00:00All right, John, floor is yours.
00:02Take us through the NFL season as you see it.
00:05Here we go.
00:06Who's going to be in the Super Bowl?
00:08Who's going to win the postseason awards?
00:10I'm going to start in the AFC much like you did.
00:12And my number one team, much like you, is Buffalo.
00:15And I do think the addition of DJ Moore is it's a huge step for Josh Allen.
00:21He's not going to have to be the guy that is everything for this offense.
00:25And yes, they've got a great running game and they've had options for him to throw the ball to.
00:30But I think this is the best receiver that he's been throwing to for his time there.
00:36And he's increased his efficiency.
00:38He's not going to have to run.
00:39And I think it's going to help with the wear and tear on his body long term.
00:44But especially when you get to weeks 15, 16, 17.
00:47So they're my number one seed in the AFC.
00:50The winner of the West, AFC West, the Denver Broncos.
00:55And as much as I think there's a lot of people that just can't stand Sean Payton, I understand it.
01:00He is an unbelievable coach.
01:02They had a defense last year that was just terrorizing quarterbacks.
01:07They do the same thing.
01:08They end up winning the West.
01:09And I know this is one you're going to roll your eyes at.
01:12But the number three seed in the AFC is coming out of the South.
01:16And it's the Houston Texans.
01:19That defense, again, I just mentioned Denver's defense, Houston's defense.
01:24And I think C.J. Stroud is an aware quarterback that understands that he is in a position that he
01:32has to put up or shut up.
01:34If he doesn't have a good year, they're going to move on from him to whoever they want to try
01:38and fix that quarterback situation.
01:40I think this year he gets back to what he was in his second year where the touchdown to interception
01:45ratio was about three to one.
01:47I think he might even improve on that, but he's got to have health at the receiver position.
01:52That's some of what has been the issue, not just him turning the ball over, but health.
01:58Nico Collins has missed some times.
01:59They can stay healthy.
02:00He's going to have a great year.
02:02Cincinnati.
02:04Oh, Bengals, the Bungals.
02:06Now they've missed the playoffs three straight years since that Super Bowl.
02:09Yeah.
02:09And I'm not saying that they get the protection of Joe Burrow fixed 100%, but I do think Joe Burrow
02:16stays healthy.
02:16And obviously, we know Jamar Chase, T. Higgins.
02:19I think they have a year that is going to be memorable.
02:23I think defensively, even without Trey Hendrickson, they're going to be a little bit better in the secondary.
02:28And some of this just has to do simply with health.
02:31Trey Hendrickson was banged up last year.
02:33Their secondary was banged up.
02:35So they win the AFC North.
02:37You like Dexter Lawrence coming into that front, too.
02:39I do, yes.
02:40And so now all of a sudden, hey, who are the wildcard teams?
02:43I've got Kansas City as the number five seed.
02:46The LA Chargers are the sixth seed.
02:48The New England Patriots are the seventh seed.
02:52They go from Super Bowl to last team in.
02:56So the Ravens don't make the playoffs again.
02:57No, and the reason I don't have them in is I just don't trust at this point Lamar Jackson to
03:03be healthy throughout the course of the season.
03:06We've seen that.
03:06It's been a major limiting factor for them.
03:08I also don't see this as at some point, Derrick Henry is going to hit the wall.
03:12Now, what are you going to do offensively?
03:16And I also believe they're going to try and limit Lamar Jackson's running.
03:24Sure.
03:25And I think it takes away a lot from this offense.
03:27So, yeah, they're out.
03:29So do you want me to go through the second round of the playoffs in the AFC or however you
03:33want to do it, buddy?
03:34All right.
03:34Let's go through the second round here.
03:35And then I'll leave kind of like you did the question mark as to who wins the AFC championship game.
03:40In the second round of the playoffs, I've got Denver taking on New England, Houston taking on the Chargers, Cincinnati
03:49taking on Kansas City.
03:51Another nice matchup there.
