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Bo Nix, Michael Penix, Giants offense: preseason mailbag episode | Football 301 Aug 15, 2024

Show notes

Nate Tice and Charles McDonald answer questions submitted by listeners ahead of the 2024 NFL season. The duo kick things off with the news that Matt Judon has been traded to the Atlanta Falcons to shore up their pass rush, and Jordan Phillips has been traded to the Dallas Cowboys to give Mike Zimmer the nose tackle he requires.

Next, Nate and Tice tackle questions from listeners on ascending NFL coaches, how to counter the Mike Macdonald defense, Brian Thomas Jr, the 1990 New England Patriots, offensive line play, players that signal a team's identity shift, Bo Nix, Tom Telesco, Michael Penix Jr. and the Falcons, the Indianapolis Colts, the New York Giants offense and flag football in the Olympics.

(2:10) Matt Judon and Jordan Phillips trade analysis

(8:00) Who are some ascending NFL coaches around the league?

(11:20) How will teams counter the Mike Macdonald defense?

(16:00) How will Brian Thomas Jr fit with the Jacksonville Jaguars?

(20:10) What modern tactics would you bring to a struggling 1990s football team?

(24:45) How does being a "physical freak" translate for offensive linemen?

(30:20) Who are some players that signal a team's changing identity?

(35:40) How does Bo Nix's style mesh with Sean Payton?

(43:45) Is Tom Telesco the worst GM hire ever?

(47:00) Michael Penix Jr. and the Falcons

(55:55) Can the Colts win the AFC South?

(56:50) What is the best case scenario for the Giants offense?

(1:02:10) Flag football in the 2028 Olympics

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🎧 Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3A4mYAD

📢Yahoo Sports podcast network: https://apple.co/3zEuT

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Rookie QB progress reports; CeeDee Lamb, Brandon Aiyuk & Haason Reddick contract disputes | Inside Coverage Aug 14, 2024

Show notes

Charles Robinson joins Frank Schwab direct from his training camp tour to go behind the scenes on the latest news around the NFL. The duo start with the Haason Reddick drama in New York, as Charles thinks Reddick will eventually run out of leverage as the situation progresses. JJ McCarthy will undergo surgery for a torn meniscus, which is a big setback after a very promising performance in preseason Week 1. The CeeDee Lamb contract dispute continues, and Charles thinks both Lamb's and JaMarr Chase's holdouts are very different than the Reddick one because they possess much more leverage. He expects a deal to get done for Lamb, but is less optimistic about Chase.

Charles has gotten a good look at many of the rookie quarterbacks, and gives his thoughts on Drake Maye's slow start, Jayden Daniels' first preseason action and Caleb Williams' insane arm talent.

Finally, Frank and Charles wrap the show up with thoughts on the wide receiver market, and how Amon-Ra St. Brown's contract extension earlier this year has affected players like Brandon Aiyuk, who Charles thinks might actually end up signing back with the San Francisco 49ers.

(2:30) New York Jets and Haason Reddick have reached a stalemate

(10:45) What the JJ McCarthy injury means for Minnesota

(19:15) CeeDee Lamb and Ja'Marr Chase holdouts are tricky situations

(27:30) Evaluating rookie quarterback preseason performances

(41:30) One deal that changed the WR market

(45:50) Where will Brandon Aiyuk play in 2024?

📢 Check out the Yahoo Sports podcast network or yahoosports.tv

Best, worst and most interesting units to watch this season | Football 301 Aug 13, 2024

Show notes

Nate Tice is joined by the great Charles McDonald to break down a few of the most intriguing position groups or units to watch this NFL season, whether good, interesting or primed for implosion. The duo start off the show with the news that Minnesota Vikings first-round pick J.J. McCarthy will undergo knee surgery, as the two give their (surprisingly positive) thoughts on presumed Week 1 starter Sam Darnold.

Next, Nate and Charles give their two units to watch that should impress this season: the Chicago Bears back seven and the Detroit Lions secondary, both improved over last season.

The most interesting units to keep an eye on are the Green Bay Packers defensive front, the New York Jets offensive line, the San Francisco 49ers defensive backs and the new additions to the Kansas City Chiefs offense.

Some unit groups already look like they're ready to implode before our eyes this season. Nate and Charles highlight (lowlight?) the Atlanta Falcons defense, the Jacksonville Jaguars offensive line and the Cincinnati Bengals defensive line.

The duo finish off the show with a lightning round of their favorite individual performances from Week 1 of NFL preseason action.

