone insane. People want Shador Sanders to be a thing so badly that now he is fourth on the death chart for the worst quarterbacked organization in the NFL, an organization that has made this fan famous with all the names on the back of the jersey.

And people are like, huh, maybe they're sabotaging Shudor. Maybe they don't want him to be good. I don't know that we see Shador Sanders play this year. His stock is down. Yeah, I call some of Wall Street guys. This is called a flat stock, right? It's not going up or down. What it is is, this is what you believe in the tape.

Because we fell in love with his debut against the Panthers, right? We saw him stay in the pocket, delivered football. But some of the things he did that happen against the Rams also happening is the Panthers, running out of pocket, whirling. Not on time. Mechanics all over the place. The biggest thing for the Cleveland Browns right now, and they have an opportunity to get this right, along as they stay committed to developing Shador's Sanders.

Is he ready? No. But I do think within the system with Kevin Stefansky and they continue to build his roster, give him a year or two, he will be what they need him to be. He's just not it right now. And it's okay. Why? Because he was drafted in the fifth round, right? So I don't feel anxious about this, but I will say for Browns fans,

like listen, walk with the guy, grow with the guy. He doesn't need to be the guy. You have Joe Flack who can mature him and allow him to grow and help him out when he needs to. and the Browns knew that if they were doing this, their stock would be down. They understood what they were getting. He was going to be a project. He was going to be a guy that they were going to try to develop.

But there's a lot of noise talking about, you know, he was in there with the third thing guys. Well, he was a part of that later round draft pick. So this is what we were going to see him with anyway. And if you are going to have your stock rise, this is the moment where you make that happen with these type of guys and caliber players on the field. And that didn't happen in this game. Let's get back to the positive.

Stock up. Baker Mayfield. Now, you might be saying, how did his stock go up, given that he was one of about a quarter of the quarterbacks in the league who did not play in the preseason? The bake show has been consistently one of the best producers of, you know, points, which is the goal. And I was like, all right, they're going to draft defense. Everyone thought they were going to draft defense. And I'm watching the preseason the other night.

And they took that Emeka Abuka kid out of Ohio State. which is wide receiver you and oh my god they got another one like Mike Evans is at some point father time will catch you up Chris Godwood coming off a serious injury not expected to be ready from Jump Street and be back in October gonna be back in October but this guy looks like he's ready to play Greg Jennings scout that wide receiver at Baker Mayfield has to be cannot wait to throw to that yeah when it's it's something about these Ohio State guys they come in and they're ready to play and this is this is why this is to stop up for Baker Mayfield, which I'm with you on, because he's getting a guy who is NFL ready. Like he's played with a plethora of other great receivers, Marvin Harrison Jr. He's played with all these guys. So he understands what it means to not be,

aka the number one guy, but he's going to be ready. Every time we watched Ohio State play, his number was called. He made plays. He's going to do the same thing for Baker Mayfield. Yeah, I think one of the best things Baker Mayfield ever did was kicking social media to the curb.

Right? Because now people started respect him. There was that old adage that he had more, more commercials than touchdowns, right? That's not the case anymore. He's a legit guy. But I mean, in reference to a Mecca man, elite route running, aggressive, hungry. You're talking about Chris Godwin. They're going to have to lean on them early. You got Kate Auden. You talk about Michael Evans. But I think right now for this young fella in Bacon Mayfield, can they get on the same page early, right? To the point where he becomes a legit third down receiver where they're not looking to anybody else but him. That's where I see his evolution. So the stock up is in my eyes. Last one, stocked down. His portfolio was probably, you know, strong to quite strong. But Jerry Jones, listen, I can't get past the fact that I'm watching this documentary. And he's like a renegade deal maker, a visionary. He's ahead of his times. He's a risk taker. And now people are like, man, what's he doing with Micah Parsons?

It doesn't make any sense. Maybe just maybe the game has passed him by. and it's not making sense his moves. It's not like some sort of mad scientist. He's like, I see something in this stock that nobody else sees. He might just have lost a step. And Jerry Jones, you're looking kind of foolish right now.

