Pete Prisco

The Bears are still a year away from being real contenders

I'm a little more realistic because I look at the schedule and see, you know, that they really have what—they played one team with a winning record and lost to 'em. I'm a little apprehensive... I just don't think this is their year. I think they're a year away.

Sam Darnold will eventually revert to his old, mistake-prone self because 'you are what you are'

Usually this league you are what you are. You're gonna have moments where you're up here... and moments when you're down here... eventually you're in the middle and that's who you are... [Sam Darnold] looked frazzled [last week] and that can't happen. It just can't happen in the big games... there's a Sam Darnold problem at least in my mind.

The 7-4 Chargers will miss the playoffs

They're not making the playoffs... and it's gonna come down to that Chiefs Chargers game and I think the Chiefs will beat 'em. They're seven and four, but if you look at their schedule, it's brutal. And that offensive line is horrible. Yanked [Penning] out of the game. It's a terrible offensive line.

The Jaguars will make the playoffs because their remaining schedule is extremely easy

Jacksonville [will make the playoffs]. Look at their, look at their schedule. It's a joke... if they beat the Cardinals this week, then they got the Titans and then the Colts at home and they never lose to him and the Jets at home, they should win three or four of those games.

Dan Campbell's fourth-down aggression is 'aggressive stupidity'

Dan Campbell goes for it all the time... I'm okay with aggression. I'm not okay with aggressive stupidity. That's the [difference]... if he had kicked field goals the other night, would he have won the game?

The Bills will win 13 or 14 games and have a very favorable schedule

I think the bills run away with it. And if you look at the Bill's schedule, the bill's schedule is as favorable as any first place team has ever had... I they have to look to me of a 13 win team. I really believe that. Maybe 14.

The Raiders will only win five games because their defense lacks talent

Yeah, they [the Raiders] might win five games... When I look at their defense, there's not a lot of talent on it... I worry about the defense. I do think they'll be pretty good on offense... but I worry about the defense.

Jaxson Dart will start for the Giants before Dylan Gabriel starts for the Browns

I think [Jaxson] Dart's gonna come in [for the Giants] before Dylan Gabriel comes in in Cleveland. Yes I do.

The Buccaneers are legitimate Super Bowl contenders in the NFC

Bucks. More bucks. I think they're one of the teams that could push for the Super Bowl in the NFC. I love the Bucks. I think the make everybody's back on offense... They're gonna be the team to beat in that division.

Travis Kelce is more name than game at this stage of his career

Kelsey, the football player isn't the same as he used to be. Let's be real... he's more name than game than he is been in the past.

The Bills will defeat the Packers in the Super Bowl

Green Bay over Philly [in the NFC Championship]... and Buffalo over Green Bay [in the Super Bowl]. There's gonna be a party like they've never felt in Buffalo.

CJ Stroud will be the 'Least Improved Player' of the year due to offensive line issues

CJ Stroud. I don't think it's gonna be his own doing either. I think that line, I think that line's a problem. And once the line's a problem, it really speeds up the quarterback and it becomes a problem for him too.

NFL players prioritize money above Hall of Fame status and Super Bowl rings

Of course it's always about the money... I go around and ask players, rank 'em. I think they all rank first money... then Hall of Fame... and then the ring is third. You know what, they don't sell their money on eBay.

Aaron Rodgers to the Steelers is the only logical move left and he looked like himself late last season.

If it's not Pittsburgh, where is it? The Giants? And it doesn't sound like he wants to do that, so it has to be Pittsburgh. ... Aaron Rodgers finished with 28 touchdown passes last year. ... At the end of the year he started looking like Aaron Rodgers. So I think if Pittsburgh were smart, they find a way to make that work.

Michael Penix Jr. is going to be a really good NFL quarterback.

I like the makeup of the offense. I think [Michael] Penix is gonna be really good, but defensively they need to get a pass rusher. And I think that that surprised me a little bit because there were some guys on the market that they could indeed go get.

Baker Mayfield is a better quarterback than Jalen Hurts and I would take him for the next five years.

Would I take Baker Mayfield over [Jalen Hurts] for the next five years? Yeah... I would take Baker. It's close. They're the same. They're all, like I said, they're in the same grouping. ... I'm not gonna call [Hurts] a weak link of the offense. But if you had to, if number four is the weak link, then he's the weak link of the offense.

Jalen Hurts is not an elite quarterback and ranks in the 6-15 range, while Jayden Daniels is already elite.

