Jim Miller & Pat Kirwan Preview the 2024 Jets (8/20)

Published Aug 20, 2024, 11:00 AM
Host Eric Allen is joined by SiriusXM NFL hosts Jim Miller and Pat Kirwan for a discussion about their visit to Jets Training Camp and what their expectations are for the 2024 Jets.

I wanted to start with this. Pat. We've come a long way since after, haven't we.

You and I have been doing this a long time. I feel like I kind of worked for you once in a while, you know what. I always appreciate that you ask us to come on, and it means something to me after working here for ten years, to have an opinion that you're interested in.

Jimmy, what do you think about studio here? I love Florna Park. Yeah, well, green and white Michigan state colors. So yeah, I've fit in pretty good.

There you go. Yeah, always a Michigan guy, that's right, just like Robert Salad. Now, okay, so how many camps have you guys been too?

So far? Jimmy's that one more than me. He went to Chicago. I didn't go. So I think we're at seven. We have three in a row coming up, and then we're going to take it. Jim's got to go do the Buffalo Chicago games. We get a two day break and then we head to Atlanta, Houston, Denver.

How many camps and all to changes?

Yeah, we hit about sixteen.

There is a hurricane going on down there, yeah, up the coast.

We'll see what happens with Tampa that could be a little hectic there.

So what are your favorite storylines? Some of your favorite storylines here at basically the start of the summer even though training camp. I was telling our staff today that two plus weeks training camp is going to be over.

Well, that's the problem that we face now when you ask how many do we go to? You can't get to all of them. And as soon as the preseason games start. For our schedule, the day before the preseason game, you're either flying or not doing anything. Then there's a game and no one's playing that we're looking at, and then the day after they're watching the film. So it's really tough on keeping on a schedule of watching guys practice. The best is if we can get a teams have a scrimmage going on with another team, right, that's really terrific. So half the league is a big year to get half.

Now, well, think for me storylines going league. Obviously, the movement of quarterbacks. You know, I think you know when you get first round quarterbacks that are shuffled off for basically six round picks, you know that's not the case obviously for the Jets. You know, your case is about your elder statesman quarterback, and there's a lot of excitement and this team is poised to win, so certainly Aaron Rodgers is a storyline. And then of course the new kickoff rule. It's been it's been a big discussion and topic every camp stop we've been at, every Special teams coach that we've talked to, this is going to be a problem.

We've seen a lot of different philosophies about it, and we shouldn't disclose what we see at each place, but I will tell you this, not everybody sees it the same way. Interesting, and I think there's going to be a lot of experiment They're not going to show you anything the preseason. Everyone knows that, but there's going to be a lot of experimenting in the first two weeks where there's guys that have strong feelings about doing it one way, another team says, we're not even thinking about doing that. So it'll be fun to see. Jim thinks it is going to be a lot of touchdowns. I think it's going to be a lot of good tackles. I knew.

I had an interesting discussion with Brent Boyer, your Special Teams coach. I played with him down in Jacksonville. He was an excellent special teams player.

You know.

He brought up the dirty ball again. Dirty ball for the viewers that are out there, I did an interview with Mike Westoff, who's the assistant head coach of the Denver Broncos. He's obviously a longtime special teams coach. They're working on what's called a dirty ball. It's gonna be a line drive ball that lands in the landing zone which goes from the twenty to the goal line, and they want the ball popping around like a popcorn, right. They want it just popping up in the air. It's gonna be a dirty ball.

And they want it swimming into the end zone because the ball goes on a twenty and.

It'll be a melee play, is what it's going to be. It may be it may make the play more unsafe than safe.

Quite frankly.

For the NFL, one coach timed how long it takes to pick up a ball it's bouncing around. It's one point five seconds, and he timed a lot of them, so he arrived at one point five is the average. So once that ball gets into the box, now the defense can go right, So they're gonna go from the forty, they're gonna be at the thirty seven, thirty six. He's bending over to pick up a ball. They're gonna be engaged in their blocks, and some guys are gonna be coming off their blox. That's their theory as he picks the ball up.

