The Counter: An NFL Podcast by For The Win

Five questions: How would you try to contain Ja'Marr Chase if you're the Rams? How would you try to stop Aaron Donald if you're the Bengals? What player that nobody is talking about will play a big role in this game? Which approach to team-building would you prefer to take: Rams or Bengals? Which one of these teams will ultimately make more Super Bowl appearances? Final predictions

Rundown! The Super Bowl matchup is set ... but it's been overshadowed  The Brian Flores lawsuit -- Of course the NFL had discriminated against Black coaches -- Of course the league will move to settle and make this story go away -- But will this ultimately change anything at all other than Brian Flores' future employment prospects? Tom Brady has retired -- He's bitter about *something* that went down in New England -- How will his legacy change in the coming years?The Super Bowl -- The Bengals are good AND lucky -- The Rams were built for this but ... is Matthew Stafford OK? -- Let us now praise Aaron Donald again and again and again -- How worrisome is Mahomes' second-half meltdown? Quick thoughts on new coaches -- Josh McDaniels to the Raiders -- Brian Daboll to the Giants -- The Vikings appear to favor Jim Harbaugh

Rundown: We're here: Championship Sunday Bengals-Chiefs -- Wow, Cincy's offense got good fast -- The magic of Joe Burrow -- Why they aren't using more blockers -- The Chiefs don't have answers in their secondary -- Nothing the Bengals do will matter if Mahomes plays like he did last weekend 49ers-Rams -- Two really smart coaches enter the game with very different QBs -- Jimmy G has been here before ... with mixed results -- Matthew Stafford has not ... but this is why he was brought here -- Man, these defensive lines are ferocious Coaching moves -- This Broncos hire makes sense if it helps with a certain QB -- This Bears hire makes sense if he knows a really, really good OC

Rundown: That was one of the best weekends of football we've ever gotten. Chiefs-Bills — Greatest game of all-time? — Yeah, let's change the OT rules — Is this who Josh Allen is now? Rams-Bucs — Guess that trade for Matthew Stafford paid off (so did the one for Von Miller) — Is Tom Brady actually done? 49ers-Packers — Bye for now, Throw Rogan. What's next for Aaron Rodgers? — How the 49ers did it: By realizing what they do best Bengals-Titans — The Titans were frauds, but it didn't help that Henry wasn't all the way back — The Bengals found a way despite not protecting Joe Burrow at all Coaching carousel — Sean Payton stepping down — Other rumors

Rundown: Wait, Mason Rudolph thinks he should be Steelers starter? On to the real football: Divisional Round breakdown -- Will the Titans be able to slow the Bengals' offense? How efficient will Tennessee's offense be with Derrick Henry back? --  How much success will the 49ers have running the ball and will Kyle Shanahan stick with it? -- Can Matthew Stafford disable whatever magic Tom Brady uses to win everything all the time? -- The Chiefs have no room for error against Josh Allen and the Bills A few coaching carousel thoughts 

Rundown: The hypocrisy of NFL's MLK messaging Was Wild Card Weekend truly bad? Breaking down each game: -- Wait, the Cowboys aren't going to fire Mike McCarthy after that? -- So long, Big Ben. You won't be missed. -- Are the Chiefs ALLLLL the way back? -- Bill Belichick did not, in fact, have any answer for Josh Allen -- Hey, good for you, Bengals.  -- The Bucs did what we expected them to do to the Eagles -- Why does Kliff Kingsbury get so much worse as the season goes on? -- The Rams are good enough to go far ... as long as Mathew Stafford can stay steady

Rundown: It's playoff time! Let's make some predictable predictions -- How will Bill Belichick try to contain Josh Allen? -- What's the key factor in Rams-Cardinals this time around? -- Tom Brady is about to ruin everything, isn't he? A look at the NFL coaching vacancies and who should fill them -- The Dolphins' baffling decision -- The Giants got it right, but the process is off -- Where do Vikings, Broncos, Raiders go from here? -- The Bears and Jags have what every coach should most want -- Give Jim Caldwell another shot, somebody MOCK DRAFT -- Let's take some wild guesses -- Four edge rushers lead a class without any standouts -- Figuring out which QBs will get most overhyped -- Players likely to deliver strong value later in the round