Quarterbacks, there's five elite quarterbacks including Jayden Daniels by the way. There's five right now. Then the rest of them are kind of lump from, from six to 13 or 14. They're all kind of in together. That's the difference. That's what the league is right now. And Jalen Hurts is in six to 15. It's just your preference.

The Rams offense has no speed and nobody on that side of the ball scares you.

The Rams need to get faster. ... you look at their offense. What do you, what what? They have no speed on that offense. There's none. Nobody scares you. They brought Tutu Atwell back 'cause he is, you know, he's the only speed they have. But everybody plays him in a foam booth. The running back's not fast. The wide receivers aren't fast. They're good players. They're not fast. They gotta get fast.

Kyle McCord has a chance to be an NFL starter if drafted in the middle rounds

A guy I would take in the third or fourth round would be McCord from Syracuse... I think McCord has a chance to be, if he draft him a third or fourth round, he can end up being, you know, a starter down the road.

The Green Bay Packers will win the Super Bowl this season

The Packers gonna win the Super Bowl. Watson's on the field, he's a big, big play receiver. You're gonna open things up with that guy. Then you look at the running game, I think they're more physical... they bring in a defensive coordinator and Jeff Hafley who can get after it. I love what they've done on defense and I love what they're doing on offense. They're the best team in that division.

The Buffalo Bills window is not shut and they will reach the Super Bowl

I got Buffalo going to the Super Bowl. The whole idea of the window shutting on the bills is this stupid dumb talk that people throw out there... As long as Josh Allen is slinging the football in Buffalo, they will have an open window period. End of story.

Russell Wilson is washed up and will only play 4-5 games this season

How many games do you think Russell Wilson's gonna play this year? Four. Barring injury. Four or five. He's not... and then they're gonna pull the plug. You gotta pull the plug. Did he, I mean, what did they see in the preseason or in their workouts that gave you any indication that he's the guy... He's done. He's over.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will win the NFC South

I think the Bucks win the South. Most people are sleeping on the Bucks. 'Cause they're all in on Kirk Cousins in Atlanta. I'm not.

Will Levis will take a major step forward and have a career arc similar to Josh Allen

Will Levis is gonna take a major step forward. You know who Will Levis is a lot like... Josh Allen. Same type of thing. He's like Josh Allen. He's a fanatic about it... he's gonna have a monster season. And everybody who mocked his game going into the draft is gonna be exactly the way they were with Josh Allen. They're gonna be wrong.

Jaden Daniels is the best quarterback from the 2024 draft class

I love Jaden Daniels. I think he's the best quarterback in the draft. Sorry, Big Cat... having watched him at Arizona State and then watched him play at LSU and now watching him now, he's the most improved quarterback I've ever seen in my life. I think the commanders have their guy for the next 15 years and he's gonna be a star.

The Dolphins' roster is being picked to shreds due to Tua Tagovailoa's upcoming contract

That team has been picked to shreds in large part because they're in cap [trouble], but they're also readying to pay their quarterback. It's one of those guys, you're damned if you do and you're damned if you don't... I don't know if [Tua] takes you where Mahomes and Allen do.

Justin Fields has no market as a starter in the NFL

I don't think right now there's a starting job for him... The Raiders paid Gardner Minshew rather than making a move to go get Justin Fields. That should speak volumes about what the league thinks about Justin Fields.

Men should never cry after losing a football game

I just don't think you should ever cry after losing a football game. If there was a death in the family or something that week, I apologize, but if there was not, you were crying over the football game... bad luck. There's no way you cry after a loss.

Jayden Daniels will be the best quarterback in the 2024 draft class

My preliminary ranking is, I think Jayden Daniels will be the best of them. He's the most improved player I've ever seen in my entire life. I probably rank him slightly... them and Caleb Williams one and two.

JJ McCarthy is not a first-round talent and is being 'forced up' by the media

I don't love JJ McCarthy. I don't see it. I just don't see it. I'd take him in a second round. I think the league is guilty of... the draft cult. One says it, so two says it... All of a sudden they all convinced themselves that he should be a high first round pick. And that's how mistakes get made.

The Falcons will not win 11 games in the 2024 season

I don't think [the Falcons win 11 games]. I don't. It's a lot. 11 games is a lot. There's a lot of games. Even inside a division... the bucks are gonna be good. That's tough to get a lot [of wins].

Calvin Ridley's difficulty learning the Jaguars' offense is why he wants to stay in Jacksonville

Here's why he wants to stay in Jacksonville. Let me tell you. He had trouble learning the offense last year and so he doesn't really wanna go somewhere else and have to learn another one. Serious. I'm not... that's notable.

