Power Hour 2: Ranking Every NFL Team with Chris Long

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0:34Welcome back to the Minikaim show. Power rankings edition. Power hour is what I call it. This is the second installment. The first was with Ryan Clark. We took a brief break to do a podcast with Dan Orlovsky last week, but now we are back with the one and only Greenlight podcast host, former NFL player, Chris Long. Chris, are you ready to rank some teams? Yeah, Mina. Full disclosure, I thought, as you know, we were ranking defenses, but I'm going to give it a whirl. I know the defense is very well and you know, offense is always on TV. So we'll make this work. I like an off. I like a defensive skew though, because I feel like teams with good offenses get ranked all because we just favor offense so much.

1:16Yeah. Number one in the power rankings, Denver Broncos. Do you, I had the Broncos as my number one defense of 2025 and I got a little bit of heat for that. Do you agree disagree before we get going who cares about heat first off like let's act like any of this stuff stays the way it is like month to month week to week and um you know it's hard when your takes actually recorded on camera i'd like to pull some of these these people who are giving you heat i'd like to pull their takes up their timelines um september we'll see how it ages i don't know i pretty good about it um so i like what the way we do this is i throw out two teams and basically you just tell me which one you think is gonna be better it's super easy and then tell me why so in some ways you don't like we kind of take the heat off of either of each other because i can say well i didn't pick them but then you didn't pick the two teams so i'm giving you the framework first uh i'm gonna mix up a few of the teams some of the rankings i did with ryan just to keep it interesting and you know i've just been giving it soft but i'm not going to mix up the first two teams i'm giving you to choose between and that i got one the afc one the nfc for the number one spot in the nfl are you taking the philadelphia eagles or the baltimore ravens oh you know um

2:39gosh i'm gonna take the eagles they have more proven playoff success man like when when all things are close um and they are like listen lamar was fantastic i know hertz has the um has the super bowl trophies but i'm not going to do the thing where as a homer i say hertz is better than lamar lamar was arguably the mvp last year right and um you know some additions in the secondary i'm pretty excited about uh what's the kid stark's name from georgia yeah um you know oa quietly had double digits last year i think they're gonna be tough to run the ball on you I'm a defensive guy and I prepped for defense.

3:13I also want to say this. The Derrick Henry, hey, this guy's going to get the ball a million times a year, year over year over year, and never slow down thing. I'm not betting on it slowing down, but I do feel like the Eagles, they deserve that number one spot over the Ravens. Okay. Again, I'm going to do the same choice that I gave Ryan. Ravens versus Chiefs for the two spot.

3:42I'll go Ravens. Okay. Now, I want to say this, just going back for a second. The reason I have belief that the Eagles are going to actually be able to replace some of the guys they lost defensively is because the corner play, man. The corner play, we'll see what happens at that third spot. But, you know, the two guys that they drafted, they're going to make things very easy. And having Jalen Carter and two really good corners outside, like, that's a winning combination in the NFL defensively. And Fangio can coach them up. All right, so I'm going to take the Ravens over the Chiefs. It's kind of interesting, just to keep it on defense for a second, that the top two teams, the Eagles and the Ravens, so when we did the defenses pod, they were both top four defenses, right?

4:21Got it. And neither have elite edge rushers, I would say. And this is, of course, a question – I think it's been a question with the Baltimore for a few years now. It's a question for Eagles, especially with, obviously, Josh Sweat moving on. But it doesn't seem to matter. and they do play. It's not – there are some similarities between their defenses. Do you feel like they're just – it's just that their rosters are more complete than everyone, or do you think maybe having, like, really, really good defensive tackles might just be more valuable for them? For the Eagles? For both teams, honestly.

4:55Well, I would just say – well, yeah, having no edge rush, I mean, or less edge rush in a team with, like, hey, you look at the Pittsburgh Steelers. They have maybe one of the best duos in the league, and they've had it for a couple years now in Watt and Highsmith. And, you know, but if the coverage isn't right outside, it doesn't matter. I think coverage can make rushers more than rushers can make the back end go. I really do like, and I'm a rusher. I should be saying, hey, our value's, you know, that much more. But I really do believe, like, having the scheme framework that Fangio has and the insertion of Cooper DeGene last year made a defense who, in the Atlanta game, Kirk Cousins is marching up down the field early in the season.

5:36and people are saying, where is the pass rush, right? Yeah. Me included, I was like, is this group going to have trouble getting the quarterback? You know, and it just goes to show you that the guys in D-line room are going to hunt. It just depends on what's going on behind you and being able to just make that one little tinker. And having dominant defensive tackles, you mentioned it, like it's such an edge-centric game. We're always talking about edge players and that sort of thing. But having one of those dudes inside can make everybody around you go. And I also think like all the Eagles need to do, for instance, is and listen, I was part of a Super Bowl team in New England.

