Latest / Know Your Personnel Pod / 2026-27 NFL Predictions | The AFC West Could Have 3 Playoff Teams | Best Division in the AFC?
Transcript
- Nathan Hawthorne: And we are live in Cutting it short, we've got way too much to go over today. Listen, you are here for a special episode of KYP, part three of our division breakdown series for the NFL twenty twenty six season. My name's Nathan Hawthorne. This is my co host Jared McEnroy. Jared, what is the division we're talking about today? Jarod McInroy: We're doing the AFC West today. So again, just to kinda go over how we do this, we looked at all of the Vegas odds. We looked at their win totals that they gave and we're gonna kinda break down do we think they're gonna be over or under that win total? it's up to you if you wanna put money on it or not. We are not telling you to, however. We got some opinions, so we're gonna tell to you. you know, we we kinda had an order that we had in mind here, but I think we should start with Denver. Nathan Hawthorne: Okay. Yeah, let's start with Denver. Jarod McInroy: Let's start with Denver before we get into the other ones, because I I I have an opinion about this one and I think they're important to talk about since they won the division last year and since they should have been in the Super Bowl without that one very unfortunate injury. Well, first let's go over what everybody's total is and then we'll we'll jump back to Denver. So Denver's at nine and a half. Chiefs are at ten and a half wins, Raiders are at five and a half wins. And the Chargers are at nine and a half wins. So Denver being at nine and a half, what does that tell you that Vegas thinks of them? Nathan Hawthorne: This tells me that Vegas thinks that they're gonna regress. I think last year they had twelve wins that were fourth quarter. No, I'm sorry, not fourth quarter comeback, second half comebacks. That's a lot. That doesn't happen a ton in the NFL. Usually the clock gets bled out. There's not enough time to come back. They had that famous fourth quarter comeback against the Raiders. They were down like 19 points, something like that. Crazy. And then you got to look at those games that they did win. Eleven of those were one score games. I mean, you're talking about the ball bouncing a different direction on a punt nicking somebody's leg. That's kind of the difference we're looking at. So Vegas is looking at like, okay, so Bo Nicks is coming back from what turned out to be a pretty major injury. A lot of the pieces are coming back, but we don't see this team winning all of those one score games. So that's why you're seeing that nine and a half point. Jarod McInroy: Okay. And do you have a firm stance on an over or under? What what where d where do you see them finishing? Nathan Hawthorne: I think, yeah. I th I think it's over ten wins. I'm sorry, I think it's over nine and a half wins. I think ten wins, but I think ten wins is about it for this Broncos team. I love Bo Nicks. I'm an Oregon guy through and through. I didn't like him year one, year two, he grew on me. I want to see him succeed. However, I didn't see him completing enough passes down the field on a consistent basis and making more out of the offense. It seemed like everything was really hard. For Bonex last year, and that can be growing pains, right? With Sean Payton as your head coach, he demands a lot of you. But I didn't see a lot of growth as the year went on. maybe that changes this year, but I think because Bonex appears to be limiting that offense, I just don't know what to make of it. Now they've relinquished the play calling to Dave to Davis Webb. I'm not sure if that changes things also, but it'll be interesting. Jarod McInroy: Yeah. I here's where I have a tough time in this series that we're doing is if I have them just over, I have a hard time putting them over. So if I thought that they were an eleven win team and I was looking at their schedule and taking everything into consideration, I would have chose the over. I'm going to firmly choose the under. I think that Nathan Hawthorne: Wow. Jarod McInroy: I think nine is their cap. I think they're gonna have a pretty big regression. And I think that the quarterback position is there's a lot more uncertainty there than we think. Again, like you said, the bone's injury was was very substantial and it's probably going to affect how he comes into this year. especially early on in the season. there's a really high risk of re injury. I will kind of disagree with you a little bit. I th thought he