The Mostly Football Show
Four mates from Down Under dive into the world of American Football and beyond. KG Butler, Matt Wiggins, Adam Rowey, and Pete Thompson bring their uniquely Australian perspective to NFL coverage, plus plenty of chat about NRL, AFL, hockey, baseball, soccer, and whatever else catches their eye. Born from casual catch-ups about gridiron, this show delivers fun, informative discussions perfect for Southern Hemisphere sports fans who can't get enough of American Football. Equal parts analysis and banter – because the best sports talk happens between friends.
The Mostly Football Show
Prediction Week
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This week we take a shot at predicting the future. Matt is very pessimistic about his teams chances while Pete goes all in on his team. After some pressing KG shows some positive vibes towards be beloved Cowboys and we take some big swings on stuff that may or may not happen this year.
This is the Mostly Football Show, a uniquely Australian take on the NFL and all things in the world of sport.
SPEAKER_03Over to you, Pete. Good morning, good afternoon, good evening. Welcome to the Mostly Football Show. We are all around Australia today. I'm sitting here in wet Sydney. Matt is with me in probably wet Melbourne and suffering from man flu, and KG joins us from the rich part of the world in northern Sydney.
SPEAKER_05Welcome everybody.
SPEAKER_04Gent, how are you this week? Very good. Excited. Getting closer and closer to the season start. So yeah, I got it's it's getting good.
SPEAKER_02Yes, you're right on the weather in Melbourne, Peter. What a wild guest that it's raining in Melbourne. Um and um you're also unfortunately right about my increasingly life-threatening man flu. So um apologies or um congratulations on the um husky voice to the listeners.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, yeah. This this may be the the new mat that people start requesting.
SPEAKER_03Where's the husky mat? Back back in the 90s, you used to have to phone a phone line to get that kind of voice read back at you. So um you got another career coming for you, Matt. All right, well, let's crack on. Got a lot to get through today. We'll come on to our predictions for all the divisions and conferences and Super Bowl and all that later. But as ever, let's start with the news.
SPEAKER_00Now it's time for the latest in NFL news. Matt, what's been happening?
SPEAKER_02All right, let's let's husky my way through the news roundup August the 20th to the 25th, 2026. So the biggest news of the week, the one that I know my learned co-presenters have been dying to hear is the Browns have named Deshaun Watson as their week one starter. He was handed the job over rookie Shador Sanders for the regular season opener. Um, and it will be his first regular season start since 2024 when he suffered the Achilles tear that he later went on to retain. Um, Shador will serve as Deshaun's backup.
SPEAKER_03Uh the Texans, but carry on, Matt. Unbelievable. More on this later. I knew that was coming.
SPEAKER_02More on this later. The Texans have traded for wide receiver Kayshawn Bouté. Um a week after losing 2025 second round of Jaden Higgins to a season end in ACL tear. Houston moved quickly to uh shore up their roster, sending safety Jalen Reed and a 2028 seventh round pick to New England. Um last year um Bouté caught 76 passes for 1,140 yards and nine touchdowns. Sorry, that's over the last two seasons, um, including a big role in New England's Super Bowl uh run last year. He was squeezed out of New England's crowded wide receiver room after the Patriots added big name wide receivers, AJ Brown and Romeo Dobbs this offseason. Um Steelers Joey Porter Jr. Um continues in a contract standoff. So head coach Mike McCarthy has confirmed the two sides are at an impasse over an extension for his cornerback, who's been on the physically unable to perform list since camp opened and obviously hasn't practiced. Porter, is entering the final year of his rookie deal and naturally wants to be paid like a top-tier corner and has used recent comparables with Devon Witherspoon's $132 million extension in recent exchanges. Pittsburgh has a long-standing policy against in-season negotiations, and sources from within the franchise say there's been no meaningful progress, no trade calls either, um, with week one versus Atlanta just three weeks out. Better news for players who've been in dispute with their uh clubs. Vitavia um has signed a one-year $30 million extension um after previously requesting a trade in late July. Um this is a good resolution for Tampa. I think I mentioned in my season preview that there are clubs that have ongoing sagas with key players, and I would imagine that all parties are pleased to get that one-year extension in place. Um, in preseason play, Bo Nicks led a touchdown drive for the first time since he suffered his devastating ankle injury in the playoffs. He um participated in 15 plays, completed six of nine passes for 76 yards and a touchdown. But um Pete's Green Bay Packers um delivered Denver a blowout loss in the game. Oh New Orleans Saints.
SPEAKER_03How good were we? How good were we at the weekend? Yep. It's not just preseason anymore. It's not just preseason. When you win, it feels really good.
