Power Hour 5! Ranking All 32 Teams with SVP

25:58Didn't look great against the Patriots. Looked spooked. Looked scared. It's going to come down to Stroud if they're ever going to be the true ride the wave of the defense to the promised land of championship championship game type Super Bowl type teams. But the defense for me is they're too intoxicating to pass on. And there might have been some teams early that I'd have taken them over, but we'll never know, will we? Because you didn't put them against them. That's the name of the game. Yeah. That's the name of Stroud, though, right? He doesn't even have to be great. He doesn't. No, but you just can't be.

26:32It can't be bad. It can't be the reason the team loses, right? I mean, that's such a boring game manager. I didn't say that. But just don't be the reason that the team doesn't have the football, right? Value it. during that play. Value it. You got Montgomery. What's he going to be? I mean, Knuckles, the Houston version of Knuckles. Oh, God. They haven't had a run game the entire Stroud time. I mean, Marks gave him something, but I mean, no, you're right. And I mean... All right. Chargers are still an option. I'm going to introduce a team here that I am higher on than a lot of people and I actually think could push in the Texans division.

27:04The Jacksonville Jaguars. I'm taking the Jaguars. Yeah. I like them a lot. I like them. Is it like nobody's talking about them? I guess that's always the case with Jaguars. I'd say that's true. I mean, look, whether it's the market, the fact that the stadium's going over a bit of a reno, which is necessary. So transparency, I mean, it's not like it's a secret, but just wifey and family, that's their area of residence. Jags fans, we got to last year, we were asked, we were asked to do the first Duval ahead of a Monday night football game. And they're playing the Chiefs. We did it. I hear from Kelsey out to fact, what's this all about?

27:46I'm like, well, they asked, bro. You've never asked me to do anything in the kingdom. If you did, maybe I would. So we watched the Jaguar games very carefully in our house. Wow. And that game against Kansas City early was an eye-opener because they went toe-to-toe. And it was an eye-opener two ways, right? It was like, man, Kansas City's got some flaws here that I don't know if 15 can make up for all of. But it was also the kind of game that if you're going to be different, Jacksonville, you're going to win this game. And they did. But the game I think about, Mina, they went to Mile High and put it on the Broncos.

28:24Took it to them. Yeah. Put it on them. And they draw Buffalo at home in the playoffs. And man, that's a rough one. And that game was, that's a coin flip. Coin flip game. Ball gets tipped on a drive to try to win it. It gets picked and my children dissolve into tears instantly. And I like Jacksonville a lot. Look, Liam gets involved in the Duval thing, got plenty of run, but he's got plenty here. Now, go ahead. I'm sorry. No, I just didn't know that you had Jags fandom in your household. This is a big revelation. We're in the deep end of the pool that they have up on that. I don't know if I'd get in that pool, but that's another story.

29:05I do wonder, I do wonder, ETN slash A-Chan, go to New Orleans, let's say it right. He was really good last year. All right, so we heard a lot about Tootin. Is he really the guy? They got Rodriguez from Washington. Who's the guy standing behind Lawrence for snap one against, I think it's Cleveland week one. It doesn't really matter. But I do wonder about that piece of it. Like, what's that running back thing look like? But so many committees in the league, maybe it doesn't matter. They've got some horses on defense, too. And Lawrence, God, that first year under Urban was like he didn't exist. People forgot that the number one pick was out there.

29:46He's become a guy. He got paid like a guy. Second half of the season, he was awesome. Awesome, awesome. So he's in the same Herbert class, right? A guy that goes early, in his case, first. that you want to see progression when it comes to playoff victories, but that's the hardest, sharpest pencil that we grade with. All right. Jags at 10. I love it, and I love this new knowledge that you have Jags fans. Who are the celebrity Jags fans, man? That was kind of the way they – I mean, I was sort of like – and I'm not calling myself a celebrity, but they're like, well, you're going to be here. You've got to tie into it.

30:24Would you do it? I'm like, I just don't want to piss off the Chiefs fans, But points with wifey? Come on. That's a pretty smart way to go. That's incredible. They also have my favorite mascot. All right. Jackson DeVille. All right. So the Chargers remain on the board. I am going to put them up against the – let's bring in an NFC North team. Let's do – this is the hardest division. We just got the news that Micah Parsons will be back after about six weeks. So let's do the Packers here. Packers versus Chargers.

31:03I know the Packers are so hard. The whole NFC North is just impossible to me. I would agree with that. I'll pick Chargers so I'm done with them. I'll let them move on. And then now that's going to make, but the Green Bay, I don't even know if I believe it. I just, we don't want the wave to come crashing on our head and we've left them in the mid-teen somewhere. Green Bay, I still can't figure out the Chicago games, plural. I'm sure they can't. I would imagine the way the Bears coach chose to proceed following is the kind of thing that only amplifies and magnifies a great rivalry in this game. I don't know what happens with the Jacobs situation.

31:49I haven't seen any clarity as it relates to that. I don't know if that's going to be a thing. I mean, that matters. He's a significant – Am I too high on him? Let me ask you a question. Would you not have put them on top of the NFC North? Because I genuinely don't know how to rank this division. It is killing me. Well, I don't want to derail the conversation here. Okay. All right. No, I truly don't. I truly don't know. I have one team in the North that's the most fascinating team in the NFL. You haven't named them yet. I'll tell you why when we get there. But I don't know what the Bears are. I mean, speaking of a mirage, I don't know how many rabbits you can pull out of hats.

