The Fumblerooski Podcast
Run Down -Ep 282 The Fumblerooski Podcast
What's going on? Top five running backs going into 2024 with our annual player rankings and a preview of an NFC North division going into the 2024 season. I'm Adam Wright. You're listening to the Fumbler-Ruskey podcast. It may not have always showed it in the stat sheet, but you can see him making throws when he needs to make the throws back to back games where he has three touchdowns. Someone's got to get that six or seven spot. He's an elite wide receiver as a rookie. Truly a lose-lose scenario for both sides. Welcome back to the Fumbler-Ruskey podcast by Power Radiate and Secret Weapon Consulting. I'm Adam Wright with CJ Madeeros. We have a great show planned for you guys yet again and so our basic rundown is we're going to continue our player rankings. We continue into the offensive side of the ball. With the top five running backs going into 2024 and we're also doing a preview of the NFC North. I think this is the most interesting the North has been in quite some time. We'll get into it, but the Bears have a lot of new toys, including a new quarterback. The Packers found their next franchise guy. Somehow they just pull these guys out of their ass. Every single time that they move on from their previous one they get another one. It's insane. Then you have the Lions. That's my dog if any of you guys heard that, Jesus Christ. Eating a toy just choked on it. Then there's of course the Minnesota Vikings. Vikings. There's another team. They have some good pieces, question market quarterback. They just moved on from Kirk Cousins. They have JJ McCarthy now. They may not even start them. They may go with Sam Darnold, which at that point not much to expect there, but they're an interesting team. They all are. We're going to get there. We're going into our player rankings. Up five running backs, CJ, kick us off, give us your list. Running backs are a weird position, especially nowadays, because the running back stock market has crashed. They don't go in the first round of the draft anymore, unless they could be a generational guy. Running backs like great ones can ever stay consistent because they're getting replaced year in and year out. They're not getting paid. Heck, it's even trickling down to fantasy football where there's a case that might not be number one. So that being said, it's tough never to rank the running backs, so we tried. So my number five, I had to go with the new Eagles star, Saequan Barkley, solely because it's just a better situation. I mean granted he did what he could with the Giants with 962 yards and six rushing touchdowns last year, as well I believe is for receiving touchdowns, which is good. He has had some injury issues in the past, but I don't expect that to stop him especially where you go to Philly. The field quality is infinitely better. The line plays infinitely better and say it's still about Jalen Hurts, but he's also infinitely better than old Danny Derps there. So I like him in Philly and it's just enough to sneak him into the top five. And I need to do some real soul searching for this next one. My number four is from the New York Jets, Bryce Hall. And I know last year was his first really healthy year, played in all 17 games, started 16 of them, had 223 attempts. And his insane, which translates to 994 yards and five touchdowns, along with 591 receiving yards and four receiving touchdowns. This guy, he's ready, you know, after getting a very unfortunate injury, his rookie year, it's appearing that he's well passed through to recovery and he's ready to take over. There is one red flag though that I have. Aaron Rodgers is coming back and now that the eternally frustrating Zach Wilson has been flung off to the Rocky Mountains in Denver, I don't see the Jets being as much of a ground and pound team. You can say what you want about Aaron Rodgers, maybe he comes back well, maybe he doesn't. But you know, Rodgers was going to want to run a more air style offense and that might eat at some of Bryce Hall's opportunities, which he could make up in the receiving game, maybe. But then again, they did sign Mike Williams. So I don't know about that, but either way, he's going to be top five. Don't worry about it. Buy number three and this was one of the weirdest ones to place and it's Derek Henry. And I know the rule about, Oh, running backs over 30 scary. Look at me. I can read stats, but every rule has an exception and I definitely think Derek Henry running behind the piss poor Titans offensive line with the Mayo man just handing him the ball at every point, you know, get him 280 carries with 1,167 yards and 12 rushing touchdowns. Then you're going to go to the Ravens where the line isn't a lot better, but it's still noticeably better. And you have a much better quarterback that you can run endless options with with Lamar Jackson. Say no mistake, Derek Henry to the Ravens makes that team infinitely more dangerous. And I know somewhere a good buddy, Justin Tucker is a happy camper, but I do have one word of caution, injuries. And it's not so much about the running backs over 30 part that scares me