2026 NFL Bold Predictions! Divisional Winners, SB Picks, WTF are you thinking Predictions!

What are your 2026 NFL Bold Predictions?

"On Q" is hosted by Rich Quiñones

An Award-Winning Sports Talk Show Host, PXP Voice & Writer, Q has had stops 1490 SBR, 1290 The Ticket & SR 102.9FM The Game and is currently an on-air talent for Destin FM.

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SPEAKER_00 0:00

Alright, what's going on, everyone? As promised, a little NFL talk on this Wu-Sault Wednesday edition of On Q, powered by our good friends over at Fresh Roasted Coffee Three Brooks Bourbon. Played against sports. Rich Kanyon is here. Like, comment, and subscribe. 2026 NFL season is among us. Yes, on a Wednesday night, they decide to throw us for a little bit of a loop with the kickoff. Seattle, New England, and then tomorrow night we get a little action on Thursday night, and then we go right into the meat and potatoes of week one. But as you guys know, we always enjoy kind of breaking down who's going to win divisions, Super Bowl predictions, maybe kind of the what the hell are you thinking? What are you talking about? And I know for a fact, as we bring in our good friend Lloyd Vance from uh Lloyd Vance's Insider Football, of course, on uh SR1029FM The Game, always kind enough to join us uh another year for he and I. We always have a little fun with our bold proclamations, and I would just say this you know, it's kind of interesting, right? We get NFL on a Wednesday, and then we get the Thursday night affair, and then we go right into week one. So kind of a little bit of a caveat with kickoff this evening, my friend.

SPEAKER_01 1:12

Yeah, it's to me, it's exciting. I can't get enough football on it, and it's gonna be, you know, it's odd, but I'll take it, man. You get Wednesday night, you got Thursday, and then you get that little break, and then you have the Sunday and Monday, and you know, it's it's it's exciting. It's exciting. I can't wait.

SPEAKER_00 1:31

Yeah, no, no, absolutely, uh, absolutely. All right, don't forget, uh, check out the uh channel, like, comment, and subscribe. All right, so let's get to we talked about all these um the betting lines for week one, and let's just kind of go through the divisions with divisional winners, and then we'll kind of do like a read and react. And I have not checked, I have not checked your feed, so I I have no idea what your line is thinking of, where you're coming from. I don't know what the hell you're doing. So I'll just say this. Um, let's go through the divisional winners. Uh, first and foremost, let's start in the AFC. So, AFC East, give me your overall rundown on the AFC East when it comes to who's making the playoffs, who's winning the division.

SPEAKER_01 2:16

Well, Q, I think it's now and ever for the Buffalo Bills. And and a key thing, obviously, you have two teams in this division that are just all from the Miami Dolphins and the Jets. And I think the Bills uh eat up on those two teams. And then you have the Patriots who had that easy schedule kind of coming back down to earth. And I just think Buffalo with Josh Allen uh and James Cook is one of the best running backs in the game, that they have a good chance as long as they have that defense that's playing well. So I'm gonna go with Buffalo by a slight margin over New England.

SPEAKER_00 2:47

All right, so uh I tend to agree. I think the Jets are gonna be a bad team. I think Miami's in flux, obviously. Um, I got some thoughts on the Jets as far as the bold bowl prediction. Uh, I have uh the Buffalo Bills, even though, you know, I'm not as enamored with this coaching staff, and I know they promoted Brady from offensive coordinator to head coach, but you still have the pieces in place. I think there's gonna be a couple bumps around uh uh along the road for uh the Buffalo Bills, but I have them winning the division as well. Um AFC West, I think this is gonna be an extremely competitive division. I think it's gonna be a fun division, and I I already have an idea of what direction you're gonna go because I know what you think of when it comes to uh again, the AFC West, but I definitely want to get your thoughts on uh the AFC West.

SPEAKER_01 3:37

Well, we say it's bold prediction time, Q, and I'm gonna back my play. I know I had this all the way back. Kevin and I talked about this at the beginning of the summer, and he's like, What do you think? And I said, Look, I think KC is going to want to back uh come up again. You know, you got Andy Reid, you got Brett Beach. They've been there for a long time. Uh, this team, I know last year they were 6-11, no playoffs, but they have Mahomes back. He's feeling healthy. He's got that brace on, ready to go. They have the Super Bowl MVP and Kenneth Walker. And the defense, they had some nice additions in terms of some rookies. So uh we'll see if this is going to work out, come to fruition my bowl prediction. But uh, I just think in the end, the Chargers, they have they have a lot of questions to answer. You know what I mean? I they they they Herbert, he's got to make some noise in the playoffs and and Harbaugh, they're kind of coming together, but they've had some injuries already. And then when you look at Denver, you you have that Cooper situation where he's probably gonna be suspended. That defense, uh, you know, still the same guys, but every year's different. And then offensively, Bo Nick's coming off of the injury. So that's why I think it's gonna be Kansas City. And now I'm ready for you to say what a home Ryan.

SPEAKER_00 4:49

No, no, no, no. I'm just gonna say this. Uh, I think the Raiders are gonna be vastly improved. I think Denver still with that defense. Uh, I'm actually I'm looking at this division, and I believe the Chargers are gonna be able to score a lot of points. I believe this is the one year where Herbert actually lives up to the billing. Uh, I think, you know, you look around, yes, some of these teams deal with some injuries, but they open up Arizona, Vegas. I think those are two quick wins. They're gonna get tested right after that. And I think they're gonna actually pass that test. I do. I know they have a tough stretch of games after that, but then they have a little bit of a soft spot in the schedule with um the Jets, with New England. I'm sorry, with the Jets, with Tampa Bay, with the Raiders again. Believe it or not, this to me is gonna be a division where you don't have to win 10 games. Hell, you might win nine games. I'm not sold on Kansas City because I don't know what Mahomes is gonna be if he's gonna be 100%. And I just know that this is an aging team. Denver's defense will be there. The Raiders will be more competitive, but maybe I'm going against the green. I'm not gonna go chalk, but I'm going with the Chargers to win the AFC West.

SPEAKER_01 5:59

No, I I think that's a good pick. They've been in the playoffs, they're a consistent team, as you said. A lot of things setting up in terms of their schedule. The big game's obviously gonna be week three at Buffalo and then week four at Seattle. You've really gotten a lot of people.

SPEAKER_00 6:13

Oh, yeah, their schedule's not easy by no stretch of the imagination. I mean, hell, Seattle, Denver, Kansas City, the Rams, Houston, Baltimore, that's a gauntlet of a schedule. But if they can get through that unscathed and win their divisional matchups, you know, I think they're gonna be right there. And the schedule makers have it where they're gonna close a season at home against Kansas City on the road against Denver. Um, so I do like the Chargers to win the AFC West. Uh, then we have the AFC South. You know, I say this every year, it's a mixed bag. I don't believe Tennessee is gonna be very good. I can't trust Daniel Jones and the Colts. By default, you look at either Jacksonville or the Texans. I'll tell you where I'm going right now. I just the Texans to me, you win with defense. And I I backed off Trevor Lawrence and Jacksonville. So, me personally, I'm gonna say the Texans win the South.

SPEAKER_01 7:03

And I'm gonna agree with you, Q. You know, last year Jacksonville had that great season and then they won all those games. But I just I'm not buying the stock on Trevor Lawrence in terms of being that MVP candidate. They had some defections in terms of their offense. You want to see who's gonna step up in terms of being a playmaker for them. They had a lot of injuries in the past at the receiver position. So uh I agree with you in terms of the Houston Texans. I think the addition of David Montgomery is huge for them now. They can team him with Woody Marks, and they have a really good rushing attack. CJ Stroud obviously has got to play up to his rookie billing and get back to being more consistent, throw for at least 25 touchdowns and cut down on interceptions and his inconsistency. I want to see that offensive line do a nice job with guys like Wyatteller coming over and Nico Collins. They need him to be that playmaker, and then hopefully Tank Dell will be able to get back out there. But this defense is just ridiculous. Allowed 17 points per game last year. You have Will Anderson Jr., one of the best in business, Danielle Hunter, uh Al Shazier, you know, a lot of people under he's underrated in terms of playing in the middle. And then you have Stingley, and and and it's just a lot of fill-in. So I I think this defense is going to get after people, and and they're over under win totals nine and a half. I expect them to beat that and and win this division and see how they're doing the playoffs.

