Japan Baseball, Nats, Division predictions

This week I ramble on about my Japan baseball experience, talk end of season nats and why we should be hopeful, push back on some commanders hate, and give you my division predictions!

Questions? Comments? Let me know at carl.lanore1@gmail.com

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Yo, what's up? It's DC Die Hard Podcast for Friday, September 4th, 2026. How you guys doing? It's the overweight white guy with a mic, Carla Nor back for another one. And today we're gonna be talking no NHL. There's no news. I'll be talking a little bit of MLB, a little gnats. And then we're gonna get into the NFL. I'll talk a little bit um about some recent commanders news and some overreactions to the preseason. And then we'll get into some division predictions. This is this is always something that I always find really, really fun. So here we go. Uh like I said, um no NHL news. Um that's I'm just I'm just waiting for the season start. I just want to see it. We got some new we got some new toys to play with, and I want to go, I want to see them boys out on the ice. I know they're getting into preseason stuff. I usually don't watch hockey preseason. I actually didn't even know it was a freaking thing. Um, that's how casual of a hockey fan I am. But I am I am pretty excited to watch some Capitals hockey again and and honestly some hockey in general. Um the reason for the long break in between episodes this time is because I just went on a trip in my favorite rocket ship all the way to Tokyo and Guam. And honestly, uh I I went I actually went to a baseball game in Japan, whatever their version of the Pro League is. I can't remember the name of it. I think it starts with an N or something. I can't remember, anyways. Um, dude, those guys go hard about baseball, like they were real waving flags, and guys came in with drums and trumpets, and it was just noise and energy the entire time. And I mean, it was it was awesome. The whole atmosphere, the entire experience was absolutely amazing. I went and saw the Yomiuri Giants and the Hiroshima Carp at the Tokyo Dome play play a little bit of baseball, and man, was it was it fun. There were people around us that were like talking to us. Actually, so I I pulled up um I I read the Nats in my uh I wore James Wood jersey and of course Nats hat and uh the people behind us actually like recognized it, and you know, she asked about James Wood and like looked him up, and then they actually asked about um Ogasarwa or whatever. I I remember talking about him before. His name starts with an O. We signed him, he's from Japan, and and I told him I said last I knew they were they were in AAA, that he was in triple A. And you know, so that it was kind of fun that they like knew a player that was like a part of our organization. Uh and I mean it was like the home crowd was dead silent when the visiting team was batting, but they had one visitor section, and then they're going nuts. They have a separate song for every single batter, and they're just going crazy the entire time, and then when the other team's up, the they just sit the fuck down and and kind of shut up. And it's dude, it's awesome to be a part of. The concessions is honestly, I hate this. Is such a fat overweight guy thing to say, but the concessions was what impressed me the most. Well, no, it's the whole atmosphere just impressed me overall. But another thing that impressed me was like concession pricing wasn't like crazy. I think I got like a whiskey soda couple of them, um, and they were like five bucks a pot, man. Um, my wife got like a lemon sour and like a wagyu sandwich, and I got like a little wagyu bowl, and we ate for like under $30, man. That's unheard of in any stadium at any well, I've never been to a soccer game, but I'm pretty sure those are overpriced too. But I mean, so I'm living out here in the mountain west up in Laramie, Wyoming, and we go down to you know, Ball Arena and um Coors Field every so often, and I mean it's still $15 beers down there, and you know, whatever it is for you know a hot dog. I mean, I remember when I went to an Atz game, I mean, we couldn't get out of the line for 40 bucks a person between, you know, getting a beer and a hot dog. I mean, it's absolutely ridiculous. Honestly, Japan's like baseball game experience might have really come close to ruining me on coming to games in the US, just in general, because like we paid a little bit through the nose for the seats for sure. Um, they had I I got the tickets through this like program through the Tokyo Dome that I think is for like international visitors, and so we paid a little bit through the nose. I think we paid like a little, I think maybe like $172 a ticket or something like that. But we were like three rows up on the third baseline, like had some pretty good seats, and um but I mean it was cool, and and so we showed up, we got our tickets, and then we went in and went around the stadium, and it was it was awesome, man. Like those people get after it for baseball. I think soccer is bigger in in Japan just by a little bit, but it can't be much. Um, and I just every there, I don't think there was a phone out unless you were taking a picture or video or something, and everybody was locked into the game. You're singing songs, you're just like they keep the whole environment just kind of keeps you into the game, and it's just really fun, and it's it's just affordable. Like these, you know, I'm you know, I'm bitching about going to a game in the US right now, which I am pulling up to the Seahawks game because I'm gonna be in town, and I'm I'm taking my brother and then going with a couple other friends, anyways. Um I just remember like any sporting event I go to here, you just get niggle and dime the whole time. I think baseball isn't the worst, especially if you're around a team that isn't that great. Um, because those seats can get pretty cheap pretty quick, but you're still paying, you know, those ten to fifteen dollar beers and those, you know, seven to eight dollar hot dogs. Um when we went to a football game. I mean, I'm not you're not getting into a football game, even in the nosebleeds, you know, depending on the team, for you know, a hundred to I would say 120 to 150 bucks in the nosebleeds, sometimes 200. I mean, I looked up Denver Broncos tickets against the Seahawks. Me and a buddy wanted to go hate watch the Seahawks. That'd be funny if I went and saw them twice. But um I mean, those tickets were 200 bucks in the nosebleeds, so and and that must be just high demand because I mean Broncos fans show up, but I mean you're not getting in the door for anything, you know, less than 100, that's for sure. And then at least at Northwest or uh Mile High, you're paying $15 to $16 a beer. I know for sure at Northwest it's $16 a beer, and then you're paying high concession prices. So it's like, I mean, come on, man. You like all these you know former players are ple pleading for the fans to come back, but it's like, dude, I can barely get through the door. You're asking me to pay, you know, essentially a third of some of these most I would say at least a good portion of some of these people's paychecks. A third of it is just going to just getting through the door. Well, maybe not a third, but I mean, by the time it's all said and done and the game's over, like you probably spend a third of a paycheck just going to the game. Like, it's kind of ridiculous, man. I think I think sports fans across the whole thing, like, I feel like we need to push back a little bit and start letting these people know with our wallets. Maybe maybe we don't need to, you know, keep going to games and shit. Because I mean, I can watch any game I want on TV. I gotta pay a little bit, you know. Uh NFL Sunday ticket is kind of expensive. I think it's like, you know, $350 for the season, but whatever, I guess. Um, but I mean, that's for every single game. And then I can buy 30 beers for a little over the price of one beer at a game. And then, well, that might be a little strong. I know I can definitely buy 18 cold ones for a little over the price of one beer at Northwest Stadium, and then um, you know, I can get my favorite food and I can watch the game, and I don't have to fight traffic, and I don't have to go through all this bullshit or pay for the metro ticket or anything, or use my gas or any of that just to go to the game. Um I I can just sit at home and just freaking enjoy myself and maybe invite a couple people over that I like and and just hang out and have a good time that way. You know? Like, I don't know, man. I feel like something might have to give at some point. Um, or else we're just gonna leave we're just gonna leave sporting events to rich people. You know? That ain't that ain't cool. Um you need you need the you need the crazy guys in the in the nosebleeds. That that's where the noise comes from. Definitely ain't from the people in the boxes, I can tell you that. That's not where the atmosphere comes from at all. So but overall, man, it was cool to like go to a game in a different country around a different culture, and had a great time. Um if you ever go to Japan, that is a part of their culture that is a must see. It's a must experience. And yeah, if you're ever in Japan, go hit up the Tokyo Dome or go hit up, I think there's another team that's in that's in Tokyo, and then you know, I think there's one, you know, Hiroshima and you know, all the other all the other cities around there. So yeah, that that was just that's it. That's all I really want to say on that. And so with that, I'm gonna keep rolling into um we'll we'll run into the MLB and we'll talk some we'll talk some gnats really quick. Um so I remember back in August or back in June, July, when I was looking ahead to this to August and looking at the August schedule, and like, oh man, there's a big two weeks in August if we want to keep these playoff hopes alive. Got swept by the Braves, got s uh, I think we went one of three against the Phillies, and um yeah, just totally fell short. It was kind of expected. Um honestly looking into the future, we might be happy that it even happened. Because if you force if they win three of four at both four-game series, or they split them, well now Paul Taboni, he's gonna he's scratching a second. Well shit, I gotta I got a decision to make here. Do I try to go for this thing or do I still kind of soft-sell and keep this rebuild going? And honestly, um, it was kind of a disappointing end to the season. We're not we don't have any playoff hopes, but you know, I think I think Paul Taboni and company made the right choice of you know selling Mead for a solid starting pitcher who will, you know, be ready for next season question mark pending a lockout. Who knows what's gonna happen? But they they went for the future, they went and got some depths, some young pitching. Um, I think some of the pitching that they got that was like MLB ready quotation marks. Uh, didn't I I can't remember if they really worked out or not. I know one of the guys came in and got absolutely waxed. Um, but I I can't remember the names. It's been a week and a half since I watched baseball here, people. Um, but I did catch uh what was that Wednesday night's game? Yeah, Wednesday night's game against the was that against the Braves? I think that was against or was that Tuesday night's game against the Braves. Yeah, I think they won Tuesday night's game against the Braves, and then they got beat like James Wood comes back, and then we gave freaking shutout nine nothing. Imagine that. Um so let me look at this. Oh geez. Oh geez, I'm a mess here, people. I'm a mess. What am I doing? Yeah, we got beat by Atlanta 9-0. What else is no? Um, and then what do we do? Oh, that's right. We beat we beat Miami, we beat Atlanta, which there were some big bats in that in those games, man. We didn't even have CJ Abrams, I think, in that uh Miami game, and we ended up winning. And I think, you