Go Long

We figured the NFC North would be a bare-knuckle brawl. That’s why we built a podcast around the division this 2024 season.

Six weeks in, there’s no debate. Minnesota (5-0), Detroit (4-1), Green Bay (4-2) and Chicago (4-2) occupy the best division in football.

So, let’s dive in.

A loaded episode for you this week with co-host Bob McGinn.

The Lions went full Tony Soprano on the Dallas Cowboys, but it came at a steep cost. We begin the show with a ton of Aidan Hutchinson talk. How will Brad Holmes and Dan Campbell replace the sole source of their pass rush? McGinn offers a few realistic trade options. Expect Detroit to be aggressive. It’s Super Bowl or Bust for this team.

How did the Lions dismantle the Cowboys, 47-9? McGinn dissects the film as only he can. The offensive line left a trail of bodies in its wake. Carlton Davis is starting to prove why he’s a perfect fit in Campbell’s defense, too… cleat to the face ‘n all.

At the 48-minute mark, we shift to the Packers’ blowout win over the Arizona Cardinals.

More specifically, wide receiver Romeo Doubs.

We got to know the wide receiver with a two-part feature:

There’s a lot to unpack.

Is Doubs pissed?

Where do the two sides go from here?

Here’s thinking the two parties are best together. Doubs is exactly what the Packers need on offense.

McGinn uncovers a lot on film, too. Rookies Edgerrin Cooper and Evan Williams are heating up in a big way. Zach Tom’s been excellent. Jaire Alexander is forever a topic of conversation.

As for the Chicago Bears? Caleb Williams is getting better every single week. Across the pond, the No. 1 overall pick torched Jacksonville for four touchdown passes. We both like what OC Shane Waldron’s dialing up on offense. Bears talk starts at the 1:20 mark.

This week’s “McGinn Memory” is a classic, too. Bob brings us back to his quarterback days in the U.P., when a future NFL pro lined up on the other side of the ball.

Full episodes of the Ty & Bob Pod are always available to our paid subscribers.

Audio is above. Video is below.

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The task, to most, appeared insurmountable. This was a Green Bay Packers franchise that had completely forgotten how to win.

When Ron Wolf took over as general manager in November 1991, the football team in the NFL’s smallest market was short on both talent and belief. With free agency looming, it was fair to wonder if the Packers would become obsolete. It had been 24 years since Vince Lombardi won his last title and — over those 24 years — these Packers made the playoffs only twice. (Many readers here certainly remember those dark ages.)

Then, Wolf changed everything.

All the Packers have known since his arrival is winning.

He traded for Brett Favre, hired Mike Holmgren, signed Reggie White and restored the glory days. Through his decade as GM, the Packers never had a losing season, won three NFC Central titles and, of course, reached two Super Bowls. The Packers triumphed over New England in ‘96.

So… how?

How did Ron Wolf make the team in this frigid pocket of the country a winner built to last? The GMs that’ve followed — Ted Thompson and Brian Gutekunst — were both hired by Wolf as scouts in the 90s and both followed Wolf’s blueprint. The Packers became a team that expects to compete for a championship every year. All a credit to Wolf, first and foremost.

General managers across the NFL are trying to turn organizations around. We’ve spoken to many.

Here on the third episode of “How the NFL Works,” Wolf explains in full how he did it. After so many years working as a personnel man for Al Davis and the Raiders (1963- ‘74, 1979- ‘89), a brief run as Tampa Bay’s VP of football operations (‘76- ‘78) and the Jets’ personnel director (‘90- ‘91), the timing was right. Wolf was enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2015. Today, his son Eliot is the GM of the New England Patriots.

Audio and video are available here for Go Long paid subscribers.

The written Q&A is also available:

New readers/listeners can join us here.

Topics discussed…

* What compelled Ron Wolf to trade a first-round pick for Brett Favre? The Bucs years taught him a valuable lesson. He knew he needed a quarterback.

* Was there a game, a practice, a moment Wolf knew Favre was exactly what the Packers needed? GMs across the NFL are waiting to be struck my cupid’s arrow at the position themselves.

