Matt LaFleur and Ben Johnson both made a point to downplay their disdain for one another. Good thinking.

Green Bay and Chicago meet again very soon. There’s no time for emotions of either extreme.

Round 1 went to the Green Bay Packers at raucous Lambeau Field, 28-21.

Jordan Love was exceptional, Micah Parsons had another quarterback on the run, the Packers answered Chicago’s 17-play marathon drive with an impressive counterpunch of their own and cornerback Keisean Nixon supplied the final dagger.

Here on the “Ty & Bob Pod” — your weekly NFC North show — Pro Football Hall of Famer Bob McGinn makes sense of it all. We also recap the Detroit Lions’ victory over Dallas and the Vikings showing a pulse vs. Washington. This week’s “McGinn Memory” looks back at a memorable weather game in 1984.

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Meanwhile, over in the AFC, the field is wide open.

Our Monday column, icymi.

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It was a wild Sunday in the NFL. We recap it all on Substack Live with readers. Want to join future shows? Download the app and flip notifications on:

Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs are finished, so what does it mean for everyone else? Here’s this week’s column on a wide, wide open AFC with a closer look at the Buffalo Bills and Houston Texans.

Miss last week’s Friday Feature? We explore the rise, fall and resurrection of Baker Mayfield.

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They’re booing “Renegade.”

They’re calling for Mike Tomlin to be fired.

Now, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ most beloved players — one by one — are ripping both the head coach and the team. It’s getting ugly.

At 6-6, a division title remains a real possibility for this team. And yet? One bruising 26-7 loss to the Buffalo Bills felt like a new low. The Steelers allowed more rushing yards than ever before inside this stadium. Aaron Rodgers, bloody nose ‘n all, was terrible. It’s a perfect time to make sense of it all on “Real Football.” Co-host Jim Monos and myself examine how the Steelers slipped into purgatory… and explain their only way out.

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This episode is available in its entirety to Go Long subscribers.

Monos worked as a scout with the Philadelphia Eagles and New Orleans Saints before taking over as the Bills’ director of personnel. Now, he’s got many unfiltered stories to share. Here’s what you’ll get on this week’s episode.

* Why this loss feels like a new low for Pittsburgh.

* The pros and cons of everything Mike Tomlin. Would he embrace a rebuild? How does an NFL team balance winning in the present vs. preparing long term? Monos offers the front-office view. Pittsburgh’s lack of a vision is backfiring.

* Aaron Rodgers is old, cranky and not very good at football anymore. This was obvious last season, but the Steelers chose to lie to themselves. Sad.

* Arthur Smith ain’t it and Monos wants the team to erect a statue in Mason Rudolph’s honor.

* The only solution for these Steelers isn’t pretty, but very necessary

* Who wins the AFC North? Somebody must. Lamar Jackson looks broken lately.

* We always circle back to the Bills here in Western New York. Back in ‘22, Sean McDermott’s team was bullied by Cincinnati in the playoffs. This time, the Bills’ No. 1 rushing attack has a chance to set the physical tone. There’s a very good chance this matchup’s been circled on the coach’s calendar for a long time.

* “Is Bryce Young good?” has become a weekly segment. The Panthers QB threw three touchdowns in a win over the Rams. (Monos’ take may surprise you.)

* Self-preservation is a GM art.

* Why I still love Tampa Bay in the NFC.

* Caleb Williams and the first-place Chicago Bears. Hey, they’re winning and they’ve got a formula. How long will it last?

* Drake Maye and the high-flying New England Patriots. He’s back in the MVP race and making chests hurt leaguewide.

* The success of this Geno and Jeanty law firm is on par with Uncle Jack in Always Sunny.

Past episodes:

* It’s Not Sunny in Philadelphia

* An Epiphany in Buffalo

* What’s wrong in Buffalo?

* Meet the NFL’s 2025 Party Crashers

ICYMI:

* Matt LaFleur goes for the kill

* Why the Ben Johnson Effect is real

Ty & Bob Pod:

Preparing you for the Packers-Bears NFC North Showdown

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There haven’t been Packers-Bears games this important, this late in the season much at all since the 90s. Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers went 47-18 against their neighbors to the south. Jordan Love is 3-1.