really took big strides last year, and I thought he did. show a lot of improvement and a lot of maturity as a really good quarterback, but you could be the best quarterback in the NFL. If your legs don't work, then they don't work. Like I I can't say anything other than that. So it's hard to knock a team and knock a person for an injury. However, they're gonna have to prove that he's ready to go. And I don't see anyone else in that Q B room, unless maybe they make a trade and then that puts him in a weird position later on for a Q B battle, but The rest of their team looks good. The addition of Jalen Waddle's huge, obviously. Nathan Hawthorne: Huge. Jarod McInroy: that wide receiver room is looking a lot more exciting. They look a lot faster as a team. they went and got Jonah Coleman from Washington. Like there's the the offense is continuing to kind of retool and we know the defense is gonna be locked in, but you also have two teams that are going to make a big jump in this division that are not you. so That's also a piece of this where I'm like, how many of those division games are you gonna be able to squeak out? Like you said, how many of those one possession games are you gonna pull out? Like it it's gonna be tough, but I just I have a hard time thinking nine and they might get all nine of those wins. Like it might not be like, you know, a a huge regression where they're down at like the six, seven win total. it could be all nine of those wins, but Nathan Hawthorne: I Jarod McInroy: I don't know. Nathan Hawthorne: I now I'm seeing your case for the under. I just think the team is too talented and Bo Nicks is good enough at quarterback. You mentioned that he improved. I again I think he didn't really improve. His completion percentage, his touchdowns all went down in a in that year span from twenty twenty four to twenty twenty five, right? And that's with the bigger postseason and again, something must be going on upstairs for Sean Payton to relinquish play calling. I'm not sure the last time he's done that, if he's ever done that. So something wasn't clicking in that relationship, or maybe there was something getting lost in translation that now requires Davis Webb to step in. So I'm optimistic. You know, in year three, typically we see these quarterbacks make the jump if they are going to make the jump. And so I'm optimistic for that to happen. But again, reading into what Vegas saw last year with the one score wins, Bonicks, again, things looking really hard on offense until late in the game. I think those things, and again, you mentioned the two other teams in the division getting better. It's gonna be tough. Jarod McInroy: Yeah. I feel like where he made his jumps though were all in like the things that are not on the stats sheet. I feel like he certainly looked more composed. He looked very under control in those tight games and in those important possessions. He knew when he needed to take care of the ball a little bit more than you know, other times in the game where you can take more risk. so I would say like he he just looked more like an NFL quarterback, like a successful, like viable quarterback option. but yeah. Nathan Hawthorne: Yeah. on defense. Jarod McInroy: I I have pla I have finishing third though. And it sucks. I hate to call it a that big of a regression, but like I think they're third in the division this year and Nathan Hawthorne: It's a it's a good division. So third in this division is probably better than a lot of other spots in the NFL, especially on the AFC side. you already mentioned Jarod McInroy: Mm-hmm. Nathan Hawthorne: advanced Joseph, he's coming back again. He's got this defense just rolling. Nick Benito, Jonathan Cooper, Q Robinson, you got Pat Sertan back there, Riley Moss. Like these dudes are absolutely scary. they're gonna be aggressive in man coverage again. Like they're I've got no questions about their defense at all. Jarod McInroy: Wha what's Sean Payton gonna be doing? Is he just hopping into the John Harbaugh role or according to Nathan? Nathan Hawthorne: That's my thing. Is he he he just he's gotta be transitioning to more of that oversight. And maybe he's thinking, you know what? Maybe I want my own coaching tree. So maybe he's gonna start working a little bit more in that developmental role, kind of being more of a building guy. This could be a building, you know, sort of transition move for Sean Payton. Now that's just hearsay. I've truly got no idea where that's the case, but we could be seeing Jarod McInroy: