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00:00It took far too long. But a done deal is a done deal. Dallas and C.D. Lamb agreeing to a four-year, $136 million contract extension.
00:13That is $34 million annually. It is the second most we have ever seen for a non-quarterback or wide receiver in the history of the National Football League.
00:25It took way, way, way too long. But ultimately, before the regular season starts at the star, the Cowboys and C.D. Lamb have agreed to a new deal that should make both sides very happy.
00:39C.D. Lamb gets his money. The Dallas Cowboys get their best offensive piece entering 2024.
00:46Did anybody actually think that the Dallas Cowboys were headed into the 2024 season without C.D. Lamb for the first couple of games because they couldn't come to an agreement?
00:55This was one of those instances where outside a quarterback, you just couldn't afford to have this guy miss any time because of how integral he is to that offense.
01:03And I'm being honest. They'll tell you on a week-to-week basis, a wide receiver being out doesn't mean all that much to the point spread.
01:09But I'm here to tell you right now, let's just say C.D. Lamb got traded for a first-round pick and a second-round pick in next year's draft, which meant, Ben, you couldn't use that money and or that player this late in the season.
01:21I don't think the Dallas Cowboys make the playoffs. Quite frankly, I'm not so sure they're even a 500-football team without C.D. Lamb.
01:27With C.D. Lamb, they're a 10-win football team and a legitimate threat to win the NFC East. That's how important he was.
01:33So very few times you take a look at a wide receiver trying to get more money out of his team than he feels like the team thinks he's worth and actually winning that argument here, it was C.D. Lamb.
01:43And Jerry Jones understood the assignment here. Yes, I can hold out and not pay him $2 million less than what he wants, but my football team will suffer the consequences, particularly early on.
01:53And if he does get signed later, we know what that means.
01:55Hey, one in three through four games. Now I get injured in game five because I sat out five months in my contract negotiations.
02:01Get him in the camp, get him acclimated and start winning football games right off the bat, which includes the game against the Cleveland Browns.
02:07I looked at this one and said, if there was ever a holdout that needed to be signed immediately, it was always C.D. Lamb.
02:14Yes, it always was. And camp concludes today as teams around the NFL have to make their roster decisions by 4 p.m. Eastern time.
02:24So C.D. Lamb virtually missing all of training camp. It should not hamper Dallas's offense.
02:30We'll talk about the next big move we expect the Cowboys to make at some point this preseason.
02:36Now the regular season is right around the corner, but let's focus on C.D. Lamb.
02:41Thirty four million dollars per year, a million annually behind Justin Jefferson, who is the highest paid non quarterback wide receiver in the history of the NFL.
02:51Jay Jet got one hundred and ten million dollars out of the Vikings guaranteed.
02:55C.D. Lamb gets a hundred mil guaranteed out of the Dallas Cowboys.
03:00A thirty eight million dollar signing bonus, though, for C.D. Lamb, the most at that positional slot in the history of the NFL.
03:09And C.D. Lamb is worth every penny, as is Justin Jefferson.
03:13And I think you could probably argue the five wide receivers now in the thirty million dollar club.
03:18Justin Jefferson, the most C.D. Lamb, the second A.J.
03:21Brown in Philadelphia makes about thirty two million dollars per year.
03:25Amen. Ross St. Brown makes a little bit over thirty million dollars.
03:28And Tyreek Hill makes thirty million dollars with the Miami Dolphins.
03:32But when you look at C.D.
03:33Lamb's career production, four years in the National Football League, a first round pick out of Oklahoma in 2020, more than nine hundred yards each and every year.
03:42The last three more than eleven hundred.
03:45The last two more than thirteen fifty.
03:47And last year, one thousand seven hundred and forty nine receiving yards.
03:52Second most in the NFL led the National Football League with one hundred and thirty five catches and had twelve receiving touchdowns.
03:59Again, I will repeat myself.
04:01It is why when Jerry Jones was posturing and trying to find leverage, it made no sense to me because C.D.
04:08Lamb is worth every single penny.
04:11And outside of the quarterback, I believe Dallas is most important offensive player.
04:16Absolutely. And also it reminds us of what the Dallas Cowboys were actually doing this offseason, which made no sense.
04:22If you were the all in Jerry Jones, you sign this guy in February or March.
04:27Let's just say when the free agency opens up and technically it was even a free agent could have got done at any time.
04:31Let's just say once the league calendar flipped over to this year and he was eligible for an extension, sign him immediately.
04:36Redo Dax contract here. And that gives you an entire free agency with more money on the table to sign more quality players to play in 2024.
04:44So for me, C.D.
04:46Lamb getting his money this late doesn't help the Dallas Cowboys.
04:49And even if we do get a restructured contract and an extension for Dak Prescott defeats the whole purpose.
04:54The purpose is to get that done before free agency.
04:56So you know how much money you can spend and bring an even better talent to the football team that you feel has a chance to win the division and compete in the playoffs.
05:04So it's a backward season.
05:05If you tell me like, hey, we're offseason.
05:07All we're going to do is sign CD late and also re-up Dak late in this year.
05:11That doesn't make any sense whatsoever.
05:13The Cowboys will be a fine team this year.
05:15They could have been an incredible team if they made these decisions much, much earlier.
05:19Ben completely agree because C.D.
05:21Lamb was entering the final year of his rookie deal.
05:24That Prescott is about to enter the final year of his contract.
05:29The same story.
05:30And he does not seem as though he is in line for an extension as of right now.
05:35So as we look at C.D.
05:37Lamb's receiving yards props for 2024, we have not seen Dak Prescott throughout preseason.
05:43But here are the numbers on C.D.
05:45Lamb.
05:46He got paid.
05:47Donnie, will Dak be paid prior to the start of 2024 regular season?
05:52The Cowboys first game on Sunday, September 8th, just about two weeks away.
05:57You'd want to say yes, but what's the point of even doing it now?
06:00The whole point was to restructure his contract to get under the salary cap and pay another player.
06:05So why not just ride it out?
06:06If Dak has a great season, he's going to get paid a ton of money anyway next year at this point.
06:10See what Dak Prescott has in him if Dak's willing to play without a new contract.
06:14That's probably a much better scenario because if he does play and play well,
06:17and let's just say the Cowboys break through the first time since 1995 and play in a Super Bowl,
06:22yeah, he's probably worth an extra $5 million on top of his $60 million that he's going to make.
06:28And if I'm Jerry Jones, I would be fine with that.
