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00:00live right here on this Tuesday on the early line on sports grid. We get you
00:04set for a new National Football League season. We are coming down to the final
00:08two weeks of training camp NFL preseason weekend number three is on the horizon
00:13and the next week you need to make your roster cuts to finalize the 53 man
00:18roster to get ready for a new season. But even the R. S. As we forecast the
00:23future and get ready for a new season in the National Football League, there
00:27is always time to reminisce and look back to a tongue of Iloa speaking with
00:32Dan Levitt or about his time in Miami was asked about his former head coach in
00:38Brian Flores in the difference in mentality between his new head man in
00:43Mike McDaniel seems rather jovial and Brian Flores now the defensive
00:47coordinator in Minnesota. Here's what to I had to say quote if you woke up every
00:52morning and I told you that you suck at what you did that you don't belong then
00:57someone comes and tells you you are the best fit for this. How would it make you
01:02feel Donnie? How would it make you feel if every day we welcome in the early
01:06line and I said here's my co host Donnie right side he sucks and then
01:10doves Anderson filled in on Friday and he said welcome into the early on mate
01:14Donnie right side is here and he looks pretty good. How would it make you feel?
01:19I don't feel like I got a little Brian Flores in me by the way. Like I feel
01:22like that would be my kids. Everybody is terrible. You know you threw for 350
01:26yards and three touchdowns. But that second quarter that list that blitz
01:29pickup that you did not get over there and took the sack. Yeah that's really
01:32hampering the efforts. But we understand this. There's always that even line.
01:36We've all had coaches out there. There's a right time to kick your player in the
01:40rear and there's a right time to grip him up and tell him that it's
01:43everything's gonna be okay. You're doing a great job. Keep up the good work here.
01:46But it feels like the Brian Flores move in Miami went to a tiger below it came
01:50on board. It was like he must have like before the draft just like you can't
01:54give me this player. Don't you give me this player. Oh no I just wound up with
01:58this player like what would be the goal of you picking a franchise guy in the
02:01top 10 and saying even if you didn't agree with the pick I'm going to
02:04sabotage this guy's career and hopefully I'll get fired because of it as well.
02:08It just doesn't make any sense. Once the players are on your team it's your job
02:11to coach them up and make them feel like they can run through a wall for you.
02:16The fact that a quarterback who's young and is basically building on confidence
02:20that you're tearing down every day is a wild scene. But that's what happens
02:23sometimes in the NFL Ben. Some guys aren't long for the head coaching
02:27position. Eric Biannini must have been a wonderful coordinator but he can't relate
02:30to the players and be a head coach. That's why I never got a chance.
02:33Brian Flores who we thought was gonna be a great head coach in that move from
02:35New England down to Miami. And he said well wow why didn't this work out. Well
02:39if you're sabotaging your own superstar players you're not gonna get another job
02:42in the NFL. It's simple as that. To attack. And by the way like when to a
02:46talk about shows up. I never met the guy in person but just watching and him
02:50being around all those athletes at Alabama. He just looks like one of those
02:53guys. Nice guy you want to hang out with. Family man. Takes care of business. And
02:58can be an elite player on the field. How could you try to sabotage that when he's
03:01your own play. It wasn't like hey I'm the defensive coordinator for the Raiders.
03:04I'm just gonna call to it every day and try to sabotage his psychology. But his
03:08head coach doing this. It's such a wild scene. And it's crazy that Tua even
03:12brought that up to an extent he did. I like the refreshments there thing. You
03:16know what. My other coach was bad. I love my coach. Here's the two differences. One
03:20said I was terrible. One built me up. Now I got a big contract. Which one worked
03:24out in my favor. So good for Tua. It's a good point as well DRS. The
03:28transparency is what we appreciate from our athletes at times. And we don't often
03:33see it. So when we do it's refreshing. Some might say why is Tua talking about
03:37this. Why is he still angry about this multiple years later. I thought it was
03:41the perspective of where Miami is now under Tua's guidance. Of course last year
03:47was as good as it gets for Tua Tonga-Bailoa in his time in the National
03:51Football League. In fact his two years under Mike McDaniel in 2022 and 2023
03:56have been the best of his five-year career in the NFL. Last year Tua Tonga-Bailoa
04:02throwing for 4,624 passing yards. The most leading all of the
04:08NFL. 29 touchdowns to 14 interceptions. Had a completion percentage better than
04:1369%. That is pretty nice. In his first year under McDaniel more than 3,500
04:19passing yards. 25 TDs to 8 interceptions. The best touchdown to
04:24interception ratio in the National Football League at the quarterback spot.
04:28So there are so many different wrinkles to this conversation in terms of
04:32coaching mentality. And Mike McDaniel is just a more positive guy than many
04:37coaches you will find around the National Football League. But also the
04:40wizardry that is Mike McDaniel and how he coordinates in schemes in offense. We
04:45have no doubts about what the Finns can do and how many points they can put up
04:50on the scoreboard. They scored 70 in 2023 early in September against the Denver
04:57Broncos. The question is not offense and Tua is the beneficiary of that. You
05:02have Tyreek Hill. You have Jalen Waddell. You have talent all around the
05:06quarterback position and Tua Tonga-Bailoa got paid to the tune of more
05:09than 53 million dollars this offseason per year as well. So of course Tua
05:15Tonga-Bailoa is happy with how the current landscape is in South Florida.