Run down: What we got wrong back in September ... -- The Bengals aren't awful (but still need to make some changes) -- The Eagles didn't tank (and maybe didn't need to after all) -- Urban Meyer flamed out as a human but ALSO couldn't coach at all -- The Texans didn't lose every game by 30 Week 18 picks against the spread -- The Chargers are in position to beat the Raiders for a playoff spot -- No, the Jaguars won't pull off the unthinkable -- How the 49ers' messy QB situation impacts the game against the Rams -- Will the Saints jump into a spot if San Fran falters?

Rundown: Four Verts! -- Tua is in limbo -- How De'Vondre Campbell got so much better (and will get paid) -- What's next for Jimmy G? (And why Trey Lance has earned his shot) -- The Falcons' plan may force them to trade away talent, again Let's talk about CTE and TBI and the way football damages players -- What we can learn from Casey FitzSimmons' story. Former Lions TE told us about his last concussion and the struggle of former players to find help. -- Why it's OK to talk about Antonio Brown and how football may have impacted his decision-making and impulse control That awful college football take from Kirk Herbstreit-- No, today's college athlete doesn't care less than previous generations

Rundown: We did it: Urban Meyer is gone -- What's next for the Jaguars? FOUR VERTS -- The Falcons are bad -- The Cardinals are probably still good, but should be embarrassed -- The Colts are very legit (but what if they need Wentz to win them a game?) -- John Harbaugh made the right call and John Harbaugh is a good coach Closing thoughts: There are a lot of strange Bowl sponsors. Chuck reads some of them.

Rundown: Week 14 gave us so many good games and storylines...but now Covid is looming -- again FOUR VERTS Let's look at the four teams already eliminated and what they need to do next -- Jags: Find a better coach, support the franchise QB -- Lions: Good culture in place, keep building roster talent -- Jets: It's probably too early to give up on the Saleh or Wilson, have faith -- Texans: ?????????????????? Games of the week and what we learned Rams-Cardinals: Aaron Donald remains great and the Rams are back Bucs-Bills: Sloppy play on both sides at times, but still two top teams 49ers-Bengals: Yes, San Francisco keeps figuring it out Cowboys-WFT: Why is Dallas' offensive not working? Browns-Ravens: Welp, everyone is hurt for Baltimore The big question-- If you could build your franchise around one QB, who would it be?

Rundown: A quick review of our latest NFL power rankings -- The top of the NFC is loaded -- The top of the AFC is ... confusing (which is fun!) -- Which middle-tier team has the best chance of making a miracle run? -- Which bottom-tier team has the best shot at making the playoffs next year? Picks against the spread for Week 14 -- How will the Ravens deal with *another* injury -- 49ers-Bengals basically a pick'em, go with the better coach -- Can the Bills recover against the Bucs (the weather should be better) -- A chance for the Cardinals to prove they deserve that No. 1 spot (Also, why we think the Rams will take another step forward soon)

Rundown: Football in the wind is not actually fun And that game was not Bill Belichick's masterpiece And that question about whether players were "embarrassed" was ... embarrassing FOUR VERTS COLUMN -- Stop with the Taysom Hill experiment already -- No, Gardner Minshew should not supplant Jalen Hurts -- The. Lions. Finally. WON. -- The Texans may never be good again College football bonus chat -- Maybe possibly Miami shouldn't be using pandemic profits for football Looking ahead to the AFC Playoff chase -- The Chiefs offense is unexpectedly a weak point -- Hey, Ravens: It's time to get Lamar Jackson a better offensive coordinator