SPEAKER_00 8:28

Yeah, a little soft spot on the road against Cleveland at home, the Colts in November, Pittsburgh, Washington, Jacksonville, Green Bay, Tennessee. I think all winnable games, albeit that game on the road late in January, is against Green Bay, but they have a cleanup game against Tennessee. That's probably gonna be looking at a top five draft pick uh again, right? So uh yeah. So right there, I'll sit there and uh yeah, we'll be in agreement on that one. Um AFC North. I don't I don't think the Steelers are gonna be very good. I I've maintained that. Cleveland, the quarterback issue is in flux. Cincinnati, it's gotta be a win now with Zach Taylor, and then you have the Ravens. Um, you know, they bring over Minter, Harbaugh goes, and now he's the coach of the Giants. I just think Baltimore's too talented of a team to not win that division. I think anytime you have these offensive weapons, you're gonna have MVP caliber quarterback and Lamar Jackson, I know they got to clean up their defense. You still have Derrick Henry, who's running at a very high level, even at an advanced age. Uh, you're not gonna ask Lamar Jackson to go out and be Superman because I just don't trust the other three teams in a division. Now, I think this team is poised potentially for a really deep run. And remember, too, you look at their first four or five games of the season: Indianapolis, New Orleans, Dallas, Tennessee, Atlanta, Cleveland, these are all winnable games. They can stockpile a couple wins, you know, three, four, five wins to start the season, five and one, four and two. They're gonna put a lot more pressure on Cincinnati to play catch up. We've seen Cincinnati at times come out of the gate very slow. We know the discourse going on with Joe Burrow and that franchise. They tried to appease him, but I look for Baltimore to win this division.

SPEAKER_01 10:16

Hugh, I definitely agree with you here. And when we look at roster for roster in the AFC North, I agree that the Steelers are going to take a step back because no Mike Tomlin air's steering the ship. We got to see what Mike McCarthy's gonna do. And Aaron Rodgers, 43 years old. Rico Dowdell coming over. Is he gonna be that key guy runner in the football form? They want that power game, but the offensive line is a work in progress. I'll just put it that way. And the defense is very high paid, but they've allowed a lot of big plays and points over the years. So uh I think the Steelers take a step back. Obviously, we talked about Cleveland many times in their quarterback situation. They just can't get that thing right. And Todd Munkin's probably in for a long season. I agree with you in terms of the Bengals. It's now or never for them. I do think that they're a team that's gonna be a wild card contender, but I just don't know if they had roster for roster, they're able to step up against the uh Baltimore Ravens because the Ravens have their key guy, you know. They they now have Hendricks on that defense. And you wonder who's gonna rush the passer, you know, maybe Lawrence for the the Bengals, but he's coming over, advanced age, coming from the Giants, and is he the same guy? And and I I think that you have Anthony Weaver and Jesse Minter coming over to fix this Ravens defense, and you're gonna see them get after people, particularly Kyle Hamilton, who's probably gonna want to be those one of those defensive player of the year candidates. So uh we'll see how Mattabike comes back from that neck injury, but I think you're gonna see improved defense, and then it's all about the playoffs in terms of this squad. Lamar Jackson, we know three and five in the playoffs, but I think he's gonna get there. And as you said, their schedule kind of sets up ninth easiest in the National Football League to have home field advantage, and then you just go from there. So as long as Derrick Henry's healthy uh at his advanced age, gets about 1,400 to 1,500 yards rushing, and they can get some big plays from Zay Flowers and some of the other guys that expect the Ravens to win this division.

SPEAKER_00 12:14

All right, we'll go back to the AFC playoff participants in a second. Let's go to the NFC side of the ball again. Wednesday edition on cue. Uh Lloyd Vance kind enough to join me. Rich Canyonis. We'll do BYP later in the week, week one lines, obviously because the season kicks off tonight and then you've got tomorrow, but we'll really kind of focus on the slate, the heavy slate week one. We'll do the NFC East last. Let's start with the NFC North. Um, I believe again, you know, competitive division. Uh I'm not really sure where I'm looking at Minnesota and Murray. I think he'll put up some numbers. I don't like that team collectively as a whole. I think Green Bay takes a major step back. And I also think this is the year where it's gonna cost LaFleur his job. I you know, I I know there's at times you look at Jordan Love and we sit there and say, man, he he's a he's a good quarterback, right? Um, but I just think at times he's very inconsistent, he's skittish. Uh I think sometimes he doesn't see the defense. And uh I I don't know. I'm not I'm just not enamored with Green Bay. Something's off with this team. I I think they have talent. I definitely think they have talent on the offense side of the ball. But and then as far as Minnesota, you know, look, if Murray goes down, they already named Kevin O'Connor already named Wentz back up uh to Murray, which I'm like, oh, that's a disaster. So I am dismissing those two teams right now. I am extremely high on the Chicago Bears. I am. I I watched him a lot last year. Uh I flipped on Caleb Williams. I think this kid is a merging star. I think uh Ben Johnson is the difference maker. I really do. I believe he is one of the outstanding young coaches in the league at just 40. Uh this could be a a run for the Bears. I'll just say that. I think this is a year where the Bears they're not shocking people, but you start to see what you have with this team. They've got a plethora of weapons, they clean up the defensive side of the ball. I believe the Bears win the North, but the Lions press them, the Lions push them, but I like the Bears to win the NFC North.

SPEAKER_01 14:33

And we're kind of close to each other, but I I think that this is Detroit Lions season, you know. I I think they've learned from a couple years ago they were close, but uh Campbell, as we were talking a couple weeks ago, he's on a hot seat in terms of I it's time to get results. And and they've had some good drafts under Brad Holmes, and and he needs his playmakers to step up. Yeah, obviously, you got you know Amon Ross St. Brown, you got Jamison Williams, uh Isaac Tesla are going to try to weave him in there, but the offensive line is still one of the best, even though they had a retirement at of their center and they had Panay Soul, their movement to left tackle. But I think this could still be a very dominant group up front, hoping to get another uh season out Laporter, get him, you know, he seems to always be injured at tight end position. Jared Goff's got to be more consistent. We talked about CJ Stroud earlier. He's he's kind of the same. You know, he's very streaky, and you know, sometimes he's nice golf and he's putting up huge numbers and throwing for over 4,000 yards and getting close to 30 touchdowns, but then he makes those bonehead interceptions. So uh you expect to see a lot of Jameer Gibbs from this team. And then defensively, they're gonna build around Aiden Hutchinson in that secondary, but that defense has got to get better. Allow 24 points per game. And divisionally, if they want to win it, they have to do better there. They were two and four in the division. So I think Detroit wins this one. Uh I do like Chicago as well. Johnson, he's gonna open up the playbook this year, too. You know, and expect a lot of Colston Loveland, one of the emerging young stars in the National Football League at the tight end position. Uh Roma Dunzier's got to stay healthy for them. Luther Burden, same thing. A lot of soft tissue injuries with those two, but they seem to solidify that offensive line with Joe Tooney and the guys up front need to get a running game from DeAndre Swift and Manon Gay. And defensively, they'll build around sweat. So uh I expect Chicago to be in the mix for top of this division, but possibly be a wild card.

SPEAKER_00 16:31

Yeah, I want to go back. Good point on the tight end with Detroit because Laporta is never healthy. He might be a trade chip, right, with the uh Brock Wright on the depth chart with the Lions, you know, midseason. You never know. But they definitely have the weapons. I I feel as though the Bears, they're gonna open up the playbook, man. They're gonna open up the playbook. And again, I go back to, you know, Bank and wins early. Carolina, Minnesota, Eagles will get tested. The Jets, they can go on the road and beat Green Bay. They can go on the road and get against Atlanta, and then you push back towards the end of their season. Then, you know, towards the tail end of the season, they've got Green Bay, Detroit, Minnesota. Oh, by the way, on the road against Buffalo prior to those three games close out the NFC North. I just feel as though this is a team where you saw a couple years ago the Hell Mary that just sent them in the wrong direction in Washington in the NFC Championship. They clean house, they kept the GM, they brought in Johnson. Little time to work with uh Caleb Williams. Uh I, you know, here's a quarterback that threw for close to 4,000 yards, and the offensive line did an excellent job keeping him upright. So uh I'll stand by that. I'm gonna go with the Bears winning the north. Then that leads us to the south. And this might be one of my first bold predictions. Tampa Bay's not winning this division, Atlanta's not winning this division, Carolina's not winning the division, Lloyd Vance. The Saints are going to win this division with eight wins. The Saints are gonna win the New Orleans Saints. So, and let me give you my my, I see you smiling, my my rationale and my reasoning with this one. I'll say this about the Saints. Last year, they played hard, and I know sometimes we kind of gloss over that. It's nothing that you know we get too enamored with, but they close out the season with four straight wins. They won six games, they should have beat Atlanta the last game of the season. This kid Shuck that you always talk about, they're gonna ride him out, man. They got confidence in this kid. He's gonna be the quarterback, and I went back twice. I looked at Tampa Bay and some of the loss of weapons, even though they just gave Baker Mayfield that contract extension. I think Panthers last year was a little bit of an abarition. And the fact that Atlanta, and I gotta walk back my Tua prediction, he might be benched in three or four weeks, but they're gonna start with Tua with Penix in the win, which I think is gonna be a disaster. The New Orleans Saints, they need to just figure out a way to get to the bide week with three or four wins. And they have two very tough games to open up the season at Detroit and then Baltimore. But then they have Vegas, Atlanta, Minnesota, New York, and Pittsburgh. These are all winnable, friggin' games. So I'm gonna say they're gonna stockpile four to five early on. And then I mentioned the back end of their schedule. Arizona's a winnable game, Carolina's a winnable game, Atlanta's a winnable game. That's eight. Find me nine. This team's winning the division.