because once again, I think Derek Henry is an exception. I mean, even after he tore his ACL, he came back and posted 1500 yards. For me, the issue is the Ravens and I have not been shy about this point and I've said it once and I will say it again, the Baltimore Ravens, I don't know why I don't know what's in the water, but they absolutely burn through running backs. Once again, I think it's an issue of the strength conditioning coach. I think he needs to be flung into the Chesapeake if this were a just world. However, I just, I am scared because you see what happens. They, they completely broke JK Dobbins. Heck, Keaton Mitchell, who was on draft free agent running back couldn't stay healthy. So, and Gus Edwards, I believe was also banged up at various points. So that is something that scares me, but on paper, he should be top three. Now my number two, this might upset some folks, but I, but look at me. I really don't care. It's Bijon Robinson, and I'll tell you why. This man, he broke the trend of running backs not being taken in the top 10 since Sequan. And for very good reason, 214 rushing yards, 976, I mean, 214 carries, 976 rushing yards, 4.6 yards a carry, 4 rushing touchdowns, along with 487 receiving yards and 4 receiving touchdowns. I know what you're thinking. That's good. Top 10, the draft good, but here's what you got to remember. He has been freed of the scourge of Atlanta known as Arthur Smith. Arthur Smith, he who was just weirdly against using his best players and Raheem Morris, I highly doubt will make that same mistake because he knows that your best players give you a shot to win because he's probably a more qualified head coach than Arthur Smith. And when you get down to it, I expect Bijon's numbers to go through the roof on projecting easily over 1,200 yards, and he should have double digit rushing touchdowns barring some sort of freak injury. And yeah, this man's going to break out. And my number one, as far as running backs go, Christian McCaffrey. And this is one that I feel weird about because he has had a lot of injury concerns in the past. But last season started 16 of the 17 games, led the league in rushing yards, he had 14 rushing touchdowns. He's gambling. There's a notion that he doesn't get carries, but he had 272 last year. Don't play like that. And not to mention when it comes to receiving, he had a few receiving touchdowns as well. I believe he had seven. So yeah, that's 21 total touchdowns last season. And I know the Niners might have a Super Bowl hangover thing, but he's had a queen bill of health ever since he came to San Francisco, where once again, just the difference in line play was better. And so long as Brock Purdy doesn't fall off a cliff, I think that he shouldn't stay healthy because they won't overuse him because I don't know if I you still going to be on the team, but they still have Dibos Samuel, they have George Kittle, and they have rookie Ricky Pierce all as well, who they drafted in the first round. So his load shouldn't increase dramatically. And he should stay very well, you know, let's just face it, he should stay healthy. And overall, as long as he's been in San Fran, I just don't think the numbers can be denied. Or he is my number one running back. Yeah, so there's no denying Christian McCaffrey in the past few years when he has been healthy has been the best back in football. So he definitely deserves a spot in the top five. And I think overall, you make some good points on a lot of your list, a lot of these backs. What you have to do when you're looking at running backs going into the season, more than any other position, you have to look at it going into that season. What you anticipate them to do, rather than look at what they have done, because the running back position is one of those spots where you could be one of the best backs in the league one year and then be almost out of it the next. Calvin Koch is a prime example of that. With that being said, my number five is Jameer Gibbs. Now I was debating between him and Chiron Williams, but the fact that on a breakout year for Chiron Williams, he could barely get through a season. He missed five games, but the fact that he got 1200 yards through 12 games is incredible. Still, Jameer Gibbs, he did not have injury issues. And while splitting carries with the now about to be 27 year old, David Montgomery, he was still incredible, just under 1,000 yards, 5.2 yards per carry in eight touchdowns. I mean, this guy is unbelievable. But I believe this year the split will go a little bit more, it'll tilt towards Jameer Gibbs in his favor because of David Montgomery's age. 27 is old for running back, especially when you were a back like David Montgomery, who has dealt with the punishment of the Chicago Bears offensive line for most of his career. The line has gotten better, but I think that offensive line in Chicago ages you a bit. So I don't think Montgomery is going to suck, but I think he's not going to be good enough so that it's going to be a 50/50 split. That's going to be the argument I make. And I think Jameer Gibbs, if he just becomes a full-time back, I think he's one of the best