Sports Krunch w/DKROM

1. Week 7 Takeaways

-DKrom: Packers assert themselves as legit Super Bowl contenders

-Hal: Jets and Steelers are polar opposites as franchises

2. Week 7 Honors

-GOAT of the Week (DKrom: Saquon Barkley, Hal: Ben Johnson)

-Dunce of the Week (DKrom: Todd Bowles, Hal: Chris Grier/Mike McDaniel)

3. I know the season is still young, but as of right now, is Jared Goff at least a front-runner for MVP honors?

4. How much does the acquisition of DeAndre Hopkins improve the Chiefs chances of becoming the first team ever in the Super Bowl era to three-peat?

5. Trade Grades

-DKrom (Chiefs: B+, Titans: B)

-Hal (Chiefs: A-, Titans: B-)

6. Truth or Exaggeration

-If they beat the Bucs on Sunday, the Falcons will be the 2024 NFC South champions

-No team outside of Carolina has a more bleak long-term outlook than the New Orleans Saints

-Jerod Mayo will only last two seasons as Patriots head coach barring massive improvement these next 12-14 months

-Broncos DT Zach Allen is the most important piece of the Denver defense not named Patrick Surtain II

-It's time to hit the panic button on the 2024 49ers season

-Rams WR Cooper Kupp will end up being traded to a contender for a second-round pick by the 11/5 trade deadline

-Russell Wilson is the best option at QB for the Steelers in the short-term

-Deshaun Watson has played his final snap as the Browns full-time starting QB

7. Bears at Commanders Preview

8. Week 8 Game Picks

-Lock: (DKrom: Lions over Titans, Hal: Ravens over Browns)

-Upset Special: (DKrom: Cardinals over Dolphins, Hal: Seahawks over Bills)

-Vikings at Rams

-Packers at Jaguars

-Colts at Texans

-Jets at Patriots

-Eagles at Bengals

-Falcons at Bucs

-Saints at Chargers

-Panthers at Broncos

-Chiefs at Raiders

-Cowboys at 49ers

-Giants at Steelers

9. Week 8 Bold Predictions

-DKrom: Commanders total 300 rushing yards with 150 of them by Marcus Mariota or Jayden Daniels...and Mariota/Daniels runs for 2 TD and throws 2 TD to Terry McLaurin

-Hal: Jaxon Smith-Njigba catches 4 TD in Seahawks upset win over Bills!!!

10. Challenge Flags

-DKrom: Lions, Broncos and other teams playing vastly inferior opponents...DON'T GET CAUGHT LOOKING AHEAD!!!!

-Hal: Teams hovering around .500...show us why you're a contender this week!!!

1. Week 6 Takeaways

-DKrom: The NFC North is the NFL's best division hands down

-Hal: The separation between the "haves" and "have nots" is starting to become more evident

2. Week 6 Honors

-GOAT of the Week (DKrom: Cole Kmet, Hal: Todd Bowles)

-Dunce of the Week (DKrom: Jerry Jones, Hal: Mark Davis)

3. Do you think acquiring Davante Adams gives the Jets at least a fighting chance to make the playoffs?

4. Trade Grades

-DKrom (Raiders: B, Jets: B-)

-Hal (Raiders: B, Jets: A-)

5. What does Amari Cooper add to this Bills WR room that they were completely lacking this season?

6. Trade Grades

-DKrom (Bills: B+, Browns: B+)

-Hal (Bills: A, Browns: B)

7. Truth or Exaggeration

-The Caleb Williams/Jayden Daniels comparisons must stop because both are equally as special and well on their way to becoming the permanent face of their respective franchises

-If they lose to the Patriots in London on Sunday, the Jaguars will fire Doug Pederson and Trent Baalke on Monday

-Starting this weekend, the Steelers will start alternating between Russell Wilson and Justin Fields from drive to drive, and even snap to snap

