Sports Krunch w/DKROM

Former All Pro NFL safety Steve Atwater joined me at the 2020 Reese’s Senior Bowl for a fun-filled interview. He discussed why the NFL is valuing hybrid, “positionless” defensive players more than ever, his thoughts on Super Bowl LIV, and his chances on getting enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame 

Thomas Reed, Browns beat reporter for The Athletic joined me at the 2020 Reese’s Senior Bowl to discuss the current state of the Cleveland Browns. He shared his thoughts on new Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski, whether or not Odell Beckham, Jr. will be a Brown in 2020, what the Browns may do with the 10th overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, and what the new front office structure should look like

Friend of the pod Turron Davenport, now covering the Tennessee Titans for ESPN, joined me at the 2020 Reese’s Senior Bowl to discuss immediate issues facing the Titans in the wake of their defeat in the AFC Championship. He mentioned how the Titans will keep Ryan Tannehill and Derrick Henry for 2020 and beyond, discussed what the Titans should do in the 2020 NFL Draft, and their plans at defensive coordinator in the wake of the retirement of Dean Pees 

Ryan O’Halloran, Broncos beat reporter for the Denver Post joined me at the 2020 Reese’s Senior Bowl to discuss the Broncos, what they should do in the draft with the 15th overall pick, their free agency plans (including contract negotiations with All Pro safety Justin Simmons), and the team’s ownership situation 

Vincent Bonsignore, Raiders beat reporter for the Las Vegas Review Journal, joined me at the 2000 Reese’s Senior Bowl to talk about the Raiders, their plans in the 2020 NFL Draft, why it doesn’t seem too likely they’ll pursue Tom Brady in free agency, and why Vegas will be a “home run” market for the Raiders and the NFL

Dave Richard, fantasy football analyst for CBS Sports, joined me at the Reese’s Senior Bowl to discuss the potential 2020 fantasy value of Joe Burrow and CeeDee Lamb (assuming he gets drafted by a team in which he’ll automatically be the go-to WR). He also gives a list of Senior Bowl participants he thinks can be fantasy relevant next season

1. Divisional Round Takeaways

Me: Bill O’Brien is squandering the Texans championship potential with Deshaun Watson and he must be fired NOW

Matt: MVP’s don’t win Super Bowls

2. Truth/Exaggeration 

-The Ravens blew their best chance to win a Super Bowl with Lamar Jackson

-If Antonio Brown doesn’t seek the right help fast, he will never play another down in the NFL

-The Giants will stunt Daniel Jones’ development if they hire Jason Garrett as OC instead of retaining Mike Shula

-Joe Burrow just authored the greatest single season performance in college football history and will be the next superstar NFL QB

-With a looming “cap crunch”, the Minnesota Vikings Super Bowl window might have already closed with Saturday’s loss to the Niners

-Regardless of what he thinks of the new coaching staff, the Browns must do all they can to trade Odell Beckham 

3. Coaching Carousel

-Browns: Thoughts on Kevin Stefanski hire?

-Broncos: Was it the right move to part ways with Rich Scangarello and bring in Pat Shurmur?

 4. AFC Championship Preview: Titans at Chiefs

-If Chris Jones doesn’t play, how much does that increase the likelihood of a Titans upset?

-Do you see the Mike Vrabel having a Belichick-esque game plan on defense to slow the Chiefs down like dropping eight or nine guys in coverage and conceding the run?

-Key matchups: Jurrell Casey, Jeffery Simmons, DaQuan Jones versus Chiefs iOL, Derrick Henry vs. Chiefs DL

-Game picks

5. NFC Championship Preview: Packers at 49ers

-Matt LaFleur is consulting Sean McVay on how to attack the Niners D. The Rams had some success doing so in Week 16 with a lot of boots and rollouts. How are the Niners better equipped to handle such concepts this time around?

-Will Aaron Rodgers have to be Superman for the Packers to win…or do you see them doing all they can to get Aaron Jones and the ground game going early and often?

-The Niners OL did a FANTASTIC job handling the Vikings front, especially in the run game. How much more difficult of a challenge will the Packers front be for them?

-Key matchups: Kenny Clark vs. Ben Garland, 49ers DL vs. Aaron Jones

-Game picks: 

6. BOLD PREDICTIONS

ME: AFC Championship goes to overtime. Chiefs get the ball first and are forced to settle for a field goal. Then on the ensuing possession, Titans win on a 90-yard TD run by Derrick Henry!

