Latest / Know Your Personnel Pod / 2026-2027 NFL Predictions | The NFC North could have 4 playoff teams and a dark horse SB contender!
Transcript
- Nathan Hawthorne: If Drew Petsing is what he's cracked up to be as an offensive coordinator, the Lions have a legitimate chance to be an NFC contender again. This is a roster that is still full of talent and has a ton of continuity across the key positions and key players on their roster. Jarod McInroy: I really was like, okay, try and make a case for Jordan Love, right? I was gonna call him Diet Justin Herbert, but he's not. he's not earned the excuses that Justin Herbert has. Nathan Hawthorne: Kyler Murray is going to win MVP and KOC might win coach of the year. This is my Dark Horse Super Bowl team. They went nine and eight last year with JJ McCarthy an injured Carson Wentz and Max Brosmer. Jarod McInroy: what Ryan Poles does is he makes sure you feel confident with your team. He will make the aggressive moves. he's continued to do so. He's an aggressive GM and I think the NFL needs a lot more aggressive GMs. Nathan Hawthorne: Training camp is just about half over. We've got a number of preseason games already under the belt. Some teams are looking good, some teams are looking bad, but nothing is more important than breaking down how these teams and how these divisions are gonna shake out over the NFL season. This is KYP bringing you another special episode of our division breakdowns. Today we're doing the NFC North. Jared, tell us how we're gonna break them down today. Jarod McInroy: Well let's just start with what the win totals are, what Vegas has, and then we're just gonna go team by team, see how we think they're gonna rank, and then you always ask me at the end, how would the quarterbacks rank in the division? And this one, this is a real tough one, so stick around. let's just start with the total. So the Bears are at nine and a half wins, Packers at nine and a half, lions at ten and a half, and Vikings at eight and a half. my first thought with this is Vegas Vegas kind of made its choices. We have the one, we have, you know, fighting for the middle, we have last, but I don't think they have a damn clue. They would never spread out only, you know, two games between first and last unless they were willing to admit all four of these teams are they have a chance at the postseason. They all could be playoff teams. and honestly, I'm gonna go as far as to say this might be the best coached division. Now, yes, you might think NFC West because McDonald Shanahan and McVay, that's tough, but I'm counting all four teams. And Mike LaFleur, you have not convinced me quite yet. Matt LaFleur, KOC, Ben Johnson, you know, who did I not name? Dan Dan the man. Nathan Hawthorne: Dan the man. Dan the man Campbell. Jarod McInroy: Yeah, Dan Campbell. I almost said Dan Lannon because we were talking about Oregon yesterday. Yikes. Nathan Hawthorne: We were, we were. Jarod McInroy: Dan Campbell. The four great coaches, four great rosters. Let's rank Start us off. We got the Lions. We were just talking about Dan. What's he gonna do for us this year? Nathan Hawthorne: Lions. Yeah. Listen, this this season is not about it's not about Dan Campbell and his decision making. He's tempered down that we're gonna be aggressive and he's starting to play more reasonable. If Drew Petsing is what he's cracked up to be as an offensive coordinator, the Lions have a legitimate chance to be an NFC contender again. This is a roster that is full of talent, albeit not as much as it used to be. This is a roster that is still full of talent and has a ton of continuity across the key positions and key players on their roster. why I say it's Drew Petzig is gonna kind of drive this, is his offense loves to run the ball. You've got Jameer Gibbs, that's fantastic. You no longer have Montgomery and you've got Isaiah Pacheco. Are we gonna do a full one-back system with Jameer Gibbs? How much time is he gonna split with Pacheco? And if you are doing full Gibbs, he's never really had to carry a load like that. He's done, you know, for a two or three game stretch when Montgomery's hurt. But what can we expect from Gibbs on a full season? You know, that wear and tear starts to starts to show on a running back towards the end of the year. So how many c how many carries is he gonna get? you're gonna have a healthy Laporta next year, Amon Ross still a top five wide receiver. To me, Jamison Williams is a little bit inconsistent, but still a great player. Does that change? Does he take another step forward? and hopefully you have a a healthy O line. you've got Sewell, you've got Scrugs, you've got Ratledge. you drafted Blake Miller from Clemson to hopefully shorts things up. You lost Ragnow, which is a a huge loss, I think, on the offensive