Justin Walstead and Peter Fenger are back for a historic episode of PTL Blitz, welcoming their very first GM special guest, Erik Terry-Haag of the Jacksonville Jaguars! Erik joins the crew to talk about life running the Jags, his roster plans, and how he sees his division shaking out in the AFC South. The guys also break down the offseason moves across all 32 teams, from Favre's retirement in Green Bay to the Peyton Manning era kicking off in Denver. Then it's time for Buy or Sell on every division leader and playoff contender, with the unbeaten Broncos and Rams leading the pack. The crew closes out with trade deadline speculation, can Denver's shaky secondary hold up, and will Miami start moving expiring contracts before the deadline hits? All that plus early stat leader predictions and a 2007 draft discussion. Don't miss it!

Transcript

Peter: [00:00:00] Welcome everybody to PTL Blitz. I'm your host, Peter Fanger, and I'm joined by the undefeated Rams GM, Justin Walstad. How you doing, Justin?

Justin: Doing great, as usual. How are you doing?

Peter: I'm doing well. Very excited for my, uh, my 5-1 Falcons, but I'm very excited because we have a very special guest with us. We have Eric Terryhaug with us, GM of the Jacksonville Jaguars. How you doing, Eric? Good. How are you guys doing?

Yeah, we're doing great. Very excited to have you on the show as our first GM to join us. Again, uh, we love being able to be part of our, our PTL community, so if you're interested in joining us, uh, hit us up. [00:01:00] Otherwise, we are so happy to have you as our third voice today. And I wanna kinda start here, Eric, because as you're the new guy how have you enjoyed the league as GM of the Jags so far?

Erik: It has been a blast. I mean, I, as a lot of people know, I've did Madden 08 leagues probably 10, 15 years ago. It's been a minimum 12, 13 years since I've been part of the community. Wow. And it's just brought back so many great memories of, uh, a lot of fun years doing this. I'm having a blast- And what was-

relearning all this stuff I knew ...

Peter: what was the team you, you GM'd prior to this?

Erik: The last one I can remember, I w- I was a longtime member of, uh, Monday Night Lights as the- Ooh ... Seattle Seahawks. Was terrible in that league. I actually had Peyton Manning and Calvin Johnson one time, and then I feel like it was GZL or one of those leagues, I joined in as the Packers right when they did a giant fantasy draft to start the league, like full roster fantasy draft.

Peter: Mm-hmm. That's awesome. And what, what was, what was the, [00:02:00] uh, the height of your GM record before coming onto this league?

Erik: I'm gonna be honest, I don't think I've ever made the playoffs. I was thinking about that. I, I think I sucked.

Peter: Yeah. Well, you know what? It's tough, and it's competitive, and it happens every year.

I wanna talk a little bit about your own r- uh, your own team right now. You are gone through a, a transition this off-season. What are your plans for the roster going forward?

Erik: I mean, it's, it's a rebuilding process. I kind of dubbed this off-season as the process and just trust the process. It's gonna be rough.

I've got a bit of a plan, trying to add pieces and, again, I'm making trades, and magically my team's winning, so- ... who knows what's going on, but just trying to add young talent and build this roster into something that can be competitive here in the next season or so.

Peter: Yeah. You know what, that's really fun is as you sort of build your rookies and you start to get things, I think especially in this [00:03:00] early piece when you get wins or you start to th- see things click, that's when you start to see the potential that you have, you know?

It can be kind of a frustrating process building up a rookie, but there are those moments that you kinda see through the frustration, and you can kind of enjoy a moment where you can see potential.

Erik: Yeah, for sure.

Justin: Yeah, I just wanted to ask Eric what, in real life, what is your favorite football team?

Erik: Uh, I am actually an Eagles fan that lives in Steelers country, so that's, I'm sure, gonna go over well with people.

Peter: it must be frustrating to to your neighbors to see how much success you've had in the past couple years.

Erik: What's weird is, uh, neighbors-wise, it's split between Steelers and Browns. Where I live, I'm just close enough in between where it's kinda 50/50, so- ... half of them love it, half of them hate it because they're Browns fans and they haven't seen much in the last 50 years.

Peter: [00:04:00] Yeah, poor Browns fans. I'm here in Ohio, so I, uh, I rub shoulders with those folks every day.

I wanna ask you a little bit about the division, right? How are you enjoying being in the AFC South, especially with the off-season that they've had?

Erik: It is currently not enjoyable. I went from having the division with, like, the top-tier quarterbacks to the division where everyone is rebuilding at the same time.

In about four or five years we're gonna be in the same situation where everyone has top-tier quarterbacks and it's just... It is gonna be a slugfest every single year with these guys. It's gonna be fun, though.

Peter: Do you have any rivals at this point?

Erik: I wouldn't say rivals. I think we all kinda take friendly jabs at each other.

Peter: Yeah. I know, uh, being in the, uh, the NFC West for a period of time, there was just something about the Seahawks that always got me. Their scripts are, like, crazy. And so, being in a different division in this league, I can breathe a sigh of relief whenever I see those 56 to 23 [00:05:00] scores. All right, guys, well, uh, It is week seven in the PTL, so we're almost, like, the halfway point, but I wanna, uh, get your guys' thoughts on the off-season as a whole, because our last show was at the very beginning, and so as we're recording this, we sort of get, uh, get an off-season, a little bit of the, little bit of the, uh, the first part of the season.

What are your feelings about your team now?

Justin: basically what I like about my off-season, uh, it'd be bringing in a couple of people in the draft, maybe three because my front safety rookie is now gonna get a chance to play, seeing as my starter, Kim Herring, went out for about seven weeks, so it, it'll be interesting to see how he plays.

But my running game, I'm really interested to see how... I've been really watching that, and that's been kind of the fun thing. I've never been really a running team. I've always been historically more of a passing team. And, um, you know, seeing that I [00:06:00] drafted him about midway through the second round it's interesting to s- me, to me to see how he's performing so far.