-Chris Godwin is the most underrated WR in the NFL

-Chargers DC Jesse Minter will be an NFL head coach no later than 2026

-With star LT Andrew Thomas lost for the season, Daniel Jones and the Giants offense will fizzle over the season's final 12 weeks

-With the return of DT Denico Autry from suspension this week, the Texans now have the most dangerous pass rush in the NFL

-The Lions will trade for multiple pass rushers before the 11/5 trade deadline

8. Lions at Vikings Preview

9. Week 7 Game Picks

-Lock: (DKrom: Commanders over Panthers, Hal: Bengals over Browns)

-Upset Special: (DKrom: Patriots over Jaguars, Hal: Broncos over Saints)

-Texans at Packers

-Dolphins at Colts

-Titans at Bills

-Seahawks at Falcons

-Eagles at Giants

-Raiders at Rams

-Chiefs at 49ers

-Jets at Steelers

-Ravens at Bucs

-Chargers at Cardinals

10. Week 7 Bold Predictions

-DKrom: Alvin Kamara spoils Sean Payton's return to New Orleans by catching 15 passes for 125 yards plus totaling 150 rushing yards on 20 carries plus 3 total TD

-Hal: Baker Mayfield throws 4 TD passes (3 of them to Chris Godwin)...and Vita Vea has a tip-pass INT to seal the win

11. Challenge Flags

-DKrom: Lions...WIN FOR HUTCH!!!!

-Hal: Aaron Rodgers and Jets...TIME TO PUT UP OR SHUT UP!!!

1. Week 5 Takeaways

-DKrom: 2024 is shaping up to be the year of the underdog in the NFL

-Hal: Passing attacks finally woke up this week

2. Week 5 Honors

-GOAT of the Week (DKrom: Daniel Jones, Hal: Joe Flacco)

-Dunce of the Week (DKrom: Zac Taylor, Hal: Joe Douglas)

3. If the Browns fail to bench Deshaun Watson ASAP, will it be the worst example of organizational malpractice on the part of an NFL owner that you've ever seen?

4. Will the firing of Robert Saleh and the potential change in offensive play-callers be enough to get the Jets into the playoffs? Or is Aaron Rodgers washed up or close to it?

5. Truth or Exaggeration

-By rushing Drake Maye into action against the Texans this weekend, the Patriots risk ruining him long-term

-The 49ers days as the NFC's best team are over

-Broncos DB's coach Jim Leonhard will be the hottest DC candidate this coming offseason

-In order to avoid the "Dan Campbell hangover", teams who play the Lions should plan on resting their starters that game

-The Raiders will select a QB with their 2025 first-round pick

-Packers TE Tucker Kraft is Green Bay's most dangerous offensive weapon outside of Jayden Reed

-The Bills should move heaven and earth to trade for Davante Adams

-With a win over the Ravens on Sunday, the Commanders will cement themselves as legit Super Bowl contenders

6. Commanders at Ravens Preview

7. Week 6 Game Picks

-Lock: (DKrom: Texans over Patriots, Hal: Eagles over Browns)

-Upset Special: (DKrom: Commanders over Ravens, Hal: Raiders over Steelers)

-49ers at Seahawks

-Jaguars at Bears

-Cardinals at Packers

-Colts at Titans

-Bucs at Saints

-Chargers at Broncos

-Falcons at Panthers

-Lions at Cowboys

-Bengals at Giants

-Bills at Jets

8. Week 6 Bold Predictions

-DKrom: Ravens will be leading 27-7 at the start of the fourth quarter, but Jayden Daniels hooks up with Terry McLaurin for three TD's of 30+ yards on consecutive drives that result in 28 unanswered points and the win

-Hal: Aaron Rodgers throws 4 INT's in the biggest stinker of his NFL career

9. Challenge Flags

-DKrom: Cowboys...keep feeding Rico Dowdle!!!!

-Hal: Drake Maye...do the little things right and don't try to do much else

1. Week 4 Takeaways

-DKrom: Ravens should've traded for Derrick Henry at the trade deadline last year

-Hal: Where is the offense?