line. But again, if Drew Petsig can get things rolling offensively early in the year, this is a team that has a chance to be an NFC contender. Now, I don't want to say outright division winner. I don't want to say guaranteed going to the going to the NFC championship game. But certainly a team that's going to be extremely solid. Jarod McInroy: I've never been more confident in not only a bounce back, but a step forward that we were expecting them to make last year. they're Nathan Hawthorne: Wow, okay. Jarod McInroy: gonna make a jump. they're getting healthy. and I think what they lacked in key off season additions will just be adding to their roster, getting people back from the injured list. So yes. you know, they might not have made a lot of the traditional moves that you were expecting a team to make if they were going to make a jump, but they also stayed true to themselves and they know that they are gonna be getting a lot of bodies back that they didn't have at their disposal last year. with that being said, I also want to talk about golf for a second. There's a few different tiers, right? There's a few different tiers of quarterbacks and we discussed this off off pod. We're talking about different different tiers. you know, there's your traditional game changers. we have system quarterbacks who can win in the right circumstances. and then there's the bad quarterbacks, right? Those are those are kind of your three main categories. I'm adding a new category. And it's it's right right below game changers, and we're gonna call them game controllers. Jared Goff is a game controller, Nathan Hawthorne: Mm. Jarod McInroy: not necessarily somebody who's going to you know, change the game, like I said. But I wouldn't call him a system quarterback. He can control the game. He can control the pace. He can make the right move. He's he's better than the system, but he also can amplify his system without necessarily being, you know, having the flashing plays to change a game. So that's what I got on Goff. He's very underrated. he's continuing to do it year in, year out. You know, just a blue collar guy. love to see it. And I'm taking the over. I personally am ten and a half. It's a lot of games. I Here's the thing though. Yes I'm taking the over, I still have them finishing second. Nathan Hawthorne: I I'd agree with that. And I'm taking the over if the over is maxed out at eleven games. And another part of the Jarod McInroy: Could be twelve. Nathan Hawthorne: Yeah, I but I think it's eleven and part of that reason is the defense. It took a dip under Kelvin Shepard last year. So you know, maybe this year things get a little more straightened out between his system and the communication to the players. I think they miss Aaron Glenn more than they thought. But Brian Branch and and Kirby Jophus Joseph are already injured. Those are your two starting safeties. you drafted rookie Keith Abney from Arizona State. He's gonna be expect expected to start right away already, cause you lost Terrian Arnold, which is such a crazy situation, by the way. That's I Jarod McInroy: Just sign with the Seahawks. Nathan Hawthorne: know. I just the it's so crazy that the Lions had to do the right thing and release him, and another team is gonna benefit from that. I find that to be so strange. But then again, there's still, you know, probably a suspension looming somewhere in there. my my point is is outside of Aiden Hutchinson, I'm not totally convinced in their D line creating a ton of pressure. So there's just gonna be a massive, massive load to be carried by Jack Campbell, by Devin White, and by Malcolm Rodriguez as your linebackers. They're going to have to be these guys are gonna have to have minimum like 80 tackles apiece. at this point just to keep this team up. Again, that back end is just looking really, really shaky outside of Aiden Hutchinson. I don't know how you're getting to the quarterback. And again, these linebackers are going to have to be forces to be reckoned with. And again, I'm not sure Kelvin Shepard's the guy. I really that's why I I I think that they could potentially make a a run for the division, but it that offense ha is going to have to do a lot of heavy lifting. It almost reminds me of the Rams team two years ago. That didn't have a great defense. They were really, really young. They would score a lot of points, but they would also give up a lot of points. That's kind of how I see this team shaking out this year until they get healthy, but who knows when that's gonna be. That's gonna be a tough scene for these guys. man, you know what? I'm gonna go, I'm gonna go back to my notes here. I'm gonna I'm taking the under and I think that this team is gonna start slow. Yeah. If they have to win eleven, I think that they just win 