Rundown: Four Verts column -- What's up with Baker Mayfield? -- The Colts have figured it out -- The Panthers have not, and seem unwilling to BONUS COLLEGE FOOTBALL COVERAGE -- We rant about slimy, hypocritical coaches The kickoff return is back, sort of! -- Kene Nwangwu is putting up insane numbers The playoff picture is *pure chaos* and that's great -- Most of the AFC is still alive -- The top of the NFC is fascinating 

Rundown: Four Verts column -- The unsung heroes of the NFL NFL playoff picture -- Chiefs making a push -- Look out, Bills -- Patriots back? -- Tampa Bay in a good spot -- Covid impact on Packers Looking ahead to Week 12 -- Can we ditch the Detroit on Thanksgiving tradition? -- Good luck, Ryan Tannehill -- End your weekend with Rams-Packers and Browns-Ravens Jason Garrett was never a good fit for the Giants Ranking the Top 5 QBs in the NFL Happy Thanksgiving

Rundown: The NFL continues to be as unpredictable as ever Let's give out some awards-- MVP to the guy who is actually Most Valuable -- Defensive player of the year is too easy this year -- So is comeback player of the year -- Tough picks from a good rookie crop -- A few of the most hilarious plays this season need attention too FOUR VERTS -- Did the Bucs get exposed? -- Stop rushing back from injury, Russel Wilson.  -- This Patriots defense is for real -- How bad can the Jets get? Week 11 picks against the spread

Rundown: Somebody please give Lamar Jackson a real offense to run The Panthers go crawling back to Cam Newton Odell Beckham lands with the Rams, because of course -- How will he fit? -- Does it really matter? Are Cam and Odell actually "bad teammates" or "divas" as they're so often portrayed? Week 10 picks against the spread -- Patriots D is good and Mac Jones is fine, but what's his ceiling? -- How the Steelers offense found its way (a little bit) -- How real is the Titans 7-2 record? -- The curse of being a Vikings fan -- Seahawks-Packers: The (possible) return of the QBs! -- It's time, Chiefs Closing it out: Picking the 7 AFC playoff teams 

Rundown! POWER RANKINGS -- Why we won't let a bizarre week have too much impact on our view of the league -- Rams lost, but still No. 1 overall -- Bills lost (to the JAGS!) and are still the top-rated AFC team -- The AFC North is ... really something -- At the midway point, the middle of the league is very difficult to figure out -- Three of the teams at the bottom of the league (probably) have a long-term answer at QB but the rest are in trouble FOUR VERTS -- Justin Fields is it. -- Get rid of taunting penalties. -- Lamar Jackson is Hercules. -- Sam Darnold is (still) not it.

Rundown: It's the 100th show and, uh, sure, we definitely remembered to invite Steven Ruiz back ahead of time Aaron Rodgers is weird and his pants are on fire -- His teammates will suffer from his lies -- Jordan Love is in an awful spot -- But let's root for chaos anyway The Browns thoroughly botched the Odell Beckham Jr. situation -- Is Baker actually freezing out OBJ, or is the simplest answer (that Baker is simply not great) the right answer? -- Where do they go from here? The Dolphins actually wanted to trade for a guy *only after he paid off 22 women.* That's terrible. Picks against the spread! -- What's up with the Cardinals-49ers spread? -- Carson Wentz is favored by 10.5? Bet, bet, bet, bet -- The ghosts are back, Sam Darnold

Rundown A weird week in a weird season -- The QB heroes were ... Mike White, Cooper Rush and Trevor Siemian? FOUR VERTS column -- A closer look at why Mike White was good for the Jets -- Why has the Chargers offense stalled? -- The Dolphins should sell, not trade for Deshaun Watson -- The NFC West is led by two teams that were put together by Madden GMs Week 8 review -- One of those weeks where most of it didn't really tell us much -- Big win for the Saints, but they lost Jameis Winston. Who's next? -- Big win for the Titans, but they lost Derrick Henry. Can whoever's next come close to replacing him? -- Justin Fields is going to be very, very good ... if Matt Nagy lets him be. -- The Bills are a Super Bowl favorite and still haven't come anywhere near putting it together -- The Cardinals should be fine