know, bullpen has been shaky all season, as we know, but I think there's some newer guys that came in and did some did some pretty good jobs. So I don't have any names off the top of my head. I know there was a guy that came in and closed out three innings to end the freaking game against a Atlanta Braves lineup, which is one of the best lineups in baseball. Like, I mean, how do you you know I mean, kudos to that guy? Um, so I think anyways, in conclusion, I think we needed the pitching. I think we have enough offense around James Wood and CJ Abrams. Um, I will just need a couple of other key guys to step up. Um, but I think you know, we can build around you know those two guys because they absolutely hit the fucking leather off of the ball. Could you imagine I was thinking about this the other day. I'm kind of sidebarring, but I was thinking about this the other day. I was thinking about the Juan Soto trade. Because one of the guys I play basketball with is a San Diego Padres fan. And I was thinking about that. I was like, man, they traded Juan Soto three years ago, and they gave us James Wood and CJ Abrams. Imagine if they would have just sat, if they would have just fucking sat on that. What kind of team would the Padres be right now, man? Holy fuck. If you throw James Wood and CJ Abrams into that lineup with Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado, and I know they got another stud over there somewhere. Oh my god, that is a fucking lineup right now. Oh man, I bet you that GM is kicking himself in the ass if he's still even in the building. Wow. Wow. I mean, I thought about that the other day and I was like, holy fuck, man. That could have been a team to reckon with. But I mean, they made their call, we made our call. Well, I mean, we we try to give Soto one of the biggest contracts in OMB history, and he threw his nose up at it. So, which I I mean, I if he wants to go compete for rings and get just as much money, I mean, fuck, I get it, dude. I ain't hating. I love Juan Soto. He helped be part of that 2019 team. I ain't mad at him, right? Um, anyways, but we can build around those two guys, and we just need one of the other two guys to step up into that Curtis Meade and Luis Garcia Jr. role that that they were doing at the be at the you know beginning to the middle of the year. I mean, Luis Garcia Jr. was absolutely on fire. Um, it kind of sucked that we had to trade him. I don't well, yeah. I mean, I think it made sense to trade him. We needed we need pitching, man. Like that is yeah, like it just goes to show you can have the best offense in baseball through half of the year, but if you don't have no pitching, man, you're still knocking on the door of the wild card in a very competitive national league with the Cubs and the Padres and the Diamondbacks and the Phillies. You know, I mean, those four teams I just rattled off, I think they're all competing for the for the last spot. You know what I mean? So um, I I think uh there's a couple of guys that I think could step into those roles. Um, Abimelech Ortiz is promising. Um, I think that guy's been doing pretty well. I don't know how I how he did, you know, last week and a half when I was on uh vacation, but you know what I was seeing from the kid, man, he he was doing really well. He's he's you know big hitting lefty. Um I was liking what I was seeing so far. Uh I think we're still waiting on Cruz to arrive. I know some people are like calling him a bust because of where he was drafted. He's had some good moments. I think we just we need to see a lot more from him for him to to be you know still on this team, really. Um but he he had that walk-off the other night. So I want to say congratulations to him on that walk-off. I hope sometimes guys just need a spark, they just need one moment where everything comes together, and then after that, they are they are doing really well. So I hope that's the spark for Cruz to really get him going and to get things to click. Um, but you know, we'll wait and see. Thalen Lyle, the last week and a half, he got NL Player of the Week shout out, and then the guy has just been absolutely on fire the last two weeks. You could, I guess, argue that it's a day late and a dollar short, but it's better late than never because you know, this isn't the season we got to go for it. It's you know, next season and the season after that we're trying to really establish a you know perennial playoff team again. And Dalen Lyle, he shows some flashes and he shows some, you know, you'll get a week or two of him just absolutely crushing the ball. He's had multi-home run games. Games. Like I'm not talking about just one game, I'm talking games. And you know, I mean, and and you're talking he got NL player of the week during a week when P. Crow Armstrong was is going on his MVP run and also smashing the ball out of out of the Cub Stadium. So, you know, I'm hoping we can get some more consistency out of Lyle. Um, I don't think he can sustain, you know, multi-home run games, of course. I mean, that's ridiculous to ask anybody, even you know, the bigger names in baseball. But um if if he can be just more consistent, because there were some periods where it was like, dude, Dalen, we we need you to get to bat on the ball, bud. Um, and he does. When he does, man, it it's great, it's great to see. Um, but yeah, hopefully he can step up. I know there's a lot of other young names that I can be excited about. There's one that I am blanking on, um, and there's a few others where um I just think he's you know, I think Pickney comes comes to mind. I know he's batting number nine, but he he's shown he's shown some flashes. Um, and there's man, there's one more name. Yo-yo Morales, Johanny Morales came out and made his debut, hit a home run. I think he had a single or something else like that. I think he went like, you know, I can't remember if it was two for four or whatever it was, but I know he hit a big home run against the Braves, against good pitching, and I think that guy can also be promising. I know it's only one game. We have to see a lot more to get this guy into the lineup consistently, but I was super happy to watch him just shine in front of his family and his friends and getting, you know, his first game, getting a getting a home run, man. Usually that doesn't happen. Usually these young guys come up and they kind of, you know, they look like they just came up from triple A. So yeah, we'll see. Uh we'll see what happens. Well, I gotta let my dog out. He's freaking crazy guy. Um, but we'll see what happens, man. I'm not um I'm not I'm not upset. You know, I I thought it was a long shot, anyways, back back in the spring and and early summer for this team to make the playoffs, anyways. Um, but overall, man, I think we're headed in the right direction. We went out, we acquired some young arms, some young pitching. We got a few young hitters. I'm excited to see hopefully see Seaver King here soon. Um, I know we got another kid, he's like 17 or something, I can't remember his name. Um blanking on that one. Um, I think I've already admitted that I'm never really too deep in the prospects, anyways. I I only have enough brain power to to keep the guys about the MLB at the top of my mind. And even then, I'm so fucking that up, right? So um I th but but I do hear about the young talent at the bottom. Um, I think his name's Eli something. But you know, we I think we got some players, man, you know, down at down in in double A and AAA that uh can can eventually come up and play some ball for us. So I like I said, I think I think we're we'll be alright. I think we're moving in the right direction. Disappointing end to the season this season, but I think we will get much better Nats baseball in the future. So enough about baseball, enough about a dead season. Um I will be watching the World Series. I will I will probably be watching MOB playoffs, so I'll definitely key key in on that. Um but I'm kind of out of baseball. NFL is coming around. Um, but I do want to see, you know, playoffs, how how Cubs and and um the Brewers. And you know, Braves could probably make a run. You know, who's gonna test the the Dodgers, basically, is what I'm going after. Um, and then you got some you'll have some AL East rivalries to watch within Boston and the Yankees, hopefully. So we'll get another one of those. It'll be fun. Um, and hopefully Curtis Meade. Curtis Meade steps up in the playoffs. Uh he's he's over there with Boston. Hope he's hope he does well, man. I'm gonna I'm definitely that'll be one guy that way I will absolutely be watching. But Luis is on the Yankees too, so I can't be mad at either. Um, I'd definitely be mad. I'd definitely be rooting against the Yankees in general because of my Orioles past fandom. Um I don't know, I always have a soft spot for the Orioles. They were kind of my first baseball team. I know some uh I know some people go back and forth. I I saw one guy call, you know, say there's there's commanders and Orioles fans, and then there's traders, and it's like, dude, fuck you. Who are you to tell me who I can root for in baseball, buddy? You know what I mean? But uh anyways, um excited for for for the MOB playoffs coming up, but that's about it, man. That's about it when it comes to baseball. I'm ready for the NFL to come around, baby. So let's get into it. Let's get into a little bit of NFL, baby. Um, I want to address a couple things about I think I've heard some Sonny Style slander. He's played three preseason games. I don't think he's played a full half of football, and people are calling this guy a bus because of one play. I think it was just that one Detroit play where he did his assignment. Like he was in the right spot now. Could he have done maybe a little bit better? Did he kind of get like whatever blah blah blah blah blah, whatever you want to say about you know, pad positioning and all this technical fucking coach shit? Like, well, yeah, but that wasn't that play was not his fault, that was uh Joseph's fault. The the DN that that we got the rookie out of Tennessee. Like, come on now. Um I I didn't have to look at the play for two seconds to understand that that was that that was not Sonny Styles' fault. And I thought Sonny Styles has played, you know, pretty good. Uh I like his length. I like the way he is in coverage. Um, I think he's always in in his assignment where he needs to be. Um, I think there might be some work there in in the run game, but I mean he's he hasn't even played uh down in a regular season game, and people are calling him a bus. It's like, come on, man. I got his jersey in the other way down, by the way. I'm gonna be rocking that motherfucker every single Sunday rooting for this kid. Um, honestly, I I wouldn't be surprised because he's a rookie. Um, and because you can put in, you know, Louvu and Chenal, um, and and you know, a few other guys, like you still got Jordan McGee out there, don't sleep on him. Um, I I wouldn't be surprised if he didn't start the first, you know, couple games of the year. Now, I don't expect that to happen, but but I also I wouldn't be surprised if he didn't if he didn't start the first couple games because of how deep that that linebacker room is over there. Um But yeah, I mean it is it just kind of you know I I think the I think it was totally uncalled for to just start calling the kid a bus and he's never even taken a regular season snap. Like he hasn't played one down of regular season football, and now all of a sudden he's a bus. Um I think the O-lines had a reaction. Um I'm gonna look this up real quick. I I think, you know, because there was a you know, we get one Nikki Jabala, uh, who's a beat reporter over there in Washington. We get a one, we get one, you know, really, really negative tweet from him, or from her, Jesus Christ, from her. Let me let me really correct myself on that one. We get one negative tweet from her about the offensive line being inoperable, and now all of a sudden I guess we're