Stock down for Jerry. No, stock is up, right? Because business is good? Business is good. It's always going to be about Jerry. Has it ever been about the ballplay? You wanted another, you needed a wideout to compliment C.D. Lamb.

We got you, George Pickers. You wanted that press got paid. He paid the man, right? He's done everything you've asked him to do. What Jerry's job is to keep the brand of the Cowboys relevant, whether it starts with him or his star players. Well, then he's in video. That's my point.

Stock is up. Like, you may hate how he's managing the team. You may hate that the fact that the trajectory of the Cowboys looks flat and demoralizing. Nevertheless, you can't wake up in the morning without talking about the Dallas Cowboys in reference to the NFL. So for him and his brand, stock is up. Look, I don't know if the stock is up or if the stock is down,

What I do know is the stock is always intriguing, and I'm always looking to see, should I invest, should I not? That's what Jerry wants. And so in that regard, I'm with Willie on this one. Like, stock is up. The eyes and the attention, we're talking about him right now. Like, this is all Jerry Jones wants you reference the Netflix series. That's what he wanted from day one.

He wanted to bring a circus, entertainment, and make it about the brand bigger than just the team. but he wanted he just wanted to make it about Jerry's world and that's what he's doing. Well, Trey Henderson did get his deal. So we'll have the details on that for you coming up. And well, Ben Johnson. There was only one person who could be the first guest on this show. And yes, we will ask him about Wild's as tush push. All coming up on first things first.

Welcome back in. First Things First. The OT, Danny Parkins with Greg Jennings here. And there was only one person who could be the first guest of the OT. And that is, of course, the new head coach of my Chicago Bears, Ben Johnson. I don't know how we got a Packer and a Viking. I mean, I think it's his Chicago Bears. Our Chicago Bears.

Coach, can it be our Chicago Bears? That's right, 100%. And again, I'm sorry that a Packer and a Viking had to be here, but thank you so much for the time. You know, it's been an interesting training camp to watch from afar in preseason. And the starters looked so good in that second preseason game. You said it yourself, kind of disappointing in the most. recent one. How do you feel like their readiness is about 13 days away from the opener?

No, listen, I think it was really good for us to get through that experience with Kansas City. There's a reason why Kansas City has been to the Super Bowl the last three years. And so our guys knew that. They felt that. And we would much rather get punched in the mouth a little bit in the preseason as opposed to when the real bullets are flying here in a minute. And so it was good for us. You got to bring your A game when you go against a team like that. You know how good their quarterback is. You know how well coached they are across the board. And I think what jumped out was their team speed as well was was all over offensive defense.

And so good learning experience. I think I think it's exactly what we needed at that point in the training camp. And now we'll be able to circle back and make our corrections and worry about the next thing. You've called this a process, coach. How patient are you? Well, yeah, this league isn't patient. We want results instantly, but yet there's a way in which those results will become second nature. And so we're just, we're worried about the things that we can control.

And I hate going through all this coach speak, but it is the truth. We're going to go control what we can control, which is our effort, which is our preparation. And we're going to worry about getting a little bit better every single day. And so I feel really good about our mindset as a team right now. I feel really good about this coaching staff. I love this locker room. We have a number of guys that not only, only are talented players, but they're really good leaders and people as well. So I'm excited to

see where this season goes and we're all going to grow together. Speaking of the growth, you know, when you took the job, you said that Caleb was, I watched the press conference back, like a large component of your decision to take the job. Now that you've had a few months with him, when you look at that talent, what do you see as Caleb Williams's ceiling? Yeah, I don't want to even put a cap on it because he's got the ability, he's got rare ability to throw the football. And I feel strongly about his decision making. It's coming along. He's taking the coaching that myself, J.T. Barrett, Declan Doyle,

all these guys that we have in the quarterback room, he's taking that, and he's working to apply it. Now, is it coming so fast that we feel like he's going to be at his ceiling this year? No, absolutely not. But he's getting better every single day. There are some clips in that game against Kansas City that to the untrained eye or to the casual observer, they might just think, eh, whatever. But to us, they were glimpses of really good quarterback play in this league. They were winning football in this league.

