Final 2024 season predictions: Super Bowl, MVP, more awards

Intro hello welcome to football 301 I am Nate Ty we have our last preview prediction before pre-season show before we hit the NFL regular season which starts on Thursday with a juicy Chiefs Ravens matchup but today we're going to be give our last little predictions here let's a little breaking the bottle before we get into this season MVP offensive player of the year comeback Player of the Year division winners Super Bowl champion all the good stuff to help me do that for a three-man weave as we get into this season we have Matt Harmon how you doing today Matt I'm doing good yeah it's um it feels like we've been making these predictions for about five months now uh so I'm ready to put the prediction business aside and actually start talking about some games but for one last ride I'm happy to be here one last ride is right and the third person on that Last Ride Mr vers himself Charles McDonald how you doing today Chuck I'm doing good uh I just got up off the couch for the first time since Thursday so uh I've watched so much football this weekend like I literally did not leave my apartment got a bunch of food delivered the mighty Georgia Bulldogs have once again uh they have claimed their path towards dominance on the rest of you feeble college football fans so we are fully back my friend and it's a beautiful weekend jayen Walker Jon Walker number 11 standing out he made my top 20 yeah if I hit one of them at least they went too far last year in the game by doing the double spies on jayen Milo but just let him just let him cook off the edge rush the passer he's good I went to the USC LSU game which was a lot of fun good showing from USC fans which makes sense being in Vegas but LSU fans of course traveled very very very well got some good quarterback play too so that was fun good that's an upside living in Vegas just get these games just get these random oh want to go USC LSU oh yeah me and my dad figured that out like six days ago it was great but anyways like I said who was the drunkest LSU fan you saw oh uh there was a there is a there is an old man I would say over 70 they I saw they they're was I was coming out of the bathroom and I just see a wheelchair and I see all these Medics I'm like oh God like the guy's like 70 and I'm like oh man this guy's dehydrated you know was hot in Vegas and all that and then I just saw you know you know a little urine stay going from you know the crot all the way down and his son his son's just going his son's just going we just get you water pops we'll just get you water and and I was like oh man you know it's it was hot and everything and and then the daughter just goes we shouldn't have been doing those shots and then that's and then that's all I heard and I was I walked by and I was like oh that that was an hour before the game 45 minutes before the game started it was right when we got to the stadium so yeah that was that was a good one I mean you got a 430 kickoff in Vegas anything past one is is dangerous yeah I I know it's it's dicey there but yeah that was good well and yeah yeah plenty of good games we'll get to plenty of college talk later but this is the NFL's time of course it is it's always the NFL's time it's a year round sport but this is our final predictions for the season like I said before we're going to do Awards all the good ones do some division winners do some other stuff in there if we have the time also if you have the time there's big news if you like money hurry up we only have a couple more days yaho Sports NBC sports that was like an eight out of 10 are teaming up for a mill million dollar sweep Stakes all you got to do sign up for a Yahoo fantasy league for instant entry someone's got to win a million bucks but after week one only one more day by the time you hear this so yes go check it out details at yahoo.com Fantasy million so we are going to pick each award we'll start with some good ones as uh my old co-host Robert would say the best actor you know best supporting actor best actress before we got to the best picture as we get through these wordss which is MVP and all that good stuff so and then we're going to have our little Darkhorse selection for each one so if you didn't have like a chalky pick or someone that's under 20 to1 we'll call it you know so anywhere from favorite to 19 to1 okay that's going to be your normal selection and then you'll have your Dark Horse if any any bombs 20 to1 or more we use B MGM for all of these okay we're going to start off enough the housekeeping let's get to this offensive player of the year Matt Harmon who is your pick for offensive player of the year and your dark hores if you want to throw it in there as well yeah uh my Offensive & Defensive Player of the Year pick for offensive player of the year is going to be CD lamb Dallas Cowboys wide receiver because I mean my God if they're going to have a functional offense maybe just a functional football team he's going to have to go absolutely berserk this year he already went absolutely berserk last year so we know he's capable of that kind of season uh my Darkhorse though is Garrett Wilson who I think is talented enough to make a very CD lamb type of jump where last year I would have put cidd lamb kind of at the top of the tier 2 receivers in the league he was right there like the first guy left off the tier one list I think guys probably Garrett Wilson this year uh who is right up there at the top of tier two to me but I think has the talent ability and potential to make that jump to tier number one uh so I think if again if the Jets are going to make the playoffs which spoil alert I do have them as a playoff team they're going to make that jump it's going to be because the Aaron Rogers Garrett Wilson connection was as on fire as it possibly could be and I think that's probably what's going to happen this year you're extrapolating that one drive from preseason last year it should throw it looked awesome man it looked I can picture it in my mind I'm like this is going to look just like Devonte Adams this is going to look great uh I I like that pick a lot that one was staring at me at the dark hor selection I did not go with it but I I really do like that pick Charles offensive player of the year who you got uh I went with beon Robinson from you know the Falcons and I didn't really feel like this was a homer pick I just think he's gonna have a huge season um even if you're moving away from like a scheme that seemed ideal for him last last year with Arthur Smith and moving forward to Zach Robinson I think just having Kirk Cousins just it alleviates so much pressure from the offense even if he's not like you know a Bonafide Elite quarterback just like having an adult in the room makes a whole like a big amount of difference from where they were last year so uh I'll go with bejon Robinson I think he's going a big year on the ground Big Year through the air too uh hopefully he's figured out how to run some of those Choice routes that he really struggled with oh man this dude hug that sideline man holy C crap his his his GP those look like mine in college but he is insane at so much and just this one weird thing this one weird trick he can't do it's like yeah the weirdest thing yeah I don't know but I I I think this is going to be a big year for him my Dark Horse I didn't look quite at the odds for the Dark Horse but so I don't know exactly where he is but I went with Nico Collins from Houston Texans it's pro football 301 favorite Nico Collins very very very Nik Pro Niko Collins I the only the only thing that K that kept me like being a little more hesitant on this I I'm not sure if he's going to have all the targets he needs to put up the numbers for offensive uh player of the year but like at the very least I think this could be probably the most efficient wide receiv receiver season in the League this year outside of like whatever is going on in San Francisco because they've they've hacked it that's what you never know odds wise digs had Diggs has better odds to win this award than Nico does so it's pick and beon technically counts as a Dark Horse cuz it's 20 to1 so you you you're giv all the dart throws you never know I I'm with you on the niik Collins I think we we're all fans it's the usage is just that those Shanahan offenses sometimes the X receivers Andre Johnson usage or Julio usage you know of course those guys are alltime guys I'm not saying Nico Collins is a Hall of Famer quite yet or sometimes it's iuk you know where it's it's hyper efficient but it's x amount of targets that are way way lower uh amount of usage than than maybe the other top guy so uh I kind of split you guys here now I feel kind of like a fraud my pick though is CD lamb at 10 to one uh also just looking at the Cowboys what they did last year using CD moving him around or using him more on the outside would say when he was outside they used him more it wasn't like he lined up more on the outside but also just looking who else is with the Cowboys offense going where else are all the targets going okay Ferguson all right a little bit of cooks Tolbert uh who who else we got in here you know uh that's I'm trying to figure that out the running game should be in so I think it's just going to be a heavy passage pass where you get a lot of targets much like last year especially the last 12 of weeks last year my Darkhorse selection at 20 to1 is bejan Robinson so which is also one that I like as just a normal pick so I kind of feel like I'm cheating here but everything you guys said I also like Jonathan Taylor a little bit at plus 3500 just I think that run gamees can be really really good I'm I'm very excited uh with the Colts spoilers for the rest of the show all right moving on to the defensive side of the ball Defensive Player of the Year Charles since you played dline I don't know what you start with this one who is your pick for defensive player of the year Michael Parsons I don't think I need to explain