6:12We didn't have a lot of great edge rushers on that team. It was like, you know, they let Chandler Jones go the year before. It was like me, Jabal Shear, Rob Ninkovich. Like it was a platoon unit. You know, it was like a bunch of good players, vets and that sort of thing. Like the Eagles can make hay with whoever. I really believe that because of the coverage of the guy inside. And all they need is like one of three of their new additions to hit. They survived the Bryce Huff issue last year. You know, if you just said, hey, Bryce Huff was going to be like just a strikeout and they're still going to be dominant.

6:44Yeah. Yeah. No, we're going to talk about the Eagles defensive. I'm doing NFC East this week, so we're going to get into Joma. I think I'm saying his name right now. Hunt, Nolan. And it's a good group. It's an exciting group. Okay. So sticking with the theme of not – actually, none of my top four teams have dominant edges. uh number three the Chiefs are still on the board I guess Chris Jones technically like is like a part-time edge for them now but um okay so we're gonna sorry I know I said I was gonna mix it up I promise I will but I'm still sticking it's just the top is so top-heavy in the NFL right now Chiefs

7:29bills man I'm really afraid the Chiefs are going to figure it out again a little bit this year and like get on the get back on the right track um they've kind of done everything they've done over the last two years a left-handed whether it was like people dropping passes or you know not being able to protect last year just kind of inching by and then Dan broke in the Super Bowl I worry that they're going to get their feet under them it's very close for me but I have to give it to the Chiefs because of what I just did to the Ravens now the Bills have had a lot of playoff success but not against that team therefore it would be disrespectful to put the Bills ahead of the Chiefs talk to me week five of the season I might tell you the Bills are going to the Super bowl.

8:12It's just going to depend on the vibe at that point. But on paper, you got to give it to the Chiefs. I feel like the Chiefs have also learned, earned the benefit of the regular season doesn't matter as much, like even if they're struggling in the first few weeks. Okay. Bills, Lions for the four spot. Bills. And I love the Lions, you know, replacing a center, a great center is a big deal um we'll see how that that works out um listen they played really admirably with a lot of guys banged up last year i thought that was great but you've got two coordinators you have to replace now i know they're not looking at it personally as like full-on scheme you know reshuffling because you know dan has a program in place but that's that's a tall task and yeah i just josh allen or jared goff Josh Allen but not just Josh Allen right the run game the offensive line those offensive line is like one of the most slept on I mean it's not slept on but yeah dominant group I like that they added the defense get some players back no question but you know like Lions fans will say hey we're gonna have a hell of a defense the Bills end the season with just a terrible showing outside and that that's another reason defensively where you know it's easy to boil these Chiefs Bills matchups down to just the quarterbacks.

9:35And again, here I am flip-flopping on this thing, but you know, that defense that the chiefs were playing against that in that final game, I mean, it was Swiss cheese. Elam was out there. It was a struggle. So they got to get that under control, right? I mean, they've made efforts to get that under control. They addressed that in the draft. Lions also have a fantastic run game. But, but I just think Ty goes to the quarterback. it's fair okay so i'm this is where i'm finally making a change from last time i'm going to boost up a team that i had a little bit lower the lions versus the team that knocked them out of the playoffs the washington commanders who's better i think the commanders are going to be pretty good are you taking them i'll take them wow okay you're not worried about the pass rush since we're taking a little bit of defensive focus because i'm worried about the pass rush i mean their pass rush wasn't star-studded last year don't you wish though they just got out and added one edge oh i would have loved it i would have loved it but they made they made hate with those guys last year i mean like um before the season if you'd have told me that that they were going to get production out of some of the guys that just kind of popped up and played well for him.

10:55I say this like, hey, the regular season, you might look up at me week 10 and say, the Lions are clearly better than the commanders, right? Like you're going to say, if anybody cares enough about what I had to say on this list, like months from now. But when you get into the playoffs, who's got the better quarterback? The teams are not, you know, they're not that different. You know, I think the commanders are going to be, on paper at least better than they were this year um you could look at the sophomore slump thing you'd say hey is cliff really gonna call a complete season two years in a row like i don't know but the quarterback's pretty damn good yeah i mean i was just actually looking at the my notes from the game and they lost and you know the whole lions defense was injured but even all year and this is their tendency one of the blitz heaviest defenses in football and it was literally i mean just jane daniels it's crazy how in just as a rookie he became one of those unblitzable dudes and he shredded he i mean they split listen 55 of the time and he just absolutely destroyed it i feel like for them to have a chance against him in particular they have to be able to get pressure with four this year no question no question i i just i look at that kid and i think he's on a on a star trajectory i mean it's like it's a beaten it's a well-beaten path at this point to give that take.