the worst team in the NFL. Um, yeah, I don't know, man. Uh sorry, I'm trying to offensive line. Um, yeah, we get one negative tweet from her, and then a bunch of other people being really negative about like being worried about the offensive line, which I think if you want to be a little worried about the offensive line, um I hear you. I'm a little, I'm a little uh I don't know, guys, because Laramie Thompson isn't on the left side, and that's just a big area of concern now. Um you're worried about the center position. Nick Allegretti has played a handful, you know, a couple of games of snaps. Um he came in and did a good job though at center. Um and you know, it it is it is what it is, man. Like we we got an injury to Laramie Tunsil, and it it's like uh like what what do you what do you want, man? Like I know a lot of people like, why didn't they go out and get a center? And it was like, well, maybe there just wasn't a guy that they thought was better than Nick Allegretti. Like that's the guy they're you know banking on um being the starting center, and then it sounds like they're pretty confident in this other rookie, uh Matt Goblin, uh coming in too. So, like, if they don't think there's anybody out there that's better than those two guys, then I mean what the fuck are we doing here? Like, yeah, he's been Nick Allegretti's been a little banged up, he's should be slated to start. I haven't heard anything different that he's not starting week one against Philadelphia. And I mean, so and and I wanted to bring up this. So the 2024 commanders that went to the NFC Championship game. Left tackle Brandon Coleman, who's now filling in for Laramie Tunsell, left guard Nick Allegretti, who is now Chris Paul, who played very well last year. He uh he he had all the ammo in the world to go out and get signed um for a bigger contract, but nobody gave it to him. So we came back here and we were like, yeah, you played really well, dude. Like, come on, we'll we'll take you a left guard. Get in there, bud. Um, center was Tyler Biatish, which is now Nick Allegretti. Um, right guard Sam Cosby. That's never gonna change. Pro bowl guard. And then right tackle Andrew Wiley, who is still on the roster as a swing tackle guy, and that is now the second year man, Josh Connolly Jr. out of Oregon, who was an ascending player last year. He started off a little rocky, but he was thrown to the Wolves. He was playing against some very, very good defensive lines. And now I think he he got better as the year goes on. That's what you want. Um, and so I've I wanted to point that out to be like, hey, it might not be that bad. Look at where we got in 2024 with less offensive weapons on the on that side of the ball, and you know, no Laramie Tunsil on the left side. I mean, now I've god damn it, I really wanted to see Larry Mutunsel this year on the left side with that offensive line. God, I mean that I I I understand people's concerns when you're hearing what you hear and beat reporters are seeing what they see and reporting on it, and I think I think you know, I just think it's a massive overreaction um to to the offensive line. And so, which is leading me into I think this front office is taking a little little too much flack for what it is. Um I think sometimes there's just you know, I think there's a lot of nuance to this thing. I think there's, you know, like you know, these guys don't just in really good interior or tackles, um, offensive linemen, just these guys don't grow on trees. And to look at the front office and be like, why didn't you sign somebody? It's like well, maybe there was nobody to sign. Maybe nobody fit their scheme, and maybe they just didn't think they were good, and all of those things. I I just think all of the overreaction slander has been um just really I I think it's just been over the top. I think it's just been over the top, and I just wanted to fucking call it out. Um, so with that, I'm gonna get more general off of the commanders. I'm gonna get more I'm gonna get more general. I don't know how long it's gonna take me to get through this. I I see I'm 30 minutes in. So let me take a sip of this whiskey right quick. And we're just gonna go through the divisions as uh as nfl.com has it listed up here. So first up, AFC East. I'm a Wyoming alumni. Shout out my boy Josh Allen. Just want to throw that out there. Um and my home and the guy uh Frank Crum caught an offensive lineman, tackle coming out of Wyoming, goes and catches uh against the Bills, catches a touchdown in the AFC championship game. Just want to throw that throw that out there too, by the way. Shout out him too. I'm rooting for that kid. I love him. Um, anyways, uh so we got the Buffalo Bills, the Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, New York Jets in the AFC East. Um, I'm don't think I'm gonna talk too much about Miami Dolphins and the New York Jets with bringing in Giono Smith and Malik Willis. Don't really think anything's gonna really happen there. Um, I just don't think like you know, I I've believed in the Jets before, and now I'm just like, oh, it's it's the Jets. Like, I don't think they're really gonna be all that great. Give me one second. All right, and I'm back. The joys of podcasting with no producer and no real actual place to do it and all the things. Anyways, um, so the yeah, I don't know, I don't really I mean it's the Jets, it's the Dolphins. Um, there was a lot of really good things coming out of camp against that joint practice with the uh with the Mi or uh against the Miami Dolphins. Um so if I mean I've if we dominated the fuck out of them on defense, I mean Jesus Christ, either our defense is really good or their offense is really, really fucking bad. Um I I honestly called it, I don't want to like spend too much time on this. Um, but I I was kind of like this might be an 0-17 team. Uh and that I'm not I I don't that might be a hot take. I'm sure they'll win a couple of games, but I fuck, man. I'm not well they always take it to the to the Bills and the and the Patriots. Um Robo can tell you, and I I have another buddy who's a Buffalo Bills fan. They are like, man, fuck the fish. Because somehow freaking Fitz Magic will go out there and just put on a game against you know the Patriots, and the Patriots are like, dude, what the fuck? You know what I mean? So I'm sure they'll win a couple of games. Um, New England, you're bringing in AJ Brown. Um, you did lose Clavion Chason, who had a smooth seven and a half sacks last year. Someone was saying he had 10 sacks. I don't remember seeing the statue where he had 10 sacks, anyways. Um, good guy off the edge. I don't know who's coming in to fill backfill him. Um, the only reason I know that is because of how closely I fouled the commanders. Um, but I I don't think like that, I think it's the same defense, uh, pretty much the same offense, just add AJ Brown. I don't know a lot of people were shitting on that left tackle, the rookie left tackle. I don't know if they were able to move him under guard or not. If they did, that's a big improvement for sure. Uh, if they didn't, I don't think it's that big of a deal. Um, if you ask me. I know it like really got exposed in the Super Bowl, but that was against the Seahawks defense. So I don't know, man. Like, I think I think New England has a really good shot at winning this division. Same with the Buffalo Bills. Buffalo Bills fire Sean McDermott after coming up short yet again in the playoffs. Um, I always go back and forth on like, do you fire a coach that keeps getting you to the playoffs? He just hasn't quite get gotten it done. Because I mean, if that's the case, you would have caught filed fired Kyle Shanahan over in San Francisco by now, who's taking you to what three Super Bowls now, just couldn't just couldn't get it. Just couldn't, for whatever reason, you were just a few plays away from winning the Super Bowl over in San Francisco. Um, so you know, I I don't know. I I think it probably was a good thing to shake it up. Maybe they saw some you know decisions in some high leverage uh situations where they were like, hey Sean, what the hell was this? And they just finally were just like, you know what, we'll just elevate, I think his name is Joe Brady to from offensive coordinator head coach, and you keep running that offense because it is absolutely working. Um, I picked up James Cook in one of my fantasy leagues. I am really hoping that that guy pops the fuck off. And of course, I will be rooting for Josh Allen coming out of uh Wyoming. So, um, gun to my head, who wins this division? Do I go alumni um support and just take the Bills? Or do I think the Patriots do it again? The problem with the Bills is they seem to just kind of like step on their fucking shoelaces in the beginning of the season, and then they have to puke and rally back to either compete for the division or um or or get into the playoffs, which they keep doing. But um, and I think they improved their defense. Um they oh yes, they did. They went out and got CJ Gardner Gardner Johnson. I'm glad that I don't have to see him. I can't remember I know he was on the Eagles at some point. I'm just glad I don't have to see the guy anywhere in the NFC anymore. Um, he's now comfortably in the AFC East, where fuck, I might have to see that guy next year. Anyways, um, I think that's a big improvement to the Bills. Um, put that guy, you know, on the back end of DB and um just let him go crazy, man. Shit talking guy. Um definitely can can elevate a room and can elevate a team, really. So, you know, I know they improve the the defense. I don't know. Um I only follow like Commander's free agency pretty closely. Um, I gotta make a choice here because I am 36 minutes in. Um I think the Bills do it. Give me the Bills to win the AFC East, followed by New England, followed by the Jets, followed by Miami. That's what I'm going with. On to the AFC North. This is a very annoying frickin' division. Actually, you know what? It's not as annoying as it was because I don't think Pittsburgh is as good as they were. Cleveland is Cleveland, and now I just have to flip a coin between Cincinnati and Baltimore. Um, which uh for as much as I have, you know, I I you know I'm I'm not I don't call myself an an Orioles fan anymore. Um, but I still, you know, I'm like, hey, the Orioles one, that's what I'm talking about. Um Baltimore, I I the the Ravens, I I hate the Ravens. Um because there's just this like they those fans, because of how bad we've always been, um, they always like look down their fucking noses at us. Um and then, you know, I've always gotten the oh, either either I've gotten the you know, oh, why don't you just root for the Ravens? They're the better team, or I've gotten the year from Maryland. Don't you shouldn't you root for the Baltimore Ravens? And I'm like, fuck both of you types of people. No, I don't because I'm a freaking lifelong Commanders fan. I'm south of 495, I'm an hour south of DC. I rock with the commanders, that's who I fucking rock with. Fuck off everybody who thinks that way. Um, sorry, that that might have been a little harsh, anyways. Um, so but but I do give I do cred yeah I do give credit to the Ravens for sure. Um, because they have been a uh pretty decent franchise for a very long time since I got there, really. Um so now this is where um actually let me go through every team real quick. Uh Cleveland kind of kind of still dumps fire, especially with at the quarterback position. Um you're letting Deshaun Watson start, which uh yeah, he's he's uh he's he's not good um in football or in life. Um you got a lot of money though. Figured out how to get a lot of money. Sorry, I'd take another sip there. Um but uh you know what, dude? I would love to have that cornerback ward on my team. That guy is an absolute freak. And um who was the who was the DN they traded for? Who was that guy? Who was that guy? Um um Browns D DN uh DN Browns D. No, not depth chart, you stupid computer. Who was that guy? It's killing