this one but I I will say the I'm pretty excited to see what he looks like in Zimmer's defense not not that I imagine that his his role will change all that much l just please just pin your ears back and go get after the rusher but if they're just like a little bit more structured on defense maybe that could put him in situations where he has like just a split second that he needs to to get home and actually make plays uh because I remember like towards the back half of the Season there were some reckless Michael Parson's takes and oh he's disappearing in big games can't count in the playoffs do we want to pay yes yes he he is that good he absolutely do like there's no question and I I think if you go back and watch the games like his performance didn't really fall off it's just when you're a oneman show on a very leaky defense it's pretty easy to avoid you you know if if you if we're if we're rushing the passer we got to look out for Michael Parsons but like Trevon Diggs is out your linebackers are 190 pounds that's pretty easy to mitigate uh so I think this will be a better situation for him I think he's going to put up some monster stats this year I'll go with him as my uh defensive play the year selection for my Dark Horse I went with uh continue with the the Georgia Bulldogs team I went jayen Carter from the Eagles uh I I I I want that was minus a that you were going to pick this one like yeah for this falcon and a bulldog so far so we're we're right on schedule I I went I went back uh I went actually went back this past weekend before like all the college football started and I went back and I just watched like let's call it some of the first half of his season from last year dude he was UN he was like unblockable and then at some point just hit a wall and it it wasn't quite the same so I'm going to extrapolate let's call it the first half of the Season he had last year over a full season slate we'll give him a dark horse defensive play of the Year pick I think it's at he's at 50 to1 right now it's not a terrible one man you gotta be on a winning team and who knows how the defense is going to be but I like it all right Matt who do you have on the defensive side ball defensive player that your picks yeah I went with Aiden Hutchinson we talked about this one a little bit on the NFC show Nate where I think he's got the name recognition uh you know they're shouting at his freaking parents on broadcast so people know who he is I think the lions are going to be really really good this year I think they're also when we're trying to parse out credit for when the Lions have a big year I think offensively they have so many guys who can kind of cannibalize each other nobody's going to give Jared GF MVP so it's like well we got to give something to the Lions how about Aiden Hutchinson defensive player of the year because he's going to have the production I think the defense will take a step um you know excited about some of the defensive backs that they added this year so overall I think they can play more of what Aaron Glenn wants and um I wanted to go something a little bit different he's plus a thousand so it's not quite dark horsey but uh it's at least a little bit different for Darkhorse I went way off the board and I went Brian Burns just because I think that he is the new face there in New York and that defensive line is going to be ferocious it doesn't really add up because I don't have the Giants being a good team this year but that's not GNA be the defense's fault so there we go that's kind of my my feeling on them too I uh yeah I Brian Burns I had a couple years ago I was kind of one of my Darkhorse guys he's always in that 50 to1 range and I'm always like God you see all those sacks like look that just yeah to the moon to the Moon we're going to bet on this yeah but no great call I like that one I this is always hard because you need sacks these days like it's hard for a DB as much as I well spoilers for my dark Darkhorse pick but you need sacks and you need to be on a winning team slash a very good defense or a standout defense that's kind of been the trend you kind of need to be a guy that's been known for this like okay it's a buildup to you to win the award why I'm saying all this is why I think it's Michael Parson or that's my pick as well it's chalk plus you know 550 you know Charles kind of hit it but I think in Zimmer's defense that is a little more sound as a 43 D end uh also in those double mug looks where he's lined up over the center I'm really excited to see him in those when denil Hunter was in this type of Defense he was getting he had 12 and a half sack season 14 and a half 14 and a half denal Hunter's good very good and Michael parsons's I think is much better as a pass stretcher as good as Hunter is Parson that much better I'm very excited I I just think this defense has some teeth even if they do have a couple holes but I do think he can rack up some stats they get him you know put them over the top of that Ward Darkhorse hey I just mentioned his name denil Hunter at plus 3500 yeah just same thing even if Will Anderson Will Anderson to me is more of khil maish where it's like eight and a half sacks very good against the run where I think denil can maybe get the sack numbers that get him that you know narrative with the Texans oh look at this team double digit wins the match the star quarterback over there the new player that we signed all these types of things so that jayen Carter is a great one off ball players pick one Kyle Hamilton Fred Warner that's that's if you want a dark horse like Dart throw that's it's just hard it's just hard to pick one that's not like a sack guy no no Max Crosby I actually thought someone would throw throw him in there no I couldn't put him over a Parson I just I couldn't do it I I did think about it but I don't know I thought that would be I thought that'd be the alt pick much as I love Crosby there there's a tier jump like once you get to Michael Parsons I feel like he's kind of he plays a lot of reps so it's like where where can more Stats come from too to kind of match it so yeah that also like how good are the Raiders going to be um did not consider them this one of my Wild Card picks and not having them in the AFC West so um again I I said the same thing about Brian Burns but you know I think that's going to ultimately hold him back so that's why I went Burns as a dark horse here but yeah I like that good team good uh good team good probably better defense at least Improvement wise with Aiden Hutchinson so that was my logic there all right now we'll move back to offense offensive Rookie of the Year this is a fun one actually Matt we'll start with you who is your pick for offensive Rookie of the Offensive & Defensive Rookie of the Year, Comeback Player of the Year Year this year it's really hard for this award to go to anything other than a quarterback Kyler Murray had like an all right season you know uh that one year that he ended up winning it over Josh Jacobs who was just like extremely productive so I went quarterback here I went boring uh I went with Caleb Williams uh as my as my pick I went with Drake may as my Darkhorse though and I think that and this is not pandering to you Nate Ty um it's not I I think they have to just be like a midlevel team H because again I like what's the point of me coming on here and saying like oh yeah I don't know this receiver is gonna do it I mean even Marvin Harrison's like plus 700 he's not even really a darkh horse for this award which is kind of outrageous uh that that he's even that high and I I I considered Marvin Harrison as just my straight up pick but for one I think the Bears are going to make the playoffs uh I think the roster is really good and he just has so much to work with this Caleb Williams so it didn't make sense to even go for another receiver as the Darkhorse because I Xavier Worthy is not winning this award I think Keon Coleman is winning this award or something like that so I just went with another quarterback and uh Drake May's odds were a little bit long enough to to consider there I I think he basically just has to get on the field in like week two week three and survive make a bunch of big plays and survive and have the Patriots be a little bit better than their expected win total which I think is possible and I think he could end up winning this award oh just music to my ears the uh I think if you just looked at the schedule it's probably week five that's that that looks like the prime spot but we'll see we'll see I I like that they said they're assessing it they're assessing the o line week day by day they said so we'll see I think he's too good how do how do you feel if you're an offensive line on an offensive lineman on that team or like when are we just dude everyone knows when are we just not terrible enough to get the quarterbacks killed or at least the right quarterback well I've been thinking how do you think jaob brassette feels where they're just like oh dude we can't put Drake behind them they'll get killed what about me I'm doesn't mean I want to get hit a bunch yeah this this went from oh man jaob Bret's our best quarterback and like we're gonna play our best quarterback now like well we'll just play him until you know he's he's he's just may straight up say he's been better he was like May's been better but as soon as he said that I was like oh okay this is a yeah this is Canon fodder this is this is just all right let's eat some reps make sure we're good here oh okay Drake yeah it's all it's all sealed up now it's all good to go uh oh yeah I know the I actually when we when I open up my dock I thought my pick which is Marvin Harrison Jr was going to be chalk I just in my head like I was like oh this is easy like f and he's plus 700 and if I were a betting B which I was now I can't be uh by the way yeah but he's at plus 700 I really like that but it's all the Cardinals optimism I I think he's going to eat the Mind share of those targets or at the very