The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz - Top Five NFL Games to Watch in Week 6, Why the Jaguars will Fall to Earth with Ben Axelrod, And Steve Smith Sr. on his Hall of Fame Snub

Episode Date: October 10, 2025

Can Patrick Mahomes fix the Chiefs in time to tame the Lions? Can Baltimore right the ship without Lamar? Can you really pick the Browns to win a game post London? Ben Axelrod joins the show to ponder these Week 6 questions. Plus, an in-depth interview with Steve Smith Sr. on his Hall of Fame snub, Bounty Gate, and his current life in media. Dave Dameshek and the gang have your weekend plans on lock for Football America! Host: Dave Dameshek Guests: Ben Axelrod, Steve Smith Sr. Team: Gino Fuentes, Mike Fuentes, Bradley Campbell Director: Danny Benitez Senior Producers: Gino Fuentes, Mike Fuentes Executive Producer: Bradley Campbell (Photo by Mike Carlson/Getty Images) Timestamps: (00:00:00-00:02:11) Monologue - The Life of Flacco (00:02:11-00:07:13) Listener Feedback and Pick Six Picks (00:07:13-00:34:06) Steve Smith Sr. on Bounty Gate (00:34:06-00:49:29) Top Five Week 6 Games with Ben Axelrod Follow us: Dave Dameshek: https://x.com/dameshek Ben Axelrod: https://x.com/BenAxelrod Steve Smith Sr: https://x.com/stevesmithsr89 Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills, Carolina Panthers, Chicago Bears, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Dallas Cowboys, Denver Broncos, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, Kansas City Chiefs, Las Vegas Raiders, Los Angeles Chargers, Los Angeles Rams, Miami Dolphins, Minnesota Vikings, New England Patriots, New Orleans Saints, New York Giants, New York Jets, Philadelphia Eagles, Pittsburgh Steelers, San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tennessee Titans, Washington Commanders Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

So a rave and a brown and a bengal walk into a stadium, Lambow Field this Sunday, to be exact, and according to his latest head coach, Joe Flacco is even going to start against the Packers. Makes sense in the AFC North, aka the most incestuous division in our league, and I'm not just talking about the old QB who's now gotten himself inside three quarters of the North. Quick bit of history if you had just started watching football somewhere between, say, five minutes and 30 years ago. Long before the Browns made us all laugh by trading for Deshaun Watson on purpose, Many moons before the current Bengals, Plum forgot to get an offensive line or a defense.

There was a guy named Paul Brown. If that name rings a bell, it's because the whole Cleveland Brown's team is named after him. He was the founder and head coach, a legend, revolutionized the whole sport. And believe it or not, the Browns used to be good. Then in 1961, guy named Art Modell buys the team. And in 63, fires Paul Brown.

Brown's like, you can't fire me. The team's named after me. Modell's like, well, I just did. So Brown heads to Sincey and starts up the Bengals and the AFL, made their get-ups look as much like the Browns as possible. Why? Because he's petty, and I respect that. Jumped to the end of the decade. Longtime Cleveland Brown and son of Ohio, Chuck Knoll,

gets hired as the head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Spoiler alert, it worked out. It worked out real, real nice hits. Ditto 35 years later, when another son of Ohio, Ben Rothesberger moved across those same state lines. Of course, the Browns could have taken Rothesbrough, but they went with Kellyn Winslow Jr. instead. In the interim, the Browns moved to Baltimore and rebranded themselves. But deep down, they and Cleveland and all the rest of us know

those are the Browns just wearing purple. I don't know what exactly that makes the team in the Orange Helmits we still call the Browns, but I do know the Ohio River is formed by the intersection to the Allegheny and Mangahela River's in Pittsburgh. As in Pennsylvania, not Ohio. I don't know why they got to name it. But I guess since Pittsburgh got Nolan Rothesberger, we can call it wash. By the by, when Flacko heads to Pittsburgh next week to play fellow old man Rogers, it'll be a homecoming because you know where he played his freshman year of college? Pitt. Let's start the show. Yes, hi and hello, my fellow football Americans. Welcome to NFL week six. Welcome to episode

number 15. Welcome to Football America. Presented by Draft Kings. Draft Kings, the crown is yours we've got steve smith senior and awful announcing's ben axelrod coming up how are you fellas let's start it off like we always do who's the greatest number 15 in NFL history gino and mike this seems like an obvious one to me i'm gonna go pat mahons maybe i'm a prisoner of like my own time here but you're not a prisoner of your own time no he's he's he's really good he's three super bowls he's 30 years old so yeah probably patrick mahomes yeah i do have to throw out bart star of course he won the first two super bowl noteworthy stuff. And if there had been Super Bowls throughout his career, I wonder how many Super Bowls the Packers and Bart Starr would have won. But you're right. I don't need the belabor of Patrick Mahomes. Also shout out Steve Van Buren. Brandon Marshall.