I mean, he's only gonna go up with the training camp. But, you know, like right now he's leading the league in touchdowns, and he's seventh all around in rushing yards. Mm-hmm. So, it makes me wonder what my identity is gonna be going forward, especially for this year if I can keep it balanced between passing and rushing.

So I'm, I'm excited for it to see w- how Michael Robinson basically performs. And then my cornerback, uh, Will Blackmon, I got him at 221. And I was comparing his stats to other rookie cornerbacks at this point, and he's so far tied in the lead for tackles and tackles for losses, and he has one interception.

So he's over-performing to this point. So they've been kind of a pleasant surprise in helping my team perform in areas where I thought I [00:07:00] was not gonna perform as well. Yeah, yeah. I mean, like, I didn't have to make a lot of moves this, moves this off-season luckily, because that'll be ne- in the next couple of seasons.

M- a lot of contracts didn't come up and whatnot. So I'm, uh, I'm fine overall with how my off-season went. And yeah, I have no regrets on what I drafted.

Peter: I know, Eric, you, your team has had a lot of changes this off-season. Again, a lot being built through the, uh, the draft. But I wanna ask you, what do you wish was different about your off-season?

Erik: Uh, what was different? I wish, I think I would've done things differently with how I scouted players. Mm-hmm. And also some of the moves I made trading picks and whatnot. I think I to- took too big of a swing banking on getting Vince Young. Mm-hmm. And then kind of reached on Jay Cutler, but I just, I feared if I didn't take him there I was gonna really screw myself waiting.[00:08:00]

Yeah. So bit of a reach on Cutler, but I'm getting- You know what? ... some of the stuff's just relearning and how GMs work and stuff that time of year. I'm finding out, man, you guys are crazy. On draft day trades and all that stuff.

Peter: Yeah. It's a, it's a very busy time of year. I think, uh, there are a couple players that really go heavy around that time, so activity is, uh, it's all over the place.

Justin: to Eric's point, Seriously, we really perf- we, we like recorded our show about a week maybe after the Super Bowl, and it was like Peyton Manning traded, Cha- Chad Pennington was traded. The entire league c- completely changed.

I, I'm like, how do people... Like, I was like, "I need a week to rest," essentially from, like, all, everything we went through, and then seeing how, how many changes were made within one week is just like, shit, if you're not, like, on it 24 hours after the Super Bowl, then you're, like, behind.

Peter: I [00:09:00] have a feeling that some of those things were being made, like, at the end of week 17.

But yeah, you're absolutely right. I mean, we recorded the last show right before our first free agency even began, and I feel like there were moves in that week that defined all of off-season. So I, uh, I know it's week seven, uh, but I do wanna get a chance to ramp up our off-season, and I will, I'll sort of take this and, um, I wanna go through the entire league very quickly and, uh, just kind of give a recap of everything that's been done this off-season.

Just makes sense as we look at the preview for the rest of the season. So, uh, starting with the AFC East Bills are in the Kyle Boller era. Dolphins keep their young guys keep growing. Uh, Patriots add running back depth in the draft, and then Jets a- add additional rookie additions.

This, I think, has translated into the Jets turning their, that, that roster around. We're [00:10:00] starting seeing them as three and three. So I think, uh, the rookie additions are making a difference in New York. Jumping over to the AFC North Ravens continue to get wide receiver weapons from Pittsburgh as well as the draft.

Bengals rebuild their offensive line as well as filling other starting spots in free agency. The Browns get some new w- offensive weapons and a cornerback in the draft, and then the Steelers become everybody's favorite trading partner.

Uh, the McCown brothers join Pittsburgh among a number of other veterans. The Steelers made a lot of trades this, this season. I think that it was those particular trades this off-season for the Steelers kinda gave them punch to take the lead in the division. Jumping over to the AFC West the Broncos are the off-season winners, the darlings.

It is the Manning era in Denver among a number of other names that joined this team between both veterans as well as within the draft. They just look great on both sides of that ball, trading for veterans and getting young guys. The Chiefs had a really good draft. They brought [00:11:00] in four first-round picks. Uh, the Raiders, they lose Derek Anderson, and it's becoming a huge missing piece in Oakland of who's gonna be the quarterback. Uh, and then the Chargers continue to bring in some bright new talent at right end, tight end.

Couple other of those veterans added, but I think, uh, the biggest moves was really Mario Williams there.

Jumping over to the NFC East, the Cowboys rebuild their offensive line, the Ed Reed Lewis. Giants slowly, steadily building their dr- their roster through the draft. Eagles took a- took advantage of some of these, uh, quality veterans made some big trades there. Um, we got, uh, KGB gr- uh, coming in from Green Bay this off-season.

And then Washington added a new quarterback and a new cornerback move. They're adding some some younger talent to that roster. Jumping over to the NFC North Bears continue to build their young roster in the draft. Lions stay the course, And the Packers have completely overturned their roster. Farve retires, they trade away their veterans. Uh, a t- a slew of new names on that roster. [00:12:00] But if you have one season and try to point your compass in a different direction, I think the Packers look pretty good. Vikings make a transition to Vince Young and take Brandon Marshall.

Those are some big moves as they say goodbye to Randy Moss.

Moving over to the NFC South Falcons add a couple more rookie pieces to their roster. The Panthers are the darlings with pick 1.01, where they selected D'Amico Ryans with their first pick. They also made a big pick for DeMarcus Ware, moved him to defensive end.

Uh, Saints gets a superstar in quarterback Jonathan Joseph. Couple other new young names from the draft. And then, uh, Bucs make a trade for quarterback Derek Anderson from Oakland. Jumping over and concluding with the NFC West Cardinals are the, uh, big trade guys here with a big trade for Chad Pennington.

He moves to Arizona. They also rebuild their wide receiver corps. A couple other additions like Andre Goodman, so a mix of veterans as well as drafting Antonio [00:13:00] Cromartie, uh, in the draft. So some new names there. Like, uh, Justin, you had mentioned that you stayed the path. You added a couple of rookies including halfback Michael Robinson, who's leading the league.