least him and McBride in some way shape or form I think that he can score in the red zone so he'll have touchdown production he'll get some of the fantasy recognition not saying he's going to break a record or do anything like that but even if he gets over I would say Garrett Wilson plus rookie season numbers something of that sort like that I I think that's more than enough I do like you said though Caleb Williams to me is set up for a Kyler Murray rookie type year that's kind of how in my head I think the team will be better but production wise that's how I'm picturing it so it's so funny you brought up that example because that's how I'm picturing in my head that those two in the long run that those are two and kale BLS is at plus 130 uh favor right now ridiculous it's pretty heavy rooking quarterback's hard I'm excited about all these guys but I'm still trying to temper it's like we haven't seen like a Herbert rookie year in a few years now like I know stoud came out the second half of the year but it's hold on for that first month like St in the first month was like little flashes then we saw it and that's the crazy thing so like stad won this award when there was admittedly a day three rookie receiver but a rookie receiver broke rookie records in puka AA and CJ St still won the award Garrett Wilson won in 22 no good quarterbacks uh in the 2022 draft class or the 22 draft class then in 21 the number one overall pick was Trevor Lawrence who was stuck with Urban Meer at the time so yeah that's right that my Dark Horse though and this is the timeline I think Matt likes it's Blake corm at plus 66 plus 6600 just as a hey if Kiren Williams at 191 pounds can't handle the load it's set up for a juicy situation if they get that Health right no line or whoever's playing at Center like no one loves switching centers more I mean it's like a hockey team like with the line change they're just switching centers like then M then Shawn mcy like they like Steve AA might be playing center now or or might not they might be switching him back to guard and and figuring it out with somebody else now it's oh yeah yeah so we got all that going on uh yeah a week before the season starts still still still optimistic about the offense at least all right Charles I skipped ahead of you we're going to you offensive rookie the year who is your selection uh first Caleb I mean we've been talking about how good he is we've been talking about how good the situation is he's plus 130 I don't know it it feels and we've already seen it in action too if we have proof of concept in the pre season so I don't I I don't really feel a need to pick anyone else there if I end up wrong I don't care process is fine um the the the Dark Horse here yeah okay I I'm really excited to see because you you kind of hinted that this is kind of stinky right so you okay because for the Rookie of the Year once I went deep Cuts so like talking plus 10,000 um and okay okay well this is all only going back to last year when uh before we like configured like the new podcast structure did a podcast with C Robin Jory where I said the Colts were my dark hor te to make the playoffs because I think they're at like plus 10,000 at the time and they both made fun of me and they were one game away from making the playoffs so they were I'm I'm coming here with you know some credibility to my name I'm going with jayen Wright from the Dolphins oh baby that's a deep cut and I got to say not wasn't a big fan of me Prospect but I think we talked about it on this show a couple weeks ago where I I can't think of a more perfect landing spot for a blind running back that runs fast as hell than the Miami Dolphins because like bro you ask him to get between the tackles and run a gap scheme that's not going to look pretty but if you put him with Mike McDaniel and Mike McDaniel says bro you run to your left and I swear to God the sea will part for you this is a great situation for him now I don't know if he can reach like Hans what was like eight seven yards per carry last year but like you said about Blake Corum Hans are still dinged up with some injuries Raheem ards he's you know he's 30 plus years old there's a scenario here where Jaylen Wright ends up taking more carries than people uh expect and if Michael Daniel is still as good as he is could be some explosive runs in there that's my deep cut I love that because there is a timeline no not a ton you know Dr Strange levels uh but there no that I because he's the only one that's over like 200 pounds first off like and those guys like you said always do get hurt as someone that one time on a podcast said Eli Mitchell was my dark horse to win most rushing yards before CMC trade happened that I understand building this argument hey there's a path it's a Shanahan offense he's the only one withstands it we've seen shoot Ron Dayne be productive in this type of offense so yeah this is a new age version I like it I like the argument build so I can see why you're excited to get to it yeah I don't believe it too much but it's no no I like it yeah that's why it's what it's plus 10,000 yeah nice little nice little 100 to one shot if anyone wants I mean the guy the guy's the third back of the depth chart and he's been a top 50 running back taken in fantasy all summer just cuz people know that this timeline does exist so it's not outrage just outrageous aan is just like the best like I wish aan was 200 lb cuz he actually he's a good running back like as far as like vision and Tempo it's just that he's just little pint-sized little pint-sized guy but this is the total opposite yeah just rip it and go this toss toss him the ball and go oh speaking of stinky picks let's go to a stinky award here comeback Player of the Year who wants honors on this one I already gave my pick for offensive rig of the year because I jumped in fory Charles I was too excited about my segue uh uh comeback player of the year I I'll start with you Matt who who's your pick here for a comeback player of the year I don't even know you need a dark horse just give me a couple th couple Dart throws you guys if you ever were the sick GH to bet on comeback player of the year before the season I just went with Rogers CU like again I have the Jets making the playoffs I said Garrett Wilson's a darkh horse to be offensive player of the year um I don't think he has to do that much like I think he there there's already this baked in assumption that he's just going to make the Jets like go and but now I think there's been enough doubt built in that we haven't seen it for an entire season all he has to do is basically be like about 85% of what people wanted him to be last season for the Jets and I think he wins this award pretty easily but well after last year's chalk pick with Hamlin I kind of felt like he kind of I me anything is possible Right anything is possible here what the hell was that last year but I thought we were all under agreement that someone who died on the football field and came back to life to play in Another NFL game what are we doing I mean players get hurt their knees ankles Achilles give out all the time that was that was wrong NFL voters I thought they were going to fall for the Disney story and they didn't do it so I maybe I don't know my colleagues as well as I thought I did the flacko thing is just like it was it wasn't even I thought it was great but it wasn't that great like I thought it was a bit like people like oh I'm gonna vote for him haha and it's like oh you did no you really did I think enough too many people did it as a bit they must have a bunch of people thought like let's do this as a joke like it's kind of an anti- deshun Watson thing which is you know certainly like acceptable to do at this point so um I think just too many people didn't realize we were all making the same joke Charles do you have a joke to make for your pick I just doe I just we we we threw character out the window when Joe Flaco got that award that that's all I'll say um well they had to clarify what this award was right dude I think even Flaco yet last year was like H not sure if I deserve that but okay keep keep it moving what he start like five games too yeah comeback player of the like year it's supposed to be a whole year whole year whole year everything in building to that point not just that you were signed off the street to save a season uh for my comeback play of the Year award I literally just flipped the coin between Kurt Cousins and Rogers landed on Rogers so Rogers is going to be my comeback player of the year for for my main pick Dark Horse I'm with Nick chub um oh dude I don't know what the hell this is going to look like after because his knee like this this is basically the second time in his career that he's had a knee injury like this because he had one college too so who knows what it looks like but if he like can do the Superhuman thing again and come back and be bowling over people and still producing explosive runs I to me that would be a hands down comeback play of the year but the injuries just so severe I think that's why you has be put us a Dark Horse on the Achilles coin flip uh yeah that's a that's a decent one uh I yeah the chub thing I just don't know what the timeline is I I know to starting off the season with this and you know it's just more serious you're older all these types of things but yeah I want to see him back even if I have Jerome Ford on like every Dynasty League I'm in all right I have I kind of my chalky pick is Joe burrow it's just from everything that happened last year if the Bengals have a path you know have a good offense everything's hunky dory and they make the playoffs out then that's a nice easy pick for everything to to you know give him another thing for his mantle uh along with played Patrick Mahomes well uh other thing is Kyler Murray if anyone's listened to this pod and listen to anyone talking about the Cardinals my Marvin Harrison Jr pick Kyler Murray is kind of makes sense he's at 20 to1 coming back halfway