Miami Dolphins legend. Yeah, Brandon Marshall. Okay, before we get to Steve Smith and Ben Axelrod, Gino and Mike Fuentes, let's put our heads together. Pick six presented by Draft Kings. Draft Kings, the crown is yours. The million dollars should be mine by now. It's not. Quite frankly, I blame Mike Fuentes, but let's not live life in the rearview mirror. I'm going to give you my picks here, and Gino and Mike are going to help me out here. Let's press on, like I said last week, I'm a simple-minded man, and I think it's nice and clean to do touchdown scores as opposed to yards and otherwise as we cobble together our half-dozen names here. I'm going Josh Jacobs for a touchdown against the Bengals. George Pickens, now the main man until C.D. Lamb is back with Dak getting a touchdown against Carolina. Giovante Williams gets a touchdown against the Panthers. J.K. Dobbins gets a

touchdown against the Jets. Bo Nix is going to throw a couple of touchdowns against the Jets. And Zach Charbonnet is going to get into the end zone against the Jags. How say you, Gino Fuentes? All right. The only one I see here that I could possibly be not in agreement with is Charbonnet, because those could easily go to Ken Walker. So I would inject a little over here on the passing yards for Bryce Young against Dallas. Dallas defense is horrible against the past. You have no idea what the number is. You're just going to throw it out.

No, it's 2.20 and a half. There you go. At the time of recording. At the time of recording. There you go. So Bryce Young over on passing. Geneo, feel free to take the blaster out of the holster that Mike has attached to his hip and shoot him with it. That's your right.

He tried to embarrass you. Now who gets to him. Well, you got to put it out on the front end. You can't say it after the fact. You know, I have no idea what it is. Hey, I'm going to take this guy at 220. There's a system. Whatever it was, I was going to take it over.

It has to be abided by it. But you know what? That's fine. I'll do it yourself. There you go. I call it. I think that's what he did. Gino baited you and do it. Yeah, that's what it was. That was his thinking the whole time. All right. I got one? Any thoughts from you? Yeah. So I'm not, so what you're saying is there's going to be at least three touchdowns against the New York Jets. Boehner is going to throw two of them and J.K. Dobbins is going to get another one. I think there's going to be way more than that. And he's going to say three. Yeah. And then, but then you kind of have to hope that, you know, J.K. Davins gets one. It's just a lot. And I'm noticing now Pickens, too. Here's the thing about Pickens. Here's the thing about Pickens. Here's the thing about. Here's. about touchdowns in general. They tend to be a little random, right? Pickens has scored in the last two games if I haven't been mistaken. So that means counting on him to score three in a row. I don't know if I love that. What I do love, though, I'm going to use the same strategy I used last week

with Ladd McConkey. I love this the upside down world with you. Yes. So George Pickens is on a heater. Again, I'm going to invoke the analogy with playing 21. Your logic is like, hey, I'm on a roll here. I've hit blackjack three in a row. Like, it can't keep going. I'm out. I'm not big on momentum. I haven't had blackjack in a while. 21's bound to come up here. They are. When it comes to players, especially stud receivers and touchdowns, I think eventually they'll get one.

I'm not saying pickets won't get one. I just don't like that he scored so many times. And don't forget, last week, Ladd McConkey. You have chosen wise. I chose wisely. Ladd McConkey got us a touchdown last week. So I'm going to pick the opposite side of Carolina versus Dallas. And I'm going to say Ted McMillan, the rookie.

Ted McMillan finally gets his first. touchdown at this event against that bad Cowboys defense, he will replace George Pickens with Ted McMillan plus 140 at the time of recording Draft Kings anytime touchdown score Ted McMillan. All right, so that's a standalone, but you can also make it a part

of your pick six. I like that Mike Flintez now has drops a line for himself. All lines, ready to go with the old man in Last Crusade. Very resistant against me using a blaster, though. Let you know what, for the espree decor of it, we'll put Gino's in there, the Bryce Young

overtime, and I do like that one. Who are we taking out, though, Gino? Oh, we're taking Charbonnet. That can go to Walker. It's a random situation. There you have it. Our pick six, and we'll see you in the winner circle, if you tail us, that is.

All right, this is very exciting for me. Way back when I started an NFL network, there was a guy on the Carolina. of Panthers, who used to not just call in, but he would call in for a half an hour, 45 minutes, sometimes we would talk about football, sometimes we would talk about this, that, and the other. One thing's for sure, it was always delightful. I'm glad to see him here now doing The 89 show, co-hosted by another Palavars from NFL Network, James Palmer, episodes release Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays on YouTube

and podcast platforms. one of my favorite guys to bounce off of Steve Smith Sr. How you doing, Pally? Hey, what's up, man? How are you doing? I'm doing just fine. Better now. You look awesome. Do I? Wow. How nice to you do this day. The salt and pepper is going. You got the hair going, you know? I like it. I like it. Yeah, I don't know. What you can't see, what the camera doesn't show you is the flesh Yamaka. I got in the back here. So let me go ahead and put you, give you perspective. Okay. You're complaining about in the back.