And then 49ers rebuild their defense with veterans. Also quarterback Brooks Bollinger joins them to San Francisco. And then Seahawks just adding more players to the roster. As I looked at sort of the landscape of off-season, couple of names that stuck out for me, Jets, Steelers, Colts, Broncos, Eagles, Packers, Panthers, Cardinals.

I thought the Jets make this list because they're adding a bunch of rookies, and it's starting to change the landscape of the, the roster's record. Uh, they're r- currently three and three. I think the Steelers continue to make good moves for veteran players. We're starting to see them take the lead in that division.

I thought the Colts made a really interesting change, especially when you're moving away from a huge name like Peyton Manning, but you get Chris Sims and a number of other names. I think that they've got the foundation to build. The Broncos are gonna be the, uh, off-season darlings, again, making great [00:14:00] moves on both the trades as well as the draft.

Eagles made some really interesting trades, I thought. And it it makes a lot of sense in my mind why they're leading that division because the veterans that they've added gives that sort of veteran roster a real shot in the arm. Packers, I thought, did a really good job of just trying to turn over that leaf.

This is the first season of them transitioning after Favre. You do with the best you got, and I think they did an okay job. Uh, I think the Panthers probably won the, uh, the off-season moves. Again, they were kind of losing out to get that pick 1.1. Uh, they used it well. They got some new guys, and I think they've got some quality players to really build around.

Uh, and then Cardinals are going to be, uh, my winner for the NFC West. Chad Pennington move is huge, and you can immediately see them as a playoff contender. Any other thoughts on the off-season? I know, uh, it's week seven, and we can kind of move on, but I just wanted to take a moment to, uh, recognize all the changes that happened.

Erik: I think it was pretty interesting. Uh, I mean, going through the off-season, like we're talking about the draft picks and [00:15:00] whatnot, it seemed like every day there was a bombshell trade, whether it was Peyton Manning Champ Bailey, even from Washington getting traded, that huge haul, Randy Moss. I mean, and even this season the Bills giving up on Ricky Williams, uh, sending him my way.

That- Yeah ... I feel like that was a pretty big trade too, to trade that caliber of a player mid-season.

Peter: Yeah. Yeah, we did see a lot of big names, and I, I think people paid some, some quality prices for them as well. I think, you know, it takes a, a, a roster like the Steelers to make maybe like a big trade, or even just like the Cowboys, right?

They made a big trade for Raid Lewis. You get those, those sort of big-name pieces and you continue to build in that, that one space. And then I think s- things sort of like come out of that, right? You know, I know Justin, you made a huge trade for Maurice Mann, and, um, I think that the price you paid there ends up giving you a, a [00:16:00] blueprint on how to build the rest of your roster around that

Justin: Yeah, and the, the thing I wanna just say real quickly about the off-season before I move off I'm not gonna talk about a specific team in general, I'm just gonna talk about a, a kind of overall observation.

Um, and I mentioned this to you before via text, was that this was the first season where I felt like the landscape was completely different. You know, it felt like it was like certain teams were gi- and I, I was one of them, that was given a good roster, and then some teams were given horrible rosters, but this is like, this feels like this was the moving the needle as far as changing that dynamic.

And so I was really interested. And we- i- interestingly enough, we're, we're playing the exact same roster as week one, so it's interesting to see the same opponents you played that, that season versus this one, and you're like, "Oh, those people I thought I would win against." [00:17:00] And then this one you're like, "Well, I don't really know anymore."

So

Peter: just,

Justin: it was kinda interesting. That we're, we're, we're in that shift right now where it's like now the teams are starting to take the form that GMs are trying to make.

Peter: Yeah. Are you there, are there any particular teams that come to mind when you talk about that shift?

Justin: Cowboys

Peter: Yeah

Justin: I think they had Chris Simms.

Now they have Drew Brees. You know, I was... That was, to me, the reason I made the trade for Maurice Mann after it was like I need to see if, how I do against the Cowboys. And once I was able to have a good performance against that, I said, "Okay, maybe my season's in a, a position where I should go all in."

Mm-hmm. And you know, Broncos, Obviously they got Peyton Manning, so, you know, and I, I know that Chargers won it, won the Super Bowl, so [00:18:00] they don't look like the favorites right now, so things are changing really quickly. And- Mm-hmm ... as you mentioned, Cardinals. So, I mean, you mentioned a few teams that, or the dynamic has changed pretty significantly since the the season one, so.

Yeah.

Peter: Yeah, I would agree. Eric, are there any, uh, teams when you think of a changed landscape in 2020 a changed landscape in 2006 that come to your mind?

Erik: I think one team that doesn't get talked of- enough about is the 49ers. Mm. If you look at some of the moves, they flipped that roster around. And to be fair, that 49ers roster from back in the day was garbage.

I believe, if I'm right, Brady was the last team to get a pick when selecting rosters, so I think, uh, a lot of the moves he made during the off-season to try to be competitive in a very, very, very tough division, I don't think the record really shows how much work he put into the off-season and just how much talent got added.

I mean, he made a ton of moves [00:19:00] and brought that roster back from kind of being a fledgling team to he's got a chance this year. He just gotta stay healthy. He's been very, very unlucky with that stuff.

Peter: Yeah. I have also kind of noticed that injury bug kind of affecting their, their their outlook. But you are right, they did a, they did m- some major moves.

They traded out of the draft in order to get some quality veterans, and they got it from a number of different teams. I would almost kind of compare how the Steelers rebuilt their offense with how the 49ers rebuilt their defense just spending a lot of picks and collateral in order to get your veterans.

But those are guys with two, three years on their contract, so what you see here in San Francisco is going to be the blueprint for next year as they build upon it.

Justin: Right, and I just want to add to that real quickly I'm, you know, I was talking the other day, I think it was Friday about, you know, the NFC West giving the NFC East a run for their money, 'cause Apollo loves to [00:20:00] talk about how tough the NFC East is for the toughest division in the NFC.