32:22Yeah. And they did it last year against you. I'm not anti-Green Bay. I just look at a division where it's not quite Rams, Seahawks, Niners in terms of three real heavyweights. But I don't think there's certainly not a bad team among them. And what's Minnesota? What's Kyler make Minnesota? I don't know. I don't know. And I assume Forrest is going to stop blitzing. I assume the defense is still going to be good. So better you than me to try to sort out that. So I just picked the Chargers. All right. Chargers. Let's go Packers versus Cowboys. This is – all right. I'm a Washingtonian. I grew up – I was born in the darkness.

33:07I was born in Cowboys, then Redskins, when it was the greatest rivalry in the NFL. Saying something positive about the Dallas Cowboys is very foreign to me. I vomit a bit as I say what I'm about to say. I've been at ESPN more than 25 years. They've been largely irrelevant as a good team when the playoffs come. But you know what? So were the Knicks for the first 20 years of my time. First 20 years I was at ESPN, the Knicks won one playoff series. They just won a title. I'm not predicting the Cowboys are going to win the title. But they look. But I really like the Cowboys. I'm picking the Cowboys here.

33:45Look at their defense, Mina. Look at what they had. Overshawn comes back last year. He's one of my favorite players to watch play, right? Monster. Speeding bullet. Over and over and over and over again. So much juice. Okay, so they trade, they trade, Mike. That's idiotic. Well, what do they get? What's the get back there? They got Quinn. I don't want to forget everything that they get back as a result of it. They get Kenny Clark to start. You get Quinn in a trade. Overshawn comes back from injury. And then look at that. Look at what they get. Caleb Downs is a guy Nick Saban talks about as one of the best players he's ever had.

34:16Think about what that is. You get Gary up front. Don't miss the guy Barham. He's a draft pick out of Michigan. I know him just because he started at Maryland. I don't even know if he's going to be a person that plays this year. But that just gave me a chance to say a guy on the line, a guy on the back end of the defense, and a guy in the middle, all three levels, that they add to what they had last year. I just think eventually, Mina, they can't always not figure it out. Eventually they'll not suck on defense. I do feel it's funny. Don't you like some of those players I just mentioned? I do. The offense should be top seven at minimum.

34:52It always is. Yeah. Pickens and Lamb. This does feel like in all of the off seasons covering, not all of them, but it definitely feels like more realistic than it has in a while. Plus, you know, like everyone at ESPN, I have a chip in my neck that starts buzzing if I don't talk about the Cowboys. Right. I got an email today, Scott. I know you're not working, but make sure that when you talk to Mina, you say, we don't have that. People believe we do. There is a tonnage of conversation about them. A lot of times it isn't warranted. You have your own pod. I have my own show as well, and I don't talk about them unless they warrant it.

35:30I believe they're going to warrant it this year. Well, what number was that? What did I just pick? 12. That's high. 12. Yeah. Look at that. All right. NFC North, let's do it. Packers versus Lions. Make a pick. Most fascinating team in the NFL to me. That's right. Yes, I'm going to tell you why. When they went to Green Bay, now three seasons ago at the end of the year and knocked them out of the playoffs, it's like, look at Campbell's team. That's pretty kick-ass. They can't make it, but they're going to go ruin a season. Next year, they're boat racing San Francisco in the NFC Championship game.

36:02They're going to the Super Bowl. Some things happened in the second half. Maybe some things you would have done different would you kick the field goal? you're Dan Campbell probably not it's okay you're still ascending next year one seed juggernaut greatest show on turf kind of part two best watch in the league my guy Stanford Steve says awesome it's smoked at home by Washington don't make the playoffs the next year what are you right what are you Detroit are you are you a team that God love the people that support the Honolulu Blue, you've never seen it. And it felt like there was a moment that was right there for you.

36:44And whether it was losing to San Francisco, whether it was not winning at home against Washington as the one seed, not making it the next year, was it all a mirage? Or are you a team that can summon the, whatever you want to call it, the energy of Dan Campbell? Grit. The bravado, grit. It's a lot. A lot of juice. however you want to frame it. And with no Montgomery now, do you just let Gibbs go absolutely bananas? Got to pay him first. B 'Jane and Jameer are going to figure out that backfield pay scale. But I'm so compelled by who and what Detroit is. If they can get back into the ring and this year feels like the year they have to do it or not that they punt.

37:36but they start losing that right whatever the momentum was if you believe momentum to be a real thing and you don't i kind of do it felt like they had a lot on their side and now it feels like they're hard so so i'm that's why the lines are compelling i'm picking green bay ahead of them because i don't know the answer to those questions i don't know i don't know the answer to that question i think i think that's a fair assessment um god i'm tempted just just go back to back to back and go lion's bears here but no i'm not going to because i'm going to bring up a team that uh i did it last time and this time and the more i think about it the more i i worry that every i might be sleeping on them uh a little lone team called the kansas city chiefs who apparently the quarterback is fine because he's a total mutant yeah he's got the adrian peterson Gene, I mean, what's the time frame?

