Sports Krunch W/dkrom

1. Week 16 Takeaways -DKrom: It was a crazy journey to get there, but the Chiefs and Bills appear to be the two best teams in the AFC after all, Josh Allen putting himself in elite company, Houston Texans have been a MUCH better team than most of us thought -Hal: Hal is completely off the Cardinals bandwagon, Chargers still doing Charger things 2. Truth or Exaggeration -The Houston Texans should not spend a premium draft pick on a QB and give Davis Mills a full-year tryout in 2022 -Joe Burrow has cemented himself as a top-10 QB in the NFL -If the Dolphins make the playoffs, Brian Flores is the 2021 NFL Coach of the Year -Regardless of how their season ends, the 49ers must make Trey Lance the full-time starter in 2022  -The Jaguars hiring Packers OC Nathaniel Hackett as their new head coach would be a very wise move  -If he doesn’t retire, Aaron Rodgers will play for the Packers in 2022 -After two seasons, the Carolina Panthers should pull the plug on Matt Rhule 3. This or That -Who had the

1. Week 15 Takeaways -DKrom: Mahomes vs. Herbert delivers again, Bucs may have an even tougher road to return to the Super Bowl, Dennis Allen and Greg Roman will likely get serious head coaching consideration -Hal: Division leaders lose a lot of games, tight races down the stretch 2. Truth or Exaggeration -Should they make the playoffs, the Indianapolis Colts will be the team that NOBODY wants to play -Should they get the first overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, the Jacksonville Jaguars should HIGHLY consider drafting whoever the best OT is on their board (Evan Neal, Ikem Ekwonu)  -Whoever wins Sunday’s Ravens/Bengals game will win the AFC North -If Russell Wilson is made available by the Seahawks for trade, teams interested in trading for him MUST do a LOT of vetting on his mallet finger and potential complications it could cause for the remainder of his career  -The Los Angeles Rams will win the NFC West -Nick Sirianni should be in consideration for Coach of the Year honors if the Eagles

1. Week 14 Takeaways -DKrom: Poetic day for the Broncos, particularly the 88-yard drive at the end of the game -Hal: Bills not dead and buried yet, Brady and Rodgers co-MVP favorites right now 2. Truth or Exaggeration -The NFL MUST put all 32 clubs in intensive COVID-19 protocols (mandatory mask-wearing for everyone inside facility, most, if not all meetings conducted virtually, and daily testing) RIGHT NOW -Dak Prescott is currently holding the Cowboys back from achieving their potential -Jaguars owner Shad Khan shouldn’t fire Urban Meyer on January 10…he should fire him THIS SECOND -Jimmy Garoppolo will net the 49ers a first-round pick should they decide to trade him in the offseason -Micah Parsons should win 2021 DPOY honors, and Patrick Surtain II should win 2021 DROY honors -The AFC Championship will be between the Chiefs and Patriots…and the NFC Championship will be between the Packers and Bucs -The Chicago Bears MUST fire GM Ryan Pace in addition to Matt Nagy 3. Should the following Head Coaches be fir

1. Week 13 Takeaways -DKrom: Poetic way for the Lions to win their first game of 2021, Chargers FINALLY turned Justin Herbert loose (Weeks 1-12: 6.2-yard ADOT on 1st/2nd down, Week 13: 10.2-yard ADOT) -Hal: Patriots masterful game plan, Lions first win 2. Truth or Exaggeration -The Bucs MUST release Antonio Brown when his suspension ends after Week 15 -Micah Parsons has already entered the conversation to be considered THE best defensive player in football right now  -Marlon Humphrey’s season-ending torn pectoral injury will end up being the straw that broke the camel’s back for the 2021 Ravens -Tua Tagovailoa will force the Dolphins to abandon their pursuit of Deshaun Watson, even if Watson gets legally cleared  -Gardner Minshew should be the starting QB for the Eagles going forward -Javonte Williams should get FAR more carries than Melvin Gordon for the Broncos in the season’s final five weeks -The Buffalo Bills chances of making the playoffs are in danger 3. Latest Russell Wilson news 4.