So for a while now throughout the National Football League, that's the time to go get a beer kick off? Does that change this year?

I believe it changes.

Yeah, the Super Bowl with no returns.

Yeah, boring, right, So yeah, I think you're going to see special teams. Coach coaches be creative. You can put two guys back there. One, you can have a gadget guy, so you can do reverse plays, you can do throwback plays. Because they're each team that we've seen it looks like they're gonna have two returners back there. Yeah, so they'll be able to do some sort of trick aspect of it. And then of course the lane closures Pat's talked about where you try to corner kick it to corner a guy down. So we can't get a good return because if you give a guy a middle return, that's potentially a two way go because if those guys on the front lines, which becomes more of a hand a hand combat play. If they miss those blocks or miss that crease, there's gonna be huge holes to hit.

Oh yeah, yeah, a lot of the explosive returns. Another league to sideline correct that was using this.

Yeah, well, first off, and I was here, I worked with special teams as well. We had if we had a return right on and they kicked the ball into that deep right corn of the return right was off. You went straight up the field because you didn't want to cross the field for thirty yards right, And this defensive group is gonna be a lot closer. So I don't think they're gonna call them all off and they're gonna try to come straight up the field, which we saw the other night and they stuffed them all.

There's a great social clip recently posted of your show where a Dolphins fan said that they were gonna be all right in the middle. You were talking about the Dolphins are going to tremendously miss Christian Wilkins, and the clip went viral. I think the fans said, we got Benito. Hey, you guys love that.

Huh Oh we did you know?

Until I looked up his stats, Anito's stats fifteen tackles and I think one tackle for a lot.

Yeah, he would love us to take that down. Yeah, but we you know, we got Bonito. So you know I found out Benito's a truck driver and he raises cattle. How about that he doesn't start making more tackles, He'll be buying more cows and driving more trucks.

So let's look at the FC East right now here in August, starting with the Bills. Is it team in transition? Still got Josh Allen.

I don't think they're in transition. You don't know. I think the two receivers are gone. But I've said this on many occasions on the show, and I've said it on this tour. Every great quarterback in this league that last ten to fifteen years has overhauled his receiver group three or four times. He's working hard with the young guys. We saw Mahomes overhaul his receiver group. Peyton Manning did it three times that I could count. Eli Manning did it three times, and so that's part of being a quarterback. So Jim will tell you you got to get them ready when the way that guy throws and what his tight ends can do. He'll get time to get the receivers fixed.

See from a Jets perspective, I'm looking at maybe them on the other side of the ball and say, no Poyer, who's with the Dolphins now. Michah Hyde will have to see what happens with him. But maybe Aaron Rodgers and company can get after that secondary.

Yeah, well, I mean they address those issues though. They granted he's a young player, and that's that Cole Bishop who they drafted from Utah.

They want him.

He had a nice little pass breakup on a seam route when Pat and I were there, you know. And also, Taylor Rapp was a starter for the Rams. He was a backup for Buffalo last year, so they almost like what Kansas City did and signing Drew Tranquell. They basically got a starter caliber player as a backup. And Drew trankwell led their team in tackles in the AFC Championship Game and they just resigned him. Taylor Rapp is essentially a starter who now is stepping into a starter's role again. He had to at the end of the year when Michael was hurt. And I thought that was a great signing by Brandon Bean. That guy does not waste any time as signing guys that they need for depth.

He also played over four hundred players last year, so it wasn't like he was on the bench.

Yeah.

I will say this, when you play them, yep, I do think your quarterback is going to find opportunities to get the ball down the field. I'm not so sure where von Miller is. They're gonna need him to get after your quarterback. Russeau has not really, in my mind, taking the steps. So there's gonna be opportunities for your guy with that quick release to get the ball. But the quarterback on the other side fifteen rushing touchdowns second in the league to only Moster another guy in your division.