05:19And also this gets back to the point, Ben, we see new hires come in all of the
05:24time. And sometimes it's interesting the way the quarterbacks change, you know,
05:27guidelines for the actual team itself. You look at the Atlanta Falcons went
05:31with a defensive coach. Kirk Cousins comes to town, that's fine.
05:33Or you draft Michael Penick. Sometimes you want that offensive mind in there to
05:36sort of smooth things over. Same thing in Chicago. I was surprised Matt Eberflus
05:40kept his job. Not because I don't think he'd be a good coach and he's a very
05:42good defensive coordinator, but you want that guy in the room 24-7 with your
05:47quarterback to teach him those angles. That's what you love about teams like,
05:50you know, Brian Flores was the Miami Dolphins head coach, a defensive minded
05:54guy. I don't like this quarterback. I'm gonna pay him no mind and just rip him
05:56any chance I get. As opposed to McDaniel being the coach and being in the room
06:00saying, hey, I'm an offensive guy. I'm your guy. Tell me what you want to do. I
06:03will cater this offense around. You're the perfect point guard for my offense.
06:07We'll tailor it towards you. So I'm always in agreement there that when you
06:10have the young quarterback, get the offensive coach as the head coach here.
06:13If that's the way you want to go and it's worked out in spades, which has
06:16been a championship for the Miami Dolphins. No, but if you look at the
06:18Flores years compared to McDaniel years, that offense is electric. Why? Because
06:22the confidence in the young quarterback that turned into a star player in the
06:26NFL and maybe he does make the playoffs to make a deep run this year for to
06:29attack of our law. And that's the interesting perspective. We'll talk
06:33more about head coaching mentality, what it can mean for a team a little bit
06:37later on throughout this show. But being a head coach is about the X's and O's
06:41and having your football acumen. But more than anything, you are a manager
06:45of your entire coaching staff, trusting and divulging in your staff to make the
06:50right decisions and everybody around your roster. That mentality, that
06:55personality is incredibly important to be a successful head coach. You know
07:00what else is making the playoffs in winning postseason games? Both years
07:04under Mike McDaniel, Miami has made the postseason, but it's been a long time
07:09since the Dolphins won a playoff game the year 2000. They've only made five
07:14playoff appearances since 2000. That is the charge this year in Miami with a
07:19playoff game more around the NFL next. So it's the juxtaposition of how a head
07:24coach approaches a young quarterback, and it was exemplified on Saturday when
07:29the Washington Commanders took on the Miami Dolphins. We just heard to a
07:33tug of my lowest thoughts on his new head coach in Mike McDaniel, the
07:37confidence he has inspired into his game in the returns. It has led to in
07:42terms of the statistical output, the overall performance still needed to
07:46answer those postseason questions, but also the monetary value into a tug of
07:50my lowest bank account, at least to start out outside the nation's capital
07:55in Washington. There has been nothing but confidence and supreme confidence
08:00in the rookie quarterback, Jaden Daniels, the number two overall pick in
08:04the 2024 NFL Draft. The 2023 Heisman Trophy winner from L. S. U. He has been
08:10the starting quarterback. He has been number one in terms of the QB room for
08:15the commanders all offseason and training camp long made official
08:19yesterday. Jaden Daniels will start week number one for Washington on the
08:23road against Tampa Bay. Dan Quinn letting everybody know that Jaden
08:28Daniels is at command of this Washington franchise from the very
08:32start. It wasn't too long ago where we had that video from inside the locker
08:36room at Arizona State where they were cleaning out his locker after he
08:39transferred. That guy trash. Get him out of here to go to L. S. U. And
08:42absolutely dominate to now be an NFL player and looked apart. Absolutely.
08:46We're not. It's not like Drake Masek. Oh, I wonder who's gonna be the
08:48quarterback here over Jacoby Brissett. Like, you gotta be kidding me here.
08:51Like, Drake May should be running away with that. But apparently in practices,
08:54he hasn't been all that good. That's the complete opposite here. We're
08:57talking about Jaden Daniels. This guy's been phenomenal in practice, great in
09:00the preseason games and the prototype of the quarterbacks that we want in the
09:04future and active arm. And you can't sack him. Why? Because he's faster than
09:08everybody on the football field. The future is bright for Washington. But
09:12just getting back to the coach speak a defensive minded head coach absolutely
09:17saying to himself, I am going to put you in the best possible position. I'm
09:20going to get you a creative offensive coordinator so you can hit the ground
09:24running with some innovative concepts and use some things like your feet that
09:28are going to put the defense in peril. Love to see. I think they handled it
09:31great. And also from a Washington commander's perspective, it felt like
09:34they signed a brand new football team across the board on offense and
09:37defense in terms of saying, I'm going to start a young, talented rookie
09:41quarterback. Let's make sure we have a solid defense. Let's make sure we have
09:44solid coaching here. Let's make sure he has weapons to throw to in a good
09:48running back, you know, game where you have an ultimate third down back in
09:51Austin Echler and Robinson. There can be that hammer early on. I love what
09:54they've done to put those surrounding pieces so he can have a good September
09:58and October and build towards his future by not setting a bad example. I
10:02don't hit coach every time I drop back. I'm either getting sacked or nobody's
10:05wide open. This is what you're supposed to do. Unlike what we saw to Brian
10:09Flores and talked about. Talk up your young quarterback, give him the tools
10:12to succeed and let him go. And that's what's gonna happen.