in the league, arguably the best. But he's not. David Montgomery is still there, which is why he barely makes my top five. At number four, I have Zequon Barkley. And Zequon is, so for all of the reasons that you have Zequon barely in your top five, he's at number four for me. This guy is working through the best offensive line in the history of his career, which is huge because this kid has had it very difficult since entering the league with the Giants. Perennially one of the worst offensive lines in football. But now you go to one of the best with an offense that can produce so that you won't be facing stacked boxes. This is about as good as it gets. And the defense, I know the defense fell off for the Eagles in the second half of the season. It might get, it'll probably get better. They have the personnel, it'll get better. And because of that, I mentioned the defense because it keeps the offense rested. So looking at my number four, Zequon Barkley, absolutely at the top of the list, at number four, at number three, here we go. Get ready for Christian McCaffrey to be your number three running back, going into the 2024 NFL season. And I know what you're thinking. Well McCaffrey was one of the best backs, was the best back in the league last year. And he was an MVP candidate. All of that is true. But if you looked at his age, he's about to be 28 years old. And the running back position, it's the only position in professional sports where you can be in your 20s and be considered past your prime. We are at a point where McCaffrey, yes, I think he's going to produce, produce well enough to be a top three back in this league. But I don't believe that he's going to be good enough to be the best back in the league. And we're at a point in this career where we're taking it year by year, we're waiting for him to just fall apart. And I don't want to hear it about, oh, well, he's with the 49ers, so therefore he's getting less work. He's getting some weight off his shoulders. That's completely false. This past season, he took the most, the second most amount of carries in a season in his entire career, Carolina included. So it's really, that's a massive misperception. They are still giving, they're still making him take that ball, like a lot. And they're going to do it again this year. And so at number two, I have Breece Hall, and the reason I have Breece Hall is a couple of reasons. Number one, Breece Hall, if he didn't tear his ACL, he would have been one of the top running backs in the league last year. But he did. And he came off an ACL tear and still flirted with 1,000 yards and ran for over four yards of carry. Do you know how unheard of that is? Adrian Peterson did that once. And that was considered one of the best, best seasons in NFL history for a running back. The fact that Breece Hall was still a solid back in this, on this team, coming off an ACL tear. Historically, the season after your surgery, you are not supposed to be the same. You're supposed to be the same the year after that. Look at Dalvin Cook, tears his ACL, his rookie year, sophomore season, he was terrible. Season after that, much better. Look at Sequin Barkley, towards ACL a few years back, year after 100% not the same. Year after that, 1,300 yards, looks exactly the same as he always did. It's going to be the same thing with Breece Hall, except Breece actually looked decent in the year following. So what's he going to be on this Jets team with a better offensive line? Much better offensive line. They've worked on it a lot this off season. A quarterback back there who will make it so defenses will not stack the box against you. And a really good receiving core that will also help that. This is a team that is going to make it so Breece Hall will have an incredible year. Now looking at my number one, I have Vijon Robinson. Vijon Robinson is working behind, Vijon Robinson is working behind the best offensive line in the league, arguably one of the best. And you have now a quarterback who is going to force you again to respect the run, respect the receiving game. So again, just like Breece Hall, no stacked boxes. And you also have a new coach with Raheem Morris. And that is important because the last guy was notorious for not using his toys effectively. Now you have a guy who Raheem Morris said himself, our job is to get the ball to Vijon as much as possible. That is something that is very important because Vijon Robinson, he has fresh legs, he's in just his second year in the league, working behind a good offensive line, good toys in the receiving game, quarterback, coach who is prioritizing him. All of these factors make Vijon Robinson the best back in the league in 2024. Where is my list? Pretty solid, can't complain. I do agree with your take on Vijon though because let's face it. He is going to get more carries and I definitely think anything lackluster that came out of him was 110% Arthur Smith's fault. And you know what's weird though on a side note is that Arthur Smith never really cared. He's like I don't care about your fantasy team when they ask why they wouldn't use him. It's like well with that record, you clearly