Rundown: We're back after a short break, and we missed a lot FOUR VERTS column -- Kyle Pitts is the whole and entire truth -- Seriously, 49ers, start Trey Lance -- What's actually wrong with the Chiefs -- Why we love Dan Campbell and the Detroit Lions Let's talk about the Jon Gruden story, and all the ways the NFL is avoiding reckoning with its real problems Let's also talk about the absurd Deshaun Watson trade rumors and all the ways the NFL refuses to even pretend to do the right thing Week 9 picks against the spread! -- Can the Lions get their first win? -- Colts and Titans in a clash of ... AFC South rivals -- Charles immediately regrets his spicy MNF pick

Rundown: Justin Fields is QB1. Finally. What to make of the Stephon Gilmore trade Thursday Night Football is worth watching! -- Can Seattle's defense possibly slow the Rams? Picks against the spread and analysis of every Week 5 game -- How bothered is Baker Mayfield by a left shoulder injury? -- How distracting was Urban Meyer's distraction? -- When will Kyle Shanahan design a scheme around Trey Lance? -- Is this the week the Chiefs figure it out?

Rundown: Week 4 was fun! Unless you were a Jaguars fan -- Urban Meyer does what Urban Meyer does -- Why would the Jaguars not move on now? FOUR VERTS -- The Texans' futile offensive effort -- In praise of Cordarrelle Patterson -- The rookie QBs are growing up Week 4 in review -- The Chargers won because their QB could throw it everywhere -- Was Mac Jones actually good against the Bucs? -- Was it wrong for the Ravens to run on the last play? -- Give us all the NFC West games -- Daniel Jones is ... uhh ... maybe ... good ... now? -- Dak is most definitely very very good Super Bowl contenders -- Three teams from each conference with the best chance of making it to the big game 

Rundown: Week 4 should be great Is Shady McCoy a Hall of Famer? Apparently Tom Brady is going back to New England. Who knew? Jonathan Jones of CBS joins the show -- How motivated is Tom Brady? -- Has the Brady v. Belichick debate been settled? --Are the Panthers contenders? --Which NFL team has the worst ~vibe~? --Should Chiefs fans be worried? Picks against the spread -- We'll learn a lot about the NFC West this weekend -- Denver's defense can find a way to stop Lamar (maybe) -- Justin Herbert's arm talent gives Chargers edge v. Raiders

Rundown: It's starting to feel like we know which teams are for real FOUR VERTS-- Ben Roehtlisberger should retire right this second -- Matt Nagy should design a real gameplan for Justin Fields -- The Panthers defense is so much fun -- The Raiders might actually be for real this time around Reviewing what we learned from each Week 3 game (except Falcons-Giants, come on now) -- How worried should Chiefs fans be? -- Urban Meyer truly appears to have no clue -- Matthew Stafford! -- The Lions are doing their rebuild correctly -- The Jets are not

Rundown: Some guy named Steven Ruiz drops by. He apparently writes for The Ringer. Lamar finally beat Mahomes. How'd he do it? -- Is Greg Roman actually doing a good job? -- How much better can the Ravens offense get? -- Is the Ravens defense good enough? Justin Fields will finally start! -- Why has Matt Nagy been so reticent? -- Is Fields being put in a position to succeed with this scheme? Picks against the spread with analysis of every Week 3 game

Rundown Week 2 quick reactions -- How the Browns offense found another level -- Kyler Murray is controlling the chaos he creates -- Keep chucking, Trevor Lawrence -- Which 0-2 team has the best chance at making the playoffs? Reviewing every Week 2 game and what we learned Power Rankings: Who comes in after the Bucs, Rams and Chiefs?