10. Jarod McInroy: Dude, I I I see this I see this division shaking out like last year with the Texans and the Jaguars, where they both had you know, one had twelve wins, one had thirteen and one won the division. I'll reveal my division winner later, but I think it's gonna be a case of either eleven or twelve wins for them and then the division winner being in that twelve or thirteen range. Nathan Hawthorne: Yeah, I I think that last year though, in that division specifically with the Texans and the Jags, the Falcons had absolutely I'm sorry, not the Falcons, the my gosh. The Colts had absolutely crapped their pants and it looked like that they were going to run to run away with the division, right? And then Jarod McInroy: Okay, yeah, forget about that. They still won a bunch of games. Nathan Hawthorne: the Titans were awful. So my point is, is this division, we just talked about how how well coached it is. To get twelve wins in and of itself is gonna be tough. Now you have to play against one of the best offensive divisions in the league between the Bears, the Packers, and the Vikings. Like I I have a tough time thinking that. So again, they've they've got they've Jarod McInroy: You have a tough time, but great teams separate themselves. Nathan Hawthorne: right, they've got a lot of potential, but they've had years to separate themselves. And you just talked about how, you know, how they've got faith in themselves and what they're bringing back. Like what they're bringing back hasn't been able to get over the hump. So what's going to be different this year? Jarod McInroy: Sit and watch, buddy. That's all I'm gonna say. Nathan Hawthorne: I'll t I'll say I I love my wife loved the lions. Wife loved lions. Therefore I love lions. Jarod McInroy: Just sit and watch, buddy. Nathan Hawthorne: We'll see. yeah, Jarod McInroy: I want to talk about the Packers. Nathan Hawthorne: let's talk about the Packers. I know you've got some some tailored words for the Packers organization, so take it away. Jarod McInroy: Nine and a half wins, here we go. I was thinking about Jordan Love. I've been pretty critical of him. And I wanted to call him like I I really was like, okay, try and make a case for Jordan Love, right? And I w I was gonna call him Diet Justin Herbert, but he's not. He's just he's not. And let me tell you why. He's not ex he's not earned the excuses that Justin Herbert has. And I d don't mistake me as a Justin Herbert defender, supporter, anything. I'm g I'm Nathan Hawthorne: Ha ha ha Jarod McInroy: treading on that territory these days, but he had two years under under Rogers to learn and develop. Justin Herbert didn't have that. he had the floor, he had weapons, he had a great run game, he had competent defenses. you know, the teams he was facing early on in his career, the Vikings was a team that choked every year and never really could figure it out. the Lions had improved a lot, but the you know, we just talked about how they had holes, they've had injuries and then we had honestly a very bad Bears team for a while who just finally got good and started to figure it out for one season. So it's not really a division that was really led by anybody. So it was a perfect storm for him. Jordan Love is officially overrated. He he's officially entered that talk. Now you can get out of that talk. It's very simple. Here's what you have to do. You have to go win a bunch of games. You have to prove that you are going to elevate your team. That he has a he has the weapons. He has the coach. He has a div defense that is continuing to get better. granted, you know, their big piece, their big swing. He was out last year. Yes. Micah Parsons. it's very unfortunate. But listen, you're between eleven and twenty in terms of where you rank quarterbacks in this league right now. That's where you are until you do something. I think the Green Bay Packers are going to be last in the division. I will take the under and somebody has to take last. Now, nine and a half games is the number. It could be nine. They could go nine and eight. and and that's the under and you're last all of a sudden because you know, like we said, it's a tough division. A lot of splits and then a lot of outer division wins. you could have a nine, ten, eleven, and twelve win team in this division. It's very possible, mathematically. but I don't even know if it's gonna be nine games. Very similar to how Nathan Hawthorne: Wow. Jarod McInroy: I thought of s thought strongly about the Steelers, like I d this thing is going to crumble at some point because it's it's it's just the foundation is not good enough. I'm not convinced in their foundation of the team to do anything beyond that. And again, somebody's gotta finish last. What say you on the Packers? Nathan Hawthorne: A team that fails