10:16I mean, Donny, the vibes around Washington at this moment are so
10:20substantially higher entering 2024 than they have been for the last five years,
10:25the last 10 years, the 24 years under Dan Snyder. Not only do you have the
10:31new ownership group spearheaded by Josh Harris, you have a good head coach in
10:35Dan Quinn, who is one as a head coach in Atlanta before and has the acumen of
10:41that pedigree as a coordinator. You bring in Cliff Kingsbury and you trust
10:46in the future. Listen, the commander's win total this year is just 6.5. The
10:51over has the juice. Are we arguing that Washington is going to be a playoff
10:55team? No. But are there surprises each and every year around the National
11:00Football League? Yes. And I would keep an eye on the commanders to make a
11:04relative amount of noise. Even eight and nine would be a wildly successful
11:10year under a rookie quarterback with a new head coach, new O. C. Entirely new
11:14coaching staff in a reinvented roster as well. You would feel great at the
11:19end of 2024 entering 2025 with Jaden Daniels in command. He has the second
11:25best price to an offensive rookie of the year at 6 to 1 behind Caleb Williams,
11:30the number one overall pick, who is a plus 1 20 favorite. 16.5 is the passing
11:36touchdowns prop for Jan for Daniels. His passing yardage brought from the
11:40season long perspective just over 3000 yards. And as we have seen D. R. S. One
11:46possession against the Jets in his preseason debut look pretty good to a
11:513 45 yards, a dropped in dime to the army brown, a rushing touchdown last
11:57week against Miami on Saturday, 10 of 12 and two drives for more than 70 yards
12:02as well. He has not only had the confidence and the belief in him by his
12:07coaching staff so far so good, albeit preseason, he has backed it up in his
12:12production. Yeah, and he doesn't have to be the end all be all that football
12:16team. As we stated, they surrounded him with a quality team, a quality head
12:19coach and a quality offensive coordinator where he can make those
12:22well plays during the game that can make the difference as opposed to, oh,
12:25he just made a well play been down 31 to 3 in the fourth quarter. They'll be
12:29competitive, which is saying a lot in that division where the Giants
12:32we don't know if they're gonna be competitive question marks around the
12:34Cowboys and then the Eagles sit up top. I'm looking forward to Washington.
12:37Another edition of wind total Tuesday live right here on a Tuesday on the
12:42early line on sports grid and all across that space Grizz network. He is
12:47Donnie right side. I am Ben Stevens are focused on this Tuesday now and for the
12:52second half hour of this second hour on T. E. L. Is the NFC West. So let's set
12:58the stage right here by looking at the four teams in this division, the San
13:03Francisco 49ers, a minus 1 90 favorite to win the divisional crown once again
13:09as they did a season ago and the season prior to that, looking for three
13:14consecutive divisional championships in 2024. The second best price of any team
13:20to win any of the eight divisions around the National Football League.
13:24Only the Chiefs have a better price to win the AFC West at minus 2 30. But
13:29just because San Francisco is such a strong favorite to win, the divisional
13:33title does not mean we are not expecting some postseason contenders
13:37from the rest of this crew. The L. A. Rams, a playoff team once again a
13:42season ago. Wind total is 8.5 minus or plus work. Mine. I don't even know what
13:48we're looking at. Plus 3 30 here. Excuse me to win the NFC West this year
13:53around Seattle at 7 to 1 in the Arizona Cardinals. Yes, a long price to
13:57win the NFC West at 13 to 1. But still, maybe able to make some noise within
14:03the division and their overall record. The R. S. Overall, you look at the NFC
14:08West big picture. What's your first thought? It's a niners. I mean, that's
14:12the first thought that comes to mind. They should win this division. But
14:15again, it is a football season. You're going to have injuries. Other teams are
14:18going to step up and also just take a look at the quarterbacks. You're right.
14:21Brock Purdy for the 49ers playing for a contract this season. We expect big
14:25things from him. Los Angeles Rams Matthew Stafford, veteran guy. We
14:28thought it might have been out of gas just two or three years ago. It looks
14:31like revived in that offense, gets a couple of good young wide receivers and
14:35away he goes. But starting the year, maybe with some hamstring injuries on
14:39an already banged up guy. We know how that typically works out in some
14:42equations here. The Seattle Seahawks. Gino Smith will see if he could still
14:45find his way and be a competent quarterback. But maybe the biggest
14:48question mark is the Arizona Cardinals and Kyler Murray. From what we're
14:51hearing is and here's what I liked about last year, Ben. We knew when he
14:54got injured, that season wasn't going anywhere, right? But you wanted to see
14:57him get back late in the season. We thought maybe it was going to be. Hey,
15:00play and see if we can trade you if you're healthy enough. But he played
15:04his way back into the starting lineup, which gave you that chance to see him
15:07on the field and get those rehabs. You know, I said the rehab is not the right
15:10word, but almost like rehab snaps, if you will, saying, You know what? Let me
15:13just get some plays here before I hit my all season and head into it. Now
15:17we're looking at maybe we're finding out the Kyler Murray of old, the
15:20quickness, the speed is back, which is so hard to defend during a National
15:25Football League season on a week to week basis. You see it week to week
15:27there with the Baltimore Ravens, those guys that can get out of the pocket.