SPEAKER_01 19:29

Who that? Q's excited, man. I tell you, hey, the Saints, I think they were gonna be a better team. 6-11 last year. Very scrappy in terms of a lot of close games that they didn't pull out. And now you have that veteran leadership. You know, Kellen Moore's there. He has the same staff with Nuss Meyer, uh, uh offense coordinator, Brandon Staley running that defense. And the defense, middle road, allowed 22 and a half points per game. But I think that defense gets better offense, they're gonna need to find some ways to score because they only had 18 points per game last year. ATN coming over. We'll see how he does because Kamar's a little banged up. He's gonna miss the first four weeks. Tyler Shuck, I think he does continue to grow, you know, kind of a no-name second-round pick from last year, but he's really stepped up and a lot of people doubted him. But I think he could be a good quarterback. That offensive line, sneaky good with Ruiz and McCoy and the rest of the guys up front. You got to keep Chris Olave healthy. And then Jordan Tyson, their rookie, you know, he's a little banged up going into the season. So it it they're gonna interest the team, but I'm gonna go with Carolina again, Q. I I just think, as you said, it's not gonna take much to win this game, uh, division.

SPEAKER_00 20:40

Division.

SPEAKER_01 20:41

And in its situation where they won it last year with eight wins, and and I just think Canales really has a pulse of this team with Brad Izzik, the offense coordinator, and Ivorow, the defensive coordinator. They really understand this group. Look at Ted McMillan to kind of make that jump this year in terms of being a true number one receiver, and that'll help Leggett and the rest of the guys on that unit. And uh the offensive line is gonna be better than people think. They're bringing over Taylor Mooton. Uh, he's gonna help out Bryce Young, another one of these young quarterbacks.

SPEAKER_00 21:13

That's what I was gonna ask you. You trust him? You trust Bryce Young?

SPEAKER_01 21:16

He's another one of these young guys, he's got to step up. You know, he's got to make some plays. They've got to win on the road. You know, we talked about before their struggles on road three and six last year, and and he's got to win some of those road games. So I trust him just enough. You have Chubble Hubbard there, uh, Jonathan Brooks coming back from an injury, and they're they're gonna try to run the football and win games ugly. Defense has got some players now. They got Devin Lloyd coming over from Jacksonville, uh Jalen Phillips coming from the Eagles. He's a little banged up, and and they have Nick Scott uh coming over from Cincinnati. So they I think they'll have just enough to win this division. Eight nine wins is gonna get done.

SPEAKER_00 21:56

So, in fairness, first three out of four were on the road that they lost. Right? They had that home game against Atlanta. They beat the Jets on the road. Remember, they went to Green Bay, won that game on the road. Bryce Young didn't even crack 120 yards. They went on the road and beat Atlanta. That's when he had a monster day. And then also, um, they had the home win against uh the Rams, which is unbelievable. And then they had a bad loss to the Saints, and then they lost to the Bucs. So you're right. I mean, it's kind of like a mixed bag on the road. You gotta win your road games, you gotta win within a division. But I don't know, I'm just not feeling it. I think last year was a little bit of a fluke, a little bit of an aberration. I'm still not entirely sold um on Bryce Young as a quarterback. And if that offensive line can't keep him upright like we saw two years ago, they're gonna be in trouble. Um, but be it as it may, I like the Saints, you go Carolina. Uh, how about the NFC West? Now, another stack, I mean, really stacked me division. You got defending Super Bowl champs, Seattle, kicking it off tonight against New England. You have the Rams that made all these moves in the offseason. Donald's not gonna travel to Australia, but Garrett is a go. You've got the 49ers, who, oh, by the way, dealing with another frigging injury. I mean, this is a very, very deep division. Um, I think the Cardinals are gonna be one of the worst teams in the NFL. I don't know if they're gonna go winless or not, but I have to give the benefit of the doubt to my guys Sling and Sammy. Just because I like Seattle and win a division, it doesn't necessarily mean I think they're gonna make another deep run in the playoffs.

SPEAKER_01 23:32

Well, Seattle, I think they're gonna they're gonna defend their crown. They're gonna be out there, they're gonna fight, and and and we'll see how they do. I think a lot of people forget that. They're a defensive mind team or McDonald's. You know, McDonald's did a great job of that defense. They allowed only 17.2 points per game. I mean, one of the best in the league. And you have playmakers all over the place. Leonard Williams just got his contract. He's a guy that's gonna be motivated. DeMarcus Lawrence, he played pretty well for him. And they have Ernest Jones, a linebacker, and then at secondary had some playmakers. So it's their team I expect to be in the mix, but uh it's just too much talent with the Los Angeles Rams. I just think the Rams cue, you know, Les need is stockpile the group here. That that's pretty scary. And you have Nate Gielhouse that's a uh rookie offensive coordinator, you got to watch that. But Chris Jewel is defensive coordinator. Uh, he had a nice groove last year when they allowed 20 points per game, and now you bring Miles Garrett in there, Aaron Donald back. You have both corners coming over from the Kansas City Chiefs. And it's just like, man, they're scary. And the big thing is Matthew Stafford's 38 this year. He's an MVP last year, but is he going to be healthy? Is he going to be upright? Uh, you worry if Ty Simpson and Stetson Bennett, if those two have to play. But there's playmakers everywhere in terms of Puka Nicoa, Devontae Adams. I love their tight end sets. They run more 13 personnel than anybody, where they have three tight ends on their field with Parkinson, Higby, uh, Ferguson. They can come at you a variety of ways with their tight end. And their offensive line is going to be in place. Uh Ulrich Jackson avoided suspension. So he's going to be out there for them. And then Kyra Williams, as long as he holds on to football, he's dangerous. So I just think the Rams win this division. Uh, and then possibly Seattle is one of those wild card type teams.

SPEAKER_00 25:26

Uh, how about the loss of Walker, obviously going to Kansas City? Um, that's something that, and then you lose Kubiak, who's now the head coach of the Raiders. I mean, when you win a Super Bowl and they dominated it first and foremost with the ground game and again with their defense, I mean, how much stock do you put in that loss with Kubiak and then obviously Walker? Do you think that'll put more pressure on Darnold? Because I think, like as D V said, with you know, quarterback like um Bryce Young, right? You got to prove it. It's a prove it year. I still think for some people, people will step back and look at Sam Darnold and under the microscope say, Well, can you do it again? Maybe last year was a fluke. I mean, I thought Sam Darnold played the best football of his career. And in that NFC championship game, he made friggin' plays on third down to keep the game and these uh the drive, I should say, alive and closed out uh the Rams in that game. And then in the Super Bowl, you didn't really need him to just light the world on fire, just not make a mistake. And I know people don't like to say manage the game, but how about you know that the pressure on Darnold to get back to the Super Bowl, the loss of Walker, and then obviously no Kubiak.

SPEAKER_01 26:35

Right. It he'll be relaxed, you know what I mean. McDonald firmly believes in him and John Schneider, the general manager there. And and the OC Brian Florey's new, so you got to see what he has. It is his first time really calling plays and and how's he going to be able to handle it. And Kubiak really had to pulse in terms of Sam Darnold and keeping him loose. And and you're right, you know, regular season he had his struggles, led to NFL in turnovers, and he had a lot of fumbles and interception, but in the playoffs, he shut that down. I mean, they beat the Niners 41-6 in the divisional round. Then that was a close game, as you said, with the Rams, 31-27. Uh, and then in the Super Bowl, they handled their business. So it I love their defense, and and they're gonna find a running game, though, to help Darnold. That's a big thing. You know, Jadarian Price, uh, he's a little banged up. He's their first rounder out of Notre Dame. We'll see what he's able to do. Zach Charbonnet is going to start the season on the pup list after ACL injury, but he still has JSN. Offensive lines coming together with Cross and the rest of that group up front. So, yeah, I expect Darnold to have a nice season, a cut down on his interceptions, and they should be in the mix. Uh, but I just think the Rams are probably a game or two better than them.