06:30It doesn't even make any sense to sign him right now.
06:33Yeah, but you do play a dangerous game because Dak Prescott is a free agent
06:38and can test the market and find a different destination if he so desires.
06:43And that is the standard of success at the star,
06:47even if the Cowboys haven't reached that level in nearly three decades.
06:51It is win a conference championship and play for a Lombardi trophy.
06:56An 8-1 price on the Cowboys to win the NFC championship.
07:00It's tied for the fourth-best number around the NFC, 18-1 to win a Super Bowl.
07:05Of course, since their last Super Bowl championship in 1995,
07:09the Cowboys have failed to even reach the NFC championship game.
07:14More around the National Football League that comes your way next.
07:17You're on The Early Line.
07:18It is a very natural cause in the National Football League
07:22to look at a contract extension in one place for one individual
07:26and forecast what it might mean elsewhere around the National Football League.
07:31That's, of course, what we did yesterday.
07:33CeeDee Lamb signing a four-year, $136 million extension with the Dallas Cowboys.
07:40$34 million per year, the second-highest paid non-quarterback in the history of the NFL.
07:46And as Donny Rightside often does, his first thought when wideout X gets paid,
07:52what about wideout Y?
07:54That's Jamar Chase in Cincinnati.
07:56The difference, however, though, is Chase is entering year number four,
08:00two more years left on his rookie deal.
08:03CeeDee Lamb and Justin Jefferson were entering the final year of their contract in 2024.
08:09But whether it's Jamar Chase, the R.S., or maybe Brandon Ayuk in San Francisco,
08:14who is also entering the fifth and final year of his rookie deal,
08:18what do you think Lamb's deal means for those two wide receivers?
08:22It should mean more money.
08:24Now let's just focus on Cincinnati.
08:26And again, I think Brandon Ayuk's deal is going to get done here.
08:28It's interesting that he never got traded even though the deals were in place,
08:31so you knew he wanted to stay a 49er.
08:33Let's set him aside for just a moment.
08:34CeeDee Lamb got paid yesterday.
08:36Look at the rest of the wide receivers who wanted to get paid this year.
08:39They all got paid.
08:40So if you are the Philadelphia Eagles or the Miami Dolphins or the Minnesota Vikings,
08:43you said to yourself, you players, talking about the wide receivers,
08:47we love you, you're integral parts of our offense right now and into the future.
08:52We want to pay you accordingly so you're happy, so you know you're worth it,
08:56and you're going to perform at the highest level with nothing in the back of your mind
08:59that goes, oh, my goodness, I just had a game that had four catches for 42 yards.
09:03That's going to impact me in free agency.
09:05Go out there and play as hard as you can and give it your best effort.
09:08The reason I bring that up is the Cincinnati Bengals told their two young wide receivers
09:12in their prime right now, they told T. Higgins, you're not part of our plans.
09:16We are not securing a long-term deal.
09:18I'll pay you this year.
09:19You'll get decent money.
09:20But next year, we're just going to cut you loose because you're not in our plans.
09:24That's how they make T. Higgins feel at this point.
09:26And then if you're Jamar Chase going, the organization telling you right now,
09:29hey, we really like you here.
09:30We're just not going to pay you, which hear me out on this once again, Cincinnati.
09:35You wait on Jamar Chase, the price of the brick goes higher, higher, and higher.
09:41Every week, every month, every year.
09:44And all you do is piss off your high-end talent.
09:47What are we doing here?
09:48If Cincinnati, for me then, settled T. Higgins on a long-term contract,
09:52settled Jamar Chase on a long-term contract.
09:54They signed Joe Burrow to a long-term deal.
09:57That's three players that every time you take the field,
09:59you have a legitimate chance to win now and in the future.
10:02It's a clown organization doing things backwards.
10:05And that's why I'm down on the Cincinnati Bengals in 2024.
10:09Any company you work for, take care of your assets.
10:12You will get better performance on the field.
10:14And also, they can tell their friends, you want to come to Cincinnati?
10:18My owner is awesome.
10:19He takes care of you.
10:21What's the next free agent going to look like?
10:22Or a guy that gets drafted in the top 10, the Bengals go, man,
10:25hopefully in five years, I get out of here and I can get paid by somebody else.
10:30DRS, it's a very fair assessment in my estimation as well.
10:34It might seem like, okay, the guy's still making a lot of money.
10:38He still has two years left on his deal.
10:40It's not really going to impact the overall outcome and production
10:44on the actual football field in NFL regular season games.
10:49But doesn't it?
10:50For Jamar Chase to feel valued as one of the best wide receivers
10:53in the National Football League, Cincinnati could have had the foresight
10:58to pay him early like Miami did earlier this offseason with Jalen Waddell.
11:04And Jalen Waddell is not Jamar Chase.
11:07But the reason you pay a guy early is not only to get in front of the market
11:11so the market is not dictating what you do, but you are helping influence
11:15what the market does after the contract extension that you put out there,
11:20but also because you can average out what is going to be one of the most
11:23lucrative deals we have ever seen for a wide receiver in NFL history
11:27over the final two years of his rookie deal.
11:30So it's more franchise friendly for Mike Brown and the Bengals.
11:35But that, of course, did not happen.
11:38Donnie, we have speculated on if Brandon Ayuk is going to play
11:42in San Francisco this season.
11:44Preseason is done.
11:45Camp is virtually done.
11:47Is Ayuk playing for the 49ers this year?
11:501,000%.
11:52It's too late to make that move, to learn a new playbook,
11:54to change organizations, to get paid.
11:56They're probably just fighting over like a million-dollar difference right now
11:59that will come to a head probably this week, same way that CeeDee Lamb got done.
12:04You don't want this to linger into game week.
12:06I believe this deal does get done, and the 49ers will be better before
12:09because of excuses.
12:10And there are fines that are handed out for missing training camp practices
12:14and such, but it pales in comparison to the money from a game check.
12:18Now when you look at names like Trent Williams in San Fran,
12:22Hasan Reddick much maligned with the New York Jets,
12:25this is where it gets a little bit dicey and precarious.
12:28How long do you want to play hardball and miss out on millions of dollars
12:32as we approach the regular season?
12:35It is cut day for Enterprises Super Bowl around the NFL next.
12:39Live right here on the Early Line on Sports Grid on this Tuesday
12:43around the National Football League.
12:45Sorry, I chuckled to myself.
12:46It's cut day around the NFL.