What do you do when it just goes? Wow. See, thank you. That's right. See, it could always be worse. I'm not going to say it was worse, just a little bit more convenient. Yeah, that's the one. When it starts going here, there's no hiding that.

You can't really put the salt and pepper, that little pepper shaker thing that I use. It's like magic, Steve Smith. You can't believe how much it feels that. Okay, listen, we're not talking about me. I want to talk about you, and I want to start here, and I'm not trying to fillate you with this one. But where are you on a scale of one to ten? Ten being most vexed, let's say.

What do you mean vexed? Fustrated, angry, you know, put out by this. That you're not in the Hall of Fame yet. With the gold jacket and all of that, scale of one to ten. What would you like? first, the lie or the truth. Can I give you both? No jive. The no jive policy remains. I love sometimes, I love, in these conversations or off-camera, when I'm around buddies and stuff, I always love to say, look, can I give you both? So the lie would be, right, in vexed, I'm a 10.

But honestly, over the years, it's actually reduced itself down to one or to a Z. And here's why. Wow. Man, I've already played and done a career that no one, including myself, ever saw a cup. So whenever it happens, it happens. And I really say it's on God's time because, you know, as you know, there's some things that have happened personally in my life that I believe. the Hall of Fame stuff would be overshadowed. It would be very difficult right now personally

to be celebrated in that regard and deal with some of the personal things that I'm dealing with with my kids that right now I'm glad I don't have to deal with the Hall of Fame stuff which is dealing with So my mom is one of 13 So between My mom Well my grandmother Who just passed

My dad My mom Her kids And then my kids Living On the My mom's side of the family There is about

65 of us Wow Yes And 65 In a ethnic culture, man, you got to take care of everybody, right? And so having to manage all of that and deal with some of the personal things I'm dealing with, my bandwidth can only take so much. My emotional capacity is just very limited right now. And so football has started and has

given me a great opportunity to be able to be, to be, you know, kept busy, get the opportunity to, you know, really avoid it. But at home and at times when I'm by myself, I have to process it. So that's why I'm glad I don't have the Hall of Fame stuff to budget to deal with because I don't think I would be able, I wouldn't be a grateful Hall of Famer at this point because I'll be so emotionally overwhelmed, which would come across like I'm not grateful or I'm agitated

that I didn't get in sooner. Man, I'm already on house money. I wasn't supposed to play 16 years, bro. Right? So the fact that I have, like, man, I can't be jealous or upset or disappointed that I haven't gotten something that I think or someone else thinks

I deserve when, man, I didn't think I was going to play this long anyway. So, you know, especially the way I play, the type of things that I did and how I played, I just didn't expect. Boy, heavy Steve Smith, and I appreciate the candor and, as always, the unvarnished honesty. And, yeah, you know, I'm an extra layer of what you're describing is my entire professional life is now devoted to the passive experience. of talking about the deeds of other people out there.

The distraction that is pro football and it is our most prominent distraction out there in society is exactly what you say. Its greatest gift is that, you know, it's late August and it's back to school time and you're bummed out if you're an 11-year-old, except that you're like, at least football's coming with it. And the ability to always look to, well, at least Sunday, at least I can look at forward to that. It is a legit distraction for your life. It's heavy to hear a guy who I think is a certainly belongs in the Hall of Fame and gets that gold jacket to have that perspective.

Because I do, I do always think that you hear it during the Hall of Fame weekend where the guys who have the gold jacket on talk to the guy just getting inducted. And they're like, how's it feel though? And they're like, man, I can't put it into words. Like of all the people in society who we need the Genia Fleck to, are we sure? it's these guys who've gotten it for the last 30 years of their lives. Aren't there other people we can celebrate besides gilding the, I mean, we are, we've, we've, we've celebrated them, right? They have millions of dollars. And we've cheered for them, 75,000 people at a time for their, for their deeds out there. People aren't you? Anyway, I appreciate the, the sort of perspective

you're laying down. And I will say, Steve, I mentioned those calls that we used to have 15 years or so ago. That was a long time ago, man. It really was. And the thing, the, the recurring theme. The through line of those was you talking about your kids and how important they were to you. So, uh, so, so, man, they still are, man. They still are. I was playing with two of them. I have four. So I was playing with two of them. We had last Saturday, 7.30, uh, T-time, right, with my daughter. And then, uh, she had to go to work. Uh, she does hair. Uh, I mean, so I was with my son, with my, um, 20 year old who's at Liberty University. And so he had drove down and playing 18 with him and he's he's he's he's he's quietly joined a public golf course up at a up in a

lynnburg virginia so he's playing golf twice a week every week now basketball season about to start so he's he has to slow down man that was shooting like 82 83 he is dragging me I'm talking about caveman dragging me on the golf course I mean I know that It's, you're supposed to be like, hey, good for him. I like it. I like to see him. Like, I have mixed emotions. I have, my 16-year-old boy can't beat me at one-on-one yet, which makes me sad for him, given, given the state of the old man's game.