I know.

So those two guys, so I would not think that Buffalo is out of.

It, you know.

Oh yeah.

Somebody called the show and was complaining about Josh Allen's turnovers, because Josh Allen does have a lot of turnovers. But the issue is when you go look up his full set of statistics, he's still three to one touchdown to turnover and he's got the most of any quarterback Josh Allen because he can overcome them. The problem with Buffalo's offense is so much goes through Josh. And I did this stat when I did a game two years ago. They played it Thanksgiving Day. Literally, Buffalo was averaging four hundred and fifty yards of offense. Josh Allen was four hundred of it. Four hundred of their four hundred and fifty yards goes through him. And that's scoring everything, right, So when you play the Buffalo Bills, it's not, oh, you got to stop Diggs. No, you you honestly have to stop him. You have to stop him.

It'll be a battle, But you know what, you're better And if Aaron's healthy, we just got done talking to him. He's in a great spot mentally. You'll be able to compete with those guys.

Yeah, what are you thinking about the matchup with the Jets and Dolphins and Miami Again, that offense is so prolific, especially early in the season. I think they catched teams by surprise, even though you've seen some of that on film. And Mike mc Mike McDaniel was a tremendous play caller, but defensively significant changes.

Yeah, you want to run the ball with those guys until further notice. You know, that's a when you're depleted inside. And it wasn't just losing Christian, they lost the other guy that was next to him. They were two massive tackles. So I think if you want to beat them with your inside linemen and run the ball up inside more than people think, you'll have an opportunity there and from that will come play action pass.

I go heavy and pound them. Yeah with Brisaul, Yeah, I'm fine with the two big backs that you drafted too. Yeah.

We had both of them during the whole process leading up to the draft, one on one in a room, just the three of us. And when both guys left, I said, people are going to underestimate them as athletes, not just big sluggie backs. They're more than that. They can pound it in there. But I think there's going to be opportunities to use them in other ways as well receiving the ball. So I do like the two backs, and in a game like the Miami game, might be a good time to give both of them five or six carries up inside where that group out.

What about December, the Jets might be well equipped when the weather changes. Not only do you have haul, but you added brailn Alan and you added Isaiah Davis equation.

My feeling about your team in the cold is I watched a lot of Packers games. With Rogers, he never looked cold. He made it. He made it an advantage for him. And the way he talks about how he discusses everything with his teammates, he is going to make sure they're all convinced that it's it's really a competitive edge for us.

And that's all got to come together too. You know, with the veteran O lineman that you have, those guys got to stay healthy. You got to keep that continuity of the offensive line with Tipman and all those guys, and that's when the run game and your offense really starts clicking. If you look at the teams that have gone all the way to the Super Bowl, the ones that keep their five offensive linemen intact have the best bet where their offense is humming, because once you start losing, say if Morgan Moses goes down and now you're putting an OLU and then maybe he's out a couple of weeks, and then that's where things start to fracture, where you kind of go off the rails offensively, where it's just that continuity is not there to do what you need to do late in the year.

Olu is my favorite tackle in the draft. If I was going to take a tackle, it would have been him. Big time athlete, great feet, young, really talented athletically. But I think so far here. You know, it's not my job to figure out what you're doing. But he's taking almost all his reps on the left all so far, and I'd make sure he had the right stuff. I know you guys tend to keep eight linemen on game day. Most teams keep seven, so the pressure is a little bit off that he wouldn't have to be able to be thus swing tackle for both sides. But I I did ask your head coach, how do you line up without him on the field. You know, to me, I'd be finding a spot for that guy, whether it's guard or somewhere else because he's that good. I would love to see if you go heavy and play him as a tight end.

Oh, you can definitely see that. Robert Salas said, that's part of the plan here, is that he's going to get some reps at right tackle. They just wanted him to focus on left tackle early, but we should be seeing that soon here in training camp.

Yeah, you put him at tight end and have a power run side.

Yeah.

