The FAN Checkdown

Daniele Franceschi and Donnovan Bennett react to the final week of the NFL regular season, starting with the Lions' commanding win over the Vikings on Sunday night to take the NFC North crown and clinch the No. 1 seed. They discuss Detroit's resilience, Sam Darnold's playoff outlook after his rough finale and Jahmyr Gibbs' 4-touchdown statement. Then, they look at Wild Card playoff matchups and why the Vikings are vulnerable against the Rams. Later, they get into Aaron Rodgers' potential final game and his legacy after a rocky Jets tenure. Finally, they discuss Black Monday's movement with the Patriots moving on from Jerod Mayo.

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.

Sho Alli starts this episode of The FAN Checkdown looking ahead to the final weekend of the NFL regular season with Producer Mark Boffo. They dive into some of the juicier Week 18 matchups that could affect playoff scenarios, including the AFC North battles on Saturday between Browns-Ravens and Bengals-Steelers, as well as the clash for the top seed in the NFC between the Vikings and Lions on SNF to wrap up the season. They also give their thoughts on Minnesota Head Coach Kevin O’Connell’s likelihood to win the Coach of the Year award. Later, the guys look at the Chiefs recent dominance over the Broncos in a must-win game for Denver, and predict whether it will be the Bucs’ or the Falcons to represent the NFC South in the playoffs next week. Finally, they contemplate the most likely coaching victims of Black Monday following the completion of the regular season.

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.

Sho Alli kicks off 2025 on The FAN Checkdown looking at some of the biggest snubs of the newly released Pro Bowl rosters. Trey Wingo joins the show to break down what the Pro Bowl has become, the development of Saquon Barkley’s near-historic season, the Vikings' outlook come playoff time and beyond, and Dan Campbell finding a way with the Lions despite their injury woes. Later, ESPN’s Brooke Pryor comes on to chat about the Steelers and Russell Wilson’s effect on the organization, the quarterback’s future in Pittsburgh, and T.J. Watt’s DPOY chances (27:10). Finally, Super Bowl Champ Qadry Ismail jumps on to talk about the Ravens, Lamar Jackson’s MVP odds, and how explosive Baltimore’s offence has become (37:40).

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.

Sho Alli wraps up 2024 on The FAN Checkdown looking back on the Lions' 40-34 victory over the 49ers in San Francisco. JP Acosta of SB Nation joins the conversation to discuss Detroit's defensive concerns heading into the postseason, next week's pivotal matchup between the Lions and Vikings to decide the NFC North, and the potential bidding war brewing for Sam Darnold next season. Later, the duo chat about what the future holds for Aaron Rodgers, if Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers can survive in the playoffs, Mike Evans' Hall of Fame case, and how Bryce Young turned around his season in Carolina. Later on, The Athletic's Derrik Klassen checks in on Saquon Barkley's impressive first season with the Eagles, what lies ahead for Joe Burrow and the Bengals, and who's leading the MVP race with one week to go (26:17). 

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.

Sho Alli kicks off the penultimate episode of The FAN Checkdown in 2024 recapping all the action from Week 17 alongside TheScore's Brenden Deeg. They begin by discussing Raheem Morris and the Falcons' poor clock management in Washington, Michael Penix Jr.'s upside for the future, and Jayden Daniels' incredible rookie season. Later, the pair forecast how Round 1 of the NFL playoffs are shaping up, before looking into what differentiates this version of the Eagles from years past and who's leading the MVP race. After the break, Sho reacts to Dan Campbell's plan for his team tonight and what's next for Mike Vrabel after his contract as a Browns consultant expires today (26:50). Later on, Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports looks back on San Francisco's disastrous season to discuss what went wrong for the 49ers, how to fix things, and Brock Purdy's future (32:10).

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.

Sho Alli returns from a brief holiday hiatus and is joined by NFL Network's Adam Rank to discuss the lowest-scoring game of the season in Seahawks/Bears, and gets into the Christmas Day outings for Chiefs/Steelers and Ravens/Texans - are the Chiefs back to being a juggernaut just in time for the playoffs? Has Lamar Jackson closed the gap on Josh Allen in the MVP race? Afterwards, Sho runs threw the remaining games, including three on Saturday and nine on Sunday, to wrap up the Week 17 primer.

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.

Sho Alli sends The FAN Checkdown into the Christmas break looking back on this weekend's NFL action. He dives into Jayden Daniels' five-touchdown performance to add to his Offensive Rookie of the Year case, Saquon Barkley's tale of two halves in Washington, and Sam Darnold's gritty effort behind centre to beat the Seahawks. Kay Adams, host of Up & Adams, stops by chat about Netflix's Christmas Day NFL coverage, Josh Allen's MVP candidacy, and Kansas City's chances to three-peat (15:55). Later on, Andy McNamara, host of The Sick Podcast and betting host at Woodbine Entertainment, weighs in on some NFL award races including the Most Valuable Player, Offensive Rookie of the Year, Coach of the Year, and much more (26:40)!

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.

Sho Alli and Donnovan Bennett kick off Friday's edition of The FAN Checkdown looking back on the Chargers' 34-27 win over the Broncos last night. They discuss San Diego's pivotal fair-catch free kick, how Jim Harbaugh usage of his "favourite rule" spurred his team's comeback, Justin Herbert's strong performance behind centre, and Ladd McConkey's record-setting eighth-straight game with over 50 receiving yards. Next up, the guys look ahead to preview Saturday's NFL action featuring a clash of offensive titans in Houston and Kansas City, along with an AFC North battle between the Ravers and Steelers. Sho and Donnovan wrap up this episode breaking down the playoff scenarios for teams on the bubble, Sunday's marquee matchups and the Week 16 injury report.

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.

Sho Alli is back with Donnovan Bennett, and he catches up with his perspective from watching Falcons/Raiders in Vegas and weighs in on Kirk Cousins getting benched. Is the pocket passer now extinct in the modern NFL? Then, they discuss what to expect from a Michael Penix Jr.-led Falcons offence and whether Cousins has played his last snaps as an NFL starter. Then, they check in on the MVP race heading into Week 16 and whether Patrick Mahomes can still be considered the 'best QB in the league.' Finally, they tee up the Thursday nighter between the Chargers and the Broncos.

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.

Daniele Franceschi and Jesse Rubinoff kick off this edition of The FAN Checkdown alongside NFL Network host, Adam Rank! The trio begin by discussing the Falcons' decision to start Michael Penix Jr. in place of Kirk Cousins, what to expect from the rookie quarterback in his first NFL start this Sunday, and his fantasy upside. Later, Adam weighs in on who his most valuable fantasy player has been this season, along with the frontrunners in the NFL's MVP race. Later on, Colin Thompson, former NFL tight end and SiriusXM host, joins the conversation (32:37). Colin shares his thoughts on the evolution of the tight end position, Brock Bowers' incredible rookie season, and what separates the elite players at the TE spot. 

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.