38:33I'm much older than you. I mean, when I was younger, you had a Frankenstein scar from the middle of your thigh to the middle of your knee and beyond to your lower leg. Wait, we get to the post. I don't know what the hell is happening there. You're gone for two years. It's over. Now he's just out there running around in camp. I mean, all due respect, fingers crossed for week one with Denver visiting. We'll be there for Monday Night Football. We'd like to see 15 play. um lions chiefs great matchup i'm picking the chiefs simply because i can't allow myself to believe that last year is really who and what they are um i worry about some of the some of the losses on defense um i mean a lot of young players very young now well yeah and you're talking about people that seem to make difference-making plays repeatedly on that side.

39:28Their offense, which for years was a perfume that could cover any stink there might have been on the other side. I'm not saying Spag's unit stunk, but my God, that offense could do whatever. They've been bad. Bad. Not relative to what they were, just relative to anything else. didn't have a run game last year. I get that Walker theoretically fixes that. I just can't think that the team that hosted the AFC Championship game seemingly by default for a decade suddenly has regressed to the point where they're... Yeah, I know you guys look at this stuff all the time. One and nine in one-score games.

40:07That's not going to happen again, right? No, but they weren't going to win every one-score game either, which they did for years. It seemed that... And it becomes cliche for a reason, right? Don't let Mahomes get the ball Because God knows there are some pretty obvious examples of what he can do with very little time on the clock. Sorry, Buffalo, among others. But no, they won't continue to lose every one-score game. So give me Kansas City. Lions versus a team I have not mentioned. And maybe I should have mentioned them earlier. Cincinnati Bengals.

40:40I'm kind of there with them in the way I am with the Cowboys. I happen to love Sexy Dexy, and I frame it this way. When I ask Kelsey, who sucked to play against? You'd see him, and you knew on the schedule. You could be playing week three, but you knew, oh, God, next week at 1 o 'clock. He's like, Dexter bleeping Lawrence. Yeah, Donald, not a lot of fun to play against. Now, granted, had to play him twice a year, but here's a guy that's going to have a gold jacket that was running the middle of the Philly offense. and just dreaded playing against the guy. He's got like two feet on Jason too. And however many pounds in the middle.

41:22He's a mountain of a man. I didn't mind. I liked the trade because you're not getting somebody. They were 10, right? You're not getting somebody at 10 that's better than him. You're not. And your defense drastically lacks somebody in the middle that the gravity of him is going to allow others to don't have to thrive. You just can't give up 40 points a week. Okay. And I feel like that move showed an urgency. Joe Burrow got to the Super Bowl quick and in a hurry and you blink and you're like, man, how old is he? Not old. It's a while ago. But he's the kind of cat, I mean, if he just showed up one day and said, you know what?

42:01I've had fun, but I'm good. Wouldn't shock me. I don't think he will because I think he loves the game. But I also think he's just wired a little different. I think there's an urgency with Cincinnati. I think they can't be worse on defense. I think they'll be better. And I like the Bengals. Okay. I like the Bengals, and I just picked them over who? Detroit? Yeah, Detroit. It's fair. I don't know if it is fair or not, but I just did it. Detroit's sliding now. Now they're going to have value against whoever they're picking them against. All right. Well, let's wrap up the first half with the divisional matchup.

42:35Lions, Bears. Bears are my hardest team to figure out. All right, because you know how this goes. Just like the Chiefs aren't going to lose every one-score game. I know, the one-score games and the last-minute comeback. This is the Commanders thing, and look how that turned out. Exactly, and I lived it from the Commander's side. One of those wins was against Chicago, where Daniels throws the Hail Mary. They beat them, and then last year, they should have had them beat. They fumble in the rain, and Chicago wins. One of those games where, and obviously the Packers are the most glaring examples of it.

43:09But Williams is a guy from right here. Went to Gonzaga High School in downtown DC. And we've watched him since he was a kid. And last year, he became a guy. And not enough of a guy to take the Iceman name away from George Girvin for the old heads. That belongs to him. That's another conversation. I just don't believe that Chicago can win every close game. and so I'll take Detroit ahead of him simply because I just don't know how you keep succeeding in high leverage moments where the differential is so fractional. That makes sense? It does. It is, like I said, the NFC North is a division I don't want to touch with.

43:57Look, Mina, look at their defense last year. Was their defense good? No, but their defense turned you over. But takeaways don't repeat year to year. It's like the number one thing the nerds look for when we're trying to figure out regression candidates. And it wasn't just turnovers. It wasn't like a turnover at like the 43-yard line. They were consequential turnovers that flipped fields and flipped games. It was like a magnifying glass, their turnovers. So it wasn't a great defense. It is an amazingly opportunistic defense. You must hold me back with Chicago, though, from going full doubter. And I said this at the very beginning.

44:28I like to bet on coaches. And I think that he's one of those dudes. I think he's already like a top six coach in the NFL. I'm terrible at ranking, so I won't do that. But he's got everything you want if you're a Bears fan. Everything. Including not just the requisite, but seemingly an abundance of hate for the teams he plays against. I made it clear last year. I love that he hates the other teams. I love it. I think in that division, you don't need to invite people to want to fight. They already do. But I'm with you on Johnson. And he's certainly on the short list of excellent coaches. All right.

