Sho Alli kicks off Thursday's edition of The FAN Checkdown alongside Andy McNamara of The Sick Podcast. The duo begin with a look at the early frontrunners for NFL MVP, before diving into the state of the Cleveland Browns including Jameis Winston's first start behind centre this year and Kevin Stefanski handing over the play-calling duties to Ken Dorsey. Later, Andy weighs in on the power rankings heading into Week 8, Kansas City's ability to overcome roster shortages, the next domino to fall in the wide receiver market, Puka Nacua's pending return and Sho's "Danger Zone" pick. Alec Lewis, Minnesota Vikings beat writer at The Athletic, chats about tonight's game at SoFi Stadium, Kevin O'Connell's impact from the sidelines and Sam Darnold's breakout season (27:20). Later, Alec and Sho look into how to stifle Kyren Williams' ground game, the rumours connecting Matthew Stafford to the Vikings and Minnesota's biggest area of need ahead of the trade deadline.

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.