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NFL 2025 | Week 8 Preview | Banter with the Boys - Gridiron Updates · Banter with the Boys

0:00
get laced up let's go it's time for banter with
0:04
the boys i'm not opening like that again welcome
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back to banter with the boys gridiron updates
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back for our week eight preview and picks and
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i'm picking them all right baby this week and
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that's rob for you spotify listeners he's back
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our co -host Thank you. What's up, buddy? I'm
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just ready for halfway through the season. We've
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got a winnable game, I think, for the hometown
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heroes. Jake, of course, being here for our Week
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8 Preview and Pick show. What's up? Looking forward
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to picking all of the right ones. Purple across
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the board. Including the Baltimore Ravens. Yeah.
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They need it. Back on the train. Here we go.
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I never left it. Well, no, I'm just kidding.
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Of course not. Rob, or Kev, excuse me. I already
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introduced Rob. Kev behind the cameras getting
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everything done for us as always. Let's jump
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right into our first game Thursday night football.
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Vikings at the L .A. Chargers. So far. San Diego.
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Who is favorited right now? Chargers, aren't
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they? Two and a half? Three and a half? I actually
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don't have the spreado. I think they're three
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and a half favorites right now. You don't have
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the spreado? No, usually I got it on top. Chargers
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not playing their best football right now, one
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could say. I got three and a half charge. Yep,
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three and a half. Okay. Chargers coming off an
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L to the Colts, who are arguably one of the best
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teams in football right now with, I think, the
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best record in football right now. Yep. Crazy.
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Lost three of four. Also, for those that keep
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track at home, I have none of the pick information
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for our other guests. So, you know, we'll update
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that next week. And if you were here for week
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seven recap, you heard that. And if you're here
1:54
the week before, you probably heard that then,
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too. But next week, we'll have that ready to
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go. Third week's a charm. Don't even worry about
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it. So who you got, Rob? Vikes traveling to L
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.A. Chargers. I'm going hometown Minnesota Vikings
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on this one. The Chargers, I feel like, are struggling.
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Obviously, they lost three or four. Both teams
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are sitting at three and three. So, I just feel
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like Wentz is a veteran enough to get us incapable
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of doing it. I think he needs to slow down a
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little bit. That Chargers defense has probably
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been... More disappointing than anything. Underwhelming,
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totally. They were probably considered the strong
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part of that team, and the offense has definitely
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taken that over. So I think the Vikings just
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have opportunity. We need O 'Neal to play. We
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talked about Daricell and injuries and news.
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Going on to the injury report today, which is
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Wednesday, so tomorrow is game day. So that makes
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me a little nervous. jefferson you know he's
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averaged over 120 in his last 10 road games uh
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charges of loud over 300 yards passes five or
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six games so i feel like it's gonna be an up
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and down game i think we're getting 31 24 ish
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31 21 okay i think we're i think i'm gonna run
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it up a little bit So Vikings just got to start
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off hot and start early. It'll be a fun matchup
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between Jefferson and Samuel Jr. on the outside.
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So that'll be an interesting, fun thing to pay
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attention to. So Vikings taking the dub here
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for Roberto. Vikings taking the dub. I'll just
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go real quick as well. Vikings, I also think
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the Vikings will be taking the dub this week.
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I would like to hear Grenard's name a little
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bit more this week. Once. He got in there last
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week. But I would really like to see him in the
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backfield more this week, creating chaos. Joe
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Alt may or may not play for the Chargers this
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week, so that could be a big thing as well for
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that Vikings defense. I also agree with you,
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Carson. Since being the veteran he is, other
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than that intentional grounding play last week,
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hopefully can do just enough, find some of that
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touch that we were just talking about last episode,
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and get us that dub. Get us that dub on Thursday
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Night Football. Jake. Well, I am a fan of purple.
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Just not this purple. That's right. Just not
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this purple. I'm going to take Chargers. Both
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of the offensive lines are banged up. I know.