Some coaches just don't want to overload guys we've taught. We've had discussions with like Bill Belichick about that, Like say, if they draft a versatile nickel player, but he sees him more as a safety, you know, but he knows he can do more, Say like a Devin mccordy. McCarty's played corner, he's played nickel, he's played safe, both safety spots. When Bill knows he's got a player like that, and I'm sure Salah does this too. Sometimes they don't want to overload a player and teach them too many positions. They focus on this one first, and that's probably what they're doing with fashion. So start off, get comfortable left tackle. Then we'll start the movie over here and get you comfortable at right as well.

Some tackles. You see him coming out of school and you're like, well, they really could use a full offseason in the strength program. Olo's body looks like he's NFL ready, right. Yes.

Yeah, I worked with a bunch of tackles when we had rookies. They kind of were signed to me. They had to work on Tuesdays. On the players day. If we worked on Saturday mornings, most of them didn't have a punch. That was one area where they really and they and they missed. If they even thought they were strong enough, they'd missed the punch. They didn't have to set it up and do it. And most of them disclosed to the rushers too quickly what they were setting for. And then the rushers if they were veterans, like this guy sets for speed. Every time, I'll be crossing his face, you know. So they had to be patient patients and a punch for two things. I thought that almost all the young ones have to work on.

Jim, what do you make of the Jets offseason upgrades at the offensive line? But also how much do these guys have to work together as a unit so they are on a string. So far early in camp we've only seen a day.

Yeah, well, it's erely because, like you said, Moses just came back. And I know you know, obviously Tyron Smith from Cowboys, we know he has not lined up and played a complete year. I think since twenty seventeen he has not played a complete season. So you gotta believe at some point and another point why they're practice putting Olu there is to protect for that. I mean, because that is a known fact that he hasn't made it through years, So they're just preparing for that inevitability. Now is it going to be one game? Is it going to be two games?

We'll see.

I like what they've done with the O line, but it's too early to tell right now. I like it because they're veterans with Moses and Smith and they'll be able to settle in early. But will they be able to last the duration? Are they going to give them the rest days, the things that are necessary for these older players and can they Because that's that's going to be another thing that Robert sala is going to have to monitor between Williams the two tackles Rogers, does he get rest days? He probably doesn't want him, but I would want to give him a rest day like what Tom Brady did late in his career.

That we've been watching Roger's out here throughout training camp. He don't like to come out of drills. Guy loves no, it loves it.

It's like Peyton. Peyton took every rep. If you were a backup quarterback at the Colts, you had stay after practice to get a thrower to and the good ones. And he's a bit of a perfectionist. He was very clear about that when we sat with him today, that he pays attention to everyone's job. I asked him if he's hard on the guys. He didn't really say he was, but he knows every mistake that's made. And I am sure he's pushing guys to be better all the time, and he pushes himself too, So it's fun to see. He feels very confident that his health is here, which is important.

You guys have talked to Aaron several times throughout the course of his career. Do you notice anything different now at this stage?

Yeah? I do, because I said to him today, I said, the last time I really sat with you was at Lake Tahoe for the celebrity golf tournament, like ten years ago, and he was a little edgy. I asked him about protections and stuff. He didn't want to cover it, and I said, what do you just tell me which one you like? And he just said he liked five man protections. He liked everybody out he could manage it. Yeah, And we laughed a little bit about it today. But he is very relaxed and having fun. And I hope he's got it in his mind if he gets through this season healthy, that he's going to play a couple of years.

Yeah.

I think he's hungry. I think he's focused. I think he's relaxed.

You know, I.

Expect him to have a great year.

You think he likes the fact that people are counting him out now more so than ever because he's coming back from the Achilles. He also plays for the Jets, and frankly, the Jets haven't won in two thousand times.

That'd be a mistake. After watching him throw.

And I'll say this, we've seen two of your division opponents so far. They're not in the group of counting them out. His name came up when we were asking the same questions you asked about the division. They weren't like they didn't want to hear that Rogers is an old man. They recognize what he is.