don't care about winning either. Right. And like looking at McCaffrey again, like Leshan McCoy was in his 20s when he fell off, Jamal Charles was in his 20s. Todd Gurley, 20s, Ezekiel Elliott in his 20s, Labion Bell, 20s, Ariane Foster in his 20s, Marshawn Lynch, 20s, Chris Johnson 20s, Demarko Murray 20s. Notice they're glazing over a lot of the injuries but whatever. Right. Okay, but how many of them are on the question of the Catholic level? Maybe Bell Lynch, like, I mean, I don't know what Johnson was, and he had one Marshawn Lynch. No, he wasn't. Chris Johnson. Yeah, it's like, oh, he had the 2000 yards and then proceeded to do, eh, kind of. Well, Christian McCaffrey's never gone the 1000 yards, 2000 yards. And also, I mean, he was okay and also, I'd like to point out that the fell, the fall off only came when he switched teams. Same thing with the Marco Murray, the fall off was when he switched teams, Ariane Foster, the fall off came when he switched teams. Melvin Gordon, you want to guess from the fall off came? Could it be when he switched teams? Ezekiel Elliott, I mean, he was already on the downswing, but you saw how he played New England. It was terrible. So, I mean, until Christian McCaffrey finds another team, I mean, eh, I mean, he did and he was still fine. Ariane Foster's last season with Houston. He had 163 yards. Interesting, but once again, you're kind of glossing over the injury. Well, there you go. So there's a correlation to injuries happening when you're in your late 20s. Do those happen to with any other position in professional sports? Not really. When you're in your 20s, you're in a, uh, not in your 20s, yes. Not in your 20s. Come on, man. Literally. Yeah. Corners are like the same thing. Not like running backs, okay, they fall apart. But I mean, the yes, the, you're right about corners, the corners fall off too, but not like this, like running backs, running backs, running backs fall off when you're in your late 20s, like they can fall off when they're 27, 26, 27. Sometimes they're late 20s, like 28, 29. But if it's consistently, like if you're past the age of 25 and we're saying, oh, we're taking it year by year by at this point, that's not a good sign for the position. Um, all right, once again, like a lot of these times you just keep glossing over, like the fan of, they keep getting hurt. And can you please tell me what major injury Christian McCaffrey had last season? Wow. Yeah. No, exactly. He didn't. And the season before that when he was traded, he didn't. Two straight years of being clean now, he could get hurt, but I just, I don't see it. Right. They, you always don't see it until it happens. I mean, it's, this is the trend with the running back position. It's not the position where you're going so well and there's no signs of, there's no signs of stopping and you just never stop. It'll be going well and then it just stops. And that's kind of the, that's kind of the issue that the injuries come because they've been the, the aware and tear piles up. All right. So like how far do you like see him following that because he's still going to be top five is my point. It's just that. Yeah. I don't know. It's like, I could see him doing better than Bijon just because like, I don't know, I, I just, that's like the thing is like, I can see him doing Bijon, I could see him doing better than Breece Hall. It's like top three this season. All right. Fair. So, so I mean, you keep saying that even though you literally still have him top three, so either you don't think the falloff is going to be that bad or you've just spent the past five minutes lying. I think, I think that he's going to be okay this year, but we're taking it year by year. Yeah. I think I think you'd be stupid to believe him out of your top five just because he's like he's about to be 28, but he hasn't shown those signs of, he hasn't shown any signs of fall of falling off. And usually, usually they, you know, it takes some time for that like, they always fall off in their late twenties. And I think with McCaffery, he'll have one more year. I don't think he'll be as good. That's all I'm saying. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. That's fair. Okay. We're going to move on NFC North. We're going to preview how that division is going to stack up. Lots of different wild cards who we think is going to do better than the other. That's next. This is the Fumbleruski podcast. It may not have always showed it in the stat sheet, but you can see him making throws when he needs to make the throws back to back games where he has three touchdowns. Someone's got to get that six or seven spot. He's an elite wide receiver as a rookie. He can lose loose scenario for both sides. Welcome back to the Fumbleruski podcast by power 88 and seek a weapon consulting. I'm Adam Wright with CJ Madeeros. The NFC North, the lions are the defending champions of this division. And there are some aspects that they did improve on with this team. Um, their secondary has gotten better, but so have a couple other teams in this division. So you have the Bears who just added a ton of new weapons. Their offensive line, I think