And the response from Brady was that, you know, he gave me a, a sad face stitch from Disney, you know, 'cause his record's not showing it. But I did make the point that, like, your quarterback has been being injured, and his quarterback right now has the highest QBR. So- Yeah ... I really don't take much in whatever his record says, you know?

So I, I, I just wanna, I just wanna emphasize that I think he is a strong part of the NFC West, and it's just unfortunate going through injuries. And trust me, I understand-

Peter: Yeah. Yeah, it's, it's part of the game, but it's a frustrating part of the game. How do you prepare for something like that?

Justin: You don't.

Well,

Peter: I know that we wanna talk a little bit more about the outlook for this season, but let's just c- paint the current picture of how we sit now [00:21:00] that we are in week seven. Right now the Broncos lead the AFC with a 5-0 record. Behind them is the Titans with 4-1, the Patriots with 4-2. The Steelers are leading their division with 3-2, and then in the wild cards, Chargers with 4-2 record, and Texans 3-3, with the Chiefs, Jets, and Dolphins also tied for 3-3, so that sixth spot is getting pretty spicy.

Jumping over to the NFC, the Rams, Justin, your team, are, is undefeated with 6-0. Uh, the Falcons behind them with a 5-1 record. Eagles leading their division with 4-1, and Vikings leading their division with 3-2. Cowboys and Cardinals in the wild card with a 4-2 record, and Seahawks behind them with 4-2, and Washington with 3-2.

So that's sort of the outlook there.

I wanna pass it over to you, Justin, 'cause I know you have a really nice [00:22:00] buy and sell segment, and I think that that sort of paints the landscape that we're stepping into.

Justin: All right. Buy and sell is pretty simple. Just to do a recap of what it means, if you bu- like, I'm gonna read statements, and all these statements are basically based off current standings. First thing I wanna go over is cur- current divisional leaders. In the AFC North, we have the Steelers. Will the Steelers win the AFC North? Let's start with you, Pete.

Peter: So I'd buy it. When I'm looking at this divisional ranking right now, the Ravens, whom I thought would be the biggest competitor to them, is sitting at one and five, which is kind of an kind of a unlikely record for Norv and his team. But also, I saw the Bengals taking steps forward, but they're three...

They're two and three. The Bengals are two and three right now, uh, only a game behind the Steelers. So I think really in that division it's gonna come down to Bengals or Steelers, and I [00:23:00] do have the Steelers above them

Erik: I'm gonna buy the Steelers. I think it's gonna be very, very close, but I'm gonna buy the Steelers. They're actually ranked quite a bit higher on offense, which is surprising, 'cause the Bengals had a pretty high-powered offense last year, but it's just not quite holding up as good.

Although the Steelers have a worse defense, but I'm, I'm gonna take Randy Moss. I think he's the, uh, game-changer for the Steelers offense and helping them win the division.

Justin: Good detection. I will buy as well. Moving on to AFC East, Patriots are currently the leader, divisional leaders. Will they win the AFC East?

Peter: So right now the A- the AFC East is in a hunt between the four and two Patriots, the three and three Jets, and the three and three Dolphins. This is gonna be one of those divisions where it's going to be a team with eight and eight or nine and seven, something like that. I think that the Patriots are probably the ones that benefit most [00:24:00] from an injury like Kyle Boller, because that just hurts the Bills.

You know, we've already sort of seen some of the pieces being sold off, so I think that the Bills are kind of in a different space competitively than they were last year, and I think the Patriots are one to, to kind of step in. I think that the experience of the Patriots is going to be the difference between that and, say, like, the Jets or the Dolphins.

So I'd buy it. I think the Patriots are gonna lead, but it'll be interesting to see how those other teams are going to navigate this change in the, uh, the division.

Erik: I'm gonna buy the Patriots as well. When you have the best quarterback in the division in Tom Brady, you gotta feel pretty good. If they can avoid the injury bug they had last year, that roster was very, very good and just got so unfortunately lucky late in the year with multiple injuries.

Their defense has been a bit of a struggle this year. I mean, they're ranked 30th in the, uh, run game, giving up about 133 yards a game. [00:25:00] If they can tighten that up a bit, I think they're gonna have a pretty easy two-game clear of the Jets, who I think are gonna finish second in the division, and are having a very good season as well

Justin: All right, I'll buy as well. Going to the AFC South Titans will win the AFC South.

Peter: Yeah, it certainly seemed like the team to benefit most from some of the changes that were flipped in this division is gonna be the Titans, as they already sort of had a leg up on youth and experience.

Dante Culpepper was clearly a, a huge trade for them and it certainly looks like the future. So as you sort of see the progression of quarterbacks he's sort of, like, leading the pack right now. After we had so many experienced quarterbacks kind of take over that division, it's now kind of flipped.

The Titans have the most experienced roster, and I think that the changes that they've made with the Texans and the [00:26:00] Colts and your Jaguars, Eric, I think it just provides a space for the Titans to take advantage of that inexperience and take the division. So I buy it.

Erik: I'm buying this. It is a lock.

The Titans will win the division. I mean, Culpepper by far is the best quarterback in the division. You've got Samari Rolle, who is generating a ton of turnovers on defense, Javon Kearse, Tank Williams, Terrence Holt. I mean, they have talent everywhere on that roster

Justin: All right, I will buy as well. and finally to the last division in the AFC, AFC West.

Broncos are currently the leader. They will win the AFC West.

Peter: Uh, yeah, I'd buy it. I think that the Broncos are probably the most talented roster in the AFC, if not the league. So yeah, I don't think that there is a team underneath them that can challenge them. So when we look at the number one [00:27:00] seed, I think it, it begins with Denver

Erik: I think Denver will win.