Everyone brought up four MVPs.

Everyone.

Yeah, So there's no hide in the fact that you've got a good quarterback.

If he plays seventeen, what does that mean for briests All.

Well, Briest Hall led all running backs and receptions last year.

YEP, forty four. What do you think is gonna seventy five or seventy five?

Yeah, he had them all and so I don't know it eighty or ninety because remember what I said, he likes to release five. That means the running backs a free release player. He'll enjoy that.

Priest'll get a lot of that receiver position. Right now, Mike Williams is non the pup lists he's targeted in week one as far as being full goal. Exavier Gibson, who I think could catch a lot of balls in this offense right now, he's dealing with a leg injury at the start of camp. He's gonna be fine.

But what do you make well, you got to believe the Zard's numbers will probably tick up because he's got a relationship with him.

Sounds like he's already got a report with Wilson. I mean that seemed like.

It was as soon as he arrived here, didn't it At least for me it did me too.

But you need five them, you know. Hamstrings show up all the time. Lots of things happen. So Malachi as an example, he needs to become a guy that you feel you can play him, you know, and he's working hard at it.

How big of a transition is that for him?

Malkai Corley will be his Randall Cobb, his Randall Cobb in Green Mas.

That's who Malachi Corley is. How early right away?

Really, I think that he will accelerate the learning process for the kid.

There is a play in Green Bay's offense that Hackett ran repeatedly that Aaron Rodgers checks to.

Okay, he he'll.

Motion Randall Cobb in as a wing right next to the tight end, and he just goes one yard up the field to the flat. It's basically it's called a no look pass, is what it is. Now the outside receiver now becomes a blocker. Roger, I watched a game where Aaron Rodgers checked to that play to Randall Cobb nine times, nine times, and it's the simplest play you could ever check to.

It ends the blitz. Yeah, yeah, there is no blitz against that.

How will teams look at the Jets offense because you're going to camps and you said you were at their a couple of their opponents inside the division. Because I'm watching here out on the field every day, and whenever the Jets are coming with the blitz and it could be late in the playclock. This guy just takes it down. He's patient as ever, and he knows where the weakness and the coverage is.

I think the great ones, which is he he is one of those. I think you surrender the blitz concept. You'll have a couple in there, and you might do it early. So he's looking for it, but you're not gonna really believe you're going to get him because he gets rid of the ball too fast. Does he run like he used to? He suggested to us, you know those days are over. I looked at his last four years in Green Bay versus the four before that, and he was averaging I think it was about nine runs a game, and then then in the final four years he was down to four or five. So he's smarter with it. But he wants to throw the ball and he knows where to go with it. So I think he knows who he is and he knows who he shouldn't be anymore.

It's just like I said, he is like a surgeon. Now, you know, like that play that I said that he checked two nine times. All that is is he's just playing at a high level where you take advantage of things that they're just giving you the reason why. I like when I break down that play where Randall Cobb he'd motion them in green Bay because they would have a three linebacker look and he'd out leverage the basically the SAM backer because the SAM and a single high look has the flat responsibility. So all he was doing is leveraging Randall Cobb that he would out leverage the Sam backer because it's a mismatch. And that's all this guy does. He's like he's playing chess out there. I mean, this guy's making moves, you know, all the time, and he knows exactly how it's gonna what the outcome is going to be. He's got the answers to the test.

How challenging is his cadence system for the new guys to learn.

Well, they're gonna learn fast because he's not going to surrender it to guys who can't handle it, of course, and he's gonna he might double down and how many times he does it in practice so they understand, I do this all the time, and it's gonna work, and you're gonna make sure you know what you're doing so and it's not warning them it's just wrap it out, rep it out and they'll get the hang of it. I mean he had a lot of different linemen in Green Bay. Yeah, and a lot of They had a lot of injuries and they had to roll a lot of guys through. They all figured it out. I don't think it's gonna be a problem for them, and it is a weapon, jib.