2. Week 4 Honors

-GOAT of the Week (DKrom: Vance Joseph, Hal: Jared Goff)

-Dunce of the Week (DKrom: Doug Pederson, Hal: Jalen Hurts)

3. Quarter Pole Awards

-MVP (DKrom: Josh Allen, Hal: Sam Darnold)

-Offensive POY (DKrom: Justin Jefferson, Hal: Nico Collins)

-Defensive POY (DKrom: Pat Surtain II, Hal: Aidan Hutchinson)

-Offensive ROY (DKrom: Jayden Daniels, Hal: Jayden Daniels)

-Defensive ROY (DKrom: Laiatu Latu, Hal: T'Vondre Sweat)

-Comeback POY (DKrom: Damar Hamlin, Hal: Kirk Cousins)

-Coach of the Year (DKrom: Kevin O'Connell, Hal: Andy Reid)

-Assistant Coach of the Year (DKrom: Kliff Kingsbury, Hal: Kliff Kingsbury)

4. On a scale of 1-10 (1 being not at all to 10 being "hide the kids"), how much trouble are the Chiefs in offensively?

5. Truth or Exaggeration

-Bears fans should be VERY encouraged by Caleb Williams' progress these past two weeks

-Will Levis will be benched by the Titans due to poor performance at some point later in the season

-Nick Sirianni will be fired as Eagles head coach after the season

-The Raiders will end up trading Davante Adams to either the Jets or Saints by the 11/5 trade deadline

-The Commanders will win the NFC East this season

-Anthony Richardson will NOT be the long-term answer at QB for the Colts

-Matthew Stafford is more deserving of a Gold Jacket than Eli Manning

-The Texans are still a year away from being bona fide Super Bowl contenders

6. Bills at Texans Preview

7. Week 5 Game Picks

-Lock: (DKrom: Packers over Rams, Hal: Colts over Jaguars)

-Upset Special: (DKrom: Saints over Chiefs, Hal: Cowboys over Steelers)

-Bucs at Falcons

-Jets at Vikings

-Panthers at Bears

-Dolphins at Patriots

-Ravens at Bengals

-Browns at Commanders

-Giants at Seahawks

-Cardinals at 49ers

-Raiders at Broncos

8. Week 5 Bold Predictions

-DKrom: Raiders TE Brock Bowers breaks the all-time rookie record for receiving yards in a single game (213), on 9 receptions and 3 TD (all from 50 yards out)

-Hal: Brandon Aubrey makes 8 field goals....including the first 70-yard FG in NFL history

9. Challenge Flags

-DKrom: Jets...RUN THE DAMN BALL

-Hal: Jaguars...PROME ME WRONG AND GET THAT FIRST WIN!!!!

1. Week 3 Takeaways

-DKrom: Bills look like the best team in the NFL

-Hal: AFC is a muddled mess with a jumble of 1-2 teams

2. Week 3 Honors

-GOAT of the Week (DKrom: Dave Canales/Andy Dalton, Hal: Brian Flores)

-Dunce of the Week (DKrom: Shane Waldron, Hal: Luke Getsy)

3. On a scale of 1-10 (1 being not worried at all, to 10 being "full scale panic")...how worried are you about the 49ers right now?

4. Would you be shocked or surprised if the Commanders are either 5-4 or 6-3 by Week 10?

5. Truth or Exaggeration

-Jessie Bates was the linchpin of the Bengals defense in 2021 and 2022...and the unit has fallen off a cliff mostly because of his departure

-The absence of Pro Bowl C Erik McCoy these next 6-8 weeks will significantly hurt Alvin Kamara and the Saints ground attack

-Both Jaguars GM Trent Baalke and head coach Doug Pederson are on scorching hot seats right now

-The Dallas Cowboys will not make the playoffs this year

-With both starting OT's highly unlikely to be available this week plus a bye next week, the Chargers should rest Justin Herbert for Sunday's battle against the Chiefs

-Giants WR Malik Nabers will be a consensus top-10 player at his position by season's end