Still. Nathan Hawthorne: that we could be seeing that from. But yeah, this this is still a very good Broncos team. Let's be very clear. And that's why I still think ten wins is more than achievable. I don't think nine and I don't yeah, I just think it's it's achievable. I know, and it and it just I truly Jarod McInroy: This is why they pick these odds. They they make you think about it. It could be nine, it could be ten. Nathan Hawthorne: think it comes down to the health of Bonex. Cause if he's healthy, the way that the way that Sean Payton's offense loves to use a receiver like Jalen Waddell, it's gonna open things up more for Cortland Sutton. Troy Franklin's gonna get loose over the top. We already talked about the running back room between JK Dobbins, RJ Harvey, and Jonah Coleman. Like things are gonna be they're they're sitting pretty. It's just there's Jarod McInroy: Yeah. Nathan Hawthorne: other teams that are equally sitting pretty in this division. Jarod McInroy: And and quarterback is just so important. So I'll tell you one coach that won't be ever relinquishing play calling and doesn't give a crap about his coaching tree, and that's Andy Reed. You would never and Nathan Hawthorne: Ha ha ha Jarod McInroy: that this is why I have a tough time because I'm like you make you make a good point. Like you already see these Shanahan and these McVay coaching trees around and Sean Payton has that ego of like I want that coaching tree and have my legacy left with the NFL. Andy Reid does not care. He cares about pla just his football team. He cares about winning games and he cares about winning you know, probably as many Super Bowls as he can before he retires. So ten and a half wins. Nathan Hawthorne: Is this the official yeah, I was gonna say, is this the official transition to the Chiefs? Yeah. Jarod McInroy: It's this is the transition over to the Chiefs. Ten and a half wins and and that's Vegas saying they're gonna be the division winner. that's a that's a big jump. this was the only team when so far doing this where I actually went week by week and was like, what could their win total be? Nathan Hawthorne: Mm-hmm. Jarod McInroy: I had them as at worst ten wins and at most probably twelve. So with it being at ten and a half. Again, as my rule from earlier, 12 wins is very much achievable. I have I have a Madden over. Here's the thing, they have a really hard schedule. If you look at that schedule, they play some really, really tough games. so there's a lot of 50 50s, Nathan Hawthorne: I'm gonna pull that up for us. Jarod McInroy: but yeah, pull it up. There's a lot of 50 50s on their schedule, but if you're a good team, it doesn't matter. And we're gonna say we're gonna have this conversation when we get to the Chargers as well. But you have to prove that you are that team. You don't care who you play week in and week out. Patrick Mahomes isn't scared of anybody in the NFL. Let's let's be honest, he's not. He couldn't care less. His legacy's cemented, but he is also a dog and he wants to win as many as he possibly can. So he's not coming any lighter at you, but he's certainly not scared of anybody. and they have a lot to prove. I think both of them, they have a refreshed room in general, I think. I th they've gotten a lot of people out of the building that might not have been great locker room people. but it looks like at the moment Pat's new favorite target is kind of up in the air, which is giving everybody something to play for. there's a lot of names around the camps that they are just kind of popping out of nowhere. Random picks you didn't even think of. But then also, you know, the usual suspects will kind of be in the mix as well. but Travis Swift, did he take her last name? I don't know. but he's he's preoccupied Nathan Hawthorne: my god. Jarod McInroy: and he's looking for a new best friend. And he's gonna be here a lot longer than Travis is. So look for a lot of people trying to prove something. Nathan Hawthorne: Yeah, certainly proves something. And what I th what makes this need to prove it so beautiful is this team has the most continuity from coaching staff to the players on both sides of the football. And that's what you want to see. In the NFL, it's really, really hard to keep teams together because money starts flying everywhere and they start picking and poaching your players. You've got Eric Bienemy back. I consider that continuity. Of course you've got still got Spags, you've got your head coach Andy Reid, and you've got Patrick Mahomes. You added