to take a step forward while everyone else in the division has taken a step forward means you took a step back. You stay the same, you've taken a step back, and that's what the Green Bay Packers did. Listen, this offense has been riddled with inconsistent performances under the entire Matt LaFleur era, whether that was down to Aaron Rodgers and Devontae Adams all of a sudden disappearing, or whether it's been what we have with Jordan Love. Last year, you know how I feel about Matt LaFleur. He he finds ways to lose games more than any other coach in the NFL. Doesn't matter how perfect one side of the ball plays, something's not going right. They mismanage timeouts, they mismanage end of game scenarios, and they just don't win a la the playoff game against the Bears. listen, Jordan Love, 23 23 touchdowns and six picks last year. That's not gonna get it done for how much you're getting paid. It's not gonna get you over the hump. Love either has to prove that he's the guy or he is not a guy. Okay. Again, the rest of the division got better. Watson and Reed are your best receiving options. They're good weapons, but these guys are prone to miss games. Reed had the clavicle last year. Watson, I don't know if he has hamstrings remaining. Kraft is coming off an ACL injury. Josh Jacobs, his suspension is looming. We don't know what's going to happen there. And your backup running back, Lloyd, He has, I think, six carries over the past two or three years. So who who who do we have tote in the rock? Golden, Matthew Golden has to take a massive leap offensively. You know, you don't have Romeo Dobbs or Wicks in the building. I I just I don't know how this offense is going to shake up shake up this year. Now I know LaFleur is great at putting together an offense. Offensive line is solid. Again, Jordan Love is good, proving not to be great. But there's just too many question marks for me. I'm taking the under literally at nine games because there are just too many question marks. I think Dan Gannon was a nice pickup as defensive coordinator. their draft was entirely defensive focus. You don't have Parsons or Rashawn Gary that's last year. You did pick up Javon Hargrave, but he's already injured, injured. Zaire Franklin solid, McKinney's great, but I don't see it this team having taken a step forward, and other teams in their division did. Now again, I just talked about the Lions and the caveat with Drew Petzing, but I consider that a step forward if he can can if he can get better. If he can make that offense Jarod McInroy: Yeah. Nathan Hawthorne: better, that's gonna be a step forward despite what the defense is returning. So again, you the Packers didn't take a step forward. LaFleur is the coach who loses games. I just I'm concerned Packers fans are gonna be mad, but it this is just the reality of the situation. It's the reality of the situation. Jarod McInroy: They're gonna be mad. It's you you gotta piss some somebody has to finish last, unfortunately. And like you said, it's Nathan Hawthorne: Somebody has to finish last. Jarod McInroy: all signs point to them. I I'm sorry. And like you said, the the one thing okay. Realigning my thoughts here. Matthew Golden is he did make a gigantic step forward last year already, toward the end of end of the season, Nathan Hawthorne: Towards the towards the end of last year. He did. Jarod McInroy: and he has a there's there's a lot of h hope and hype around him. c he might even step into the wide receiver one role. And I know they're paying Christian Watson a lot of money, so that would kinda s suck, and be hard to swallow. Nathan Hawthorne: So much money. But he we know he's gonna miss we know Watson's gonna miss at least five games. Minimum. Jarod McInroy: It's true. But there's a lot of there's a lot of good things happening that it you just you felt too comfortable. You can't be comfortable enough with it when all of these teams are making these big moves. Another team that did make some big moves. Nathan Hawthorne: Good good's not gonna get it done. Jarod McInroy: A team that made a lot of moves, the Vikings. Eight and a half games. This team looks very similar and very different in a lot of ways. What do we what do we make of the Vikings? Eight and a half. Nathan Hawthorne: You know the if you're watching KYP, you know how I feel about the Vikings right now and specifically KOC and Kyler Murray. Listen, Kyler Murray is going to win MVP and KOC might win coach of the year. All right. This is my Dark Horse Super Bowl team. They went nine and eight last year with JJ McCarthy and his sub 60 completion percentage, an injured Carson Wentz and Max Brosmer. And this team still went nine and eight. In that division. Okay. That's that you know what that signals to me? High level coaching. Now, what do you