15:30You say, Okay, Tuesday, put in the game plan Wednesday, Thursday and you see
15:34him Sunday. Then you go back to a pocket quarterback the following week.
15:37But you are expecting big things out of Marvin Harrison. So I guess my wild
15:40card to watch out for would be the Cardinals because if we can get a good
15:44version of Kyler Murray, why can't they compete with the Seahawks in the Rams
15:47here, Ben? Yeah, Donny, I think it's a really good point, right? And I
15:50think it speaks to the strength of this division. Overall, Arizona is 13
15:55to 1, not expected by the oddsmakers to win the NFC West this year. The short
16:00NFC favorites in San Francisco at a 3 to 1 price spearhead this division.
16:05The 49ers are a co favorite alongside Kansas City to win Super Bowl 59 at a
16:106 to 1 number. When those are the expectations in the odds outlook for a
16:14team atop your division, it's hard to think of actually contending for a
16:19divisional crown. But Arizona has a wind total of 7.5. And yes, the under
16:24has to have the juice at minus 1 52. But it goes to show you the floor in this
16:29division is not all that low. When you look at the Rams, 8.5 is the wind total
16:34for L. A. Over heavily juiced for Seattle, 7.5 to win total over heavily
16:41juiced. I think one of the biggest wild cards is actually Seattle and not so
16:46much the cards. But I think it overall speaks to how good this division can be
16:50and not a cakewalk by any means for the San Francisco 49ers. A lot of
16:56challenging pieces to get in the way of the Niners this year. But we'll talk
17:01about San Francisco up next and until otherwise proven, the 49ers should be
17:06that heavy odds on favor to win the NFC West. Exactly. And we'll get to the
17:10points where you know what? Showing up and winning a Super Bowl and getting
17:13that mojo back the next season usually works out. Well, showing up to the
17:16Super Bowl and taking the loss. Usually that lingering hangover tends to drift
17:20into the next season. We'll see if that happens for the 49ers, but it should be
17:24an entertaining West with now you're looking at typical. It's like no CX can
17:28be good, maybe with the Rams, but the Arizona Cardinals, the bottom feeders.
17:31If you're the bottom feeders winning seven games, that means you've got a
17:34competitive division, which also means if you're hunting for home field
17:37advantage in the NFL playoffs and you have no layups in your division, that
17:42makes things even tougher on the San Francisco 49ers. The 49ers are no
17:46stranger to postseason contention and deep runs in the playoffs. But will it
17:51result in a Lombardi trophy finally this year? We'll talk about it up next
17:55on the early line. We're talking NFC West football right here on the early
17:59line, and we cannot wait, obviously, for the first week of the NFL season to
18:03really hit the ground running and those San Francisco 49ers that we're going to
18:06focus on right now. They go up against the Jets night number one. I believe
18:10it's a Monday night football game, which would be absolutely fantastic to
18:14watch that play out. Now, if we are taking a look at the 49ers,
18:17expectations are high. They're one of the most talented teams in the NFL,
18:21but question marks are going to arise as you see that schedule up there.
18:24Certainly, when you finish at the top of your division and one of the better
18:28teams in football, typically you get a first place schedule that's supposed to
18:31be much harder than a second, third or fourth place. We get that. But we think
18:35on a week to week basis, the 49ers are going to be favorite a heck of a lot
18:39more than their underdogs, right? What? Maybe three, four games maximum on the
18:44road, if that's even possible, that they'll be dogs for. But let's take a
18:47look at the San Francisco 49ers entering into the season, because on paper, if
18:51everybody is there week number one and healthy, this team probably should win
18:55the NFC. But we have question marks starting at left tackle Trent Williams.