12:48It's not really a laughing matter.
12:50Many lives and livelihoods are changed on this day.
12:54All 32 NFL clubs need to cut down their roster to 53 active players,
12:59guys that have grinded it out around the National Football League
13:02in training camp, busting their tails,
13:04trying to earn a roster spot in an organization during preseason games,
13:09might not have that opportunity by day's end, 4 p.m. Eastern time.
13:14But why I chuckle is because of how Donnie Rightside Brand's
13:18cut day around the NFL, Enterprises Super Bowl.
13:22I had never heard that before, so that really got me going.
13:25Yeah, a lot of new podcasts probably going to pop up
13:28within the next 24 hours as well.
13:30People got to survive out here and eat, man,
13:32just because you can't live out your childhood dream.
13:34You got to go to work the very next day to pay those bills.
13:37So congratulations to those guys who are letting go,
13:40starting their new careers here, and away we go.
13:44Listen, there are, what do they say, grass is greener on the other side?
13:48Yeah.
13:49Most of those NFL players that try to make a training camp roster
13:53or an active roster go pro at something other than sports.
13:57That's what we might have around the NFL today.
13:59But 4 p.m. Eastern time, it is cut day in the National Football League,
14:03which is an important date in the NFL calendar,
14:06as now teams are done with training camp.
14:08Training camp is virtually concluded at this point.
14:11Preseason in the books, all sights on week number one.
14:15Within the next two weeks, it's game preparation
14:18with a couple of extra days to get ready for your week one opponent.
14:21We are nine days out from the NFL season opener
14:25and that debut for 2024 inside Arrowhead Stadium
14:29between the Chiefs and the Ravens.
14:31So some maneuvers happening that could bolster your roster,
14:34even with guys that weren't there during camp.
14:38That is the case in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
14:40The Packers yesterday training a seventh-round draft pick
14:43in 2025 to Tennessee in return.
14:46The Titans send third-year quarterback Malik Willis to Green Bay.
14:51He is slotted in to be the backup QB behind Jordan Love.
14:55Willis had a lot of hype entering the 2022 NFL draft out of Liberty.
15:00For a little bit of time in that draft cycle, DRS,
15:04he was the favorite to go first overall.
15:06He was the favorite to be the first quarterback taken in 2022.
15:11He slides probably correctly so to the third round of that draft
15:15selected by the Titans.
15:17Did not pan out in Nashville.
15:19Now he earns a reserve role behind Jordan Love with the Pack.
15:23Yeah, correct me if I'm wrong on this one.
15:25It was an interesting circumstance.
15:27I believe Malik Willis was on the Titans and he was in line for his start
15:30and they just didn't think he was ready for it,
15:32even though he's on the roster.
15:33And I think it was Josh Dobbs that came in off of like five or six days
15:37and they started at quarterback for the Titans.
15:39I believe that was the correct story.
15:40So what we're getting out of Malik Willis at this point
15:42is just not ready for prime time,
15:44but we do believe he does have a lot of physical tools
15:47that down the line could amount to something.
15:49And if you are the Packers, you didn't lose anything on this, by the way.
15:52There's a seventh round draft pick that you flip over for a backup quarterback
15:55that you feel maybe can fill in in spots.
15:57And also, it's a great landing spot.
15:59There's no pressure on Malik Willis and he's in an offense on the floor
16:02that's very good and you can just sit there and learn
16:05and not have the ability to say to myself,
16:06boy, I better be prepared in two to three weeks.
16:08I'm going to start for a bad football team for five or six games
16:11and I'm going to have to step up my game.
16:13That's not the case.
16:14If you do go down, if it's Jordan Love,
16:16that is a great spot to be in as a backup quarterback
16:18as long as you're coached up appropriately.
16:20And I believe Matt LaFleur is going to be able to do that.
16:22I think it's a win-win for both franchises.
16:24You get at least some sort of compensation back for the Titans,
16:27but also from Malik Willis, this is the perfect landing spot to learn
16:30for a couple years to feel like you might be a starting quarterback
16:33in this league and in a great organization to do so.
16:37Yeah, absolutely so.
16:38And it's a really good point, DRS.
16:40When you look at the career stats for Malik Willis, again,
16:42it has not been the greatest start to his National Football League career
16:46in Tennessee.
16:48There you see it.
16:49Zero touchdowns thrown, three interceptions.
16:52Did make a few starts at the end of 2022.
16:56Had a couple of appearances last year in 2023.
17:01Is he a National Football League starter at the QB spot?
17:04Probably not.
17:05Can he grow under Matt LaFleur behind Jordan Love
17:08and provide some upside from that reserve quarterback spot?
17:11Maybe so.
17:12It was pretty clear as well throughout Packers training camp
17:15and in preseason that LaFleur and the coaching staff
17:19not in love with the two options in-house.
17:21Sean Clifford, the second-year guy out of Penn State,
17:24or the rookie, Michael Pratt, who was taken day number three.
17:29So the Packers go elsewhere to get their backup in Malik Willis.
17:33Other notable news from Monday as we enter cut day Tuesday
17:37around the National Football League.
17:39Four-time Pro Bowler Dalvin Cook, after an unsuccessful season
17:43with the New York Jets, is slated to work out for the Dallas Cowboys.
17:48Of course, it's a very new running back room at the star.
17:51Ezekiel Elliott is back, but Tony Pollard is now in Nashville.
17:56Tim Patrick, much maligned with injuries the last few years,
18:00is set to port ways with the Broncos.
18:02He will be released today if the Broncos cannot make a deal
18:05with another team around the NFL.
18:07And a Seahawks pass rusher, Eugenio Oso, has a sprained MCL.
18:13Not great for Mike McDonald's defense entering year number one.
18:17No, not right out of the gate.
18:19You're trying to win that game against the Denver Broncos.
18:21But the other two are interesting.
18:22Like Patrick, you take a look at the Denver Broncos
18:24over the past couple years.
18:25The one thing it looked like they had set up in for the future
18:27was a young, talented, wide-receiving core that they paid,
18:31settled in, and said, we're going to grow with this.
18:33And it just went to hell and high water quickly at that point.
18:36And now you're looking at just cutting this guy loose.
18:38But also, from a Dallas Cowboy, is this what we thought
18:40when it was all in?
18:41We're going to get Ezekiel Elliott back and Dalvin Cook,
18:43two Social Security running backs here, trying to fight for playing time.
18:47You want to talk about Dalvin Cook, which was interesting last year.