Rundown!Looking ahead to Week 2What storylines are you most interested in?Derrik Klassen of Football Outsiders and Bleacher Report joins the show-- Evaluating the play of each Rookie QB so far Trevor Lawrence's mistakes were a result of him being aggressive ... and that's good Justin Fields needs to play. That is all. Trey Lance needs more time and has a coach who can make it work Zach Wilson's explosiveness is a promising sign Mac Jones is Mac Jones and, hey, why don't we just root for him? Picks against the spread, with Tipico odds

Rundown! Week 1: What did we really learn? FOUR VERTS -- The Falcons are very bad -- It's time, Bears: Play Justin Fields -- The Giants are headed for ruin -- Chandler Jones was unstoppableAround the NFL -- Are we worried about the Ravens? -- Both the Chiefs and the Browns looked very legit -- So, wait: Jameis Winston is careful and efficient now? -- Mac Jones looked good. Zach Wilson looked valiant but overwhelmed. Trevor Lawrence didn't get enough help. Trey Lance has the *one* coach who can get away with a 2-QB system. -- The Steelers beat the Bills using a perfect Mike Tomlin gameplan -- Russ is still Russ. Wentz is still Wentz. That's good for Seattle. And very bad for Indy. -- Justin Herbert is ridiculous -- Dak really is back Closing thoughts -- Which team's Week 1 performance was a fluke? -- Which team showed in Week 1 that it won't live up to the hype?

Justis Mosqueda joins the show to kick off Season 2 and preview the NFL season Biggest storyline in -- and who we think will win -- each division Predictions! First coach fired Best rookie QB Breakout player MVP Super Bowl matchup and winner Twitter mailbag

Rundown: It's Steven's last show. Bye, Steven. But first: We discuss the must-read SI story from Jenny Vrentas on how the NFL is handling the Deshaun Watson situation -- Is the NFL really trying to get to the truth? -- Why is the league going so far to protect Watson? -- The league's 'journalists' are doing PR Steven ranks his worst all-time takes -- Giving the Chiefs a C- for drafting Mahomes isn't even the worst one Seth Galina of PFF drops by -- On bad draft takes -- On Taysom v. Jameis -- On getting stood up thanks to a dog in Kentucky