45:06The Bears remain on the board. Quick break, come back, and we'll move a little faster through the second half. All right. That's good. That's good, good, good. Hurry up, Scott. I knew it was going to take too long. It's okay. I don't want to keep you too long. Before the season even kicks off, everyone's making predictions. Who wins the division? Who makes the playoffs? Who's lifting the trophy at season's end? On Kalshi, America's number one prediction market platform, you can trade those predictions in a live market. Will Pittsburgh qualify for the playoffs this season? Right now, they're trading at 40%, meaning a$100 trade would pay out over$250 if they clinch a playoff spot.

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48:07All right, we're back. Second half. Here's the first half for those who missed it. Lions came in above the bears, but below the Packers. So the bears are an option and I am going to put, Put them up against. Ooh. I don't know. You know what? I'm going to shift on this. I'm not going to do it. I've been offering the Bucks here, but I just did an NFC South podcast. And I think I told you this. I put the Saints first. I found myself deeply buying the Saints. We'll get to them. Saints. We'll get to them. What? What? What? What? The Saints or the Bears? Saints versus Bears. Are there many teams you think that are demonstrably better than the Saints?

48:54I don't know. We've named a lot of good teams. All right. Here's the second half of the pod, Scott. That's a fair point. And you told me you gave me a little not so subtle. Hurry up, man, Pelt on the way out. Here's where I am with New Orleans. All right. I watched New Orleans go to Seattle last year. I want to say it was week three. They got beat 40 something to the teens. And I thought, boy, they stink. And they go to shock. Good for him. They talked about him like he was a geriatric, as if being old is a sin, as if actually having played a ton of football is a bad thing. Now, they were much better in the, call it the second half, five and three to end their season.

49:32Context matters in life more than almost anything. Who'd they beat? All right, they beat the Panthers twice. NFC South, yeah. They beat Tampa Bay, and they beat Tennessee and the Jets. that's who they beat now olavi got unlocked i wish for him good health above everything else but he looked like a guy again a chan now in the backfield still with kamara thank god i love him he's one of my all-time favorites i'm not anti-saints i just can't take them yeah i can't i regret it as soon as i said it and then also by the way jack foster one of our producers texted me while you were saying that Saints defensive tackle Brian Brissi tore his ACL.

50:15Oh God, I hate this so much. I just hurt them so much. I hate this part of the season. I just saw Marcus Freeman from Notre Dame at a charity function. Shout out to the Cornette family. And I said, how's the health? And he said, we're good. And I said, man, that's all I root for. And this is just like scourting the other day for the Panthers, like a guy ascending. Dude, the Panthers are getting whacked right now. It's so bad. And he's such an impactful young player. I hate it. And ACL. Fear ACL. Oh, man, that sucks. I hate, hate, hate this time of year when it comes to that. The Saints are ascending in a bad division, but they're not better than the Bears.

50:52Okay, yeah. So I probably put the Saints too high, so the next few choices are probably going to be easy for you. Let's go Bucs-Saints here. Because, yeah, Bucs. I'm a Baker Mayfield apologist. Would you pay him? Yeah, I would. Because what's your option? It's quarterbacks, yeah. What's your option? They keep asking me to do takes. I'm like, he's a quarterback. What do you want me to tell you? He's going to get paid. It just happens. Look at how guys get paid. Lawrence got paid like he's Mahomes. He had won one playoff game. I mean, Prescott. I mean, what are you going to do? You want to suck?

51:25Look at the teams that don't have them. I mean, I got a list of teams that don't have quarterbacks. We haven't named any of those teams yet, obviously. And I'm a Bulls guy. I feel like he gets talked about. Really? More so than others. I think it's a cake icing thing. I think there's cake there. I think there's substance there. Is there icing? Not much. But I'm – And I get that maybe there's a ceiling. Okay. But I think – Look, a third of the league, basically, we have 10 new coaches this year. I mean, people just flip it and like maybe he'll be better or maybe he won't. I'll take Tampa over the Saints just because I'm – it's it's it's bowls and baker based i suppose you'd say it's fine bowls and baker based sounds like although via via caveat if they trade vea like what are we doing i know well that's i just speaking of sexy dexy right and the weight that a guy literal weight that the guy you can't get rid of that guy that's another guy kelsey was like oh god not vea it's basically the biggest guys no i i we did just did the nfc south preview and i was like i'm going to talk about the defense the Bucks defense like they have Veya because if they don't, it's just a completely different proposition.

52:34Entirely different. Okay. Saints versus, I thought this was going to be our most intriguing team in the NFC North, the Vikings. Because what? Is that going to happen there? I mean, do you buy O 'Connell as a whisperer? Do you buy it? I think he's very good. That's a no. That's a no. That's a polite no. Well, I just think maybe we got a little bit over our seas with it. He's very good. Fair? Although, I don't know. Ask Minnesota last year, would you have liked to back the guy that won 14 games for a year before that you decided after two games that were bad at the end of the year against Detroit and the Rams he had to go?

53:09Maybe you'd like that back. I get it. You're pot committed with the resource. They're having a quarterback competition as we speak. Please end it. Just end it. Kyler Murray's your starter. The end. I just don't know what they are. Yeah. I don't know what they are. is because Murray, he's played mostly on bad teams, mostly in the NFL. Who am I picking? Minnesota and the Saints. Minnesota is better than the Saints. Yeah, like I said, I kind of screwed myself with the Saints because I'm giving you easy questions. Yeah, because now there's too many, like not walkovers, but I mean, I just like Minnesota.

