Football's Grand Return

Football season is finally here! As the Hall of Fame game kicks off the NFL preseason, we dive deep into what promises to be an electrifying year on the gridiron.

The Philadelphia Eagles have emerged as the team to beat in the NFC, adding star running back Saquon Barkley to their already formidable lineup. With Jalen Hurts' dual-threat capabilities, elite receivers, and a monstrous defensive front anchored by Jalen Carter, Philadelphia looks poised to dominate. Meanwhile, Jerry Jones continues his tradition of mismanagement in Dallas, alienating top talent while overpaying for Dak Prescott – a quarterback we provocatively compare to "Kirk Cousins with better PR."

Across the conferences, several compelling storylines are developing. The NFC North stands as possibly the most competitive division with the Lions building on last year's success, the Packers maintaining their winning ways, and the Bears potentially turning things around. Over in the AFC, familiar powerhouses Kansas City, Buffalo, and Baltimore return with their elite quarterbacks, while intriguing storylines develop around Aaron Rodgers in New York and Russell Wilson in Pittsburgh.

We spotlight several second-year quarterbacks facing pivotal seasons, particularly Trevor Lawrence in Jacksonville. Despite his generational talent label, Lawrence has yet to live up to expectations – and with offensive-minded head coach Doug Peterson at the helm, this year could determine his NFL trajectory.

The unpredictability of the NFL ensures surprise contenders will emerge while expected frontrunners may falter. With just 23 days until college football kicks off (followed quickly by the NFL regular season), football fans have plenty to anticipate. Which teams will exceed expectations? Which highly-touted prospects will flourish or flounder? Join us as we break down all the key matchups and players to watch in what promises to be another unforgettable season of football.

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Transcript

North Florida Sports Network Introduction

Speaker 2 0:08

The North Florida Sports Network. All right, welcome back. You know where it is. It's the North Florida Sports Network, the North Florida Sports.

Speaker 3 0:22

Network Closing out.

Speaker 2 0:23

July, august Right around the corner, we got a preseason game.

Speaker 1 0:32

The preseason game.

Speaker 2 0:33

Like till now. Now until what? Like Valentine's Day.

Speaker 3 0:40

Football baby. Yeah, it's football baby, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 2 0:49

It's on man.

Speaker 1 0:50

Some call this the Super Bowl of the preseason.

Speaker 3 0:57

That's an oxymoron if.

NFC East Breakdown and Analysis

Speaker 2 0:58

I've ever heard one, oh my God. Well, so we're going to talk about some expectations for this upcoming NFL season. I haven't really dove in. We're going to have official over-under predictions by the pick team.

Speaker 1 1:17

The pick team.

Speaker 2 1:18

Yeah, as we do our picks every week, nfl picks we're all going to do over-unders for every team, but that's not yet.

Speaker 1 1:29

I did see Ricky Pearsall is still not practicing.

Speaker 2 1:33

Oh really, yeah, I thought he'd have plenty of shots at playing.

Speaker 3 1:37

Plenty of shots, yes.

Speaker 2 1:42

I mean the Eagles, they're your champs, they're your favorites. I mean you have in that division jayden daniels. Yeah, you know. Coming into year two, let's do the nfc east. Yeah, you got booty up there in New York. You got the Giants, who are going to be better just because of the additions of what they had in the quarterback room and what they didn't have last year. But the Cowboys and the Giants are clearly the two teams that suck. I'm taking the you never know who's going to be that and the Giants are clearly the two teams that Suck.

Speaker 2 2:25

Yeah, yeah, I'm taking the, but you never know who's going to be that team that is Washington going to come back a little bit, Because some of those games last year, like for instance the Bears game, are they going to be able to do that again? There was a lot of close games.

Speaker 1 2:40

You're talking about just in the division. I think Washington's probably the only one that's gonna give the eagles any kind of challenge for that one yeah, the cowboys are a freaking dumpster fire yeah I mean I don't, I've.