through last season no one watched a Cardinal game maybe outside May that Eagles game and I I think that this is kind of like oh he's back oh if they have a good season of positive offens season can see him as a comeback Player of the Year candidate if he has the ups that I think this offense can hit even though if it's the wrong game a little more bullish on all right cuz I couldn't I I liked my segue too much I skipped one and that was Defensive Rookie of the Year and again Charles on defensive side of the ball I'm going to give you honors here who is your pick for defensive rookie the year and a dark horse if you want to get little fancy uh chalk pick I'm gonna go with Dallas Turner uh Vikings pass rusher I just it is is that a is that a dark horse because to me if feels like a okay it's shock him and L are the favorites at 4 to one well you you know if Flor is he's going to have the chance to rush like that that's that's without a doubt so I I just think if he can stay healthy there's just going to be too many opportunities for him just rush a passer and put up some solid numbers so um I'll go with him for my chalk pick I I debated latu as well but I I think turn's just a little bit more explosive than athletes so uh I think that will help him in year one just to kind of Chase some new sacks home so with him I for the Dark Horse I went with Junior Coulson a linebacker from the Chargers yeah yeah that one too did yeah let's go okay because because I feel like the defense is so hard to especially in the NFL like defense if you're going to be a rookie starter at linebacker on defense one thing that will really help you is playing with the same exact coaching staff you did last year in college so so it's not like transition good this is not like a a whole new setup for junior Coulson uh Chargers linebackers have been bad for a long time so I doubt that anyone on that roster is even going to push him even if he's bad uh for starting spots so I for like for this Dark Horse pick I was just kind of like well who's going to put up a bunch of numbers of these guys a starting linebacker for any NFL team is at least going to have tackle numbers so uh put Junior Coulson there hoping that you know playing for the same staff that he did in Mig game with the Chargers is going to help him out and that's my Darkhorse pick yeah I that was my Dark Horse too and it is it's tough just because like inside Lineback like linebackers in general offall linebackers used to win this award all the time from 2004 to 2012 it was Jonathan Vilma Shawn marman demo Ryan Patrick Willis Gerard mayo man current head coach ger two head coaches and Brian Cushing that was 2004 to 2009 and then and then ke yeah right and then Keeley in 2012 but he's the last like off ball linebacker to win it so it you gotta really depending on what you thought about like what Michael Parsons was in his rookie season but um like it would be a bit of a stretch to see an off ball linebacker win this but it I don't think we have that many like true I mean there wasn't a defensive player picked like so late into the first round so we don't have that many transformational pass structures which is why I thought it might make sense as a dark horse yeah that that's kind of the same Tom I just thought that he' get maybe good tackles and some empty calories tackles that can add up over the season because I'm like who else was making tackles there uh Charles you brought up the easy transition for the defense that's probably why they prioritized getting him like hey we need linebackers now we need linebackers hey what's somebody to help us out because it might be a little rough transition this year so right there with you guys I yeah Matt it's looking at the old history the linebackers almost made me sad CU like oh yeah this guy was great someone posted Luke Keeley coverage highlights this week I saw that too I was like wonderful it was just wonderful it's like I missed this a lot of under Center under Center pass is drop backs probably helped out too but oh man got yeah uh for your normal pick though was that your straight up pick for defens Rook of the year or who's uh outside Junior Coulson yeah that was my Darkhorse pick I should also mention that sha Leonard uh won it in 2018 as Defensive Rookie of the Year but uh yeah no le latu latu speaking of the Colts uh is my actual pick which again is pretty chalky but um I think he's the exact type of edge rusher they need uh I think he's polished enough fundamentally sound enough as a pass rusher to actually really make an in an impact and I think it's a defense that secondary is still pretty rough to look at on paper uh they're going to need the pass rush to step up to kind of make good on a lot of the hopes that I think you Nate might have for them and I might have for them too in terms of them being a playoff team so um I think again the fact that he's so fundamentally sound as a player I think is going to allow him to make that instant impact and be the a winner of this award the yeah both of you guys going with lot to and turn obviously could first round picks I looked at those as well like uh for latu it's the perfect defense for him to go to because he's different from all the big guys they have he's going to get set up for True one-on-one Edge rushes because Buckner having a guy like Buckner next to him really helps because he just has the size and mauling stuff that you get it so I him over because Turner to me is like a he's like Bruce Irving super Bruce Irving so it's like I know Bruce Irvin had like a bunch of sacks early on in his career but like what he ended up being where it's like six to eight that guy drops into coverage a bunch that defense might be funky but so that's why I kind of went away from maybe getting I think he's going to be really good for that scheme so I went different first-rounder went inside went Byron Murphy for the Seahawks 10 to one I I I'm really coming around the Seahawks defense I think a lot of us have and this is I I think with the other guys they have same argument for latu bunch of big bruisers next to him can let him just shoot the Gap he's a lot better he's more Stout against the Run even if he is quote unquote not ideal size even though he's still a big dude uh I I I think he's just going to get some numbers he's going to have some explosive plays you know standout plays that'll help you know make his case as well with the numbers and I think that defense and that team was going to be a little bit better spoilers than uh you know maybe their odds are so went with Murphy maybe again you have to build a narrative and I I I got a Seahawks defensive narrative in my head and we'll see that right now as we go to Coach of the Year again another sicko award you're betting preseason coach of the year yeah seek help because who wants to start with Coach of the Year this one uh we'll go we'll go with you Matt who is your pick for Coach of the Year Dark Horse whatever I feel like having a dark horse is kind of silly for this award just dark throws could be anybody I I went with Shane Steen though as the award winner because I think the offense is going to be good I think I have them making the playoffs as a wild card team and I think the the the the Texans are going to win the division and be one of the best teams in the AFC uh spoiler alert for some things I'm going to say here pretty soon um but again offense gonna be good in Indianapolis if Anthony Richardson is an above average starting quarterback in the league I think sten's going to get a lot of credit for that because the narrative around Richardson is that he is a raw developmental project um he's certainly a guy that needs some to Iron Out The Kinks in his game I don't think he is as raw from a processing or pocket management stpoint uh as most people do so even if some of that is just Richardson is better than people think I think styen will still get the credit for that uh and then again defensively if that unit is able to kick it up a notch because latu is a good Edge rusher I think that I think the py is gonna get a lot of credit for this team being very good and I'm just like the more I look at the Colts receivers the higher I get on that unit as well too so there's just a lot coming together here that uh it's pointing up for the Colts so I'll give this a word to Sten yeah I don't have to twist my arm on that pick uh the yeah it the QB whisper narrative is you know if you have a winning season looks good look at Brian dav's Coach of the Year award that that that yeah oh he fixed Daniel Jones boom got it like you know made the playoffs doesn't matter don't look at anything else don't look under the hood but hey we're going to get that war get some retroactive credit for making nearly making the playoffs with Gardner mchu last year right oh I like that too yeah Charles who' you go for another stinky pick coaching the I went with Kevin oconnell so I'm I just yeah there we go no it's okay it's got something to do with Sam darn but nothing to do with Sam darn at the same time it's actually it's got a negative Sam darnold connotation and I'm just not I'm just not real that he overcomes Sam darnold's play to make the playoffs okay okay because you know how people who vote on this war look at fan fiction but okay they the people who vote on this war they don't actually look at the best coach in the league because otherwise it would just be Andy ran Andy rean Andy shanan but we don't do that it's based on our preconceived notions who overcame the most um and when I look at this Vikings offense like let's take quarterback out the equation for a second uh Justin Jefferson Jordan Addison good enough offensive line running back Talent like you should be able to score if Sam's just not like a complete f up this year you should be able to score some points and on the flip side we know that Brian Flores is like a Bonafide defensive play caller he's figured out how to men Max in the NFL we're sending six we're dropping eight