Kenneth Walker. This is the first time they've had a thousand yard rusher. Since twenty seventeen with Kareem Hunt. Now he didn't do the thousand yards with the Kansas City Chiefs, but you feel confident that you can give him a lot of carries and start to really tote the rock and take the pressure off of Patrick Mahomes. Because Isaiah Pacheco was getting three yards, no matter what. Guaranteed three. Jarod McInroy: Wasn't gonna be more, but it usually wasn't less. Nathan Hawthorne: My another concern of mine is just the wide receiver room. We talked about this during the NFL draft. We thought maybe the Chiefs, or at least I thought maybe the Chiefs go out and get yourself an elite wide receiver. They didn't do that. They've got a lot of faith in Rasheed Rice, not just being mentally available, but being physically available with his health. That's a concern. Same deal with Xavier Worthy, whether it's his ankle or whether it's his shoulder. Is he gonna be available? and that a name that keeps popping up a lot during camp is Cyrus Allen. I'm hearing that this dude is Jarod McInroy: Yeah. Nathan Hawthorne: an absolute freak. So I hope that he can develop, but I look at the wide receiving court and I see that this is just a weakness for the Kansas City C Kansas City Chiefs. Taekwond Thornton. They struggled with a lot of drops last year and they kind of brought back the same core. So we'll see how that all nets out. Again, I've got faith with BN Bienemy, Mahomes, and Reed that they're gonna put together a capable offense. It's just what you expect from them. but I would have I'd like to see a move happen at wide receiver. I want to see Pat be Jarod McInroy: Yeah. Nathan Hawthorne: entertaining again and it and again, like I don't know if Xavier Worthing and Rasheed Rice are truly the guys. They've shown that they have the capability, but availability is another big part of it. Then on the defensive side, I mean they've essentially brought back everybody. You got Chris Jones, George Carloftis, Nick Bolton turned out to be a superstar. You replaced Trent McDuffie. You need to get Monsour Delane healthy, ASAP though. He had that minor he had that little surgery there during OTAs. You gotta get him healthy back in the back end. you picked up Lejarius Sneed for free. He left. He thought he got the big contract. They cut him. He came back, got him for free. Love to see that happen. But again, the continuity across the coaching staff and the players is going to make what is a possible redemption story really cool for this team. I think 11 wins for the Kansas City Chiefs is right on par because again, when you get in those close games, when you play other good teams. the greatness starts to show. When you get the good on good, great starts to show and I think Kansas City's got plenty of it. age in a few spots, yeah, for sure. but not quite like the Niners. Jarod McInroy: Yeah. Okay. The Nathan Hawthorne: Bang. Jarod McInroy: the subtle shot. I feel like also running back depth will may become an issue quickly. I don't know who Emmett Johnson is. I'm not I I like to know my personnel. Never heard the name before. that's that's the second name Nathan Hawthorne: Yep, respect there. Jarod McInroy: on the on the depth chart. So we know canine's availability is, you know, it's spotty. he had a running mate in Z Zach Charbonnet when he was in Seattle, so and what's what's the other guy's name? Holani, George Holani. Nathan Hawthorne: Mm-hmm. Jarod McInroy: they so he had people that could c kind of fill in and he didn't have to be the every down back. it seems like they want him to be. They gave him the money to be. So Nathan Hawthorne: Yes. I want to be. Jarod McInroy: that'll be interesting. But yes, depth is very important. Their wide receiver core, yes, I don't I don't mind the worthy Rice, Taekwondo Thornton combination, but like one of them goes down, all of a sudden who's left? again, like you said, Sarah Sallins kinda coming onto the scene, but I would have loved I know I Andy Reid loves projects. He he's really good at at dealing with those personalities that are kind of, you know, out there and other people struggle with. I would have loved a digs there rather than Washington. yeah, Nathan Hawthorne: That's what I'm saying. Jarod McInroy: like just somebody, but like Tyree Kill's still out there. Like there's options. We'll see. Tyree Kill also probably isn't gonna play football for a while 'cause he alluded to him not being even close to ready to get back into form. So Nathan