But he can't, but, you know, he can't. Now when I think about it, I agree. I don't know why you get a belated laugh at my expense, Steve, says. Well, it's because the way you said it. summarize it and it was a delay reaction it was like hand on the oven i'm an infant and the delayed i was like oh man he just he just his his son just called a spray a stray from from his dad that he can't beat him in basketball that's really funny he caught a he caught a stray all right it's called my dna that's uh he's got my jeans deal with that go try to play sports saddle with this

at least it's only half of you. It was 100% me trying to compete out there. Anyway, Steve Smith, bottom line should be in the Hall of Fame for real. I mean, not very many receivers win the Triple Crown. Steve Smith did it in Ot 5. Only three other cats in the history of people have ever done that. His numbers are right up there, top dozen and all the relevant numbers for pass catchers. If the Baltimore Ravens and the Carolina Panthers found themselves in Super Bowl,

60, which they won't. But if they did, who would you root for? Who would I root for? Yeah. Oh, man. Would you be like one of those moms that they would cut to in the stands with a split jersey? Like it would be the teal eight and then the purple nine. You know, that is a really tough, tough question because I've never thought about that.

And I've, I'm also. How is it possible you never thought about that? You know, you don't watch the teams and say like, you know, deep down, man in the mirror. You care more about this team. No, I'm watching the teams. That's why it's such a hard question because the current element right now is saying these two teams even making a playoffs right now. I'm not going to say, oh, I'm torn. Right.

So I have a love for both organizations and it's not based on. timeframe. Like, obviously I was there, I was here in Carolina for 13 years. But I was also at a place in my life when I went to Baltimore that I wanted to experience a different organization. And I wanted to see how different a city was. And so in comparing Baltimore to Carolina, I really think, and Carolina fans don't really hear it's, it's unfair if I do. it because they're just different, right? A lot of people who live here in Charlotte, I've been living here for 25 years. And I'm not originally from here. My neighbors are from Chicago. I got another family that's across the way, across the street. Man, they're from Baltimore. Then there's another family that's from Ohio, Texas. So it's a lot of different fan bases and transplants. in Charlotte, where, let's be honest and let's state it, there ain't a lot of people going,

you know what, I'm going to move from Los Angeles to where they used to fill the wire in Baltimore. Bang, that's my spot. They're just not doing. Well, and the other thing is, too, is the Carolina Panthers didn't exist until the mid-90s, so it's not like your great-grandfather used to go to the games in 1953. Yes.

Like, like Dale Earnhardt, Jr., he, is a commander's fan through and through, right? And me and him have talked about this. He's like, man, when I was growing up, there was no football team here. So they would get the commanders game. And so that's just where, you know, so the kids that are growing up now are now kind of the second generation, right? Third generation is peeking his head into saying, hey, this football team. So the city is starting to, like Jello, is starting to come together.

But as they're coming together, some of the, you know, transplants who've taken on the love for the Carolina Panthers also are frustrated with not winning immediately, not having a successful season. So they're just really, I've had the opportunity to experience two different cities at two different levels. the fan base and so it's been infectious for both to be able to start with a small market

go to a big market and so I love them equally but there are some things that I've experienced in Baltimore that I didn't experience in Carolina and obviously there are some things in Carolina that I didn't experience in Baltimore and that's just you know that's part of living

and growing and working for two different organizations in the same field who operate who operate completely different. All right, so what's the answer? Neither. Here's why it's neither. I will not state

who it is because if it's a Super Bowl and they're playing each other, man, damn show you already know this about me. Man, I'm not messing up my free sweet passes. I'm not messing up my sideline.

I'm not messing up my hotel. reservations. Because depending on who's staying at the best hotel, maybe I'm 46. There's luxury that I'm used to. I have to pick and choose to see, which is the home team, which is the wait team, because I'm a Marriott guy. But if you stand at the four seasons or you're staying at the AC, you know, I may just kind of lean over to the four seasons. Okay. Listen, you've said it all with that answer. I think we can agree, though, that it would, the better you uniform matchup would be the purple jerseys versus the old one note the way mr tepper is doing the different combinations with the panthers jerseys and how the blue is starting to become more

man those blue with the order oh as a steelers fan you were regularly a pain in the ass even oh yeah i appreciate that you can deep into your career and your back and your back I was biased, but I always loved the fact that when I would ask you and Ike Taylor, who was the best trash talker, you guys would say each other. And in fact, I would say, what's the worst thing you said to each other? And you said, you told me once, do you remember, I don't know if you have the same line that you had back then. Did you ever talk trashed Ike?

I mean, there's a few times. Ike really, Ike, was it really into it that much? much with me just because Ike was more at the time I felt finesse. He was more about finesse. So a lot of defenders, now that, you know, obviously we talk and all that stuff, they would say, man, we always made sure we kept you comp. We didn't want you to kind of get all riled up. So I don't really remember talking too much to Ike.