19:00He wants more money. Hasn't practiced yet here. Brandon, I who was thought to
19:04be possibly on the trade block with a deal already worked out with multiple
19:08teams with draft compensation and also player compensation. Looks like he's
19:12probably gonna stay with the 49ers, but he hasn't practiced yet. Christian
19:16McCaffrey, you're all world running back that you re up with an extension in
19:19the offseason for big money because I have talented and how well he's
19:23produced for you already injured with a calf injury to start the season. Now he
19:28should be ready by week number one. I you could be signs. He should be there
19:32week number one. Trent Williams, the same thing. But you're missing a lot of
19:35time in training camp to bond with those players to get informed for game
19:40number one, because it's not as if you have a layup like, Hey, the Carolina
19:43Panthers are coming to town week number one. No, it's the New York Jets, one of
19:46the more talented teams in the country and also from a National Football League
19:49perspective. If you have a healthy Aaron Rodgers, that game is gonna be
19:54interesting and so much fun to watch. But if you are looking at the niners
19:58outlook on the season itself, if we're trying to make the playoffs, yes,
20:02they're gonna do that at a minus 4 20 price. If you're going to have a win
20:05total, it's 11.5. It should be that high and keep in mind 12 and four back
20:10in the day was a sensational record. Now you have the 17th game, so 12 and five
20:15certainly doable for a team as talented as the San Francisco 49ers and to win
20:20the NFC. It's at a 3 to 1 price. Now, Ben and I were talking before the break
20:24on the 49ers because there is something to this. A team that has won a Super
20:29Bowl gets the lift in that offseason into next year where the defending
20:34champions, let's do it again. But the team that lost looks like it in the way
20:37the 49ers lost the Super Bowl. We should have had that. Maybe that lags
20:41into the offseason. Maybe that lags into training camp and needed a wake up call
20:46early in the season. We'll find out if that takes place. But overall, that
20:50defense should still be really good fluid and both are rushing the pocket.
20:53You take a look at on the opposite sides for the cornerbacks. They have a
20:56solid secondary. Now the question mark to me for the San Francisco 49ers
21:01coming into the season is that offensive line and how good it's going
21:04to be. Because let's just say Trent Williams is still holding out into the
21:08season. You get the Jets week number one. That is a really good defense here. And
21:13we always know if you can't protect the quarterback, that offense won't be able
21:18to surgically strike down the field like we're used to here with a Shanahan
21:21system. But if you are being optimistic and let's just say the 49ers show up
21:26week number one, Thibaut Samuel on one side, Brandon Ayuk on the other. You
21:30take a look at the tight end. It's George Kittle, Brock Purdy, who's a very
21:33good quarterback and Christian McCaffrey, maybe the best overall
21:35running back in the sport at this time. That's kind of wild to line up. So, Ben,
21:40as we're looking at the 49ers, there's not a lot to dislike. But if you are
21:43starting to poke holes in this team, it comes from losing a Super Bowl and
21:48then having maybe not your best players in the lineup for week number one.
21:53DRS is such an interesting point about San Francisco because talent wise on
21:58paper, with the consistency we have seen out of the 49ers the last half
22:02decade in the National Football League, everything should be pointing up in a
22:06positive manner for the Niners entering 2024. Once again, I will never forget
22:12seeing San Francisco lose its second Super Bowl to the Chiefs in the last
22:16five years and still somehow some way when the markets became available early
22:21for 2024 NFL campaign, San Francisco was favored to win Super Bowl 59 in
22:27front in front of Kansas City, a 49ers team that was favored in all 20 games,
22:33including Super Bowl 58 last season in Las Vegas. The oddsmakers love the 49ers
22:40and they are justified in thinking so. San Francisco to Super Bowl appearances
22:45in the last five years for NFC championship game appearances in the
22:50last five years, and they have won the division two consecutive years in the
22:54NFC West. All four times they have reached the NFC title game. They have
22:59won double digit games three of those four times over their win total that
23:03they enter this year with at 11 and a half. There is a lot to like about the
23:0849ers. And yet, whether it's the pessimism with some of the roster
23:13maneuvers that have happened this offseason, at least the guys that are
23:16not there at this moment, Brendan Ayuk or Trent Williams, or just the lack of
23:21Super Bowl winning pedigree we have seen out of the 49ers in the last three
23:26decades, something holds me back from fully buying in or at least betting the
23:31short numbers on Sam Frantz entering a new NFL season. Yeah, and there is
23:36something to be said about that because, look, injuries are going to happen during
23:39the season. Devastating injuries to the 49ers, to any other team, that's going to
23:42derail a season. We get that. But we can only play with the deck that we're
23:45looking forward to coming into the season. So if you are putting into
23:48perspective of the NFC West as a whole, like I understand, McVay's a very good
23:52coach and Matthew Stafford's a very good quarterback, but they're not nearly as
23:55talented overall as the San Francisco 49ers. Now granted, you got to play the
23:5949ers away, but you get the 49ers at home. And as I talked about also, the
24:03Arizona Cardinals, I think we're going to be much improved from what you saw
24:06last year because why? Just Kyler Murray being back at a healthy level makes for
24:10a dynamic offense. And you drop in one of the best young wide receivers of the
24:13past 15 years that we've probably seen in college football, that is going to
24:17help. And the Seattle Seahawks are always tough. And I like the move from Pete
24:20Carroll to getting a new head coach, a defensive-minded guy, that maybe that
24:23defense is going to spring into action, be even better than it was last year. So
24:27there are a lot of counterparts here. And also, Ben, talking about how much fun
24:30that opening game is going to be against the New York Jets, where we're saying to
24:33ourselves, what happens if McCaffrey isn't 100% for that game? Or some
24:37happens with Brandon Ayuk, where things haven't gotten worked out, maybe just got
24:41worked out four days before the game. The same thing with Trent Williams. Those
24:45guys haven't been to practice all season long, just being dropped back in.