Do you like the way they attack it during practice because if the guys have a false start, this is new this year this summer, that they get him right out of the lineup, they get a replace for a play, because that's something there's not going to put up with here during the season.

Next time I see him, I'll tell him what New England does. Yeah, when they up off like that, they're out too, except they have to take a lap, Yeah, the lap of mercy.

You hope that that accountability factor helps, but they got to stick to that, you know, come regular season.

You know, if a guy's screwing up, he's got to get out of there. He can't.

You know, you got to carry it through. You got to be consistent with that message. You can't just do it during training camp.

He'll want a hard count the first play the season, Yeah, no doubt, and they better be ready.

Tipman second year. You guys liked him coming out. He started last year actually a guard, which is something that I wouldn't have predicted, but obviously they wanted to get him on the field to economy govern here. But he is in that pivot spot this year, starting year two. We've seen during camp a couple of times some errant snaps, some high snaps, and that's something the Jets are working on with him. But can you talk about how important that relationship is Aaron with the center.

Yeah, well, I think Aaron's going to help him become the best he can possibly be. He's not going to let him off the hook. Same as the hardcount stuff, He's going to make sure he's doing it. I saw some snaps today that were high. Aaron's a pretty good athlete though. I saw him in one hand grab one that was going over his head and he was set the throw in a half a second. So he's going to cover up some of the mishaps that could happen. But it happens all over the place. Remember the first snap of the Denver.

Peyton Manning game.

Yeah, the Seattle Super Bowl?

Yeah, yeah, you played a position. How important is that relationship?

Yeah, I think for him, because Tipman is young, Roger's going to point out all the protections. He'll point out all the mics, all the recalls, all the and if he does want to pick something up, I think Rogers will handle all that. And he's, you know, basically telling ten other guys what to do and what he needs. And there's no shame in that. All I did as a quarterback when you come out, if a guy asks you hate, if they're confused on an assignment, a veteran quarterck, you just tell him what to do so that you have a positive play. And Aaron will get everybody lined up and do that. And as Pat mentioned, I call it negotiating. You're able if you're a veteran and you're that how should I say savvy of a thinker and processor of information is Rogers is He's able to negotiate things. Whether it's a blown mistackle by the left tackle, say fashion who's in there, or say a running back who misses a blitz pick up, Rogers will negotiate it. That's just who he is. That's why he's a four time NFL veteran or MVP.

I asked your head coach if he liked the quarterback room, right, not just Rogers here and you open the door and look in there. Do you like what you say? That's what my question. He sure did. He likes Tyrod's here. He likes a lot of things about how he performs and competes. You got a young kid that's not able to go yet. I think that'll be an interesting project. So the room which you found out last year is a reality. I think the room now the backup doesn't need all the reps. No, he can function if he has to play. You can function pretty well with whatever limited reps are going to give him when we get the season going.

Yeah, the thing I like about Tyra is that he's always protected the football throughout his career. And you got a very good defense on the other side. So let's transition to defense. What's the most significant change is on that side of the ball?

Would you say on the defense?

Yeah, yeah, No.

I think you know the secondaries is intact. You know, you got one of the best secondaries in terms of the corners that are that are out there, I mean other than pass rusher. With Hassan Reddick being gone, and and Ken Huff come in and be the situational rusher that really Hassan, you know, the role that he filled a season ago. I see that as really the only big change.

What do you look the defensive tackle at all? Next to quinnonh kin Law comes over in free agency, they signed a Lucky Photo as well. Solomon Thomas resigns, and then everybody talked a lot throughout the off season about that safety position. Chuck Clark. We didn't get no opportunity to see him last year. He's back and he's going to be manning one of the spots next to Tom Adams.

We talked to Moseley about Clark and they played together before in Baltimore. I think that'll be nice and he'll do a fine job as long as he's healthy. The point for me to answer your first question is I do worry about the pass rush?