Well, you and Ike told me, this is now 10 years ago, but you said it was day time. We didn't want to because we both respect. each other's trash talking game and we didn't want to light any fires in either direction. You also told me during Bounty Gate that the Saints players told you that it was one level worse. It wasn't like, we'll give you something if you hurt somebody. You better go after Steve Smith or I'm going to find you for that. That was a wild. Yeah, that was a wild. So I remember that one particularly how I got that information was, I hate bringing this name up in this regard just because, you know,

all the stuff that's transpired with it, but Darren Sharper. So Dan Sharper, we were on the sideline, and I had a little screen pass that really wasn't going anywhere. So I stepped out of bounds because there was a lot of stuff. And it was one of those, you do more damage with the pursuit, with the pursuit. And so I saw that I was able to see it. And so I stepped out of bounds. And Sharper went after my ankle. And so when he went after my ankle, I grabbed him.

And when I grabbed him, the first thing he said is, I was told to, I was told to I'll get fired. And that was his, that was what he was telling me as I was grabbing him because I was going to give him a great cooking recipe that I have. And I just remember that. And it was like, oh, okay, so I guess it is real. Wow, that's something. Hey, let's lighten the mood here real quick here in our last couple of minutes here. A new game that I've come up with for you. I don't know if you've noticed, but Mike McDaniel is sort of this stony philosopher

and maybe society's most prominent guy in that regard is Matthew McConaughey. So I have a game called McDaniel or McConaughey, McDee or McCee. I'm going to give you three quotes. You tell me which one is Matthew McConaughey's, all right? Okay, here we go. Because they really, they don't. the light. Well, they're right. Not in the looks. They think a lot. Right. Exactly. All right. First one is, I'm going to do this as flat in my nasal monotone as I possibly can. Good morning. False. Great morning. Let's go. Because we're a day closer to death.

Okay. That's one quote. Next quote. It's not about hugging trees. It's not about being graceful. Like you just got to find that balance. That's the second quote. The third one is, Visualize Christmas. I mean, who doesn't think the colors of Christmas, green, red, sometimes brass or gold. Maybe just maybe those colors can inspire you. Which one of those three is the mixee of the bunch? One to the middle two, two, two, two. All right, all right. Boy, Steve Smith, you know you're McConaughey, don't you? It's not about hugging trees. It's not about being graceful. Like, you just got to find that balance. Last question for you is because it's apparently the latest lightning rod in football America. And that is Bad Bunny is playing the halftime show. Oh, yeah, yeah. We started out scale a 1 to 10 concern level.

How concerned are you about Bad Bunny playing at halftime of the Super Bowl? I'm not really concerned. I think Bad Bunny, he brings a different element that, you know, people may not. necessarily agree with, but it's entertainment, right? And I think when you look at the last couple of Super Bowls, the Super Bowl halftime show and where we are, society-wise, the people who don't actually even pay for much have always the most to set. And so you've got to kind of balance and allow the

The water cooler conversation has now become frontline news. It's no longer you have to have legitimate resources. It's just you say whatever you want to say, and you say how you feel. And for whatever reason, regular people who sometimes don't have a dog in a fight believe that we who are in the media who get paid to do this, like we need to seek their permission for our happiness or our ability to speak our mind and so I would say this bad bunny it brings a different culture to American football

that may be missing or may not be there but at the end of the day the the powers that be that actually decided on this didn't ask you they didn't right and here's the example I give you I was playing golf one time out in Charlotte we were playing up at the late and you know

up at the late in this in this private course there's a lot of big time Dale Jr's hard to beat you know so we're it wasn't another name it was just a regular guy and my and it was my dude and he goes uh it was I'll name

him Joe Fushi and he's and one of the players was basketball player and his house was right there so we're teeing off and he has I think it was a Lamborghini it was a nice expensive car and he looks at me he goes I don't like that color

and I looked at it and I said when that dude bought that $300,000 $400,000 car Joe he didn't ask your ass if you liked it he didn't even call you man hit the ball and shut up now Joe's my guy

but it really showed me like that dude that's his car nobody gives a damn what you think when he was decided on his quarter of a million dollar car he didn't go well I guess the guy

who's going to be on the 10 T-box over there I wonder if he's going to like the color or not no Yes, Lamborghinis cost a lot. Bad Bunny appearing has the biggest available audience of people who haven't played. You know, Beyonce, is Taylor Swift done it? Whoever's that. It's a short list of names that can command the audience to stick around through the half hour long halftime.

It's not some vast, we got you, conspiracy. You know, they've had a lot of big time names out there. Bad Bunny is kind of the next on the list. He's a big name. and brings in an audience that you otherwise might not be able to capture. He brings an international audiences, what? Of course, of course. Last thing is this, how, because you were a part of, as these halftime shows came up,

you were there in the locker room in Houston. How aware, if at all, are you? I had no idea. You had no idea what was going on with Janet Jackson's bosom. I, no. How would you, right? I didn't know. Like, I've talked to some Ravens who were in the,

blackout and they they were kind of aware of what was happening outside and everything because the blackout affected the locker room yeah well right yeah they were literally standing there while they were doing yeah so so some of the some of that's the unique part about doing media now is i've grown to respect that there's so much and there's so many things going on hours and weeks before the game as a player that I just didn't know, right? And I remember working the Super Bowl way of Minnesota. You know, I had the early shift.