18:49Do you remember when the free agency couldn't be a Miami Dolphin?
18:52I'm not going to be on the Jets.
18:53And the Jets paid him good money.
18:54And he just looked like a shell of a swarm himself.
18:57And when I say that, it was unbelievable.
18:59Dalvin Cook, one of the more exciting running backs.
19:01And me being a Miami Hurricanes fan, you just handed him the football
19:05at Florida State, and he won you football games.
19:07And he did the same thing for most of his career in Minnesota.
19:10But when that running backs hit that wall, they just can't recover from it.
19:14And he's one of those guys where you – Dalvin Cook on a screen pass
19:18or a run, he was so fun to bet on.
19:20Anytime touchdown market, receiving props, he was everything in Minnesota.
19:24And now just an absolute shell of his former self.
19:28Yeah, it's disappointing, right?
19:29Because when he went to New York, he signed with the Jets during training camp.
19:33It wasn't the splashiest hire, but there was still a thought
19:37that with Dalvin Cook in that running back room as Brees Hall was coming back
19:41healthy as the Jets had some young and talented running backs,
19:44that Dalvin Cook could provide a little bit of a spark.
19:47Not having to be the guy, not having to run the football 20 to 25 times per game
19:52just didn't work out.
19:5315 games last year in New York, only one start.
19:5667 carries for 214 yards, just 3.2 yards per pop.
20:02And he left Minnesota after four consecutive years as a pro bowler
20:06with more than 1,100 yards playing at least 13 games in all four of those seasons.
20:13Maybe he provides a little bit of depth to Dallas this year,
20:16but now he is 29 years old and is part of the disappointing timeline
20:22and lifespan, sadly, of a running back in the National Football League.
20:26It's just the way it is, man.
20:27Time moves on a lot quicker for running backs
20:29than a lot of positions in the NFL.
20:31Make your money while you can, or else you're going to be spending it
20:34with a couple different franchises in a backup role,
20:36which is, look, if Dalvin Cook even gets to the Dallas Cowboys,
20:39that's what's going to take place.
20:41DL Rest, do we have confirmation out of Dallas
20:44if Rico Dowdle is going to be the lead back for the Cowboys this year
20:48and Zeke is kind of that reserve?
20:50Is that what the plan is?
20:52They're probably keeping it quiet because it's embarrassing to think
20:55that Rico Dowdle is going to be your starting tailback here
20:57to start the season for the Dallas Cowboys,
20:59so probably keeping that under wraps is best.
21:02Which made it so important then for Dallas to sign CeeDee Lamb
21:06because he is that guy offensively.
21:09Dak Prescott still unsigned, at least as of this moment.
21:13Unsigned, not the correct word.
21:15He's under contract but does not have that extension beyond this year in 2024.
21:20Could it be his final at the star?
21:23That remains to be seen.
21:26It is win total Tuesday once again on the early line as well.
21:30We'll go all around the NFC South a little bit later on.
21:33DRS, here's a little sneak peek for you.
21:35The last time the NFC South had three of the four teams
21:39post a winning record throughout the regular season, 2017.
21:44You don't have to do a lot to win games in this division
21:47and maybe find your way to a divisional crown at least as of late.
21:53We'll talk win total Tuesday a little bit later on.
21:56Our eighth and final win total Tuesday in a row,
22:00live right here on the early line.
22:03Why is it our eighth and final?
22:05Well, that's all the divisions in the National Football League,
22:07which has been our focus week to week around the National Football League.
22:11And next week, so what about the futures and the win totals?
22:15We'll talk actual game lines entering week number one.
22:20It is game week around the NFL starting next week.
22:23It is cut day today and it's the final win total Tuesday
22:27live right here on the early line on Sports Grid.
22:31Maybe we save the best for last.
22:34Maybe that's the thought as we look around the NFC South on this Tuesday.
22:40Regarded by most, the RS, I would say, is the worst division
22:43in the National Football League, but number one perhaps in our hearts,
22:47despite being the eighth and final on win total Tuesday.
22:51But there's a newcomer in the NFC South that is expected to do big things right away in 2024.
22:58His name, Kirk Cousins, his team, the Atlanta Falcons.
23:01They are an odds-on favorite at minus 145 to win the divisional title this year in the NFC South.
23:09The Buccaneers have won the division the last three years.
23:12The first two with Tom Brady, albeit with a losing record in 2022.
23:16Last year with Baker Mayfield, the preseason favorites.
23:19A season ago, the New Orleans Saints came up just shy last year of the Buccaneers,
23:25but did finish with a winning record in the Carolina Panthers,
23:28had the longest price in this division at 11 to 1.
23:32The Panthers had the worst record in the National Football League a season ago at just 2 and 15.
23:38NFC South, the overview.
23:40From the mind of Donny Rightside, what's your first thought?
23:44I think they're priced appropriately here in Atlanta.
23:46By far and away is the best team in this division.
23:48I think they have the best quarterback in this division,
23:50and the defense got a little bit better here, adding on Simmons as a safety,
23:54which going along with Jesse Bates III, a formidable concept here.
23:58And also, you're taking a look at the wide receiver position.
24:01Drake London, I think, is really going to take that next step this year.
24:06Now, we're going to say, hey, same thing as Justin Jefferson.
24:08We're not buying into that type of hype, but now you have a quarterback
24:11that's going to be able to deliver the football when he's open.
24:14That's a big deal.
24:15And you say, well, how big a deal could it be?
24:17Did you see Desmond Ritter throwing the football out there last year?
24:20Did you see Taylor Heineke?
24:21No longer.
24:22You have an actual pro bowl quarterback that's ready to let loose in a division
24:25that plays your home games in a dome, and also you get that dome appearance there
24:30down in New Orleans.
24:32I don't know everything about this offseason outside of, I guess,
24:35the new head coaching hire for the Falcons, but to me,
24:39I never bought into the Buccaneers.
24:41We'll see what we're going to get out of the New Orleans Saints,
24:43who I thought were the best team in the division last year and came up lame.
24:46We'll see if we get that young quarterback in Bryce Young to perform this year
24:49in Carolina.
24:50But for me, on day number one, player for player, team by team,
24:54it's the Atlanta Falcons that are the best team in this division.
24:58So, DRS, I said it in our opening hour, as we were already excited
25:02for our final win total Tuesday around the National Football League.
25:062017 was the last time within this division, within the NFC South,
25:11that three of the four teams, more than half, three of the four teams,
25:16all had a winning record.