* Favre should’ve been a New York Jet. Instead, he became a Packer and the trade launched the most unprecedented run of quarterback play the NFL’s seen.

* Green Bay had many disadvantages. To this day, it’s hard to convince players in their mid-20s to live in Wisconsin. But Wolf didn’t overthink the negative. He knew there were many built-in advantages to running a football team here… and he played off those advantages. He was determined to make Titletown a Destination Town. Right down to finding the best barbers he could, Wolf make this a player-friendly operation.

* Hiring Mike Holmgren. (The 49ers OC was the “girl with the curl,” Wolf says.)

* Signing for Reggie White. (Sometimes, it simply pays to pay the most money.)

* All these years later, he still thinks about the Packers’ Super Bowl XXXII loss to the Denver Broncos. Wolf reveals his great regret.

* Why he believes Sterling Sharpe should join him in Canton.

* Several personnel men under Wolf have spread his philosophy to other franchises. One, John Dorsey, helped build the best team in the NFL. Another, John Schneider, is still going strong in Seattle. Thompson, of course, won a Super Bowl in 2010.

* Drafting Donald Driver. (The Chicago Bears are to thank.)

* Trading for Ahman Green. (He knew the running back was in Seattle’s doghouse.)

* And the best feeling of them all? Winning the NFC Championship at Lambeau Field over the Carolina Panthers.

Thank you for listening, watching and sharing. You’ll enjoy this one.

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Miss an episode of “How the NFL Works?”

* How the NFL Works, S1 E1: Building the 2024 Quarterback with Quincy Avery

* How the NFL Works, S1 E2: Life After Football with Ryan Leaf

Wide receivers aren’t getting open.

Josh Allen had one of the worst games of his career, completing 9 of 30 passes.

The protection broke down.

The playcalling those final three snaps — to put it mildly — was less than ideal.

After starting 3-0, the Buffalo Bills have lost two straight to AFC contenders. Where does GM Brandon Beane, head coach Sean McDermott, Allen and this Bills offense go from here? There’s a lot to unpack. On the podcast, we try to make sense of it all with Jay Skurski of The Buffalo News. The key, as always, is to maximize Allen while you can. But the offense hasn’t looked this bad since the quarterback’s rookie year.

We’ve got our two main podcasts, of course: “How the NFL Works” and the “Ty & Bob Pod.” But in addition to these shows, I’m going to bring back more weekly analysis with various media guests.

You can listen here at GoLongTD.com and over at Apple, Spotify, everywhere you pod.

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Next up for the Bills is a date with Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets on Monday Night Football. This is an old quarterback experiencing issues of his own.

Thanks for listening.

The underbelly of this league is often gruesome.

Sadly, the NFL itself chooses to ignore that underbelly.

That’s why Ryan Leaf has become so valuable to droves of former players — he’s living proof. Many remember Leaf as the quarterback drafted No. 2 overall after Peyton Manning, the “bust” who threw 14 touchdowns, 36 interceptions and washed out of the sport. But everything that’s happened since he left the NFL is the real story. Leaf battled severe depression and eight years of opioid abuse. Breaking into the homes of friends to steal Oxycodone and Vicodin, his addiction was out of control.

Leaf attempted suicide, slicing his wrist with a dull life. He once considered letting his car run in his parents’ closed garage so they’d find him.

Leaf spent 32 months in prison.

Leaf completely turned his life around.

The goal of our new show — “How the NFL Works” — is to bring you football in its most unfiltered form, so it only makes sense to bring on the man unafraid to reveal what life’s like for players after the whistle. Because Leaf also knows this: He’s not alone. He has become a go-to resource for players throughout the NFL. Original Go Long readers may remember the QB’s first visit with us, shortly after former NFL wideout Vincent Jackson tragically died. (It was very emotional.)

For an hour here, we take the conversation a step further.

Audio is above. Video is below.

Written transcript is available here:

A few topics discussed…

* How he has linked up with ex-players at the Menninger Clinic in Houston.

* Why he views the NFL as a “propaganda” and “money-printing” machine. Criticize the NFL and there’s a good chance you’re not welcomed onto the league’s morning show.