03:53And I have Denver, Houston, and Kansas City all moving on to the third round.
04:00Then I've got Buffalo and Kansas City playing each other.
04:05I've got Denver and Houston.
04:07And this is where you and I greatly differ.
04:09I know you're not a big Houston fan.
04:11I have Houston beating Denver because I do believe that C.J. Stroud is going to fix, especially in the
04:18postseason.
04:19The turnovers will be cut down.
04:20And you're talking about a great defensive matchup there.
04:24Denver's defense, Houston's defense.
04:25I think Houston comes out on top.
04:27Buffalo and Kansas City in Buffalo.
04:30Great game.
04:31Josh Allen finally gets over the hump.
04:33I hope you're right.
04:34Finally finds a way.
04:34And it's going to be Buffalo and Houston to decide who's going to the Super Bowl.
04:39They play week one, by the way.
04:41A little preview.
04:42Full circle moment.
04:43All right.
04:43Out of the NFC.
04:45No secret here.
04:46Much like you.
04:47The Rams get the number one seat.
04:49And just terrorizing people defensively.
04:52Philly is the two seed.
04:54Coming out of the NFC East.
04:56Detroit, the three seed.
04:58I don't have as much confidence as you do with the two seed.
05:02But they're going to be the three seed coming out of the north.
05:04Tampa Bay comes out of the south.
05:06The three wildcard teams in the NFC are going to be Seattle, Green Bay, and Dallas.
05:12So, no.
05:13Chicago falls out of favor.
05:15We both have the Bears missing the playoffs.
05:17Yes.
05:17Bunch of haters.
05:18Well, we hate Ben Johnson around here.
05:20But I don't hate Ben Johnson as much as everybody else does.
05:24I think he's become very annoying.
05:27But I just don't think defensively they're going to.
05:31And trust me, Dennis Allen, a tremendous defensive mind.
05:35But they lost so much in the secondary.
05:37And this is where I just don't think the ball bounces their way two years in a row.
05:43As much as it did last year.
05:45So, now all of a sudden, okay, what are the matchups?
05:47Got the two seed Philly against Dallas.
05:49Got another matchup there.
05:51Green Bay and Detroit.
05:53A division matchup in the second round of the playoffs.
05:55In Tampa Bay, Seattle.
05:57Seattle wins that one.
05:58Detroit beats Green Bay in the postseason.
06:02Dallas beats Philly.
06:04They finally get a win in the postseason.
06:07And they come from the seventh seed to beat the number two seed, Philadelphia Eagles.
06:12And then to decide who's going to go to the NFC Championship game.
06:16You've got the Rams and Dallas.
06:17That's where Dallas, their magic ends.
06:20So, they're not going to an NFC title game.
06:22Right.
06:22And Detroit and Seattle.
06:23Now, you're looking at it going, hmm.
06:25Detroit and Seattle.
06:25Who's got the better defense?
06:26Clearly, Seattle will have the better defense.
06:28It's here, though.
06:29It is here.
06:30You're going to be hosting that one.
06:31Detroit wins a nail-biter because Sam Darnold does something he didn't do most of last year.
06:38He just can't protect the football.
06:40And the magic of trying to repeat just simply isn't there.
06:45So, I'm going to go with Detroit versus the Rams.
06:48Same NFC title.
06:49In the NFC Championship game.
06:50And I've got, obviously, Buffalo and Houston.
06:52Houston, so who represents the AFC?
06:56I've got Buffalo beating the Houston Texans to go to the Super Bowl.
07:01And they finally get it done.
07:04Not this time.
07:06Detroit does not beat the Rams.
07:07And we've got Buffalo and LA in the Super Bowl.
07:12But, as we said, the favorite doesn't always win.
07:15I've got Buffalo finally winning a Super Bowl.
07:19Greg, I know Greg is going to be very excited about that.
07:21He's got family in Buffalo.
07:23Josh Allen ends up being the MVP.
07:27And it's just because DJ Moore, he's still going to do Josh Allen things.
