Games with Names - NFL Hot Takes with Gronk and Jules

Episode Date: September 22, 2025

Gronk and Julian give their hottest takes to your burning questions about the NFL and their favorite pizzas. This episode is brought to you by the new DiGiorno Wood Fired-Style Crust Pizza. Learn more at DiGiorno.com. It’s Not Delivery. It’s DiGiorno.Support the show: http://www.gameswithnames.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hey, this is Matt Jones. I'm Drew Franklin. And this is NFL cover zero. We think NFL coverage should be informative and entertaining. And twice a week, that is exactly what you're going to get. We're just here to try to give you an NFL perspective a little bit different. Did you see the Colts pretzel? That was my other big takeaway from that game.

What was that? Looks like something that should not be sold. Oh, my. So that was my other big Colts takeaway. They sold that? Yes. Might want to go back to the Dr. At the Colts Stadium.

Yeah, I might want to go back to the drive. forward on that yeah i thought the shape we had with pretzels was working pretty well smart for generations we're just here trying to enjoy it we hope you all will join us throughout the year and let's go i hope i'm as youthful as pete carroll is at his age he's a young 73 he is a young 73 he is spry i wouldn't fight him i i would listen NFL cover zero with matt jones and drew franklin on the i heart radio app apple podcast or wherever you get your podcast Welcome to our pizza party. Well, what are we celebrating?

Football, obviously. It wouldn't be a pizza party without some friends. Let's hear from our friends to see what burning questions you have about this NFL season. And thank you to DeJrano for sponsoring the episode. Let's go. Well, I'm hungry, Jules. So I'm going to start off with a slice of pizza. We got pepperoni sausage and bacon.

This is the Italian meat trio. Hey, what's up, dudes? It's Juicy J from Vegas, and I'm calling to see what you guys think as soon are going to happen. A UNC national title or my Raiders win the Super Bowl. That's tough, my man.

It's a tough question right there because what's the time frame window that we have here? If it's within the next 10 years, neither are going to win. If it's in the next 20 years, and possibly one of them may win a national championship

or a Super Bowl. So I would say, I would just go with the Raiders, though. I would say Raiders. I'm going to go with the Raiders as well. That's, you got to get the guys at UNC. It's basketball school. It's tough. Coach can only go so far.

Buster zoning. If we're going by odds and the probability, I'm a math guy, there's 32 teams. So you have a chance to win a Super Bowl, one out of 32. there's about 142 NCAA Division 1 teams one divided by 142 is like less than 1% way less than 1%. So you have like a 3.3% chance of winning a Super Bowl in the NFL and in college you have like a 0.5 chance of winning a national championship. So I will go with the Las Vegas Raiders to win a Super Bowl before UNC wins a national championship. I agree.

That's the next one. Jules. What's our brother? Quick question. If you could relive one play in your career, not to change it, but just to feel it again, which one would it be? And what would you be yelling in your head during it? Love the show, man. Punt returns.

Touchdowns are awesome. Mm-hmm. like because the moment lasts so long like it's the longest play everyone like it's a long play everyone's like working their balls off it's it's like a full team play and everything right has to go so like i would say like that one of those indianapolis punt returns against mackafee that those were those were always fun you smack of feed him now he actually smacked me on the other one but he he got caught in a juke and he got me you smack i did you smack a feed his punt we we did but those punt returns those are like exciting fun like action thrilled filled

plays well here's a what about you here's a well speaking about macafee i actually return one of his onside kicks and almost brought it to the house like tippy towed the sideline return the onside kick started running i got like 10 yards in it tippy toe the sideline and fell out of bounce it was the same club. It was the same game that I threw the guy out of the club. And I really wish I brought that ball to the house. Then I could talk shit to McAfee. Like, yeah, I returned your onside kick to the house. That would be cool. I could say I smack and feed them. But just like you did, Jules. But my favorite play, let's talk about that game when I threw that defensive back on the Colts out of the club. If I could relive that, I always wanted to be a bouncer growing up. So that was

a special moment for me. I would love to relive that. And I still can. I can become a bouncer at a nightlife and go throw some people out the club. So maybe I'll relive it one day. Freak and we should just remake Roadhouse. Jules, Rob, what is your diet like as an NFL athlete? What does a cheat day a meal look like? Thanks. Cheap day is DiJorno, baby.

900% Dejono pizza. That's why we're eating it right now. I'm already on my second slice. It's only been four minutes. I'm going to probably eat the whole entire thing with Julian here. Easy. But I'm a big, I'm a big, I'm a buffalo guy, so I'm big on pizza, obviously. Also chicken wings and subs.

