00:00Yeah, it should be a lot of fun. Let's start in the NFC North, where the Chicago Bears were an
00:05overtime loss away from advancing to the NFC title game.
00:10They ultimately lost to the Rams. As we know, Rams lose to the Seahawks. Seahawks win the Super Bowl, on
00:15and on.
00:16But the Chicago team entering another year under Ben Johnson is still very much on the rise, despite how well
00:23it played last year.
00:24Loses D.J. Moore, but for the most part, that offense still incredibly intact. We're looking at an over-under
00:319.5 wins, as you can see on your screen.
00:34Odds to win the North, plus 310, making the playoffs. That's minus money, right around minus 125, and winning the
00:41conference 13-1.
00:42What's your outlook on Chicago?
00:45So you're going to ask a Packers fan to say nice things about the Bears. This is going to be
00:49tough.
00:50But I think I can do it. I mean, one of the things they did very well last year, they
00:54were 8-5 in one-score games.
00:56And certainly, the amount of primetime and holiday exposure they're getting next year suggests that they are going to continue
01:04on an uphill trajectory with Ben Johnson,
01:07especially if Caleb Williams continues to develop. I mean, he is a killer in the fourth quarter, and then come
01:13from behind victories, right?
01:14Like, he was amazing last year. So I still don't like them to win the division.
01:20My division winner might surprise you a little bit.
01:23But I think with that tougher schedule, their schedule is much more difficult than that of Green Bay and Detroit,
01:29the other contenders.
01:30And remember, Detroit swept them last year.
01:35Well, I'll try and make a Packers fan say nice things about the Lions.
01:38I don't know if that's more difficult than the Bears. You tell me.
01:41But Detroit, we're looking at a situation where this team, plus 155, here to go out and win this division,
01:48the favorites,
01:49followed by your Packers at plus 230, the Bears, as mentioned, and then the Vikings at plus 550.
01:55Personally, I give Minnesota absolutely no chance.
01:57I think this is an interesting spot for the Lions, trying to bounce back from a subpar year last year,
02:04two new coordinators. There was just a lot of, throughout the season, pardon me,
02:09trying to kind of find their way offensively and defensively.
02:13David Montgomery is gone, so not that it wasn't before, but it is truly, you know,
02:18all eyes on Jameer Gibbs, likely going to be the number one overall pick
02:22in a lot of people's fantasy drafts going into this season.
02:25Who is your division winner?
02:26I think it's going to be Detroit, and some of it's based on schedule.
02:31Some of it, you know, they obviously bring a new offensive coordinator, Drew Petsing.
02:35You mentioned Jameer Gibbs. The core is still there.
02:39The core of Pro Bowl caliber players, Amon Ross, St. Brown, Jared Goff, Jameer Gibbs on offense.
02:45Then you have Campbell and Hutchison on defense.
02:48There's a lot. I forgot to mention Penesol.
02:50I still think, and remember, like I said, they swept Chicago.
02:54One of those was a blowout victory early in the season.
02:56The other was late in the season in a game that may not have meant a ton in the standings,
03:01but Jared Goff still played very well.
03:04So I think given their schedule and there's less questions,
03:07and if they stay healthy on the defensive side of the ball,
03:10and it's a one-game margin.
03:12Like right now, I have Chicago at 10-7 and Detroit at 11-6.
03:18So, I mean, it could be tight, and it literally could come down to that Thanksgiving game
03:21between the teams.
03:24The NFC West was such a fun division to watch last year.
03:29The Rams, the Seahawks, the Niners, they all had double-digit wins.
03:33The Rams are the betting favorite to win this next Super Bowl in large part
03:38because it's just a stable environment.
03:40You improve defensively.
03:41You bring in McDuffie, most notably there from Kansas City.
03:44Obviously, the offense is the offense.
03:47You have the reigning MVP with Matthew Stafford, an over-under of 11.5.
03:51That's an even money, winning the West plus 130.
03:55The NFC, almost 4-1.
03:57The Super Bowl, as mentioned, 7-1.
04:00What's the outlook on L.A.?
04:02Well, you know, I want to see how they respond to the early season travel.
04:06You know, do we consider that a, you know, kind of throwaway month?