SPEAKER_00 27:50

TB says Rams are super team, only injuries can stop them. I agree. Donald uh Darnold used to prove that he's for real. He used to prove that last year it wasn't a fluke. He used to prove that last year wasn't a fluke. Tom over in Summers Point chimes in Q. It's got to be a Rams Mel, all the way in LA, who is a big time Rams fan, says hashtag Rams House. There you go. Um, all right, so that brings us to the NFC's. I'm so glad the bunker boys aren't tuning in right now. I'm sure they're floating around somewhere, as long as uh the ghost of Luca Brazi. Uh, I think the Giants will win a couple games. Uh, I've already stated my case regarding the New York football Giants and nauseum. Um, they'll be competitive, they'll win a game, they have no business winning, and they'll lose a couple, and it's gonna be a learning experience for Jackson Dart in New Year's number two. But I look for the progressions. Uh, still not sold on the secondary, still not sold on the offensive line. Got to get to the quarterback. Washington, I think, is just a cluster. I just want uh Washington is in store for a long season. I'm not feeling these new coordinators with Daniels, who's already shown he's injury prone, just like Jackson Dart. And then you have Dallas and the Philadelphia Eagles. Now, this is not a contrarian take, but I will just say this. The Dallas Cowboys stockpiled that defense because they realized they gave up way too many yards, they gave up way too many points. Dallas is going to be good. Now, I know it's again, I know it sounds like whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. My my concern is with the Eagles. So per Siriani, Manion's going to be in the coaching booth for week one against Washington. Sirianni hand picked. Manion. It's another coordinator. This team is getting older. The offensive guy is getting older. Um, I think having an OC in the booth, I think that might be, you know, baptismal by fire. I don't think it's a smart move. Maybe people think I'm overreacting. I think the loss of AJ Brown is huge. I have Dallas winning the division. I really do. I have Dallas winning the division because I just think offensively, they have some of the best weapons in the NFL. They hands down have the best receiving tandem in the NFL. And as much as we criticize, or as much as Dak Prescott has been maligned throughout the course of his career, he still puts up gaudy numbers. He still puts up gaudy numbers, and he just goes about his business. It's got to be now. If you're saying it's got to be now for Buffalo, for Baltimore, for all these other teams, it's got to be now for the Dallas Cowboys. And I think the Eagles reign ends. I think the Dallas Cowboys win a division, and it might only be a 10-win season.

SPEAKER_01 30:27

Interesting pick. You know, this division reminds me a lot of the AFC Geese. You know, we talked about that division in terms of there's two teams, head and shoulders, above everybody else, and then you have two other teams kind of building. And uh first with the Giants, I think Harbaugh will establish his leadership and his game plan. He'll have some discipline around this team. Uh, they'll improve on those four wins, but not enough to, you know, make that noise. And and then in Washington, I agree with you, Q. I was looking at their roster before we came on. It's just devoid of talent. You have Jaden Daniels and then the defense kind of hodgepodge, the offensive line missing Larry McTonsell, and you just wonder how they're how they're going to stay upright for the entire season. So I agree that it's going to be the Eagles and the Cowboys, and I think it's it's going to be a game difference where the Philadelphia Eagles find a way. You know, much like my belief in the Kansas City Chiefs, you know, the Eagles have just been there for so many years, understand how to get it done. And the Cowboys, they just have not been over the hump. So I just think, yes, they've improved the defense, namely bringing Christian Parker from the Philadelphia Eagles to the Cowboys and guys like Rashawn Gary, D winners, and and I really like Caleb Downs, who I think is going to be a defensive rookie of the year for them. And yeah, the the their offensive power power is scary. So I think it's close battle, but I think the Eagles find a way to win this thing ugly. And it's built around their defense because they have those two young tackles or some of the best in the league. They're going to need pass rush from Jalex Hunt and some of the other guys up front. But uh they have just too much talent in terms of all pros on that defense not to win this division.

SPEAKER_00 32:07

Yeah, but their offense is always slow out of the gate, and you have a new offensive coordinator. And again, once they start stacking that box and they're daring Jalen Hurts to get these other weapons involved. There's no AJ Brown. I think that is it's the elephant in the room, man. It really is. I mean, you're talking about a Lemon to me looks like he's a bust already. I can't rely on Wicks. That's now I'm gonna double Devontae Smith, take him out, which means you got to get the tight ends involved, which means they're probably gonna have to bring in extra tight end, two tight end set to chip at the line, right? Uh Saquon, it's well documented, man. Once you start to hit 29, 30 years of age, I mean, look at the drop. He goes from 345 yards. I'm sorry, 345 carries, Louis. Pardon me, 345 carries to 280. I mean, he went from 2,000 yards to barely cracking 1,100. The drop was it was massive. It really was. And I don't know if they're gonna be able to run the ball with as much success as we saw two years ago. I'm gonna give Dallas the benefit of the doubt because for all these years, it's very easy, low-bearing fruit, to just dog and trash the Dallas Cowboys. I think it's more me not having confidence in Sirianni, not knowing what you're gonna get from this offense early on, and then Mannion. So I'm gonna go the Dallas Cowboys. Yeah, I said it. The Dallas Cowboys win the East.

SPEAKER_01 33:25

It's gonna be interesting because that offensive line, no Stalin for the Philadelphia Eagles, and you wonder, you know, Lane Johnson, last ride season for him and all those injuries from last year that contributed to Saquon not performing the way he needed to be. So it I think it's gonna be tight, but you know, it I just think it they'll find a way to get it done, but it it may be ugly. As you said, it may only take 11 wins, 10, 11 wins to win this division.

SPEAKER_00 33:52

Paul's already got his uh week one lines. That's for Friday, brother. We got to say that for BYP. That's for Friday, but I like that already. He's already diving into week one. He did very well last week and with college, he's looking at Texans at home. Buffalo is uh laying one and a half. He likes the Texans plus, so he's got to tune into uh a little BYP. That would be a statement win. Jovon chimes in. Question about Dallas. Can Williams repeat his uh year from 2025, or was it a one-hit wonder? No, I think he can. As long as look, I think we're sleeping on Dallas in variety of fashions. I don't gonna tell you why. It's easy to trash the Cowboys because it's like, okay, what have you done lately? But let me just caution. They open against the Giants, they open against Washington, those are winnable games. Now, if they somehow beat Baltimore, they're 3-0. They can certainly go on the road and win a shootout against the Texans. They could beat Tampa Bay, they can be Green Bay. By the time they see the Eagles, they might be a 5-2, 6-1 team. And I believe the Eagles, we've seen it throughout history over the last several years, especially in the Hurts and Ciriani tenure, their offense seems to be behind the defense. And I just, for the life of me, man, if you really stack that box and you take that element of that ground game away, and you're really making Saquon try to just eat up the yardage or try to move the sticks and the chains and just put more pressure on Jalen Hurts, it's gonna be stagnant. It really is. Now, you also mentioned downs. You're talking about a safety that can also crowd the box and get to the ball carrier. They went with Lawrence in the first round, uh, number 23 pick. You know, they went edge, they went edge the kid from Michigan, right? So they addressed what they had to address. They really did. And finally, uh, aside from I think Guyton, their left tackle, that's banged up, they're relatively healthy coming into the season. So I'm gonna give them the benefit of the doubt. I think nine and a half, 10, I think 10 wins is gonna win the division.

SPEAKER_01 35:45

And I think Dallas get to 10, but I think the Eagles get to 11. And I think a big thing is the Eagles are gonna probably come on to a good start. You know, they face Washington, they're at Tennessee, they should win those games. We're really gonna see with the Eagles at Chicago, and then they host uh the Rams right after that in Jacksonville at Jacksonville. So it's it's gonna be a fun start to the season. I to answer Javon's question, yeah, I think Javante Williams will be just fine. I think it's a thousand yards. That offensive line, Tyler Smith has a thumb injury, but he's coming back, and that's a mauling group up front. He'll get his yards, and then Dak's gonna build off a play action off of that.

SPEAKER_00 36:24

Yeah. Seriani said he's done one reveal who the Eagles quarterback number two is for competitive advantage reasons. He's already getting on my nerves. All right, so give me your AFC playoff teams.

SPEAKER_01 36:36

AFC, uh, we have the Bills, the Ravens, Kansas City, Texans winning their division. Then the wild card, I have Cincinnati, Denver, and the Chargers. So very AFC West heavy. I think they're gonna have some three quality teams coming out of there, and then you'll have two coming out of the north.

SPEAKER_00 36:58

So you have the Patriots missing the playoffs.

SPEAKER_01 37:00

Yes, I think the Patriots missed the playoffs. Yeah, I just think last year was kind of magic carpet ride for them. It got all those turnovers. The ball was bouncing their way. Now, I could be wrong. I mean, it's all on Drake May and Vrable to, you know, to shut me in all the naysayers up that say they had an easy schedule, but I think they they kind of come back down to earth and don't win as many games this year.

SPEAKER_00 37:22

I have the Bills win in the east. I'll give you my play. I have the Chargers win in the west, I have the Texans winning the south by default, uh the Ravens win in the division. Uh I have Cincinnati, Jacksonville, Denver. Okay. I have the Pats missing the playoffs as well.

SPEAKER_01 37:39

Well, similar.

SPEAKER_00 37:42

Oh, by the way. Oh, by the way, I have Kansas City missing the playoffs.

SPEAKER_01 37:47

Well, it doesn't surprise me. He doesn't believe in Patrick Mahomes and he's going to strap on that. No, no, no, no, no.