07:32He may not have to as much as he has in the past.
07:35Young defense.
07:36A lot of the things that you talked about earlier, they finally find a way to get over
07:39the hump.
07:40My offensive player of the year, Jamar Chase.
07:43He leads Cincinnati back to the playoffs.
07:46Obviously, a large part in terms of what Joe Burrow does.
07:49And I think Jamar Chase could have one of those 2,000-yard seasons.
07:53I don't blame you.
07:54Defensive player of the year, simply because he is going to be playing along the best defensive
08:00line he has ever played against or played with.
08:04That's Miles Garrett.
08:06And I think there's a chance that he could not only set the record last year, he could
08:11surpass it this year.
08:14Think about that.
08:15That would be three defensive player of the year awards for him.
08:17Back to back.
08:18It would tie him for the most ever with one of his teammates, Aaron Donald.
08:22And I don't fight you on Jamar Chase.
08:24I think he could have a monster year.
08:26And it gels with your idea that the Bengals not only get back in the playoffs, but win
08:30their division, the AFC North.
08:31Ultimately, the reason why Detroit doesn't make it is what we've talked about.
08:36Is there going to be good enough to win the division?
08:38They'll be good enough to win a playoff game, maybe even a couple of playoff games.
08:41But the defense is going to be the limiting factor.
08:43They cannot slow down the Rams offense.
08:46Yeah.
08:46In that game, this NFC title game.
08:50How do you stop Nakua and Adams and a run game and an MVP quarterback guy who's won a
08:55Super Bowl before?
08:56If your defense and you are secondary specifically and it's going to be out in L.A.
09:00Yeah.
09:01They got to answer a bunch of questions for us to feel differently about that game.
09:04I mean, the only reason they beat them in 2023 was because of the red zone defense.
09:08They got stops.
09:10They stopped the Rams on the three field goals.
09:12I'm quite concerned after today's developments with these picks that you both have the lines
09:17in an NFC championship game.
09:19Just saying.
09:20Oh, you think we?
09:22Trust me, the jinx doesn't follow me around.
09:24It has nothing to do with potentially the best case scenario for this team, because I do
09:28think that would probably be their ceiling.
09:29Well, I want to back up.
09:31Like, we haven't been shy about picking them to win this division for months now.
09:35If they're going to win the division, they're going to have at least one home playoff game.
09:38I would hope they would win the one.
09:40All we're doing is taking one more leap based on matchups.
09:43I had them facing the Bucks in the second round, and you had them facing Seattle, who
09:46I also think takes a step back this season.
09:49Well, certainly.
09:50I mean, if they don't win the Super Bowl back-to-back, it's a step back.
09:54But think about it.
09:54Like, you lose the MVP of that Super Bowl.
09:56You lose your offensive coordinator.
09:59If you can't scheme open, JSN slash teams take him away.
10:02You miss a couple guys from your defense.
10:04We're talking about the Lions, and I don't think we're...
10:07And texters can let us know.
10:09Calls can let us know if we're being homers.
10:11But winning the division and winning a home playoff game, a second in a favorable matchup,
10:15is not the same thing as saying, rip my shirt off.
10:18They're winning the Super Bowl.
10:19Yeah.
10:19I will say this.
10:20No, it's not.
10:21It's more the jinx factor.
10:22That's where I'm...
10:23Because I do think this season has the makings of them repeating 2023 if things go in a favorable
10:30direction for them.
10:31I would just like to say, the jinx doesn't follow me around like it does Costa.
10:35See what he's doing?
10:35So if they fail, it's my fault.
10:37And if they win, he called it all along.
10:39Well, I mean, in 23, I was the one that said 14 wins.
10:41And how could that be possible?
10:42You got on the bus later and tried to one-up me, but it was oh so late.
10:47Those are John's picks.
10:49Bills win a Super Bowl.
10:50I'd love to see it.
10:51It's much better than the outcome I predicted.
10:53The nauseating outcome.
10:54It's 97-1.
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