04:11Obviously, when you're playing in Melbourne, that's a huge game right off the bat, too.
04:15And these teams had great success last season.
04:19They were the, it wasn't just the best division in football.
04:22It was one of the best divisions ever between the 49ers, Rams, and Seahawks.
04:26So I anticipate those games to be heavily competitive as well.
04:30I still like them to win the division.
04:32I like, I think you might, too.
04:34I wonder how they put away, like, the Ty Simpson succession question
04:39with Matthew Stafford, does that become a distraction?
04:41I don't think it will as much once the season starts,
04:44unless Matthew Stafford gets hurt.
04:46But I really like this team's roster.
04:48And despite the draft questions,
04:50I think they're very capable of winning that division.
04:54AFC East is really, at least on paper, a two-team division.
04:58You know, apologies to the Dolphins,
05:00who are very much rebuilding the Jets, who are not there.
05:02It's the Patriots, who are coming off a 14-win season,
05:06albeit with a historically easy schedule.
05:08They've got their own stuff going on with the Mike Vrabel situation,
05:11though he is expected to be the head coach.
05:14And then you have the Bills, who, another premature playoff exit,
05:18despite a double-digit win season once again,
05:21but they lose out in the division to New England.
05:24And this team responds by, you know, out goes Sean McDermott.
05:27Joe Brady gets promoted from OC to head coach.
05:30They bring in D.J. Moore to give Josh Allen
05:32really his first viable No. 1 wide receiver since Stephon Diggs.
05:37We'll see if he still has that in him.
05:39But 10.5 the over-under, minus money to win the division.
05:43Once again, the Patriots a much tougher schedule this year,
05:46winning the AFC at 5-1, the Super Bowl at 10-1.
05:49What do you think?
05:50I mean, if you don't like the Bills now, when will you like them?
05:54And I think that Super Bowl question is hanging over Josh Allen.
05:57I do like them to win the division.
05:59I do like them to clear this number.
06:02And if they don't, I mean, man, can you imagine?
06:05The one thing the NFL does like them in primetime, too,
06:08we just talked about the Rams, the Bills-Rams game.
06:11You could make the argument in Week 5, that could be the best game on the NFL schedule.
06:14The Bills are playing the Bears.
06:17They're playing the Lions.
06:18They're playing the Chiefs.
06:19They definitely have a heavyweight primetime schedule.
06:22I think Josh Allen's the one guy that, you know, I believe he's the only player who's finished in the
06:28top five in the MVP voting the last three years.
06:30He's that good.
06:31And I think they will win the division.
06:34And if they can't get to the Super Bowl this year, I don't know when that's ever going to happen.
06:38In terms of primetime and those island games, the NFL, now that we have a mixture of more Wednesday games,
06:44for instance,
06:45it's, you know, take away Monday, take away Friday, Saturday, you know, just Wednesday, Thursday, by my count, is 21
06:53games this season.
06:54So this league is really, truly trying to get, as every day of the week, week-long, to demand your
07:01attention as is humanly possible.
07:03What do you think of the Thursday slate?
07:05I mean, they're all over every continent, every streaming service, every channel, every night.
07:10And, you know, I think, you know, again, as a Green Bay fan, I hate that they're playing the Rams
07:15on the Wednesday night before Thanksgiving.
07:17I like to relax that night, and I'm going to be all uptight, yelling at the TV and everything.
07:22But I would say this, I don't look for this to stop.
07:26I mean, they want these television windows.
07:28They want to dominate.
07:29And, by the way, they put an awesome doubleheader against the college football playoff,
07:34capped with a primetime game with the Bills and the Bears.
07:37So I don't see the NFL stopping anytime soon.
07:41Nine international games, that is a record, and it is very much for the almighty dollar.
07:46It's not these international fans really care all that much.
07:49In about 15 seconds, what do you think of the Super Bowl rematch, Patriots-Seahawks, to open the year?
07:55You know, it'll be fun.
07:56And I think Seattle, you normally take the Super Bowl champ.
08:00They've won the last couple.
08:01I'd probably take the Seahawks in that game.
08:04Let's wait until A.J. Brown gets there.
08:05Bill Bender, Sporting News.
08:07Thanks so much, sir.
08:08Hey, thank you.
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