SPEAKER_00 37:52

Hold on a second. It's not that I don't believe in Patrick Mahomes. It's just they're getting older. He's coming off a major injury. I don't know what Kelsey has. I I I'm telling you, man, I am telling you right now, they're missing the playoffs. Now, let's we'll we'll save AFC championship for a second. Let's go to the NFC. Who are your playoff participants? I'm writing it down in the NFC.

SPEAKER_01 38:17

Sure. We got the Eagles winning the NFC East, Detroit winning NFC North.

SPEAKER_00 38:22

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 38:23

The Rams winning NFC West.

SPEAKER_00 38:25

Yep.

SPEAKER_01 38:26

Carolina winning NFC South.

SPEAKER_00 38:28

Yep.

SPEAKER_01 38:28

Then I have Chicago. I have Dallas, and I have Seattle.

SPEAKER_00 38:33

Okay. Now buckle up, my friend. Dallas wins the East. Bears win the North. The Saints win the South. Seattle wins the division. Rams make the playoffs. Lions make the playoffs. Bucks make the playoffs. The Eagles miss the playoffs. The Rams make the playoffs and go deeper than Seattle. They get bounced by the Lions. Dallas wins a playoff game but lose to the Bears. I'll give you my NFC championship right now. The Bears over the Lions in the NFC Championship game.

unknown 39:15

Wow.

SPEAKER_00 39:17

That is my one bold prediction, the Eagles missing the playoffs. Kansas City, I've thought about it for a while now. Do you have a rebuttal, a retort to that?

SPEAKER_01 39:27

About the Eagles missing the playoffs?

SPEAKER_00 39:29

Well, because I knew you were going to say that, but yeah, I mean, this is not. Now listen, you know when I pick, I pick with conviction. So if I see it, if I back it, if I say it, I play it. If I back it, I'm gonna stack it.

SPEAKER_01 39:41

I just think, you know, they just have that leadership. They they find a way to win the games, even if it's ugly. I know last year they had so many games where the defense carried them, but they were they were 10-0 when Hertz threw for 200 yards. So they're gonna be able to do that.

SPEAKER_00 39:58

I think you are overflating, as we say, the Philadelphia Eagles. I think you're looking at the body of work and you're looking at a weak NFC East, and I'm telling you, they might trip up against two bad teams one or two times this year against Washington and against the Giants. Other than that, I need some sustained offense, and I'm not trusting another offensive coordinator that Nick Seriani friggin' hand pick. That's all I'm saying.

SPEAKER_01 40:25

And it's gonna be fun. We're gonna keep the tape and we're gonna see if Hurt, who's talking like he's ready to make that leap, is gonna be that guy to be that you know top 10 quarterback. And all he's in my heart, you know that the offensive line is the key for the Philadelphia Eagles. They have a guy, a lot of names, but they got to stay healthy and then I'll establish some run game and help out that defense. So it's gonna be an interesting team to watch. But they if that happens, you you're talking about an implosion in Philadelphia.

SPEAKER_00 40:57

Well, uh we're not there yet. Hold on. We're not I we've got some bold predictions. DB says, Rich, please post your picks for the playoffs uh somewhere at the end of so we can you can rid it. I always do, man. I throw them out there. We put them on record. Javon says if the Bears get the NFC title game, that means the Patrick secondary stepped up. So I'm talking about their pass rush. And you know what else, Javon? I think their offense is gonna lead the way this year. I think this is gonna be an extremely explosive offense. And they got some pass rushers that to negate that secondary. Paul says Falcons return to the playoffs. Lloyd, I think the Falcons are going to be one of the worst teams in football. I had to I had to walk back my Tua comments.

SPEAKER_01 41:35

I yeah, and you know, early on, I was like, oh, the Falcons are going to make the playoffs and them winning that weak division. But I had to walk that back, you know, with the suspensions and injuries, and you know, now Tua as bad as he was playing. They're starting him. It's just like, wow, what is Stefansky's plan down there? And you just wonder how it's gonna work.

SPEAKER_00 41:54

But yeah, I can't and they're scheduled too. Baltimore, Chicago, San Fran, Tampa, Cincinnati, Kansas City. I mean, that's that's pretty tough.

SPEAKER_01 42:05

Yeah, they've got some tough games. And and you wonder about that offensive line. Matthews is getting up in age, and and yeah, they have some playmakers and B. John Robinson and Drake London, but you wonder about the other pieces on this team, particularly that defense that allows a lot of big plays.

SPEAKER_00 42:21

Two what worries me, I thought maybe if he played well in the preseason, I'd have my hat on something with some of these offensive weapons. I mean, you got a hell of a running back in Robinson, and you got a good wide receiver. You got two very good wide receivers in London Dodson. You have a tight end that they're finally starting to utilize. You mentioned that 3-4 base D, right? And they see the problem is Atlanta, and the name escapes me. Who is the linebacker they they they lost for the season? They lost one of their linebackers.

SPEAKER_01 42:46

Walker got hurt for the season and Pierce, they're losing him to suspension.

SPEAKER_00 42:50

Yeah, to a turnover. Um, so that is my uh that's my NFC, and I have the Bears over the Lions. Now in the AFC, I'm doing it. I I'm doing it. I know I fall in love easy. I get it. The brunette walks in. This is how I am, the low, you know, the flowing locks. I'm going with Herbert. The Chargers will meet the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Championship. I'm going to, two years ago, I thought the kid was going to be the MVP. You know, I was so giddy, I was all over it, and a blow up in my face. But just like when I said that Denver and Washington were going to meet, and then obviously Denver got screwed, but Washington went to the AFC Championship. I'm going Chargers over the Bills in the AFC Championship.

SPEAKER_01 43:37

Yeah, the AFC Championship game. I I got I got the Ravens facing the Bills. So I I think it's an hour never season for both these quarterbacks, and you're going to see Josh Allen step up. I think the Bills, you know, they have that new stadium that they're opening, and then it's his house, and he's going to go out there and play some good ball, and they have a good running game with James Cook. That defense starting to come around. So I'm going to go with the Bills uh over the Ravens in an AFC championship game.

SPEAKER_00 44:08

I always post a picks because I get hammered. And we post them on BYP as well. Newman Chimes and Falcons were under bad that layer. They just couldn't win close games. No, they played harder. But you're banking on that quarterback being upright. And if he's not upright, you got to go to Penix. That is a that is a problem. It's not that I'm seeing the light. It's not that I'm seeing the light. I think what happened was a couple years ago I got sucked into Justin Herbert, right? And we know they couldn't close. That was their issue with the head coach. They just couldn't find a way to get over the hump, right? They just couldn't close certain games, especially fourth quarter late in the season, the playoffs. Um, but you know, I do watch a lot of what's going on, especially in the AFC. I've always been enamored with Herbert, even coming out of college. I like the makeup of the team. I think Denver's gonna be a phenomenal team. Bo Nick's coming ball at that injury. Um, that was unfortunate last season, but their defense is gonna ride them. The Raiders are gonna be better. Cousins will probably be benched by week seven or eight. You're gonna see a little bit of Mendoza, uh, but they're gonna be a much better team. I just think this is the uh it's the Chargers year. And oh, by the way, so obviously I've got the uh Bears and the Chargers and the Super Bowl. And guess what? I'm gonna keep I'm gonna keep riding it out west. It's the long flowing locks and won Justin Herbert. The Chargers friggin' do something they've never done. They win the friggin' Super Bowl. I'm going with I'm going with the Chargers over the Bears. Hence, that's why they're called bold predictions.

SPEAKER_01 45:34

Yeah, and I'm going with a team from LA in the Rams. You know, you may say I'm a front runner, but I they just stock out way too much talent. I think that's you going Rams over Ravens? I'm going Rams over the Bills in a Super Bowl. And I think Rams will beat uh Chicago in an NFC championship game. But yeah, I think I think it's Rams and Buffalo. And and more heartbreak for all those Bills fans. They finally get back to the big dance and they just can't get over the hump again. But yeah, there's just too much talent with the Rams to bet against them.

SPEAKER_00 46:09

Listen, I mean, that's that's why they're bold predictions. Uh Paul says Rich is taking the baby blue pill for performance. Joey says, hey Q, at least Lloyd comes on the show with a collar shirt respect. Yeah, he doesn't mess around, man. Yeah, you're locked into fashion on it. Yeah, that's what Joey does. Joey focuses on what the apparel we're wearing. Now, here are my other bold predictions, which I don't really think are too outlandish, but just just follow me on this. All right. Eagles and Chiefs missed the playoffs. Okay, we already said that. Aaron Rodgers doesn't last 17 weeks. I think either struggles, gets hurt. I think I think Aaron Rodgers might get benched at some point during the season. Whether it's going to be for Rudolph or LR, I don't know. Um, Drew Aller, I don't know. I told you the Saints at 260 win the South. The Jets at some point, sooner rather than later, will bench Geno Smith. Kate Kubnik will be their starting quarterback. They'll finish 4-13. But but as crazy as it sounds, they won't fire Aaron Glenn. Now, this is where it gets dicey. You told me about it imploding. Eagles offense starts off slow. They barely finish 500. You get the chirping with hurts beginning. Sirianni handpicked and manion. It backfires. And oh, by the way, Lloyd Vance, oh, by the way, it cost Nick Sirianni his job. When the birds miss the playoffs, Ciriani will be one of the quarterbacks we're talking about on a dreaded Black Monday.