24:48Now, granted, same team, same locker room, same house. You're not moving. Same
24:52playbook, I understand it. But there's something about getting those hundreds
24:55of reps in the offseason, which includes the training camp era, that you need to
25:00be there before game number one. So I'm high on the 49ers. Do I think they win
25:04the NFC? They probably do. But there's not one of those things where you're
25:07entering the season, Ben. It's like, you know what? They're untouchable at this
25:10point. They should be able to run away with this. You know, I talk about Kansas
25:12City and Patrick Mahomes. Hey, who's on that team? Is Patrick Mahomes there?
25:15Yeah, they're gonna win the AFC. It's obviously not from that level in San
25:18Francisco. Even I thought they should have beat Kansas City last year in the
25:21Super Bowl. We'll see how it plays out this year, but I'm pretty high on the
25:23Niners, to say the least. You know, it's really interesting, DRS. We give the
25:27Cowboys a lot of flack, and rightfully so. They won their last Lombardi trophy
25:31in 1995. They have not even reached the NFC title game in the 28 NFL seasons
25:37since that point. San Francisco last won a Lombardi trophy in 1994. Of course,
25:43the story of the NFC in the 80s and the 90s was that rivalry between the
25:47Cowboys and the 49ers. San Francisco last won a Super Bowl in 1994. Now,
25:53three decades ago, they have reached the NFC championship game eight times, so
25:59that's much better than Dallas. They have played for three Lombardi trophies,
26:04but they've come up short since that last Lombardi trophy in 1994. It is not
26:09the same failure to that certain level that we have seen out of Dallas, but San
26:14Francisco has not been atop the mountaintop in the National Football
26:18League in 30 years. That is always the hope for the 49ers entering this season.
26:25Am I going to buy into that idea? I'm not entirely sure, but San Francisco's
26:29win total of 11 and a half for the minus 1 90 price to win the NFC West
26:34or the strongest number at this moment to even see the postseason around the
26:38National Football League at minus 5 20 that I do believe in. San Francisco will
26:43have another golden opportunity this year. It's just a question on if they
26:48can capitalize on like a season ago.
26:52Exactly correct. And we might know game number one how for real the 49ers can
26:56be. We understand it's a long season, but if they beat the Jets here and beat
26:59them in convincing fashion like a touchdown or more, watch out for the
27:02Niners. But something in me says, You know what? The Jets show up and able to
27:05knock out the 49ers. How much fun it will be on that Tuesday morning to talk
27:09about the New York Jets and where they're going this season. And same
27:12thing with the Niners elsewhere around the NFC West.
27:17One final point on the 49ers before we move elsewhere on win total Tuesday
27:22around the NFC West division. There are three games right now for the regular
27:26season, where the 49ers have a price and a spread associated with it. The
27:32week one opener at home in Santa Clara Monday night football to end out week
27:36one against Aaron Rodgers in the New York Jets. The 49ers of 5.5 point
27:40favorite week seven. They host Kansas City in the Super Bowl 58 rematch
27:45between the two Super Bowl 59 co favorites San Francisco a short 1.5
27:50point favorite, but still the home favorite against KC. And then the week
27:54following against the Dallas Cowboys, a 4.5 point favorite against Dallas. All
27:59of that to say, Donny, that much like last year, when the 49ers were favored
28:02in all 20 games, including the Super Bowl 58 defeat in Vegas to Kansas City,
28:08I expect the 49ers to be favored in all in each and every game. The Niners play
28:14this season. Yeah, just about. And also you took it that later in the season,
28:18Ben, right? Right around, like Thanksgiving time, you play at the
28:21Green Bay Packers. A week later, you're at the Buffalo Bills. Then you get that
28:25week later at home, but is against the Bears, but also rookie quarterback
28:28that's had multiple starts under his belt, maybe careening towards the
28:31playoffs there. Then you take on a divisional opponent, the Rams. Then you
28:34go on the road to take on the Dolphins, then home against the Detroit Lions.
28:38Like we're gonna know what this team's made of, obviously early with game
28:41number one with the Jets, but I'm really looking forward to that mid
28:44November to late December stretch here to see if the 49ers still have left in
28:48the tank. So when we say parody really means business in the NFL, it's true.
28:52First place team gets that first place schedule and you're seeing some quality
28:56opponents on that list. Yeah, no doubt about it. Now let's go elsewhere in the
29:01NFC West, the Los Angeles Rams, a playoff team, a double digit win team a
29:06season ago because Matthew Stafford and Cooper Cup were healthy in the
29:10emergence of Puka Nikua as well. Can the Rams replicate that success once
29:16again? The wind total is 8.5. I'll be it. The over does have the heavy juice.
29:22In fact, L. A. Has moved slightly in front of Chicago for the seventh best
29:26make playoff price of NFC teams. What does that mean? Of course, there are
29:31seven teams that now make the postseason in each conference. The
29:35Rams, based on the odds makers, would have that slight edge over the Bears.
29:40Donnie, what is your expectation for Los Angeles in 2024? That's a tough
29:46one for me. And not to say I don't think they can be a good football team.
