Sports Krunch w/DKROM

Matt Verderame, the national NFL reporter at FanSided, joined me at the 2023 Reese's Senior Bowl to discuss why it's not a good idea for the Broncos to trade for Sean Payton (the trade was reported literally minutes AFTER this interview!), why the Bears should not trade down past the #4 overall pick, and what will likely be the deciding factor in Super Bowl LVII 

Chicago Bears beat reporter Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic joined me at the 2023 Reese's Senior Bowl to discuss what a potential trade back from the #1 overall pick would likely look like, the Bears free agency plans with $98 million in salary cap space, whether he thinks the team will try to trade for a certain star WR if made available, and potential cuts the team could use to create even more cap room 

Washington Commanders beat reporter Ben Standig of The Athletic joined me at the 2023 Reese's Senior Bowl to discuss the latest on the team's search for a new offensive coordinator, who their likely starting QB will be come Week 1 of the 2023 season, and the latest buzz on a potential sale of the franchise

Cowboys beat reporter Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News joined me at the 2023 Reese's Senior Bowl to discuss why the Cowboys parted ways with offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, why WR is a bigger need for the team than offensive line, the futures of RB's Tony Pollard and Ezekiel Elliott...and more!!!

1. Divisional Round Weekend Reactions

    -Biggest Lesson Learned (DKrom: Bills need to invest in OL/running game improvements to keep window open, Hal: Jerry Jones made a big mistake by trading Amari Cooper for peanuts)

    -GOAT of the Week (DKrom: Andy Reid, Hal: Joe Burrow)

    -DUNCE of the Week (DKrom: Sean McDermott, Hal: Doug Pederson)

2. Coaching Carousel

    -The first of five NFL head coaching vacancies was just filled today as the Carolina Panthers went with former Colts HC (and the first QB in Carolina Panther history) Frank Reich to be their new head coach. What grade would you give this hire? (DKrom: A-, Hal: A)

    -If you're DeMeco Ryans, do you take the Broncos or Texans HC job?

    -How good of a hire would Zac Robinson be for Justin Herbert and the Chargers?

    -Aside from not being Jeff Saturday, why would Raheem Morris be the right guy to lead the Colts going forward?

3. Do you think Nathaniel Hackett takes the Jets OC job if the Jets aren't confident about landing Aaron Rodgers? Hackett aside, how good of a fit are the Jets for Aaron Rodgers?

4. On a scale of 1-10 (1 being very good, 10 being very bad), what are your thoughts on making both the NFC and AFC Championship permanent neutral-site affairs?

5. 2023 Top-10 Mock Draft

    -#1 (Colts, from Bears): Bryce Young

    -#2 (Texans): C.J. Stroud

    -#3 (Cardinals): Jalen Carter

    -#4 (Bears, from Colts): Will Anderson

    -#5 (Panthers, from Seahawks): Will Levis

    -#6 (Lions): Devon Witherspoon

    -#7 (Raiders): Paris Johnson, Jr.

    -#8 (Falcons): Peter Skoronski 

    -#9 (Seahawks, Panthers): Myles Murphy

    -#10 (Eagles): Tyree Wilson

6. NFC Championship Preview (49ers at Eagles)

7. AFC Championship Preview (Bengals at Chiefs)

8. BOLD PREDICTIONS

-DKrom: 49ers defense sacks Jalen Hurts five times, holds him to under 75 rushing yards, and Fred Warner registers an 85-yard pick-six in the final minute of the game to give the 49ers a 27-17 win

-Hal: 49ers leading 22-17 late, nut Jalen Hurts finds A.J. Brown for his third TD of game to give the Eagles the 24-22 win

9. CHALLENGE FLAGS

-DKrom: Brock Purdy...play mistake free football

-Hal: Broncos, Cardinals, Colts and Texans...BE BOLD when hiring your new HC...and consider Eric Bieniemy!!!

1. Super Wild Card Weekend Reactions

    -Biggest Lesson Learned (DKrom: Brian Daboll has clinched COY honors, Hal: Division rivals meeting for the third time in one season is fun)

    -GOAT of the Week (DKrom: Logan Wilson, Hal: Brock Purdy)

    -DUNCE of the Week (DKrom: Brandon Staley/Joe Lombardi, Hal: Mike McDaniel)

2. Coaching Carousel

    -How ideal would it be for the Chargers if they hire Frank Reich as their new OC?

    -Do you get the feeling that if Sean Payton does decide to return to coaching in 2023, it will be with the Panthers?

    -Of the four known candidates for Patriots OC, who is most likely to get the job: Nick Caley, Keenan McCardell, Shawn Jefferson or Bill O'Brien?