It was like 5 a.m. So there was like 4.45 call time, 3 a.m. getting up. And, man, it was like a mini busy city underneath, on the field, behind in the tunnel of people laying wires, doing this, getting things prepared. And it was 4 in the morning. I'm getting up 4 in the morning. but not really cognizant, just kind of like, oh, and man, people are, man, they only fourth cup of coffee. They are going.

And so it just, that's one of the things I do love about my job in the media is, man, I get to meet some of the people who are the nuts and bolts of making our great game as good as it is, right? That you and I get to dress up in a suit or we get to look great. but man there's people so many men and women that's behind the scenes that don't get as much accolades that they deserve because when something is happening or something that doesn't happen that person never gets acknowledged all the stuff that they did they stopped their job stopped from happening we only we only like to complain and bring up people when things don't happen according to plan your acknowledgement of all the people by behind the scenes. It doesn't matter what level you're at. It's how you treat those people around you. Steve Smith, you've never been anything, but over and above, not just gracious, but fun and insightful and willing to pull the curtain back. You mentioned that Minnesota Super Bowl. You and I

shared some SUV rides back and forth and really the stories that you had were second to none. And you approved it again here. Steve Smith, thank you for the time, pal. Glad to You're keeping your chin up there. Absolutely. Football is a distraction, if nothing else. I've been through worse, so I'll be all right. I trust that you will. The 89 show with James Palmer, make sure you're checking it out.

Please do that. I got, you know, now with my situation, I got Christmas. You know, I'm over here hustling. I don't want to turn it to a male stripper. You know what I mean? Yeah, do that right after you listen to every episode of Football America. And please, on behalf of it, no one wants to see that, Steve Smith. Whoa.

All right, man. Appreciate you. Be good, 89. All right, here is our longtime guy here to do the top five NFL week six games picked down. He's from Awful announcing, of course, including his piece this week about Travis Kelsey's Wood. It's our old pal, Ben Axelrod. What's happening, fella? How are you?

I'm doing great. Just putting that journalism degree. agree to good use here, writing about Travis Kelsey's Wood and anything else that comes across our desk here at awful announcing. And doing play by play, the podcast, great stuff there out of awful announcing. If you care about sports media, you should tune into that, or you can jump into Mike Fuentes, is text chains. Apparently Ben Axelrod's all over them. I want in on some text chains. Quick question before we start making the picks here, Ben Axelrod. I'm sure you're up to speed, as is the rest of the society that my son asked me this question, and now I'm asking

everybody else. Tomato or potato, you can only have one for the rest of your life. Choose. Easily potato for me. I'm actually not a big tomato person in general. The only reason I like tomatoes is for the ketchup, and I primarily use ketchup on French fries. And so if I don't have French fries, I have no use for the ketchup anyways.

And so, yeah, I'll go with potatoes all day, any day. Okay. I mean, the one, somebody mentioned this on social media. I believe it was, if memory serves, it was listener Aaron Sullivan. And if I'm right, I deserve a pat on the back for nailing it. He said salsa. What? I didn't even think of salsa. First of all, you can't go to Italian restaurants anymore because they'll just vex you for the rest of the time. Like, I guess I'll have the Marsala again, you know, while everybody else eats vealas. Parmesan and otherwise, and pizza and barbecue, too. I can argue about this all day, but let's get into the pick, shall we, Axelrod? Let's do it. All right. Let's start it off in our weekly countdown at number five. And if we have time, I do want to get the Eagles ex-coordinator showdown between the – well, actually, you know what?

Let's do that one. Ganon v. Steichen, Eagles – former – coordinators, then they left, then the Eagles had a down year in between their two Super Bowl runs. Now it's the Cardinals at the Colts. The number at the time of this recording, seven and a half for Indianapolis total 46.5. Ben Axelrod, how say you? I'll take the Cardinals and the points. That's just a lot of points to me to still be laying with Danny Dimes. I know he's been kind of this year, Sam Darnold, and had that first breakout month there. But I still think Jonathan Gannon, for all the negative press he's getting this week, I think he's a really good

defensive coach. I think the Cardinals are largely a talented team. You've started to see Marvin Harrison Jr. kind of put it together the last couple of weeks. So give me, I think the Colts win, but I'll take the Cardinals and the points. Very interesting pick there. Number one, five foot, number one, Kyler Murray is going to be playing on one foot, it seems. He's hobbled as as it's been described. Also, it is interesting to me that Gannon seems fairly somehow he's come out of this demarcato thing looking a little bit better. Is that a fair assessment from somebody who's evaluating how the world at large considers these head coaches now? I think so. I think that, you know, you show the raw emotion on the sidelines and then you get the moment of contrition. You get the

$100,000 fine, which is just like a crazy fine for, you know, pretty basic coaching antics on the sideline. I think the thing that's not getting talked about enough with Jonathan Gannon is he's actually from Cleveland, Ohio. And so I think when you look at the way the Cardinals lost that game, you just have to wonder if he has some sort of like Cleveland Brown's DNA in him that causes DeMarcato to drop the ball right in front of the goal line or the defender to fumble the interception. Like that was a very Cleveland Brown's loss.