1. Week 12 Takeaways -DKrom: Time to start preparing for the possibility of Super Bowl LVI being Brady vs. Belichick, Bengals show they mean business -Hal: Lot of high profile QB’s either ailing or struggling (Stafford, Big Ben, Baker Mayfield, Lamar Jackson, Russell Wilson) 2. Truth or Exaggeration -The San Francisco 49ers are the best NFL team in the state of California right now -There’s a much better chance than many think of the Cowboys NOT winning the NFC East -The Cardinals will win the NFC West -The Packers should be considered the favorites to earn the NFC’s #1 playoff seed -The Raiders should extend Derek Carr shortly after their season ends -The Browns should go all in on trying to trade for either Russell Wilson or Aaron Rodgers -Zac Taylor deserves serious consideration for Coach of the Year honors 3. This or That -Which rookie defensive player has had the more impressive season: Odafe Oweh or Patrick Surtain II? -Which current OC would be a better option as the next head coach of either

1. Week 11 Takeaways -DKrom: You can make a case for T.J. Watt for MVP. The Steelers defense is an entirely different unit without him -Hal: Chris Jones, Baker Mayfield needs to rest, Eagles a legit playoff contender 2. Truth or Exaggeration -The Cleveland Browns should sit Baker Mayfield until he is 100% aside from the labral tear in his non-throwing shoulder -Jonathan Taylor should now be considered the front-runner for Offensive POY -The Tennessee Titans will NOT get the AFC’s #1 playoff seed -If the Lions beat the Bears on Thanksgiving Day, Matt Nagy should be fired first thing Friday morning -Whoever wins this weekend’s Vikings/49ers game will be one of the two NFC Wild Card teams -The Broncos re-signing Courtland Sutton and Tim Patrick will go a long way in convincing either Aaron Rodgers or Russell Wilson to come to Denver should they be made available via trade -Jason Garrett will never get another NFL coaching job again 3. This or That -Who is more likely to win their respective division:

1. Week 10 Takeaways -DKrom: Rams ARE soft, Patriots just might be sneaky Super Bowl contender -Hal: Pittsburgh/Lions tie, more underdogs winning 2. Elephant In The Room: Which team is the best landing spot for Russell Wilson should he be traded? Broncos, Raiders, Browns, Eagles, or Saints 3. Truth or Exaggeration         -Cam Newton will lead the Panthers to a playoff berth          -With the NFL’s easiest remaining schedule, the Tennessee Titans are a lock for the AFC’s #1 playoff seed         -Deebo Samuel is a top-five offensive weapon in the NFL         -Demarcus Ware and Devin Hester should both be voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on first ballot         -The Broncos should bench Teddy Bridgewater after his lackadaisical play on the Darius Slay fumble-six       &

1. Week 9 Takeaways -DKrom: Titans defense BALLING -Hal: Justin Fields great performance on MNF, Jordan Love lays an egg 2. Midseason Awards 3. Truth or Exaggeration      -The 49ers should either take personnel power away from Kyle Shanahan after this season…or fire him      -Justin Fields will become a top-10 QB at some point next season…if not sooner      -Josh Allen has taken a MASSIVE step backward this season      -The New England Patriots will win the AFC East      -The Atlanta Falcons will make the playoffs as a wild card      -The Rams lack of physicality will prevent them from reaching Super Bowl LVI      -The Chiefs defense is actually better than the Chiefs offense 4. Chiefs at Raiders Preview 5. Picks for all other Week 9 Games        -Ravens at Dolphins       

1. Week 8 Takeaways -Me: Dallas Cowboys have a “team of destiny” feel to them -Hal: Backup QB showcase  2. Truth or Exaggeration -If the Saints offense sputters these next few weeks without Jameis Winston, the Saints should immediately sign Cam Newton -Stuck in the swamps of mediocrity, Vikings owner Zygi Wilf should pivot in a new direction by firing both Mike Zimmer and Rick Spielman after the season should they miss the playoffs -After trading away Von Miller, the Broncos should trade all five of their top 100 2022 draft picks plus another future first or two for Russell Wilson should he become available -If the Cowboys fail to reach the NFC Championship, Jerry Jones should fire Mike McCarthy and promote Kellen Moore to head coach -Unless the Raiders or Chargers self-destruct, the Chiefs will either barely sneak in to the playoffs…or not make the playoffs at all -The Chargers inability to stop the run will prevent them from winning the AFC West -Because of the potential season-ending injury to

1. Week 7 Takeaways -Me: House cleanings await the Bears and Broncos -Hal: Bengals with statement win, Gruden might have been holding the Raiders back all along, Kyle Pitts and Ja’Marr Chase are stars in the making 2. Truth or Exaggeration -NO team should trade for Deshaun Watson until his legal issues are resolved -The Panthers would be a MUCH better destination for Deshaun Watson than the Dolphins -Albeit with a 17-game caveat, Kyle Pitts will break the all-time rookie receiving yardage record for tight ends, which was set by Mike Ditka in 1961 with 1,076 -Ja’Marr Chase is already making an excellent argument to be considered a top-five WR in the NFL -Should the Raiders make the playoffs, they should HIGHLY consider promoting interim head coach Rich Bisaccia to full-time head coach -Even though they are still yet to win a game this season, the Lions are absolutely headed in the right direction under Dan Campbell -D’Ernest Johnson is going to permanently force his way into the Browns RB rotation over