every other play um so I I still think that this would be a good team a tough out and if they can make the playoffs if he makes the playoffs I don't see why he wouldn't win the award because everyone knows his quarterback situation should say hang the banner not a complete not a complete f up that's it it's like most most passing yards most touchdowns division titles Wild Card retired jersey numbers not a complete f up number 14 complete f up n and eight not a complete f up old darnold that's yeah we're going with that I know it's I I I get it the Vikings there's an easy path for the Vikings to like throw a narrative for it that's all this is this reward it's what narrative you can build for it sometimes they all make sense sometimes they come out of nowhere uh stying is my gun toe head pick but the one I I want to build more of an argument for and this is maybe this is my team of the Summers that's Seahawks and Mike McDonald this is a oh wow they're projected to win seven or eight games they make the playoffs wow the defense is so much better the offense actually cohesive and he gets his reputation is as a you know werkin coach like as an X as an0 guy a scheme guy and so I could just see that argument getting built for him especially if the Seahawks have a positive year which I think they will I'm I'm really coming around on them so but McDonald I just think that just continues with that even if it's not like maybe to like eflu is chalk right now which I I understand why like you know but it's again it has to be an overwhelming season for him to get that I think it's more like the you know nine 10ish spoilers kind of season all right so enough of that get into best picture now MVP most valuable player in case you didn't know Matt start us off who's your pick who's your Dark Horse pick for MVP Most Valuable Player in 2024 I'm going CJ stad as my pick for MVP I just think this offense is set up to light the league on fire this year uh the Personnel is so good from from a pass catching standpoint you know not only are they really good at the top at wide receiver I actually think they're pretty deep in the receiver room as well they could hopefully not but they could lose one of those guys to injuries John yeah and like throw John M out there Xavier Hutchinson is still on this roster like Robert Woods is weirdly still on this roster um I mean is he just around for Vibes and Veteran leadership and to block every now and again Donis hassle him a little bit you know he's got he's got a little bit of that going on right now like check Stefon Diggs every now and again if he's complaining about targets I don't know what he's there for but he is still on this roster so um they're rather deep at receiver even Dalton Schultz is like a for like forgotten man on this offense but he's perfectly fine starting tight end tight ends yeah great way of saying he's the Kirk Cousins of tight end the Cowboys have kind of majored in the Kirk Cousins of tight ends of late but uh he's been able to go to Houston and carry over some of that production there as well I think the Run game will be better just because they have you know Joe Mixon back there I think the offensive line all being healthy you know knock on wood will be good as well but this comes back to stoud and just how incredible of a player he was in the back half but really over the course of his entire rookie season he was super impressive and you know niik Collins is like a fringe top 10 receiver to me if not just a Bonafide top 10 receiver Diggs can still play tank Dell is an awesome player who um you know you look at like his reception perception profile was incredible like one of the best wide receivers in the league at just getting open on these outbreaking routes CJ strad loves to throw those deep outbreaking routes so everything just comes together for me to make the argument for CJ strad for MVP I think that they can compete to be the best team in the conference and then on the boring um you know Darkhorse side like if you're looking for a boring Dark Horse like you kind of have to say Brock pie like everything else goes wrong for all these other candidates boring I actually curious that is boring well I said it was boring I said it was boring the doubt yeah I said it was boring I didn't didn't sell it as anything but boring but a lot of the efficiency carries over from last year you know and some of these other top quarterbacks don't have the year that you're expecting and the voter's like well he's done it two years in a row that efficiency maybe that comes back in and they give it to prie for the pure statistical case after you didn't get it last year that's a good argument for that one I I like the Stroud one especially after uh watching him in the preseason it's like oh you got even better you're even better now oh God oh God that's why it's fun to watch Starters play in the preseason cuz then you actually get to see some stuff and go oh wow oh yeah this is this is even better than last year that's scary yeah he's really young and really good like those a lot uh even if the Dark Horse pick is you know I will I said it was B can't you can't hate me if I gave you if I gave you the disclaimer I disclaimer it was like oh you're mad that there's cursing on this album the warning was there good process as Charles says good process for that one Charles do you have good process for your MVP picks or we uh we have some we actually I'm actually really curious the arguments you're about to make here I mean for the first one momes I'm not gonna take any time to explain that one okay the dark m is 20,000 on that one yeah yeah the Dark Horse though I'm gonna go with Matt Stafford oh only because yeah I think we alluded to or I lose to at start of the show the defense man you you remove Aaron Donald from this group and it starts look really really Bleak like really really fast so I I think that this is going to be a team that's probably giving up a lot of points uh which is going to put Stafford in shootout situations which leads to Big stat lines uh so I think that if he can if he can weather the storm and still push out like 11 or 12 win season with what this defense is projected to be that would obviously I I think that would that would suggest he had a pretty Monster way uh a pretty Monster like way throughout the season and uh I'm going give him my Dark Horse pick just because I do think the offense will still be good I think they might be good enough where they can boy a terrible defense maybe but it's gonna be tough I like the argument that the defense is so bad juices up the passing numbers so it's like that's watch the Falcons for 10 years exactly yeah get those Pro Bowl nods yeah when you're H 4,400 yard whenever you get the like 46 4,400 yards and like 24 touchdowns it's always like or 22 tou John it's always like the Sam how what's going on there yeah that's the Sam H how the Bortles yeah the king of it no I like that the uh I we just made the joke about good process I think the best process in Awards betting is Patrick Mahomes to win MVP and the Kansas City Chiefs to win the Super Bowl I think if you do that every single year it is the best process you can do because sometimes bordom is the best talk about yeah you me for boring I didn't even bother wasting talking about it it was great it was great I'm glad you did it because I was like okay good CU I was like really that it's just the best easiest pick I am not original I'm just going to carry over my one from last year which is Josh Allen at plus 850 just a because again narrative in the head even if I think he's the second best player this is more though like wow he is throwing safer and making better decisions he lost Stefon digs and still producing they lost all the defensive Talent even if they have still have some decent guys but they they were so much better and they you know may be surprised win the NFC or AFC East yada yada y you have to have a winning team you have to be up there so that also matters with it but that's my argument for Allen that it's more that the narrative catches up to what his play has been as far as more cerebral more accurate not as risky as people think he is and just a supernova Dragon whatever writer metaphor I want to use here but that's what I'm going with Josh Allen but Darkhorse which I've HED up 40 times can't change now Anthony Richardson at plus 2,800 That's a classic seconde quarterback new name new face of the NFL narrative Colts are surprise team the offense does go top five like I think they do the defense is a little better so they're a better team overall he has fantasy numbers to back it up he has the real football stuff that we geek out over so just like the Sten argument that's the carrying over of dark Richardson thing for me as well as my Dark Horse pick as might be a year early maybe two years early might be forever early on this one but I I maybe a little narrative for Richardson this year all right we just that was a nice little that was not a snack pack that was a rotisserie meal but we be backpack yeah we're gonna do some quick hitters after the break and we'll see you guys in a sec all right we are back after that main course this is a digestif of division winners picks Super Bowl picks all that good stuff conference finalists cuz I just want to hear everyone's final four teams as well I feel like there's always a Gap it's like division winners Super Bowl winners all right well who do you think's going to win in the playoffs I think win in the playoff game is huge so all right we'll do we'll do this quick we just start with a division we'll go one after another give your pick give a little Division winners & Super Bowl champs oneliner and we'll go from there we'll start with the NFC North Matt we'll start with you NFC North pick who do you pick right now to win the division of the NFC North yeah I'm going lions like I mentioned with Aiden Hutson I I think this team's going to be really good this year uh so much continuity and continuity