53:46This one's hard. All right. Commanders, Saints. Oh, God. Hometown. down can they bounce back do you like the off-season moves this is your chance to put a vote of confidence in them all right this is great content as i said we've reached the part of the season where god love you if you're in talk radio you're coming in you're like you want to do the schedule this is the best part of the podcast because at the top it's like the best teams this is where the real the real ones okay so say you're say you're working say you're working one One of my best friends, shout to Kevin Sheehan. You're doing a radio show in town.

54:23You want to just open the phones and go through the schedule? What do you think they're going to go? It's just the lowest, lowest form of content there is. Schedule talk. Schedule analysis is my least favorite thing to do. I agree because we don't have the slightest bleep and clue who's your starting quarterback on week, even week two. We don't know. But I look at Washington's schedule, Mina, and my God, the first eight weeks include two with Philadelphia, Dallas, Seattle, at San Francisco, the Rams. The easy-ish games are the Colts. I don't know what they are. They haven't been brought up yet by you.

54:55I'll be soon. And the G-Men, which I don't know. Harbaugh. What are they? I love some pieces they have on defense. That first eight weeks feels bad to me. They can't bring Iyuk in because he refuses to get off social media. they let uh Debo go who else are they throwing the football to besides 17 I don't know last year you can't grade me you can't grade Jaden last year on his season he played seven games and the games he played he didn't have 17 to throw to so I don't know what they are and who am I picking them against the Saints they're better than the Saints I'm scared to death though I'm scared to death because you know what when they made the playoffs and they went and won at Tampa and they went and won at Detroit and then they just the score wasn't as bad as a score was worse I should say than the loss in Philly but they they were not as good as Philly that day but that's an NFC championship appearance and then you know how it works a fan base is like we're good are you yeah well it landed really harshly last year Terry holding out set a set the wheels in motion for that to be a bit of a challenge.

56:04Jaden getting hurt, you're just not the same without him. They can't be worse on defense. I keep saying that about teams. I think they'll be better. I like a lot of the additions to the front seven. They were horrible. They were historically horrible on defense last year. I love him. Love him. Love him. I agree. I like him better than the Saints. I'm framing it by saying I'm scared. I put the Saints too high. It's fine. Saints versus 42-year-old Aaron Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers. That's a fascinating one. McCarthy Rodgers part two.

56:43It's so hard not to think of them and the Ravens, rather, and the way I framed it for decades, right? Tomlin, Harbaugh, best rivalry in the sport. Tomlin. Can we write in, no Tomlin. Can we pencil in those nine wins without him? Well, they've existed in a space, as you well know, where they were never bad, but they were also never a threat. And in Pittsburgh, that's just not going to work. I don't know. I trust Rogers in Pittsburgh more than I trust New Orleans to continue to hit the up button on the elevator. So I'll say Pittsburgh. Try not to use fascinating. Pittsburgh's compelling. That's a better word, maybe.

57:28Enticing? Not enticing. I love enticing. Not the Steelers are not enticing. Entailing makes more sense. They haven't been enticing in a while. That's kind of the problem. So I'm still taking them over the Saints. All right. 22, we're going to go Saints versus... This is where I bring in the Colts. So AFC Southpaw this week, by the way, we're going to get into this in detail. I remain gobsmacked that Daniel Jones tore his Achilles near the end of this year, closer to the end than the beginning. And then he's apparently back. Yeah. So I'm on McAfee the other day and I loved seeing a big smile on the guy's face.

58:07Think of who they were last year, first half. Think of who they were. Taylor's got like 15 touchdowns. He had more like seven or eight teams. Jones is the guy that got picked too high and it didn't work in New York and goes quarterback whisperer, spent some time up there with him. How about that? I'm kidding. I'm kidding. Stuyken's good too, man. Stuyken's really good. That offense, I was constantly amazed by. He deserves the credit because he's a great play caller, always has been. But Mina, I sat in Lucas Oil and Phillip Rivers was the quarterback of that team. That actually happened. It wasn't a fever dream.

58:44It happened. That news broke from Schefter on a Monday night countdown that he might come back. And I think I stood up out of my chair and said, what? So who they were at the end last year after Jones tries to play through the leg and he finally got hurt in that game at Arrowhead. It all went wrong from Arrowhead. But I believe they're closer to who they were at the beginning of the year than who they were at the end of the year. And so I'm saying I like the Colts more here than the Saints. Colts have a lot of fun young talent on both sides of the ball. Das Gardner, right? Remember that trade?

59:20Exactly. Perfectly framed. They made a move to go all in, and then they didn't know that they were going to have a peepaw playing quarterback. The people. He's a literal grandpa. Yeah. He is. It happened. It did happen. Okay. Saints versus, you mentioned this team, and I'd like to see how high you actually are on them. The New York Giants. All right. Context. Always important. Went to the University of Maryland, have a bunch of giant friends that are part of the friend text thread. One of whom refers to them as the varsity. And I'm like, we, and ironically, his initials are JV. And I say JV, actually, they kind of are the JV.

1:00:04Are they going to be the varsity? I like a lot of the pieces on defense that they have. While everyone's going to be talking about Scadaboo doing flips and Jackson Dart, who just has to stay out of the blue tent. But when your skill set kind of puts you in harm's way, and that's part of what makes you dangerous. I don't know how you measure that. Malik Neighbors, I don't know. I don't love the way Harbaugh is talking about that knee. It doesn't sound like – what direction is it trending in? I don't know. But I do really like a number of people that they have on the defensive side of the ball. I don't know what Reese is going to be.