1. Do you think Malik Willis is worth a roll of the dice in the first round, if not the top-10 picks and if so, why? 2. Based on what you have seen on tape, what is your opinion of Matt Corral and how does he project to the NFL? 3. What makes Kayvon Thibodeaux so special and what (aside from this talent poor QB class) makes him worthy of the #1 overall pick? 4. Currently, it looks as if there is going to be a tight race to be the second EDGE off the board between Michigan’s Aidan Hutchinson and Purdue’s George Karlaftis. At this time, which one of those two stud Big Ten pass rushers do you like better and why? 5. What makes Evan Neal stand out from the rest of this talented OT class and do you think he has a legit case to be in the conversation for the #1 overall pick? 6. Arguably THE deepest position group in this year’s draft class is at CB. Although LSU’s Derek Stingley, Jr. is regarded as the best of the bunch, two other corners that are impressing tremendously are Andrew Booth, Jr. of Clemson and Kaiir E

1. Week 6 Takeaways -Me: Cardinals remove all doubt that they’re serious Super Bowl contenders, Ravens look even more dangerous than they did in 2019, Broncos look like they have quit on Vic Fangio a la the Bears and Marc Trestman in 2014 -Hal: Dak Prescott making a push for MVP, Carolina just not the same without Christian McCaffrey, Sam Darnold turning back into a pumpkin, Bengals are legit 2. Truth or Exaggeration -Mike McCarthy will prevent this Cowboys team from reaching the Super Bowl -After holding Washington to less than 5 yards per pass attempt, the Chiefs have turned the corner on defense -Derrick Henry is already a lock to get enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame -Carson Wentz is well on his way to regaining his 2017 MVP form -Barring a miraculous turnaround these next two weeks, the Broncos should trade Von Miller by the November 2 deadline -The Cardinals offense is only about to get more dangerous with the addition of Zach Ertz, who will end up being an upgrade over the injured Maxx W

1. Week 5 Takeaways -Me: Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen, Kyler Murray, Justin Herbert, Dak Prescott and Tom Brady all making very strong cases to be 2021 NFL MVP -Mark: Lamar Jackson’s performance on Monday night, Browns/Chargers game, Bills statement win over Chiefs 2. The big story in the NFL this week comes out of Las Vegas as Jon Gruden resigned as head coach of the Raiders after numerous emails of him making racist, misogynistic and homophobic slurs were uncovered by the New York Times. Although it is refreshing to see Gruden gone, the prevailing sentiment is that this is just the tip of the iceberg as many powerful decision makers around the NFL harbor such attitudes. How can we as fans, reporters, et al continue to hold the league accountable and force them to reveal and expel more of these bad apples?  3. This Or That -Who is a more legitimate Super Bowl contender: Cowboys or Cardinals? -Which head coach is more likely to get fired at season’s end: Urban Meyer or Vic Fangio? -Who is more likely to gro

1. Week 4 Takeaways -Me: Rookie QB’s shine, Cardinals prove they’re for real -Hal: Cordarrelle Patterson, Buffalo Bills early AFC Super Bowl favorite 2. Quarter Pole Awards 3. This Or That -Who is more likely to win their division: Chargers or Cardinals? -Which previously unbeaten team got exposed more last week: Panthers or Raiders? -Which division is worse: The 2020 NFC East or the 2021 AFC South? -Which 1-3 team is more likely to make the playoffs: Vikings or Steelers? 4. Browns at Chargers Preview -Do the Browns have the best defense in the NFL right now? -Does Baker Mayfield need to play his best game of the year to date in order for the Browns to eke out a win over the Chargers? -Key matchups and picks 5. Bills at Chiefs Preview -Do you think the Bills need to use their RB’s and TE’s in the passing game a LOT more than usual in order to win Sunday night?  -How big of a factor do you think Josh Gordon will be in this game? -Key matchups and picks 6. Picks for all other Week 4 Games    

1. Week 3 Takeaways -Me: Watching Justin Tucker’s historic 66-yard field goal at the gun reminded me that it’s time for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Board of Selectors to put more specialists in these next several years -Hal: 2020 Josh Allen is back, Derek Carr continues to dominate, Aaron Rodgers back to normal, surprising upsets, et al 2. Truth or Exaggeration -Ben Roethlisberger is literally finished and the Steelers should consider benching him if their offense continues to sputter -Nobody is playing better football than the Los Angeles Rams right now -If the Chiefs do not beat the Eagles in dominating fashion this week, it will be THE reddest of red flags -Matt Nagy is the biggest impediment to the development of Justin Fields -The Buffalo Bills are in prime position to nab the AFC’s #1 playoff seed -If the Seahawks lose to the 49ers on Sunday, they will NOT make the playoffs -If it wasn’t for two plays, Kirk Cousins would be squarely in the MVP conversation right now -The Dallas Cowboys are clear favor