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Fair. They are banged up. Yeah. I think it's
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going to be shootout, too. Two really good wide
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receiver groups on both sides. I think it boils
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down to Justin Herbert. I trust him more than
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I trust Wentz. That's fair. And Herbert's a gamer.
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For sure. What about last game? He still played.
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He did play. You were correct. I am wrong. No,
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it's Chargers. Chargers. Chargers for Jake. So,
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yeah. Well, we'll see if you're allowed back
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on the show next week. Yeah. He keeps coming
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back, though. But, I mean, sidetrack, let's get
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a little bit into the little J .J. McCarthy conversation
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here. Why not? Where do you think he's at? Do
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you think it's an injury thing? Because I keep
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hearing KOC talking about foundation. You've
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got to get his footwork. So is it just more than
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the ankle, or is he disappointed in actually
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some film of him not setting up his throws and
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kind of throwing a little more off platform?
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and not being as disciplined as he wants him
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to be. I mean, he could be, but I don't read
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that far into it. Am I going too deep into it?
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Because if it's an ankle sprain, yeah, your foundation
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is going to be poor. Or just the injury in the
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foundation. I don't know. But, I mean, KOC was
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saying, was it today or yesterday, is like, JJ
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will play when he's 100 % ready. Right. Which
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does leave it vague. Yeah. It does leave it a
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little bit more vague. At what point in time
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is he 100 % ready? Yeah. 110 % ready? And we
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thought he was going to play against the Eagles.
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Yeah. Yeah. It's just, yeah. We'll be seeing.
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I still want him back in. I still want to see
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how fast my Porsche will drive. For sure. If
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I didn't upgrade into the first round just to
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have it sit in the garage. Let's see what we
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got here, baby. I hear you. I hear you. Let's
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go to our next game. The Dallas Cowboys traveling
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to the Denver Broncos. Jake? Another shootout.
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I think. I believe. Another shootout. Denver
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Broncos undefeated at home right now, by the
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way. Yeah. Epic comeback. Playing in elevation
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is really difficult for all of those that are
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not accustomed to doing it. So I think that that's
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going to wear out CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens
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a lot. The Denver defense has taken a slight
7:14
step back. They've been giving up some yardage
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in points. But they still lead the league in
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sacks. Bonito. Dak Prescott, look out. They're
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coming for you, Broncos. Broncos. You want to
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go? Or I can spew some. Go for it. I mean, this
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is really interesting. This is two good teams.
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Right now, I'm putting Dak in my top five for
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MVP right now, even maybe top three between him
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and JT. I mean, the guy is just having both of
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them having it. Dak's got 10 tutties, zero interceptions
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right now. Elevation, they're all professionals.
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I'm not too worried about that conversation.
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I think Dak's just skillful enough. He just moves
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so well in the pocket, even against a well -rushed
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team, which the Broncos defense does have the
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skill sets there. They have been struggling a
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little bit, too. I'm going to go Cowboys. At
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the beginning of the year, I would have won Broncos,
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but right now I think the Cowboys and Dak and
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C .D. Lamb coming back and with the other guy
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and the other, George Pickens cleaning up house.
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Ferguson, what has he got, 90 touchdowns so far
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this year? It feels like 90 touchdowns. Gosh,
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this guy is just lightening up my fantasy team.
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So I'm going Cowboys on a W here. I think it
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will be a close one. Okay, Cowboys. I am also
8:50
actually going the Cowboys. I've gone with the
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Cowboys a couple times this year. They've kind
8:55
of let me down a little bit. But I do like the
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way they looked last week. I do think this offense
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is pretty freaking dangerous. Best offense in
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the league? No. Who you got? Kansas City right
9:11
now. Really? Yep. Interesting. I don't know.
9:17
If the Eagles can do what they did against the
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Vikings and get, because Lane Johnson was playing
9:23
injured as well, if they can just get everybody
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healthy on that O -line, the Eagles offense is
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still pretty dang scary with me, again, with
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unlocking that deep ball stuff. Okay, interesting.