-Justin Fields will be the Steelers starting QB for the remainder of 2024...and beyond

-Either the Packers or Vikings will be the 2024 NFC North champion

6. Vikings at Packers Preview

7. Week 4 Game Picks

-Lock: (DKrom: 49ers over Patriots, Hal: Texans over Jaguars)

-Upset Special: (DKrom: Panthers over Bengals, Hal: Commanders over Cardinals)

-Cowboys at Giants

-Eagles at Bucs

-Saints at Falcons

-Rams at Bears

-Steelers at Colts

-Broncos at Jets

-Chiefs at Chargers

-Browns at Raiders

-Bills at Ravens

-Titans at Dolphins

-Seahawks at Lions

8. Week 4 Bold Predictions

-DKrom: Steelers will run for over 300 yards on the ground, 150 of them by Justin Fields, who scores four total TD (2 pass, 2 rush) in 28-7 victory

-Hal: Jayden Daniels completes 100% of his passes (15/15) for 250 yards and 5 TD

9. Challenge Flags

-DKrom: Ravens…learn how to TRULY play for 60 minutes

-Hal: 0-3 teams (especially Bengals and Titans)...WAKE UP!!!!

1. Week 2 Takeaways

-DKrom: NFL defensive play could be on the rise again

-Hal: Super teams missing in action thus far

2. Week 2 Honors

-GOAT of the Week (DKrom: Matt LaFleur, Hal: Klint Kubiak)

-Dunce of the Week (DKrom: Bears OL, Hal: David Tepper)

3. Contenders or Pretenders?

-Saints

-Bucs

-Vikings

-Seahawks

-Chargers

4. Panic or Patience

-Rams

-Colts

-Jaguars

-Ravens

-Bengals

5. Truth or Exaggeration

-The Panthers will end up trading Bryce Young at some point before the 2025 NFL Draft

-Tua Tagovailoa will only play one more season at most and then retire

-Saints OC Klint Kubiak will be a head coach in 2025

-The Chiefs offense will take a small yet significant step backwards due to the injuries to Isiah Pacheco and Hollywood Brown

-Regardless of how many games they win, the Bears MUST fire head coach Matt Eberflus if Caleb Williams isn't where he's supposed to be by season's end

-The Broncos will finish the 2024 season with the worst record in the AFC

-The NFC South will have a better combined record than the NFC East this season

-The Texans will win the 2024 AFC South crown by a pretty comfortable margin

6. Texans at Vikings Preview

7. Week 3 Game Picks

-Lock: (DKrom: Bucs over Broncos, Hal: 49ers over Rams)

-Upset Special: (DKrom: Cardinals over Lions, Hal: Giants over Browns)

-Patriots at Jets

-Bears at Colts

-Packers at Titans

-Eagles at Saints

-Chargers at Steelers

-Ravens at Cowboys

-Dolphins at Seahawks

-Panthers at Raiders

-Chiefs at Falcons

-Jaguars at Bills

-Commanders at Bengals

8. Week 3 Bold Predictions

-DKrom: Colts rookie DE Laiatu Latu will sack Caleb Williams five times, and the fifth will be a strip-sack that's recovered and returned for a TD by Zaire Franklin to win the game late in the fourth quarter

-Hal: Trevor Lawrence throws for 5 TD's...with 4 of them and 200 yards going to former Bills WR Gabe Davis

9. Challenge Flags

-DKrom: Skylar Thompson...be a point guard

-Hal: All 0-2 teams not named the Panthers or Broncos...PULL OUT ALL THE STOPS!!!