Hawthorne: Yikes. Jarod McInroy: Chiefs fans, I know you guys want him back, but that might not be the answer. we'll see. Nathan Hawthorne: The w the one saving grace, I will say, for the Kansas City Tree Chiefs, they made an excellent draft pick this year. They drafted Garrett Nessmeyer. He's waiting in the wings. No, I'm messing around. Yeah, it's gonna be Jarod McInroy: Okay. Yeah. I we we have you on film saying he was the second best quarterback in the draft. Nathan Hawthorne: And I stand by that. I stand by Jarod McInroy: Okay. Nathan Hawthorne: it. I stand by it. Jarod McInroy: I have them finishing second in this division and I have them finishing second to the team we're to talk about. Nathan Hawthorne: Let's talk about the team we're about to talk about. I have I have Kins I do not have them winning the division. I do not. I have them finishing Jarod McInroy: But first, do you have them winning it? Or do you have Hmm What do you have? Second. Nathan Hawthorne: second in the division. Jarod McInroy: Okay. Well, let's just get to it then. The only team we possibly could be talking about is the Raiders. I mean sorry. The LA Chargers. Nine and a half wins. Nathan Hawthorne: I love how I love how we're both dumb enough to try and make that joke. I was gonna squeeze it in, but you made it first. Go Jarod McInroy: Yeah. Nathan Hawthorne: Raiders, baby. No, but the Los Angeles Chargers, talk to me. What do we got? Jarod McInroy: Nine and a half games. If you listened last week, I went on my rant. I went on my rant about how I am the biggest Justin Herber I I don't wanna I'm not a hater. I'm not a hater of Justin Herbert. However, I am his biggest critic. I I really am. He has not done anything to this point. He has had a lot of really good teams. He has had a lot of really bad coaches. We we can all agree. However, he has not done anything. We can all agree. No playoff wins. He's been in the league for six years now. That this year seven has come up pretty quick. Like that's in a lot of quarterbacks careers, like that's half your career. So it's time. The time's now, but I'm bought in. I'm watching all these these camp tapes. Mm Mike McDaniel. I loved him on the Dolphins. I hated him as a head coach. Absolutely hated him. but I loved him as a personality. I loved him as an offensive coordinator. However, all the gimmicks, all those things, all the corny personality, the the interviews, that all gets old fast when you start losing football games. Yeah, exactly. It gets dark quick. So Nathan Hawthorne: The joggers. The sunglasses. Jarod McInroy: he needed a change of scenery. He ne he lost the locker room entirely. You're now in a fresh situation where Jim Harbaugh will never lose a locker room in his entire life. this is the perfect place for him. He has a ton of awesome tools. again, we don't love their wide receiver room. but there's some guys. There's some guys. Ladd McConkey's a guy. and we I I love their running back room. And if their defense is gonna make a jump, which we don't know if they're going to, but again, all the usual suspects are back. The Derwin James, you know, it's important to have a really good running game. And as I kinda talked about last week, they got Alec Ingold. he will open a lot of holes. I don't laugh at me, man. He's a Pro Bowl fullback. This is this is old school. Run it down your neck. Fool you. Nathan Hawthorne: No, when no no when you when you said it when you said when you said good run game and then you said Alec Ingold, I just thought that you were inferring that he was gonna be carrying the football. It just I know it just it c it just caught me off guard. Just a little giggle to myself. I get it. You got a lot of insert wing set, I love it. Jarod McInroy: Hey, he can run the rock. He I've seen him do it. I've seen him do it. But this This feels This feels like Almost like everything Mike McDaniel wanted in Miami. It feels like he now has it. He has three really capable Nathan Hawthorne: An elite quarterback. Jarod McInroy: yes, honestly, yes. I fine. Yes, you you got it. he has an elite quarterback, he has three really good running backs now. and they're all gonna play a lot of positions. He said it himself in the latest interview when he's talking about you know, sorry fantasy owners. I I can't promise you every one of these people are gonna pop every game because they're all gonna get run and they're all extremely talented in different ways. So watching how he controls that running back room, play designing, not sure how