    -If the Broncos HC job comes down to Dan Quinn or David Shaw, who would you choose and why?

3. Grading the GM hires

    -Cardinals (Monti Ossenfort): DKrom [B], Hal [B-]

    -Titans (Ran Carthon): DKrom [A+], Hal [A]

4. How ideal of a fit are the Atlanta Falcons and Arthur Smith's offense for Lamar Jackson?

5. Truth or Exaggeration

    -Not only will Tom Brady play in 2023, he will play all the way until the age of 50

    -The Detroit Lions will win the NFC North in 2023

    -If Jim Irsay gets his way and promotes Jeff Saturday to full-time HC, the Colts star players (i.e.: Quenton Nelson, Shaquille Leonard) will demand to be traded

    -Josh Harris will become the new majority owner of the Commanders

    -The Steelers made a big mistake by retaining OC Matt Canada

    -Ryan Tannehill will NOT be the Titans starting QB in 2023

    -The Cowboys/49ers Divisional Round playoff game will be the de facto NFC Championship

6. Bengals at Bills Preview

    -Which Bills front-four defender is the most capable of exploiting the injury-depleted Bengals OL? Because blitzing Joe Burrow ain't going to work

    -Do you anticipate the Bills using some similar run concepts the Ravens used to perfection against the Bengals last week?

    -Game-deciding matchups: Tyler Boyd vs. Taron Johnson, Joe Burrow vs. Matt Milano, Logan Wilson vs. Josh Allen, Trey Hendrickson vs. Spencer Brown

    -Picks

7. Cowboys at 49ers Preview

    -Outside of Dak Prescott at the all-important QB position, is there any other component of the Cowboys roster that gives them a leg up on the 49ers?? 

    -What is the main thing the Cowboys must do differently compared to last year's Wild Card playoff game against the 49ers in order to get their revenge?

    -Game-deciding matchups: Micah Parsons vs. any 49ers OL aside from Trent Williams, Nick Bosa vs. Tyler Smith or Jason Peters, Tony Pollard vs. Fred Warner, 49ers outside zone run game vs. Tre'Von Diggs

    -Picks

8. Picks for Jaguars/Chiefs and Giants/Eagles

9. BOLD PREDICTIONS

-DKrom: NEITHER team in the Bills/Bengals game will punt once

-Hal: Brett Maher will make all three PAT's...and kicks a 58-yard game-winning FG at the gun

10. CHALLENGE FLAGS

-DKrom: Cowboys...BE THE BULLY!!!

-Hal: Trevor Lawrence and Jaguars...you have nothing to lose...and go shock the world again!!!

1. Week 17 & 18 Reactions

-Biggest Lesson Learned (DKrom: 49ers now looking like NFC co-favorites at LEAST, Hal: The next generation of star NFL QB's are all in the AFC, thus prepare for AFC dominance)

-GOAT of the Week (DKrom: Danny Kellington, Hal: Danny Kellington)

-DUNCE of the Week (DKrom: Quay Walker, Hal: Cameron Achord)

2. 2023 NFL Draft

-Do you think Bryce Young and C.J. Stroud both showed in their Bowl games and this season that they have the talent that warrants a top-five pick?

-What is the wisest possible move for the Bears to make with the first overall pick: Stand pat and take best non-QB or trade back a few spots with the Colts at 4 and accumulate more picks?

3. Did we just see Aaron Rodgers play his final snap as a Packer, if not his final snap as an NFL QB altogether?

4. Coaching Carousel

    -Would you consider the Panthers as the most attractive head coaching job, even if Sean McVay leaves the Rams?

    -If the Cowboys go one-and-done in the playoffs again, would you be surprised if Jerry Jones fires Mike McCarthy?

    -Of the three hottest first-time candidates, which one do you see being the most successful: DeMeco Ryans, Shane Steichen or Ben Johnson?

    -If you were a head coaching candidate this cycle and the Texans offered you the job, how hesitant would you be to take the job given the fact that the Texans just fired two head coaches in the past two years alone?

5. Chargers at Jaguars Preview

-Headed into this game, what alarms you the most: The Chargers run defense, Trevor Lawrence's struggles the past two weeks, or the Jaguars inability to cover tight ends?

-Did Brandon Staley commit a fireable offense by playing the starters longer than he should have last week?