have? Brian Flores returning as your defensive coordinator. He had he had you know some head coaching looks this year, but he stayed. You want to know why? Because he feels like there's something there. Offense with Kyler Murray, former rookie of the year, a pro bowler, a guy who can just absolutely extend plays but play within a system. He's getting the best coaching of his career this year. You've got Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason. I think the the rookie Claiborne, I think he's from Georgia Tech, he's gonna take over in a big way. You've got Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, Juwan Jennings, clearly the wide receiver three. we saw that clip earlier today. Definitely wide receiver three. And you've got TJ Hawkinson, your O-line, Daris Haw's back healthy, Brian O'Neal, Donovan Jackson, like they've got pieces on offense and they finally have a quarterback who can do more for them that can than just throw the ball. I I'm thinking broken plays. He's gonna be just wham, chucking it to Justin Jefferson. It's I it gets me so excited. You want to talk about a fantasy football, like a you know, you want to have your your marriages, your quarterback and your wide receiver. That's what I'm talking about. I want Kyler Murray and I want Justin Jefferson, and I'll take Jordan Addison if I have to. Again, Brian Flores sticking around. This team went nine and eight last year, revamped quarterback, some great additions. You added Dominique Orange. Have you ever heard of the big citrus? Jarod McInroy: Yeah. It's a great nickname, by the way. It's all time. Nathan Hawthorne: The d the D tackle that they added, the Big Citrus. Come on, the Big Citrus? I mean, this defense, it's gonna be great. It's gonna be great. They proved it last year, they could hold things together with a midling offense. Man, sky's the limit for this team. This s I'm slamming the over button so hard here. Eight and a half wins is the most one of the most disrespectful things I've ever seen. That's it. That's absurd to me. Jarod McInroy: Here's one thing I'm gonna say about Flores while we're on that topic because I have a lot of familiarity with him as a dolphin fan. Nathan Hawthorne: You do. Jarod McInroy: He he throws a lot of really good looks in terms of like you're you're never getting the same blitz package thrown at you. He has guys coming from everywhere. However, he has never adopted the bend don't break method. Like it that's it's not in his DNA and they Nathan Hawthorne: They'll give up big plays. Jarod McInroy: they'll give up the big play. So I think I think that Their their offense is going to have to have some really high scoring wins. Nathan Hawthorne: And and they'll do it. Jarod McInroy: and they can. They can. Here's what I'm gonna say. I think they're going to have some growing pains to start. I don't necessarily think it's just gonna click right away. I think they're gonna win a lot of games. Smash the over, they're gonna be third in the division. Because I have them finishing below the lines. I have them finishing below the last team that we're gonna talk about. but this is very much a case where third in this division is not bad because it's probably a playoff spot. And then once we get to the playoffs, it's it's going to be they're going to pick up a lot of steam in that middle part of the schedule. They're going to then continue to show that they can do it week in, week out, and then hopefully they hit their stride in the postseason. I think that's the perfect recipe here. but I think we need to start talking about KOC as the quarterback whisperer. That's always been Shanahan's thing, but like, dude, he's won games with Josh Dobbs, Max Brosmer, Nick Mullins, like the names that he's won football games with is unbelievable. Nathan Hawthorne: KOC KOC is the quarterback whisperer. Shanahan is the system whisperer. I was gonna say that. Jarod McInroy: May no, he's also the QB whisperer. Let's also not pretend like d Nathan Hawthorne: Is he? Jarod McInroy: Darnold didn't get a year with Shanahan before he went to KOC. Like there's there's something there, but either way. I have him finishing third and I have him finishing third to a very specific team. I think we've I think you can kind of figure out which team we haven't talked about yet. Nathan Hawthorne: Yes, let's let's and I just want to highlight on defense. that way we can get the SEO and that we can name names so that, you know, the Vikings fans don't get mad at us here. again, excellent defense. Brian Jarod McInroy: yeah, sorry. We have to name all their names. Nathan Hawthorne: Brian Cashman, Ivan Pace, Byron Murphy. He's an elite safety. again, Brian Flores is coaching these guys. Andrew Van Ginkle in year two. Caleb Banks is all right. I think