25:18Tampa Bay won this division with Tom Brady back in 2021 with a 13-4 record.
25:23It was the last time, now three years ago,
25:26a divisional champ in the NFC South got to double-digit wins.
25:30The Buccaneers won the division for a second consecutive year.
25:33In 2022, they had a losing record.
25:37Last season, two teams finished with a winning record at 9-8,
25:41but the Buccaneers had the tiebreaker advantage over the New Orleans Saints.
25:46So then you look at the divisional odds, which we showed you,
25:49which features the Falcons as nearly a dollar-and-a-half favorite
25:53and tie it into the win totals.
25:55Nine-and-a-half the number for the Falcons.
25:57The Over has the juice, expected to be a double-digit win team.
26:01If Atlanta does that, the first double-digit win
26:04NFC South divisional champ since 2021.
26:08The Bucs and the Saints, both at seven-and-a-half,
26:11and to say something nice about both Tampa and New Orleans,
26:15the juice is on the Over, expected to contend for eight, potentially nine wins.
26:21The Panthers have juice on the Over as well at five-and-a-half
26:25for a team that won only two games last year.
26:28Yeah, they're low numbers, but they're there for a reason.
26:30I do think the Panthers will be much better this year than they were last year.
26:33Canela should be able to say, you know what?
26:35I resurrected Baker Mayfield's career.
26:37I can do the same thing with Bryce Young.
26:39Because remember, it wasn't a six-round draft pick in Bryce Young
26:41that you're trying to fold into an NFL spot.
26:43This is one of the best players in college football that woefully underperformed
26:47because he didn't have a lot of talent around him.
26:49Got him a wide receiver this year.
26:50But if we are focused, once again, on those two teams in the middle,
26:53the New Orleans Saints, so disappointing last year.
26:55They still have a lot of talent on that football team.
26:57And then the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, just not buying in,
26:59but they brought the band back together that won the division last year.
27:03So they will be competitive, but for me, once again,
27:05Atlanta, for me, the best team in the NFC South, Ben.
27:09And we'll start with the best team and the odds-on favorite.
27:13Up next, Falcons' win total here on the early game.
27:16The Atlanta Falcons and Kirk Cousins now expected to run away
27:20with the NFC South in the 2024 NFL season.
27:24Nine and a half is the win total for the Dirty Birds.
27:27They're a minus-145 favorite to win the NFC South title this season.
27:32Three years under Arthur Smith, the exact same record
27:36in all three of the past NFL campaigns, seven and ten.
27:40But now in year number one, under Raheem Morris, back in the ATL
27:45with a shiny new quarterback in Kirk Cousins,
27:48who signed a four-year $180 million deal
27:52and an offense expected to put up a ton of numbers.
27:56The Falcons are that divisional odds-on favorite,
27:59looking to become the first double-digit win divisional champ
28:03in the NFC South since the Buccaneers back in 2021.
28:07That is the expectation, Donnie, in the ATL this season.
28:11Will the Falcons match it?
28:13I think they will, because I think they're the most complete team in that division.
28:16If you're taking a look at what works in the NFL,
28:18give me a really good offensive line.
28:20The Atlanta Falcons have that.
28:21Give me an athletic tight end that can get open downfield and bust coverages.
28:25Pitts can do that for you.
28:26Give me a young, talented wide receiver that hasn't met his ceiling yet
28:29because of the quarterback play.
28:31Now he's a quarterback, and he can meet that ceiling in Drake London.
28:34And also an unbelievable, explosive running back in B. John Robinson
28:38that we're waiting to unleash this year.
28:40And then, of course, Kirk Cousins, that quarterback.
28:42Now flip it over to the defensive side.
28:44Give me a good defensive line with a solid pass rush.
28:47You had Matthew Judon.
28:48That does the trick here.
28:49Give me a quarterback that can be a lockdown corner.
28:52AJ Terrell.
28:53Remind you, Ben, that he is the highest-paid quarterback in football now.
28:56Give me a safety tandem that can erase bad plays out of the quarterback position
29:00if there are them.
29:01That's Jesse Bates and Justin Simmons on the back end.
29:04There's no weak links on this football team, and that's what you look for.
29:07So when we compare it to the other three teams in the division
29:10going grouping by grouping, this is the best team out there.
29:14We'll see what Raheem Morris has because one thing we do know about Raheem Morris
29:17is forget about him as a head coach.
29:18He's a really good defensive coordinator.
29:21So if that defensive game plan is set week to week by him
29:24and you're getting solid quarterback play to Kirk Cousins,
29:27why are we not winning 9 to 10 football games and taking down this division?
29:31If they don't win 9 or more games, that's an upset for the Atlanta Falcons,
29:35and I don't know where they go from here.
29:37But barring disastrous injury, which we always have to say,
29:40the Atlanta Falcons are the best team in the NFC South, Ben.
29:44Yeah, no doubt about it, DRS.
29:46And when you look at the strength of schedule,
29:48it is ripe for Atlanta to take advantage of this year.
29:52According to Sharp Analytics and our guy, perhaps Warren Sharp, entering 2024,
29:57the Falcons have the easiest strength of schedule in the National Football League.
30:03And I love what Sharp and his team do because it's based on how we set the odds
30:08week by week in the National Football League.
30:10It's not combined record from 2023 of their opponents.
30:14It's the projected win totals of the team on Atlanta's schedule this year.
30:18And it takes into account things like rest advantage and disadvantage,
30:22travel, and all of that that goes into shaping these lines week to week,
30:27who is favored, who is expected to win,
30:29and then how many games can you win in a single season?
30:32The Falcons have the easiest schedule in the National Football League.
30:36Frankly, if they're not a double-digit win team,
30:38if they do not win the NFC South,
30:41then you're going to have a lot of questions to answer in the first year
30:45under Kirk Cousins and under Raheem Morris.
30:48The only thing, Donnie, that I have been skeptical of for the Dirty Birds
30:52this off-season, after they signed Kirk Cousins
30:55and placing them as the divisional odds-on favorite,
30:58was what the heck Terry Fontenot, the general manager for the Atlanta Falcons,
31:04was doing in the NFL drafts, selecting Michael Pennix Jr. eighth overall.
31:09Outside of that, I have full belief the Falcons on the actual football field
31:13under Raheem Morris are going to be a darn good team this year.
31:16And again, anything less than double-digit wins in a divisional title
31:20is a disappointing season in my estimation.