me right now. Jared Verse. So not Miles Garrett, of course, but still a very good player. I think it's still gonna be a really good defense. I just think the offense is gonna be so bad that it's not even like I mean, defense is like Fred Smoot says this. Defense wins championships, offense wins games, and they don't have an offense that can win games. I think they're just gonna be bad again. They might sneak one. I'm uh you know what? Now that I'm talking about this, I'm not doing my survivor pool against the Browns because that fucked me last time because Green Bay lost to them the third week in. I was like, dude, what the fuck? Like that should have been a slam dunk shit right there, and they ended up losing like 13 to 10. Um, so yeah, let's uh yeah, I'm not doing that. That's a trap every single week, if you ask me. Um Pittsburgh, you got Aaron Rodgers coming back, you got DK Metcalf. You added Michael Pittman. I don't remember any crazy notable um acquisitions on defense. Um, I think Patrick Queen is still there, who I think is one of the best middle linebackers in the league. Um, I think they're still gonna be a decent team. They'll probably still go 9-8 or 10-7 and squeak into the playoffs. Um, or maybe they don't. You know, it's time. Pittsburgh fans, I'm sorry. It's been a good run. You keep going to the playoffs, and then you bitch about it. I think it's time for you guys to understand what sucking really feels like. Because I would love to go and be a perennial playoff team. Hey, fuck it, we come up short every every fucking year, but I don't give a shit where you give me something to root for. Last year I didn't have shit to root for, except, hey, let's see what you know, how good of a draft pick do we get, right? Um, so I think Pittsburgh, it's time for you guys to understand what you had in Mike Tomlin as the coach. You ran him out of town, and it's it's time for you to understand what real pain feels like. You should understand what real pain feels like and and then grasp and hope that you can get back to what you were, what that great franchise once was. That's that's that's what I hope for you guys. Okay, anyways, on to uh on to Baltimore. Um got a new head coach coming in there, and Jesse Minner. You could have had Mike McDonald, but that's hindsight. Hindsight is fucking 2020, and every one of us can make the right decision in hindsight. However, um, yeah, John Harbaugh, he was he's been a good coach for a long he was a good coach for a long time in Baltimore. Kind of sucks he went to New York because I know they're just gonna be better, and we always choke on a fucking dick against the Giants. Um, except for the last two years. We've swept him, we've swept him the last two years. Hopefully we sweep them again. Um, excuse me. Uh, anyways. Um you still got Lamar Jackson, you still got Derrick Henry. I don't know how much he has left in the tank. I know he spends a lot of money on his body and keeping it tip-top shape, though. So I don't I don't really see a fall off. You lose Patrick Ricard at fullback. I think it is an absolute disgrace how much the Baltimore Ravens have been in shotgun and had Justice Hill in the backfield. I don't know why that's even a fucking thing. Like you have Derrick Henry and Patrick Ricard, that's like 500 pounds of people in two people coming through the A gap, coming through the B gap, on a toss, whatever it is. Like that's a guaranteed five fucking yards, and I don't know why it's been underutilized so much. Now, if Jesse Minter has half a fucking brain, and this is coming from an overweight white guy who has never even played it down of football, let alone coached it, I think you probably use Derrick Henry um a little bit more in the back half of games, because that was the classic thing with Harbaugh, is he would be in the lead and then he would come and then he would let the other team come back for whatever reason. And I if if they stick to, you know, twelve personnel, twenty one personnel, they get Derrick Henry, they keep getting Derrick Henry downhill, which they will do. They I Just in my opinion, I just don't think they do it enough, especially to close out games. Um, I know Derrick Henry fumbled a couple of times last year, which cost him a couple of games also, but that's neither here, neither that's neither here nor there. Um, I just want to see some more downhill shit going. Um I think it's still gonna be the same Baltimore defense. I think it's still gonna be a really I still think it's gonna be a good defense. I don't know if it's gonna be as good as it has in the past, but it's gonna be serviceable, it's gonna be good enough to win the game. Now it's just how how do you close out? Because you haven't closed out very well. Um, and so we'll just have to see how that goes. If Lamar Jackson has another MVP year, I think look out in the AFC North. Um it's gonna be they're they're gonna definitely take it to you. I do love the way that they have played some smash mouth football. It's one of my favorite things to watch is guys just cramming it. And like, hey, we're you you see us in I formation, you see Derrick Henry back there, and you see that we have two tight ends and uh uh you know on the line. You know we're gonna run the ball, and there's nothing you can do about it. That's the kind of football I like to fucking see, baby. Let's see it come back in Baltimore. Actually, no, let's don't, because I don't fucking like you guys. Um Man, I feel like I feel like there's one more notable thing to say about the defense. Um but yeah, um, I don't know. Ravens, let's see it. Let's see it. Now, here we go. I have I'm I'm I meant to say this at the beginning when I started doing this, but I do have two dark horse teams that I'm picking at the NFC and and the AFC. My first Dark Horse team out of the AFC is the Cincinnati Bengals. Now, on paper, they don't look like a Dark Horse team, but in the past, everything, you know, Joe Burrow gets hurt, the defense is bad, you still score 60 points a game with Joe Flacco. Well, it wasn't 60 points a game, that's a freaking exaggeration, but you still score, you know, 35 to 40 to 40 points even with Joe Flacco in the game because Jamar Chase and T. Higgins are down there somewhere, but you still lose the game because you can't get a fucking stop. That's been Cincinnati for the past two years. Um, and Joe Burrow getting hurt. Now, if Joe Burrow stays on the field, it's the same offense that's gonna put up 30 to 40 points a game. Now, if this defense elevates itself to just even be middle of the pack, then I think this is a dangerous football team. So you go out, you get Dexter, uh Dexter Lawrence, and then you go out, you add Jonathan Allen. I think they added a stud D end. I can't remember I can't uh remember name off the top of my head. Um and I don't know if they did anything a quarter or not, but if you upgrade the front, you're automatically upgrading the back end because now everything's getting home. Now the now you're making the QB get happy feet and get off of his spot. And what you know, what the hell and and I think Jonathan Allen, Dexter Manley are also good against the run. I think those are big acquisitions there, uh as as well as that is that DN that I'm failing to remember who they added. Um so I think if that defense, if if those pieces elevate the defense even to be, you know, 16 to uh 20th ranked defense, this is a playoff team for sure. Because there's no like how do you keep up with Jamar Chase and T. Higgins? And oh, by the way, they can run the football too with Chase Brown coming out of the backfield. I think, you know, the only thing that would a slight head scratcher is Zach Taylor was there, but that goes back to my same argument where, you know, what like was there a better head coach out there? Was there a better hire? Would he have came to Cincinnati? Or would you have fired a guy and then you're sitting there like, oh shit, we need a head coach, and there's nobody, there's nobody better than Zach Taylor to put out there. Um, so that's all. That that that's the only like question mark there is um I think it's it's head coach and can Zach Taylor get this team back to being a deep can lead them back to a deep playoff run. But um uh outside of that, man, on paper, these guys look sharp. The reason I say dark dark horse is because they haven't done it lately. And so this is very what have you done for me lately, T league. And you know, with injuries or scheme or you know, whatever the whatever the hell you want to you want to say. Um I mean it's it hasn't looked good recently. Um either barely squeaking into the playoffs or needing somebody to lose to get into the playoffs. Um but if if that defense can just be just a fucking little bit better, I think this is this is tea this is uh playoff team that can absolutely win the AFC overall, if you ask me. So there you have it. I just gave you my AFC North Division winner, Cincinnati Bengals, and AFC Conference winner, Cincinnati Bengals. I think that could absolutely happen. On to the AFC South. AFC South is a both South divisions are just weird divisions where we just kind of don't really give a fuck about them, but um they can have some good teams that you kind of have to like, all right, we we gotta we gotta plan for this. We we gotta we gotta actually we definitely have to prepare for this, especially if we are we're gonna play them in the playoffs. Um I think the AFC South is a lot sneakier than the NFC South. I'll get to the NFC South in a sec. Um but in the AFC South, um you have Houston, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Tennessee. Um, I think Tennessee is gonna be at the bottom again this year. I don't think I think it's gonna be a few years. I think they're building something special, though. I think Cam Ward can definitely come online. You just drafted Cardinal Tate to get him a weapon. Um, I think if you hit on a few more first-round draft picks, you know, if Cardinal Tate works out and be's the number four overall that that you drafted him to be, and Cam Ward comes online. I think Cam Ward shows flashes of having some really good stuff. It's just can you get it consistently enough? Can you get him to a point in Tennessee where you're gonna be able to do something with him? Um, I think you're still a few years away from seeing these guys really contend. Um, I still don't think they're gonna be good this year, but I think they're gonna be a lot better. I think they're gonna be someone that you definitely they're gonna be a team that you look at and like, alright, we gotta definitely got a game plan because you know, any given Sunday, these guys can come in and whoop us. Um so you're bringing in Robert Salah, he's getting his second shot at being a head coach. I think you know his first tenure with the Jets got written off because, well, Jets, but I think this is his second really big shot at being a head coach. I thought the motherfucker was gonna take Sonny Styles or Caleb Downs or whatever other, you know, top five defensive player in the draft um because he's defensive minded head coach, and then number four comes around and they take Carnell Tate. Don't mind that pick. If you if you need a wide receiver, you go get a fucking wide receiver. Mine as well. And they got the best one in the draft. Um to be seen, like to be determined, I guess. Um, but as it stands right now, he was the highest-rated player, highest-rated wide receiver in the draft. I like what they're doing, I like what they're building, I think they can keep it going. I think Jacksonville is another really good defensive team. Um, you have um, I know they lost Brandon Lloyd. I can't remember where he went. I think he might have gone to the Raiders. Let me see. Let me look that up. Let me make sure fact check myself again. Brandon Lloyd. Lloyd.

SPEAKER_00 52:24

American football player. Um, not that guy. Who's the fucking linebacker? Linebacker Lloyd. Lloyd. Lloyd linebacker. Okay, there we go.