First place in the NFC North is on the line Sunday evening at Lambeau Field.

Then, there’s a good chance it’s on the line again at Soldier Field two we…

This same team has already endured a swoon of drama and firings to rise again. This team just smacked the Kansas City in a Super Bowl, a game that was total carnage.

What’s going on with the Philadelphia Eagles?

On this episode of “Real Football,” we explore in full. My co-host — Jim Monos — began his NFL career (2000- ‘04) as a northeast scout for the Eagles before moving on to New Orleans and Buffalo and offers his front-office eye as always.

Saquon Barkley isn’t tearing through defenses like he did last season… but there are reasons for that. This defensive backfield is legit… but the Cowboys’ receivers went full Moss Mode. A.J. Brown is unhappy… but maybe he has a point.

Hint: All roads lead back to the quarterback position. Teams are daring Jalen Hurts to make a play. The Eagles, somehow, need to stick to their winning formula.

Also on this episode, we check in on the Buffalo Bills. It was a punishing night in Houston. Should concern be with the offense or the defense? Who’s to blame for things not looking right, the coach or the GM? We discuss, debate. They’ve got a matchup ripe with playoff implications on Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Full video and audio of this episode is above. Subscribers can always access all episodes at GoLongTD.com and inside the excellent Substack app.

Also, I’ve heard from many subscribers who prefer to listen on Apple. No sweat. Bang it here to sync your account. (Instructions on syncing on Spotify are also here.)

We don’t take gambling blood money around here.

All stories and all podcasts are completely fueled by you. I appreciate you all joining and growing our community.

Previous episodes:

* Meet the 2025 Party Crashers

* What’s wrong in Buffalo?

* An Epiphany in Buffalo

ICYMI:

* Ty & Bob Pod S4 E10: Packers KO Vikes, J.J. McCarthy crumbles, Bears in first place, Jahmyr Gibbs saves day

* Best team in football? The Los Angeles Rams.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.golongtd.com/subscribe

Just like that, the Green Bay Packers are back on track.

OK, OK. They faced Jameis Winston and J.J. McCarthy these last two weeks. But this is the level of physicality required as the 2025 NFL season creeps toward December. Here’s your weekly two-hour dose of NFC North talk with Pro Football Hall of Famer Bob McGinn.

Everything is discussed with a close look at the film.

* Up front — on both lines — this 23-6 win was precisely what the Packers’ doctors ordered. They’re peaking at the line of scrimmage into a whopper of a Thanksgiving Day matchup.

* Emanuel Wilson warrants a regular role in this offense after his 28-carry, 107-yard, 2-TD afternoon at Lambeau Field. McGinn wonders if he deserves more carries than Josh Jacobs, too.

* J.J. McCarthy was bad. Really bad. What does it mean in the short and long term for the Vikings?

* The Chicago Bears are in first place. Not only that. They finally scored a victory against a team with a winning record, too. Albeit, one quarterbacked by Mason Rudolph. The same red flags keep reappearing, but there are also several trends on both sides of the ball that suggest the Bears can hold their own against better competition. Philly will be a test on Black Friday.

* How are the Bears coping with injuries at linebacker?

* Finally, we get to those Detroit Lions that survived by the skin of their teeth against the Giants. McGinn predicted a close game. He was right. Good thing Jahmyr Gibbs is on a different level.

* The excellent McGinn Memory looks back at arguably the greatest win in Lions history, 1962 triumph over Vince Lombardi’s Packers.

Video and audio is available above.

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ICYMI, our column on the Los Angeles Rams and Week 12 in the NFL.

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The Los Angeles Rams stated their case as the official 2025 heavyweights. Matthew Stafford is the MVP frontrunner.

Subscribers can read our Monday column for more.

And we hit record on a Substack Live to discuss further. As a reminder, be sure to download the Substack app to join future shows and ask any questions you’d like. Thanks to Tim P. and Tim R. for thoughts on the Panthers and Lions.

Upcoming…

“Real Football” with Jim Monos. Get a front office perspective on the NFL each week at Go Long.

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Ben Johnson is working his magic. The holiday season is closing in and he has the Chicago Bears (7-3) at first place in the NFC North. Then again, the Bears haven’t beaten a team with a winning record and their quarterback ranks near the bottom of the league in completion percentage.