Speaker 2 2:54

If you listen to the show, you know how I feel about dac prescott. He's not that guy, right, he's gonna do what he's gonna do, which is kind of like. I mean, he's an NFL quarterback I would say average at best, and I get a lot of flack from some people. No, I argue this with some people and they're DAC people and I just don't see it.

Speaker 1 3:23

There's very little difference.

Speaker 3 3:25

DAC is Kirk Cousins. With't see it, there's very little difference. Dac is Kirk.

Speaker 2 3:28

Cousins with a better PR. Yeah yeah, they're both made a bunch of money, right. They've both been overpaid for what they produce, big time.

Quarterback Controversies and Expectations

Speaker 1 3:36

And that's kind of. The only thing Jerry Jones has been known for is just horrible contract. Now he's pissing off his best player.

Speaker 3 3:45

Well, the NFC, he does that every couple of years. Yeah, it's just a horrible contract. Now he's pissing off his best player. Well, the NFC, he does that every couple years. He pisses off his best player. If it's not Zeke, it's CeeDee Lamb Now it's Micah.

Speaker 2 3:54

I mean you got those two teams that met in the NFC Championship and the NFC East. But then you look at the Central. You got the Lions coming off a big year. The Packers they're always good. The Bears new coach, new coach.

Speaker 1 4:11

You know the rosters 19 wide receivers on the team, and then the Vikings.

Speaker 3 4:16

And no quarterback.

Speaker 2 4:18

What are they going to do? First year quarterback what's he going to do? They're coming off a big year and then out west you have sam darnold now in seattle. Yeah, is, are the niners gonna no go to bounce back? No, are they gonna be able to stay healthy?

Speaker 1 4:35

no, they can't even get through the preseason their schedule is not.

Speaker 2 4:41

It's not a murderer's row. It doesn't have to be. I'll tell you who has one of the giants.

Speaker 1 4:47

Oh my god, yeah, well, they're not winning more than we'll get that over and under I would rock and roll russ man, I don't care who the hell the quarterback is that's the thing, man, about the nfl it is a team sport yeah, and it is more when you have that like a GM type quarterback who realizes that and it can actually do the job. I don't see anybody beating Philly out of the NFC. No.

Speaker 2 5:13

Saquon is the difference maker man.

Speaker 1 5:20

Those lines are the difference makers, that offensive and defensive front. But we'll see man Injuries happen, you know, but I think they got to be used.

Speaker 3 5:32

As long as Jalen Carter stays healthy, that defensive line is going to maul everybody. But how?

Speaker 2 5:37

wide open. For instance, going into fantasy season, though, is a first-round pick ever been more just taking a chance on guys. It just seems every year like you need to have. You're going to be going with a rookie or you know, because that you but saquon you take.

Speaker 1 6:01

Yeah, eric, henry, I mean those are your top two guys I mean right, look at a guy like jalen hurts dude who's gonna put it up? Yeah, rushing and throwing our jackson and jalen hurts right probably be your top two quarterbacks the amount of talent around jalen hurts is probably better than any anybody else push itself is gonna get him there.

Speaker 3 6:22

You go points right, so yeah that's like six touchdowns alone, right there.

AFC Division Analysis and Predictions

Speaker 1 6:26

Yep, the AFC is what I'm interested in, that's more.

Speaker 2 6:32

I mean, you have your usual suspects in Buffalo, kansas City, baltimore and I don't see them going anywhere. Those are well-run organizations. They have quarterbacks that eat up. Regular season wins Right, breakfast Right they do. They just do. Josh Allen does Lamar Jackson. We know about the postseason thing, but in the regular season he wins.

Speaker 3 6:58

He's really touchable.

Speaker 2 6:59

Yeah, and he wins every year.

Speaker 1 7:02

Will this be the year that they finally don't have to play the Chiefs. They can't beat the Bills either.