12:16But I mean, you could see it pretty early last year and to see him go into the playoffs and perform like he did. Listen, they go to they go to Philly and that team was just like a tidal wave. They were just too much. That team was just too good. Right. Like the barometer for where the commanders are. I mean, it's definitely relevant how they play in division, but it's not how the game against maybe one of the best Super Bowl teams of this century looked against them in the final game. Okay, so we still got the Lions on the board. This is our top five. I am once again, I got a lot of heat for bringing up, for putting this team high.

12:53I don't care. I still believe in them. Packers. I'm going Lions-Packers. Gosh, I believe in them too. But the quarterback, quarterback's got to play better at the end of the season. Out of respect for the Lions, I've got to give the Lions the nod. I've jumped out of the gym for the Packers. I think they're a good team. And, you know, like, hey, if we get a couple weeks in the season, I might think differently. I just – they haven't shown me enough in that spot. They really haven't. And the Lions have. Every time they play the Packers, they step up. And if it comes down to division, home games, that sort of thing, like, you know, unless you're hosting in January in Lambeau, I like the Lions.

13:38now we go on two teams that i feel like i always end up pairing because i kind of view them as the afc nfc version of each other packers against the texans for seven texans oh okay i think the texans are too low here where would you have them where would you have higher they're going to be in top five i'm not going to say how far they're going to go at this point but they're going to be a damn good football team i had them as my second best defense I think you could argue they're one. I like both. I had, listen, I'm right there with you. With, you know, a ton of respect to the Eagles defense, I think they'll be able to be in that top three as well, how it shakes out.

14:15But to me, and Nico Collins said this on our show last week. He was like, we got the best defense in the league. And he said it like so confident. I didn't know as an interviewer how to like, yeah. And I'm like, am I going to be co-signing this take? but as I looked at it on paper and listen you also have to consider the Texans played all their games in crisis last year defensively I mean they made things happen I think they lost they lose that primetime game against the Lions where Goff threw five picks they did yeah it's hard to do stuff like that in the NFL I think if they can figure out the offense I mean obviously Laramie Tunsil that's a different situation Also another checkmark in the commanders.

15:02You want to talk about like the commanders getting better. They got better there. But I think if they can just get it under control, Stroud's going to do the opposite of regressing to the main. He's going to go back to where he was, I think, a little bit. And I think defensively, they're one of the fastest teams in the league, if not the fastest defense in the league. Like I have that Chicago primetime game burnt in my brain. It was like they were out for blood. they play that way and they play downhill so fast everything the NFL does now is about like quick game and it's about like out to the perimeter fast and that's the one thing I worry about them is if you punch them in the mouth I want to know who they are like when the Ravens punch them in the mouth they go gap scheme ran down their s**t I want to know who they are in that situation but when it comes to throwing these bubble screens and getting out on the perimeter and the quick game like you don't want to go over the middle against this team and you don't want to catch a screen pass outside the number against this team.

15:59I mean, they're fast. I have such a bias now towards defenses that can limit yards after the catch and they're just run and hunt. The Texans, they're like a little bit of a throwback, right? Because I get so obsessed with these Mike McDonald defenses that are so schematic, complicated, the way they get pressure is so interesting. And the Texans are like, we're just better than you. Our front and our back. Linebacker is a little bit of an issue with them. But yeah, it's a really good defense. And look, that's what I said. I wanted you to bring a defensive. They might've gotten underrated last week because I didn't focus enough on how good the defenses are finding.

16:34Okay. So the Packers are dropping. I do like Al Shayer and I like Harris played really well down the stretch. So, I mean, things have to break right for them, but that that's definitely not their, their best levels, probably the backend. Yeah. And then the, the, the edge group is it's four deep. My guy, Daryl Taylor, who I was waiting a couple years to, hey, it finally happened. The guy looks like a real rusher to me. I mean, it didn't take that long, but I really liked him. And now you've got Autry there, who was there last year. I think he's going to be even better this year. Will Anderson and obviously Hunter.

17:09That's hell. And CJGJ, who's just like the perfect fit. Yeah, he is. In many hilarious ways. Okay. So the Packers have dropped. But I'm going to put them against the Bengals here. This is where what we were talking about weighs in, which is how much of a defensive focus matters. Well, I spent the majority of last year trying to justify that the Bengals were going to make a run because Burrow was so good. And it turned out none of us were wrong about how great he was. It's just we didn't know how low the floor was. And I just – I'm going to say it. I think LaFleur is a better head coach. I think LaFleur is a better head coach, and that's a shame that we're – Not terrible.