SPEAKER_02Uh soldier on. Uh the New Orleans Saints are reportedly trading linebacker Dion Jones to the San Francisco 49ers for running back Zamir White with Alvin Kamara out for at least a month with the knee injury. The Saints were looking for running back depth and with various injuries to 49ers backup linebackers. This obviously made sense from the San Francisco side to Jones is 31, spent five seasons in Atlanta with 49ers defensive coordinator Raheem Morris. Wide receiver Alan Robinson II is retiring from the NFL after 11 seasons. He announced his intentions in an Instagram post on Monday, which was coincidentally his 33rd birthday. Robinson made his name with Jacksonville, who he played with between 2014 and 17, and then my Chicago Bears from 2018 to 2021. He also had stints with the Rams, Steelers, Giants and Lions, a pro bowler. In 2015, he co-shares with Matt Forte the record for second most single season receptions by a Bears player, which was 102. He finishes his career with 565 catches for 7,058 yards and 43 touchdowns. So congratulations on a great career, Alan Robinson. San Francisco 49ers owner and CEO, John Jed York, was arrested on Sunday in East Palestine, Ohio, on a misdemeanour charge of disorderly conduct and possessing criminal tools, according to court records. York was booked Sunday morning, released later that afternoon on an own recognizance bond. He then appeared in Colombiana County Municipal Court on Monday, where he pled no contest to both charges. York was fined $150 for disorderly conduct and $1,000 for possessing criminal tools, as well as being sentenced to two days in jail. The fourth degree disorderly conduct charge was originally listed as engaging in prostitution before it was changed. So something's going on here. On May the 11th, 2026, according to Santa Clara Superior Court documents, the case is still active, so that'll be one to keep an eye on. And Jed York can go into our naughty boys list. Well from week to week.
SPEAKER_03Possessing criminal tools, and you'll have to forgive me for what I'm about to say next, everybody. Was he hoping to do a house break in to steal someone's kittle?
SPEAKER_02Moving on. So he'll be out for at least a month, putting his week one availability versus Detroit in serious doubt. It's the latest uh piece of news which already hit the Saints backfield, missing Audrick Estime. 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey returned to practice this weekend after two weeks out with what has been described as a vague Titanist, according to Carl Shanahan. Titan George Kittle, who we've just referenced earlier, has also been activated off the physically unable to perform list in his return from a tournament killers. So he's targeting a week one comeback. Geno Smith shined in the preseason week two game versus the Steelers going seven for seven for 65 yards and a 144.9 quarterback rating. At the other end of the scale, Deshaun Watson was booed by Brown's fans. Um despite the crowd for the game versus the Bills being actually very sparse. He finished five of 12 for 35 yards and one interception in an out-in that spanned four series of plays. His quarterback rating was 14.5. He called the booing a disrespectful thing and was later made to apologize for his comments, stating, my emotions got the better of me. And finally, Roster cut down to 53 players is now just days away, uh, with August the 30th being the deadline. That, gentlemen, is the news roundup.
SPEAKER_03Very good. We we do have to go on to another piece of news about Jaden Daniels, but let's unpack uh Deshaun Watson first. But before we do that, he referenced uh wide receiver leaving uh New England, um, Keyshawn Boutet. So if you guys don't follow at Annie Agar on Twitter, or I assume she's on Instagram as well, she's a Green Bay fan, incredibly funny, great, well not just a great Green Bay fan, but great content creator, does a lot of funny stuff around the NFL. Uh she tweeted out uh yesterday, Rabel made one last booty call, which I thought was very, very good.
SPEAKER_02Very good. You're on fire tonight, later. Yes.
SPEAKER_03I can't take credit for that one, but uh I'll take the credit for the kittle joke. So let's come back to Deshaun, right? I mean uh uh if you haven't listened to the uh the preview shows, then I'll I'll summarise my uh preview of the Cleveland brands. They are going to be dog shit this year, and unfortunately, this debacle with um Deshaun Watson is just highlighting it. It's all uh uh all over the place. So he does a press conference where he says no one likes it that they booed him when he tore his Achilles, uh that that um that it would be better if Cleveland played seventeen games away from home. He's more well respected away from home than he is at home. Yeah. He has a piss poor outing of the weekend. Yeah. Yes. Um and he does he does walk it all back eventually. But even after saying all that, Todd Munkin turns up and goes, Well, you know, I've got two sets of stats here for my quarterbacks at the weekend. One has a completion percentage of forty-two percent, and the other has a completion percentage record of eighty-two per cent. One had a touchdown, had an 87.1 rating, the other had a f a 14.5 and a 42% completion rate. I know which one I'm gonna pick. The one who just slagged off my entire team. Unbelievable. So James, what's what's going on in Cleveland? It doesn't smell right.