SPEAKER_01 52:43

Um, he went to the Panthers. Oh, that's a big sign. I wanted Devin Lloyd. Sorry, I said Brandon Lloyd. He was a fucking wide receiver. Anyways, um, Devin Lloyd um was one of my favorite linebackers in free agency. I wanted him to come to Washington. He went to Carolina. Good for Carolina. Um, so that's one of I think one of the major pieces that they're missing. Um, they lost Burns last year. Um, he went to the Giants, motherfuckers. And um, but I this was still a good defensive team. I don't think that's gonna change. I think the offense is gonna have to step up, and I think Trevor Lawrence is finally gonna have to like, hey, we gotta do it, bud. We gotta, we gotta step it up. I think he can. I mean, he's a I still think he's a decent quarterback. I think you can do it with him. It's just, you know, you put you went out and you traded for Jacoby Myers last year. Um, you still have Brian Thomas and you still have Travis Hunter as as your wide receiver options, and then you have you let Etienne walk to the Stants and you bring in Baychall Tutin. I don't think that's a bad move. I think Beshall Tutin can can tote that rock pretty well. So it's one of those things like, hey, gotta see it. Gotta see it. But I do think the Jacksonville Jaguars are a team to be reckoned with. And we gotta play this division. We gotta play this division. We need to pay attention here. Um, we can't sleep. I don't think we can sleep on any of these teams. I think I think any given week, any of these teams can come in and beat you, especially you know, Jacksonville and Houston. Houston, I'll get to. I'm I'm gonna save them for last. I really like Houston. Um, but Jacksonville, I think Jacksonville absolutely could win this division. I'm not picking them to win the division, but I think they could. I think they have the pieces. I think if everything clicks, they can get it going. You have a head coach in a second year that, you know, usually you do something a second time and you get better at it. I don't know why we can't do that uh in Washington, but whatever. Um that that was last year. This is this year. Um, so yeah, I I see I see Jacksonville um as a strong team to contend for this division. On to Indianapolis Colts. I'm a little bit lower on the Indianapolis Colts than I think most are. I think you have a good defense, you have Sauce Gardner. My question is you let Nick you lost Nick Cross, who came and signed with Washington. I want to know who your box safety is gonna be because Nick Cross is the one that primarily filled that role in fitting the run and being in a box. Um Nick Cross took more snaps at outside linebacker than he did at a safety position. So I want to know who who are you gonna um who's next up. I think they definitely I know there's a guy he was mentioned on a different podcast that could be that box safety guy for you, if you want him to be. But well, um, I think that's to see. You still have Latu Latu on the line, um, and I think they got some good D-tackles. I don't know their names. Um, they but I know they have a good defensive front. The defense is going to be good. Um, the big question mark for Indianapolis is Daniel Jones is coming off the Achilles, and can Jonathan Taylor stay on the field? Um, you let Michael Pittman walk, you paid Alec Pierce a bunch of money, and you have Josh Downs. I think those two are very serviceable wide receivers. I think you can get away with that. And then you have Tyler Warren at tight end, who also did very well last year. I think people are sleeping on him. Excuse me again. Um, but I quarterbacks in re if if you let me tap into my recency bias, um, these guys were old quarterbacks, but you know, Aaron Rodgers and Kirk Cousins coming off an Achilles injury didn't look good. I can't imagine that Daniel Jones, who isn't old but older, he's been in the league for a little bit, he's a veteran. Um, I don't know if he's gonna be able to use his legs like he did coming off a torn Achilles. I don't know if Jonathan Taylor is going to stay healthy on the field. Um, so I think there's some question marks there. However, if if it's if they stay healthy on the offensive side with those two players and they they roll like they did last year when they went 8-0, I think I definitely think there could be an argument made for the Indianapolis Colts to be a freaking force to reckon with. And I'm gonna leave it at that. Houston. Houston is also this this is where this this division is actually really interesting the the closer you look at it. Houston on the defensive side of the football has my favorite player, I think, on on the defense. I probably I'll I'll I was I'll say top three because I'll be a homer and say Sonny Styles will be my it'll be like Sonny Styles, Nick Cross. I love Nick Cross. Um, but they have one of my favorite defensive players who is a safety who wears number five, and his name is Jalen Petrie. I didn't even have to look that up. Are you impressed yet? Ever when I watched tape on the Texans last year, and like, what is this team gonna do in the playoffs? I I watched like their first week of playoffs, and this guy, number five, just kept coming into the frame on the run fit and smacking motherfuckers in a phone booth. And I was like, who is this guy? And it was Jay, his name was Jalen Petrie, and I was so impressed. I think he might be the best safety in the league. Um, I love watching this guy play football. I will absolutely turn the TV on for the Houston Texans just to watch that guy, number five, play football for the Houston Texans. I love him. I think they have a really good front. I think they have they have a top three defense in the league for sure. That defense can absolutely win you some ball games. Um, they're gonna rush with four because they can win with four. They might bring five every so often, they might blitz every so often, but I think primarily on passing downs, they're gonna rush with four. They're gonna fit the run with the safety and and your and your linebackers, of course. I mean, I think that's probably some slam dunk shit to say. I feel it kind of stupid for saying it. Anyways, um, I think they're gonna fit the run really well. I don't think you're gonna be able to run the ball very well against them. And then I think, you know, the the pass rush can get home, getting home with four, allowing you to drop to drop seven or eight, is um, you know, but like it it starts begging the question, like, well, how the hell do you beat him? Um obviously it can happen. Like defensive gives up points at some point in the game. Um I think the defensive side is taken care of. That co the the the head coach in in Houston has done um what's his name? D'Amico? What's his name? Why am I blanking on his name? Uh Houston Texans Head coach. Um D'Amico Ryans. I think he's done an excellent job on the uh just in general over there in Houston. You remember when this guy took over, they were coming off a two-win season. Um, with I think Davis Mills as their quarterback. Fired the head coach, D'Amico Ryans comes in, they draft CJ Stroud, they draft a couple other pieces, I think they draft Will Anderson Jr. And they end up turning it all the way around and going to the playoffs. And they've been a perennial playoff team ever since. The big question is I think around CJ Stroud. I don't think that oh, you can click anyways. Um if CJ Stroud can just be, you know, I think he serves the bowl as he is right now. I don't think he's a bad quarterback. I just, you know, for some reason it just doesn't look good at times. And if they can just get him to a place where they're e they're just even thinking about giving him a you know a contract to stick around, this could be a Super Bowl contending team. Now they haven't really proven that. It kind of sucks to say because I love watching this defense. I think it's a waste of a Super Bowl caliber defense, but that's neither here nor there. Um I I think it all just falls on CJ Stroud. You had Joe Mixon, um, now you're betting on this Woody Marks guy. I think there's I think there's a lot of question marks on the offense to you know, we gotta see it once again. Um, but I think I think there are some strong playoff contenders, and I think there's one strong Super Bowl contender coming out of this division. Now, if you had me to say who's gonna win it, I think it's gonna be Houston, followed by Jacksonville, followed by Indianapolis, followed by the Titans. Um, Indianapolis and Jacksonville can flip-flop, of course, depending on you know, you know, Daniel Jones and Jonathan Taylor, and then also depending on Trevor Lawrence and that wide receiver core and Bay Shall Tootin and how they run the football. So there you have it. That's the AFC South. AFC West. This one is also a pain in the ass. Um, yeah, Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs, who people I think are sleeping on because of last season, even though last season wasn't very well, didn't go very well. I think people are sleeping on the Chiefs again. Um, Las Vegas Raiders, who are very improved. I can't even think of half of the names that they signed. They signed so many fucking guys in free agency, it is absurd. Um, and then the Los Angeles Chargers with Mike McDaniel coming in. I'll start, I'll start with the Chargers. You got Mike McDaniel coming in, great offensive mind with Justin Herbert, who has amazing arm talent, who can also kind of scoot and boot too. I we don't think of him as a running quarterback, but he can use his legs. I think people forget about that. You also have um Amari at Hampton coming into a second year, who's a good running back. Um, you don't have Keenan Allen anymore. Who are there? You have um Ladd McConkie, and then there's a tight end over there that that's pretty good. Um I uh and then I think the defense is, you know, they lost Adopte Owe, but I think the defense is gonna be pretty decent. I'm sure they made some acquisitions. I don't know off the top of my head. Um, but but I you know, if this is gonna be a hardball football team, you're gonna play some fucking defense. So we'll see what happens. Um I I think I think I think Mike McDaniel was absolutely just in love. I'm sure he was doing backflips in his living room when when he got to be the offensive coordinator with the Los Angeles Chargers when you have Justin Herbert and Omar and Hampton, and then you know Lad McConkie. Um you got so you got some pieces to fuck with over there, man. I think Justin Herbert is a really good fucking quarterback. It's just the problem is is he can't he he doesn't stay healthy enough, and your offensive line always gets banged up for whatever reason. I don't know why. Um so if the we say this every year about the Chargers, that on paper they should be a Super Bowl contending team. They're people that have picked them to go win their first Super Bowl, and they just fall short, whether it's they fuck up in the playoffs or um they you know get injured, whatever it is. I mean, I I remember we beat the snot out of them in a especially in the second half, you know, in week three last year, and it was because their offensive line got nicked up. They had both they had both tackles just out of the game, and even uh defense as bad as the the commanders were last year, we didn't know at the time, um, even as bad as they were, they uh they they couldn't, you know, they couldn't stop us. Couldn't stop well, I think we still had dorms armstrong and um um there was another guy that was that was doing some doing some things. Um but yeah, even then, couldn't couldn't really do anything, but it is what it is. I think I think just the biggest question mark with the chargers is health. Now, if they stay healthy and Mike McDaniels is in his bag, I think this team can win the division. I don't think they will, but I think they can. And so let's move on. We'll go to the Raiders. They uh they could be they could be sneaky good. I think they'll still finish fourth in this division, but I think they could still be good. You're bringing in Fernando Mendoza and Kirk Cousins. I like that they brought in Kirk Cousins to bring Fernando Mendoza along to see the process of how you become a pro, um, how you how you play quarterback in this league. I think I think it'll be a great thing for him. You got Assin Genty in the back. Um, I if I remember right, he's gonna be ready for week one. I know he got nicked up a little bit