And I'm sure that's the kind of loss that Jonathan Gannon grew up with being from Cleveland. If he wins, then people will get back on board with these Arizona Cardinals. And it occurs to me, Liam Cohn and Nick Siriani, probably that trio since Adam Gase gave the worst head coach introductory press conferences. Maybe there's something to giving a lousy introductory press conference, and it leads to success. I don't know why that would be true. Meantime, I am going to lay the points. Colts 27, Cardinals 18. Kyler Murray's got to be able to move around it. If he's limited in that regard. I don't have high hopes for Arizona there. At number four, no one getting real loud about the Seattle Seahawks this week. Gino Fuentes was a week ago

after their victory, now down after Sam Darnold threw the game away on his side of the field against Tampa Bay. Beautiful matchup, though. I think we can agree there. They are at the Jacksonville Jaguars fresh off their big win. Jags are laying a point and a half total is 47 and a half. Ben Axelrod, choose. Yeah, this feels like a classic comeback to Earth game for the Jaguars. I think you're, one, you're coming off the short week. You're coming off the big emotional win over Kansas City on Monday night, obviously. And then on the other side of that, you have Seattle with the bounceback win. Seattle coming off the loss of the bucks, a game they very well could have won. I think these are two like fairly evenly matched teams. And so when you just go, this is such great

logic, one team won, now they're going to lose the other team lost. Now they're going to win. But that's how I think this is going to play out. So I like that Seattle defense. I like obviously Jackson Smith, Njigibah, Ohio State Buckeye. I think that this is a good Seattle team. It's just hard for me to imagine them dropping two in a row here. And then what? The Jags are going to be, what would they be five and one?

Like that can't happen. Four and one, five and one? Like that's too good of a record for the Jaguars. I'll take the Seahawks here. Listen, I talked to Mike Fuent as the other day and he has maintained his cynicism about Trevor Lawrence. And of course, the high-end guys and the high-end teams do it again the following week and they continue to do it. But for what it's worth, with the game on the line against the mighty KC Chiefs, Trevor Lawrence did in fact throw a strike to Brian Thomas there. The falling on

his button getting back up, that was more fluky. But the throw he made up the right sideline was for real. I'm going to take the Seahawks here, 26 to 24. I'm surprised by that number being solo only a point and a half coming off of that win the jacks seem for real i feel like there's some baits some chum in the water out there i'm gonna i'm gonna take uh seattle uh crossing football america there you mentioned ohio state very quickly i got to get you in on this as a semi-objective big ten observer indiana hoosers oregon ducks choose i'll take uh i'll take the ducks i like dante more i know that's uh i'm coming in here and i'm picking against your alma lotter, but I like what Dan Lannings done with that program.

I think Dante Moore has quietly been probably the best quarterback in college football this season. I know the Hoosiers signal caller is no slouch either, but I'll just, I think overall, from a talent standpoint, I think the ducks have the better roster, so I'll roll with them. Oh, Fernando. That was a song by Abba, right? They sang a song, Fernando. Correct.

Okay, grim times in Charm City, the former Cleveland Brown. or really the Cleveland Browns in their purple jerseys, as I pointed out earlier. Rams paying a visit there and get this. This is how bad things are for Baltimore right now. They are not just a home dog. They're getting seven and a half at home against the L.A. Rams who are good. They ain't the they ain't the 78 Steelers though. Choose here, Axelrod.

Yeah, like you said, it's a lot of points. I just, I don't want to be on this. Ravens side in any way without Lamar Jackson at quarterback at this point. And I think you take that and then you factor in the Rams not only coming off a long week after that heartbreaking loss to the 49ers, but then the state of the Ravens, their injuries and all of that, like the Ravens didn't just lose to the Texans. They got blown out. I think this could go very well go the way the Bengals went with Jake Browning at quarterback

where it's just kind of blowout after blowout. and so you take that you factor in the rams long week coming off a loss i just think this is a spot for for sean mcvay to kind of do his thing so i don't like laying seven and a half on the road especially with a team going from east or from west to east but uh i just if if i'm going to take a dog i have to at least think there's a chance they can win and i don't see any situation where the ravens win this game all right maybe this is me being a child or it probably is um almost certainly i mean i got seven and a half for the Baltimore Ravens.