SPEAKER_02I mean, for mine, Pete, this is uh Coach Muncan trying to show Deshaun that he believes in him. I mean, the timing of this is astonishing for me. Why you know why name a starting quarterback two weeks into the preseason um schedule is unnecessary. Unless, of course, he's got instruction from higher-ups that given the money invested in Watson, he's the horse they're gonna ride for the foreseeable future. My guess is that it could be partly that, or it could be Munken just trying to uh you know, pump DeShaun's tires and say, irrespective of what you've how you've just played, what you've just said, um, I'm behind you and I believe in you, and he might be hoping that that motivates his you know, what has been a very bad, it doesn't matter which way around you look at it, he's he's been a bad investment in terms of what he's done on the field, and you know, this is just the latest in a series of cock-ups off the field. So um yep, strange, not unheard of, could be a bit of you know, positive psychology, or the Cleveland Browns brass could be saying, This is a horse we're gonna ride, too much money, get behind him.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, well you could be right there. I I just well, I'll give my take in a minute, Kerry. I don't know what uh what your thoughts are.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, I I think that's it, right? They somebody made a a big call, uh invested a lot of money, probably made a promise up front that um you'll be my guy, you know, and they're probably just saying, look, let's let's stick with that early in the season, let's make it happen, let's not make it um because it'll continue to be a in the press conversation if they don't do it early. And I know I I wouldn't have done it this early either, but I think that's why they've done it, just to say, let's get it out of the way, let's put it on the table as is. Um he's gonna get our rep get the most reps, he'll start the season. What he does with it, that's what I'm um wondering. Because, you know, um I just don't know if um we're gonna have a s a corner, you know, in and for him, you know, it just doesn't sound right, Deshaun's corner. So uh I'm hoping Shador um makes a comeback.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, I'll I'll get I've got the cardboard cut out just ready to wheel out from under the bed to set up Shador corner again. I mean has there ever been a a backup quarterback who's just got to sit there and keep his mouth shut and know he's gonna get a game?
SPEAKER_02There's an alternative lens here that we might be overlooking. I mean, we've all talked about the fact that the Browns are not built to win this year, and you know, they've obviously traded away their best player, and all common sense suggests that they should be doing everything that they possibly can to get a top three pick.
SPEAKER_03Maybe this is part of what they see as their journey to achieving they get the tanking from game one, yeah. Well okay, well, I guess watch this space. I'm I'm just stunned that uh someone would go in and make such uh claims against not just the fans but against the team and uh things like that. And then you know, even though he walked it back slightly by saying I was overcome with emotion. Yeah, yeah, bullshit, buddy. Just uh you were told to say that. You you you were told to ride back because you're the QB QB1 for some uh unexplainable reason. Anyway, um so uh Shadur may be asking for a trade, I guess, later on. But he's not the only league quarterback doing stupid things. Um so let me give you the tale of Jaden Daniels. So if you don't know Jaden very well, he's currently the the QB of the Commanders, had uh an outstanding season a couple of years ago, so so season last year. But in 2023 he had an outstanding season with LSU wearing a number five. And his uh assumption is that the number five has been retired by LSU and uh in security um they will have jerseys with Daniels number five on. However, LSU have decided to give the number five to a very highly rated cornerback called DJ Pickett for the upcoming 2026 season. Um and he apparently he was promised that through the whole recruiting process. So not only have they gone out there to to get this guy, they've gone out and promised him a number. Daniels doesn't believe that LSU should be reissuing the number and believes his wishes regarding the number and his LS LSU legacy should be respected. So his representative sent a cease and desist letter dated on August the fifth, demanding that the university stop using Daniels' name, image and likeness, or nil, as they say in in the legal game. And the agreement allowed LSU to use his nil for only a hundred and eighty days after his final college game. But there is no technical legal claim that Daniels can own the number five forever, and LSU have come out and said, No, we are giving it to DJ Pickett. Uh their new head coach, Lane Giffin, essentially said we're moving forward with Pickett wearing number five. He maintained that Pickett had been priced the number and said he wasn't changing his position despite Daniels' objections and the legal threat. Interestingly, LSU then took all number five Daniels jerseys off the s off the sale from its online store, although it still continues to sell items associated with Joe Burrow and Odell Beckham Jr., who are also alumni of LSU. Then someone leaked this to the NFL and oh did he cop some sticks for actively taking legal action over his old college number. Even Joe Burrow swayed in on something. Um I won't quote Joe Burrow, but uh I'm I'm sure it he meant what he said. Uh he sits from the lofty position of having his number formally retired by LSU and still for sale and still not being used. Um Daniels has tried to cool things down and hopes to resolve this privately, but what a petty little shit, eh? It's worrying. Yeah.