Speaker 2 7:09

Well, you got Aaron Rodgers now in the AFC North with Joe Burrow, lamar Jackson, all in the same division, yeah, and then Cleveland.

Speaker 3 7:23

We'll be back here one we'll be back here.

Speaker 1 7:32

But who has shador sanders? Joe flacco and then that guy they drafted before shador sanders, gabriel gabriel jay pickett, so that that's going to be a fascinating story.

Speaker 2 7:38

A lot of storylines, and then I mean the afc East seems to be a crapper this year. I mean you have. The Dolphins are a mess. The Bills are going to be are going to run away with it. The Jets maybe they have playmakers.

Speaker 1 7:57

If Justin Fields, but he's hurt, it doesn't matter if he's hurt they saw something in him.

Speaker 2 8:02

They wanted that ability.

Speaker 1 8:03

Right, they saw what he could do Athletically For Pittsburgh.

Speaker 2 8:07

It has defense and a run game. I think his word I mean it's hard, the position's hard in the NFL yeah and if you have somebody that can do it, that run and throw right, but I think it's the throw part that still leaves a lot of question out there.

Speaker 1 8:24

I mean, you know you can run, you know he's tough that's true, but first of all he's got to actually throw the damn ball right, instead of just holding on to it but say look at, I always.

Speaker 2 8:35

I always throw him with uh, trevor lawrence, those two guys were the same class. They're always one and two overall guys. They were. They knew they were the best players coming up, both mediocre yeah, I was gonna say like you wouldn't say that trevor lawrence has made, he's got the big deal, I guess, so he's one there, but I mean there's really nothing that's changed it's gonna be his, his year to both. Both those guys will have their chance right well with lawrence man.

Speaker 1 9:04

He's still with the team that drafted him, right? He doesn't do anything this year.

Speaker 3 9:08

That's it yeah, they're not gonna continue to invest in them.

Speaker 1 9:12

You know, you just went and got travis hunter, so there's really no excuse they have the offensive coach that you know.

Speaker 2 9:19

Was there baker mayfield right, able to turn it around like if they can't, if you can't do it, which I think he will be able to do. I mean you, who is doug doug peterson, you won a super bowl man, I know I meanoles.

Speaker 3 9:37

Yeah, he won a Super Bowl with Nick Foles, I know.

Speaker 1 9:43

Again, some dudes get in the NFL and then you know, being better than everybody in high school and college actually hurts them. I think Trevor Lawrence is another one of those kids. He's like man. High school I was the best because I was bigger than everybody. I was 6'6 in 10th grade.

Speaker 1 10:03

College wasn't really hard because I was playing on an NFL team in the ACC. Now I'm up in the Jags organization and it's falling on my big-ass head and shoulders and just kind of mid Duval Duval he's like I live in St John's man Shit. Dolphins I have no expectation.

Speaker 2 10:24

Yeah, I really thought I honestly would like for them just be bad. For once, I thought mcdonald would do better when's the last time? I mean they had the year where you know they fought for that one win, but it's been since then. They're usually just petering on average.

Speaker 3 10:40

Well, we got Tua in the top five just a handful of years ago. Dude, I think we need a top ten pick. Dude, we need to fire Chris Greer. Yeah, I mean, I've been wanting to fire Chris Greer for 10 years.

Speaker 2 10:56

You can't fire the owner Right.

Speaker 1 10:58

That's what I wanted to do, yeah start with the front office and then find a franchise quarterback, somebody that's actually above six feet tall. Yeah, that physical Can ride. The big boy rides at the amusement park. Well, we got the West, the AFC West.

Speaker 2 11:19

Broncos Chargers. That's going to be a hell of a division raiders you have that's. That's going to be the most fascinating division to watch in the afc, I think just oh, year two.

Speaker 3 11:31

Year two with bo nicks and sean payton is going to be real interesting to see man yeah, you got the milk steak and he's got carol rivalry reignited I mean you got andy reed yeah pat mahomes, who have been the standard chief.

