General managers spend seven months meticulously crafting a plan for the NFL season.

They piece together a winning formula and sell a contender to ownership, media and fans alike.

But you know the legendary Mike Tyson quote. Everyone has a plan until they’re punched in the face. Here at the midway point of the 2024 NFL season, several teams must decide whether they’ve got a realistic chance to win with their current group or if it’s time to plan for 2025. Even then, it gets complicated — what goes into those 2025 plans? Who stays, who goes?

For our new show this season — “How the NFL Works” — I welcome back an old friend: Jim Monos.

My former podcast co-host worked as scout for the Philadelphia Eagles and New Orleans Saints — winning a Super Bowl in 2009 — before taking over as the Buffalo Bills director of personnel 2013- ‘17. Now, he’s the GM for the Memphis Showboats of the UFL.

For an hour, we get into plenty…

* Are the Cincinnati Bengals contenders? Joe Burrow’s crew has a monster game tonight against the Baltimore Ravens.

* What now for the New York Giants. I tried to make sense of this team following their latest gut-punch loss in the Monday column. Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll decided to roll with Daniel Jones this season. While the 2-7 record isn’t all on the quarterback, Jones’ ceiling has been clear. We discuss how the Giants should navigate the rest of the season.

* The Bills are 7-2. Life’s always good when you’ve got Josh Allen at QB. But January Football should always be on this team’s brain. I ask Monos if the Bills are better equipped to win that inevitable playoff game against the Kansas City Chiefs.

* Why the 2024 Bills remind Monos of his 2009 Saints.

* And throughout the pod, we connect the issues of NFL teams present to Monos’ past. He faced all of these quarterback decisions running the Bills with GM Doug Whaley. More specifically, he understands the danger in sticking with a QB who isn’t the answer. His lesson: Find your guy.

Audio is above. Video is below. You can also catch this episode everywhere you pod, including…

Apple

Spotify

YouTube

Make you download the Substack app where we’ll continue to film “Substack Live” videos, like this one after the Bills’ dramatic win over Miami.

Miss our latest feature? Here’s a profile on the marauding maniac central to everything in Minnesota: linebacker Blake Cashman.

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