Jarod McInroy: Another dolphin. Nathan Hawthorne: I think Cal or I think Caleb Banks is solid, you know, teaching Dominique or Or Dominique Orange, the Big Citrus. James Pierce is all right. Theo Jackson is all right. Dallas Turner is all right. There's some good things here. A lot of Jarod McInroy: Lot of potential though on a lot of athletes. Nathan Hawthorne: and again, Brian Flores' system. Tell me tell me about the Bears. I'm I'm exit I'm Jarod McInroy: The Bears. Nine and a half. Nathan Hawthorne: excited about the Bears, but I feel like you are more excited about the Bears than I am. Jarod McInroy: Very excited about the Bears. Let me tell you what. They're the real deal. They are. That's that's my summary is they are the real deal. They will win the division and it will be with either twelve or thirteen wins. You heard it here. KYP first, twelve or thirteen wins. I'm not gonna lock in a number quite yet. I was this close. I was this close to making my my big declaration that they will be in the NFC championship. I was very close. I'm gonna hold off. I'm gonna hold off for a minute. I want to do it, but I'm gonna hold off just just for a little bit, just to see how the season plays out and see how they come out to start the season. but listen, nobody addresses their the the holes in their team better than they do. I feel like a lot of teams have really focused on let's go get the best people we can get. There's you know, what's what do they always say? Just like adding talent just to add talent, you know, like always get the best players available. and they don't necessarily do that, but they also always address where their their big needs are. yes he did just have an injury but then they go and get Kobe Bryant from the Seahawks who is available. that's a big big hole that they had. you know letting DJ more walk. What was he really Nathan Hawthorne: Smart. Jarod McInroy: doing for the offense? You know, that could be another situation of just, you know, it's it's time to move on and it's time to let other people flourish. they're they're they're well rounded. We get a second year of Ben Johnson. you know, Press Taylor getting the nod and promotion. You know, we'll see how that turns out for him. But it's this is this is Ben Johnson building out his tree, man. This is where it starts. Declan Doyle's off. He's gonna go get Nathan Hawthorne: This is where it starts. Jarod McInroy: he's gonna go get Press Taylor a job. D Dennis Allen not clearly showed he wasn't a great head coach. But a a competent enough defensive coordinator. Like this this could be just, you know, his role. Some people kinda find where they fit in into the NFL. And I think that what Ryan Poles does is he he makes sure you feel confident with your team. He will make the aggressive moves. he's continued to do so. The roster top to bottom looks great. And I am confident that if there are any if there is anything that they don't feel confident in halfway through the year, he will make a move to make them feel confident. He's an aggressive GM and I think the NFL needs a lot more aggressive GMs. Smash the over. Division winner. Chicago Bears. Indiana Nathan Hawthorne: I can't. Yeah. We're we're smashing the over. Jarod McInroy: Bears. Nathan Hawthorne: We're smashing the over. The Chicago Bears are not winning the division. However, they are going to take second place in this division if Caleb Williams take another leap in year two. I see your conversation for them winning. I'm not hating on it. I just think that the Vikings are better positioned to win the division. Now, I mean you're talking about year. Jarod McInroy: not even the lions. Nathan Hawthorne: No, not the Lions. Not even the Lions. And now Year we'll talk about the final rankings here here in a moment. But year two with Brian Johnson, obviously you've got DeAndre Swift and Manungai. I'd like to see them maybe get aggressive, go out and get a better running back at some point. Who knows? You've got a healthy Roma Dunze, which is huge. Luther Burden. I expect Xavion Thomas from LSU to find his way into the rotation also. Colson Levelin and Cole Kamet. Jarod McInroy: He's nice. Nathan Hawthorne: They might be they might be the best tight end duo in football right now. there's there's Jarod McInroy: Yeah. Nathan Hawthorne: The only expectation on this offense right now is that Caleb Caleb Williams' completion percentage comes up and his time to release improves. Those are the two things. So is he learning how to play with him Ben Johnson's offense? And is he getting rid of the football? Joe Tooney's leading that offensive line charge. You've got Bradbury and Darnell right. So I think that they've continued to get bigger in the trenches. They're gonna protect Caleb Williams, and he needs to take a step