Speaker 1 11:47

That's right you know the standard of the nfl the last, however many seasons, and pete carroll's out there yeah it's, it's. That might be the the best division in ball I, I, if you were to rank the divisions. By competitiveness, yeah.

Speaker 2 12:04

Or just be overall. Who had the best? Who do you think is going to be the best this year? Who did you pick? I would say the.

Speaker 1 12:11

AFC West.

Speaker 2 12:12

Yeah.

Speaker 1 12:13

Just on pick, I got NFC North.

Speaker 2 12:15

Yeah, that's a good one. This will be another pick we can have because you got the vikings who were had that great record and the bears who showed that they were almost there you know still had improved record right and just if it wasn't for a few lucky plays or dumb plays here and there they, they have a better record. And then packers always have a good record, lions man, that's everybody.

Speaker 1 12:42

Yeah, that's a really stacked so I those are your top two, yeah uh, I afc north's always tough you know, cleveland's always good too cleveland always brings it down I'll be interested to see what happens in cincinnati, all the shit that was going on up there this offseason with their draft pick with Trey Hendrickson and in Pittsburgh they went and got Aaron Rodgers for one year and DK Metcalf too this is going to be like alright, what are y'all going to do?

Speaker 3 13:14

is this going to be another?

Speaker 2 13:15

super interesting. They made the playoffs, but nobody thought they had any chance at winning that game last year. So it's like I mean, is that standard Mike Tomlin has? Is that just not enough anymore? I mean, you can't If you keep doing it.

Speaker 1 13:32

To me, Tomlin and Rodgers coexisting on the same team is going to be the most interesting thing about it. Right, this is it. It's almost to be the most interesting thing about it.

Speaker 2 13:39

Right, this is it, it's almost. If it doesn't work out, they most Rodgers is done, but they might move on.

Speaker 3 13:46

Yeah.

Speaker 2 13:47

For Mike, Like you've tried everything now.

Draft Picks and Team Development

Speaker 1 13:50

Just go ahead and move out to Santa Clara. Tomlin, take over for Kyle Shanahan. I'd be fine with that. He has big nose and purple jeans, wearing ass Out of my office.

Speaker 2 14:08

Yeah, there's always those teams that you don't expect.

Speaker 1 14:14

Yeah.

Speaker 2 14:14

Every year With the parody.

Speaker 3 14:19

Watch my boy, drake May, and the Patriots man.

Speaker 1 14:21

Yeah, I was going to say that there's a bunch of second-year quarterbacks.

Speaker 2 14:24

Mike Grable now, yeah, that are going to be Familiar face.

Speaker 1 14:29

I mean, you saw, jaden Daniels had that season he had last year. But there's other guys, maybe even Caleb.

Speaker 3 14:36

Maybe even.

Speaker 2 14:37

Caleb does a little something. There's teams that had a nice run that take a step back.

Speaker 1 14:44

Yeah, I mean there's definitely some teams that are going to suck too. Yeah, it happens every year. Looking at teams like the Cardinals Injuries you don't expect to happen.

Speaker 2 14:56

Teams like the Bucs, you know. If, like a player, mahomes gets injured, they're done.

Speaker 1 15:02

Oh yeah.

Speaker 2 15:03

You know that. What Chargers? What happens if Herbert's down?

Speaker 1 15:10

He's down Che you might be looking at Trey Lance.

Speaker 3 15:17

Can't believe Trey Lance still has a job anywhere. Yeah, that guy got it made, dude. He like he played like two games in a coveted season and has got an nfl career out of it, right, like basically he's just like a high school player.

Speaker 1 15:31

He's exactly what he is. He's a high school player, and the guy that traded away his entire draft to get him just blind. Luck that he still has a job, because brock purdy yeah insert that guy yeah it's a weird league man, but they know what they're doing?