18:01Yeah, but it's a shame that like when it comes down to a Joe Burrow-led team and a Jordan Love-led team, no disrespect, who I think is a good football player, but Burrow is one of those guys that I think it's the Packers. I think they're just more physical. Like when it comes to a matchup between these two teams, which you only see in the Super Bowl in the postseason. But yeah, I think the Packers are physical. Like when you go see them in camp, at least last year, we bounced around to a couple camps. We went to the Eagles camp. We went to the Bills camp. We went to a couple other camps. And then we went to the Packers camp, including the Vikings camp.

18:39And the Packers blew me away as the only team that seemed as big as the Eagles. Like even remotely close. They're not. No one is. But I was like, they're just big and physical. When they play their best, they just have to win their damn games in division. Yeah. Which they struggle to do at times in big spots.

19:01Bengals versus Rams for nine.

19:10Here's what's going to happen. The Rams are going to start the season. We're going to be like, damn, the Rams suck. there. Stafford looks old, and then they're going to surge. God, this is tough. Is Hendrickson still holding out? I know the AMC North last week, and my official position on this is if Trey Hendrickson doesn't play, I don't want to talk about the Bengals. I'm capping out. I don't want to watch this defense. I don't want to talk about it. If he plays, we can talk about this team we can have a conversation about the defenders so i i picked him to win the division last year i'm sorry bangles fans like if you care i will revisit but at this point i can't give you the benefit of the doubt i think the rams d line is spicy spicy do you see what uh teron armstead said about jared ruse a little extra chip on that dip but i i appreciated it hearing him give some love to a young player.

20:08Uh, okay. So we're doing the Rams over the bangles. Yeah. Angles are job dropping. We're at 10. The bangles are Aaron Rogers on draft day. They might win it all, but they gotta wait the whole hour. Well, I don't think they're gonna have to wait too much longer. Um, we're gonna go bangles versus Broncos here.

20:35defense. I like the Broncos man. Over the Bengals. Yeah. Is this how much of this is just you thinking this is one of the best two defenses in the NFL? I trust the coach and I trust the defense and I don't, I haven't grown distrustful of the quarterback yet. Although we know that he is eligible for the year two slump. I just, it's almost like I have PTSD from the Bengals last year. We had a grill on our show, Mina, that Dr. Fax was putting the Bengals on this grill and saying they were cooked every week, like every single week. And I would argue vehemently at the open of every show, they're not dead yet.

21:20They're not dead yet. I remember staying up watching that chargers game watching the playthings game watching like how many dumb ways can you lose a football game and and all due respect to joe burrow who is that that man i can't i can't give you all the benefit of the doubt yet i'm sorry this matters defense matters all right does it matter so much that you would take okay so this is where that's our top 10 by the way folks Yeah. The Broncos made the top 10. So 20 teams make the playoffs or so now? Yeah, right. When do we get to where I'm really disrespecting a team? Where's the playoff cutoff?

22:0114. So 15 is when you're out. Okay. Okay, so we're still in the playoffs. So the Bengals are still on the board. And this is a change from last week. I think there's a team here who could be a lot higher that hasn't been mentioned, but go ahead. i'm gonna throw a curveball here and put in the vikings because of the vast spectrum of what they could be vikings or vikings or bangles your bangles are still here please vikings defense we love the vikings defense we love the vikings defense we love the vikings defensive coordinator I don't love their corner situation me neither um I love their rushers John Grenard's a treat to watch that was Van Ginkle those guys are awesome a great example too of a coordinator I I said this I did a Viking spot recently I was like you can tell that Brian Flores works hand in hand with the front office yeah they get him his dudes you know up front like they're just every player they brought into that front seven is such a perfect fit for heck yeah that's why i'm gonna take the vikings because they also try to get more physical offensively and listen i know it was just a preseason game but they really had they had jj mccarthy out there with a full day's work and he ended up getting hurt but he looked really he looked capable i mean like it's one it's one preseason look but um i trust the head coach i think sam donald's a good football player but you know his his his his ceiling started to show a little bit right like at the end of last year in some situations and hey listen it was rough he was set up to fail at the end of the season they couldn't block anybody but um I think there's reason to believe they really like this J.J.