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So Chiefs, Eagles, and you're going Cowboys.
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I'm going Cowboys for the first six games, seven
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games of the season. They have probably the best
9:41
offense right now. Yeah, behind that running
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back, Javante Williams. Hey, he's been playing
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really well. Is he going to be a revenge game
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for him? Ooh. Like Rico Dowell did the other
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day and cleaned up on Dallas? I don't know. I
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don't think it's going to mean. I think they
10:00
just want to win, man. They want to get on track
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and start winning games. against good teams.
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Commanders is a step in the right direction after
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only beating the Jets and Giants prior to that.
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And tying the Packers, arguably, that's a decent
10:14
game for you at that moment in time for the Dallas
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Cowboys. No, I'm also going Cowboys. Yeah, that
10:23
should be a good, fun game. Oh, yeah. We already
10:25
did you, right? You went Denver, right? I did
10:28
go Denver. You did go the Denver direction. And
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you guys did not change my mind. No. We didn't.
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Well, you went first. You didn't change our mind.
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Hold on. Hold on. I can't. What was the spread
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on this one? I'm going to pull it up. Three and
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a half. I was trying to pick these games. I was
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trying to look at the spread a little bit and
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at least pick the closer ones, you know, because
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there's some high spreads, a lot of six -half,
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seven -and -a -half games this week. So we're
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talking about revenge games while our next game
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blows the Javante Williams revenge game out of
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the water, I would say. Aaron Rodgers getting
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a chance to play against the Green Bay Packers
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on Sunday Night Football in Pittsburgh. I don't
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know. Not quite the same. If it was in Green
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Bay, it'd be different. But still, still getting
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to play the Packers once again, but first time
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as a Pittsburgh Steeler. Ooh, you guys went first
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both times, right? And the Packers come in as
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favorites in Pittsburgh. Do they? Three and a
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half. Interesting. It is interesting. Hold on.
11:31
Disrespect to Aaron Rodgers is what they're saying,
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Vegas. We didn't believe you. You know what?
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To be honest with you. I got to go with the Steelers.
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I think the defense is going to be enough to
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kind of shut down the Packers, whether Brandon
11:43
Jacobs plays or not. It's really the Packers.
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I mean, yes, they've won the last few games,
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but it's not like they've blown out the Bengals
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or the Cardinals, two teams that are arguably
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struggling a little bit, even though the Bengals
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were just in a shootout kind of with the Steelers,
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right? But I think the Steelers are. Plenty good
12:03
enough to be able to battle with the Packers.
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I think this will be a close game. I think the
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Steelers will end up coming out on top. I'm curious
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if the Packers can stop Jalen Warren. He looks
12:13
solid this week. You think he's going to be the
12:15
difference banker between that? I think so. I
12:17
think if they can at least get it in his hands,
12:19
swing pass, whatever, he'll make a play. He did
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look decent last week. He played really well
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last week. But can he do it again? Consistency,
12:30
that's part of this league. So, yeah, it's kind
12:34
of interesting. Aaron, obviously, playing his
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former team on primetime. Schedule makers setting
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up stuff like this real nicely. Josh Jacobs against
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that front seven of the Steelers. We've seen
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him play against them, and they ate us up. That's
12:50
really interesting. And then the Steelers secondary.
12:54
I mean, they have the skill set back there to
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hang with those young Green Bay receivers. Is
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the difference maker going to be that Steelers
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front, you know, limiting them, the Packers,
13:05
to one way? Love, likes, playing off play action.
13:09
Jacobs, you know, when he's effective, really
13:12
helps him up that scenario. But I'm going to
13:15
go with Coach over here. Steelers at home. I
13:19
feel like something weird is going to happen,
13:21
something goofy. Loves to make a mistake. And
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the Steelers are going to come off with a win
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here. We're so clouded. Wow. Did we just win?
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Yeah, just picking against the Packers. No. No.