29:49Like no, not even a devil's advocate needed here. Let's just say they're all
29:51healthy, which includes Matthew Stafford all the way through for 17
29:55games. That's a playoff football team in the Rams that might even be able to
29:58change the San Francisco, excuse me, challenge the San Francisco 49ers. But
30:01the same way I'm talking about the Niners, who I do think they have a
30:04quality football season and quite frankly, maybe the most talented, but
30:08they're entering the season with a lot of question marks, some through injury,
30:11which is Christian McCaffrey and some two players holding out. You never want
30:14to get those, that animosity like behind the scenes. They don't respect
30:18me. They don't. We still don't know what's going to happen with Brandon
30:20Ike. But again, talking about their left tackle, Trent Williams, we expect
30:23to be back in camp. Let's just say everything goes right for the 49ers. And
30:27Matthew Stafford's hamstring injury event is not an issue. Week number one
30:31and moving forward. If you have a healthy and again, Pukunuku was banged
30:34up in training camp as well. Let's just say you get to the starting gate.
30:36Healthy Matthew Stafford hamstring is fine. Pukunuku and Cooper Cup and
30:40Williams. Like you have the tendency here with Sean McVay to have a high
30:44octane, ready to rock offense, which is half the battle in the NFL. It is a
30:48younger defense and you lose Aaron Donald. I understand that, but I'm not
30:52talking about the Rams on a stage of they can make a run to the Super Bowl.
30:55The expectations for me are competitive team week to week when it's all said
30:59and done, three games left in the regular season, they're still vying for
31:02a playoff position and maybe it even is for the NFC West. But there's a lot of
31:07question marks right now for me on an aging quarterback and a team that might
31:10not be as talented overall as the San Francisco 49ers. That's who I head
31:14into the season with the Los Angeles Rams. Yeah, the Rams are a very
31:18compelling team. Seven years under Sean McVay still regarded and rightfully so
31:23is one of the best head coaches in the national football league. They have gone
31:26over 8.5 wins winning at least nine games in six of the seven years,
31:31double digit wins in five of those seven. They won a Super Bowl on home
31:35turf inside so far to end out 2021. But then injuries a huge story of the 2022
31:42campaign. Matthew Stafford injured Cooper Cup injured. They were just five
31:46and 12 last year. Donnie, I expected positive regression if health could be
31:51maintained for a team that what a Super Bowl the year prior to get back to
31:56things in 2023. The wind total worked against me. I bet the over of 6.5
32:01closed at five and a hook. The odds maker is not overly optimistic on Los
32:05Angeles. Of course, they went 10 and seven and earned a playoff spot. You
32:10would have to assume Matthew Stafford will be healthy, but there are questions
32:14because of where he is in his career and the injury concerns from 2022. I still
32:20believe in this Rams team. I think they're going to be a winning football
32:23team. I think they will contend for a playoff spot more than likely in a
32:27wild card scenario around the NFC. I still expect the Rams to be a post
32:33season team come 2024. And how about the Seattle Seahawks new head coach and
32:40Mike McDonald? Of course, it is no longer the Pete Carroll era up in the
32:44Pacific Northwest 14 seasons under the man that loved to chew some gum. They
32:49now go to Baltimore's former defensive coordinator in Mike McDonald, 7.5. The
32:54wind total for the Hawks. The over has the juice again, flirting with 500. Do
32:59you think that's the reality for Seattle this season? I do think it is
33:03the reality and also one of my favorite wide receiving cores in the NFL by a
33:07long shot, man. Lockett Smith and Jake Met and neck calf. I mean, three
33:10dominant rod receivers. If you can just get time in the pocket. The reason I
33:14bring that up is it's not really a knock on Gino Smith. He's an average
33:17quarterback that has the tendency to sometimes play above average, and
33:20that's what you're looking for. Give me a quarterback top 15 in the NFL top 20
33:24with a decent defense and away you go. You'll probably make the playoffs. But
33:27here's where the question marks pop up. Connor Williams. Solid center. That's
33:30gonna be a good benchmark for them this season. But outside of that, there are a
33:34lot of questions at guard and it tackled. And if you're having those
33:38issues, you know how that usually turns out. That means you can't protect the
33:41quarterback. The wide receivers can't run the routes and the running game
33:44with two quality running backs in the back. If you're just looking from a
33:47skilled position layout, I love the Seattle Seahawks, but we know where
33:51games are won and lost. It's in the trenches. That's my only knock on the
33:54Seahawks. But I do expect them again to be confident on a week to week
33:58basis. Do I think they win that division, Ben? Probably not. But in
34:01the last couple weeks of the season, they're fighting for a playoff spot. I
34:04think we have them spotted appropriately here.
34:07They won nine games each of the past two years in 14 seasons under Pete
34:12Carroll, only less than 7.5 wins three times. That means 11 times over 7.5 in
34:19the last decade and a half, virtually up in the Northwest in the three times
34:24under 7.5. Never less than seven. There has been consistent success in
34:30Seattle. Will it continue under Mike McDonald? We'll continue the
34:34conversation up next. The Seattle Seahawks have a win total of 7.5. The
34:39over has the juice. The Arizona Cardinals have a win total of 7.5 as
34:44well, albeit the under juiced. I think, as we have said, Donny, it speaks of
34:50the overall quality within the NFC West. This division is no cakewalk
34:54each and every time you play your divisional mates. How does it impact
34:59the overall records for all four of these clubs this season? Seattle is a
35:04compelling team under Mike McDonald. Of course, the defensive coordinator in
35:07Baltimore under John Harbaugh after he worked under Jim as Michigan's D. C.