* Troy Vincent. He’s got a problem with the league’s executive vice president of football operations.

* Conversations with struggling ex-players. Many, like him, are having suicidal ideation. He takes listeners into this cruel world that’s not broadcast to the masses. His message to guys: “You could move mountains 100 times what you did as a football player.”

* The “identity crisis” players face once they enter the real world after a life in football.

* Leaf’s prison roommate convinced him to teach other inmates how to read. This gave Leaf a sense of purpose, even if he didn’t see it at the time. That sense of purpose changed everything in his life. Still, by no means does Leaf want people thinking a flip was switched and he’s in the clear. Staying sober for 12 years (and counting) is a daily struggle. He nearly relapsed right when he got out of prison, then again years later. Leaf relives both days in immense detail.

* Why he views himself as a “lighthouse.”

* Painkillers in football. They keep players on the field, but at what cost? It was a problem when Leaf played, and he’s heard it’s still a problem.

* Today? Leaf is happily married with two kids, calls college football games, does work with the Menninger Clinic and started a new venture with “The Last Mile,” in which the ex-QB helps current inmates learn a skill they can take into the workforce once they’re released. This work will also be featured on a new SiriusXM radio show.

* Leaf recently walked into the prison in which he was incarcerated. The anxiety was overwhelming. He saw the same guards who treated him poorly. Then, he remembered his larger purpose.

* What should the NFL do to help retirees?

Thank you for reading, listening, watching and sharing Go Long with a friend.

Have a question? Reach us any time at [email protected].

We are your completely independent home for longform journalism in pro football.

* Miss Episode 1 of “How the NFL Works?” Here’s my conversation with quarterback whisperer Quincy Avery.

Also, here is Leaf’s first chat with us, icymi:

Is there a new King of the North?

Well, it’s early.

But these Minnesota Vikings look damn good.

Here on the “Ty & Bob Pod,” we dissect Packers-Vikings in great detail with Hall of Fame scribe Bob McGinn. Should the Green Bay Packers have started Jordan Love? Who’s the better back — Aaron Jones or Josh Jacobs? Why is Sam Darnold an early-season MVP candidate. The film revealed plenty.

We also dive into last night’s Lions-Seahawks thriller. David Montgomery, profiled here, again ran like a man possessed, Jared Goff was a perfect 18 of 18 and (Bob’s favorite) Jameson Williams busted loose. Dan Campbell’s crew outlasted Geno Smith… but there were concerning red flags. They need a pass rusher ASAP.

Finally, what about those Chicago Bears? Caleb Williams looked more than competent with a ground game. Let’s not sleep on this team yet.

McGinn’s weekly memory is another classic, too.

The full 1-hour, 54-minute podcast is available to Go Long paid subscribers.

A subscription gets you access to the “Ty & Bob Pod,” “How the NFL Works” and, of course, all columns and all features here at Go Long, your home for longform.

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It’s time for everyone to take Sam Darnold and the Minnesota Vikings seriously. Kevin O’Connell just may have some “special shit” brewing.

Optimism is high in Wisconsin, too.

Somehow, the Packers have coasted to a pair of victories with Malik Willis in and Jordan Love out.

Let’s get into everything for another marathon podcast with your pal, my pal: Hall of Fame scribe Bob McGinn.

We open with general MNF banter. I was at Highmark Stadium for the Bills’ punishing win over Jacksonville, while McGinn watched Washington-Cincinnati. A full Vikings-Texans breakdown begins at the 10-minute mark. The Aaron Jones Effect has been real in Minnesota, and we discuss why Brian Flores’ defense is special. The Vikings’ ability to pivot out of the sort of disaster that ruins organizations is impressive, though McGinn cites a few flaws in Darnold’s performance that could come back to bite.

Packers-Titans analysis kicks off around the 41-minute mark. Jaire Alexander’s pick-six was a game-changer, we’re both very high on running back Emmanuel Wilson and what about that pass rush? With eight sacks, the Packers attacked in waves — Kingsley Enagbare, profiled here, was a force.