SPEAKER_04Well, because the the fact is uh y you know what it reminds me of, I I have a a good friend who never got over high school. You know, they they you know, they they they really, really you know, revered what happened in high school. And maybe he's that about LSU in that time, but he's professional now. He he should be, you know, so not worried about that time period and you know that legacy or whatever, especially if they you know um you know haven't retired his number and all that kind of stuff. If it had already been retired and they un-retired it, I'd be I'd be upset. Yeah. It it hasn't. He's only been gone a couple of years, man. So it's reissued and he's and they've moved on.
SPEAKER_03But but there are precedents, even in baseball, uh, of numbers being unretired when superstars have come through and gone, no, you know, I also wear the number twelve, for example, and and it's done with consultation and and all of that stuff, right? Because you have big ceremonies. But like you're right, it was twenty twenty-three. What are you doing? What what are you doing? How much time do you have on your hands?
SPEAKER_02Well, I'm wondering I I would suggest given the commander's record last season, he's got more important things he should be focusing on. But um please as we say in England there's an out stranger than folk.
SPEAKER_03Yep. Um unbelievable. But but uh again, doing it all and hoping it wouldn't get out, I guess.
SPEAKER_04The whole legal action kind of gets out no matter what, right? Because it's legal actually. Public record, right? So if he wanted to uh have a quiet conversation on the I've I've heard this dude is getting my number.
SPEAKER_03What's that all about? Let them have a conversation. No, no, first thing I'll do is I'll send you a cease to desist. Yeah, great. Well done. Yeah, well done. Yeah. So uh Yeah, he's got dodgy lawyers on speed dial, I'm sure. Anyway, that's the penniness of uh Jason Daniels.
SPEAKER_04And obviously the lawyers didn't talk him down, right? They're like, Yeah, yeah, that's a good idea. Let's let's do it. Yeah. Give me give me the money, give me the money, give me the money, give me the money.
SPEAKER_03Yeah. Oh right. So there is no legal obligation for him to keep the number five forever in a day. So I'm sure I will be reminding people uh of this throughout the season, as as good as he gets. What a petty, putty person he really is. He's he's already hitting my um PCA Dalton rushing levels of annoyance. So I'll um I'll move on.
SPEAKER_01I'll move on.
SPEAKER_03If that little shit can become N VP, that you has to be. Something in MVP about being a likable human being, not just the complete wat.
SPEAKER_02I'm gonna break out my number four jersey and wear it on the podcast next week.
SPEAKER_03You're more than welcome to. More than welcome to, Matt. But you might be on the move for the whole podcast, so we'll see how we go.
SPEAKER_05Oops.
SPEAKER_03Let's get back to football. And as promised, predictions. So we're gonna run through our predictions now, um, standard stuff, and then a couple of unusual ones the upcoming season. We are only 16 days away from the first game, so it is time to start putting our money where our mouth is. We've given some kind of idea through our preview shows of uh outcomes that the team will be getting, but now it's time to actually name names and name winners. So, gentlemen, we'll go round the room and we will start with the AFC East. So, for those who don't know, that's the Bills, the Dolphins, the Patriots, and the Jets. Winners, who are gonna win the AFC East? The Bills are gonna win the AFC East. I agree, Matt. And I think if we go back four weeks, Kerry said the Bills are gonna win the AFC East.
SPEAKER_02No, I think Kerry changed his mind because New England Chris was on.
SPEAKER_03Yeah. He had to have to go up to Patriots. Well, here's your opportunity. This is the official prediction show, uh, Kerry. Uh Matt and I have said Bills.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, then uh I will go contrary and I'll stick with Patriots.
SPEAKER_03Wow, good man. Well done. Yeah. Well done, like that. Good confidence.
SPEAKER_04I got you back, man. Chris, I got you back.
SPEAKER_03Yeah. Very good. Uh the AFC North. The Ravens, the Browns, the Bengals, or the Steelers. I'll go first on this one then. Ravens.
SPEAKER_05Ravens. Bengals. Ooh, hello.
SPEAKER_03Hello, Kerry's either gonna be streaking ahead of when we get to the the um year end, and I think uh year end when we go back and and look at these, uh the winner should be uh have dinner brought to him by the losers. I think how how does that sound, Jenny?
SPEAKER_04I like it, I like it. No, they they've got a a pretty decent schedule. They've um you know done some work on their defense, so I think oh you know, the the whole watching quarterback and Joe Burrow. Yeah, so yeah, very good.