And it's our challenge, as coaches and Caleb as a player, to just get that more consistently. Because if he can do that, then we got a chance to be pretty darn good on offense. So, Coach, oftentimes, you know, when we're watching games as viewers, and obviously as a former player, like we don't know what you guys are working towards. We, the fans don't know what you guys are working on and what you as a coach want to see from your players. Caleb, as Danny just mentioned, you mentioned,

he's going to be a huge component of whether you guys are successful this year. We know he has a talent. You just alluded to that. But there comes a moment and there comes with time in every player's career. And he's early in his career where the maturation, process, the mental part of the game, the understanding what's being expected, when it's expected has to show up. Are you seeing that a lot in practice? Is it showing up where we don't get the opportunity to see it as much on display in these early preseason games?

Listen, it'll come on the field in due course. I think what we see and we really appreciate is his approach in this building right now. He's putting in more time and more effort than he ever has probably in his entire career, you know, high school, college, and certainly in the NFL. And so he's learning what it takes to be great at this level. There's always areas that we can get better, but there's a time expectation. There's preparation expectation. And we're getting closer to where we want to go in terms of him being prepared once he does hit the field. Because here's the thing, you see it. He's, he has this natural instincts and ability to him.

And all we're trying to do is get him to see the game through our lens so that he can play even faster once we hit the grass. So I'm really pleased about where he's gone over the course of camp. And I think we're going to continue to see those strides as we go through the season. One thing I was interested in having watched every play of last year, he did a great job of not throwing interceptions. And that went back to college, right? Only six picks.

He said that his favorite. player was Aaron Rogers, who famously had a, he had a 45 touchdown, six interception season. Last year, Caleb was 20 and 6. But the flip side of that coin was he took 68 sacks. It seemed like sometimes, you know, he didn't trust NFL open, didn't trust his arm, didn't see it and release it. How do you balance aggression, big plays, maybe occasionally putting the ball in harm's way a little bit versus the conservatism that it seemed to creep in last year where he was just eating it and taking too many sacks. Yeah, I mean, you, you learn through your reps and practice what you can and you can't get away with. And so, you know, that's why I chuckle a little bit when I see,

hey, he had a two or three interception practice. Well, that's how you learn and that's how you figure out what you can and you can't fit in there and when we should be aggressive and we shouldn't be. So I was okay with how camp went in that regard. You know, I think the biggest learning curve for him since we entered the building was being able to play the game and trust your feet. And that's been a little bit of a foreign concept. He just, he wasn't trained that way as a college quarterback. He had tons of success being able to just drop back and find the open guy and hit him in stride. And so now you talk about the sacks being such a big part of the game.

And we can help eliminate those by getting the ball out of his hands in time. And it's, it's part of trust in his feet. you know, hitching to the first progression, moving on to the second. And then the ticker has to go off in your head in terms of when do I need to throw this ball away? Or when can I extend the play on my own if I got a clean pocket? Are we there yet? No, there's still growth that he had. I mean, you saw it last game.

We took a sack and we had pretty good protection. But then there are some other clips in that same game where he's doing it right. And it looked really darn good. And so we just got to get that out of him a little bit more. and we're going to be just fine. Look, Coach, you took this job. Obviously, offensive mind had great success in Detroit with that offense. The fans of Chicago, even some of us who've played against those Bears teams of old,

we understand who they are defensively. But you were brought in as an offensive mind. You obviously have a quarterback. Score points. To score points, exactly. You obviously have a quarterback that's young that's getting his feet wet. give us a player or a group that is going to be essential for you guys as an offense to be successful. We know Caleb is the obvious, but give us a player and or a group that's going to be impactful on your success.