Hmm. Interesting.

You're going to score now, You're going to score faster, You're gonna score more. You're going to be in fourth quarters with a lead. The opponent's going to be throwing every down trying to catch you. Pass rush got to put the guy on the ground. I hope Hassan Reddick gets back here, and then maybe McDonald has to come through too.

And I'd say this too, probably the one we can say how great this team and it is a great defense. One area they're not good stop in the run, like Michael Clemens and them. Those guys got to be better at stop set in the edge, because I think what was it, I think they were fifteenth or sixteenth, which is for a defense of this caliber, that's not good enough in my opinion, middle of the pack stopping the run.

Do you think since they played from behind or these teams oftentimes play with the lead. Against the Jets, we didn't really get an opportunity to see how teams are going to try to come at you here.

Well, you're going to force you're going to force your opponents to do what your defense may not like the most. Throw maybe throw twenty five times in the second half of thirty times, and so getting Hassan back, getting someone else to be another pass rusher. You don't want to blitz all the time. Although you have the corners to send people they can usually hold up back. Then yeah, so you might have to do a lot of that, you know, can it be solved by Hassan getting here. Yeah, just get him here.

What's the acclamation period, Jim? If he gets back here sometime during camp? How much time do you do you want this rusher?

Yeah?

Yeah, I mean yeah, he'll have a pitch count, but they'll just they'll rotate him in as just so if he's getting fifteen plays, I think he could do fifteen.

He'll be in great shape. He's very serious about rushing the passer.

What's made him so effective over the years last.

Four Well, first off, Arizona drafts him and they try to make him an inside linebacker and he can't do it, and they thought he was a bust chandler. Jones goes down, He goes down to the office and begs for a chance to rush the passer. They go, what the heck, we're not using it linebacker anymore, and boom, He's like Robert Mathis. He can get under the paths and get off the block and explode. So he's terrific at that. That's all he's gonna do the rest of it. Don't have him drop into the flat. They'll throw over there and complete it. So just rush the pass.

Carolina used in that capacity as while he had double digit sacks and I mean that's to send him at the quarterback.

That's his job for Reddick.

What's the hat for you guys.

We're going to Washington tonight, So Washington tomorrow, balt excuse me, the day after, and then Tampa Bay.

Give me the top. Let's get out on this. Give me the top five challengers to the chiefs in NFC.

Top five.

Yeah, I gave you a big number there.

The whole North, all four of them, all four of them. Yeah, they're all problems in their own right. They all had winning records last year.

Burrows beat them consistently.

Yeah, you know, so they're an issue. Could three teams come out of the North? People always say, well, they cannibalize each other and they won't be able to do it. They could in your division. Two could come out of here. So it's a little different of a battle than I see in the North. The North has got, you know, Lamar. You ever checked Lamar's record against the NFC. I think it's just don't hold me to the number, but it's like twenty eight and two. Yeah, he's a problem for teams that only see him once in a while.

And I think Houston and Jacksonville Jacksonville, believe it or not, only lost two years ago. They were on the road in Arrowhead. That's your lost twenty seven to twenty. Peterson knows how to play Andy Reid in my but that's if Trevor Lawrence has a better year.

You know that.

To me, Jacksonville was a disappointing team last year, I mean, and then Houston just kind of supplanted them. So those are two teams.

I keep mind winning your divisions. You might all have the same. You might have ten wins, Buffalo might have ten, Miami might have ten.

You think it could be that close?

Yeah, yeah, why wouldn't it be. You know, you all know each other, you know they're all good. So I do think there's a chance for you know, three to the playoffs. It usually never happens. I think two would come out of here. The North might beat each other up and only get two out, one out of the West, one out of the South. And I like Houston.

This was fun, guys. I really appreciate having you both in studio. Even though we're wearing blue today, we're gonna have to eat some green.

You know, when I left this team, I gave all my green clothes away all my relatives, all those Irish people wanted them.

And I'll get you a lecture m hm