Rundown:  Mike Golic Jr. joins the show! Sorry, but Charles can't let go of Julio Jones As an outside viewer, what's your assessment of the trade and how the Falcons have handled this offseason? Should fans still believe they can make the playoffs? Is it too soon to have pitchforks and torches over this new regime? Reviewing a few linemen from the draft --Aaron Banks, Notre Dame/San Francisco 49ers Golic Jr. gives the scoop on a fellow Fighting Irish --Penei Sewell, Oregon/Detroit Lions He recently said that moving from the left side to the right side has been a tough challenge for him, why is that? -- Rashawn Slater, Northwestern/Los Angeles Chargers Any concerns that he doesn't have prototypical size for left tackle? Also, general thoughts on what the Chargers have done along the offensive line this year? Burning Questions facing six NFL teams this season Buffalo Bills: Can Josh Allen avoid statistical regression? Cleveland Browns: How good is Baker Mayfield? Jacksonville Jaguars: Will Urban Meyer work at the NFL level? Chicago Bears: Can Justin Fields be good enough to save jobs?Arizona Cardinals: Is this the year Kliff Kingsbury finally shows that he is in fact an offensive genius? Detroit Lions: Can this look like a respectable football team in year one? Mailbag!From liz a bayley, logan paul, taylor and dana fan (@freedompimp2012): Why do they call it oven when you of in the cold food of out hot eat the food?From Mike Zordan (@mdzordan): What's it like to be one of the few people on Earth to successfully block Aaron Donald?From Damaged Goods (@CagedMusings): When's the last time Gojo had to tap out from eating because it was just too much food?From charles (crying online) mcdonald (@FourVerts): Thoughts on the first episode of Loki? What's some other stuff you've enjoyed watching while sitting inside over the past year? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’ve got a BIG episode this week on The Counter as Chris Vasseur, or Coach Vass as he’s more commonly referred to, joins us to talk about the emergence of Brandon Staley but not before Charles McDonald returns from vacation to skewer the Falcons over the Julio Jones situation. The chat with Vass hit on a bunch of topics, including…   - What makes Staley’s scheme special and how much of a role talent played in the Rams success - How NFL offenses could combat what Staley did if it does spread throughout the league - Why college defenses can be more complicated than pro defenses - What makes Bill Belichick so good at crafting game plans - The state of football media and how the discourse has evolved over the last few years - And much more! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Charles McDonald and Chris Korman are out, so Pro Football Focus' Seth Galina joins Steven Ruiz to discuss a wide range of topics, including... The future of RPOs in the NFL Why Kliff Kingsbury has been a disappointment Can the Giants get the best out of Daniel Jones? The Ravens gave Lamar some weapons, will it help? Plus some talk on QB evaluation Next week: Coach Vass joins us to talk about Brandon Staley's rise as a coaching star. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rundown! The schedule's out, and we know when Brady v. Belichick is Let's talk about Kyle Pitts -- What changes should Arthur Smith make? -- No defense should be able to stop Jones, Ridley AND Pitts -- But are the Falcons a playoff team now? -- How will the Pitts selection look in the long run? Interview with Gotham Chopra from Religion of Sports -- His reflections on Tom Brady's latest Super Bowl and why it meant so much to him -- An update on the 10-part Brady documentary "Man in the Arena" -- Gotham reflects on the Crushed podcast, covering the 1998 home run chase -- Upcoming projects: The "Lost in Sports" podcast and "Simone vs. Herself," a docuseries covering Simone Biles in the lead up to the Olympics Next week: What makes Brandon Staley's defense so special? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rundown: The NFL Draft is over, and we graded every team's class -- The Texans botched it -- The Ravens and Panthers got it (mostly) right Which teams had the best offseason overall? Which had the worst? Checking in with Justis Mosqueda (@JuMosq) -- When did the Aaron Rodgers/Packers relationship break? -- Who is actually at fault here? -- Can Jordan Love really replace Rodgers? -- How will this eventually play out and does it involve Jeopardy? -- Why Mike Tomlin doesn't get enough appreciation -- Justis reads from his Book of Takes Looking ahead to the offseason See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rundown! Aaron Rodgers wants out (of course) The Packers are going to mess this up (of course) Why did this draft go ... pretty much as we expected it to go? Grades: High marks for the Jaguars and 49ers Patriots, Bengals and Jets struggle a bit -- Can Bill Belichick actually make Mac Jones an NFL QB? The Bears(!) did a thing!  -- Do they have the supporting cast to help Justin Fields succeed Best players still available Teams we're most excited to see next year See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rundown! The draft is finally here, so let's do a mock draft The real intrigue begins at No. 3 -- Why the 49ers should not pick Mac Jones Atlanta has a decision to make at No. 4 -- The Falcons will need a rebuild. But when does it start? The Broncos get (another) QB (but this one might be good! Bill Belichick finds a punishing linebacker The Football team selects a QB of the future, too Programming update: Friday's edition of The Counter will be live streamed. Join us! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rundown: One week until the draft, and the smoke is thick Is the NFL's new number rule a trick? Derrik Klassen of Football Outsiders and NBC Sports joins the show -- The process of creating Quantifying Quarterbacks, an invaluable guide -- Wait ... these numbers say Justin Fields might be the best QB? Can it be true? -- The biggest surprise from watching ALL the film this year -- Is the Zach Wilson hype justified? -- Almost none of the things people are saying make Mac Jones special actually show up on film -- Why Trey Lance's upside justifies an early selection -- Ranking this year's QBs See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rundown: The Philadelphia Eagles are a complete mess -- The Athletic exposes an over-zealous owner and power-hungry GM -- What we learned about Carson Wentz -- But wait: The Eagles won a Super Bowl. What does that tell us? NFL players are skipping voluntary workouts. Good. How will Jadeveon Clowny fit with the Browns? DRAFT PREVIEW Ranking the WRs -- Why DeVonta Smith and Jaylen Waddle stand out -- Ja'Marr Chase isn't a sure thing because his style might not translate -- Rashod Batemen plays big and should thrive -- Three "small" receivers and how they'll fit in the NFL A look at the uninspiring defensive line prospects See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Run down: Let's stop talking as if Deshaun Watson is going to play football any time soon Former Patriots, Lions and Jets lineman Damien Woody joins the show -- Was he surprised by the Sam Darnold trade? -- Why he thinks Sam Darnold has a chance to be good for the Panthers. -- What should be realistic expectations for Zach Wilson in year one? -- His thoughts on how good Mekhi Becton be in Mike LaFleur’s scheme -- Plus fan questions about his welcome to the league moment, his favorite player to try to block and which Super Bowl host city was most fun Steven takes a look at the numbers to explain why he's NOT optimistic about Darnold's future in Carolina Charles breaks down why the Bengals should opt for a lineman instead of a wide receiver if the goal is to help Joe Burrow See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Counter returns after a week off. Chris Korman was out and we had Richard Johnson, of the Split Zone Duo Podcast and SEC Network’s ‘Thinking Out Loud,’ on to talk about his Jaguars and Trevor Lawrence's imminent arrival.   On the episode, we cover… How Jaguars fans are feeling knowing they have a legit generational QB prospect coming to town? How long will it take for Urban Meyer and Lawrence to turn the Jaguars around? Should the Jaguars be considering any of the other top QB prospects with the No. 1 pick?  Plus mailbag questions, including which NFL head coach is most likely to get a boat stuck in the Suez Canal and how many Houston Texans can we name?  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rundown! It's a New League Year, get excited Free agency analysis -- It's been sort of a dud, but we expected that -- Still, there've been some winners (Cam) and losers (Da Bears) -- Good work Jets!  -- The Raiders, Bengals and all NFC North teams except the Packers seem lost -- The best remaining players, and which teams should sign them Reviewing the QB situations around the league -- Why The Washington Football Team chose FitzMagic -- What Matt Ryan's contract re-structure means for the Falcons (and the draft) -- How far will the Saints fall? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Good work, Dak It's time for NFL free agency, try to contain your excitement Get rid of the franchise tag! Ranking the best remaining free agents Pairing up one free agent with each NFL team Special Guest: Bryce Rossler, Sports Info Solutions-- Why the latest SIS Football Rookie Handbook is an indispensable guide for studying college prospects -- How a pandemic season led to the Total Points Rate stat, and what it can teach us -- Scouting Clemson RB Travis Etienne and Miami DE Gregory Rousseau -- The numbers vs. film debate! -- Discussing a few players whose film and stats told different stories See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Here's the rundown: J.J. Watt has joined the Cardinals, but why? How Watt will fit, and are the Cardinals now legit The Bills have proposed not letting assistants interview for head coaching jobs until after the conference championships -- Why it won't work -- Why it won't pass -- Why it wouldn't help minority coaches get fair treatment POWER RANKINGS -- Taking a look at the league based on which teams are in the best position to *get better* over the next few weeks -- We looked