SPEAKER_02I don't think I don't think that's a bad shout. Um I just read an article which says they're favoured in 15 of their 17 games, which is reflective of their very tough schedule. And in the last 16 games where Joe Burrow has started as favourite, the Bengals are 13 and 3. And as you say, they've done a huge amount of work on their defense, notably sexy Dexie. Um so if Joe can I mean this is almost it was one of one of a few of my hot takes here that was called surprise.
SPEAKER_03Hold on. Hold on for that then. Are you sure you don't want to change your pick?
SPEAKER_02No, I'm gonna stick with the Ravens and I'm not gonna have the Bengals as champion as my hot take, but I do I do endorse Kerry's thinking that this could be a surprise. Um there shouldn't really be a surprise.
SPEAKER_03Because I just heard you say the Bengals are going fifteen and two, so the Ravens have got to go sixteen and one, right?
SPEAKER_02What's going on? All right. Those words did not come out of my mouth.
SPEAKER_03Very good. Let's move quickly on to the AFC South. Houston, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, or Tennessee?
SPEAKER_04I'll go first on this one, because it's a yee ha for me. And again, I don't remember my picks earlier, but uh I'm gonna go Texans. I I I think I know, I know. The the it's it's a tough group, but I'm gonna go Texans. Yep. Okay. They're they're they they're good enough, they should have done better last year, so I think let's see how they go.
SPEAKER_02I'm also going Texans, Kerry.
SPEAKER_05Really?
SPEAKER_03Welcome aboard. Okay. I'll be the contrary, because I'm gonna go for Jacksonville on this one. I think they'll have a good backup season from last season.
SPEAKER_04Okay, and that's pretty special last year.
SPEAKER_03Yeah. Yeah, and I don't think their schedule is too hard um coming up this year. I think it's about average. I think uh average schedule as the the current rankings from the athletic. So on average schedule, you would hope that they can get over the top of the Texans. Plus, although we do have to talk about CJ Strode if he doesn't do anything top this year. But let's move on to the AFC West. Denver, Kansas City, uh, Las Vegas or the Chargers. Matt Jura. Broncos Okay, uh uh I will caveat this. If it turns into the Travis Kelsey uh retirement tour, I'm not gonna be happy, but I think Kansas City are gonna be back this year.
SPEAKER_04Okay. Uh um on Broncos as well. Broncos as well. It's a tough one. This is this is uh um a tough group because the Chargers will do well. I think you're right, the Chiefs will bounce back. I don't think the Chiefs Yes. The only ones that I can't see. But look, you know, um they should do better than they did last year. But um yeah, I'll stick with the Broncos for now.
SPEAKER_03Okay, let's move on to the NFC. Where do we want to start? NFC North. Let's go there. The Packers, the Lions, the Vikings, and the Bears. Kerry, you better kick us off on this one.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, I was gonna say I was I'll let you guys duke it out because the uh again, you know, uh probably the hardest uh group on paper and with the you know uh teams who could all uh potentially uh go to the Super Bowl, in my view. I'm going to go Bears.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, let's do it. Big show. Big show.
SPEAKER_02Um this is a coin flip for me between the Lions and the Packers, and I'm going to say the Packers.
SPEAKER_03Wow. Gosh, there's gonna be a lot of Chicago fans that disown you, Matt.
SPEAKER_01Um I'm gonna say my job is to be objective and intelligent.
SPEAKER_03And have someone else buy the bigger. I'm gonna be biased and blind because I think the Packers might win it this year. Packers, yeah.
SPEAKER_01I set that up, I set that up as perfectly as I could have hoped to have done.
SPEAKER_03I think the I think the Packers are gonna win this this year as well. Just because simply for for a couple of reasons. One, I can't say the Detroit Lions, because that would just be going against everything, and the Vikings are absolute shite.
SPEAKER_02So once again, biased and blind.
SPEAKER_03Yeah. Yep. But we'll see. We'll see. If the Gary Bears win it, we'll we'll all be uh we'll all be happy. Okay, let's go to the NFC South then. This is gonna be a hard one to call. Uh the Falcons, the Panthers, the Saints, or the Buccaneers. I might I might kick this one off. I think it's my turn. Um I think uh I think the Bucks, I think Baker Mayfield's gonna have a standout year, and that's gonna earn him the big contract he's been holding out.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I I think I agree, Peter. He's not happy. He tends to play some of his better football when he feels he's got a point to prove. So I think this is a very poor division. Um I think I had the Bucks down at seven and ten in my um but um sorting the the Vita Veya contract out is definitely gonna help. So I think the Buccaneers are gonna prevail in probably the worst uh division in the league.
SPEAKER_04Make it three. Wow, we all agree. Yeah, yeah. The the Panthers should do better, but I just don't think they can outplay the box this year. So I think that's a really great box.