much of play calling he'll get his hands on, but and then again getting David and Joku just a big target for Herbert's another big piece. And then again, they got I always butcher his last name, Tyler Biazis, the center. Nathan Hawthorne: Bia Bedias, Bia Stras. Yes. Jarod McInroy: Yeah, be yeah, whatever it is. he's a Pro Bowl centerman. Like he's these are big additions and that's on top of you know, Joe Walt coming into another season. the O line's gonna Nathan Hawthorne: Healthy. Jarod McInroy: get healthy again. Yeah, exactly. That's assuming he's healthy, but it's it seems like they're getting a lot of names back this year, so I like him. Nine and a half games certainly over, certainly the division winners. I have them kind of in the twelve win range also. Nathan Hawthorne: Yeah, I'm gonna slam the over here. It's weird that the two best teams in the division don't necessarily have the best wide receiving cores. And I'm gonna be honest, the Broncos probably have the best wide receiving core, and I I think that's Jarod McInroy: yeah. Nathan Hawthorne: hands down. And then even going down to the Raiders, like none of those three teams between the Raiders, between the Chiefs and the Chargers have like great wide receiving cores, which is interesting because they've got serviceable quarterbacks. You know, some of them great quarterbacks. The Bringing it back to the Chargers. Yeah. They're my biggest question for them is gonna be on defense and how do they replace defensive coordinator Jesse Minter. He's one of the best defensive minds in football right now. You can kind of put him up in that Mike McDonald echelon. He took a team that Brandon Saley couldn't stop a nosebleed with and made them a top five defense. Okay, these guys were unbelievable. Again, you already mentioned Derwin James, that head hunting safety. You've got Elijah Molden, that high Q safety out there. Gosh, Tui Pulyoto. I can't I can't pronounce it. I'm sorry. It's Polly. It's hard to. Jarod McInroy: It's all right. Nathan Hawthorne: but they've got so much talent on that defensive side of the football. If Chris O'Leary can get these guys working on the same page, I just don't really know anything about him. He's a first-time defensive coordinator. So it'll be interesting to see kind of how this all comes together. you've got Khalil Mack who's gonna be teaching Akeem Mesador. Like that's gonna be so scary on that defensive side of the football. Jarod McInroy: Such a good pick too. Nathan Hawthorne: Such a such a great pick. you've got Denzel Perryman. he was big for the Chargers a few years ago, was gone. Now he's back. you still got Troy Die. Like they've just got guys in places. Tony Jefferson, a good veteran on the back end. they've done so much to be deep on the defensive side of the football. And I think that that's going to show, especially late in the season. Offense, obviously, Justin Herbert, backed up by the Trey Lance, can't beat that quarterback room. And then yeah, Omarion Hampton. Omarion Hampton could be the a top four running back this year in terms of rushing yards because you know that McDaniels wants to tote the rock and he's gonna give him the ball. Keaton Mitchell, I think, is gonna surpass Vidal on the breath on the depth chart. Yeah, Brennan, Jarod McInroy: Yeah. Nathan Hawthorne: Brennan Thompson, people are forgetting about him from I believe it was Mississippi State. He handled almost all of their catching volume, if to be frank with you. So he's a guy who could burst on the the scene maybe a few games into the year. Maybe take Quentin Johnston out of the rotation. I've seen an I've seen enough of the drops, QJ. I've seen enough. I can't I can't do it anymore. And I had you on my fantasy team. I'm not gonna get personal, I'm sorry. But the wide receiving court just you can scheme open Lad McConkey, but he can kind of be taken out of the game. It really comes down to the d development of Trey Harris and can Quentin Johnson hold on to the football? The answer is no. Rashawn Slater and Joe all as your tackles. I mean, that's just huge. These guys are just monsters. they're gonna put a lot of pressure on teams running downhill. I I really love what they've got going this year. Chargers are going to win this division. They're the most balanced team, top to bottom, and arguably Jarod McInroy: Yeah. Nathan Hawthorne: the most talented roster you could you could say, not just in the division, but probably in the AFC right now. Jarod McInroy: Yeah, damn near. Like I I can't I can't