1:00:40He was one of those guys that looked awesome in a single digit in that Ohio State uniform. Did you like him in the draft? I like him a lot. And I like that he's playing off the ball for them because I think he's a really good linebacker. They can use him to rush. Linebacker was so bad for them last year. I liked Carter more at Penn State than I did him. I am. If you could buy stock in players, I'd be betting my 401k on Abdul Carter. I'm so. Well, you and I will pool our assets and go in together because I'm right there with you. So when I say I like stuff on the defense, I mean, Burns, obviously, I like Carter a lot, a lot, a lot, a lot.

1:01:17But I just, I don't know if the Scadaboo dart bromance slash whatever is a real thing. But I think I still like them more than the Saints. Jeez. Okay. All right. Here is the real test. Saints v. Panthers. Saints. Okay. The fall stops. It's not a fall. You just had them way too early. I know. You put them in there in a place where. Yeah, I know. I just. The Panthers I struggle with because it's like there's a good – the ceiling and the floor were pretty significantly different. And the floor was subterranean, man. When Bryce was bad, like it was 20 yards. And I get that we reach a point where you don't know exactly what you're going to do there.

1:02:08This is a young man that got benched. I admire that he didn't just turtle and give up. But I just don't know. Yeah, Saints. I like the Saints better than the Panthers. I hate that Scarton got injured too, by the way. Scarton, the tackles. No one would root for an injury, obviously, but the injury bug's been bad to start. Yeah, the NFC South is getting wrecked. We had a saying on this pod, the number one rule of betting on Panthers games is never bet on Panthers games because they're just an insane team. And then they would like get it up for the Rams twice. I don't know if you know this about me, Mina, but I'm not unfamiliar with the gambling space.

1:02:47And I'll just say that I understand those that look at the underdogs and think, I'm going to back that side. Leave the Panthers out of your teasers. No, just stay away. Think about how bad they looked when they look bad. They hosted a playoff game. That happened also. And they gave the Rams a fight, by the way. And they were awesome. So I just don't want to touch them. I just don't want to. Ceiling and floor. Like, just don't play close. You don't have to play close to the ceiling. Just don't live in the basement, man. My Mariners are like that. Can't beat the worst teams, just beat the Dodgers, sure.

1:03:15Okay. Shohei Otani's interpreter was fired today. Ipe Mitsuhara ran up gambling debts to a Southern California bookmaking operation. The inside story of the biggest scandal in modern baseball. He was absolutely bananas, the amount of bets he was making. I've never seen anything like it. From 30 for 30 Podcasts, this is The Betrayal of Shohei Otani. presented by Gusto. New episodes available now. Listen wherever you get your podcasts. I like things my way. My coffee, my schedule, and my treatment. So I talked to my doctor about self-injecting with the Vivgard Hytrulo Pre-Filled Syringe, which contains F-Gartigamide Alpha and Hyaluronidase QVFC.

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1:04:36And because Granger knows safety is always a priority, they're committed to being your partner in protecting both your people and your facilities. Call 1-800-GRANGER, click granger.com, or just stop by. All right, 25. The Panthers remain an option. I am going to put them up against the Las Vegas Raiders. Panthers. Okay. Panthers. certain things from last year are going to be hard for me to get past. I don't know that I'll ever get over the offensive line play of the 2025 Vegas Raiders. God bless Geno. There was nothing he could do. I don't know what gente is because how could you know? He's getting kept on the line of scrimmage and literally every carry.

1:05:24I love Cousins' training wheels for Mendoza because they're not the same person, but they have similar character traits. they'll be better because again I don't think the offensive line play can be worse but I don't like them more yet I need to see I need to see what is Kubiak come up with I don't know yet it's got it got to see it before I buy it can't buy it yet they need a little more Raiders versus Falcons Falcons although on my list of teams that don't know what their quarterback situation situation is. Both hurt right now, by the way. Both. Great stuff. Went out and got Cooper Rush. Here we go, baby.

1:06:06We have a color rush game and we have a Cooper Rush game. We have a Cooper Rush signing. Tua's got a bad back. Panix has obviously had the knee. These are two guys that have spent a decent amount of time in their careers injured, which is... I hate the term injury prone because it makes it sound like it's their fault. I'm not suggesting that. I think Stefanski is... I mean, he's done it at least. I've seen it. Good coach. Yes. Thank you for finishing my sentence there. That's what I mean. He can do it. I just don't know what their quarterback situation is. But then again, I don't know what Kirk Cousins was in Atlanta last year.

1:06:43And if he could have done it, he'd been doing it earlier. So I'll take Atlanta. I like to – there's a bunch on defense that I actually like there. Yeah. It was an ascending defense last year. Yeah. I like that side of the ball. They also have Bijan, and I know what he is, and I don't know what Gentile is yet. But although the Raiders could say, yeah, we have Bowers and he's been more of the tight end you can count on than that Kyle Pitts that you still can't quit and you're going to draft too early in your fantasy draft. He got a contract though, Mina. I like him. Yeah, but they got Drake London.