at cap space + draft assets + current roster and found .. -- Oof, the Eagles -- The Giants, Bears and Lions need to embrace the rebuild -- What are the Steelers and Saints going to do about their aging QBs? -- Justin Herbert and Joe Burrow need to be protected -- Do it, Dolphins. Get Deshaun Watson. -- The Bucs remain No. 1. Why, football gods, why? Bryce Rossler of Sports Info Solution will join us next week to look ahead free agency and the draft See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Rundown: When/how the drama started How Pete Carroll empowered Wilson, which led to the dispute What’s Wilson’s end game? Predictions on how this all ends See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Here's the rundown! Seth Galina of Pro Football Focus is a guest host with Korman out. He comes on to talk about some of the more divisive QB prospects in the 2021 Draft. First we preview some of the defensive free agents --Breaking down the safety class, including Anthony Harris, Justin Simmons, Marcus Maye and Marcus Williams --A look at the available edge rushers, including Carl Lawson, Shaw Barrett, J.J. Watt and Jadeveon Clowney. Draft QB prospects --Why Mac Jones isn’t going to excite anyone as a first-round pick --Some talk on how QBs are developed and why they need mobility now --Are the Justin Fields criticisms valid? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rundown: Remembering Terez Paylor Catching up on the news -- Carson Wentz trade coming soon? -- Vincent Jackson's tragic death and that important Ryan Leaf video -- JJ Watt released, where to next? Timeline for the offseason --Franchise tags: Dak Prescott? Allen Robinson? --Tampering period March 15-17 --New league year starts March 17 -- Draft set to begin April 29 A quick review of the offensive free agents Three teams that have the money to rebuild on offense, and who they should sign -- Jaguars -- Jets -- Patriots See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rundown! Tom Brady has won another Super Bowl -- How much does this add to his legacy? What happened to Patrick Mahomes? -- Chiefs offensive line injuries mattered a lot -- Was he, in fact, "good"? How did the Chiefs take away Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill? -- Physicality gave Kelce difficulty Let’s give Byron Leftwich some long-overdue credit -- Todd Bowles had a great plan, as well What does this all mean for the Chiefs moving forward? -- Is Kansas City actually a well-constructed football team? Early favorites for next year’s Super Bowl? -- Bucs have a few key free agents but plenty of cap space-- Chiefs face more difficult situation See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rundown! Understanding the Chiefs and Bucs with the help of two of the smartest analysts out there Nate Tice, The Athletic -- Overview of each team's approach on offense -- If the Chiefs are the Warriors, who is Steph Curry? -- How much has Tom Brady changed Tampa's offense? -- Should the Chiefs even bother to try to run the ball? -- How concerning are the Chiefs injuries on the offensive line -- Prediction! Diante Lee, Pro Football Focus -- Tampa Bay plays defense the way your dad might remember -- The Chiefs have a much more modern approach -- What, if anything, can the Bucs do differently than when Mahomes roasted them in Week 12? -- Seriously, is there anything, at all, that anybody can do to slow Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce at the same time? -- Why Andy Reid found the perfect defensive coordinator for his style -- The Bucs do have one opening for an upset: Pressure without blitzing -- Prediction! Our closing thoughts -- It's been a weird, stressful season. But we get to watch Patrick Mahomes again. So that's great.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rundown!It's Super Bowl 55 week, but it feels very differentThe Rams are going for it. The Lions are going with Goff. Our thoughts.-- How much better will the Rams be?-- What's next for the Lions?Breaking down the big game with The Nerds Namita Nandakumar, Seattle Kraken Analyst (formerly of the Philadelphia Eagles) -- What she learned while researching her 538 story on how defensive tendencies impact offensive play-calls -- What that means for the Chiefs and Buccaneers -- Does Patrick Mahomes break some statistical models? -- How big is the gap between the NFL's data and what's publicly available? -- Have we maxed out on broad observations based on the info we have? Keegan Abdoo, Next Gen Stats Analyst -- Have the Bucs made it easier on Tom Brady in the latter part of the season? -- Is Brady playing significantly better now than he was earlier in the season? -- Are the Chiefs more aggressive with blitzes early in the game than later, and what does that mean? -- It seems like Kansas City uses a fair percentage of disguised coverages. Does the data show that to be true, and how has Brady dealt with them this year? -- What observations stuck with you as you prepared the report on this game? Preview of Thursday's show -- Looking at film with Nate Tice and Diante Lee See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.