1. Week 2 Takeaways -Me: The Ravens victory over the Chiefs has serious potential to be paradigm-shifting in the way we think about them and Lamar Jackson -Hal: The Jekyll-and-Hyde teams (Saints, Titans, Steelers, Dolphins, Bills, Chargers) 2. Truth or Exaggeration -Taylor Heinicke will NOT give back Washington’s starting QB job to Ryan Fitzpatrick -Not only will Justin Fields not give back the Bears starting QB job to Andy Dalton, he will have a similar rookie season as Justin Herbert did last year -The Cowboys should NOT reduce the workload they gave Tony Pollard last week one bit -If their season continues to go south, the Colts should NOT play Carson Wentz so they can keep their 2022 first-round pick -It’s time to put Brian Burns of the Carolina Panthers squarely in the conversation as one of the five best edge pass rushers in the NFL -The Chiefs should no longer be considered clear-cut favorites to win the AFC West this season -Win or lose, should Jimmy G struggle badly against an atrocious Packers defen

1. Week 1 Takeaways -Me: The Chargers proved they aren’t the same old Chargers -Hal: LOTS of surprises 2. Truth or Exaggeration -All four NFC West teams will make the playoffs -Justin Herbert and Matthew Stafford will be among the top three finalists for 2021 NFL MVP honors -Kyler Murray has already proven himself to be a legit NFL franchise QB -Urban Meyer will only last one season as Jaguars head coach -It’s time to talk about the Atlanta Falcons as a serious candidate to have the #1 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft -The Philadelphia Eagles will be serious contenders for a Wild Card playoff spot this season -Even though they didn’t come away with a win, the way the Browns played the Chiefs last week bodes EXTREMELY well for their chances in a potential playoff rematch at Arrowhead, especially when the weather will likely benefit their physical brand of football more -The Tennessee Titans offense will be one of the NFL’s biggest disappointments in 2021 3. This Or That -Who had the more impressiv

1. GOOD IDEA/BAD IDEA -Was it a good idea or bad idea for the Patriots to release Cam Newton and hand over the reins to Mac Jones right from the get go? -Was it a good idea or bad idea for the Broncos to name Teddy Bridgewater as their starting QB over Drew Lock? -Is it a good idea or bad idea for the Bears to begin the season with Andy Dalton under center as opposed to Justin Fields? -Is it a good idea or bad idea for the 49ers to hold Trey Lance out of practice until Week 3 so the “small chip” fracture in his hand can fully heal? 2. Truth or Exaggeration -Zach Wilson, who I originally panned the Jets for drafting rather than Justin Fields or Trey Lance, has a FAR better chance of becoming the best QB from the 2021 class than most of us initially thought -Robert Saleh is THE best possible man to help make the Jets a consistently relevant franchise -Jameis Winston will have his best year as a pro in 2021 -The Carolina Panthers will finish with a better record than the Saints this season -The Packers

1. Based on everything we’ve seen and/or heard out of training camp and preseason action thus far, which player’s fantasy stock has gone up the most, and which player’s stock has fallen the most in your view? 2. In terms of the running back position, who are your favorite running backs this season outside the top four (McCaffrey, Cook, Henry, Kamara)? 3. One of the keys to not just prevailing in fantasy football, but in literally anything, it to be willing to go against the grain when it comes to groupthink. Are there any players you’re considerably higher on than most Mike? Considerably lower than? 4. THIS OR THAT -David Montgomery or J.K. Dobbins? -Nick Chubb or Antonio Gibson? (PPR) -Aaron Jones or Austin Ekeler?  -Allen Robinson or CeeDee Lamb? -Adam Thielen or Tyler Lockett? -Brandon Aiyuk or Ja’Marr Chase? -Kyle Pitts or Mark Andrews? -Logan Thomas or Irv Smith, Jr.? -Lamar Jackson or Kyler Murray? -Trevor Lawrence or Jalen Hurts? 5. Buy Or Sell -Justin Herbert will be a top-five fantasy

1. While I still firmly believe Trevor Lawrence will be the man under center on September 12, is it just absolutely bonkers for Urban Meyer to give Gardner Minshew any kind of chance to start? 2. This year, the NFL plans to crack down on taunting, as NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported a few weeks ago. Two taunting fouls per game will now result in an automatic ejection, plus fines and even suspensions. Yet in Week 1 of preseason action, officials were flagging even the most innocent of celebrations as taunting. Do you think this is just one of those things where the refs penalize a lot of stuff in preseason, then let a lot of it fly when the games count, or are you very worried that a bad taunting call will end up costing several teams key wins in 2021? 3. With the Delta variant wave expected to get worse during the fall and winter, can you see many other teams following the Raiders lead? 4. Main Takeaways from Week 1 of Preseason    -David: Several lesser known rookie edge-rushers show they