still looks fine, but they just replaced Justin Fields with Caleb Williams. So I think that's, let's start with them. Um, they added, um, they added Keenan Allen to play in their slot. And they also added, gee, what, what's the, in the draft from a doomsday? They added a doomsday and they still have DJ Moore and they have Cole Comette and Caleb Williams, if he, if he can play, we've mentioned this all off season long. If this kid can play, we're going to find out right away. So could that mean a different division champion or do you think that's too far ahead of schedule? That's too far ahead unless he comes out and plays like CJ Stroud, which by the way, there's no reason why he shouldn't, especially with that team. I'm just saying. Yeah. Like, I think I, I don't believe that they're, I don't believe they win the division, but if they, for them to finish with a 10 and seven record, I think it's very doable if this kid can actually play. Um, same with, uh, same with the Packers. I mean, they have less of a question market quarterback, like much less. Turns out they found another franchise quarterback. I think if they just had that number one weapon, I would have much more, I'd have much more confidence in this team, but you need something. I'm not saying like you have the quarterback, which is the most, most important piece of the entire rebuild. But where is that number one guy? You need a target that is going to get, that is going to get you to the promised land. And they don't really have that. Yeah. And look, don't get me wrong. It's not that I dislike Christian Watson as much. It's not that I don't trust Roma do, or a Romeo does, but if you're a defensive coordinator, you're like, Oh, God, especially game plan for them, they're scary. And if you do think that that's what they are, that you really have to game plan for these guys, please seek help because I just, none of their weapons really scare me, even their tight end duo there of Musgrave and the other one, God, whose name escapes me. I like Jaden. I like Jaden Reed. I think some of these players, like Christian Watson, you know, he's a good number three, but like Reed, Reed was a number one last year. Yeah, but I don't know, like, I mean, I guess, but I just, I'm not one, I mean, I do, I do, but like he's just, I'm not scared of him. And by the way, I'm looking at their depth chart right now. He's their number three. It's Watson, Dubbs and Reed, don't play on, don't play with me like that. But I'm just saying, like, I'm not, I'm just not afraid of any of their weapons. We don't get me wrong. Josh Jacobs and AJ Dylan, I think I'm gonna make a formidable duo, but I think that's about it. Okay, and there is also they have Josh Jacobs. Guy, did I say that? No, you said like Josh, dogs, I meant Josh Jacobs. That's what I meant. Josh Jacobs and Josh Jacobs and, but it's almost like they didn't trade, but like, here's a, so they never are, they have a lot of question marks in the receiving core. They never are legitimate receiving threats until they become them. No, no, no, I get it. But the thing is. Devonta, Devonta Adams was never a threat to be a number one guy until he just stepped up and he became that same thing with Adam feeling over on the Vikings. He was never that one guy until he just stepped up one day and he just became their number, the Vikings number one guy. It just never got to that point until it, until that was so, they just, they just stepped up. I believe it's the same thing with Jordy Nelson, right? He was a second round pick. So it's always just the, they somehow find these guys in the second and third rounds. And it's just, it just ends up working out for him. Yeah. No, I get it, I do, but a lot of it is, oh, the people are going to have my head for this one. I feel like Jordan Love is a bigger question mark than we let on. Do I think he's going to be good? Yeah. However, they gave him an extension. I feel like they were a little hasty, which I get it better safe and sorry, but I just, after one year. I mean, look, I think you're going to be out. So Jordy Nelson in three seasons, Jordy Nelson in three seasons. Never even eclipse 600 yards. He had, he didn't, he barely grazed 360 in his, within his first two seasons, 582 in 2010, and then 1,300 in 2011, 745 in an injury storage shortened season, 1,300, 1,300, 1,300 injury shortened, 500, and then 700 for Oakland, but there's, so there is kind of, there is kind of a team that they develop wide receivers who are late bloopers. Yeah, I get that except I mentioned Jordan Love. I was just saying it's like, I don't know. I mean, I think love is good. I'm not completely sold on him. I still think he'll be good, but I feel like he's, I'm not going to say he's a huge question mark, but we can't just pretend that he's not. Because look, don't get me wrong, he really bursts out on the scene of over 4,000 yards and 32 touchdowns, but it's just, I don't know. I need to see one more year. If he's still good next year, then that's, then that's, that's great. That's super. But if he's not, I don't know, because what was his record last year? Do you remember? 