(3:30) J.J. McCarthy to undergo knee surgery

(10:20) Chicago Bears & Detroit Lions both have very underrated secondaries

(21:45) Most interesting units: Green Bay Packers, New York Jets, San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs

(47:05) Implosion candidates: Atlanta Falcons defense, Jacksonville Jaguars offense, Cincinnati Bengals defensive line

(1:01:40) Preseason standout performances

Subscribe to Football 301 on your favorite podcast app:

🎧 Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/46gILkF

🎧 Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3A4mYAD

📢Yahoo Sports podcast network: https://apple.co/3zEuT

💸 Sign up for a Yahoo fantasy football league for a chance to win one million dollars!

🏈 Draft your team on Yahoo Fantasy before September 5th for one entry. If any players you start score a touchdown in the Week 1 games on NBC, earn up to seven additional entries per TD scored.

🎟️ Enter at http://www.yahoo.com/fantasymillion

📢 Check out the Yahoo Sports podcast network or yahoosports.tv

Friskiest teams of the 2024 NFL season | Football 301 Aug 08, 2024

Show notes

Nate Tice is joined by the great Charles McDonald to determine the "friskiest" NFL teams this season. Nate and Charles start by defining "frisky" as any team with a win total below 9 games that will be a tough out for any opponent. The duo highlight the Arizona Cardinals and Tennessee Titans as the friskiest of the bunch, before highlighting why people might be sleeping on the Seattle Seahawks, New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Nate and Charles finish off the show with two "reverse frisky" teams (teams with a sub-9 win total that deserve to be even lower): the Los Angeles Chargers, who are still at least a year away, and the Washington Commanders, who have built a comparatively small and slow roster that doesn't appear ready to beat many NFL teams this season.

(3:20) The Arizona Cardinals will surprise people this year

(12:30) The Tennessee Titans added a ton of good players

(22:55) The Seattle Seahawks are being slept on

(28:00) The New England Patriots are not the worst team in the league

(37:55) The Tampa Bay Buccaneers brought back all their good players

(46:10) The Los Angeles Chargers are at least a year away

(53:40) What are the Washington Commanders doing?

Subscribe to Football 301 on your favorite podcast app:

🎧 Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/46gILkF

🎧 Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3A4mYAD

📢Yahoo Sports podcast network: https://apple.co/3zEuT

💸 Sign up for a Yahoo fantasy football league for a chance to win one million dollars!

🏈 Draft your team on Yahoo Fantasy before September 5th for one entry. If any players you start score a touchdown in the Week 1 games on NBC, earn up to seven additional entries per TD scored.

🎟️ Enter at http://www.yahoo.com/fantasymillion

📢 Check out the Yahoo Sports podcast network or yahoosports.tv

Brandon Aiyuk trade looms, top players to watch during preseason | Inside Coverage Aug 07, 2024

Show notes

Jason Fitz, Frank Schwab and Jori Epstein pull back the curtain and go behind the scenes on some of the biggest stories circulating around the NFL. Trade rumors surrounding star San Francisco 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk have been heating up over the past few days, and Fitz and Frank give their thoughts on potential destinations and why the 49ers should still be trying to sign him to a long-term deal.

Next, Jori Epstein joins the show from her nation-wide training camp tour to discuss a few players that are worth keeping an eye on in preseason as potential breakout candidates this year, including Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze, Joe Alt, AD Mitchell, Andre Iosivas and more.

Later, Fitz and Frank discuss an article detailing a divide between Jalen Hurts and Philadelphia Eagles Head Coach Nick Sirianni that deepened during the team's late-season skid last year. The duo discuss how deep this divide really is, whether it can be solved this season and where the Eagles can go from here after an extremely awkward end to 2023.

(3:00) Will Brandon Aiyuk be a San Francisco 49er in 2024?

(27:50) Jori's top players to watch during preseason

(48:45) Can Jalen Hurts and Nick Sirianni repair the divide between them?

💸 Sign up for a Yahoo fantasy football league for a chance to win one million dollars!

🏈 Draft your team on Yahoo Fantasy before September 5th for one entry. If any players you start score a touchdown in the Week 1 games on NBC, earn up to seven additional entries per TD scored.

🎟️ Enter at http://www.yahoo.com/fantasymillion

📢 Check out the Yahoo Sports podcast network or yahoosports.tv

NFL teams that need to have prove-it seasons in 2024 | Football 301 Aug 06, 2024

Show notes

With Week 1 of NFL preseason action right around the corner, Nate Tice and Matt Harmon share which NFL teams need to have a prove-it season in 2024.