think of many rosters I would take over theirs. I will say there's gonna be growing pains because I've seen a McDaniel offense. I've watched every game he's ever coached and there's a lot of timing routes. There's a lot of trust with your quarterbacks and trust with your wide receivers that they're gonna be in positions that they need to be in. I it'll be interesting how he treats this team differently than he treated his previous team, because they really are different when it comes to talent. he has like you said, three really good running backs, but they're completely different than the three running backs he just had. None of these guys are A Chain, none of these guys are Ollie Gordon, like they're they're this is a whole different room of guys who are good at different things. So and again, wide receiver wise, you can scheme all you want, but it's easy to take one guy out of the game. Will they make a move? Will they be aggressive? the NFL's hard, man. This is why like they Nathan Hawthorne: Really hard. Jarod McInroy: they need to take a a page out of the NBA's book. Take a page out of the NBA's book. A get aggressive at the trade deadline. Go all in. Go get somebody. You have so many you have seven rounds worth of picks to play with. Like do it. Why not? What what are we waiting for? That now's the time. You have a questionable Chiefs team. You don't know how Patrick Mahomes is gonna come back. The Broncos are injured. Like this is the time. I've never I I don't know. we'll see. But we do have one last team we need to talk about. Yes. Nathan Hawthorne: How I do wanna ask you one question about McDaniel 'cause it it feel like it felt like towards the end of his tenure they I don't know what plays he was calling if he just decided I'm already out so it doesn't matter. How much bigger of a playbook are we gonna see with Justin Herbert than we saw with Tua? Jarod McInroy: I hope so much bigger. I think he Nathan Hawthorne: I hope so. Jarod McInroy: because dude, I've never seen more screens in my life. I've never seen more giving up on drives when you're third and eight. Like he's he he never throws it past the sticks on anything more than third and six. he he just concedes way too quickly on a drive. Now again, it could have been limitations. It could have been he seemed to have turned the ball over too many times in their side of the field. Like it there there could be a lot of reasons why. We don't know. But I would like to think that we'll see a whole just the whole playbook unleashed. I don't think he's gonna have any restraints. I think that Jim Harbaugh again is going to be in his ear. I think everybody that Jim Harbaugh knows around the league, who's been around the league, who th th they have There's a huge network that the Harbaughs have that he will probably expose McDaniel to that he might not have already been exposed to. And I think we'll see him a little more dialed. And again, maybe it's because he has that head coaching experience also. It could be the battle Nathan Hawthorne: It's important. Jarod McInroy: wounds. But yeah, he d the dude busts his ass as a coach, watches film, looks at everything, spends a lot of time really being a nerd about football. That's why I believe in him and that's why I believed in him before, but that's a whole nother problem. Raiders, Nathan Hawthorne: All right. I love it. Jarod McInroy: five and a half. We don't need to talk about this one for too long, do we? Nathan Hawthorne: I wanna take the over here, I'm not gonna lie to you. I wanna take the over. Yes, but here's the here's the deal. I I wanna take Jarod McInroy: I do too. I do too. Nathan Hawthorne: the over, but does it help you to take the over this year? Jarod McInroy: This is the this is that that Ugh. Nathan Hawthorne: Because you you already you already drafted your your guy, right? You already drafted Mendoza. You got Kirk Cousins to a nice deal, you know, one year but kind of two years. So Mendoza has plenty of time to develop. It just depends on what more do you feel like you need. Cause honestly, I didn't see a team make any better offseason. It's hard to argue that any team made better offseason acquisitions than the Raiders did, addressing the offensive line. Getting Tyler Linderbaum in there. Like again, another Pro Bowl center. Like there's so many things that they did. yeah. It Jarod McInroy: They need more weapons. I here's what I have with the Raiders. I Nathan Hawthorne: They do. They do. Jarod McInroy: I think the Raiders are what you think