in all the important spots uh so they just continue to build on what they've been doing they win the NFC North that's a good one Charles Green Bay Packers get the best quarterback in the division oh I love it good logic I love it good logic good Logic the lions are the favorite at plus 130 I also went with the Packers at plus 210 that is I'm still was torn on this even going in right to hit record but I'm going with the Packers I think these two are going to be two of the best teams in the NFC though just overall just happen to be in the same division so pick either of those teams I I think it's be I cannot wait for the NFC North that was more than one sentence so we are going next to the NFC South Charles start with you NFC South who we got here begrudgingly pick the Falcons uh oh wow kind of the same thing best quarterback by really don't feel good about it I don't think the defense is going to be good I think Tampa Bay has a more complete team but Falcons might have a higher ceiling like that Matt what about you for the NFC South I do agree that the F the Falcons have the higher ceiling but like we talked about in the NFC wins show Nate um I'm back to being bucks pilled I guess so I will stay consistent and I'll go Bucks in this spot I am also bucks pilled just another summer team I keep H at bucks and Seahawks man I just as I just stared at it and stared at it and thought about it and rethought about it and re rethought about it bucks plus there at three to one right now the Falcons are the favorite at minus 140 I think it's these two Saints are just you know you know Panthers are just so yeah I've gone with the buck just everything you said there Matt just more more of a complete team than maybe I even realized putting your eggs in the baker Mayfield basket gota love it nothing feels good here gotta love it you buy high on Baker right pick number when he doesn't have anything to prove when he's when he's paid on a contract by high that's what you're supposed to do on Baker yeah exactly it's find some chip on the shoulder all right now we're moving on to the West Coast NFC West Charles start with you again FC West who you going with the division winner 49ers until proven otherwise Trent's back auk's back 49's back that's all I got Matt same I mean what a what a waste of the last month is spin like are you freaking out about this you freaking about that and then hey everything segments yeah everything's ready to go uh and and I'm ready to pick him to win the division again same our number one offense yeah still feel that way I'm with the 4 Min is 200 I really the NFC West is going to be a lot of fun a lot of frisky teams in there but 49ers are still the class the third team to me as the favorite in the NFC with the those two NFC North teams but yeah still have some questions about that defense though well we'll see think might be the Achilles heel for them all right NFC East Matt we'll go with you have see pick I'm going Eagles uh I've been consistent with this since our top 10 offenses pod that I think this team's just a little bit too big to fail I think the defense will be bigger than um than it was last year like very low bar to clear but I think it will be better better than Patricia it will be better than Matt Patricia um how about the fact that bill bich has a show with Underdog uh shout out to them for getting Bill belich and then just five seconds into the sneak peek of the first episode Matt Patricia's just there I mean hey talk about getting your boy a job man just again again shock reveal man that was that was pretty shocking but anyways yeah didn't think I'd mention yeah got to get got to get your boy again uh that's just the way it goes but yeah no I think that Patricia out the door Vic Fango in that's good for the defense but really the offense is just too talented to fail I'm I'm with a lot of people that their coalescing of ideas is going to be interesting to see with Jaylen Herz that's some one of my biggest like week one storylines I'm watching but overall think these players are just too talented uh to totally fall apart here yeah that's I know that's an argument I keep fighting with myself so we'll see Charles how about you with NFC East H you know I don't know if you guys saw this weekend but Mike Zimmer was back in the news talking about basically like his exit from the Vikings and someone asked him to the effect like did you speak to the Vikings players after you got fired he basically said hell no they got me fired and that one quote made me fully Zimmer pilled all over again so I'm rolling with the Dallas Cowboys to win the NFC East the defense is gonna be better Dak still here they haven't really resolved much outside of CD's contract but that seems to be okay we're just going to roll through that going to you know absolutely run Jerry's pockets for like the third time after the season's over uh but we're all good here I think I think I'm g roll with the Cowboys it's funny because I was off of them so hard to start off season and then like I just kept staring at the roster I was like this is not a bad group of players and if Mike Zimmer is still a good coach they're they're probably gonna win the division again I think he said I I don't want to be thought of as a bad coach and I was like okay yeah I'm back in I I'm fully I'm fully with this you heard the Michael Parson's argument I am with the Cowboys they're at plus 170 Eagles are minus 150 it's between these two I I don't want to spoil anything but I do think that the Cowboys win this division everything Charles just had just kind of bought back more into it just seeing those rookie offens alignment not be bad and actually just be at least startable they're not going to be perfect I know that but that may me feel a lot better because that was more answers just don't look at the running backs that's that's all ask yeah that's it that's I know but def just close my eyes I just close my eyes I'm like defense Dak CD lamb defense Dak CD lamb Zack Martin Tower Smith okay I like that I like that Jake fergerson all right but yeah NFC East but I I don't want to spell anything on the Eagles stuff I do think they uh will make the playoffs but I I just they're like you said too good but it just still feel empty in some spots there I'm sure we'll talk plenty about the Eagles as the season starts all right over to the AFC AFC North Matt start us off with the AFC North pick yeah again to bring back to our top top 10 offenses po I still had the Ravens in there and I'll have them winning this division as well I really do think that while yes there's turnover on the offensive line and yeah there's some questions about you know can Rashad baitman be like a starter for this team and stay healthy and how deep are the pass catch is really Beyond Z flowers and the tight ends um Year too Todd monin like there's a lot of stuff I think that they can a lot of things that went quote wrong I mean the quarterback still won the MVP with this offense last year like I think overusing Z flowers as a designed touches player you know not getting uh baitman involved as a first read player I think a lot of that is like that's year one offensive coordinator like trying to figure his players out stuff like that those things getting more maximized going forward adding Derrick Henry to the mix I think the defense will take a step back but I think the offense can be good enough that they still win the division like that Charles AFC this a this is a fun one to to handicap I I want the Ravens too yeah as we all to say pick also with the Ravens but go on it's I wanted I wanted to be like you know pick the Bengals with the Browns but I I just couldn't do it I I I think the the defense coming back basically fully intact is a big deal I think for a first year defensive coordinator and and at least like there's there's going to be some brain drain especially with like losing guys like Mike McDonald Anthony Weaver in the off season but Zack or has been here he's been around this organization like his whole life so there's anyone who had like a realistic shot to be poached from like another team to run their defense cuz it's not like he's like some unqualified guy I I do think that this is probably the best case scenario for like an in-house defensive coordinator replacement one you know like they can block all the guys but they kind of have to prioritize like well we can't block everybody like so anyone who doesn't know NFL rules it coordinator might a quality control coach is the same as a coordinator to the NFL's eyes you are an assistant or a head coach that's the two designations so they say a if you're a dline coach that maybe be a defense coordinator they can block that a team can so but anyways the fact that they picked him as all those other guys left is signify some things yeah right so look it might be the best secondary in football still got ran Smith Muk up front if they can just get some juice from guys like Tren Simpson or o takes another step or David ajaba who's been on the bench for a few years with injuries any of those guys can take a step the defense should be rockus again and you got AR and Derrick Henry on the other side so I'm going to take them to win the division yeah I also went with the Ravens I just came around on it I still have some offensive line questions but I I trust the Run game I trust thear uh they will help mitigate that offensive line stuff I do have Sil receiver questions how they use baitman just like Matt was saying but the thing was last year the receivers were inconsistent because the injuries I mean freaking Nelson Agar was the best receiver for a little bit because he had to everybody else got banged up you know Z flowers got in there too but then Mark Andrews was hurt most of the year so it's just that they had wo there last year and it still worked out uh with Lamar winning MVP so I think that it's just hard for me to go away from that when I kind of trusted the most the Bengals for me it's like I have to see