SPEAKER_03Uh so let's let's then go um to the NFC East. The Cowboys, the Giants, the Eagles, and the Commanders, led by obviously Jaden Daniels. Kerry, you can go last, Matt. Give us your shout. Eagles. Ooh, okay. Um track yourselves in, everybody. I think the Cowboys are gonna win it this year. Uh Pete, it's come on, Kerry.
SPEAKER_04Come on, you know you want to. Come on. I do, I do. Yeah. I'm gonna go Cowboys as well. Uh I'm gonna go Cowboys. Come on. And and it's it's hard. I think in the um the preliminary, I had the Eagles one game up on them. But when I look at the schedule, I I don't know. I think it's gonna be uh real tight between. And I think the Cowboys will win one of the games against the Eagles, so I'll give it to the Cowboys.
SPEAKER_03No explanation needed, Jerry.
SPEAKER_02It's the Cowboys for the third time this episode, biased and blind.
SPEAKER_04Yes. And I did it with the Texans as well. Oh man, it's just no uh well yeah, I agree with it.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, I agree on that one. But uh I think Dallas have shored up their defense. Dallas have never had a problem scoring, they've just had a problem conceding lots. Um and so hopefully um they've shored up their defense a little bit with the smart trading they've done and and all that good stuff. So let's see. All right, now now um the it could be uh I can't have a coin dice, roll roll a three-sided dice for the next one. Um the Cardinals, the Rams, the 49ers, and the Seahawks in the NFC West. So Matt, I know what your answer is, so you you can you can straight off the battery.
SPEAKER_01Cardinals.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, no, it's the Rams me. I uh uh was tossing up on this one because everything I read said the Rams just, you know, they're a super team. And I I believe it, but I'm gonna go 49ers.
SPEAKER_03Yeah. I uh yeah, see, I can see these guys all finish like 12 or something, 12 or 5. I can see them all finishing like that. And then it comes down to who beats who and who's effective against who. So just to be contrarian, I think the Seahawks might take it again. I still think that I still think there's a there's a lot in the Seahawks. Um and I think Sam Darnold proved last year, not just because they won the Super Bowl, but he went from two fourteen, you know, fourteen and three with the Vikings to fourteen and three with the Seahawks. He's he's proven he's got the the stones to play at the the the the consistently high level. So uh yeah, looking forward to that one. This could be the tiebreaker on on who actually gets dinner ball, right? And then you know, if it's not me, which McDonald's do we go to? So that's uh that's uh that's our um divisional guess, but let's go to conference. Okay, who's gonna win the AFC? Ooh, no one wants to put their their hand up. All right, I'll I'll go first. I will go first. Unfortunately, I think the Chiefs I think the Chiefs are back. Big show, I know, but uh I think they've done enough.
SPEAKER_04It's still Mahomes, yeah. Nothing wrong with that, yeah. I think if if he's um who we know he is, um back in full, then yeah, could be. Um going Broncos. Ooh.
SPEAKER_02That's a good shout, Kerry. I think it's going to be either the Broncos or the Texans.
SPEAKER_03Get out of town. Get out of town. Um, I'm gonna go Broncos. Wow. You guys obviously didn't see Bonex at the weekend and have the Green Bay defense hand. Had to put him out there twice. Had to put him out there twice, didn't they?
SPEAKER_02It's only preseason.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, that's what they're people are saying. Yeah, yeah. Very good. All right, who's gonna win the NFC? Matt, you can go because I know what your answer is.
SPEAKER_02Cardinals again. Yeah. Uh the Rams are gonna win the NFC.
SPEAKER_06You know you want to.
SPEAKER_04I actually can't deny that the Rams are probably um if if both teams get into the playoffs, the Rams are probably just that much better. But of the teams that I've got left, I'm gonna go 49ers. Not the Cowboys. I I just I can't Jerry's there, so I know that's that's our problem, right? Still Chris. There you go.
SPEAKER_03Well, I'm gonna be blind and stupid. The Packers are taking it all this year. Packers Chiefs Super Bowl. Very good. Packers Chiefs. Very good. Yeah. So we might as well go on to who I think will win the Super Bowl. I'm putting it all on the pack this year. Uh I'll fall in after watching them destroy Denver in a preseason game that they'll have enough to hang on till Micah comes back and then the defense will shore up and we'll take it all out. And for once, we will hang on to our fourth quarter lead as we go to the uh the the playoffs. Um Max, uh, do you want to say the Cardinals again?
SPEAKER_02No, I'll buck a buck a trend and say the Rams off the top this time.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, I'll have to say the it's it's hard to say the Broncos will win the Super Bowl. But let's go the Broncos.