there. Um, you got Brock Bowers, who is an absolute dog. Um, I don't think the wide receiver core is too strong. I can't remember who who the wide receivers are. I know Keen Keenan Allen went over there, but he's like really fucking old. So I I'm not gonna expect too much out of him. But it is uh uh you got Jack Besh. Um who else? Who else? Yeah, I I think that's about it for the wide receiver core out there. Trey Tucker, I know he can stretch the field, but um yeah. I and and and the defense is gonna be a lot better. I think they bolstered the offensive line when they signed Linderbaum, the center. Um, I was hoping to get him, but you know, that didn't happen. Whatever it, you know, whatever. But um I think they I think they'll be a lot better this year, man. I think they're gonna take it to the division. I think they're gonna take it to teams um outside of the division. They're definitely gonna be better than you know a three-to-four win football team this year. Like you can bet on that. You can bet on that. Um, so that's all I really got to say about the Raiders. Uh Kansas City Chiefs. They trade up and draft Mansord Elaine. You still have Chris Jones. I know they added another tackle who's who's coming along. Um, and it's still gonna be a Steve Spagnola defense. You know, you're gonna have a four down front, you're gonna play a, you know, a you know, a four-three or four-two-five, and you know, we're we're just gonna do that and just kind of play a a normal straight-up defense, and it's probably gonna be pretty good. Um, I think there's just a lot of question marks of how Patrick Mahomes is gonna come back from that injury that he suffered last year. Um, what are you gonna do? How is Rashi Rice gonna do, especially with like all of his legal trouble, and I think he was hurt a couple of times. Like, what what's gonna happen there? Um, is Xavier Worthy gonna step up and be somebody? You added Kenneth Walker, and then you are still uh you still have the um whatever's left of Travis Kelsey. I think I think this team is being slept on, if you ask me. It wouldn't surprise me if this team, you know, finished first or second in the division, um, because we've seen them have so much success in the past. It just wasn't as good last year, so I think people are just not as high on the Kansas City Chiefs. I think people are are ready for the descension of Kansas City, and I don't know if we're gonna get it yet. You still have Andy Reid, you still have some guys, some veterans with some really good playoff Super Bowl experience, and it I like I don't think you can write them off yet. That's just my opinion. Um, and then the Denver Broncos. Um I don't know how Bonex is gonna come off that injury. You added Jalen Waddle. I think you have a good running back room with J.K. Dobbins and uh da da da. What's his name? What's his name? Uh Fuck, what's his name? Um I think that defense is still gonna be really freaking good until I find the uh running back I was trying to talk about. Um, not him. J.K. Dobbins. Uh RJ Harvey. I think RJ Harvey is also really good um coming out coming out on you know third down, whatever it is. But I think you know, I think you have a good offensive line. I think you have a good defensive line. I think you have a good I think you still have the best defense in football. I don't think you lost anything. I don't think you really added anything. Like it's gonna be the same defense. And so I you know, if I if I go to wrap up the AFC West, I'm an hour and nine minutes into this thing, but if I go to wrap up the AFC West, I would say Denver wins it, Los Angeles, Kansas City, Las Vegas. I don't think Las Vegas is there yet. Um, and I don't think Kansas City is down enough yet. I like I said, I think I still think Kansas City could probably win this division. That's how competitive it is right now. So, but that's that's how I got it ranked as I look at looking at it right now. Um moving on. Let's go to the NFC South because nobody really gives a shit about the AFC South. The NFC South. Um Tampa Bay is still Tampa Bay. Is are they, you know, is Baker gonna allow the head coach to uh keep his job, or you know, are they finally gonna have to move on and kind of like you know do something else there? We'll just have to see how it goes. Um we'll see if Todd Bowles, you know, keeps his job. Um, because they've been kind of descending a little bit. Oh shit, they added now hold hold hold the phone. I'm I'm correcting myself here. They added Alex Anzalone and they went and drafted Ruben Bain Jr. I think the like half inch of arm length on Ruben Bain Jr. got a little blown out of proportion. Um, he came out mad, dog. I I fuck I'm rooting for Ruben for Ruben Bain, bro. Because he came out and he just grabbed the hat. He didn't even put it on and like do the little mirror shit or whatever. He just he just took it and walked out, grabbed his fucking jersey, and was like, fuck all of you motherfuckers. You guys are gonna wish you drafted me. That shit was dope. So I think this defense is still gonna be really good. Vita Veya still a bro. I remember watching a game one one day with uh Tampa Bay fan, and I looked at him, I went, bro, Vita Veya is a big muff, fuck a dog. Like that shit was wow. Like he he's just he he is one of the best D tackles in the league still, if you ask me. I know he's getting up there in age, but fuck that. I mean, Tampa Bay is still gonna be Tampa Bay, where they're gonna do zone blitz, and you're gonna have to just figure out how to piece it out. Um New Orleans, all right. You added Travis Etienne, it's your second year year with your head coach. Um Tyler Shaw was was he shows some promise. I'll give him that. You still got Chris Olave. Um you have a you might have a defense that you can fuck with. I don't know, man. Uh, but I'm still not I gotta see it. I gotta see it from the New Orleans Saints. Um Atlanta Falcons, uh I took Bijan Robinson first overall in one of my one of my leagues. I just I think the first overall, the like consensus first overall pick every year is kind of is kind of doomed, um, whether it's injury or just having a down year or whatever it is. I don't know. I don't know. I don't think Gibbs, if Gibbs stays healthy, obviously he's gonna be the fucking number one running back. You might be the number one player um in fantasy. But I just I I thought Bijan was um I I think Bijan is the best running back in the league. Like if you if you switch those two, um, I still think like, well, it's probably about the same. It's actually probably about the same. I just think, you know, I I I hear people where it's like Jameer Gibbs is on the better team. Clearly. Um you went and you signed Tua, you still have Michael Penix. Um, I just got to talking about Bijan, who I think is probably, you know, arguably the best running back in the league. Um you still you still have a good defense. I still fuck with that defense over there. Don't get it, don't get it twisted. But um you have Kevin Stefansky as uh as his first year um as a head coach. We'll see uh how we'll see how things go. Um I don't think this team is gonna be anything crazy. Oh my god, they signed Jahan Dotson. Um we'll just I don't know. I don't I don't really have much to say about the the NFC South as a whole. I think Carolina, you went and added Devin Lloyd. Um you have a couple of wide receiver, you have a wide receiver in Cetro McMillan coming in on his second year. Um, and you still have Chuba Hubbard who can absolutely tote that rock. Um I think they have a good defense. I think they have I think they have a pretty decent team, despite they you know won this division with a losing record and got into the playoffs and bout they beat the Rams in the regular season, then they bout beat them in the fucking playoffs. Um, but Matthew Stafford wasn't gonna have that, of course, in the playoffs. So um I I think Carolina that they'll be better this year. Uh so watch out for the Carolina Panthers. I don't think you can if if if they win this division, I don't think you can sleep on them uh if you face them in the playoffs. Uh I think if if I need if I needed to pick you uh you go Carolina, um Tampa Bay, Atlanta, New Orleans. That's how I'm gonna call it. That's how I'm gonna call it. Um let's go. Let's go NFC North. I'm gonna rocket through these last few until I get to the NFC East. Um NFC North. Um we'll see uh uh Minnesota Vikings. Actually, no, I'm gonna save them. I'm gonna save them. I think I just gave it away, but I'm gonna save them. Um we'll go we'll start with Green Bay. I think I don't think Green Bay is gonna be as good as they were. I I I'm gonna go out on a limb and say they they missed the playoffs this year. Um Josh Jacobs just got in a bunch of trouble. Um I think their backup running back is pretty good. I think Jordan Love is good. I think their wide receiver room is okay. I don't remember, I don't think they really signed anybody. He lost Romeo Dobbs to the um to the Patriots. You still have Jaden Reed and Christian Watson. Um, and you still have Tucker Kraft, who I think will get a lot more volume with Romeo Dobbs being out and Josh Jacobs, you know, doing whatever the hell is gonna happen with him. Um I still think the defense is gonna be serviceable and okay. You still got Micah Parsons, um, but I I don't think um I just don't think they're gonna have the same oomph. I don't think they're gonna have the same firepower. I think they lost some guys on the defense in free agency. I just I just don't think they're gonna be as good. Um Detroit Lions. Um you lost Andrew, you lost Anzalone. Um the team just kind of I like I think there's still gonna be a firepower offense with you know Jameer Gibbs, Amon Ross St. Brown, Sam Laporta, uh Jamison, um, and then Jared Goff leading the whole thing, who is I think is a pretty good quarterback, if you ask me. Um so but I I just uh I don't know if the defense is gonna be as as good as it was. Well I mean, we'll have to see. I'm not gonna totally write him off. I still think they can totally win this division if they bounce back, but um it just doesn't it doesn't feel the same. It doesn't feel like it was uh a couple years ago um when they made that when they made that deep playoff run. So um we'll we'll just I don't know man. Detroit is a is a big fat question mark to me. I I think they can be a playoff team, like I just said, um I think they can win the division, but I I just don't know like what it's gonna be. I I I'm gonna have to just see it. Um Chicago, you got Ben Johnson coming into a second year, Caleb Williams coming into a third, and then you've got you lost DJ Moore, but then you got Luther Burton, um, you got uh Roma Dunze, you got Coastin Loveland. You still have Duan DeAndre Swift, who um I you know I wouldn't want to be in a track meet with that guy. He's fucking fast and powerful, and you know, I mean, I think people have like shit on him before um as a running back, but I think he's he's he's a decent running back. Um I don't think I don't think Chicago's gonna be as good this year and the reason I'm saying that is because their defense statistically, like yardage-wise, was not that good. They just turned the ball over at a historic level. And I just when you I I just don't think they can repeat that. I don't think that turning the ball over at such a high level as they did. I I don't think it's a repeatable thing that you can do. However, I'm not sleeping on them. I still think they can win this division too. This is a very competitive division. I still think they can do it. Um we'll just have to see what happens. Now, on to the Minnesota Vikings. This is my Dark Horse NFC team. Part of the reason to that is because I can't stomach the Dallas Cowboys being a Dark Horse NFC team. But I do think I'll get to Dallas in a second. But I do genuinely think um I was an idiot. If you listened last year, you probably didn't. Um I was like, I think JJ McCarthy can be the guy, and he's gonna be a really good blah blah blah blah. And boy, was I wrong on that motherfucker right there. Um however, you're bringing in Kyler Murray, you're bringing in the same defense, the only thing you lost, notably, is Durante Jones, who is now our defensive coordinator, who was a pass game coordinator. That's about it. And you might, you might, you could probably that might not even be that significant because it's still Brian Flores, it's still his defense. Um