98, exactly, but he threw for over 30 touchdown passes. Yeah, no, he did. He did. I know we're going great, but it's not about stats because stats are nice, but just asked Drew Brees about always throwing for 5,000 yards, yet going nine and seven back in the day. Yes, but my need to improve and furthermore, it's just, I think he's going to be fine. I feel like I'm being unnecessarily harsh, but I need to see one more year like that before I can be totally sold. Okay. So I think stats don't matter because you have to take them into context. With Drew Brees, 5,000 yards every year, he had a lot of good weapons, and he also was a major dome quarterback. Look at his home road splits. It is disgustingly bad. He's a Hall of Fame quarterback at home. He's a good to very good quarterback on the road, and it was bad. It was genuinely bad, but with Jordan Love did not have quite the weapons that he needed. The offensive line was spotty. The coordinating was just okay. The coaching, I thought, was just meh. The defense was kind of bad too. Like, I didn't think that defense was all that good, even though they had good personnel, but I think you have to take it into, you have to take into consideration the context. If two at Tonga Valoa throws for these kinds of stats, the guy who has Jalen Waddell, Tyree Kill, a decent offensive line, an offensive minded head coach, you're playing in Miami where the ball flies well, then you're thinking, okay, 32 touchdowns to 11 interceptions. 40 100 yards makes sense. And we also think he's a massive question mark because you're thinking, well, you have Tyree Kill and Jalen Waddell, but with Jordan Love, who did he really have? I feel like Jordan Love's best days are ahead of him because he really doesn't have much to work with right now, and it's only bound to get better for him. Yeah, but you could equally make the case that no one really knew what to expect from him. We've seen this before where quarterbacks just step up and play out of their mind because there's just no tape on them. However, what will separate him is if he has another good season, which I think he will, but we can't just say here and say that's a 100% sure thing. I need to see one more season, and that's all I'll say. Okay. Like I said, I felt it was being unfairly harsh towards him. That's not a thing. But I don't trust anything after one good year. I mean, you should be fine. That's fine. I don't think anything is ever guaranteed. Something could always happen or he could just and I just don't see how it can be considered fools gold considering there's really no factors there that made that were favoring him to make him play better than he really was. He over performed his expectations rather than made himself look better if that made any sense whatsoever. I just think everything was working against him. He didn't have a number one target. His offensive line was just okay. It played better than that's another the line played better than expected, but it's still just okay line play. You didn't have David Bakhtiari, your bodyguard left tackle and your everything else was just on that team was just met, but he still elevated them to the playoffs. That is to do more with less is a quality of an elite quarterback. It's something that Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes both did and Joe Burrow has done as well, so we'll see what his ceiling will be. I'm not certainly not making comparisons. I'm just saying that I'm just comparing the quality. He has qualities that we have seen in other elite quarterbacks all time grades. We'll see what happens, but I think this kid can play and I think it's about as close to 100% as it can get without injuries being a factor of course. All right, well that's all this actually no, no, no, let's let's finish up our NFC North here because those are I think are the two most interesting ones as the bears in the Packers. The Lions, this is their division to lose, so there's really not much to cover there, but what I'll ask you is with this Lions team, what is so what is the expectation for them? This is their division to lose, so we're not debating that. That's not up for debate. If they lose this division, then that's on them. But where do we see them going from here? Because they have Jared Goff at quarterback. Almond Ross St. Brown, Samuel Porter, one of the best offensive Lions in the league. A defense that worked on its secondary. That's what we're looking at here. I generally think their expectations, I mean, they made the NFC Championship game last year, so I would think their expectations have to be Super Bowl, right? I mean, I know it's weird to say, you know, history where it makes you say Lions, Super Bowl, really, this is not the Lions of your, they're not. The thing is, the only thing that I think is stopping them, and I don't like admitting this is Dan Campbell, let's be real, he is the only thing stopping them, literally the only thing that can stop them is coaching. And he can be a little too aggressive for his own good. And look, that's fine during the regular season, but he needs to know there's a time and a place. And in the playoffs, I don't