in terms of his protections in doing the things that Jared Goff did with Ben Johnson. To protect the team, protect the football, and let the explosive players be explosive. defense. I don't think people talk about Dennis Allen enough, who's been one of the def best defensive coordinators in football. I know he had a tough run with the Saints, but he was kind of in, you know, a a cap hell, if you will, and didn't have a great support around him once Sean Payton left. but he's one of the best defensive coordinators out there. you still got Sweat, Grady Jarrett, Devin Bush. I expect your journey. Jravon Dexter to step up this year. You picked up Thienaman in the in the draft. Go Ducks. I don't care what he did at Purdue. Go Ducks. Kyler Gordon's hurt. That sucks. but you've got Jalen Johnson and Reek Stevenson. So you're feeling confident there. I like what they have and all the different pieces. I just think that the Vikings are gonna be better. And and it's no knock on the Bears. I think that they're just they're Jarod McInroy: All right. Nathan Hawthorne: they're the Lions. What would this be now? Like three, four years ago. Where they started knocking on the door but just weren't ready. Jarod McInroy: Mm. Let me let me ask you this. What is their ceiling this season? Nathan Hawthorne: Their ceil their ceiling is NFC North winners and conference title contenders. Like their ceiling's through the roof. Jarod McInroy: They're not that you don't see them as a a somebody who can go to and win a Super Bowl. Nathan Hawthorne: No, not this year, no. I do not. Jarod McInroy: Okay. Well let's talk about rank y rank the division Nathan Hawthorne: Yeah. Jarod McInroy: now for me. Nathan Hawthorne: Yeah. I think Vikings are gonna finish number one. That's how I feel. Bears and Lions, you can't have them in a tie, but I'm not sure who's gonna have the tiebreaker. I think they're gonna split games and it'll come down to the common opponents to figure out who's gonna be second place in that division. And then obviously that person, this could be a three playoff team division. Our entire playoff teams, our entire playoff roster for the NFC could come from the NFC North and the NFC West. I if we're being realistic here. Depi depend Jarod McInroy: Probably going to. Nathan Hawthorne: depending on the Niners. Depending on the Niners, big time. But again, I think that those two could they'll split their games and they'll have a similar record and then we'll just have to see what the common opponents look like. And then Packers dead last. Jarod McInroy: Hmm. Vikings is crazy, man. That's that's interesting. Yeah. Well I'll show you my okay. Nathan Hawthorne: So I can't I can't put it. All I know, all I know is my Vikings are winning this division. Vikings fans. And and the thing is, and here and here's the deal. What Robert Sala is gonna gonna be able to do in the NFC Jarod McInroy: Stop talking about Robert Sala, bro. Nathan Hawthorne: in the AFC South. All right, I'll give it up. Jarod McInroy: I'm gonna just disagree with you. I think we only Nathan Hawthorne: Gimme your rankings. Okay, yeah. Jarod McInroy: got one of them the same. I I think it's it's going to be definitive Nathan Hawthorne: Packers as last. Jarod McInroy: yeah. Packers last for sure. definitive number one I have the Bears. I have the same situation between the Lions and and Vikings. I think I I d I do think the Lions will win a game more than the Vikings, and and have that number two solidified spot. But like Like we've been saying, I think all three of these teams could be in the playoffs. It's just a matter of which one of them does better than the forty niners. it also could come down to are the Eagles legit? Maybe we'll talk about that, you know, in in that division breakdown because Nathan Hawthorne: Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Jarod McInroy: that's another we'll get into that division when we get there. But like the Cowboys and the Eagles. one of those two teams, whichever doesn't win the division, that's the only other team that can compete for this wild card spot. It it and I don't even want to say this Nathan Hawthorne: Interesting. Jarod McInroy: I don't even want to go this far like No, I'll go this far. I don't like the Eagles that much. And again we'll talk about it later. I I like all three of these teams better than them. Like I I do. I the Vikings are are convincingly better than than I would say the Eagles are. I would take their their roster currently current day over theirs at this given moment with coaching staff and everything. So I know you have them as the division winner, but I certainly have them as at least a wild card spot. Nathan Hawthorne: Okay. I I can I can understand that and I can get behind that. I just have such