-Game-deciding matchups: Jamaree Salyer/Trey Pipkins vs. Josh Allen/Travon Walker, Walker Little/Jawaan Taylor vs. Joey Bosa/Khalil Mack, Jaguars iOL (Brandon Scherff, et al) vs. Chargers DL (Sebastian Joseph-Day, et al)

-Picks

6. Super Wild Card Weekend Game Picks

-Seahawks at 49ers

-Dolphins at Bills

-Giants at Vikings

-Ravens at Bengals

-Cowboys at Bucs

7. BOLD PREDICTIONS

-DKrom: Bucs put up 550 yards of total offense, including three 40+-yard TD passes from Tom Brady to Mike Evans

-Hal: Kenny Golladay makes game-winning TD reception with under 1:00 to play in 27-24 win over Vikings

8. CHALLENGE FLAGS

-DKrom: All teams with a head coaching vacancy...INTERVIEW STEVE WILKS!!!!!

-Hal: Tom Brady...make DKrom's bold prediction come true and don't go one-and-done!!

1. Week 16 Reactions

-Biggest Lesson Learned (DKrom: No clear cut Super Bowl favorite in either conference, Hal: SO much bad QB play around the NFL, more great ones are needed)

-GOAT of the Week (DKrom: Dak Prescott, Hal: Chiefs defense)

-DUNCE of the Week (DKrom: Russell Wilson, Hal: Titans/Colts/Broncos)

2. Do you get the feeling that the Walton/Penner ownership group will give the new Broncos head coach even more power than GM George Paton, essentially making the latter expendable as early as after the draft? 

3. Should the Jets offer the Ravens three first-round picks and one of their start young players (say Quinnen Williams) for Lamar Jackson? 

4. With the injury to Lane Johnson, how much danger are the Eagles chances of getting the NFC's #1 seed in?

5. Truth or Exaggeration

-Making the playoffs will NOT be enough to save Brandon Staley's job because Sean Payton wants to return to coaching in 2023

-Jim Harbaugh will remain at Michigan for the 2023 season

-The Jets will make the playoffs

-The Packers will make the playoffs

-With the AFC South crown not to be decided until Week 18,  both the Jaguars and Titans should rest their starters this week

-The 2022 NFL MVP will be the QB of the team that clinches the AFC's #1 playoff seed

-Even though it will very possibly (if not likely) cost them a playoff spot, the Dolphins MUST put Tua Tagovailoa on ice for the remainder of the season

-The Bengals are the most balanced team of the AFC's top Super Bowl contenders

6. Bills at Bengals Preview

-What is more crucial for the Bills to win this all-important game: The pass rush or the running game?

-What is the biggest adjustment the Bengals need to make on offense in order to compensate for the season-ending knee injury to La'El Collins?

-Key matchups: Ja'Marr Chase vs. Tre'Davious White, Tyler Boyd vs. Taron Johnson, D.J. Reader/B.J. Hill vs. Bills interior OL, Logan Wilson vs. Josh Allen

-Picks

7. Week 17 Game Picks

-Cowboys at Titans

-Jaguars at Texans

-Colts at Giants

-Saints at Eagles 

-Panthers at Bucs

-Cardinals at Falcons

-Bears at Lions

-Dolphins at Patriots

-Browns at Commanders

-Broncos at Chiefs

-49ers at Raiders

-Jets at Seahawks

-Vikings at Packers

-Rams at Chargers

-Steelers at Ravens

8. BOLD PREDICTIONS

-DKrom: Eagles win 24-21...and it's a game with only field goals as the Eagles kick eight and the Saints kick seven 

-Hal: Geno Smith throws 5 TD's against the Jets defense, including a bomb to Laquon Treadwell to win the game

9. CHALLENGE FLAGS

-DKrom: Panthers...DETHRONE THE BUCS...and give Steve Wilks the FULL-TIME HC job!!!!

-Hal: All teams on fringe of the playoffs...stay in the race and set up a chaotic Week 18!!!

1. Week 15 Reactions

-Biggest Lesson Learned (DKrom: The AFC has 3 legit Super Bowl contenders, Hal: Bengals are the hottest team in the NFL and prove there's no Super Bowl hangover in Cincy)

-GOAT of the Week (DKrom: Kirk Cousins, Hal: Trevor Lawrence)

-DUNCE of the Week (DKrom: Mike McDaniel, Hal: Jeff Saturday)

2. Can the Eagles afford to rest Jalen Hurts for these next 2-3 games?  

3. Would it be a big mistake for the Texans to fire Lovie Smith and move to a third head coach in three seasons?

4. Why are the Patriots committing SO many situational errors this season that are uncharacteristic of a Bill Belichick-coached team? What changes (coaching, FO, et al) need to be made after the season? 