SPEAKER_03Well, look at that. Didn't watch Bronix at the weekend. Obviously. Very good. Very good. All right, let's so so some deciders that should we get be tied on all this? Who do you think is gonna be the worst team? I think I'll go with Matt Pick.
SPEAKER_04The cards. The cards. Seem assuming to me. Or or the Browns give it a take, but yeah. Pick one. Pick one, Kerry. Come on. I'm going to the Cardinals. Yeah.
SPEAKER_05Very good.
SPEAKER_02Um I'll go. Oh, it's hard. It's the Cardinals, is the Browns, it's the Jets. I honestly think the Dolphins have got a chance of being the worst team in the league. Um, and that was going to be another one of my hot takes. Yeah, well, hang on, we'll come on to that next, right? Um Yeah, I know.
SPEAKER_03Um I'm gonna say the Browns. Yeah, I'm gonna say the Browns too. Um I think I would have leaned towards the Cardinals until the debacle of this week and everything that's gone on. But uh I can see them being roundly beaten virtually every week. And uh by week eight, Shadur will be in by which time everyone will be arguing with everybody, and it will all be a waste of a season yet again for the Cleveland Browns. Now I g I understand why you lean towards Miami because their schedule is brutal. But Malik Willis and Jeff Hafley will put on a bit of Green Bay matches and they'll they'll eke out a few wins. You watch when they when they beat the Broncos, you'll all be uh saying thank you to to me for letting them go from the Packers. Very good. So that's that's the worst team. Who do you think will be the most surprising team? And I'm gonna jump in on this because I was big on them the other week. I think the Giants are gonna surprise a lot of people. Um so much so I think they'll scrape into the playoffs.
SPEAKER_05What? What?
SPEAKER_03Yeah, well that's that's big. Okay. Jalen Hurts is a busted flush. I I think Philly the Eagles are gonna have a terrible season. I mean terrible by their standard.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. Just for way of qualification, how are we measuring the most surprising team?
SPEAKER_03Well, it it will be subjective, right? So if you pick, for example, if you pick the Rams, if they don't win the Super Bowl, then it's not a surprising team, right?
SPEAKER_02Um so subjective in terms of Yes, where where we would expect them to chariot.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, yeah. Well, uh you know, like if you if you pick the Raiders and the Raiders finish nine and eight, that would be a surprise, right? If they finish two and fourteen or two and fifteen, then you know, it's just the Raiders.
SPEAKER_02I am gonna go with a thread that I pulled earlier. I think the Bengals could be the most surprising team this year.
SPEAKER_03Very good. When they finish 15 and 2, you'll be able to laugh at it.
SPEAKER_04Um look, I I don't know if it qualifies on everybody else's list of surprising teams, but I I actually think Pittsburgh's gonna do all right. I think they're gonna surprise a lot of people.
SPEAKER_03Um Green Bay Connection's gonna come back again.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, look. Probably, probably. So I'm gonna go with Pittsburgh, it's surprising.
SPEAKER_03Very good. Right. So Pittsburgh finished nine and eight last year, I think scraped in the playoffs and then stunk the place out. So what is uh what is a most surprising result for Pittsburgh? It I mean if they finish ten and eight and don't make the playoffs, or ten and seven and don't make the playoffs, that's quite surprising, I would say.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, but no, I I think they're deep into the playoffs this year. Okay. Well, deep into the playoffs. I don't know. I don't again, I don't know if that's really surprising, but I was.
SPEAKER_03Deep into the playoffs. Wow, okay. All right. So okay, so uh that's the most surprising team. And finally, what's your wildest take of the season? I I'm I'm happy to go in while you guys have a minute's thought. I've been very vocal about this and I backed it up the other week. I'm gonna step away from the Josh Allen asking for a trade take that I had earlier simply because how much it upset Buffalo Chris when I mentioned it. Well now I'm gonna double double down on New England. I'm not gonna make the player.
SPEAKER_02I'm gonna see that prediction and raise you. I think there's a team that won their division last year that will finish bottom of their division this year.
SPEAKER_03Is that the Bears?
SPEAKER_02It's the Bears. Ouch. What is going on that I don't know about?
SPEAKER_05Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Schedule is absolutely merciless, and this Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday thing, you know, we've potentially got four short weeks in there. Oh, yeah.
SPEAKER_03We have got four short weeks, there's no potential about the Athletic has the same same same outcome for the Packers, the Steelers, the Raiders, the Foggers, the Chargers, the Seahawks, the Buccaneers, the Giants, the Commanders, the Texas, the Bears, the Rams, the Cowboys, and the Panthers as having a below average hit.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_03I um so pessimistic Matt is back.
SPEAKER_02I also don't believe in our defense, and I think we're gonna miss through Dolman at centre much more than any of us want.