They open up with Level 1 of which teams or players should be the least worried, featuring the Steelers offense, Sean McDermott following a lot of staff turnover, and Sean Payton after completely blowing up the Broncos offense. They move onto Level 2, discussing the teams that are in the most danger of needing to hit the reset button next year. Harmon and Tice dissect the entire underperforming NFC South, Aaron Rodgers coming off of an Achilles injury, and the Jaguars coaching staff needing to maximize Trevor Lawrence. They wrap with Level 3: Threat Level Midnight. This category focuses on Rashod Bateman needing to finally break out, Calvin Ridley after getting a huge contract and two hot seat head coaches.

Harmon and Tice close out the show with a brief thought on the over coverage of Brandon Ayiuk's trade situation.

(2:20) What is the Steelers offensive identity?

(11:45) Can Sean McDermott win with his new defense?

(16:50) What is Sean Payton's vision for the Broncos?

(26:15) The entire NFC South has a lot to prove

(49:30) Is Aaron Rodgers the same QB he once was?

(53:25) What are the Jaguars doing offensively?

(57:30) Will Rashod Bateman ever break out?

(1:01:30) Was Calvin Ridley worth the huge contract?

(1:04:55) Are Nick Sirianni & Mike McCarthy on the hot seat?

(1:11:50) The Brandon Aiyuk trade saga

💸 Sign up for a Yahoo fantasy football league for a chance to win one million dollars!

🏈 Draft your team on Yahoo Fantasy before September 5th for one entry. If any players you start score a touchdown in the Week 1 games on NBC, earn up to seven additional entries per TD scored.

🎟️ Enter at http://www.yahoo.com/fantasymillion

📢 Check out the Yahoo Sports podcast network or yahoosports.tv

2024's NFL teams that make us want to cry, Justin Herbert in a boot, Tristan Wirfs gets the bag | Football 301 Aug 02, 2024

Show notes

It's only August 1st and things are already looking charger-y for the Los Angeles Chargers. Justin Herbert is in a walking boot for the next two weeks, following a plantar fascia diagnosis on Thursday afternoon, so Nate Tice and Charles McDonald kick off the episode with the latest bad omen for the team that just can never seem to catch a break.

Later, after discussing the new contract for Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs, arguably the most successful tackle product from the 2020 draft class, the guys return to the sour note and share the teams, players and general football things that make them the saddest entering the 2024 season. Both Russell Wilson's current team (the Pittsburgh Steelers) and his former team (the Denver Broncos) make the cut, as well as both teams Derek Carr has suited up for in the Las Vegas Raiders and New Orleans Saints. Who else is making Nate and Charles sad as football season approaches? Give the episode a listen to find out.

(3:06) - Justin Herbert dealing with a foot injury

(5:34) - Tristan Wirfs secures the bag, remembering the 2020 NFL draft's round 1 OTs

(12:43) - Things that make us want to cry: The Pittsburgh Steelers offense with Russell Wilson

(17:44) - New Orleans Saints offensive line

(23:46) - Everything about the Denver Broncos

(29:14) - Las Vegas Raiders QB situation

(34:17) - The quarterback "discourse"

(40:58) - Wednesday NFL games

(44:06) - Get off my astroturf!

🖥️ Watch this full episode on YouTube

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at Yahoo Sports Podcasts

📢 Check out the Yahoo Sports podcast network or yahoosports.tv

Early Super Bowl picks, QB confidence meter & Aaron Rodgers skipping NFL preseason | Inside Coverage Jul 31, 2024

Show notes

Jason Fitz and Frank Schwab get together and throw a few QBs in the confidence meter before giving their way too early Super Bowl LIX picks.

(07:15) - Bears & D.J. Moore agree on 4-year extension

(10:00) - Jets QB Aaron Rodgers unlikely to play in preseason

(23:30) - QB Confidence Meter: 49ers

(30:55) - QB Confidence Meter: Steelers / Colts

(39:15) - QB Confidence Meter: Bengals / Vikings

(46:00) - QB Confidence Meter: Broncos

(48:40) - Schwab Island: Super Bowl LIX picks

On this episode of Inside Coverage, Jason Fitz and Frank Schwab go through some of the more confusing QB situations in the NFL and grade them on a made-up confidence meter, but first…

The Bears signed WR D.J. Moore to the largest contract in team history, and everyone agrees that it’s a good deal and a smart move for both sides.

It appears as though Aaron Rodgers will skip playing in the NFL preseason for the New York Jets after missing all of last season with a torn Achilles. How will he be able to knock the rust off? Is this a sign that the team, or the player, is in control of the situation?