Green Bay dominating Dallas was the biggest surprise of Wild Card weekend

I think the biggest surprise has to be Green Bay going in and winning the way they did. I thought they would hang around in the game, but to go in there and dominate the way they did, that was a bad look for Dallas.

CJ Stroud reminds me of Dan Marino in his heyday

He makes me think of Dan Marino in his heyday. ... He makes it look so easy with the quick release and the ability to throw out. ... The ability to decipher it and put it right on the numbers and make it makes it look easy. There, there are a few guys that walk into this league and make it look that easy. That's why he reminds me of Marino.

Patrick Mahomes might end up passing Tom Brady as the greatest of all time in every category

He might end up passing Brady as the greatest of all time in terms of Super Bowls, MVPs, numbers, the whole deal. I mean that's, he's special and he carries that team every single week.

Bill Belichick will be the next head coach of the Atlanta Falcons

Belichick's gonna go to Atlanta. ... because all you wanna do, if you're, if you're Arthur Blank, all you wanna do is win.

The Bears will be a playoff team next year no matter who is at quarterback

The Bears will be a playoff team next year, no matter who plays quarterback. ... They got good tackles. ... You have the, the weapons, the runners.

Jim Harbaugh will be the next head coach of the Chargers

I think Harbaugh to the Chargers makes all the sense. Yeah, in large part because it's the best job. You get the quarterback, you don't have to worry about the quarterback. And, and so I think that's the best scenario for him. I think he does end up going there.

The Jacksonville Jaguars will represent the AFC in the Super Bowl

Jacksonville's a slam dunk in their division... But here's why. They're, they're a really good team this year to keep an eye on to go to the Super Bowl, which I think they're going to by the way... If they don't win 13 games it's a disaster by the way. They're gonna score 500 points.

Russell Wilson was never the elite quarterback people thought he was and is now unfixable

Is Russell Wilson unfixable? Yeah. To ever be the quarterback that everybody thought he was. Yes. He's never gonna be that. He never was. That he was a good functional quarterback who had the top ranked scoring defense four straight years in the league... they made it easy on him.

The New England Patriots have one of the worst rosters and offensive lines in the NFL

You look at that roster, ugh. It's bad. The offensive line isn't good. The questions about Mac Jones, the receivers... they're the worst quarterback team in the division... New England's one of [the worst O-lines]. Their line stinks.

The Detroit Lions are still one year away from truly learning how to win

What have they ever won? Right. And you have to learn how to win. This is the year you, you try and figure it out and then next year I think they're gonna be a much better team.

The Green Bay Packers will win the NFC North in 2023

Division winners. Eagles Packers. Yes. The Packers are winning that division, the 49ers and the Saints... Jordan Love is gonna surprise everybody... I think sitting for three years has helped him and going there and watching him practice this summer... he's got a different feel to him.

Sam Howell will surprise people and lead the Commanders to a Wild Card spot

I think Sam Howell's gonna surprise everybody. I do... he's gonna have a good year for them. It can't be any worse than they were at quarterback the last couple years... Wild Card. Dallas, Washington.

This will be the 'year before the year' for Justin Fields' breakout

I think this is the year before the year for Justin Fields. They added some weapons for him. He's gonna improve as a passer. He's gonna learn how to win... as the rushing yards come down, the passing yards go up. That's a good thing for a young quarterback.

NFL teams will start running the ball more to counter off-coverage defensive schemes

Running the ball is going to come back. Running backs aren't gonna come back, but running the ball is going to come back. Everybody's played the schemes last year... off coverage. Make quarterbacks be patient. So what do you do? Pound it, pound it, pound it.

Trevor Lawrence will win the NFL MVP award

Trevor Lawrence for MVP too... Their offense is what Calvin Ridley will mean to that offense is going to change the way they play.

The 49ers will win the Super Bowl against the Jaguars

Jacksonville beats Buffalo in Jacksonville [in the AFC Championship]... San Francisco beats the Eagles in San Francisco because they have a favorable division. And then the 49ers... Kyle Shanahan finally wins his ring and is anointed best coach in the league.

Tom Brady is more likely than Aaron Rodgers to go on a deep playoff run this year

Out of the old guys in the NFC, who's more likely to go on a run right now? Aaron Rodgers or Tom Brady? [Prisco]: Tom Brady. Because he's at home. I think that matters.

Jim Harbaugh would fix Russell Wilson by running 1970s-style football in Denver

Every coach has an ego. ... You can hire a guy like Jim Harbaugh and just have him turn around and hand the ball off 42 times a game in 1970s football. Yeah, I mean that's possible too, right?