SPEAKER_03But you are playing the Vikings twice.
SPEAKER_02I actually think the Vikings could surprise this season. I I know um we've all poured scorn on the Kyler Murray acquisition more over because you know you used a number 10 overall pick on JJ McCarthy and you've cast him aside already. Um but I do think Kyler Murray could improve the Vikings. Um and that division is you know, I I think I think the Lions and the Packers are out in front, and the Bears and the Vikings are gonna be bringing up the rear, and I think there's a fag paper between winner in second and third and fourth. And I um I just do not like our schedule, and I worry about our defense being able to stop teams scoring. Very good.
SPEAKER_03Very good. Kerry, hot take.
SPEAKER_04Oh, I I I really don't have um anything that's gonna be earth-shattering. I I'll I I was gonna say the Raiders will do better than we th think, but I just looked at their schedule and they're gonna get murdered. It's it's it's a tough, tough road for them. So never mind, Raiders. Sorry. Um let's see. I I I really have nothing. Uh my my wildest prediction would be that the Cowboys would be back in the Super Bowl. But that would be that would be that's as well.
SPEAKER_03That's as wildest as you can get, right? So losing losing losing to the Broncos.
SPEAKER_04Yes. And probably, yes. Because it's still Jerry, right?
SPEAKER_03Yeah. Very good. Well, maybe that should be a wild take that Jerry is gonna buck the trend and actually trade for a decent player.
SPEAKER_04Look, uh it's it's gonna be uh up and down for them. You know, the Parker has a great um defensive mind, but you know, first year defensive coordinator, I think that's still gonna be uh some some growing pains. But uh we'll see. I think we'll do all right.
SPEAKER_03Very good. Well, you'll do alright to win the division. You've already predicted that, right? Uh and and maybe my other hot take would be the Eagles might not make the playoffs this year. I guess I think they're uh they're I just don't think they're cohesive enough. Uh I know they got rid of AJ Brown, right, which is one of the big problems they said they had, but it's two sides to every story, right? As uh as Deshaun Watson has been explaining humbly for the last uh last three days.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I I I don't think it's a particularly strong division, but um the Cowboys are middle of a shootout, they're always gonna score points. So you know, there's gonna be odd weeks where they don't stop the opposition but still win because they can put 40 up pretty much at will, right?
SPEAKER_03Yeah, yeah. Could be uh Dak Prescott for MVP.
SPEAKER_04Oh, that's uh that's a wild take. I mean he he got big numbers last year, but I think you you gotta win the games to get um in the MVP running. So, you know, you never know. Yeah, well the uh in that case then what are our predictions for MVP? I guess uh all the things that I was reading said Josh Allen still, but you know, we haven't talked about the the bills at uh at all. So I don't suspect that that that's on our list.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, uh Josh Allen when he's traded somewhere good to uh finally win a Super Bowl. Um Matt, your thoughts on MVP? Are you gonna go all in on the ramps? Are we going for a staff?
SPEAKER_02I think I have to and it's boring, but I think um I think it's gonna be Matthew Stafford.
SPEAKER_03Very good. We're ready for Jordan Love's breakout season.
SPEAKER_06You see it coming?
SPEAKER_03Baggers winning the Super Bowl, Jordan Love MVP.
SPEAKER_06Uh you heard it, everybody.
SPEAKER_03Um that'll be my prediction every year for the next four or five years until we finally get up to experiment. Give or take. Yeah, yeah. So um Gary, MVP on the Yeah.
SPEAKER_04Look, um I'm just looking through the choices, and there's just yeah, Stafford's probably the most likely still. Um but I'm gonna uh I'm gonna put Brock Purdy in there because he's just so underappreciated. That's a good joke. That's a good show. So let's let's let's say he has a great year, um, proves that he should be there and gets MVP.
SPEAKER_03Very good, very good. Well, thank you, gentlemen. Uh uh uh well uh I'll listen back. Uh I'll write these down, and at the end of the season we will revisit all of this and come back to explain our workings out and uh work out who's going to buy who dinner and where it will be. So um and on that bombshell that uh the Packers will win the Super Bowl or the Rams, or the Broncos. Uh or the Broncos. Yeah, that's it for this week. Uh next week we'll be back with uh a whole bunch more news, probably some more updates on Jaden Daniels number five. Who knows, maybe even another decision on the QB one for the starting uh start of the season with Cleveland. But uh for now, thank you, gents. Matt to get well too. Uh see you all next week. Ta-da. Bye.
SPEAKER_00That's a wrap on another episode of the Mostly Football Show. Don't forget to subscribe and review or get in touch at MostlyFootball25 at gmail.com. See you next week.