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I drafted Josh Jacobs in fantasy football. So
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you want him to run over the Steelers. I think
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he's good. So 80 yards and a touchdown. I just
13:47
think the Steelers front seven is too good for
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him to. I mean, if he went over 100, the Packers
13:53
are for surely winning. I think it's tough. Green
14:01
Bay has a better. running game overall than Pittsburgh
14:05
does for sure Jalen Warren's been inconsistent
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uh I think this the Packers also have a better
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wide receiver group I feel like both teams' tight
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end groups are equal. They're on par with each
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other. Coach would say Green Bay would have it.
14:23
I was going to say, I give a slight edge to Green
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Bay. I don't know. I love that tight end. Have
14:26
you seen Washington? He's practically a tackle.
14:29
Washington's massive. He had a cutty last week,
14:32
too. I think it really... The outcome of the
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game really is going to be based on whether or
14:40
not the Steelers can put pressure on Jordan Love,
14:43
get him uncomfortable, make him rush his progressions,
14:47
and try and create some turnovers, something
14:49
that they haven't really done well the last couple
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of weeks. They struggled with doing it against
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the Bengals last week. TJ Watt was just quiet
15:00
all game. I'm taking Green Bay. So I'm going
15:05
to continue to be the outlier here. I like it.
15:08
I like it. Oh, it's good. Hey, we need something
15:09
a little different around here, you know? Yeah,
15:11
we got to stop agreeing so much. Yeah. So, yeah,
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Green Bay, you know. Hey, I think that is a fun
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little fact. I just saw Green Bay kickers have
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hit 17 straight field goals over 50 yards. And
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that's going to be the difference maker. He's
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going to miss that. He's going to miss it. Kicker
15:28
jinx. There it is. And you know the iconic cheesehead
15:31
that was invented by a Milwaukee native as a
15:33
joke? And the thing just took off. What are you
15:36
looking at right now? All right, we're moving
15:38
on. Just my fun little notes within the game,
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you know? Yeah, for sure. For you cheesehead
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fans, you probably like that. There you go. You
15:45
probably like that. Take that. Bears traveling
15:49
to Baltimore. Baltimore getting a lot of players
15:53
back. If you listen to our tent talk episode,
15:55
Jake gave us a little look in on the Baltimore
15:59
Ravens injury situation. So we'll save him for
16:03
last. Rob? Well, I'll just say what he said earlier
16:07
is most of the team's back. Most of the team's
16:09
back. Without stealing too much thunder of him.
16:14
I mean, we're talking whether Lamar plays or
16:17
not is going to be the difference maker. So without
16:22
fully knowing, I'm going to have to go with the
16:24
Bears there because I think the Ravens without
16:26
Lamar are very non -competitive. Bears have been
16:33
playing pretty good lately. Caleb Williams has
16:37
been consistent. It's been really funny. I've
16:41
been watching a couple of videos of Ben Johnson.
16:43
If they score or anything, the guy is like a
16:46
zombie. No reaction to anything at all. It's
16:50
kind of weird to watch almost. It's like the
16:52
very opposite of Lane Kiffin. Yeah. But if your
16:55
team scores a touchdown, you want to at least
16:57
be like, all right, that was a good job, guys.
17:01
Nope. It was straightforward. Yeah, like I was
17:05
saying earlier, it's the Kennel and the Little
17:06
King, and we've got the Predators versus the
17:08
Scavengers. All right. The Ravens and the Bears.
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So I'm going with the Bears. I'm going with the
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Bears, yeah. I'm going with the Bears. I'm going
17:16
with the Ravens with all those pieces coming
17:18
back defensively. It's time for the Ravens to
17:21
get back on track. Bears are on a four -game
17:23
winning streak. Heater. That's going to end.