35:13The years prior, he turned Baltimore into one of the best defenses in the
35:16National Football League. Each of the past two years, he will hope to
35:19reinvigorate the defensive side of the ball up in Seattle. Jonathan Gannon
35:25enters his second year as the head coach in Arizona. Not much was expected a
35:31season ago. The wind total 4.5. The under had the juice. The Cardinals had
35:38the lowest wind total entering 2023. Their franchise quarterback in Kyler
35:43Murray might miss the entirety of the year. At least that was the discussion.
35:48He came back to play eight games. The Cardinals won a few of those. They ended
35:54up four and 13 a season ago. And although the overall win loss record
35:59nothing stellar to write home about for Jonathan Gannon in his rookie campaign
36:03as the head man in the desert, they were booked as an underdog. Donny, where
36:06the cards in all 17 games a season ago, they were not an eight against the
36:12spread, much more competitive than anybody anticipated around the National
36:16Football League. How does competition carry over to wins and losses in 2024?
36:22Jonathan Gannon is a defensive coordinator. He's gonna have to have
36:26that defense playing good football. Why? Because it just doesn't have the
36:28playmakers like so many other teams, particularly in the NFC West have on
36:32defense. It's not a good second year. Quite frankly, that's being nice.
36:35They're really a bad secondary pass rushing ability here. Questionable
36:39best average linebackers. Okay, now let's move it over to the offense for
36:43the Arizona Cardinals. Thank goodness. They have Kyler Murray, who coming off
36:46to the injury last year, took him some time to get back into the NFL games and
36:50getting it under his belt right now. You head into the offseason. He should
36:53be back up to the speed. We've always seen Kyler Murray. He's gonna need it
36:57because the offensive line been flat out stink. So I find myself looking at
37:00the Arizona Cardinals. Is it one of those teams that I want to bet on a
37:03week to week basis to say, let's just say they can cover a spread and or just
37:07win a football game. Not necessarily. But my goodness, if this isn't one of
37:11these teams that you're going to tee up on a week to week basis to say, I want
37:14quarterback props from the opposite team quarterback, excuse me, wide
37:17receiver props and running back props of the opposite team. Yes. And also from
37:21an offensive perspective, passing the football for the Cardinals. I love
37:24James Connor. But how much times we're gonna be running in the fourth quarter
37:27when we're losing football games? You know, I do love in that offense. It's
37:30gonna be Marvin Harrison Jr. And training for that tight end McBride. I
37:33mean, that guy is a man child and he's gonna get a ton of targets this season.
37:38So from a betting perspective, once again, I'm not sure if I'm taking the
37:41spreads essentially on the Arizona Cardinals for good or bad. But if you
37:45look at totals and team totals against this might be your landing spot right
37:50here because I expect Kyler Murray to put up decent numbers because they're
37:53gonna be losing football games. The same things with the tight and the wide
37:55receiver. But more importantly, the defense, they're gonna give up a lot of
37:58points, man. This is one of those teams you need to be circling on a week to
38:01week basis to get some money back on. It's one of my favorite things, though,
38:06Donny. When you look for positive growth among a football team, for instance,
38:10take Dan Campbell and the Detroit Lions in his rookie year in 2021. They were
38:15expected to win about three games. They were an underdog in all 17. They were
38:20the best covered team in the National Football League that season. They were
38:2411-5-1 against the spread. Arizona, an underdog in all 17 last year,
38:299-8 against the number. And this is, for me, a guy that had an alternate
38:33win total under three and a half for the Cardinals. Eight games started for
38:38Kyler Murray. Arizona won three of those eight. So three of the four wins came
38:43with Kyler back at the quarterback spot. But to Donny's point, keep an eye on the
38:46totals for the Cards early this year. In the eight starts that Kyler Murray made a
38:51season ago, six of the eight games featured 40 or more points. All eight
38:56featured at least 34. Arizona is a 6.5-point underdog for their season
39:02opener on the road in Buffalo. But it's part of the reason, Donny, that I think
39:07you can look at either points out of Arizona, better play out of Arizona, or
39:13at Marvin Harrison Jr. Plus 6.50 for MHJ to win Offensive Rookie of the Year to
39:19lead all rookie wide receivers. It is a plus 1.50 price in terms of yardage.
39:2510.50 and a hook. That is his season-long receiving yards prop that you would
39:30expect for the fourth overall pick to make an immediate impact with Kyler
39:34Murray delivering him the football. I do not think Arizona makes the postseason. I
39:40do not think the Cardinals can contend for that playoff spot. But I do think
39:44they will be able to keep games competitive and make the NFC West all
39:48that much more difficult. Hour 3 comes your way up next, live right here on
39:53this Tuesday.