know, especially when you're up, I don't really think that's necessarily a wise idea. Because all it takes is one drive and the entire game can fall apart. And honestly, I feel like Jared Goff deserves respect. I really do, there were some rough patches, but he's smoothening out nicely a bit later than maybe would have wanted, but still, he's good. I mean, 30 touchdowns, 12 picks, 4,575 yards, and arm to the teeth with weapons, and a defense that has actually taken steps to improve, that it, I mean, there's a reason, like you mentioned, his native mission to lose. And I do think Super Bowl is actually a reasonable expectation for that. They, I mean, on paper, they're one of, if not, the best teams in the NFC North. And frankly, they would have to be in the conversation, at least to represent the NFC. Winning it against one of those stacked AFC teams is going to be a tall order, but they should at least make it. I mean, that should be like some of it should be eyeballing yet. Yeah, I think the biggest factor for them has been their secondary. It was one of the worst in the league last year, but then you add Terri and Arnold through the draft, and you add Carlton Davis as your other corner as well. That is a massive upgrade about over what they had last year. And I think if this secondary plays as well as it could, then their weaknesses are grow very, very thin. So I do believe that they, the division is, the division is not up for debate. They should win this division, but I just, my problem is Jared Goff. I once thought that he could be a Super Bowl winning quarterback because he got them to a Super Bowl once, he got the, he got the Rams there. But how much of that was the rest of the team making him look better, kind of the same way it is here. He knows how to use his weapons, great. He knows how to win games, great. There's a lot of quarterbacks who can do that. That makes him close to some of the Super Bowl champion quarterbacks in recent memory. Matthew Stafford, Patrick Mahomes, Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, look at all of those quarterbacks. They were actually truly elite quarterbacks. I don't think Jared Goff is. So will they, will Brock Birdie also went to a Super Bowl? So can they go to a Super Bowl? Yeah. And I think that's where I, that's, that is what your expectation should be if you're the Lions. I think go to the Super Bowl. If you win it, that's bonus because I just don't know if I have any faith in Jared Goff. And your, your point about Dan Campbell is valid too. He almost, he pretty much lost of that game. Pretty much. The amount of times that he goes for it, when you just don't need to, just take the damn points dude. Exactly. I like Dan Campbell. I think he's a good coach. I think he sends a good message into that locker room. But you need to make sure you have some sort of control, aggressive, aggression under control. And he just doesn't have that. Um, all right, one question I have for the Vikings because we need to end the show. Yeah. If JJ McCarthy is ready to start, does he make an impact on this team quickly? By default. Yes. However, I just think the other teams are too stacked against them. I mean, they could probably get third, I mean, solely because he is Addison and Jefferson, but I'm also not sold on their defense either. I mean, the pass rush is good, but I'm not afraid of anything else. They have a good deep, they have a good defense that's improving. They have a, we don't even have to talk about their pass catching core, their pass catching is tremendous. But their offensive line is, I guess, fine, it's okay. If, if Sam Darnell is starting, there's no, there's no intrigue. No, no, no, absolutely. Besides fantasy stats for the pass catchers, which again, doesn't matter. I just think like if JJ McCarthy isn't starting for this team, I don't care about them as a whole. Unless you're playing fantasy football, I don't care. Sam Darnell isn't taking this team anywhere, especially in this division. But if JJ McCarthy can play, it's, it's going to depend on how he plays. But it's even, even then still, there's no guarantee they go anywhere in this division because they're all competitive. They all can make a case that they can be pretty good this year. So why, why is it any different for the Vikings here? All right. That's all the scheduled content we have. You have anything else before we end the show tonight? No, I don't. All right. Cam Sutton suspended by the, by the league for eight games for the standards. Understandable guy kind of fell off, obviously doesn't deserve a segment. That's all I'm going to say on that. That'll do it for us tonight. Thank you for listening to us. We have new episodes out on Tuesdays at 730 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. We just make sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel. We have all our episodes available on Spotify, Spreaker, Apple Podcast, iHeartRadio, Google Podcasts, and so much more. Also be sure to follow our Instagram @FumbleRuski_podcast to keep up with our podcast and the latest coverage on the NFL. Otherwise we'll see you next week over and out. [ Silence ]