Without question, the most perplexing team in the sport is the same team we took a close look at back on the eve of the 2025 season.

Fresh off yet another absurd finish, it’s time we made the Bears the lead story here on the Ty & Bob Pod.

Is this a team capable of making the playoffs and winning some games or is the fairy dust about to wear off? Here’s their gauntlet ahead: Steelers, at Eagles, at Packers, Browns, Packers, at 49ers, Lions.

Pro Football Hall of Famer Bob McGinn dissects the film as only he can.

Elsewhere, the quarterback known as “Nine” didn’t get much help from his receivers, but… yikes. This was ugly. It’s shocking that Kevin O’Connell insists on pushing the ball downfield.

Jared Goff had a miserable night in Philadelphia. Dan Campbell kept saying “hit me” at the blackjack table. How concerning was Detroit’s 16-9 defeat to the offensively-challenged Eagles? We discuss.

And we finish with the Green Bay Packers sweating out a 27-20 win over the New York Giants. Speaking of drops, Jordan Love’s receivers apparently dipped their hands into a giant bowl of butter. Yet, he kept firing. Ignore the box score. This was one of Love’s finest games in a while.

Two programming notes to share…

* This episode, I made an age-old podcasting blunder in letting my headphones serve as the “microphone.” The audio above is a little better than what you’ll hear on the video below.

* All podcasts in full are accessible right here at Go Long and the Substack app to our paid subscribers. But if you subscribe — and prefer to listen on Apple — bang it here to sync your account. Instructions on syncing on Spotify are also here.

Thank you, all.

Here is the video:

Six touchdowns later, survey says… Unleash Josh Allen.

These Buffalo Bills returned their shootout ways in a 44-32 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Reigning MVP Josh Allen was outstanding. Here on “Real Football” with longtime NFL exec/scout Jim Monos, we dive deeper into what this win means for this team at this time.

Topics on Episode 3 include…

* Why the Las Vegas Raiders are a case study into how not to build a team from scratch. The Geno & Jeanty law firm hasn’t produced. Tom Brady, the owner, is off to a rough start.

* Buffalo has issues… but there’s a clear solution: Allen in Full. That much was clear vs. Tampa Bay. What a performance.

* There’s hope for the Bills in the 2006 Indianapolis Colts. That run defense was even worse. Here’s the 2024 “Smash the Window” series referenced on the pod.

* Keon Coleman was benched. It was third time Buffalo needed to discipline him. What should Brandon Beane and Sean McDermott do with their top pick from ‘24? There’s an easy answer, Monos says. It’d send a message.

* Shedeur Sanders finally played. Shedeur Sanders was awful.

* Dan Campbell is probably still going for it on fourth down. (Yes, we both love it.)

* Caleb Williams hasn’t found much of a rhythm at all in games this season. He completed half of his passes on Sunday. And yet? The Bears keep on winning. We try to make sense of the league’s most unlikely 7-3 team.

Full video and audio is available right here at Go Long.

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Paid subscribers can access the 100-minute episode in its entirety. No ads. No sponsors. “Real Football” — like everything at Go Long — is fueled by you.

ICYMI, here’s my story from Highmark Stadium.

And here’s last week’s Friday Feature on Emeka Egbuka.

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Good afternoon, all.

The New England Patriots’ storybook season continues tonight. Mike Vrabel’s vision is coming to life sooner than the most optimistic locals could’ve expected. Drake Maye currently has the best case for MVP. It took one dynasty crumbling to ashes for the Patriots to rebuild again. But for two decades, the greatest coach ever (Bill Belichick) and greatest quarterback ever (Tom Brady) lorded over the NFL.

There have been many books written about those Patriots.

Now, there’s a definitive account of one of the best debates in sports.

Longtime NFL scribe Gary Myers has a new book out: “Brady vs. Belichick: The Dynasty Debate.” We chatted with Gary about his last book — “Once a Giant” — and welcome him back on the podcast talk “Dynasty.” Loved our chat. Right when you think you know everything there is about this quarterback and this coach, Myers gleans fresh anecdotes. We also touch on the Brian Daboll firing in New York.

Video and audio is above.

You can purchase a copy of “Brady vs. Belichick: The Dynasty Debate” right here.

Related:

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