I think it is gonna be very close. They're scoring almost 40 points a game. But matchup-wise, you put them and the Chargers together, it's closer than I think the last matchup seemed to be. And I think by the end of the year, it's gonna come down to the last week or two, but the Broncos are barely gonna take it

Justin: All right, moving on to the NFC starting with the NFC North. Vikings are currently the leaders of the NFC North and will win the NFC North. Before you start talking, Pete I just wanted to say generally I'm kind of surprised with this division how much of a turn it's taken. They were the m- they felt like they were, like, the dominant division in our, in the NFC, and it seems like they've all kind of taken a step back this season.

Yeah.

Peter: Yeah, it has really changed their landscape to where we start to see the [00:28:00] top two teams are the Vikings and the Lions, and then the Bears and the Packers are sort of, like, back of the league right now

Erik: I'm gonna be honest, I'm not taking the, um, I'm gonna sell on this one.

I'm gonna go with the Detroit Lions. I think they're a team that has oddly struggled even though they rank top 10 in most passing stats outside of pa- passing offensive game. Give me the Lions. I feel more confident in their roster right now. I think the Vikings are gonna be really good in the future, but give me Detroit right now.

Peter: I think the Li- the Vikings have the right roster to grow with, but I think that the strategy is to play McNair enough to win games to be a playoff contender, and to play Vince Young enough to grow his stats. I'm wondering if that will get in the way. You know, it's a, it's a one day, one game difference, but the Vikings have a 3-0 lead on the [00:29:00] division.

I know I, I first started with sell. I might buy it just because of that divisional record might be the difference. You know, Bears and Packers, Bears lost their quarterback, that's a brutal injury, and the Packers are trying to figure out what to do with their quarterback situation, uh, after having drafted Matt Leinart.

So, uh, it certainly looks like the division's between the Lions and the Vikings. Vikings have a pretty good lead right now. I think I'd buy it.

Justin: I have a follow-up question. Um, if I remember correctly, the, uh, Lions I think have the most vet quarterback at this point.

Peter: Yes, Donovan. Um,

Justin: what do you think is causing their struggles this year, like why they're not making a step forward?

Peter: Well, let's see. They lost against Vikings and they lost against Eagles, and they lost against Redskins. I think the Redskins is probably the one where you're scratching the head the most. Eagles have got a good roster and the Vikings are a [00:30:00] divisional game.

They lost by three points in a 41 to 38 game. So I, I kind of put the divisional game as, like, it could've been a coin flip at that point. I can't really s- figure out, like, what maybe their, their frustrations are. It doesn't look like they're showing up in, like, an injury report or something like that.

I think it might just be that they need more games before their record kinda, like, evens out

Erik: It's a little odd. McNabb seems, for as elite as he is stat-wise, he seems to go hot and cold. He's gonna give you a week two stat line, five touchdowns, no interception, or like he played against Washington or the Eagles, where he's gonna throw three interceptions. His game is so weird sometimes where an elite quarterback will just have a dud and start throwing bad throws.

Mm.

Peter: It does seem to be a little bit more of the passing game. Maybe Anquan Boldin's just not quite making the [00:31:00] pop-off moves he did last year.

Justin: Okay. Um, so moving on to the NFC East. Right now the Eagles are leading. The Eagles will win the NFC East, buy or sell?

Peter: That one's tough because I, I either see the Eagles...

I see the Eagles and the Cowboys both in that the, the playoff predictions. It's tough. I, I probably see the Cowboys getting a slight edge just because they've done a really good job of turning over that roster to next year. But the Eagles did a really good job of adding veterans, and that might be the difference.

So you know what? I'm gonna say I'd buy it. I think the Eagles are the team to beat in this division. I know the Cowboys looked really great last year. But I think the Eagles might surprise

Erik: This one I s- it may be the closest toss-up there is. I'm gonna sell and say the [00:32:00] Cowboys by a fraction of a margin.

I mean, the Eagles, that secondary's absolutely sick. I would hate to be in that division. I mean, Leo Shepard, Delta O'Neal, and Champ Bailey are the corners you're dealing with on top of the safety talent. It's just... God, that has gotta suck to be in that division. Drew Brees has got his work cut out for him, but that Dallas Cowboys roster just has enough talent that I think they're the one team that can kinda run it back, and if they stay healthy, watch them to make a deep playoff run again.

Peter: Yeah, it, I think the biggest frustration has to be from the Giants who are losing q- Tony Romo for a few more weeks. When you're three and three, and number 14 in the league, in your fourth place, and you're 0 and three in division, that does not spell a playoff performance, and you're just, like, kinda missing it out even though the record's right there.

So that's gotta be frustrating. And then the Redskins are also in that mix for [00:33:00] a wildcard hunt. It, it's tough when you're so close to uh, like a, a, a really good competitive team, but your division is just so darn good. That's frustrating

Justin: Yeah, I'm just gonna say real quickly on a personal note Paulo, I saw your note that you're gonna be taking a step back for health reasons and mental reasons, and I just wanted to say that, you know, we completely understand, or at least I do.

And you know, you're a great part of the league and we wanna make sure that you, uh, stay a part of it, 'cause you make our league stronger, not weaker. So s- love out there, bro. Well said. Moving on to NFC South you're in the lead, Pete by a pretty big margin. I think by three or so wins. And, uh, you will win the NFC South.

Personally, I'd buy it.

Peter: I mean, I, I [00:34:00] hate to talk about my own team and that divi- and, and my own division. Uh, I still have yet to play like, a majority of the divisional games, so I'll see how that, those sort of, uh, bear out. But hey, we've got a really great start. Um, you know, I think the only thing that was, like, really holding us back is we lost our rookie for the season.

That doesn't really affect the rest of the division, especially since, um, last year's strong safety steps in as our starting safety. But hey, we got a really great start, and, uh, it's really nice to see some of the changes in that division. Like, I, I see the effort that the Panthers put in, and I see the changes in the Buccaneers, and the Saints constantly grow.

I think it's only a matter of time before things start to even out. But maybe it's not this year, and I am able to see another trip to the, the playoffs. So I, I'm buying it right now.