1:07:12The Raiders don't have. Yeah. Who's their wide receiver one? That's a great question. Good luck. Jack Besch. Jalen Naylor. Okay. Raiders versus. I'm going to mention this team earlier than I have at all entirely based on our pre-show conversations. the Cleveland Browns. Okay. Don't do it. I like Munkin. I like him. Don't do it. Interesting guy. Good coach. Yeah. Who am I picking? Browns, Raiders? Oh my God. We have a segment going back to the radio days with Priscilla called Poop Town. Everyone ranks teams and this goes back. It doesn't matter. Poop Town. These are two teams that have extended leases.

1:07:56Actually, we don't even have a lease. They're just allowed to stay until further notice. Raiders and Browns extended stay in poop town. Who's the Browns quarterback? Because I'm telling you, I've talked myself into this. I've talked myself into, I'm doing it, Mina. All right. There was a time in Sean Watson's life when he was a quarterback. Worst trade in history. I get it. Can't pay the guy they did. He's played 19 games in three years. I think it was like 19 touchdowns and whatever it was, 10 picks. Didn't play at all last year. uh like Shadour Sanders is a lightning rod for content you can put them on their morning shows and people can yell at each other if you want did you watch the games did you watch the games not great all right they won some games did they want him because he like is the guy that is going to be a starting quarterback in the NFL I just don't believe that that is going to be what they do now maybe with next year's loaded draft you're really not and there's a bunch of teams that could fall into this category.

1:08:57You're really just angling for a guy to be your quarterback next year. But maybe Watson is something not close to who he was. You don't even believe it. I've been listening to you this entire pod and I've now gotten a feel for your voice when you have conviction. Zero conviction in your voice right now. That's fair. We're in poop town. You have like four octaves. We're at the part of the going out and you're looking in your closet and all your good stuff's dirty and now you're like, I got this hoodie that has a ketchup stain on it, and I have a cropped mesh half shirt. That's our choices. What do you want me to do?

1:09:35Take the Raiders. Raiders. You don't have to. The Browns have good defense. You could just do that. Raiders. I mean, hey, they went out there and they spent some money. I'll give you that. They spent some money. Go get them Raiders. I like Mendoza. I'm excited to see him play. I think he's going to be good. He showed me a lot. He got his ass kicked in that Miami game. And he was bloodied but unbowed, man. And he can also throw it exactly where it has to be. I like him. I didn't believe it. You're right. I didn't believe it.

1:10:06Browns versus team with no quarterback competition, the Tennessee Titans. Titans. Okay. I watched them at the end of last year. In the same way I gave you the Saints and who they beat, I wrote these down just because I didn't want to forget it. I have so many cards. All right. Close loss to the Chargers. close loss to the Texans, close loss to Seattle, closer than the score was against San Francisco. And that I admit I was watching. Maybe gambling, no, not gambling, fantasy impact. Let's shout out Ward at the beginning of the season. If we keep it at a buck, we ask. They were not asked at the end of last year.

1:10:41I think Salah comes in and he's got a guy in Simmons who's one of my favorite players in the NFL in defense. And I feel like Ward, by the way, Okay, Carnell Tate, draft him high. Okay, fine. Wondell Robinson's a guy that's going to get a zillion targets, I think, in that offense and can be, where's Wondell? Where's Wondell? I think they're higher than some of the teams I've already picked, frankly. Okay, I like that. Like the Titans. They're too low. You mentioned the Seattle game. I just re-watched that for my AFC South preview, and he was good in that game. Good. Cam Ward was much better than many quarterbacks who went up against that Seattle defense.

1:11:20Thank you. I'm in agreement. I like him. No longer ass. Not ass. You could put that on a shirt. Still in poop town, but maybe not ass. Titans, not ass. We'll see. Titans. Okay, so no, sorry. Browns versus. We're running out of options. Did I miss a team here? Who's left? Hold on one second. Let me do a little accounting. We did the. No, no, we've got four teams left. Okay. Browns versus Jets. Not Jets. Browns. Not Jets. I saw Green, he said something about, he quoted me because I always say be optimistic because it costs the same. Buddy, the price of optimism for Jet fans has got a tariff on it.

1:12:09All right? Significant markup. Now, after last year with Geno and the Raiders, I hope that cosmically that it's better. Can't be. situation's better that's yes and there are people like all right just op weapons like breeze and garrett wilson just start right there um they they did it they did the rebuild the right way in that you you get back significant assets for guys that you drafted high already although i don't and this is a longer conversation that we don't have time for here but i just wonder where you are in terms of philosophy, when you take somebody with the top five pick and then you trade them for a first, do you think you're going to get somebody back better, higher that's going to be a Quinton Williams or a Sauce Gardner?

1:12:59I don't know that you do. They think, okay, we're not going to be competitive now. Let's sell high. I'm not saying I agree with it necessarily because I think even rebuilding teams have to have young players they're building around. I think that's fair. I think that's fair. Post-Sauce and Quinton, I don't know. I maybe would have traded just one of them personally. But if you're going to commit to the, to the tear down, tear that son bitch down. And they did. So, but I like the Jets better than, I took the Jets. No, I took the Browns over the Jets. You do the Browns. We're in the bottom three.