SPEAKER_01 47:46

Wow. That's a lot of boldness, man. Hopefully somebody's writing all these down. You know, I'm kind of more of a chalk guy. I just it's gonna it it if they have a bad season, I definitely could see Howie Roseman having a closed-door conversation with Ciriani and then maybe parting ways, but it he still has Spanjo with that defense, and and and I think the offensive line will be healthy enough. So I think the Eagles will, you know, they'll continue to spy. But I do kind of agree with you in terms of Aaron Rodgers' age and performance. I and that offensive line, that that's a big thing with the Steelers. Their line is not very good. It's kind of patchwork. They've had some draft picks over a couple years, but I don't see them protecting Aaron Rodgers for 17 games. Uh my bold prediction is you're you're going to see Kyler Murray have a big time year in terms of putting up offensive production. Uh, he has Justin Jefferson there. They have a pretty good tight end. Offensive line gets Derrishall and O'Neal back. Uh we'll see about the running game because um the running back may get suspended there.

SPEAKER_00 48:55

Now will you go come back player of the year? Because I know you're gonna give it to Mahomes.

SPEAKER_01 48:59

I already gave it to Mahomes, but I think Murray's in strong contention there. I really do. I think he has a big year in terms of putting up yardage. And it he as long as he can see and have his passing length, he's gonna get that ball out of it. And you know, you have Addison, you have Jefferson, and they're excited to have a good quarterback there.

SPEAKER_00 49:18

Uh Newman says her Q has a crush on Herbert. Like now, I I don't. I I like her. Now, let me hold on a second because he some of the new guys haven't been with us over the last several years with the NFL stuff. Now, did I not have the run by Washington a couple years ago? Did I not call Denver, right? Making that run last year. If Knicks doesn't get hurt, they make the Super Bowl. I've I've always thought Herbert was, you know, the the Dan Fout of his time, especially with the Chargers. He's always putting up these gaudy numbers. They've had some tough luck. I think the kid's extremely talented. Um, I also think at times this team defensively had some lapses over the last several years. Like, these are not excuses. I I like the kid's game, but I've been critical of him. And I know he puts up a lot of yardage, no doubt. But I just believe at this point of his career, he's not a young kid anymore. Justin Herbert's 28. So as Lloyd mentioned, you've been in the league six, seven years. I believe this is going to be a seventh year. Let me see, one, two, three, four, five. Seven years. Like now, it's put up or shut up time. And I yeah, and and I believe that they have, you know, uh the the rosters construct it where I like the coaching staff. I do. I I talked about this when uh when when James Hasty was on and we were going through some of these teams. I look at the AFC West, I know they're confident where they can, they they know they can compete against the Denvers and the Kansas Cities of the world. So I don't have any issue there. It's all about winning your games in your division. And listen, they were the toast of the NFL at 7-3, and then they had the bad loss against Jacksonville. But this is a team that still won 11 games, and you didn't really get the best of Herbert uh late in the season because he was a little nicked up, he was a little banged up, but they ran the football a little more efficient. They've got some playmakers on the outside. Yeah, so I'm a little more higher on this team than others. Now, it bothers me that Slayton, their left tackle, is a little banged up, but I think they got some players that can get to the ball carrier, they can get to the quarterback. Uh, I like them coming out of the West. I'm not gonna tell you they can get home field advantage, but if they got home field advantage, I think they're gonna be a tough out. So that's kind of the rationale with the Chargers. And they've screwed me in the past.

SPEAKER_01 51:34

Yeah, and you're gonna lean on that veteran leadership in terms of Harbaugh's been there before and he's been to the Super Bowl with the Niners, and yeah, Mike McDaniel coming in. Uh, we didn't talk about that. He's supposed to improve that offense and get Herbert to cut down on his mistakes because that was the thing in that playoff loss. They just he just looked so bad against the Patriots 16-3. So a lot of people can't get past that. But the offensive line, you know, as long as you get Rashawn Slater back and you have Joe Alt there on the other side. I like their tight end and Ronde Gadson. Uh, but Herbert, it's all on him. You know, 0-3 in the playoffs throughout his career, he's got to step up. Just like we were talking about Lamar Jackson. You know, everybody always talks about them being elite. Well, they got to step up in the key moments. And and then the defense is built around around Henley in the middle, and then you have Derwin James on the back end. So they they have some playmakers on that defense as well. So it's gonna be interesting.

SPEAKER_00 52:32

Remember that wild card game, they were held to three points. He got sacked six times. They couldn't run the football. You know, they just yeah, they they they couldn't run the football. And I think it's gonna be a different story this year. You don't need him to sit back there and throw it 30 something odd times uh a game, but they should, you know, again, they got to open it up a little bit. I think they're they're gonna go running back by committee. We kind of know that. Uh, I don't know. I'm I'm gonna give them, like I said, sometimes you gotta give the benefit of the doubt. You have to, not contrarian, but sometimes you gotta roll the dice and see what you have. Um, I love this. Paul says Matt LaFleur gets fired, my bold prediction. I think if Washington really struggles, now I pulled this up. You and I both agree that um uh Dan Quinn is on the hot seat because he decided I gotta get rid of my coordinators, I'm bringing in my guys, and um, by the way, you guys can throw out any of your bold predictions or thoughts for the season. It's free-for-all uh Wednesday right now with a couple minutes, myself and Lloyd Vance. So I don't see Washington doing anything during the season. I went back and I pulled it up, and the last time Washington fired a coach mid-season in 2019, when you had Jay Gruden and Callahan. Prior to that, it was like 2000 with Terry Racinski, right? So uh it's it doesn't happen often. A lot of times the franchise has to be really in flux to just want to get rid of the head coach. But I believe because he decided to fire these coordinators, bringing his guys, just like Siriani, it's more of a bolt's eye on his back. And you're talking about a team, Lloyd, that goes 12 and 5 than 5 and 12. So it's gotta be like to me, he is definitely on the hot seat. I can see him getting fired. I think LaFleur is an interesting take as well. Uh, I do believe the Green Bay Packers take a step back, but let me get your thoughts on um uh Quinn in Washington.

SPEAKER_01 54:35

Yeah, yeah, and and you know, coaches on hot seat. You definitely got to look at Dan Quinn because that roster Adam Peters has put together is deficient. You know, you have Jaden Daniels there, but not much else. And I I see them losing a lot of games. As you said, the Bloom's off the road because they went to the NFC championship game, but that equity is long gone. So I I agree with you on him. I can't agree with you on Aaron Glenn, though. I think Aaron Glenn's probably gonna be the first coach fired. He's on a hot seat. And then our texture there, Matt LaFleur. Yeah, it's expectation level. And he's in a you got LaFleur and you got Zach Taylor. Two coaches have been there for a while, had some success, but they have never gotten over the hump. I think both of them are hot seat too.

SPEAKER_00 55:16

So let me let me go back to um Glenn for a second. Um I don't think he's a very good head coach. He should have been like, I always look at it like this. If you didn't coach him, if you didn't fire him last year when it got really, really bad, then that kind of tells me you're gonna give him a full season. Now, whether they decide to fire him after, if if they bench Gino, is it like a you bring Gino in like Pete Carroll brought him in with the Raiders and it blew up in their face and they had no offensive line and it cost Gino Smith his starting job and it cost Pete Carroll his coaching job, right, with the Raiders. I I I I don't know. I it's gotta get really bad. If they bench him and the kid Klubnik starts playing a little well, you know, plays well, and they win a couple ball games, uh does it buy him time? Who knows? I mean, if we believe that Miami, the Jets, Arizona, Tennessee are gonna be really bad teams, then you gotta start to look at the draft and you know the march for Arch and all this other conversation. So I'm not walking it back and I'm not pushing the goalpost back, but I think he should have I feel he should have been fired after last season. Okay, that's number one. If they're running it back with him and the expectation is Geno Smith is gonna give him 17 solid weeks, then you know what? That's just fool's goal, man. It ain't happening because we know at the end of the day what Geno Smith is and who he is, right? So you might be right, but I feel as though Quinn, because of the expectations and the talent level, and they took a step back, as crazy as it sounds, is more on the hot seat than Adam, uh Aaron Glenn is because the Jets don't have a ton of talent.

SPEAKER_01 57:02

And I think the big thing is you're gonna see the Jets get rid of Muji, the GM, uh Aaron Glenn. They're gonna get rid of a new quarterback, and they're gonna start anew. They're gonna draft one of these, you know, Dante Moore, Arch Manning, and they're gonna just be a whole new regime. I just can't see a young quarterback coming in and being with that head coach and that GM. They they've just had some mouthfeasts in terms of that roster, you know. The trades they've made have been terrible. They got rid of a few players they had, and then yeah, they've drafted some players, but you know, there's some question marks there. You're wondering, you know, are these guys gonna be healthy? Like Sadiq, I'd liked him coming out of Oregon, but he's already banged up in the offensive line, work in progress. So I think the Jets have a long season. Uh another coach, I'm I'm trying to think one other one.