Justin: Sorry, uh, Eric, before you, you chime in, I just wanted to ask Peter out of those teams that are in development right now, which one are you most concerned about?

Peter: [00:35:00] Yeah. You know, the Panthers defense of getting Damico Ryan and Demarcus Ware at left end, that really spells disaster for for my team.

I think Demarcus Ware has six sacks already on the season, and I think Damico Ryan ha- is leading in tackles. So both of those players are incredible talent, and I know Darren spent a lot of time to convert Ware into a, a defensive end, so I think that those are the right moves, especially when you have transitioned from Julius Peppers into an incredible other weapon.

So yeah, that is probably the one that I am most afraid of

Erik: For me, I'm gonna go with a lock on the Falcons for my NFC lock. Yeah, it's j- it's just, yeah, you are set up to win now. You got some team in your divisions that, uh... You are the team they are building to beat against, and they will be, [00:36:00] uh, knocking at your door very, very soon, I think, as your division competitor.

Justin: All right, moving on to finally the NFC West. I'm the... Currently the Rams are the leading team in that division. The Rams will win the NFC West.

Peter: Uh, yeah, I'd buy that. Again, 6 and 0 is no is, is not a fluke. I think maybe the bigger surprise is, is that the Cardinals have lost two and the Seahawks have won four.

So you have a very tough division, and unfortunately only probably two of those teams are gonna make it. You've got four great teams. We just talked a little bit about how awesome the, uh, the 49ers are, just a little bit of bad luck. The Seahawks are sneaky, are, are such a sneaky team to play against.

But I do buy it. I think that the Rams are the team to beat.

Erik: I'm gonna go with the Rams as well. That, that division is so tough. I mean, the Cardinals have revamped that roster in a very short... I mean, you look at last [00:37:00] year and they were wholesaling. Like, their whole roster they shipped out of town, brought in a brand new roster and have flipped it around.

The 49ers have such a good roster and have been so unlucky. I mean, that massive shootout with the Cardinals, that was a record-breaking game. Yeah. They had another one with the Seahawks. I mean, they are in every game, have just had trouble with injuries. And even with you adding, uh, Maurice Mann, you just added a weapon to try to hold off the other teams that are just at your ankles just waiting to strike.

It's, it's gonna be who can stay healthy in that division, I think. And I, I believe you will be the one who hopefully can stay the healthiest and hold off for your division win

Justin: Well, if it comes down to health, I'm screwed. No, I'm just kidding. But anyways, moving on to playoffs. Wild card round, uh, currently the Chargers are in the wild card slot, one [00:38:00] of the slots.

Will they make the wild card?

Peter: Yeah, I, I would agree. Yeah, I'd buy that. I think that the Chargers are one of those teams that are edging their way toward first in that division. I, I think that they are at least a lock for a playoff sp- appearance.

Erik: Yeah, I will say that as well. I think they are head and shoulders the best wild card team right now in the AFC

Justin: All right, and then the second team that's currently slotted in is the Texans.

Well, the w- Texans will make the, the wild card

Peter: See, it's tough because the Texans are in an environment where you have young quarterbacks all around, with maybe the exception of the Titans. And so they're positioned in a way to where they can take the success of Phil Rivers and build on it. Larry Johnson is a really good running back.

They [00:39:00] have some quality weapons on, on defense on that team. But just taking a look at some of the teams that are sort of knocking on that door, the Chiefs are three and three the Jets and the Dolphins also three and three, and then I also put the Bengals in there as well. I think that the team that might have the biggest opportunity to step into that might be the Bengals, just talent-wise.

Like, I think that you are starting to see the benefits of Carson Palmer now in Uh, he's making some pretty big plays with Chad Johnson and, and gang. So I, I think that that could be the team to really step in and be that sixth seed. But as I look at either the Jets and the Dolphins, the Texans I, I think that it's gonna come to that.

I think the Chiefs are in a division where you're playing against the Chargers and the Broncos, and that's gonna hurt you. Like, that... Those are probably going to be the, the, the teams that are going to knock you out of sort of that sixth contention. So where [00:40:00] I think the Tex- Texans have a, have a strong grasp now, I think that the teams to look out for would be either the Jets or the Bengals to step in.

Even the Colts, that could be an opportunity, too. So now I sell. I don't think the Texans are gonna be there in the sixth spot. It'll be somebody different.

Erik: Oh, you stole my team. You didn't say them the whole time. I was sitting, waiting to swoop in. I'm gonna sell the Texans, not because I think Anthony's roster isn't good.

It, it truly is. Philip Rivers I think is gonna be a great quarterback for them. They have a lot of wide receiver weapons. Larry Johnson is an absolute beast. That offensive line is great. I'm not fully sold that the Colts aren't going to make a run. They don't have Peyton Manning, but this Chris Sims took the Broncos very deep into the playoffs.

They still have Reggie Wayne. They still have Edgerrin James. They still have a lot of talent on that defense. I [00:41:00] think- Well, just say- ... they've been unlucky, but I- I'm gonna sell, and I think the Colts or Bengals as well could be right on them.

Justin: To your point, the Colts did give the Broncos a run for their money about a week or two ago, and- Mm

it came down to, what, a last second touchdown that put the Broncos over the top. So- Yeah ... Chris Sims was right in that game

Erik: I think we're early enough in the season, some teams' records aren't a true indication of where they're gonna be at in another six or seven weeks.

Justin: Yeah. All right, moving on to the NFC.

Cowboys will be the wild card team.

Peter: Yeah, I think so. Uh, the only other team I can see them, like, knocking out of that five spot would be either the Cardinals or the Seahawks. Like, both of those teams are just playing so well, I think it'll... It, it really come to that. We actually might see, like, either the Eagles, the Cowboys, or the Redskins, like, outside of the wild card just because of how strong the NFC West is this [00:42:00] season.