Speaker 2 15:49

they don't know shit.

Speaker 1 15:52

Pick ricky pearsall instead of keon coleman. All right, yeah, yeah. Well, I like the way he runs his routes.

Speaker 3 16:03

Cool man, he's never gonna play at least he didn't say uh, you know we're gonna love ricky pierce all in his family, I think I think the nine bounce back drafted the whole family when we drafted this family.

Speaker 2 16:21

Man rams nine, grandmama gonna come out play left tackle I mean I I still like the rams, the whole family when we drafted this guy, the whole family, man, rams, niners.

Speaker 1 16:23

Like grandmama going to come out and play left tackle.

Speaker 2 16:26

I mean, I still like the Rams. You know, I liked them last year, dude, are you?

Speaker 1 16:31

kidding. Have you seen what Vers looks?

Speaker 2 16:34

like, yeah, and he's got his boy.

Speaker 1 16:39

He's a monster dude. I wouldn't be surprised if they slide Vers inside this year. And fist, you know, Dude boy, he's a monster dude. I wouldn't be surprised if they slide verse inside this year.

Speaker 3 16:43

It's like you know yeah, I think verse will play all over the line. It's gonna be insane he's.

Speaker 2 16:49

They definitely found the replacement for um donald yeah, he's been working out together and I it's. It was a great draft pick for not having a first round pick pick for so long. They went and got the right one and you know I love playing it because he played at FSU, but regardless, he's the guy I hate. The guy and you have the retired lineman Armstead saying I'm so glad I don't.

Speaker 1 17:19

Yeah, the first person you say is that was the biggest compliment.

Speaker 2 17:25

I've heard about him and he was the rookie of the year. So like when you have a player who plays in the trenches like that, saying like involuntarily he's going to fear this guy, but any wahoo, I like the coach McVveigh and I like the quarterback and, uh, they got devonta adams yeah, they can stay healthy. That could be big the o line you know, and that's they. They're the only ones that you know. If it doesn't snow in, philly crazy, I think the rams win that game, but it did yeah and they were able to run it and grind it out philly's hard man.

Speaker 1 18:08

Yeah well, that's a physical team that's a big ass, physical team it is.

Speaker 2 18:14

But it like that was such a great addition to. To add saquon to that team to with jalen hurts it makes once they figured out we're not going to throw it right as much.

Speaker 1 18:29

Yeah, we're gonna, we're gonna kind of be that throwback yeah yeah, grind it out.

Speaker 2 18:35

It's not fun when you do throw it.

Speaker 3 18:37

When you do throw it and you got. Yeah, there's two badass wide receivers right.

Speaker 2 18:41

Well, that's. That's why you can see why they did it. Even when you're winning, they're not getting the ball. They're going to get upset, but it's a good problem to have.

Speaker 1 18:51

Scratch your head. It's like how did the rest of the league let Philly get AJ Brown, get Saquon Barkley, and essentially for nothing in return?

College Football Season Preview

Speaker 2 19:04

Well, they're doing what you saw when Belichick still had Mojo back in the early 2000s late 2000s, he used to get players above that value, but the Phillies just going out and getting them. They find who they want and they pay the right people.

Speaker 1 19:25

Yeah Well, the AJ Brown trade basically. I mean that cost Mike Rabel his job in Tennessee and he knew it when it happened. I got nothing. I took that kid out of Arkansas that's what they got Traylon Burks or whatever his name is he's played like three games yeah.

Speaker 3 19:46

No, that and their defensive drafting. I mean they've just drafted for like five straight years, just the baddest dudes out of Georgia.

Speaker 2 19:55

Yeah, I mean they got the Dijon kid in the secondary.

Speaker 3 20:01

Yeah, Quinion Mitchell, I mean they seem to have yeah the gene man yeah, dude, that's who I wanted the dolphins to draft right.