SPEAKER_00 57:50

We talked about any of the first-year head coaches?

SPEAKER_01 57:55

Todd Monken. Todd Monk Todd Monken could be in trouble, you know, if they have the season that we're thinking already he's named Deshaun Watson at starter, and that and that's a mess.

SPEAKER_00 58:05

And and well, you know, but but hold on a second. You you know who whose decision that was.

SPEAKER_01 58:10

Yeah, and and Haslum just doesn't have no game plan. So I could see him saying, you know what, okay, let's change course and get rid of the head coach. You know, he was kind of a a second choice to begin with. So I think he's on uh chain steichen with the Indianapolis Colts. You have uh Carly, Ursay Gordon. You know, it it it's I I think she's gonna fire him. I I think in terms of that roster, they're gonna underachie. Daniel Jones is kind of probably gonna revert back to old form. He he's coming back from that injury. Taylor can only do so much for them, and and that defense is kind of patchwork. So I I think the Colts definitely are in a hot seat to GM and head coach.

SPEAKER_00 58:51

Uh DB says uh there's no way the Jets are gonna allow this current regime to handle those valuable, valuable picks. No, I tend to agree. I'm just saying that sometimes when you really are dogging a team prior to the season, uh sometimes they surprise a little bit. I'm not suggesting the Jets are going to do that. You know, Willie chimes in, how bad do you think the Cardinals are gonna be from a betting standpoint, Q? Should I lead them all season long? Are you asking me if the Cardinals are gonna go 0-17? It's very friggin' hard to lose every single game in the NFL. I I mean, can we both agree? Not a bold take, but they are going to be one of the worst teams in the NFL.

SPEAKER_01 59:32

Yeah, Mike LaFleur's coming in a tough situation there. I I don't think he has to worry about getting fired, but yeah, they're gonna be one to work.

SPEAKER_00 59:38

The schedule's brutal.

SPEAKER_01 59:40

Schedule's brutal, and and and then you have Sweat, and then you have Buder Baker, and you've got much else on that defense. And offensively, they Brissett put up some nice numbers, but those games are out of hand. And and yeah, Mike Wilson's a nice player, but kid Love. And and then you have Harrison, and Love's already banged up. So it that and the key obviously is that offensive line. They've just never been able to get that right. They have Paris, the big hit from Ohio State there, but not much else on that offensive line. So it's like, yeah, I think they're gonna be.

SPEAKER_00 1:00:11

I mean, I I I I've got something for you, and we'll talk more about this on Friday. But if you're looking for these trends, I don't see them being favored in one game. They open up, they they they open up on the road against the Chargers, not favored. Home against Seattle, they're not gonna be favored. On the road against San Fran, not gonna be favored. At the Giants, I I don't know. Yeah, Detroit, no. At the Rams, no. At home against Denver, on the road against I mean, think about this. This team won how many games? Look at this schedule. The Chargers, Seattle, lost, lost. San Fran lost. The Giants, who the hell knows? Detroit lost, Rams lost, Denver lost, Dallas lost, Seattle lost, Rams lost, KC lost. Maybe they get a win against Washington, maybe they get a win against the Jets, but man, brutal.

SPEAKER_01 1:01:04

We'll see. But crazy things happen. I mean, look at last year. It was Cardinals against Tennessee. And they had that game one, you know, and D Marcado fumbles a ball, you know, throws a ball behind him at the goal line and that crazy interception, kicked the ball in the end zone touchdown. So teams find a way to win one game. I don't think there'll be like the Detroit, you know, way back in what was that, 08, where they went to 16.

SPEAKER_00 1:01:28

Yeah, like Paul's saying, I mean, Jacoby's a he's a he's a veteran's. It's I think it's very hard to go winless in the NFL. I I just, and you know this, right? We know about the whole tanking and everything, but it's different. I this is why when I have these former players come on, they say, man, it's still livelihood. There's a difference between tanking and making business decisions.

SPEAKER_01 1:01:50

Right. And the guys out there, they're playing for pride. You know, that they're gonna play hard, you know. And as you said, they're professionals, they're getting paid, and they want the tape to show that they can play and they want to compete. So yeah, I don't believe there's tank in the NFL.

SPEAKER_00 1:02:05

Uh MVP, you're looking at Lamar Jackson, Matthew Stafford, Goff, Williams, uh, Josh Allen.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:14

MVP, I'm gonna go Josh Allen, which is the bounce back. It gets it, you know. I talked earlier about them making it finally to Super Bowl, but he's gonna be in a mix. You got it, Lamar Jackson. I think he's gonna have a big year as they win that division. Uh he's gonna put up some stats with uh his new offense coordinator there, and he has some weapons. And and uh Puka Nakua, obviously, I think he's gonna put up some numbers, but it's it's a quarterback award. So, and then you have Herbert, I think, you know, I think he's gonna put up big numbers, Q, much like you this season. I think he's gonna throw for a lot of yards, get the ball out of his hands more quickly under in Mike McDonald's offense. And then Joe Burrow, I think he's gonna have some health. And he has Higgins, he has Chase, uh, who's coming back from injury, but I think he'll have all his weapons as he goes through the season, and he's gonna put up some big numbers too.

SPEAKER_00 1:03:04

All right, so let's reiterate for those that are just tuning in, Wednesday edition on Q, Rich Canyon is here, Lloyd Vance, host of Lloyd Vance's uh Insider Football SR1029 FM the game. So these were our for you guys just tuning in, so you can jot them down, you can hold us to it. So AFC East, Lloyd and I both like the Bills. We both believe the Pats missed the playoffs. AFC West, I have the Chargers winning the division, Denver being a playoff team.

SPEAKER_01 1:03:31

Lloyd, you have I have Kansas City winning the division, and then you have Denver and the Chargers as playoff teams.

SPEAKER_00 1:03:38

I have Kansas City missing the playoffs completely. AFC South, uh the Texans winning the division, Jacksonville making the playoffs.

SPEAKER_01 1:03:46

I have the Houston winning division, nobody else coming out of it.

SPEAKER_00 1:03:50

AFC North, I'm riding Lamar and Derrick Henry. The Ravens win the North, Cincinnati locks in a playoff spot.

SPEAKER_01 1:03:57

I agree. Lamar Jackson leads Baltimore to the win in that division, and then they have Cincinnati as a wild card.

SPEAKER_00 1:04:05

So the bold and the AFC for me is Chiefs missed the playoffs. I already told you Rogers doesn't last an entire season. He gets benched. Chargers over the Bills, me, AFC championship.

SPEAKER_01 1:04:16

Yeah, I have the Buffalo Bills over the Baltimore Ravens is one. It's to prove a game for both quarterbacks. It's gonna be fun to watch.

SPEAKER_00 1:04:25

All right. NFC North, Bears win a division, Lions make the playoffs.

SPEAKER_01 1:04:30

You have NFC North. I have the Lions winning that division as Dan Quinn has to come up there and they get back into the playoffs. And then you have Chicago making the playoffs as a wild card.

SPEAKER_00 1:04:44

All right, so you like the Lions and Campbell. All right, NFC South. My upset, bold prediction, Saints win a division, uh, not by much. Baker just got paid. Tampa Bay is going to be a wildcard team, and you have.

SPEAKER_01 1:04:57

Yeah, you have a bad division here. I'm gonna I'm just gonna go chalk from last year. I'll go Carolina. Barely squeaks out. They get the nine, they get the nine wins this year, though.

SPEAKER_00 1:05:06

So NFC West, Seattle wins division, Rams make the deeper playoff run.

SPEAKER_01 1:05:12

No, I go with the Rams. There's just too much talent there. And then I do think Seattle surprises some people because that defense they get back to the playoffs as a wild card.

SPEAKER_00 1:05:22

Oh no, I think the ram, I think Seattle gets bounced early in the playoffs, but I I think the Rams make the deeper run. But NFC East, bolt prediction, Dallas Cowboys, it pains me to say winner division. The Philadelphia Eagles, Lloyd Vance. You can tell this to all your family and friggin' fraud Eagle fans. Little rats that tune in, which I love. Tell him I said hello. The Philadelphia Eagles miss the playoffs.

SPEAKER_01 1:05:45

I'm sending them your number. They're gonna be texting you, all my relatives, you know. But I think I think the Eagles just have too much talent on paper not to win this division. It's gonna be close, though. I think the Dallas Cowboys are a close second and they. Or the wild card team out of that division. So I think the Eagles 11 wins, Dallas 10.

SPEAKER_00 1:06:07

All right. Bears over the Lions, NFC Championship. And I told you my super, my Super Bowl prediction, Chargers and the Bears, and the Chargers win it all.