1:13:28All right. Dirty, dirty bottom three. And I am going to go, this is easy. Jets versus Cardinals. Hey, our long national nightmare is over. Jacoby Brissett has a deal. Good for him. You know what? No, I know. And this is a thousand percent of fantasy lens. If you had Wilson or McBride late last year, you were eating because they were down 31 to 7. But Brissette was like, F it. I'm chucking this pill until the game is done. And God love him. You know what? He's a professional at compete. They stink. And I don't think they're trying to win. I'm taking the Jets over the Cardinals. Okay. I think that's fair.

1:14:14Jacoby Brissett, it's like, we know. You're going to get somewhere between 20th and 25th. No, not 20. That's too high. Like 23rd and 28th quarterback play. And that's fine. But he's at least competent at the job. There are teams that end up with people out there that cannot do it. And he's not in that category. A testament to how you can absolutely have longevity in the NFL as a backup and a journeyman if you simply have good vibes. And people just like being around him. Ibe's immaculate. And he got like 15 mil. Good for him. So that leaves Dolphins. Dolphins and Cardinals, baby. I like the Dolphins better than the Cardinals.

1:14:51Okay. I don't know what half is going to be. Apparently, they want to run it more. I saw Achan said that. I mean, I don't know what other options they really have. Good for Malik. You know what I love about Malik? Who are you throwing it to? You know what I love about Malik Willis? This is a league where if you get picked high and it doesn't work, we decide you can't do it and now you're not you're a big it called a bum a trash whatever and worse but he went to a situation where he got to prove that at worst case he could step into a good team and keep them playing at a level not love level but not a giant not a significant step back good enough to win games and he got the bag and he's in a situation that isn't great but he's in a hell of a lot better situation personally than he was before and i commend him for that.

1:15:41Stay in the fight. Focus on your craft. Because one situation doesn't work out, it doesn't mean another one won't. I just hope they give them more than a year. I agree. But I think what's that contract again? Two years. Yeah. I mean, I don't think you bring a guy like that in to be a gap. Like, I think they're or you're bringing him in to be the gap and you're going to draft somebody else that he could be the guy for year two and then you've got the succession plan lined up. I guess that leaves Arizona last. Sorry, but I mean - You know what? Cardinals fans, you're better off being 32nd than 31st.

1:16:17How many times have they been last in these? It's been either of them or the Dolphins every time, I think. I'll say this. Last thing. If I'm over my time, just tell me to shut the bleep up. One thing we know, because we didn't bring up the predictive markets and all the rest of it, but the Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks this time last year, had you done this exercise exactly as we've done it now. Neither was a team that had odds that suggested they could be a playoff team, let alone representative of either the AFC or the NFC and ultimately Seattle being a Super Bowl champion. One thing we...

1:16:50Pardon? Coaching. That's why I always defer to coaching because we should have been hiring both those teams because they're coaches. That's a great point. And so in a league that nearly a third has turned over, some of whom have done it before, maybe coaching will be the reason that somebody ascends. But as certain as I am that I'm sitting right here right now talking to you, Mina Kimes, I'm certain that somebody we just ranked somewhere close to poop down in the 20s, maybe 25 or lower, could be a playoff team. So who's it going to be? I haven't got a freaking clue. The New Orleans Saints. You know what?

1:17:22And you can text me and go, hey, SVP, you bozo. No, I was too high. I regretted it the second I said it. I was too high. But you told me that you talked yourself into the Saints. I know I did. And I told you I talked myself into deshaun watson and you talked me out of it so thank you thank you for that all right i'm going to read them all to you and as we do this to wrap this up tell me which fan base is going to be the angriest at you uh after i revisit the entire rankings yep rams seahawks ravens broncos bills eagles patriots texans jags fun in our top 10. chargers cowboys packers chiefs Bengals, Lions, Bears, Bucks, Vikings, Commanders, to round out 20, Steelers, Colts, Giants, Saints, Panthers, Falcons, Raiders, Titans, Browns, Jets, Dolphins, Cardinals.

1:18:14Bears. I think Bears will be mad. Now, they weren't introduced. I didn't give them to you, though. Yes, it's not your fault. They weren't introduced early enough for me to take other teams ahead of them. But I think I took the Lions ahead of them right there. So I made a choice, one versus another. And I love the passion of Chicago. It's one of my favorite cities and they're long suffering. You should play in the city of Chicago. That's another thing that I have nothing to do with, but I picked a division rival over you and they got mad at me last year because I said, if I was the Packers, I'd be mad and want to fight after that whole F the Packers thing came out.

1:18:49So I just assume the Bears fans will be mad. I'm sure others will too, because everyone takes this very personally. Like I came to their house, knocked on the door and said, your child's stupid and your wife's ugly. Bears fans are very spirited these days. Spirited. But you know what? It's better. Like in college football, there are a lot of teams that you'll say it's more fun when they're good. It's way more fun when Chicago teams are good in sports. And I'd put the Bears very high on the list of that. So I love it that they're good. And if they're mad that I picked somebody ahead of them, it's just a fun list of summertime content.

1:19:20It is. And like I said, my choices dictated Scott's choices. Don't tell it in me. That concludes our Power Ranking series. Thank you so much to everybody who watched. Thank you to Scott. Go check. Oh, hey. Hey, Red. I was like, Red heard you talking. Red says hi to Lenny and to you. Thank you so much for giving me a chance to do this. Awesome. Go check out SVPod if you don't already, wherever you get your podcasts. We'll be back later this week to do the AFC South.

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