Detroit Lions talk commences around 1:07:40. Yeah, they won. But injuries are piling up. How will the Lions adapt? It wouldn’t hurt if James Houston, profiled here, decided to come on like he did his rookie year. The secondary’s play is a worthy silver lining.

As always, we cap with a “McGinn Memory.” Bob’s got another doozy from Bart Starr’s coaching career at 1:32:30.

Full audio (above) and video (below) is available for our paid subscribers.

A membership gets you access to all episodes of the “Ty & Bob Pod” and “How the NFL Works,” in addition to all features, columns, and community features here at Go Long.

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You may remember Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila sacking quarterbacks at will with the Green Bay Packers at the turn of the century. His get-off speed was rare. Only Clay Matthews has sacked the quarterback more as a Packer.

He was a player who loved chatting up teammates, coaches and media members alike about faith. A lot. That’s not uncommon.

Everything that happened from about 2019 on? Well, that has raised eyebrows.

There’s a good chance you stopped everything you were doing to read Kalyn Kahler’s compelling series at Sports Illustrated, “Pray for Kabeer.” The story of KGB’s life took a dark turn in the public eye when he sent two friends to his children’s school with guns. She explored in-depth.

These last few years, Kahler drove the story of Kabeer and Straightway Truth Ministry further with her new podcast: “Spiraled.”

Gbaja-Biamila isn’t alone. Other ex-NFL players — including another ex-Packer —have also joined Straightway and made news for the wrong reasons.

We chatted all about the show here on the Go Long Podcast. It’s a chilling tale that’ll have you binging in a hurry.

Today, Kahler is an NFL senior writer at ESPN. You can follow her on X.

Listen to episodes of “Spiraled” everywhere you access podcasts, including Apple and Spotify.

Thanks, everyone.

Also, icymi, here’s the debut episode of our new podcast at Go Long, “How the NFL Works.”

Good morning! And welcome to our new show: “How the NFL Works.”

The goal at Go Long is to always deliver pro football coverage in its realest, rawest form. We want to take you behind the curtain.

In that vein, every other week, I’ll chat with a unique guest who’ll zero in one fascinating aspect of the sport. Subscribers can access full audio (above), video (below), as well as the written transcript in a separate post. We’ll explore everything — from life as an area scout to constructing a roster to playing through unspeakable pain. Expect a wide range of players, coaches and scouts all season.

First up is the exceptional quarterbacks coach, Quincy Avery.

The man behind “QB Takeover” has worked with countless quarterbacks we all watch on Sundays: Geno Smith, Jalen Hurts, Deshaun Watson, Justin Fields, Jordan Love, C.J. Stroud, Malik Willis and Joshua Dobbs to name a few. So what exactly is the ideal modern quarterback in 2024?

You’ll love Avery’s analysis and honesty.

A few topics discussed:

* What makes the perfect quarterback in 2024. Avery ranks the attributes. No. 1? “Confidence.” You heard Avery say “confidence is a muscle” in our Browns story. He elaborates on this episode.

* Why Sam Darnold and Kevin O’Connell have been such a phenomenal fit in Minnesota… and why Bryce Young’s confidence has been shattered. Swap Young and Tua Tagovailoa and Avery thinks the results would be the same. He explains. (And he also offers one potential trade destination for Young.)

* Avery has worked closely with Watson, back to the QB’s Texans days. There’s a lot to unpack when it comes to the Cleveland Browns quarterback, on and off the field.

* Quarterbacks are running more than ever. Avery explains why this trend has revved into overdrive. And it all brings him back to his days as a volunteer coach at UCLA. (He once lived out of his car for 19 months.)

* His training methods. Avery details how he trains quarterbacks, offering a few specific trade secrets. Throwing off-platform is an art form — he knows how to simulate discomfort. He’ll bring a chess board right to the practice field.

* If Patrick Mahomes doesn’t land in Kansas City, what would’ve happened?

* Out of nowhere, Geno Smith not only saved his NFL career. Avery believes he’s a Top 5 quarterback. It takes a mental toughness to last nearly a decade as a backup.