it for a month before I kind of like want to say anything about them so uh I also went with the Ravens they're the favorites at plus 135 the Bengals were 165 Browns at 5 to1 Steelers at 71 moving on going to the South AFC South Matt Stars off do you have for the AFC South thought I have an idea I can't have CJ strad winning the damn MVP and them not winning their division so like I said I think that offense is set up to go and uh got a lot of faith in the defense taking some steps forward as well yeah that's a that's a pretty easy argument to make there it's fun division too more fun than people think Charles AFC South Texans uh we've talked about the spy in the defense being weak but hey you got CJ stad two of the best headed rushes in the week and drik Stingley that should be enough to get you past the other team of the AFC South yeah I I wanted to be fancy and go with a different team here I went with Texans my Colts argument is for wild card so that's how I snuck that one in there but I want Texans minus 105 favorites trust the quarterback the line has to be healthier trust the pass rush that's a that's a good makeup for a good team and they have all the auxiliary stuff building up even if I have questions with the defense I do think this is a good team with a really really good quarterback so they are my favorites or my pick for AFC South now moving on to the AFC West Charles we'll go round we'll do snake draft here who's your pick for the AFC West Chiefs chock Chiefs yeah Matt anything to add here's why I really think the Broncos can no yeah Chiefs as well I am also with the Chiefs yeah yeah until until something changes there until number 15 is not there I am also the Chiefs M's 300 you can get worse odds uh places AFC East though it's a little fun Charles go back to you I'm not let to get away easy here who's your AFC East pick uh this one was tough because I I really do feel like three teams have a credible claim to actually saying yeah we can go out win the division this year by one with the bills just because I still believe in the floor that Josh Allen gives you as an offense I know you're going through transition at at wide receiv you're going through a big transition on defense as well and that very well may end up biting them this Seas and it ends up looking more like a tradition year than a year where they're really competing but I keep coming back to like man we got Josh Allen we're going to be able to run the ball that that should be enough to win like 10 games which is which is pretty crazy um I and also I just I I really hope that this kind of comes to fruition because the the poll that came back with Josh Allen as the most overrated quarterback in the league like dude what are we even talking about here like C what what are we talking about here that guy plays in Cincinnati okay not Buffalo two Pearl shots on one pod incredible yeah anything to add there Matt you want you want to complete Trifecta there h ah no that it's an easy argument I I I'll just I'll jump in before I kick to Matt I also went with the bills here because it's the thing I trust the most I trust him the most of this in this Division I trust the defensive coaches the most I make der kind of taking more reign of plays I trust that even with the Matt Bondo injury I just they always find answers even if it's always not pretty but they have a run game they have Josh Allen and they have good defensive coaching that's yeah again a good formula that I trust the most but Matt AFC East who who did you pick yeah very competitive division no question about it but I'm with you guys where I'm going bills I think Josh Allen is one of the best players in the league and it's like you said Nate it's the thing I trust the most and I also think that he can make that transition of going to more of a balanced offense the Run game was really good last year uh and I think he can make it work with these pass catchers like I don't think they have a bad receiver room right they were they're getting so much Zone and that's why can K got all those upticks of catches those little five six yard stick routes and out routes that's why Coleman like you're you really like him as a power slot which I I've been like yeah really like that idea too but they can work both of those guys inside they need Zone beaters they need guys because that's what they're facing you don't want to run man coverage against Josh a even if you do need guys that can beat man coverage don't get me wrong that's where k k comes in but you need guys that like Can Be steady targets can be big targets at that short intermediate range so this offensive structure it's going to be it's gonna be interesting kind of merging nickel and Dy pass game with a run game a strong Run game but that's why you have Allen to bring in all right chaos time like that's that's your explosive place so I'm excited to see it I I think it's going to be more cohesive than people realized all right before we go to a break who are you guys Wild Card teams uh we start with you Matt want to go AFC AFC NFC I was really hoping you were not going to ask me first um okay how about Charles no no no no it's fine it's fine I was called on I'll I'll answer um AFC was uh the hard actually both of these were really difficult um I went with the Jets the Bengals and the Colts in the AFC so Dolphins was the hardest cut um but you know just went with kind of I'm a little ner more nervous about just kind of the fragility of that team what a what a stupid thing to say when I pick the Jets and their quarterbacks coming off kill his injury so Dolphins fans can feel feel free to eat me alive for that one for NFC um I went Packers I I'm with you that I think that the Packers are and the lions are going to be right there neck and neck um ultimately just when the Lions just a little more complete of a team the Bears I also have making and then the Cowboys I'm I'm like you where you said you know CD defense like like Dak and that was enough for me to get them to Wild Card not win the division but but get them as my final wild card team it's that hear no even see no even speak no evil it's like all right all right I don't listen to Jerry Jones I don't look at Ezekiel Elliott and I don't speak about the contract stuff or where Jack ranks and I feel good about the Cowboys all right I I like those I'm written it down so Charles wild the AF is like impossible because you you just feel good and and this is why I've said it offline a bunch we we need to reorganize the NFL it it's just way too realign yes we need some realignment because all these quarterbacks in the AFC it doesn't any sense because we we have the four division winners right Ravens Texans Chiefs bills and then there's like there's still like a bunch of quarterbacks a bunch of teams that should and in like in a normal distribution year I feel like even though we might have a normal for a long time because all these guys are so young uh it it just it's just hard to custom these teams but I I I whittel it down to the Dolphins the Bengals and the Colts um the Dolphins I just I I know they have their faults every year and I don't believe them to actually go on a run but do you score that many points you're just you're probably going to make the playoffs more likely than not and I I don't really see a reason to believe that the offense is maybe you don't score 70 points in the game again but you should still be one of the top three units this year um Bengals Joe Barrow if he's healthy they're going to score points again too and then with the Colts I I'm just a big believer in what Anthony Richardson's doing um and and what they've built around him in Indianapolis they the line should be quality you got some skill players the defense does worry me a lot but I think like once you get into the wild card here you're not looking at any perfect teams so I I I would just run with the upside there and go with Anthony Richardson the Jets were a tough cut for me though I will say that that's a tough cut because the roster is still pretty good even with Han reic still has not showed up to work yet has no plans to I mean it's I I've hav't checked since that last game but it's got to be once you factoring like the game Checks Plus $50,000 per day like you're probably looking at close to like5 A5 million and now he's going to be getting charge cuz in preseason I looked all this up I know in preseason it's like 118th of a game check but once the regular season starts it's full game checks so now we're talking millions of dollars like a month that he's losing which is Hassan go to work dude put perspective Caleb Williams signing bonus this year was 6.3 mil as the number as a number one pick that's how much signing bonus he gets this year or how much it's pro rated this year then people ask me like why do you care so much about the story like he could just make it back like no he can't the rules are very explicit this year that he cannot make this money back and also I learned that in two years in 2026 the fines go from $50,000 to $60,000 a day which is wow cap goes up going up y everything's going up yep everything they're getting that money back call me be your union rep we just won't sign anything ever St St Hall St what you you guys giving up all the stuff and not getting anything in return I've been reading more about kind of like baseball front office stuff this this offseason and reading about that you know major league baseball players union is just so powerful The Players Association so powerful the strongest Union by any of the sports all that tracking bat speed you know pitch velocity RPMs that could be used against you you know arbitration and all those types of things and I you know all all this GPS data in football kind of I'm kind of wondering NFPA can step up here like are you guys gonna say a word here Major League Baseball went nope NFL's like yeah let's everybody get it so yeah just uh don't want to spoil anything there but yeah just curious uh Charles your NFC NFC