23:47McCarthy like they you know not just for drafting him but they said no thanks on Aaron rogers they you know they they said hey no thanks on darnel coming back like it's time and i think ko's seen a lot of quarterbacks in his young career as a head coach and this could be the one he really likes and yeah they could this team's got potential i like the vikings i think they have such a variance because the quarterback is such a mystery they could be top 10 they could be bottom you know it's just yep um okay bangles they are officially dropping vomiting milk hyper junior is furious somewhere he's mad uh we're gonna put them against the chargers here bangles versus chargers bangles okay the stop the fall stops yeah they're not gonna they're not gonna do they're not gonna do what they did against the charges last year which was it was just such a dumb way to freaking lose a football game.

24:44I'll never forget that one. I mean, they should have died 15 times in that game, but they were just too good. So they just kept getting back in it. I think Burrow made a mistake actually at the end of the game, but yeah, yeah. So, so, uh, and then they, I'm not gonna, I'm not gonna McVay you on primetime football here, but uh but it just i need to see more from the chargers like everybody else man like that it took till this year for me to say okay like i think herbert is one of these dudes like he's got potential to be one of these dudes he's got all the tools there's nothing i don't like about his mental makeup it's nothing like that it's just the collection of circumstances and the way he's played has not added up to much.

25:35And Minner got a lot out of that defense last year. I was a little bit surprised, right? I worry about it. I don't know. On paper, it doesn't look great. There's a lot of holes. So if we're going to go Herbert and question mark defense against the Bengals who have been there, done that, been to a Super Bowl, got that guy under center, I'm taking the Bengals. Welcome to the top 12, Joe Burrow. Okay. If it was just you, Joe, if it was just you, you'd be in the top. This is not a quarterback ranking. This is a team ranking. Tell me when we get to the team that you were saying that you thought a team could have been in the top ten.

26:10Yeah, I will. I'm guessing it's not the Chargers. Chargers versus Bucs. I love the Bucs. Is that the team you were thinking of? One of them. I think the Bucs are a playoff team. Yeah, I love the Bucs. Bucs over Chargers then? Yeah, I put the Bucs over Chargers. I'm a big Baker Mayfield fan. um you know mike evans was remarking on the quality of that wide receiver room um they haven't really had a full deck yet in this chapter of bucks football like i want to see the whole group stay healthy um and you know todd bowles he he keeps a minute you know like i've written that guy off a few times and you know what he's been in the league a long time so i'm a i'm a fan of that group now the liam cohen thing like we'll find out we'll find out you know is it plug and play the one thing about baker has had he's had so many coordinators he really has and um i think they did a great job last year with him moving extending plays a little bit because he loves to play with timing but getting outside the pocket, making some magic.

27:20Thad Lewis was quarterback coach there, former teammate of mine. It's just a good – they got a good program down there. I have a Bucs take, which is if Hassan Reddick can return to form, I think this team runs away with the division because outside – because the edge is, once again, a question mark. Yeah. I like Diaby. He's not a number – he's not like a dominant one. A great two. A great two in my mind, yeah. Yeah, yeah. So, yeah, you're right. I mean, a lot hinges on a guy who hasn't seemed real pressed to play football. All right. The Chargers have dropped a little bit. I'm going to go for the 14 spot, Chargers versus Niners.

28:07I'm just not real bullish on the Niners. I'm not real bullish on the Chargers on July 7th either. How far down you got the Bears? Not that far. Okay. But you have to take one of these two teams. I know. I'm just giving you a little foreshad. They're in the same tier. This is kind of the outside the top 10, everyone's flawed tier. Give me…

28:40Give me the Chargers, man.

28:46Okay. Chargers at 14. We're about to be out of the playoffs, aren't we? Yeah, this is where we're at. Now we're in the insult zone. Chris hates your team. Yeah, no. Yeah, make it last. Or maybe Mina waited a while. The Niners are still on the board. I saw where you ranked me on Mina's podcast. I'm going to be like, yo, that was because she had you. This is what I'm saying. You can blame me. I can blame you. I can be like, I would have had them earlier, Chris. I'm not going to do the Bears here. I'm going to throw in a team that I am tempted to put in the playoffs. And that's Cowboys. Cowboys are Niners, huh?

29:26Is that what we are right now? Yeah, Cowboys are Niners. Talk me through what you think of Dallas's issues in the run game defensively. Because I don't, is that going away? Remains a problem. Correct. My case is, well, first of all, I think Ibra Flues is a good coach. and I like how some of those players, I think Osa is going to have a good year in his scheme. I like some of the fit. Guys could get healthier. But for me, the case is I think this offense, if Pickens is anywhere close to what he can be, could be all gas because you got two legit number ones. You got a quarterback who likes to push the ball downfield.