SPEAKER_01 1:06:17

Yeah, I have the Rams over Chicago in NFC Championship. And then in the Super Bowl, you got the Rams versus Buffalo. And I just think the Rams, it's a storybook season. They win it in their home stadium in Sofa gone with the Rams here.

SPEAKER_00 1:06:34

By the way, I'll even give you the score because I do that. 34-31 Chargers late on a long field goal to shock the Chicago Bears in a high scoring affair, which I think in that game the Bears would be laying about three and a half. I'm really looking crystal ball. Michael says, guys, give us two teams that take a major step back. Well, if I got the Eagles missing the playoffs, I think that's one. And I don't know, like New England, Kansas City. The argument for Kansas City for me is order team, Mahomes coming off the injury. I don't know what you're gonna get from Kelsey. They had to obviously address the ground game. That's why they got Walker. The West is tougher. Then New England. Was last year an aberration? Was it based on the schedule? Because once they stepped up in weight in competition, especially in the Super Bowl, and look how they got through the playoffs, especially the AFC Championship game. Uh when they got to the Super Bowl, they got manhandled. Like the the issue I have with New England is this. Um I believe that their offensive line is not gonna hold up. And I think that's gonna be a major, major issue. And I don't know, look, you never wish injury, but I think Drake May is going to take a couple unnecessary hits. We saw what Seattle did in the Super Bowl. We saw how they exploited to tackle position. That's why I think New England takes that step back.

SPEAKER_01 1:08:01

Yeah, and it seems like taking a step back. I agree with you that New England takes a step back. Yeah, Trevion Henderson already banged up. Gonzalez got his contract, but in terms of that defense, there's still a lot of retreads on that defense. We'll see how much Bayard has left at his advanced age. And uh I think that the Jacksonville Jaguars, they take a step back because Trevor Lawrence, I think he just had a magic year last year, and he he's his turnovers are up, and and they lost some guys on that defense. Uh I I another team I see taking back is the Green Bay Packers, too. You know, I I just think that LaFor's message is waning on that team, and you have half lead that left. He's down in Miami, and and they lost John Eric Sullivan, the guy who is one of their high personnel guys, he's also in Miami. So I think Green Bay and the inconsistency of Jordan Love is going to shine through, and and you're you may some see some changes there too. So there are some of the teams I think are going to take a step back.

SPEAKER_00 1:08:59

Yeah, it's gonna be very interesting and fascinating to see. Obviously, everything um starts uh tonight. I mean, do you have a feel on tonight's game? I mean, again, I I'm not gonna sit here and say it's gonna be a repeat, right? Because uh offenses are somewhat behind uh the defenses when you open up a season, but A20 NBC Patriots on the road against Seattle, that lions drop. It was three and a half. Seattle's laying three.

SPEAKER_01 1:09:26

Yeah, they're laying three. I was back and forth on S one, but it it's the 12th man there in Seattle, and and I I think Darnold has something to prove, you know. Right. And the key thing obviously is for Abel's defense, are they gonna be able to get that pressure on Seattle? And can Seattle control the game tempo like they did in the Super Bowl by running the ball? Price is a little banged up. Expect a you know, we'll see George Malani and and uh Emmanuel Wilson will see what they can do. But they're they're gonna try to run the ball and then go play action to JSN and expect a big play from Rashid Shaheed tonight for Seattle. That may break this game open, but it should be a fun watch. I I think Seattle wins it by a field goal and it's a push situation. So uh expect AJ Brown to get his targets. I know some people were asking me about that. I expect he'll probably get a lot of targets going his way, at least seven of them, and and uh I they'll get the ball out of Drake May's hands kind of quickly. But I think that defense, you know, the other corner outside of Gonzalez, you can make plays on the other side against them.

SPEAKER_00 1:10:30

Yeah, that total is 44 and a half. Um, and obviously New England one uh 142 on the money line, Seattle Lane three. It's gonna be raucous. It's a Wednesday night kickoff, uh, which is crazy. And then tomorrow night, uh, you've got the game in um Melbourne, and the 49ers already banged up. The Rams are three and a half point favorite in that one. You know, the 49ers, for all the talent they have, it's just like I got killed for saying this two years ago, but we haven't even mentioned him. What about Shanahan? You know, we sit there and say he's a great coach, but what are the 49ers at the show for?

SPEAKER_01 1:11:10

Yeah, it York isn't enamored with the with Shanahan. You know, I I think he likes him as a coach. Now, John Lynch, the GM, may be on a hot seat there, Q, you know, because they they've had some areas or kind of division in terms of that roster. This week they lost one of their defensive ends, one of their tackles, the injury, defensive tackles, and and you're starting to wonder, do they have enough healthy bodies? You know, and and they're they're veteran team, and and you wonder if Kittle's going to be 100%, and then McCaffrey is over 30 now. And they're just a lot of question marks for the Niners. I expect the Rams to roll in this game. I expect the Rams to score a lot of points. I'll see a lot of Puka Nakua, a lot of Kyron Williams, and then that defense, obviously, with Miles Garrett. Uh, they'll line him up away from Trent Williams, and he'll probably wreck wreak havoc there.

SPEAKER_00 1:11:58

Yeah, no, no Donald, but Garrett's gonna go. Uh Paul says Sea Chickens 20 to 14, so he's definitely uh not only drilling uh the spread in that one, but the under. All right, brother. So week one is among us. I can't you know what's so crazy about the NFL season? We blink and you're five, six friggin' weeks in. It I mean, is it me or is it just as we get older, these days just go faster and the seasons, you know, you're four or five weeks in and you blink. I mean, I was just watching, you know, pre-season. I was watching all these recap games on the NFL network in June, July, and here we go.

SPEAKER_01 1:12:34

Yeah, I I I'm just so glad the real games are starting because those preseason games are brutal, especially that third one. And you know, nobody's playing, and it's a bunch of third four string guys that are going to get cut. And then yeah, and then once these weeks just start rolling, before you know it, you and I'll be talking about week five, you know what I mean?

SPEAKER_00 1:12:51

And and the line, yeah, week five and Halloween, and the Giants will be out of playoff contention.

SPEAKER_01 1:12:58

Have some faith, my man.

SPEAKER_00 1:12:59

No, not doing it. Well, I gotta I gotta now Friday when we do BYP edition of on Q and we do the lines. Um uh the Duke's coming back out for overinflated, underinflated. And um, yeah, we'll go from there. And I guess we'll fire off on TV 48 as well, SR 1029 FM the game, and we'll have a little fun with that. Um, all right, brother. So uh yeah, I know you're gonna be strapped in, you'll have your notes ready, you'll have your highlighters, you'll be locked in tonight. Little football, you and I will be texting each other left and right. You'll be texting me when Darnold throws his second pick of the first half. I know that for a fact, but um, you can catch. Now, are you gonna fire off live tonight?

SPEAKER_01 1:13:35

Uh I'm expecting to. I need to talk to our production team and make sure we're gonna get it done. But uh yeah, uh, hopefully we will and have some more uh football talk before the big game.

SPEAKER_00 1:13:45

All right, and don't forget you can catch Lloyd uh every uh Monday night, uh 8 to 9 on Lloyd Vance's Insider Football on Sports Radio 1029 FM The Game, part of the Coastal Sports Digital Network, joins me during the football season on Q as well as BRIP, co-host me with the Sports Bending Pod. All right, brother, football is back. I know we'll be texting each other later. Always appreciate you, my friend.

SPEAKER_01 1:14:07

All right, Q. Looking forward to it, and thanks for having me on.

SPEAKER_00 1:14:09

All right, there you have it. My guy, Lloyd Vance. This is our 18th year breaking down NFL games. Can you believe that? All right, got to start wrapping it up. Excellent stuff from you guys. Don't forget to give Lloyd a follow at Lloyd Vance. He's gonna join me on Friday. Uh BYP. We typically do that midweek, but since the schedule's been a little quirky, we're just gonna play it by ear. So you got Wednesday night football, Thursday night football. Hit the comments, like, comment, subscribe, back at it, Minana as well. Uh, we'll talk a little more W. We'll watch that game Hungary in USA. We'll get into a little more football. We'll recap this. I want to mix in a little um playoff baseball, which is right around the corner because we're in September, stretch run, pennant run. But appreciate you guys chiming in. You can connect with me at RichQ on Q X and I G and of course on the YouTube channel, powered by Fresh Roasted Coffee on Q20, BYP20. That'll get you involved. An hour plus in the books. You guys have a wonderful Wednesday edition. Always appreciate Lloyd jumping on board. Appreciate you guys chiming in. Back at him and Yana. You guys have a good Wednesday. Enjoy NFL kickoff tonight, Seattle and New England. Appreciate you guys mocking my bold predictions. We will keep them in writing so you guys can uh, as we like to say, bookmark the tape. We'll talk to you tomorrow. As always, it's a Wednesday edition of On Q. I'm Rich Kinonis. Be safe, be sound. Hasta luego Mandia.