5. Truth or Exaggeration

-With Steve Keim taking an indefinite, health-related leave of absence, the Cardinals should use this window of opportunity to move on from both him and Kliff Kingsbury

-Should they be picking at 2 or 3 overall in the draft, it is a better idea for the Bears to stay put and take either Jalen Carter or Will Anderson (if one or both are available) than to trade down for more picks

-Justin Jefferson is the best WR in the NFL right now...and the front-runner for 2022 NFL Offensive Player of the Year honors

-The Cowboys are going to flame out early in the playoffs again...and Mike McCarthy will be fired as a result

-If Aaron Rodgers decides to play at least one more year in Green Bay, the Packers should trade their first two draft picks for a disgruntled star WR

-Kayvon Thibodeaux will end up being the best pass rusher from the 2022 draft class

-Given their play the last three weeks, the Chiefs are no longer a shoo-in for the AFC's #1 playoff seed

-The AFC South won't be decided until Week 18 when the Jaguars host the Titans

6. Week 16 Game Picks

-Jaguars at Jets

-Bills at Bears

-Giants at Vikings

-Lions at Panthers

-Saints at Browns

-Falcons at Ravens

-Bengals at Patriots

-Texans at Titans

-Seahawks at Chiefs

-Commanders at 49ers

-Eagles at Cowboys

-Raiders at Steelers

-Packers at Dolphins

-Broncos at Rams

-Bucs at Cardinals

-Chargers at Colts

7. BOLD PREDICTIONS

-DKrom: Commanders defense sacks Brock Purdy six times, intercepts him three times, and forces him to fumble deep in his own territory twice...leading to two scoop-and-scores that are the difference in the game

-Hal: Phillip Dorsett throws TD and catches subsequent two-point conversion for Texans...and Christian Kirkey forces a Derrick Henry fumble inside final two minutes to set up game-winning FG

8. CHALLENGE FLAGS

-DKrom: NFL officials...THROW A FLAG when there's blatant pass interference REGARDLESS of what moment of the game it occurs

-Hal: All 32 NFL owners and Roger Goodell, spend more money on technology to improve instant replay system and hire a single official to handle replays for every game

1. Week 14 Reactions

-Biggest Lesson Learned (DKrom: The sky is the limit for Trevor Lawrence, Hal: Contenders starting to separate from pretenders)

-GOAT of the Week (DKrom: Baker Mayfield, Hal: Nelson Agholor)

-DUNCE of the Week (DKrom: Raiders DC Patrick Graham, Hal: NFL concussion spotter in NE/AZ)

2. If Tom Brady decides to play again next season, which team do you think makes the most sense for him?

3. Should the Lions be willing to ride with Jared Goff for the foreseeable future...or should they select a QB with one of their two first-round picks?

4. Truth or Exaggeration

-Sean McVay will step down as head coach of the Rams and take a broadcasting gig either after this season or next season

-The Panthers are equally as likely as the Bucs to win the NFC South

-A.J. Brown is a serious candidate for Offensive Player of the Year honors

-The Vikings will be one-and-done in the playoffs

-Brock Purdy will end up ahead of Trey Lance on the 49ers QB depth chart next season, regardless of who the starter is

-The Texans will select either Alabama EDGE Will Anderson or Georgia DT Jalen Carter with the #1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft

-Bengals DC Lou Anarumo will be a head coach in 2023

-The Dolphins are in danger of missing out on the playoffs

5. Dolphins at Bills Preview

-Have defenses cracked the code on the Dolphins offense? What does Mike McDaniel need to do in order to counter the press coverage they're seeing more often?

-With up to seven inches of snow possible Saturday night, do the Bills need to be prepared to run the ball more than they ever have the past two years or so (meaning with RB's and not Josh Allen)?

-Game-deciding matchups: Stefon Diggs vs. Xavien Howard, Tyreek Hill/Jaylen Waddle vs. Tre'Davious White, et al, Roger Saffold vs. Christian Wilkins

-Picks

6. Week 15 Game Picks

-49ers at Seahawks

-Colts at Vikings

-Ravens at Browns

-Steelers at Panthers

-Falcons at Saints

-Eagles at Bears

-Cowboys at Jaguars

-Chiefs at Texans

-Lions at Jets

-Cardinals at Broncos

-Patriots at Raiders

-Titans at Chargers

-Bengals at Bucs

-Giants at Commanders

-Rams at Packers

7. BOLD PREDICTIONS

-DKrom: Trevor Lawrence leads Jaguars on 99-yard drive in final two minutes culminating in a TD pass to Christian Kirk, giving the Jags a 35-34 upset win over the Cowboys

-Hal: Penei Sewell catches 1 TD pass...and runs for another

8. CHALLENGE FLAGS

-DKrom: Chiefs and Cowboys...DO NOT play down to competition

-Hal: Chargers, Jets, Ravens, Patriots, Dolphins...STEP UP TO THE CHALLENGE!!!!