I think it's an I they're they're an absolute blast to watch because of that style of defense, which is why I was so excited about Durante Jones, because I think we're definitely going to see the same style of defense here. I think it's still gonna be a lot of um sim pressures, a lot of blitz, a lot of Tampa 2, a lot of fire zone, is what I'm expecting out of Minnesota. A lot of you know, two high mixed with some with some single high safety in there as well. Um, I just think on the offensive side of the ball, you have an old Aaron Jones, you still have uh Jordan Mason, and you have Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison as as your wide receivers. Like you have a pretty solid offense. I think you have a solid offensive line as well. It's just what is Kevin O'Connell gonna do with Kyler Murray? Are we gonna you know put him in a boot? Um, you know, get him out, get him out with a move in pocket. Um, I don't think you can pocket pass with Kyler Murray. It's just too short. And I'm not even I'm I'm not even trying to roast the guy. Like I'm too short to play quarterback. You know what I mean? Like he's just uh 10 times, you know, 100 times the athlete that I'll ever be. And so that's why he's able to get away with it in the NFL. Um we'll just have to see what happens. Um I I think if Kyler Murray can be even half, you know, maybe well, I'll say three quarters. You probably need three quarters of the Kyler Murray that you saw when Arizona was a 10 plus win team when Cliff Kingsbury was there. Um but I think it can happen. I think it can happen. I'm if I'm a Minnesota Vikings fan, I understand being like hesitantly hesitant on um, you know, the success of the team. You still went nine and eight last year, you just turned it on too late. Um but I still think, you know, I think you know it's a great defense, the top top five defense of the league, if you ask me. Um but you know, the question mark is at quarterback. So and I think I think that question mark was absolutely answered. So with with Kyler Murray. I can see this team winning winning uh winning NFC championship. Um so yeah, I got Minnesota winning the north, followed by Detroit, Chicago, and then Green Bay finishing us out. Honestly, um I think Packers fans are kind of like Steelers fans. It's time to you feel some real pain. You guys have been perennial playoffs for far too long, to the point where you're starting to like bitch about it. Um so it's time for you to get some get some hurt, get some real pain. Sit on, you know, sit on the couch with us, you know, us us fans that haven't had the same success perennially as as you guys, and we'll we'll see how you fucking like it. We'll see how you like real pain. You know what I mean? Um okay. On to NFC West. Um we got the Cardinals, the Rams, the Niners, the Seahawks. Um Seahawks lost some pieces. Seahawks lost some pieces on defense. I don't think they're gonna be as good, but I still think they're gonna be just as good on on offense. It's uh just I think they're just gonna be a little bit um softer on on defense, and I mean like just a little bit. It's not gonna be much, but I just don't think they're gonna be as good. I think they lost some significant pieces, and when you lose significant pieces, it's really hard to refill those, and I don't know who they refilled them with. Um I I'm blanking on who they lost, but I know they lost some pretty notable pieces on defense, so I just don't think it's gonna be as good. You still have Jackson Smith and Jigba. You still have uh I think you still have a pretty good running back. You drafted one, Jadarian Price. Um, and then you still have Sam Darnold doing his thing. So I think I you know I still think the Seahawks are gonna be good. Like, don't sleep on them. I just don't think they're gonna be Super Bowl contending good as they were last year. But I could be absolutely like totally wrong on that. Um Arizona Cardinals, uh, you got Jacoby Brissett as your quarterback, and then um I think that defense is still pretty dang good. Um you added Jeremiah Love, but you have like four good running backs, so it's like, I mean, I don't know, what are we doing? Um and then is Marvin Harrison Jr. gonna ever be that guy? Um, you still have Michael Wilson. I think Michael Wilson is good. Um, but yeah, I don't I don't I still don't think Arizona. I don't think I think Arizona's gonna be you know one of the worst teams of football for sure. Again. Um then you go San Francisco, who is just a constantly injured team, sadly. Hopefully um we can we can get it together. I'm rooting for Kyle Shanahan because he gave me one really phenomenal fucking year with RG3. Um so I'm root I'm rooting for Kyle Shanahan always over there in San Francisco, along with Trent Williams. I love Trent Williams, he's one of the best left tackles, he's one of the best offensive tackles, period, to ever play the game. He is an absolute animal, he's an absolute freak. I I'm just rooting for their success. I think Brock Purdy is a good quarterback. I don't know if he was worth all that money you gave him, but he was definitely worth most of that money you gave him. You still have George Kittle, you still have Christian McCaffrey if he can stay healthy and you don't pound him into the fucking dirt. Um and I still think you have, you know, Kyle just seems to figure it out no matter what he has on offense. He always just puts out a good football team. You have a really good defense. Um you have you know Bosa coming back and Fred Warner coming back, and you know, they they just have a have a really solid defense, and I think I think they're gonna, you know, compete for this division. Yet again, they competed for it last year. People slept on it, they were in the playoffs, they just happened to run into the Rams. So, um, and then that brings us to the Rams. I don't even think I really have to explain it. Like, you're bringing Matt Stafford back, you're bringing back Devontae Adams and Pukunukua, who is also in some legal trouble. Can you guys just like off the field stop fucking up? Holy shit, man. Like, for crying out loud, just stop fucking up. Play Madden or something. Like, what are you doing? Go play basketball or fucking anything, anything other than like beating your wife or doing dumb shit in public. Like, just anything, anything other than those two things, literally. Like, just don't don't drive drunk. You're fucking millionaires, you can afford anything. Um, okay, I'll let me get off my fucking moral high horse. Anyways, just stop. Like, fuck, man. Um and then obviously the breaking news with Aaron Donald and Miles Garrett. Um, and then you add Trent McDuffie. Um, yeah, that that sounds like a Super Bowl winning team to me. Um, if I I think I'm just gonna go chalk with with the rest of literally everybody in America who's a football fan in saying that the Los Angeles Rams are probably I'm gonna say 65% sure because you never know what's gonna happen. Um pretty sure they're gonna fucking win the Super Bowl if they if everything comes together. They're definitely gonna win the Super Bowl. Well, not definitely, but I think there's a really, really good chance that they win the Super Bowl, because uh fuck, what do you do with that? Okay, yep, enough about that. Moving on. All right. NFC East. This is where we live, baby. This is our fucking division. It's the best division in the NFL. You can't fucking tell me anything other than that. Fuck everybody else. This is the best division. Actually, that was a little strong. I'm sorry, other divisions. Um, but like we are the best division. Um, read the sign. You can't come talk shit to us unless you have at least two rings. So if you don't have at least two rings, see ya. Scooch on. Bye. Can't talk shit to us. Um, so we have uh the New York football giants. They're gonna be better. They're gonna be better. Um if Jackson Dart can, like, I don't know, stay out of the blue tent and Cam Scadaboo can not be as much of if he can if he's just only Cam Scadabo on the field, you know what I mean? And like maybe just run out of bounds every so often. You don't have to take every hit. Same, same with you, Jackson Dart. Um, Malik Neighbors, is he gonna be I don't know if he's gonna be ready for week one or not. He's definitely gonna be ready by the time we fucking play him, of course. Um, so you got Malik Neighbors out there. Um you've added some pieces on defense. Once again, you went out, you drafted Arville Reese, you traded Dexter Lawrence, but you also still have you know Brian Burns, and you have a good you know linebacker core over there. Like New York Giants. I mean, they're they're gonna be better. I just don't know if they're gonna be good. John uh, you got Harbaugh coming over from Baltimore. Um it is John Harbaugh. Jim Harbaugh is in Los Angeles, yeah. I think I got that right. Look at me go. But yeah, New York's gonna be better. I still think they're gonna finish last. Um because lately they just haven't been good, no matter what. Um they always like we thought this was gonna be a really good defense on paper last year. Didn't matter. So um, yeah, I think they I think they're definitely gonna be better. Like, I mean you can't sleep on any division rival in this division. We always just seem to take it to each other. Um, but I I don't think I I just don't think they're gonna be good. Um I think they're gonna be better. Like if you ask me how many wins they're gonna get, I could I I mean I I could I could argue for six or seven wins. I don't think it's gonna be, you know, four like it was last year. I think it's gonna be four or five, but I I think it could be, you know, you know, I think it could be like a six to seven one team for sure. Um now could they come out and absolutely surprise everybody and come out and win 11 games? Absolutely. I'm not gonna count that count that out. I just think it's most likely that they finished at the bottom of the division. Um moving on to the Eagles. Um, I think it's the same really good defense. You lost Reed Blankenship, who was kind of the quarterback of the defense. Um, so what do you do there? You know you you lost CJ Gardner Johnson. I think uh I'm pretty sure he played for Philadelphia last year. I don't know. Casual fan over here, alert. Um, but you still got Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis on the inside on the interior. You got you know a good linebacker. Um oh did they lose N'Kobe Dean? Is N'Kobe Dean on this on this roster? Zach Bond is on this roster. Um so you still got still got him out there. Um and then, you know, Cooper Jane is is also really good at football. Still got uh they signed Jonathan Gernard, linebacker. That's a pretty good pickup, if you ask me. Um and then you lost, you traded AJ Brown, you added Mikhail Lemon, you still have Devontae Smith, you still have Dallas Goddard. Don't forget about Dallas Goddard, and you still have Saquon Barkley behind that tremendous offensive line that they have over there in Philly. The question mark, people keep talking shit about Jalen Hurts. I'm not gonna say rightfully so, but I think there's an argument to be made. I, you know, people say he doesn't throw guys open, he holds the ball too long, he's a glorified fullback. Their words, not mine. Okay, that might have been my words a little bit. Anyways, um I'm no, I'm just I'm just fucking around. Um, I I think I still think he's a good quarterback. He's won two Super Bowls, like you can't be a bad fucking quarterback and win a Super Bowl. Like you were good enough to win a Super Bowl. You're a good quarterback. Especially if you got the Super Bowl MVP in, you know, one of them. Maybe you got him in both. I don't know. I no, I bet you Saquon. I can't remember. I didn't because I didn't watch that Super Bowl. That was a fucking that was just a hate bowl for me, and I was like, I am fucking watching this shit. Um when they played the Chiefs the second time. So um I I I think the Eagles is they're they're still just a strong fucking team. They're still a really, really good fucking football team. We play them week one. I will address that next Tuesday when I when I do the podcast. But as of right now, I'm just saying um they're just they're just a really good football team. Um wouldn't surprise me if they won the division again. Um, but we'll you know we'll we'll have to see what happens because that offense just might not be as good. And if that