I know that a lot of the name brand guys are not going to be in uniform for this one. Some on their way back. It's not going to be Lamar Jackson, though. I think the Rams win the game, but I think they win it close, 30 to 27. I just can't bring myself to go against the Ravens with that many points playing there in Baltimore. At number two, let's get to the big one now, shall we, for you and me, for me and you, for everybody on either side of the Ohio, Pennsylvania. border. And as always, I have to say as one of society's great empaths, I feel for you. I feel for

football fans in Ohio, especially on the eastern side of the state. You're so close. You're right there, like an hour south or less. There's the Hall of Fame. It's on your side of the border. Unfortunately for you, it's filled with too many Pittsburgh Steelers, but you can go and visit them anytime you want. Or you could cross the border and go and see the city that has all the Lombardi trophies. Somehow the football gods decided to smile on the one side and do what they've done to you. That leads us up to here. I don't know if you heard, Miles Garrett, you'd have to kill him to keep him off the field. Also, is there any evidence looking at Miles Garrett and his ongoing dominance that it ain't worth paying a guy that level of money in the quarterback league? If anybody can tell

me who the quarterback is, who's getting paid gigantic bank. And that resulted in his team being atrocious, a guy who we all understood to be a top five quarterback in the league getting paid. And that team perennially stinking, I'll be stunned because I'm pretty sure there is zero evidence of that in the 21st century. But Miles Gare are making all that coin, and it makes no difference for the Cleveland Browns. The Browns are six and a half point dogs in Ackershire Stadium. 38 and a half is the total. Ben Axelrod. Cleveland Browns fan

Choose Yeah I think this line opened that four and a half And I'm not surprised It's trending the other way So I like my My method when it comes to picking games Is sometimes it's gut feel Sometimes it's something as stupid

As this team coming off win This team coming off loss Some games I have the like a legitimate angle for And usually with the Browns games My angle is it's the Browns I'm picking against the Browns Smart But I have an angle here

year. And it's that the Browns are the first team to come back from overseas and face a team that's coming off its buy. And so the Browns, for whatever reason, when you go overseas, the Browns just played in London against the Vikings, you can elect to have your buy week the following week. For whatever reason, the Browns chose not to have their buy week this week. So they're coming back from their buy, and they're going to face the Steelers on the road who are coming off their own buy. And so I think, when you look at that, you look at the state of the Browns, they just traded one of their starting cornerbacks in Greg Newsom.

This is clearly a team, you know, that's in full-on rebuild mode. They just traded their week one starter to a division rival in Joe Flacco, if that tells you anything about the state of this franchise. So I liked this better at four and a half picking the Steelers. I'll still take it at anything under a touchdown. So I'll take the Steelers minus six and a half here. I think this is a, I've seen this spot for the Browns in Pittsburgh. and I know how it usually goes.

I agree with everything you said. Also throw in what you've heard ad nauseum this week and we'll continue to up and two kickoff. Mike Tomlin doesn't lose coming out of the by, generally speaking. He generally dominates rookie QBs. There's plenty of evidence to say the Steelers should roll in this one. I don't know, man. It's an AFC North game. And the Steelers are riding high.

And the Steelers under Mike Tomlin have had, I mean, legitimately since he got there, a bad habit of not putting their best effort out there against bum teams. That's what the Cleveland Browns are. I think the Steelers win it, but like most AFC North Games finish, 19 to 17 will be your final. The Steelers win it, but barely last up the main event. Lions, Chiefs in Arrowhead, the home team laying two and a half, Ben Axelrod, choose. this feels like a get right spot for the chiefs and i don't really have this is more of a gut feel this is not i don't have a strong angle on this but this just feels like a kind of empty the tank type of game for the chiefs if they lose this they drop to two and four the the broncos are starting

to click in the afc west she rice coming back next week so that's dangling out to just get this one and we're in good shape yeah and the lions have obviously had their own success i mean this is a game they can afford to lose. And so I think, look, I think these are two teams that are going to be in the mix come next late January heading in to February. It would not shock me to see either team in their respective conference title game or even the Super Bowl. And so I think you take a team that needs to win, you take a team that can afford to lose. You add it all together. I'm going to take the chiefs here, as I'm typically won't to do when it comes to taking the chiefs and Patrick Mahomes.

Well, bottom line is, I'll make it quick. I am leaning in your direction, but I'm going to have it both ways. I'm going to take the Lions to win it. 34 to 33. Chiefs keep it fairly close, not a bad idea to go with the Chiefs. Although last year, last couple of years, it's been a bad idea to go with the Chiefs as a home favorite. A lot of the time, no matter who they're playing, and this is one of the real heavyweights of pro football. Hey, Ben Axelrod, awful announcing.

I mean, I watch, I check it out every single day. I check it. Great work by you and everybody over. there. Thanks so much for the time, pal. Let's do it again soon. Absolutely. Thanks for having me, Dave. There he goes. Ben Axelrodden. Here we go to. We'll talk to you on the other side of NFL week six. Until next time, Football Americans, thanks so much. It's been a thin slice of heaven. And let's go, Coach SIG smoke them. You too, Coach Tomlin.