31:23No, you're right about it, and they did make the cardinal sin in the NFL.
31:26The good thing about there is it's never really, or should be in the NFL,
31:29a really long rebuild.
31:31You stink one season, you get high draft picks,
31:33you probably have a lot of capital here that you can spend,
31:36and by year number three of a regime,
31:38you should be upright on your feet and expecting to win divisions
31:40outside of, let's just say, playing against Patrick Mahomes for ten straight years.
31:43You're never going to be on the upswing here
31:45if you're a team that's trying to get its footing.
31:47The reason I bring that up is you really miss the point here.
31:50I understand the philosophy in theory, Ben,
31:53where they're saying we're probably not going to be drafting this high again,
31:56eventually we'll need another quarterback.
31:58You can't do that in the NFL because now you're saying to yourselves,
32:01and Kirk Cousins brought you in, Kirk,
32:03I think you've got four solid years left in you.
32:06Well, you know what would have been great here?
32:08You'd have Drake London on one side and let's just say Roma Dunzey on the other
32:11to grow together with Kirk Cousins here,
32:14as opposed to Michael Penix, who's never going to see the field.
32:17You'd be an even better football team over the next two to three years
32:20than you would even if Michael Penix turns out to be a serviceable quarterback
32:23four years down the road or three years down the road.
32:26So that is an issue here where they could have been a stronger football team
32:29in 2024 if they made the appropriate picks in the draft,
32:32which I don't believe they did.
32:34But we can only look at what they have on the field this year
32:36up against the rest of the talent in that division,
32:39and it still holds up for the Atlanta Falcons.
32:41As I said, the most important part here is I do expect
32:43very good quarterback play out of Kirk Cousins.
32:45And again, there are no weak links on this football team
32:48where the other teams are going to talk about.
32:50There's a lot of weak links, quite frankly.
32:53And Donnie, you expect this Atlanta team to put up numbers offensively.
32:58They will be a team that I monitor throughout the season
33:01in terms of their weekly totals.
33:04What is the over-under listed as, and can we lean over for the Falcons?
33:08Kirk Cousins has Drake Lundy.
33:10Hopefully Kyle Pitts emerges as well.
33:13You brought in guys like Darnell Mooney on this Atlanta staff,
33:16and then B. John Robinson, who might be one of the best do-it-all players
33:20in the National Football League, much in the mold of Christian McCaffrey.
33:23It's why you draft a running back eighth overall two years ago.
33:28That is the expectation for the Falcons.
33:31But it's not just win games 35-31.
33:33The defense under Raheem Moore should be good,
33:35and as you alluded to, DRS, they weren't bad last year
33:39and have the building blocks in place.
33:4211th best total defense in the National Football League a season ago.
33:45Top 10 in terms of defending the pass.
33:48Did give up some points, nearly 22 per game.
33:51That was bottom half of the National Football League,
33:54but still a pretty solid defense that you would expect to improve
33:58under the defensive-minded head coach in Raheem Moore.
34:01So let's take it a step further.
34:03Minus 145 for the Falcons, expected to be a double-digit win divisional champ,
34:08which would mean they are hosting a playoff game at bare minimum
34:12in the National Football League postseason.
34:14Is this Atlanta Falcons squad able to contend right away
34:18for a conference crown in the NFC?
34:21Well, theoretically, you would have to say yes,
34:24even though I don't think they're going to win the NFC.
34:26The reason being is if I think they're the best team in the NFC South
34:29and they win the NFC South, that means what, Ben?
34:32Automatically, you're going to get one home game in your own building,
34:35which then puts you into the next round.
34:37Let's just say if that was the opening divisional round
34:39and then the championship round, if you win one more football game.
34:42And if you are playing that good football and you do win round number one
34:45of the playoffs at home, why can't you actually contend for an NFC championship
34:49because you're right there with the final four teams in that conference as is.
34:53So I'll give them a leg up in that situation.
34:55Do I think that they could be a representative here in the Super Bowl
34:58or the NFC? No, I don't.
35:00But if you're going to make the playoffs and get a playoff home game, yes,
35:03you should actually be a contender in the NFC.
35:06No, no.
35:07So when you look around the NFC right now,
35:10is it a conference that is fully up in the air?
35:13That remains to be seen.
35:15The AFC considered a gauntlet, the harder of the two.
35:18Could Atlanta then, at an 11-to-1 price, position itself
35:21to make a run deep in a playoff contention?
35:24Let's just call it what it is.
35:26Atlanta has the easiest schedule in the National Football League.
35:29Part of that is because they are the best team considered in the NFC South.
35:33They will play teams that have a win total entering this year
35:36of 7.5, 7.5, and 5 in a hook in 2024.
35:42Ten wins might be the floor.
35:44Could this be an 11- or 12-win football team?
35:47Could they be contending for that number one seed in the NFC?
35:51Could they have home field advantage not just in Super Wild Card weekend
35:55but potentially in the divisional round?
35:57All of that seems in store this year for the Falcons.
36:01Now it's about matching that expectation.
36:04And let's not forget, Kirk Cousins is a veteran quarterback
36:07who is coming off a torn Achilles.
36:10He should be ready to go week number one.
36:13And to put it in perspective, the Falcons will host the Steelers
36:16on that first full Sunday of the season, Sunday, September 8th,
36:21as a field goal favorite in the ATL against Pittsburgh.
36:24Arthur Smith, the former head coach, now the OC in the Steel City,
36:29makes his return from the very start to Atlanta,
36:33elsewhere around the NFC South.
36:35Next.
36:36So we started off win total Tuesday,
36:38breaking down the divisional favorites in the NFC South
36:41in an odds-on manner, the Atlanta Falcons.
36:44They have the highest win total, 9.5.
36:47The Over has the juice.
36:48The Dirty Birds expected to be a double-digit win football team in 2024.
36:53Atlanta has by far the shortest price of any teams out of this division
36:57to contend for a conference crown in the NFC, 11-1,
37:02before we get a steep drop-off to the Bucs at 35-1,
37:06the Saints at 40-1,
37:08and the Panthers have the longest price around the NFC at 100-1.
37:13Our focus now on the meat and potatoes of this division,
37:17the middle two teams, the Buccaneers and the Saints,
37:20both clubs with a win total of 7.5.
37:23Both have slight juice on the Over,
37:26and it almost is surprising, DRS,
37:28we did not start our conversation with the Buccaneers,
37:32a team that has won this division three consecutive years.