17:26
That's going to end. I hope it is. I hope I'm
17:28
wrong. Yeah, I mean, it's going to end. So whether
17:31
Lamar Jackson plays or not for me. Whether Lamar
17:35
Jackson plays or not. Take of the year right
17:38
there. I trust the defense that even when they
17:41
were healthy, weren't looking awesome. That now
17:43
that they're back healthy, they're going to start
17:45
getting this thing together. They're going to
17:47
get back. They're going to find a way into the
17:48
playoffs. Reborn. He's a believer. Baltimore
17:50
Ravens are going to find a way back in the playoffs.
17:52
And it starts with this game. That's right. It
17:56
sure does start with this game. Yeah, let's talk
18:00
about it. Injuries, defensive players back, Awuzie,
18:03
Kyle Hamilton, Marlon Humphrey, Roquan Smith,
18:07
and then on the offensive side, Ronnie Stanley's
18:10
going to be back again, a left tackle. Zay Flowers
18:13
has been banged up. He's an active participant.
18:17
The question mark is Lamar Jackson. The big question
18:21
mark. The big question mark. However, I think
18:24
the biggest wild card that we haven't seen on
18:26
the Ravens side is Patrick Ricard. They're fullback.
18:32
Third, tackle. He's really the guy that springs
18:37
that first block for Derrick Henry, for Lamar.
18:40
Really adds a lot of different creative looks
18:43
to that running game. Even if Lamar is 80%, I
18:46
think that Patrick Ricard is going to provide
18:48
a... big positive boost to that running game
18:52
that they need and bring back that identity that
18:54
they've been missing for the past six weeks.
18:58
So I'm really loving it, looking forward to it.
19:02
Other fun facts that I have, Ravens under Harbaugh
19:08
are 7 -2 after the bye week. And the last two
19:11
years, they've rattled off four in a row after
19:13
the bye week. So in 23 and 24, they rattled off
19:17
four in a row. Fun facts. That streak continues.
19:19
And Lamar Jackson, when he plays, is 24 and 3
19:22
against the NFC. Bears, NFC. I don't know. How
19:26
many more numbers do I need to spew at you? Ravens.
19:29
Ravens, that's it. Ravens made, yeah. Ravens.
19:32
Our final game of our preview and picks. Great
19:36
take, Jake. That was great. 49ers traveling to
19:40
Houston. Let's see. One and a half, I want to
19:45
say. One and a half? I feel like you're right.
19:48
One and a half. Holy cow. That was one of the
19:51
reasons I picked it because I was like, Vegas
19:52
says this one's going to be tight. I think Nico
19:57
Collins being. If he kind of sucks for Houston.
20:03
Oh, man. Boy, if there's any game that's going
20:07
to prove that you still have some life left in
20:09
this season, boy, in the same division as the
20:12
Colts right now, it's got to be this game. Because
20:14
where are the Texans at? They're like three,
20:16
two, and four. So two and five. I mean, that
20:20
hill is starting to get a little steeper. Like
20:23
you're seeing the Colts are running off with
20:24
it. When the heck is there? They already have
20:27
their bye week? Two and five, no. No, they're
20:32
two and four, so they did have their bye week.
20:33
Yeah, that's not good. And Joel Mixon still doesn't
20:39
seem like he's going to come back and play football
20:41
this year. I have not seen anything good out
20:44
of them. And they got 49ers, Broncos, Jaguars,
20:46
Tennessee, Bills in the next five. That's a tough
20:51
stretch. That's really rough. Gosh, okay. Do
20:56
you need to pass? No, I'll go. You sure? You
20:59
nervous? No. I'm going Houston here. I'm hoping
21:06
that they can get back on track at home in front
21:09
of their fans against a team that... They are
21:13
5 -2, and again, they looked pretty good this
21:16
past weekend. Mack Jones, kind of one of those
21:19
falling in that category of doing just enough.
21:24
But man, if that same CMC shows up this weekend
21:27
that's shown up all year, that's going to be
21:30
tough for the Texans. But I think if they can
21:33
find a way to shut Christian McCaffrey down,
21:37
they have an opportunity to pull it off. Going
21:41
Texans. Okay. Yeah, I know. I know. Jake? What
21:51
are you feeling on this one? I certainly didn't
21:54
change his mind. I'm feeling like... He's going
21:58
with 49ers. Is that your prediction about the
22:01
prediction? Smelty's prediction about the prediction.