1. Week 1 Takeaways

-DKrom: The Deshaun Watson trade is looking like the worst trade in NFL history

-Hal: The days of bell-cow RB's could be back, C.J. Stroud's rookie season looking more like an anomaly

2. Week 1 Honors

-GOAT of the Week (DKrom: David Montgomery/Penei Sewell, Hal: Baker Mayfield)

-Dunce of the Week (DKrom: Will Levis, Hal: Antonio Pierce)

3. Should the 49ers entertain putting Christian McCaffrey on short-term IR?

4. QB Panic Scale (1 being "don't panic at all", 10 being "RUN FOR COVER")

-Caleb Williams

-Bo Nix

-Kirk Cousins

-Bryce Young

-Aaron Rodgers

5. Truth or Exaggeration

-There will be 10 or more kickoffs returned for TD during the 2024 regular season

-Drew Lock will be the Giants starting QB by Week 5

-The Bengals Super Bowl window with their current core has closed

-Lions WR Jameson Williams will have a breakout year and make their offense all but impossible to defend

-Justin Fields should remain the Steelers starting QB in Week 3 and beyond, even if Russell Wilson is healthy to play in their home opener next weekend

-With his play this season, Vikings QB Sam Darnold is going to make himself a fortune in 2025 free agency

-In the AFC, there will be one or two 10-win teams that miss the playoffs this season

-The Arizona Cardinals will win 7-8 games this season, if not more

6. Bills at Dolphins Preview

7. Week 2 Game Picks

-Lock: (DKrom: Chargers over Panthers, Hal: Packers over Colts)

-Upset Special: (DKrom: Vikings over 49ers, Hal: Bucs over Lions)

-Jets at Titans

-Seahawks at Patriots

-Saints at Cowboys

-Giants at Commanders

-Raiders at Ravens

-Browns at Jaguars

-Steelers at Broncos

-Bengals at Chiefs

-Rams at Cardinals

-Bears at Texans

-Falcons at Eagles

8. Week 2 Bold Predictions

-DKrom: Chargers run for over 250 yards combined against Panthers defensive front minus Derrick Brown

-Hal: Josh Jacobs run for 200 yards against the Colts defense in Packers win over the Colts

9. Challenge Flags

-DKrom: Jets...get Haason Reddick signed NOW!!!

-Hal: Bryce Young/Daniel Jones/Kirk Cousins/Deshaun Watson/Will Levis...step up and get that first win or risk losing your jobs!!!

1. Just how important is Brandon Aiyuk to the 49ers, especially when it comes to keeping their Super Bowl window open, and is it in the Niners best interest to extend him?

2. On a scale of 1-10 (1 being not at all, 10 being extremely so), just how short is Russell Wilson's leash in Pittsburgh?

3. A few months ago, you were adamant that the Patriots could not afford to rush Drake Maye into action too soon because of New England's porous offensive supporting cast. Does Drake Maye's preseason performance have you thinking any differently and if so, how early can the Patriots get him out on the field?

4. 2024 NFL Award Predictions

5. Truth or Exaggeration

-With Matt Judon and Justin Simmons now in the fold, the Falcons will have a top-14 total defense or higher this season

-Dalton Kincaid will lead the Bills in both TD receptions and receiving yardage in 2024

-Sam Darnold will make a very similar impact on the Vikings this year as Case Keenum did in 2017

-If Aaron Rodgers stays healthy, the Jets will win the AFC East

-The New York Giants have the worst QB room in the entire NFL

-Ja'Marr Chase will become the NFL's new highest-paid WR on the eve of Week 1

-With Kyren Williams’ new assignment as the Rams punt returner, rookie RB Blake Corum will get at least 1/3 of the carries for the Rams this season

-By season's end, Mike Macdonald's defense will become the NFL's most trendy defensive scheme

6. Ravens at Chiefs Preview

7. Week 1 Game Picks

-Lock: (DKrom: Seahawks over Broncos, Carl: Bengals over Patriots)

-Upset Special: (DKrom: Raiders over Chargers, Carl: Panthers over Saints)

-Packers at Eagles

-Vikings at Giants

-Titans at Bears

-Texans at Colts

-Jaguars at Dolphins

-Cardinals at Bills

-Steelers at Falcons

-Cowboys at Browns

-Commanders at Bucs

-Rams at Lions

-Jets at 49ers

8. Week 1 Bold Predictions

-DKrom: Seahawks D sacks Bo Nix 4 times, intercepts him three times, and holds him under 90 yards passing

-Carl: Lions RB Jahmyr Gibbs puts up 150 total yards and 3 TD in Lions win over Rams

9. Challenge Flags

-DKrom: Rookie QB's, expect early struggles and find a way to respond

-Carl: Offensive coordinators...don't be afraid to RUN THE DAMN BALL!!!!