37:35First two with Tom Brady,
37:36but last year followed suit for a third year in a row under Baker Mayfield.
37:42Resigned this offseason.
37:44They extend Mike Evans.
37:46They give the bag to Antoine Winfield Jr. and Tristan Wurfs.
37:51We should be optimistic about this Bucs team, no?
37:54But the win total is just 7.5.
37:57How come?
37:58Because I just don't think we're buying into this Buccaneers team.
38:01You say, hey, they won last year.
38:02Did you see that?
38:03They won the division.
38:04They won a playoff game.
38:05Well, the playoff game was against a banged-up Eagles team
38:07that was already off the rails at that point,
38:09and they won a bad division overall.
38:11The one thing I do like, though,
38:12is I think Baker Mayfield and that offense, Ben,
38:14is going to be able to score some points this year.
38:16Evans, Godwin, you draft McMillan.
38:18That's going to be fun,
38:19which means he might have a higher strike zone of touchdown passes
38:22but also more interceptions,
38:24which could lead to more points for the opposing teams.
38:26Also keep in mind, we loved what we saw out of Baker Mayfield,
38:29unceremoniously basically chucked out of Cleveland,
38:32winds up in Carolina, finds his way down to Tampa,
38:35eventually is a starting quarterback.
38:36But the architect of that offense was Dave Canales,
38:39and you're saying, okay, you know what?
38:40Let's see what we can do in the year two.
38:42Well, he's no longer there at that point.
38:43Same thing when I take a look at a guy like a Jalen Hurts in Philadelphia
38:46who had Shane Slyken, who was phenomenal as his offensive coordinator
38:49with a great offense on the way to the Super Bowl,
38:51didn't look all that great last year.
38:54You might say banged up shoulder, banged up leg, couldn't run as well.
38:58The Eagles were just kind of a mess throughout the entire season,
39:01should I say late in the season,
39:02but that still means he lost his offensive coordinator and didn't perform.
39:05Are we expecting that out of Baker Mayfield?
39:07Not necessarily, but all of those good vibes,
39:10because you know what we talk about it, Ben?
39:11If you equate the situation to Tampa, why are we so high on Detroit?
39:14Ben Johnson's still going to be their offensive coordinator.
39:16The same thing as we take a look at the Texans here.
39:19Why do we love them so much?
39:20Because the offense looked great last year, and Bobby Slowick is back again.
39:23Maybe you would have a different outlook, or should I say,
39:25I would have a different outlook on Tampa Bay's offense
39:27if Canales had stayed in Tampa Bay, but he's not.
39:30I still think that offense is going to be able to move.
39:32I still don't think they'll be able to run the football all that effectively,
39:35which should lead to a lot more touchdown passes and interceptions,
39:38as I stated here.
39:39They're a decent football team.
39:41I just don't think they're as good as the Atlanta Falcons,
39:43who last year were basically just missing a quarterback.
39:46Now they got their quarterback, and they added weapons.
39:49They're better than Tampa is, but I still expect Tampa to be serviceable
39:53around that 8-9 win mark, but I don't think they have enough gas
39:56in the tank to win the division this year, Ben.
39:59It sounds kind of crazy.
40:01Baker Mayfield has been in the National Football League
40:03for only six years because he has been thrust into the conversation
40:07for such a long time.
40:09The former number one overall pick, the Heisman Trophy winner
40:12out of Oklahoma back in 2018 to the Browns,
40:15had his best season of his National Football League career
40:18last year with the Buccaneers.
40:20The only year he threw for more than 4,000, 4,044,
40:24ninth most of any starting quarterback around the NFL a season ago.
40:28The most touchdowns in his career, 28, the least amount of interceptions
40:32in a full starting season as a quarterback.
40:36The new offensive coordinator in Tampa, Liam Cohen,
40:39who was great at Kentucky as the OC, worked under Sean McVay
40:44in Los Angeles for the Rams recently as well,
40:47has familiarity with Baker Mayfield from his time in L.A. back in 2022.
40:54I'm optimistic about this Bucs team.
40:56I would take over the win total.
40:58I do think Tampa can contend and put some pressure on Atlanta
41:02for that top spot in the NFC South.
41:05Am I going to say the Buccaneers are more than a nine-win football team?
41:09Not necessarily, but a really good defense under Todd Bowles,
41:13as you would expect there in Tampa as well.
41:17The pieces are in place, though, for the Bucs not to go quietly
41:20and be a 7-10 football team that the Falcons trample over
41:24to get back atop the division.
41:27Seven and a half is the win total as well in New Orleans.
41:30Donnie, a team that you and I were both optimistic about
41:33entering 2023 was the Saints.
41:36Derek Carr was the new quarterback in the Big Easy.
41:39Defense was really good under Dennis Allen.
41:42Some offensive pieces in place for Derek Carr to utilize at his disposal.
41:47It was a winning season for New Orleans,
41:50but it wasn't necessarily what we expected
41:54and ended unceremoniously with Jameis Winston defying his head coach,
42:00not taking a knee and scoring a touchdown.
42:03Jameis now, of course, in Cleveland,
42:06but it did lead to many questioning if Dennis Allen was the right guy
42:09to lead this New Orleans team moving forward.
42:12He's back as the leader of the Saints.
42:15Yeah, they got some capable pieces on defense.
42:17They'll be a solid defense overall, defensive-minded head coach.
42:20We understand that, but if we're looking at the offense,
42:22I'm just not in love with that offensive line.
42:24Question marks at the tackle position, question marks at the guard position.
42:28They do have a decent center.
42:29Alvin Kamara, another year.
42:31Do we still expect him to be explosive?
42:33If he's healthy, yes.
42:34Olave, love him as a wide receiver,
42:36but also what are we getting out of Derek Carr, the quarterback,
42:38at this point in the year?
42:39I was high on them last year because you thought the stars were going to collide.
42:42New quarterback in town, easy, quote-unquote, as we said,
42:45not easy schedule, which is what we thought.
42:47I actually thought the Saints were going to be a double-digit win team last year
42:50and win that division going away, and they weren't able to do it.
42:53So maybe it's one of those seasons where I'm not expecting all that much
42:56out of the Saints, and they do have some pieces to the puzzle.
42:59But again, I just don't think they're as good as the Atlanta Falcons.
43:02I think they're more on the level of the Buccaneers, like split with them,
43:05challenge them, eight to nine wins possibility on the season here,
43:09but I'm not expecting big things out of the Saints.