the Titans are. Like I think they're the scrappy team. I think they're no. Yeah, exactly. Nathan Hawthorne: Ooh Robert Sala. Had to get the mention in there. Jarod McInroy: I love Clint Kubiak. I we saw what he did with I Okay, I have to take a second. I don't want to call Seattle limited. But in terms of talent in the room There are a lot more talented teams that did a lot less than Seattle did. so Nathan Hawthorne: Very true. Jarod McInroy: Clink Kubiac is clearly a good coach. He knows what he's doing. I six wins. Nathan Hawthorne: He's a good offensive coordinator. Jarod McInroy: Well yes, exactly. We don't know about coach yet. Nathan Hawthorne: Good offensive coordinator doesn't always mean good coach, yes. Jarod McInroy: a hundred percent. but just a good coach in general. We'll see. I think they're gonna be scrappy. I think they'll win some games. Like you said, dude, don't win too many games because you need to get one of these big big names in the next draft. You need really exciting big playmakers to surround Mendoza with. You need Jeremiah Smith. You need like you have Ashton Genty, you have you know, Brock Bowers Nathan Hawthorne: Brock Powers, yeah. Jarod McInroy: get me one really exciting receiver, get me a vet receiver in the offseason, all of a sudden you're competitive really quick. And that's right after you paid Kirk to be a a coaching mentor for Mendoza. Kirk's also now an asset because you have a team like Denver who maybe wins a couple games, Bonex gets re injured, now you have another pick coming back to you because Kirk gets dealt to another team. Like the the pickup was was great for multiple reasons. Nathan Hawthorne: Interesting perspective. Jarod McInroy: it's never never bad to have him on on your team because yeah, like I said, having control over a guy like that is great and he's gonna be great for Mendoza's growth. Five and a half they could win six games for sure. Nathan Hawthorne: Yeah. They they could win six games, but do you want to? My I've got my only concern, I think, for this Raiders team is Kubiak as a first time head coach went out and got first time coordinators to be around him. And I'd like Jarod McInroy: Yep. Nathan Hawthorne: to see I'd like when new coach new head coaches go and get some coordinators or coaches that have at least some more experience in the league. I respect Junoko. I respect Rob Leonard. I'm just curious again, like. How is this all gonna lurk all gonna work? 'Cause if we're all learning together, you know, we have our little one, two, three staff meeting, we're like, Fuck boys, we don't know what we're doing. Excuse my language. You know what I mean? Like, hey, how do we do this? We've got nobody who knows what's going on. Jarod McInroy: Yeah. That's the first F bomb dropped in KYP history, by the way. Nathan Hawthorne: Excuse me, we'll bleep that out. but you you somehow managed to keep Crosby. you brought in Nakoby Dean and Kway Walker. your back end isn't great, but you brought in Teron Johnson to kind of be the experienced guy to kind of help out. They're gonna be an interesting team, but I know for a fact the offense is gonna or be organized. So yeah, it'll it'll be interesting. It'll be exciting. Jarod McInroy: Love it. Well, let's wrap it up. I think that I think we nailed it. Nathan Hawthorne: I gotta I gotta ask you. I I think we did, but I gotta ask you the famous question that we're gonna ask everyone. I'm gonna have you rank the quarterbacks so that we can compare it to the division finishers. Go ahead and rank these quarterbacks for me. Mahomes, Herbert, Cousins, Knicks. Jarod McInroy: I don't need to change it. You nailed it. Nathan Hawthorne: Okay, that's that's the list. Jarod McInroy: wait, wait, wait, no, sorry. Let's flip Nyx and and Cousins. So it's Mahom Nathan Hawthorne: Okay. So Jarod McInroy: Mahomes one, Herbert two, Nick's three, Kirk Cousins four. That's that's the order. and in in terms of division how I have them finishing, I have Chargers one, Chiefs two, Broncos three, Raiders four. Nathan Hawthorne: Yeah. Okay, that kinda makes sense. I mean, it's just gonna be interesting. We'll see. Almost the same. Jarod McInroy: Almost the same. Yeah. Nathan Hawthorne: Almost the same. But that's going to do it for the division breakdown of the AFC West. We're gonna have another one coming your guys' way shortly. We'll break down the NFC West, so stay tuned for that. Once again, my name's Nathan Hawthorne. This is my co host Jared McEnroy, and we will see you guys on the next one.