Finally, it’s time to get into the QB Confidence Meter. The guys start in San Francisco, where Frank says that the 49ers shouldn’t pay Brock Purdy and shouldn’t pay any QB that isn’t on a rookie contract. It’s a bold idea!

Fitz says that Russell Wilson is washed up in Pittsburgh, but even if Russ plays well this year…then what? The Steelers don’t want to pay him what the market says he’s worth. Another unknown is in Indianapolis, where Anthony Richardson has a sky-high ceiling but hasn’t played very much the past two seasons.

Fitz says that Joe Burrow is the 2nd best QB in the NFL, but there’s going to continue to be concerns about whether he can stay healthy. Meanwhile, the Vikings are betting on a rookie QB that barely threw the ball in college.

On Broncos rookie QB Bo Nix, both guys agree that he needs to start for Sean Payton’s team immediately. Fitz has some homework to back up a strong claim he has about Bo Nix being the next Nathan Peterman.

Finally, we put Frank on “Schwab Island” and make him defend his Super Bowl LIX pick before Fitz gives his own pick for who will be taking home the Lombardi Trophy.

Inside Coverage would be nothing without the impact of our beloved Terez Paylor, who was a pillar of Yahoo Sports' NFL editorial and podcast coverage. We will continue to produce this NFL podcast in his honor, and hope that you can support Terez Paylor's legacy in one of three ways:

• Buy an "All-Juice Team" hoodie or tee from BreakingT.com/Terez. All profits directly fund the Terez A. Paylor scholarship at Howard University.

• Donate directly to the PowerMizzou Journalism Alumni Scholarship in memory of Terez Paylor

• Donate directly at giving.howard.edu/givenow. Under “Tribute,” please note that your gift is made in memory of Terez A. Paylor. Under “Designation,” click on “Other” and write in “Terez A. Paylor Scholarship.”

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at Yahoo Sports Podcasts

📢 Check out the Yahoo Sports podcast network or yahoosports.tv

Tua & Love get extended, plus 6 quasi-baked takes before the NFL preseason Jul 31, 2024

Show notes

The NFL preseason is just days away and the 2024 season right around the corner, but Nate Tice and Matt Harmon have been stewing with some half-baked NFL takes they've been tinkering with off-season.

After kicking off the podcast discussing a pair of quarterback extensions in the deals for Tua Tagovailoa and Jordan Love, the guys open up their notebooks from the offseason and share some theories that are not quite ready for the primetime, but may prove right by the time this season is over: the Los Angeles Chargers offense may not be as bad as it seems, the Tennessee Titans might be better than this divisional foe this season and a wild NFC West playoff prediction.

(4:15) - Tua Tagovailoa's extension & the Miami Dolphins' ceiling

(10:01) - Jordan Love extended in Green Bay with young group of pass-catchers

(23:45) - Half-Take 1: LA Chargers offense won't be as bad as you think

(32:11) - Half-Take 2: Titans offense will be better than the Jaguars offense

(41:11) - Half-Take 3: Diontae Johnson was the best acquisition of the offseason

(47:58) - Half-Take 4: Bijan Robinson will be offensive player of the year

(52:28) - Half-Take 5: Ken Dorsey as the Cleveland Browns OC signals...something

(1:01:43) - Half-Take 6: Seattle Seahawks will make the playoffs

🖥️ Watch this full episode on YouTube

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at Yahoo Sports Podcasts

📢 Check out the Yahoo Sports podcast network or yahoosports.tv

Predicting the top 10 defenses of 2024 | Football 301 Jul 26, 2024

Show notes

On today's episode of Football 301, Nate Tice and Charles McDonald look ahead to the 2024 season and predict which teams will finish with the top 10 defenses in the NFL.

Can the New York Giants' defense be carried by its defensive line? Will the Baltimore Ravens' new faces in their secondary and linebacking core keep them at the top? Are the New England Patriots built perfectly for Jerod Mayo to hit the ground running in year 1? Is Mike Zimmer the right man to lead the Dallas Cowboys' aggressive secondary and athletic front 7? All of that and more is answered on today's show.

(1:51) Jacksonville Jaguars

(7:38) New York Giants

(11:33) Las Vegas Raiders

(15:25) Chicago Bears

(21:02) Dallas Cowboys

(26:18) San Francisco 49ers

(30:33) Baltimore Ravens

(36:48) Kansas City Chiefs

(40:12) New England Patriots

(44:01) New York Jets

(51:40) Cleveland Browns

🖥️ Watch this full episode on YouTube