43:11Last year for me was such a big letdown.
43:13I'm going to need to see more.
43:14And the same way that I take a look at the Atlanta Falcons, Ben, and say,
43:17boy, that offensive line should be able to move some people around,
43:20I don't know if you're going to get that out of New Orleans.
43:22And if you can't win the offensive line,
43:24you can't win a ton of football games for me.
43:27Yeah, the Bucs had the eighth-best scoring defense in the NFL last year,
43:31the Saints' ninth-best scoring defense,
43:33both allowing just a little bit over 19 points per game.
43:37I do want to discuss the Saints on the other side,
43:40and then we'll get to the Carolina Panthers as well.
43:43The team bringing up the rear in this division after a two-win season
43:47in Bryce Young's rookie year.
43:49What is he going to do in his sophomore campaign
43:52with a new head coach in Dave Canales? Find out next.
43:55The New Orleans Saints' win total entering 2023 was nine and a half,
43:59expected with a new quarterback to win double-digit games and the NFC self.
44:04It did not happen despite a nine-win season.
44:08Similar expectations for the Falcons this year as the Saints had a season ago.
44:14New Orleans great defensively,
44:16not so great on the offensive side of the football,
44:19although the numbers weren't terrible by any means.
44:22The Saints did go under, though, in 11 of 17 games in 2023.
44:28I expect defense to lead the way, and much like you, DRS,
44:33I might bet the Saints to go over seven and a half.
44:36Is it much more than eight? Perhaps maybe even not getting to nine,
44:41which is a small margin.
44:43That's probably where I land on New Orleans.
44:47I do think the Saints will be a good team,
44:49but just not necessarily a double-digit win team
44:53that is right there step for step with the Falcons
44:55and maybe even the Bucs for the top spot in the NFC self.
44:59Again, a division that has failed to have three of the four teams
45:03even post a winning record altogether in the same year since 2017.
45:09I think that trend could continue this season.
45:12My final point on this division before we get to the Carolina Panthers,
45:16who have the lowest win total in this division
45:19and the second lowest around the National Football League,
45:22is that because it's the NFC South
45:24and there's not even a team with a double-digit win total,
45:27although the Falcons at nine and a half do have the over on the juice,
45:31all four of these teams have four of the 11 easiest schedules in the NFL.
45:36The Falcons have the easiest, the Saints the fifth easiest,
45:40the Panthers the 10th easiest,
45:42and the Buccaneers check in at number 11 in terms of the ease of difficulty.
45:48When you play in a perceived poor division,
45:51there are the opportunities to bolster your win-loss record
45:54because your competition is not so great.
45:57Yeah, and exactly.
45:58If you take a look at the Saints' position,
46:00they'll be one of those football teams that surprises
46:02and wins maybe a game or two they're not supposed to win
46:04or that you thought they could win,
46:05and then they're also going to drop one to two games in the season.
46:08Like, how did they blow that game?
46:09My goodness, car imploded late in that football game.
46:12We're going to see that quite a bit here,
46:13but that's why we look at the NFC South,
46:15and it is so intriguing because, yes, these teams should have easy schedules,
46:19as you said, because they're playing each other,
46:21which are going to equate to wins and losses within that division.
46:24And I do think it's going to be close.
46:25And granted, when you have teams that you don't think
46:27are going to run away with the division, it's always going to be close.
46:29Hey, team with nine wins, two teams with seven wins, a team with five wins.
46:33Even though the team only has five wins still in that month of December,
46:36they probably still think they're in contention to win that actual division
46:39as long as they're playing a team in their division
46:41on a week-to-week process throughout the rest of December.
46:44It's a division that we're not in love with,
46:46but for me it's still the Atlanta Falcons up top.
46:48But I get where you're coming from here, talking about the scheduling.
46:51So the Panthers bring up the rear in this division,
46:54the fourth and longest price to win the NFC South,
46:57the lowest win total at 5.5.
46:59Carolina actually still has the longest price to win the NFC at 100-1.
47:04And despite the Patriots having a lesser win total of only 4.5,
47:09the Panthers have a longer price to win the Super Bowl.
47:11I wonder if the oddsmakers are like, whatever,
47:13if you bet the Patriots or Carolina, good luck to you.
47:17The Panthers have the second shortest number
47:19to have the worst regular season record
47:21for a second consecutive year after a 2-15 season.
47:25Now, I don't know if Carolina goes over 5.5.
47:28I don't even think that's truly important.
47:31You need to see Bryce Young look good in year number two,
47:34but his first with new head coach Dave Canales in Charlotte,
47:38a rookie campaign in which Young started 16 games
47:41and threw for more than 250 yards only once.
47:46Will Bryce Young have a much better sophomore season,
47:50year number two in his National Football League career
47:53than his rookie campaign?
47:55I absolutely believe that because sometimes you can say to yourself,
47:58like, how do you turn out to be a bust in the NFL,
48:01which we've seen a lot of quarterbacks do that.
48:03Ryan Leaf comes to mind.
48:04Jamarcus Russell comes to mind.
48:06But Bryce Young doesn't seem like he has that bloodline
48:08where it's like, OK, I don't think I'm going to be very good here.
48:11Boy, I got real lucky in college.
48:13The competition wasn't great.
48:14This was an SEC quarterback on a week-to-week basis
48:17was absolutely flat-out dominant.
48:19So why didn't we see that in year number one?
48:21There's a multitude of things.
48:23Maybe the talent surrounding him wasn't as good.
48:25You go out and get a Deontay Johnson, the bolster,
48:27the receiving core.
48:28You still have Adam Thielen,
48:29who we built a nice rapport with last year, Mingo,
48:31and also Xavier Leguette,
48:32who should be able to add in those four wide receiver sets.
48:35Chuba Hubbard, who actually had quality running back last year.
48:37And that offensive line isn't bad.
48:39And you get Dave Canales,
48:40who just reshaped the career of Baker Mayfield,
48:43coming in probably filling into that room going,
48:45you know what, kid?
48:46I was brought in here to resurrect your career.
48:48Watch what I can do for you.
48:49So the confidence level for Bryce Young in the locker room
48:52is probably at an all-time high right now.
48:55Are they going to win the division?
48:56No, they're not.
48:57But as Ben pointed out,
48:58and the same thing we'll tell you time and time again,
49:00this season is all about if Bryce Young is your franchise guy.
49:02If he is and you win five games, who cares?
49:05Move forward.