offense isn't as good, will the defense be able to carry them? It's still gonna be a Vic Fangio, four four down front, you know, too high everything out of a too high shell, you know, kind of defense that you're able to run because you have the absolute animals up front that you have. So, yeah, the question mark on the team is the offense, specifically the quarterback, and can he distribute to the weapons? Um, because I mean, if even with the really good offensive line, if if teams feel like they can just play man on the outside and freaking load the box with eight, you're you're still not gonna do that great. Like it's just you're just not. So we'll see what Mikhail Emitt has to bring. I don't think he's gonna be a bum by any stretch of the imagination. I don't think he's gonna be a bust by any stretch of the imagination. I'm not calling that. He's never played a down of football. Uh or he's never played a down of NFL regular season football yet. So I, you know, I want to see what the kids got. Um, but yeah, that's that's Philly um for me. I think they're just still a division contender. I still think they're an NFC contender. Don't sleep on them. Um Dallas, my almost dark horse team, because you have Dak Prescott who's throws for who can throw for 4,500 yards and 30 plus touchdowns on any given year that he is you know healthy and upright. You have an okay offensive line. Um, I don't think it's bad. I don't think it's great, I think it's good. Um you have uh you have Javante Williams at running back who had a bounce back year. Uh, even though he did it in Dallas U uniform, I kind of love to see it for the guy. He uh he just had really rough stretch in in in Denver, battling injury, and he he bounced back when he came with Dallas Cowboys. I do love to see that for a guy, but I'm still gonna be rooting against him because he's in okay. Well, I'm still gonna be rooting against the Cowboys. Like he can, he can honestly he could rush for 2,000 yards if he wants, as long as we beat him. That's really all I care about. Um, so um anyways, uh let me get off that that freaking weird soapbox that I was on. Um and then you have CD Lamb and George Pickens, who I think is probably the best duo in football on on the outside there. Uh so still super high power offense. You bring in Caleb Downs. You you well, you drafted him, um, tenth overall. I was so I was like, oh fuck. When like, you know, you know, when you hear that doo-doo-doo-doo when you're watching, if if you watch the draft, you know, and uh I it was like 10th pick, and I was like, oh no, Caleb Downs is still out there. Oh, for fuck's sake, and then uh Caleb Downs, and I was like, God damn it. Um so they drafted Caleb Downs. You added a lot of uh a few key defensive pieces that should be good. You have Quentin Williams on the inside. You have uh um who's their uh their line though their linebacker room is stacked. I do got Donovan Ezeraku, who is yet to really shine on the edge, but I think he's he could. Rashawn Gary is good, not great. Um let's see who else is out there, Malachi Lawrence. No, that's not who I was talking about. They signed Von Miller. I think Von Miller could still be a nine-sack guy, you gotta watch out. Dim Overshone. Overshone is an absolute dog. Um, so if this the reason they were my almost despite the the reason they were my almost dark horse team, and the reason they weren't was because they're like the most hated division rival for the Washington Commanders, um was because the same argument that I made for the Cincinnati Bengals. It's a really high-powered offense, the really good fucking offense, um, that can put up 30 to 40 points on any given week, and if the defense could just be in that 16 to 20th range, if the defense could just elevate to like a mid middle of the pack defense, you got yourselves a contender on your hands here. So watch out for the Dallas Cowboys, man. Like they could absolutely win this division. Um, so yeah, just I don't know. Um, I'm I'm definitely looking at them and I'm I'm kind of like, you know, doing that like nervous laugh, like haha cowboys, thirty thirty plus years without a Super Bowl, right, guy, or NFC championship appearance, right, guys? Huh. Um that's kind of what I'm doing. Um I definitely it it would not it wouldn't surprise me one fucking bit to see an NFC championship appearance out of the Dallas Cowboys this year. Um so I'm gonna leave that that leave it at that. I'm almost two hours into this fucking thing. I gotta wrap it up. I knew this was gonna be a long one because I was doing divisions. Anyways, fuck it. And now I'm going over to the Washington Commanders. I think if Jaden stays healthy all year, he's gonna have a great fucking year. I think um our running back room is good. Um we'll see what Bill and Catron Allen and Rashad White can do out of the backfield. I think we kept uh oh Jeremy McNichols, too. Um we added diggs to go with Terry. Antonio Williams had a great camp. He could be a really good freaking wide receiver. I know we have questions on the offensive line, but if I think it could be good enough, especially in a scheme that's getting Jaden in a boot, we're running the ball a lot more efficiently um because we're not in the shotgun as much. And um Jaden has had an absolute killer camp um from from what I've heard from beat writers and everybody coming out of the um coming out of the the Washington media will just um they're saying he's got great command of the new offense. He looks comfortable, he's gonna be able to have these layups that he can just have. I think the offense, I mean this offense under Cliff Kingsbury was still putting up, you know, averaging 20 a game. Just so happened, we were also giving up 40 a game. So like I think I think uh you don't have to be a fucking genius to figure out that doesn't really win too many football games. In fact, it only won five of them. So um I'm excited to see this off this new offense. I'm fucking over the moon to see this new defense. Devontae Jones coming out of Minnesota. I loved watching Minnesota last year because of their defense. I think I'm gonna love watching this defense as well. The biggest, you know, we brought in Sonny Styles, we drafted him number seventh overall. We bring in Adafe Owe, Kalevin on Chase on. We still have Jeron Payne and Javon Kinlaw on the interior, you have Tim Settle, who can who is a good run-stopping D tackle, you have Dietrich Wise, who's a good run-stopping DN. So if you can um get you know a stop on if if we can get teams to live in second and seven, and we can put you know, we can get to that third down, those third and medium, third and longs, you know, obvious passing situations. Um, and we can put we can rotate Chase on in there and tell him to pin his ears back and just go get the quarterback. This could be a much improved defense. Um, I don't want to say it's gonna be top ten. I don't want to be that much of like a crazy homer, but I think it's gonna be absolutely much improved. We added Leo Chenal uh at in the lineback room to go with um Sonny and uh Frankie Louvu. I think Frankie Louvu, if we can get him blitzing downhill, um, I I can see him in that uh Van Ginkle kind of role that uh he was used in you know over in Minnesota. Um I I there's just yeah you had a Nick Cross at safety. You um I think Mikey Sandra still can have a bounce back here. I think Kwan Martin can have a bounce back here. I've I haven't been too high on Quan Martin. I really like if you would have asked me in June, I and they like released him or whatever, wouldn't have been sad about it because there was like for like the 20 or 30 good plays, really good plays he had, there were four of them where like we had to have it and we didn't get it because he messed up like bad. And so I just I didn't, you know, I I was I was I was done with it. I was like, man, I you know like not every play is is weighted the same, and those plays were game losing plays, and like we definitely lost those games. Like I could like I think about the one against the Bears. It's like dude, all you had to do was like wrap him up and slow him down and like push him out of bounds and just live to you know have another down, except you didn't. You gave up, I think you gave up a touchdown on that one, or it was a really big play to put him in, you know, you know, scoring position. Um, and so I was just really down, but I think if you know he gets rid of that part, he's also a really good player who could have a bounce back year. And it might not even be a bounce back year, like that might not even be fair to say, like just a better. Oh, I didn't royally fuck up this one or two times. Um, like so um, and then we added Amique Robertson. Um, I think you know, I I watched his tape. He uh he he he took it to some really good wide receivers, one of them being Justin Jefferson, who was a top three wide receiver in the league. Um so I I think uh Amique Robertson was a good was a good pickup. I've uh just when I look at this defense, I see a lot of versatility. You can blitz a lot of different guys, you can bring them from different angles, you can show so many different looks, and I'm just I'm just super excited to see it. Um the only thing is with this defense is if you have a good you know offensive front that can pick up six blitzers consistently, we might get we we might get shredded on the back end um in in some of these zones. But I I'm excited to see it, man. I'm just happy football is right around the corner and almost here. I'm so happy. Um I'm excited to see it. Oh, I need to tell you who I think is gonna win the division. Um I'm gonna go Dallas, Philly, Washington, New York. I don't think we're there yet. We might be. I like I wouldn't be surprised if we won the division. Um, but I think most likely it's gonna be Dallas. I don't think Philly has the offensive firepower anymore um without AJ Brown to do it. Um especially not with a rookie wide receiver, um Mikhail Lemon. Um I think uh you know he could be good, but I don't know if he could he puts him you know where they were. So yeah, I think it's uh yeah, I'm just gonna keep it there. I think Washington and Philly are are close. Well, no, they're not maybe not, maybe they're not close. I don't fucking know to expect. We went five and twelve last season. Who knows? Who knows? I'm gonna stick with that Dallas, Philly, Washington, New York, especially because it's very rare that people repeat this division, let alone win it three times in a row. So um yeah, but I think we're gonna be much improved. I'm excited to watch just football in general. Um, I'm excited to watch this Washington team. I'm gonna be coming in with weekly breakdowns and weekly pick-ems for football season, um, along with uh probably be talking talking some hockey and uh then baseball be you know on the back burner um at that point um and into the offseason. I'm ready to get baseball behind me, to be honest. I I I feel like they should just put the playoffs in into August. Because that's a even as a baseball fan, I get burnt out on baseball. It's just too long, just too fucking long. Um, but I think a lot of the billionaire owners would really fight me on that one because uh they don't make as much money with less games. So, or they would just hike ticket prices and we would just eat crow there too. Anyways, um I'll get off that soapbox. There you have it. There are my there's my division predictions, an hour and 45 minutes later. Um, I doubt anybody listened this long. I'd be surprised if anybody hit me up and was like, oh, great podcast, man. Um so if you did, thanks so much. Uh we'll see you guys next Tuesday because we have NFL football on Wednesday, which is really weird. I'm kind of uh kind of torn on that one. And I'm also torn, like, I don't want to see like I just saw the Patriots and the Seahawks play. I don't want to see them play again. Like have Patriots and the Seahawks play somebody else or whatever it is. Like just give me a fresh fucking matchup. I don't want to fucking have to see that again. Fuck. Actually, I do I do want to see uh see if the Patriots, the Patriots might actually win that win that game. Um to where the Seahawks fans would probably say, nanny nanny boo boo, we won the Lobardi. Fuck you motherfuckers. Um anyways, that's all I got for this week. I'll see you guys. I'll I'll see somebody. Maybe it's the bots on Alexandria. Um but I'll be back on Tuesday. Peace.