MATT: 49ers DL sacks Aaron Rodgers seven times

7. Challenge Flags

ME: GIVE US MORE LAST MINUTE DRAMA THIS WEEK!!

MATT: Andy Reid…GET THAT MONKEY OFF YOUR BACK!!!!

1. Wild Card Weekend Takeaways

Me: The Kirk Cousins hate must stop NOW

Hal: Redemption for Deshaun Watson and Kirk Cousins and emergence of the new guard (Titans)

2. Truth/Exaggeration 

-The NFL should modify its OT rules allowing each team to possess the ball in OT REGARDLESS of what happens on the first possession

-The NFL must adjust the Rooney Rule by putting in a requirement that teams MUST interview at least one minority HC candidate from OUTSIDE your organization that has never previously been an NFL head coach

-The winner of Saturday’s Vikings/49ers game will be the eventual NFC Champion

-The Redskins must NOT trade the second overall pick unless they get an RG3-style king’s ransom (meaning firsts in 2020, 2021 AND 2022) in return

-People should bet on the Vikings, Titans AND Texans to cover the spread this weekend

3. Coaching Carousel

-Cowboys: Michael Lombardi said that while Mike McCarthy is the perfect fit for the Cowboys given the fact that McCarthy isn’t a guy that’s going to upstage Jerry Jones, he is “skeptical” whether or not McCarthy will bring the team successful long-term. Do you share that view?

-Panthers: Do you think Matt Rhule will end up being the best hire of this cycle?

-Giants: Thoughts on the Joe Judge hire? 

-Browns: (Assuming McDaniels decides not to go there If the Vikings lose), should they immediately pounce on Stefanski? If Niners lose, should they pounce on Saleh?

 4. QB Carousel

-If Josh McDaniels stays in New England, how much does that increase the likelihood Brady stays? If Brady is not a Patriot in 2020, where does he play?

-What SHOULD the Saints do: Re-sign Brees? Re-sign Bridgewater? Re-sign Taysom Hill?

5. Divisional Round Weekend

-Vikings at 49ers (Analysis, Game Picks)

-Titans at Ravens (Analysis, Game Picks)

-Texans at Chiefs (Analysis, Game Picks)

-Seahawks at Packers (Analysis, Game Picks)

6. BOLD PREDICTIONS

ME: Dalvin Cook gets 200 scrimmage yards and 2 TD runs of 20+ yards

HAL: NEITHER Desahun Watson and Patrick Mahomes throw 200 passing yards or a TD

7. Challenge Flags

ME: Divisional round…be just as exciting as Wild Card  

HAL: Mike Zimmer and Mike Vrabel….DON’T TAKE YOUR FOOT OFF THE GAS

1. Week 17 Takeaways

Me: Brian Flores could be the best head coach to ever come off the Bill Belichick tree

Matt: Another Seahawks choke on the one-yard line (blame the delay of game)

2. Truth/Exaggeration 

-Browns owner Jimmy Haslam is now just as bad of an owner as the Redskins Dan Snyder

-Titans WR A.J. Brown should win Offensive Rookie of the Year award

-Dolphins WR Davante Parker should win Comeback Player of the Year award

-Out of all the four teams who earned first-round playoff byes, the Packers are the one most likely to be one and done

-The Detroit Lions should explore trading the third overall pick unless they like a certain player FAR more than others at that spot

-Alabama QB Tua Tagovailoa would be making a colossal mistake if he decides to return to school 

3. Coaching Carousel

-Redskins: With the hiring of Ron Rivera and the firing of Bruce Allen, how hopeful should Redskins fans be?

-Browns: Which head coach/GM pairing would be the most ideal?

-Kevin Stefanski/Andrew Berry

-Josh McDaniels/Dave Ziegler

-Mike McCarthy/Andrew Berry

-Cowboys: Outside of treating him like a family member and ending this gracefully and respectfully, is there any other legitimate reason to wait until Jason Garrett’s contract expires on January 14? Should Jason Garrett be given another role within the organization?