So I sell. I don't, I don't know if the Cowboys are gonna be that fifth seed. So I think that it will come down to either the Cardinals or the Seahawks

Erik: I think I'm gonna hesitantly buy the Cowboys. If I'm putting money down, I'm gonna put a little bit. I'm not putting a whole lot down because of just, and Paul is gonna love this, how stacked the NFC is, and especially for that wild card.

There is gonna be a really good team miss the playoffs, but I think the Cowboys are just talented enough, they should get themselves in at the five or six at least.

Peter: And I think the one team that we might not be considering in that wild card spot is the Lions. Right now, the Vikings are, are, have taken the, the division, but the Lions are there, and I, I'm looking at the teams around it, they're like one of the few teams with like a positive net points when I'm looking at sort of the, uh, the playoff rankings.

And then [00:43:00] also don't c- discount the, the Redskins. Like, the Redskins might be the reason why the Cowboys are in that fifth spot because of enough wins and losses in division

Justin: All right. Right, currently right now the second team that is in the wildcard slot is the Cardinals. The Cardinals will be a wildcard team, buy or sell?

Peter: I buy that because I just don't see the Cardinals dethroning the Rams in the, the, the division. But I do see them being a competitive player as a wildcard, so yes, I buy it.

They are playoff bound.

Erik: I'm gonna sell and not... Again, the Card- we, we, we're talking about this whole thing. The Cardinals are really good, but so are the Seahawks, so are the Lions, so are the 49ers. There are just so many good teams, I can't confidently say yes, the Cardinals are gonna be the [00:44:00] team that is just a bit better than everyone else to hold onto one of those five or six seats

Justin: All right. Now we're moving on to seeding of the playoffs. Starting off with the AFC Broncos will be a top two seed.

Peter: Uh, yeah, that's... I buy it. I, I don't have any hesitation in thinking that the Broncos are going to be the best team in, in the league.

Erik: Yeah, I, I'll buy that. It's, they should be a top two seed

Justin: And then secondly, the Titans will be the top two seed

Peter: I also buy that as well.

I think that the Titans will do enough to where they take that, that second seed but also remain competitive for the playoffs. So what I mean by that is, is even if they're resting starters, it will be all in strategy of keeping that [00:45:00] second seed

Erik: I'm gonna sell only for the reason that I believe New England is gonna get that number two seed.

I think it's gonna be close between them and the Titans, but looking at New England's schedule, they just have a slightly easier schedule down the line than, uh, Tennessee will.

Peter: Hmm. I didn't consider that. I still think that, that the teams in the AFC East will knock them down enough to where there won't be com- competition for the Titans to take that second seed.

But good point.

Justin: All right, moving on to the NFC. Starting off currently the Rams are in the first seed. Rams will be a top two seed.

Peter: Yeah, I'd buy that. No, no doubts there

Erik: Yeah. With a, with a six and O start, you, you know, set yourself up pretty well to end up being one of the, uh, top two seeds

Justin: All right.

And Pete, [00:46:00] you are currently slotted in the second seed. Falcons will be a top two seed.

Peter: Uh, yeah, I buy that. I think when you look at my schedule, I have, like, the weakest or easiest schedule this year. So, uh, yeah, I buy it. I, I think that the Falcons can be up there in the number two

Erik: I'm gonna sell on this one.

Five and one record is an amazing start. My God, do you play a lot of close games. Looking at your win-loss, you're w- you're winning every week, but man, it is just barely. I'm wondering how many of those games could flip later on in the year as you face someone like the Rams, Cardinals, Seahawks, 49ers. You got some tough games coming up, where you're gonna be safely in the playoffs, but I'm just wondering how close it's gonna be between you and the NFC East as that number two seed, who gets that bye.

Peter: Good [00:47:00] point. They are, uh, they are good teams in the NFC East

Justin: All right now that we have the seeds settled, I wanna look at some preseason predictions specifically from Darryl and Will who decided to post articles and see if you agree with their preseason sentiments. For the NFC Conference Championship, they're putting Minnesota at Detroit.

Do you agree with that matchup?

Peter: So they're, they're thinking that it's going to be Minnesota and Detroit in the championship for the NFC I don't, but mostly because I'm not confident in the Vikings being able to get to the championship. I, I think, like, the quarterback situation doesn't really give me with enough... The quarterback and the wide receiver situation doesn't give me enough confidence that I think that they can [00:48:00] compete enough to get to the championship game.

I think, I think a playoff appearance is in their, in their future. I, I don't know if it's the championship. Detroit, I could see it. Yeah, they need to kinda get over a couple of these, like, early season jitters, but I, I can see Detroit in the championship

Erik: I don't see Minnesota being there. Pre-season I would've said, yeah, that actually sounds pretty good, but as of now they're just not playing that fantastically.

I can see Detroit. I mean, get to the playoffs. If you have the best quarterback in the divi- in the conference, you're gonna feel pretty good that he may win you a couple games

Justin: All right, and his, uh, AFC Championship prediction is it's New Le- New England at Denver. Do you agree with that?

Peter: Yeah, I think that this is, like, pretty square on. You know, we talked a little bit about how the Patriots could be that number two seed. [00:49:00] So yeah, I, I buy it. I think, like, New England and Denver is a good, good prediction

Erik: I'm gonna agree with that. I think between New England and Denver, well, Denver I think is gonna be a lock here. I think it's gonna be a very tough matchup between New England and Tennessee. I think you can make great arguments for either side on who could be in here probably facing Denver. But- Yeah ... I could see New England on a coin flip being here

Justin: All right, seeing as you both are in agreement with that AFC prediction he also said the Broncos are gonna win that match up.

Do you agree with that?

Peter: Yeah, I would agree with that. I think they're the top team to be in this league right now. You know, the playoffs are always kind of wild card, but as of right now, with the information that we know, I think that the, uh, Broncos are, are looking at a, at a Super Bowl

Erik: I'm gonna agree with you.