Speaker 2 20:12

So they they've been doing a great job at evaluating the talent, drafting the talent and signing the right talent and, you know, playing to their strengths. You know they got a quarterback that squats like 600 pounds. Let's. Yeah, you know I don't like it, but you know it's, it's, it works, man exactly, and it's still loud so we got 400-pound dude in the league.

Speaker 3 20:42

now let's see if he can stop it.

Speaker 1 20:43

Yeah, they won't even let him practice what?

Speaker 3 20:48

Yeah.

Speaker 1 20:49

They're making his big ass. Just walk around while people are practicing, trying to lose weight.

Speaker 2 20:55

Guys, he's in Tampa.

Speaker 1 20:57

Like how hard is it to shed weight?

Speaker 2 20:59

It's like 115 degrees. Oh my God, it's so hot.

Speaker 1 21:02

It's like moisture everywhere yeah, just give them some bad indian food and send them outside. Dude, I should cut 30 pounds off them in a week. Dude, just sit them in a shed yeah, jesus, who was it in college?

Speaker 3 21:16

I got in trouble mike leach, yeah, that's what I thought it was mike leach.

Speaker 1 21:21

I thought it was mike leach put craig james kid in a shed.

Speaker 2 21:25

Yeah we'll get. We we're teasing it. Uh, we're gonna have the official over-unders, super bowl predictions, all the division winners, all that stuff, officially. But I wanted to tease that tonight with the Hall of Fame game coming tonight. But what we had to go, oh, we got to get on out of here. All right, but before we go, I mean practice college football, that's right.

Speaker 1 22:01

What do we got? Well, we're 23 days away from the first college football game. That's right.

Speaker 3 22:08

Oh God, that sounds good.

Speaker 2 22:10

Yes.

Speaker 1 22:11

Week zero.

Speaker 2 22:13

Oh.

Speaker 1 22:14

Now it'll be another week before any good games start, you know you got. Miami miami and notre dame florida state auburn.

Speaker 2 22:20

I mean alabama there's a lot of good games, and then you got the number one and two teams playing yeah, iowa state and texas yep that's the opening weekend is loaded yeah, what's gonna happen to how they select it this year?

Speaker 1 22:40

I don't know. I mean, I paid attention when Florida State was good, but since we already know we're not going to have any chance.

Speaker 2 22:50

Across these conference. Battles should matter, yeah, but they won't, they won't.

Speaker 1 22:56

Now you say something crazy happens like Arch Manning gets hurt, Unless they need it to work.

Speaker 3 23:02

Yeah.

Speaker 1 23:02

Like in.

Speaker 2 23:03

Alabama or if you're at Texas and you go into Alabama and win.

Speaker 1 23:07

They've been living off that win for the last two years. Like they're going to make it this year. Oh, they beat Alabama three years ago, man. Like they're going to make it this year.

Speaker 2 23:18

Oh, they beat Alabama three years ago, man. Hey man, johnny Menzel made a whole freaking image of going in and beating Alabama. Yeah, he did. He was a Heisman, like document, like his whole career is just I went in there and beat Alabama. I beat Alabama and Tuscaloosa when nobody God, that game was fun it was they cashed in off it too, yep, other than that, that's about it.

Speaker 1 23:46

Arguably the best thing to happen to Texas A&M in the last 30 years was that one game.

Speaker 3 23:53

I mean screw the.

Speaker 1 23:54

Jimbo era.

Speaker 3 23:55

Nothing.

Speaker 1 23:56

Yeah, one good season during and they got left out.

Speaker 2 24:05

Well, I'm looking forward to the football season Preseason not really, but I'll try to watch it, I mean it's football yeah, More practice updates, injury updates. We'll see what happens and we'll predict it Officially.

Speaker 1 24:20

We'll see how short Castellanos Really is by the time practice ends Next time. He keeps losing inches.

Speaker 2 24:27

On the North Florida Sports Network Ah.