tremendous faith in this Vikings offense also then protecting their defense. So again, that nine and eight season last year with JJ McCarthy just throwing for less than a hundred and fifty yards and less than fifty percent completion percentage. I mean, there's no excuses there. I'm I'm sorry, Vikings fans who got upset when I said Kyler was gonna start and it wasn't even gonna be a question. They said it before the first preseason game. And you guys were trying to talk to Jarod McInroy: Literally, bro. Nathan Hawthorne: me like there were some quarterback, but whatever, not gonna get into that. Had to have been. Jarod McInroy: Bro, J J's mom was the one com commenting on that. But ask me the question. Nathan Hawthorne: I need you to rank the quarterbacks in the NFC North. Caleb Williams, Kyler Murray, Jared Goff, Jordan Love. Go. Jarod McInroy: It's so hard. here's what I'm gonna say. Listen, hey, pause, pause, pause, Nathan Hawthorne: Is it? Because one you said Caleb was top six QB. Jarod McInroy: pause. Let me explain. I have a b I have a problem with the bottom part of this. I am definitively going Caleb is number one. I'm saying Jared Goff is has earned number two. I don't want to hear anything else. It's that's that's one and two. He I I I have a really tough time. Because I I do I like I said, I was trying to make a a case for Jordan Love. I really want to. He's better than Kyler. Kyler Kyler can go prove it to me this year. He's three, Kyler's four. So Caleb, Jared Goff, Jordan Love, Kyler. That's my that's my rankings. And Nathan Hawthorne: Wow. Jarod McInroy: Yeah, whoever whoever performs better than the other, go prove it. Nathan Hawthorne: Wow. I would argue that got if we're talking about earning, Goth has earned being number one in the division. Jarod McInroy: It it comes down to talent, bro. I'm telling you. He he has Nathan Hawthorne: Okay. Jarod McInroy: earned two, but Caleb Williams ceiling is is through the roof. He's he's an VP level talent. Nathan Hawthorne: I'm not yeah, I'm not disagreeing. I'm just saying if we're if the criteria was talking about earning, you know, I mean, I don't know. Jarod McInroy: That is a piece of the criteria unless you are that talented. Nathan Hawthorne: Unless your talent was through the roof. See, and I think Kyler Murray is still a generational talent slinging the football. Jarod McInroy: He could be, but he also has been bad. So like being bad regardless of team fit everything, and I'm not trying to make it a knock stop. Stop stop stop. yes, but Nathan Hawthorne: Caleb Williams w was bad with Matt Eberflus. He was. Was he not? Jarod McInroy: his most recent season was good, was it not? We're talking about right now. We're talking about right now. Nathan Hawthorne: That's fair. But when you get Ben Johnson as your head coach and Kyler Murray is now getting KOC. Okay, Jarod McInroy: We're talking about right now. Nathan Hawthorne: sure. Sure, sure, sure. Sure, sure, sure. And we'll see. We will come back to the Jarod McInroy: Give me a year under a KOC and I I might have a different answer for you. I have no games under KOC. Nathan Hawthorne: Yeah, I know. I'm excited to come back to this conversation. Not for anything any any combative reasons, but you know, we'll check this out in January next year and we'll see how these things work out. But ladies and gentlemen, that's gonna do it. This is probably our most split division in terms of conversation of where we think who's finishing where, what's this, who's that, who they. Nobody even knows. but thank you. If you're still here, please like and subscribe. If you haven't watched our other division breakdown videos, those are out right now. NFC and AFC North, NFC and AFC West. The AFC North, yeah, should be out by now. Yeah, should be out by now. So go go ahead and check it out. We're breaking down all the different divisions. We've got the East Divisions coming up. So again, please like, subscribe, check out the other videos. Jarod McInroy: The last two. Nathan Hawthorne: Tell tell a friend about us. If you tell a friend and your friend tells a friend, and your friend's friend tells a friend, listen, we're gonna have a great community. And and talk to us, right? Comment back, Jarod McInroy: Comment. Nathan Hawthorne: comment back to us. We will talk to you guys. We'll keep it cordial mostly. But you know what I like to say, we are the most responsive. In the comments, sports podcasts in the nation. All right. We love you guys. Anything else, Jared? Jarod McInroy: Nope, that's it. Love y'all. Nathan Hawthorne: All right, ladies and gentlemen, that's gonna do it for the NFC North breakdown, done by our yours truly here at KYP. My name is Nathan Hawthorne. This is my co-host Jared McEnroy, and we will see you guys on the next one.