I love meatball subs. I love chicken finger subs and I love cheese steak subs. And the specialty I really like you get in Buffalo is called the Stinger. And it consists of chicken fingers and steak both on the sub with a lot of blue cheese, lettuce, and tomato. That's my number one favorite cheat meal. The Stinger. The Stinger. My number one cheat day, it's got to be a burg or like a French dip or a burrito, handheld.

burrito french dip burger tacos or dumplings love dumplings pan fried of course pan fried of course a little crisp

but regular regular diet I mean I'm a big smoothie guy little what is it called intermittent fastest intermittent but smoothie is not a cheat meal like you're having a smoothie every day what's your diet like as an NFL athlete

oh yeah yeah that was the first guy yeah big smoothie guy I am too man when you're burning so many cows In order to replace that many calories, it's really easy to do with a smoothie. Just chuck it down. Just always biting food and chewing. Like, it's tough to have 6,000 calories a day when you've got to chew 6,000 calories. It's easy to have a shake and just toss it down.

And boom, that's 1,500 calories right there in the shake. Can you guys give us a team that will make a surprising playoff appearance? Of course. Not a problem, man. I'm so glad that you asked for real. I love giving predictions, but I'm going to go with Brian Dable and the New England, not the New England Giants stuff. New York. New York Giants, sorry.

I just enjoying my pizza too much that I couldn't really think because the pizza is just so delicious. But New York Giants, head coach Brian Dable. You want to know why? Because the first year he took over to Giants, he took over a horrendous team, and he turned it into a playoff team. And last year, they were horrendous. So let's just pretend it's his first year coaching again and that he's going to go back. to the playoffs again because of that reason i like that it's no i'm gonna go to pats let's let's see him make the playoffs i think that big big start to the season a lot of excitement a lot of new guys

a lot of old guys i'm excited for the the pats i love de jono i love it more i like their this i like the sweet sauce there's kind of a sweet so i've loved de jrano since i was a kid the terry Let me too y'all. Hmm, from the journal. What game he's most excited for this year, guys? I'm excited. You want to know what game I'm excited for? I'm excited for the rematch of the Philadelphia Eagles

versus Dallas Cowboys. Because week one, when they face off each other on Thursday night to start the season, it was a great game. And there was a weather delay. And I believe that weather delay was a huge factor in the outcome of the game. So I want to see the rematch,

whenever it is, whatever week it is, whenever it comes up and i want to see that rematch played in dallas with no weather delay and see who comes out victorious good answer rob let's take a quick break from answering calls and um just enjoy this pizza for i mean we already took one down appreciate the pizza i honestly do you like which one do you like better the four cheese or the well i'm a meat trio meat head so the meat trio just fits to me same you need like a dipper with the cheese cheese is great by itself still but man this new de jrano woodfire style pizza sure hits the spot you I mean we just finished one full Italian meat trio and now

we're on to the four cheese and we're about to demolish this one so I don't the supreme special a I like it because it's got little peppers on there. I like a little pepper on, you know, like little bell peppers. Or do you like it because it's speciali, like it's a tough word to say. And you feel really Italian when you say it. Anytime you get to emphasize a culture in the word, I'm a freaking fan of. I knew it.

So go pick up the new DeGiorno wood-fired style crust pizza available now at Walmart. It's not delivery. It's DeJrano. What team are you guys most excited to watch this season? This is an I-Heart podcast. Hey, this is Matt Jones. I'm Drew Franklin. And this is NFL Cover Zero.

We're just here to try to give you an NFL perspective a little bit different. Did you see the Colts Pretzel? That was my other big takeaway from that game. What was that? Oh, my. We think NFL coverage should be informative and entertaining. And twice a week, that is again. exactly what you're going to get.

Listen NFL Cover Zero with Matt Jones and Drew Franklin on the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Oh, the team I'm excited to watch. Ooh. Ooh, I'm going to go with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers because of the wider receiver corpse. Baker Mayfield distributes the ball very well. They got two outstanding running backs.

Mike Evans just keeps producing at a high level. Chris Godwin's back from Indrable. They got that wide receiver in the first round that they're saying is spectacular. It's going to be a high-powered offense. And who doesn't love to watch football when there's high-powered offenses on the field? And that's what the bucks have.

I'm really excited to just watch these Packers. Like the Micah Parson trade is that big of a deal. He's going to instantaneously make them a contending Super Bowl team. And then I like the draft pick Golden. First round draft pick, first round draft pick used on a receiver for like the first time ever in the organization's history or something like that. They already have a young nucleus of receivers that are already pretty dang good. Christian Watson needs to stay healthy, but downs, there's another, there's the other one.