okay NFC wild cards I since I went with Kevin oconnell for coach of the year I put the Vikings here for one of my slot and I'm also going to put the Li here for three AFC North teams to make the playoffs we did have last year we did have three AFC North teams picked the playoffs with the Ravens the Steelers and the Browns so this is not like Uncharted Territory already even for you know the expanded playoffs in the 17 Game season so I'm going to go with the Lions and Vikings filling two of those spots for the last one this one was tough because I don't feel like particularly strong about leaving the Eagles off but I think I'm going to go with the Buccaneers here as two NFC South two NFC South only because you get to beat up I wanted to put the Falcons but beat up on each other you get to beat up on you get to beat up on the Panthers and the Saints maybe split one with the Falcons and the Bucks and then the rest of the NFC dude this conference sucks like it's still not a great conference in terms of overall Talent which is why the AFC like when you when you're cutting down AFC teams for playoff to seven it's painstaking because it feels like you can make a legit Cas for like 12 teams to make the playoffs but if that's not the case with the NFC I think the Bucks can play well in their non-division schedule and I'm going to pick them take that s seed the Bucks do have the commanders the Broncos the Giants the Chargers the Raiders all on their schedule on top of their division South right you know the wins are there wow that was unexpected spice like I was just sitting here ready for some salt and pepper and then yeah you just you just threw a little Tampa Bay Spice in there what kills me is like when we see these uh these lists like before the season where it's like oh the the Falcons and the Buccaneers and the Panthers all the easy schedule in the NFL I wonder why that is you know every year same teams H same teams W it is it is worth noting though that the NFC East gets to beat up on the Giants and the commanders andag also play true they also play the Panthers and they play the the the NFC South the Philly fans don't deserve that so I'm going to pick the Buccaneers instead Little T B glitter throw in there all my Wild Card teams I believe I have the exact same AFC teams as Charles I had the Colts the Dolphins and the Bengals the Jets were my first out that one was so hard and I mean shoot you can look at AFC North teams are make an argument there's just yeah there's plenty of teams shoot Jaguars too if you do believe in any of the offense and who they still haven't announced who's calling plays by the way but the defense you know I think that defense could be really good you got a good quarterback don't have an offensive line or a run game though so that's a little dicey NFC Seahawks making the playoffs in that tough division Lions I did say you know one of the better teams in the NFC they'll just get stuck with being that five seed and then I went with the Eagles again I just think the team's too good even if I do think again playoffs might be a little different story think they're going to win beat up some other bad teams like mat just mentioned those are the Wild Card teams that's all the playoff teams we're going to take a quick break and then we'll have our final four teams the conference finalist and the Super Bowl winner see you guys in a sec all right final four teams conference finalists Matt who do you have I have the Lions of 49ers back in the NFC championship game and then I have the Chiefs and the Texans in the AFC Championship game um I think the Chiefs now can be in their in their board era where they don't need the number one seed now I I kind of think they found some pleasure going on the road last year and I think they might want to do that again you know they make things a little more difficult this year why not I like that the Bor era yeah the Golden State Warriors kind of bored they're the only ones that can Crank It Up in NFL playoffs and go like yeah we're gonna start trying again we really need that loss against the Raiders in week 17 to really amp us up it's like oh that must be nice God most guys are just trying like killing for a win just any type of win and they're just yeah we'll crank it up right now now I I like that uh Charles final four teams uh yeah I went with the Chiefs and the Ravens honestly I think it's going to be the same exact Chiefs at Ravens Chiefs go onto Super Bowl which would be excruciating but I like like you said they they they've reached the we're not try mode and I I don't think any play encapsulates that more or really really two plays it's the first it's the Travis Kelce catch on Kyle Hamilton in the first quarter of the AC title game and then it's the marching down the field in the fourth quarter of the Super Bowl here comes Travis Kelce hits the the After Burner it's like he's back in Cincinnati in 2012 and you know sprinting down the field qu any Travis Kel playoff catch could could fit into this where was this regular season dude I know remember that Chargers won a couple years ago not but like the night game late in the season oh my God yeah that that no this is good I yeah up yeah for NFC I'm going to go 49ers Packers uh 49ers again so like I'm getting a repeat of Super Bowl from last year just the most chalk poring you can imagine but it feels right in my brain you guys were talking earlier but just the Matt Patricia stuff just I just we're talking to Eagles and it popped in my head like him with the Bel chick show but he's on his ATV remember when he was hurt he was always riding his ATV around a practice like that just someone's got photo I wish I was better Photoshop but I my final four teams kind of just yeah I I wish I had a little bit little variance here but kind of I'm repeating what you guys said here Chiefs Texans I try to find some argument for another AFC team but they just again pass rush good quarterback that does a lot for me like that that and I just think they have some auxiliary stuff that's going to let them get there I think they had need one more year to boost up that defense and get over the top uh then on the NFC Packers Lions I think it's a NFC North battle in the NFC championship game that for aers defense maybe just get stuck by one of these teams in the in the divisional round that's the argument I'm going to make I have Packers and Chiefs as my Super Bowl finalists at a repeat of the first two AFL NFL championship games and I'll just go with my just because I don't want to ruin a segue here transition year I have the Packers as a Super Bowl champions just because you can't just do the Chiefs for the three Pat as much as that's the easiest argument to make going with the Packers just to feel a little bit of spicier and then your guys the Super Bowl picks of course course Matt did you say I said Lions over 49ers Chiefs over Texans um and my God am I praying for the mental health of Kyle Shanahan and everybody involved in that 49ers organization in this situation and listen this a new podcast we're gonna need one dumbass on the show to be the guy that picks Jared G to beat Pat Mahomes in the Super Bowl and oh my God I guess I'll be that dumbass here so uh Lions win the Super Bowl uh Jared go over Patrick Mahomes what a disgust ing um you know I I only say this because I kind of fell ass backwards into making this prediction in our our on the fantasy show on our bold prediction show and it's like well now I have to be consistent so um yeah journalistic Integrity journalistic Integrity on this podcast the show that we've openly admitted we've like takes have been sede like the last two weeks doesn't matter about previous six months hey that look that one preseason throw looked pretty good now odd game all a separate algorithm for our win totals I know we really worked hard on really hard by yeah I've been working the phones trying to make my pics you know Charles did you do a Chiefs Mahomes double again yeah of course yeah of course yeah I that dude it's good it's the best process of this entire sh they won on hard mode and now they're playing on medium you know so yeah I know I'm but they're also they're they're saying the right things too it's kind of like they're F they these guys have to find an edge it's hard you know all these things and they're just finding stuff to get ticked off about so it's like yeah it's a little scary uh at least I went with Jordan love as my winner I can I can see it there's one little there's a there's a timeline where I actually believe that won but closing it out today Charles and I will be back on Thursday to preview the week one slate our first weekly preview will be doing that every single Thursday this year so check that out I'm Nate Ty you can finally find me at Nate Ty that Matt Harman where can they find you Matt on social media Matt Harman byb I can't believe week one is finally here thank goodness byb I always love it all right Charles where can I find vers you find me on Twitter forverts and yeah gonna be trying to go ghost until that game starts G be trying oh my God I wish that must be nice yeah on Twitter on social media on social media not like actual work I had an article idea that sounded great through months ago and now it's the week of the Season I'm like why did I volunteer for this so check that out later this week on Yahoo spoilers I've been watching some Patrick Mahomes Texas Tech tape uh yeah it should be fun but uh subscribe to us football 31 please do we'll slow down going down to the trickle let's get that thing back to a roar before the season starts follow us rate US watch us on YouTube at the Yahoo sports YouTube channel follow yaho Sports on Snapchat if you're into that also send in your mailbag questions football 301 mailbag at yahoosports.com emails are great but let's hear those voice notes as the losses start trickling in as well thanks to Brett Stone and AI thank you everybody for listening football is here week one is here see you guys soon