Uh, right now, [00:50:00] based off what we can see with our eye test through six weeks, Broncos seem like they could be the best team. Uh, it, it's win or bust for them

Justin: All right, moving over to Will's predictions starting off with the NFC. He had Dallas and Cardinals in the NFC Championship. Do you buy or sell?

Peter: Yeah, I, I could buy this. So like we, we can both see Cowboys and Cardinals coming in on like a playoff spot, right? In a wild card spot. And, you know, just assume that they just keep winning and keep winning, there can be an opportunity where they just end up in the conference. So yeah, I'd buy it. I, I can see Dallas and Ca- and, and the Cardinals in the championship for the NFC

Erik: I could see that, but I could see if the Cardinals get there, the Cardinals pulling something out.

I don't know what it is. People talk about the Peyton Manning code. I don't [00:51:00] think enough people talk about the Chad Pennington code. He owns two of the top five all-time passing records, which he has set two of them in the last two seasons. I was unfortunately part of one of them, so never doubt Chad Pennington.

You know it too well.

Justin: All right. Seeing as you both are in agreement with the NFC Championship, in that scenario Dallas wins is the prediction of Darryl. Do you agree or disagree?

Peter: You mean Will.

Justin: Sorry, Will.

Peter: Why don't you say it again? We can get a good recording.

Justin: Gotcha. So seeing as you both are in agreement, Will's, uh, NFC Conference prediction, Dallas versus Cardinals he also predicted that Dallas would win.

Are you both... Do you buy that or do you sell it?

Peter: I buy it. Yeah, I can see that.

Erik: I could see Dallas winning. I think [00:52:00] it'd be a close game, but I think Dallas, uh, probably has the overall slightly better roster

Justin: All right. Will's, uh, predictions for the AFC Conference Championship is also the Patriots and the Broncos.

We already went over that. In this scenario, he put the Patriots winning. I know you guys both were favorable of the Broncos. Is there any chance that you think the Patriots can win?

Peter: Sure, absolutely. Like, they're, you know, the, the Peyton Manning code says that it comes down to the fourth quarter in some of these games.

So yeah, absolutely a good chance the Patriots could win, and we can see a Dallas and Patriots Super Bowl

Erik: I do think there is a chance just like Donovan McNabb, every once in a while you'll catch Peyton Manning having a dud game where he'll go touchdown, two interceptions. He'll throw for some yards, but just, just like McNabb, every once in a while he'll just have a game where he [00:53:00] makes some bad decisions.

Justin: All right. So then it sounds like you both would be in agreement with this being a potential Super Bowl, Dallas versus the Patriots

Peter: Yep, I, I can see it happening

Erik: I think it'd be fun. Give me the rematch, it'd be a fun watch. Give me a healthy pass squad against Dallas, let's see what happens. We

Justin: ready All right, if, if that scenario did occur Will has it that Dallas would win.

Do you buy or sell?

Peter: Yeah, I would agree with that as well. I think, uh, I think Dallas could beat a Patriots team, as we've seen in the past. History repeats

Erik: I would probably give this one to New England. I think a lot of last year was them unfortunately losing two of their top wide receivers. I still think it would be a very close game.

Dallas is very talented. I think New England just [00:54:00] overall has a slightly better roster. That Dallas offensive line is a little bit sketchier than it was last year, so I think Drew Brees probably will have a few more QB hits where he has incompletions throwing it away, or he gets a couple more sacks than he would have.

So I think things could swing New England's way in a very close game

Justin: All right, now that the, uh, Super Bowl and playoffs have been determined I just wanna look at the 2007 draft. And I wanna say that the Raiders will have the top pick in next year's draft. Buy or sell?

Peter: I think that the Packers might give them a run for their money. I know that the Bears just lost their quarterback too.

So there are a bit more, like, one in five teams, and that can compete for that space right now. So I'm not confident that the Raiders will have the top pick. The top pick.

Justin: So you sell?

Peter: I sell.

Erik: I'm gonna sell as well. There's currently nine teams [00:55:00] sitting at two and four or worse. Just number-wise, I mean, the Raiders are gonna end up getting a couple wins.

They're not a winless roster. I, I think it's just, it's more likely someone else gets it than them. So yeah, I'm, I'm gonna sell as well

Justin: All right. I'm gonna move on to some player performances, uh, looking at passing leaders, rushing leaders, receiving leaders, and defensive leaders. This is, uh, once again based off current stats.

But right now QB Peyton Manning will finish the season for passing leader. He will finish the season with the most passing yards, highest QBR, and most touchdowns.

Peter: Well, that's kinda hard to do 'em all, but if there's anybody that can do it, it's Anthony and the Denver Broncos, so I buy it

Erik: I'm gonna sell.

I think he's gonna hit s- most [00:56:00] of those. I think someone's gonna snipe him on QBR.

Peter: Somebody that just has a, a portion of the season. He comes in with, like, like, uh, 50 passing throws and then ends up with the le- lose- leaving the season.

Erik: He's gotta be eligible, but someone's gonna come in and just be really efficient and just not have flashy numbers.

Like, give me one of the 49ers quarterbacks.

Peter: Yeah, there you go.

Erik: I- Like, one of them are gonna... One of the two that plays, one of them's gonna have... go off and snap the Q- just, uh, snipe the QBR- I'm, I'm- ... and break the quadruple crown ...

Peter: I'm just looking at, like, some of the other quarterbacks around Manning. So it's Pennington, Brady, Hasselbeck, Manning, Culpepper, Warner, McCown, Alex Smith, Donovan.

That's the top, top 10. I think the on- the, the two that I probably have most confidence in being able to compete would be Pennington or Brady, and I know that Pennington has too many turnovers for the [00:57:00] QBR to last. Possibly Tom Brady if, you know, Brandon Lloyd can keep going, and Deion Branch. Like, those are good wide receivers.

So we- I think it'll either come down to Manning or Brady, and I still have Manning above that

Justin: All right. Looking at rushing leaders currently halfback Deshaun Foster has the most rushing yards. He will finish the se