* He’s never been a huge fan of Baker Mayfield, but Avery cannot ignore what the Bucs QB has done.

We learn a ton on this first episode of “How the NFL Works.”

Thank you, everyone, for your incredible support.

Unlike 99.9 percent of the podcasts out there, our shows will be completely independent. No ads. No sponsors. We’re proud to say Go Long is 100-percent fueled by you. We’d love it if you shared the word with a friend.

Full video is below.

Full Q&A transcript is here.

Two games in, the Minnesota Vikings think it’s a damn fight. First, Kevin O’Connell’s crew clobbered the Giants. Next, they stunned the defending NFC Champions.

Can it last?

Here on the “Ty & Bob Pod” at Go Long — with Hall of Fame scribe Bob McGinn — we take a close look at the Vikes’ 23-17 win over the San Francisco 49ers. Sam Darnold wasn’t perfect, but he’s unafraid to pull the trigger. It’s working. Brian Flores’ defense has been unlocked, too. We’ll learn a lot about this team with Houston and Green Bay on deck.

Lions-Bucs talk begins at the 34:35 mark. Why Dan Campbell’s team lost to Tampa Bay may surprise you. McGinn uncovers everything on film.

Bears-Texans analysis begins at 55:10. How concerned should Bears fans be about Caleb Williams on a scale from 1 to 10? We discuss. The USC quarterback — facing a history of quarterback ineptitude — is off to a rocky rookie season.

Then, around 1:08:50, it’s on to Packers-Colts. This was one of Matt LaFleur’s most impressive wins as head coach. Twenty days after signing, quarterback Malik Willis gets a win. Talk about emasculated. Good grief, the Indianapolis Colts likely flew back home with their tail between their legs. Green Bay ran the ball on 53 of 67 plays.

As always, the episode concludes with a “McGinn Memory.” This one features a player from the 90s who’d answer every single question inside the Packers locker room, win or lose.

Thank you for listening and sharing.

Full episodes are always available to our paid subscribers at Go Long.

Audio is above. Full video is below. Icymi, here’s my Monday column and profile of Vikings safety Harrison Smith.

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The NFC North promises to be one of the best divisions in football. It’s loaded with intrigue.

Bob McGinn, enshrined in Canton for his distinguished career covering the NFL since 1979, remains extremely plugged into the league and has plenty of analysis to share. He’s still studying the tape unlike anyone in the business.

Thus, the “Ty & Bob Pod” continues for another season right here at Go Long. I’m thrilled to welcome back my former Milwaukee Journal Sentinel colleague. Our focus stays on the North, but we’ll also examine big-picture topics across the entire NFL.

Episode 1 of the 2024 season is accessible to everyone. Audio is above and video is below.

Starting next week, the show is again exclusive to paid subscribers.

On this episode, McGinn begins with a full breakdown of the Green Bay Packers’ Week 1 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. Position-by-position, he examines what went right and what went wrong. He also explains why he believes the Green Bay Packers can win the Super Bowl and what Jordan Love trait stands out to him most. Around the 50-minute mark, we dive into those Super Bowl-contending Detroit Lions and how this team is a complete reflection of their head coach, Dan Campbell. Once again — in Detroit’s overtime win over L.A. — everyone saw precisely what makes the core of these Lions different.

They fight, yes. But they’re also smart.

At the 1-hour, 27-minute mark, McGinn dissects the Chicago Bears’ bizarre opening win over Tennessee. Sam Darnold looked damn good in his Vikings debut, too.

As always, we cap the show with a “McGinn Memory.” This week, my co-host looks back at the time a young Aaron Rodgers read him the riot act inside the locker room.

A few pieces discussed on the podcast are linked right here for reference.

Thank you, everyone.

* Carlton Davis bows to no man

* D.J. Reader will never break

* DNA of the Lions

* Jordan Love will be an all-time great

* How the Detroit Lions bring ‘grit’ to life

* 'The Problem,' James Houston, is The Future

* Mike Daniels Q&A: 'When are we going to punch somebody in the face?

* You’re up Caleb Williams

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