There's a few, there's like five of them. They're all really good football players. You put on a true number one with Golden with Josh Jacobs in the backfield gives Jordan gives Jordan love a lot of options. So I'm excited to watch them. And then you got Mike on the defense. Like it's going to be exciting. you're in that, that division.

What's your Mount Rushmore of pizza toppings? How do we feel about pineapple? Let me know. I, honestly, I like pineapple on the pizza with, I like the whole, you get a Hawaiian pizza, one, one slice is enough. I can't, like, have the whole night of pizza with pineapple on it, but I don't hate it. I don't, I'm not one of those people that, oh, what the kid? Dude, it's pretty killer sometimes you get those pine.

pineapple, barbecue chicken-type pizzas. Like, those things fucking kick ass. But, one, pepperoni. Pepperoni is always one. The OG. One is always pepperoni. Two, sausage. Oh, those are my top two as well.

And then three is a toss for me because I love black olives on my pizza. Or mushrooms. I like mushrooms. Like, I like a combination pizza. I like, like, like, usually. pepperoni sausage and then like a couple of the veggies including back all of those peppers you're two for four no what's yours mine's the first two that you hit that's why i was like we're on the same page but what's the last one then you went off track oh she wants three oh you want three

you want so so then i went two meats you want four i went yeah so that's mount rushmore yeah oh all right montrashmore is four you're right oh good point all right so mine's pepperoni and sausage obviously and while then I really like meat so I'm going to go with bacon as well I'm a big bacon guy I love bacon in the morning for breakfast love bacon basically for dinner as well I love bacon at any time so bacon is on there but then I want to go a different route you know I'm going with a type of you know some type of veggies definitely probably um rob's veggies like a hamburger meat no peppers love peppers not not like the hot peppers but just bell peppers bell peppers exactly so bell peppers i love that too some flavoring as well so those three meats with bell peppers is

definitely my mount rushmore and that makes for the most delicious pizza that you can have i like it i would eat that last one here we go last one best one hey is bob from beloxi mississippi do you guys think rogers has enough left in the tank to get the steelers to the playoffs or is he washed Biloxi, Mississippi. I can tell you something about Biloxi, Mississippi when I got my knee blown out when I was on the New England Patriots, I got my surgery down in Pensacola, Florida from Dr. Andrews. Dr. Andrews. And Baloxy, Mississippi was the closest city with a casino.

So I was about six days into surgery. It was a day off. So got in the car, went for a ride to Biloxi, Mississippi, went to casino and had myself a day. I did not win, but it gave me some entertainment, and that's all there is to do in Biloxi, Mississippi as well, as go to that dang casino and lose all your money. You're a riverboat gambler, huh? Mm-hmm.

Is it on a river? Was it on a river? It was right on the ocean. Oh, so the... Biloxy Mississippi is on the ocean. Yes. Man, Mississippi, I've never been. Good time.

Good old time. Aaron Rogers wash. I don't think Aaron Rogers is washed. I think he's not Aaron Rogers of 7, 8 years ago Of 2010 when he won the Super Bowl But I think If the Stillers

Can protect the middle Of the pocket And give Aaron Rogers time I think he's gonna do good He looked pretty good Last eight weeks of last year He looked like a He looked Aaron Roger-esque

Because he still could throw the ball He just can't move same. And when you get older, it's harder to move. But he mind-wise, not washed, arm-wise, not washed. Like, if Aaron is 75% of what he was, he's still better than like 90% of people that throw in the National Football League. That's how good of a thrower he was. You know what I mean? So he still has the mind and the arm. It's such a team sport. He has to have the protection. Yes. If the defense is solid, like it always is for the Pittsburgh Steelers and the wide receivers

come and play. If D.K. comes and shows out and the offensive line can do what they just need to do to protect Aaron Rogers just for a long enough time for him to just read the defense and unleash that ball. He will be a very solid player. Solid. Not washed though. Not washed. He's not botched. Biloxi Mississippi

is botched for nightlife. The casino was good. The nightlife I was looking for wasn't really there. So that's Bosch. Bro, they probably don't have an LMFAO. I was looking, I was waiting for. I was waiting for that. I know you were.

I know you were. Okay. Those are some great calls. Is there any party better than a pizza party? I don't think so. That was awesome. Thanks again to our friends at DeJorno. Can't wait for our next pizza party.

And go pick up new DeJorno Woodfire style crust pizza available at Walmart. It's not delivery. It's the journal.