1. What is the latest intel you've gathered on Courtland Sutton's contract situation and how does it most likely end?

2. If Jarrett Stidham just looks barely better than Bo Nix at the end of the day, can you see the Broncos rolling with the rookie in Week 1?

3. There are two other intriguing training camp battles I'll be keeping a close eye on as well. One is the center competition. The Broncos have three options to replace Lloyd Cushenberry in Luke Wattenberg, Alex Forsyth and veteran free agent signing Sam Mustipher. Who would you say is the early leader in that competition and if you had to make a prediction, who is snapping the ball for Denver to start the season?

4. The other three-way competition for Broncos fans to be ware of is for the boundary CB spot opposite Pat Surtain. Like the center battle, it consists of two recent draft picks (Damarri Mathis and Riley Moss) and a 2024 free agent pickup (Levi Wallace). Which of those three looked the best in your view during OTA's?

5. Outside of Bo Nix, which 2024 Broncos draft pick do you see making the biggest impact this season?

6. How big of an improvement should the Broncos realistically expect from their run defense in 2024?

7. A week ago, the Broncos finished an enormously urgent task as they agreed to terms with rising star G Quinn Meinerz on a four-year extension with a max value of $80 million and $45 million guaranteed. Meinerz and Pat Surtain were widely viewed as the two franchise "building blocks" for the Broncos. That obviously means that attention now shifts to getting a long-term deal done with Surtain. Would you be surprised if one got done at some point before or during the season, or do you think it's far more likely that something gets done next spring or summer?

8. One of the reported reasons why Bill Belichick didn't land a job in this coaching cycle is that several around the league view his coaching and managerial style as outdated. Sean Payton is cut from a very similar cloth as both he and Belichick were mentored by Bill Parcells. Given the state of the Broncos roster, it is well within the realm of possibility they bottom out and only win 3-4 games this season. If that happens and many players go to ownership and say Sean Payton's old school style wore thin on them, can you see the Broncos pulling the plug on the Sean Payton experiment after 2 years?

9. Record wise, what is the Broncos ceiling and floor for 2024?

10. Several minutes ago, we mentioned Quinn Meinerz and Pat Surtain as the two foundational pieces of the Broncos future. Obviously, the Broncos are going to need to discover several more such players in order for this rebuild to be a success. If there is any young Bronco that could emerge into that third foundational piece for this roster this season, who is it?

1. Which training camp position battles should Bears fans be paying the most attention to when the pads come on at Halas Hall?

2. Describe in depth what a successful rookie campaign for Caleb Williams will look like

3. Do you think new Bears OC Shane Waldron is an upgrade over Luke Getsy and if so, how big of an upgrade is he?

4. How realistic is it for the Bears defense to continue their remarkable momentum they had in the second half of 2023 into this year?

5. Which non-Montez Sweat DL would you say needs to step up the most this season? Do you anticipate the Bears to sign another DL during training camp?

6. How close is this Bears team to being able to beat both the Lions and the Packers?

7. Which 2024 Bears UDFA do you see making the 53-man roster and why?

8. If the Bears miss out on the playoffs both this year and next, can you see Matt Eberflus getting fired after the 2025 season?

9. Record wise, what is the Bears ceiling and floor for 2024?

10. Over/Under

-Caleb Williams (4000 passing yards)

-Caleb Williams (25 total TD)

-D.J. Moore (1400 receiving yards)

-Keenan Allen (1100 receiving yards)

-Rome Odunze (600 receiving yards)

-Montez Sweat (6 sacks)

-Bears defense (15 interceptions)