It's more, to me, the offensive line. It still starts there and ends there with offensive football. I don't think that's a secret. I know the game has changed over the years. but you still win and lose games in the trenches. And I know that modern football has maybe gone away from the running game a little bit, more towards the passing game, but that doesn't matter. You need to be able to establish a line of scrimmage,

play on their side of the ball, the defensive side of the ball when you're running it. And then on offense, you've got to be able to, in the passing game, be able to pass protect for your quarterback. And so I'm fairly pleased with how that's come together for us. We're still a work in progress. you know, finding those the right five guys, and that might be something that goes into the season as well. I'm talking about the left tackle,

has been a battle that we've gone back and forth on. I think we feel good about the direction we're going to go early in the season here, but, you know, that's something we've got to keep our eye on there. But if we can run the ball effectively, which we plan to do, and we can protect a little bit better than what we did last year here, then I think that's really the best case scenario.

for Caleb's success as well. Coach, the host of First things first, Kevin Wilde, was a huge proponent of you getting the Bears job, but he's also a big Eagles guy, and he loves the Tush Push. And when you said that there's never been an explosive play out of the Tush Push, he turned on you.

He turned fast. And so I'm curious, like, are we concerned? Phillies on the schedule this year? They're going to maybe do a big play out of the Tush push? Any sort of revenge for your comments? No, listen, all I'm saying, it's just not my cup of tea,

The Phillies got it. They can trademark that play and that's all good. They can have that one. There's a couple of plays that I feel strongly about that I'd like to trademark for us. So it's fine. Do you have one that we haven't seen yet that you've got saved away for week two against your old team? Maybe. But the play that I love the play that I loved last year was the laterals that we were doing.

We did it four or five times and they were all big plays. And then Buffalo comes in and practices against us. And in practice, they did it and they scored a touchdown on us. I'm like, that's our darn play. That is your play. They're stealing it from us. Invitations, the highest former flattery. Coach, thank you so much for joining FDF the OT here.

We really appreciate you. Good luck this year. Thank you guys. We'll see you. Welcome back to first things first. Danny Parkins, Greg Jennings, and Willie Cologne, our long national nightmare. in sports topic is over. Trey Hendrickson and the Cincinnati Bengals have agreed

on a one-year deal, but not a long extension. Adam Schaefter reporting and others confirming, it's a $14 million raise for this year. Trey Hendrickson was pretty adamant. He wasn't going to play on the 16 million he was set to earn for this year. So now he gets a flat 30 and is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent after the season. Terry McLaurin this morning, Trey Hendrickson this afternoon.

Kind of funny how that works. Deadlines do make deals with. with week one right around the corner. Listen, for me, this was a obvious. They have a Super Bowl contender on offense, and they don't have it on defense, but he was their best player on defense, 17 and a half sacks the last two years.

Do you think, Greg, this puts them in a position to actually view them as a contender? Well, it's tough in the AFC, clearly with that gauntlet that they're going to have to go through and with us seeing what they were and what they weren't last season. But this is a step in the right direction. When you talk about one of the best pass rushes,

in our game, a guy who's giving you 17 and a half sacks over the last two seasons. It was not even a question of whether or not you should be signing this guy and giving him a long-term deal. Obviously, he got this money and we'll see what the future holds. But you look at that defense and Al Gold, new defensive coordinator, and you think he's not going to be excited that he finally gets his best defensive player in the building and has that back in now finally not having to cover probably for so much longer because, you know, they know they got a guy that can get after the quarterback. It's definitely a step in the right direction.

They got a long way to go because of what they were not able to do last season, but we'll see. Yeah, this is dumb. This is dumb. Like, there's no reason why this guy should have been taken care of a long time ago, especially when you lost Sam, Hubbard. The next guy on the D-line next to him that holds any type of way is Chris Jenkins, Jr. And he's a development, right? You still asking him to do more. But overall, man, this team has been 9 and 8 for the last two seasons.

They're going to be 9 and 8 again. Oh, come on. I promise. Believe in the offense. That's not even like, it doesn't matter what the contract say, who you paid. They don't have enough to compete within the division nor in the league. That would be nine and eight. That's a stealer in you talking.

That offense is good for 12 wins. A little new defensive coordinator bump. Nine and eight. Nine and eight. All right. Well, that's a prediction. Prediction week rolls on tomorrow on FTF.