 4. Pro Football HOF Class of 2020 Modern Era Finalists (who would your five enshrinees be?)

Troy Polamalu

Edgerrin James

Reggie Wayne

Steve Atwater

John Lynch

LeRoy Butler

Isaac Bruce

Torry Holt

Zach Thomas

Sam Mills

Tony Boselli

Alan Faneca

Steve Hutchinson

Bryant Young

Richard Seymour

5. Wild Card Weekend

-Bills at Texans (Analysis, Game Picks)

-Titans at Patriots (Analysis, Game Picks)

-Vikings at Saints (Analysis, Game Picks)

-Seahawks at Eagles (Analysis, Game Picks)

6. BOLD PREDICTIONS

ME: Kirk Cousins throws for 350 yards and 3 TD’s in a losing effort

MATT: Tom Brady held under 200 yards and throws 0 TD’s, 2 INT’s

7. Challenge Flags

ME: Deshaun Watson…do what you do best

MATT: Home teams…take advantage of your home field and WIN!!!

1. Week 16 Takeaways

Me: The five best teams in the NFL right now imo are the Ravens, 49ers, Chiefs, Saints and Patriots. Yet, there is a very good chance that three of those teams will have to be playing on Wild Card Weekend as opposed to watching it in the comfort of their living rooms. This tells me there is also a stronger-than-usual chance that we will see multiple road teams prevail in the Divisional Round, and perhaps the Conference Championships too.

Hal: Bills are a team NOBODY wants to face in the playoffs

2. Truth/Exaggeration 

-Of all the teams who’ve finished in last place in their respective divisions this season, the Arizona Cardinals are the one in best position to take a sizeable leap forward in 2020

-Unless he gets seriously injured in the College Football Playoff, the Cincinnati Bengals should put Joe Burrow’s name in sharpie on their draft card with the first overall pick 

-It would be a scandal of monumental proportions if Chandler Jones does not make the NFL all-decade team of the 2010’s

-The Texans and Bills should follow the lead of the Vikings and Ravens and rest their key players on Sunday 

-Michael Thomas’s historic season and the potential HOF career he’s starting to put together should be the ultimate lesson to NFL teams to not make the 40-yard dash the end all/be all of WR evaluations (Thomas ran a 4.57 in the 40)  

3. Coaching Carousel/Black Monday

-Redskins: Eric Bieniemy, Ron Rivera (who is the better hire? Would you take the job if you were Rivera?)

-Giants: Should they fire Pat Shurmur or does Daniel Jones’ development this season warrant continuity?

-Falcons: Was it the right decision or wrong decision for them to retain Dan Quinn and Thomas Dimitroff for 2020?

-Jaguars: Currently, all signs point to both Doug Marrone AND GM Dave Caldwell surviving. Is that a mistake?

-Panthers: Albert Breer reported the Panthers could be interested in Patriots OC Josh McDaniels. What do you think that organization has in place that could lure him away from the Patriots for good?

4. Game of the week: 49ers at Seahawks

-Will Russell Wilson likely have to play one of the five best games of his career to date for the Seahawks to pull this one off?

-The 49ers are SORELY missing C Weston Richburg, who they lost for the season in their win over the Saints. While Jarran Reed and Poona Ford aren’t Aaron Donald, they are no slouches. Are those two capable of exposing Richburg’s absence almost as much as Donald did last Saturday?

-While the Seahawks lured Robert Turbin and Marshawn Lynch out of retirement, Pete Carroll said the Seahawks will lean on undrafted rookie Travis Homer for this game. How likely is it that Homer gets the lion’s share of backfield touches?

-Key matchups: Richard Sherman against whoever lines up across from him, George Fant vs. Nick Bosa,

-Game picks

5. Picks for remainder of Week 17 games

-Chargers at Chiefs

-Dolphins at Patriots

-Jets at Bills

-Browns at Bengals

-Packers at Lions

-Bears at Vikings

-Falcons at Buccaneers

-Saints at Panthers

-Redskins at Cowboys

-Eagles at Giants

-Cardinals at Rams

-Colts at Jaguars

-Raiders at Broncos

-Steelers at Ravens

-Titans at Texans

6. BOLD PREDICTIONS

ME: Chandler Jones sets the single-season sack record by sacking Jared Goff SIX TIMES!!!!

HAL: Daniel Jones 30 completions. 400 yards, 5 TD’s

7. Challenge Flags

ME: 49ers/Seahawks game…LIVE UP TO THE HYPE!!!!!

HAL: Jon Gruden and Raiders…TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS AND LET THE CHIPS FALL WHERE THEY MAY!