22:05
Book it. D 'Amico Ryan. Robert Sala, both of
22:13
these guys motivate their defenses. They're both
22:17
going to be playing fast. They're both going
22:19
to be playing hard. The Texans don't have a running
22:24
game. They've got a couple of running backs,
22:27
but they don't really have a running game to
22:29
speak of. C .J. Stroud still is under a whole
22:34
bunch of pressure. That O -line can't block for
22:37
him. I mean, the sacks have gone down, which
22:39
is good, from averaging three sacks a game last
22:42
year to two. So, I mean, there's a slight improvement
22:45
there. Four new starters, if I remember right.
22:47
Yeah, you spend a whole bunch of money to improve
22:49
that offensive line, and it didn't get better.
22:52
They drafted a gopher in there, too. I think.
22:56
I think what we've been seeing from Kyle Shanahan
22:58
and from Robert Sala is that they've got their
23:02
team buying into the next man up mentality with
23:06
all of the injuries, and I can't say no to picking
23:09
the 49ers against the Texans. Yeah, they are
23:13
a tough pick right now. I'm going to go with
23:17
you also. I'm going 49ers. I've been really impressed
23:22
with Mac Jones so far, how he started filling
23:24
in for Brock Purdy. Just consistent, getting
23:27
the job done. Tough, gritty quarterback. I mean,
23:30
even with those receivers being in and out of
23:32
the lineup, I really like seeing Kittle back,
23:35
especially in the running game. McCaffrey coming
23:38
off a monster game. So that matchup between the
23:41
linebacker unit for the Texans, they got a couple.
23:44
good ones over there. All us. You know, you know,
23:49
some people call him a little dirty, but, you
23:51
know, he's still a heck of a football player.
23:53
I mean, he still can get the job done. So that
23:57
matchup will be pretty fun. But McCaffrey is
24:00
just too much. You know, he's got over a thousand
24:02
yards already from scrimmage. Eleven touchdowns
24:06
through seven weeks. He's looking, you know,
24:09
that's that other MVP conversation. I mean, if
24:12
Taylor wasn't going, I mean, Taylor's numbers.
24:15
even bigger than that yeah um so i'm yeah i think
24:18
the 49ers will get done even though it's in houston
24:20
i think that's what kind of tightens up that
24:22
spread a little bit with vegas um but like i
24:25
was saying they're kind of my this year's rams
24:27
team and that i'm just not going to pick against
24:30
them like i consistently did last year so uh
24:33
i just rams made you pay for that yeah and robert
24:36
sol is just got that young defense just getting
24:38
the job done you know so Playing together. So
24:41
it'll be interesting. And then if Nico Collins
24:43
doesn't play, that definitely helps the 49ers.
24:45
For sure. Getting the job done in San Francisco,
24:49
according to Rob. Jake, thanks for being here,
24:52
man. Thanks for having me. Of course. Appreciate
24:55
it. That wraps our week eight preview and picks.
24:57
Rob, of course, is always here. Thank you. Every
25:00
week. Thank you, coach. I guess. Yes. You did
25:02
a heck of a job yourself. I'm back this week.
25:04
Yes, he's back. I had to knock off that rust.
25:09
Yeah, I was all getting locked in before the
25:12
show. I like it. I like it. That's how we do
25:14
it around here on Gridiron Updates. Of course,
25:16
of course. Kev, behind the camera, getting everything
25:18
done for us, as always. That's why you can hear
25:20
us or see us, whichever one you do. Don't forget
25:23
to like, comment, subscribe wherever you listen
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25:31
you back next week for another edition of Gridiron
25:34
Updates on Banter with the Boys. Peace. Go, baby.
25:38
Don't forget to follow, like and subscribe. Tune
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