Takes

Rob Gronkowski is the greatest tight end and greatest mismatch in the history of football

Gronk is... He's unguardable. He's unguardable. He's the greatest mismatch in the history of football. He's the greatest tight end in the history of football.

Case Keenum has a Kurt Warner-style Hall of Fame career coming

I'm a Case Keenum believer, which means it'll probably burn me. But I've said that he's got the Kurt Warner Hall of Fame career coming.

Jeff Fisher should be an NFL General Manager

Fisher's eye for talent. That's where I was going with this. To me, he should be a GM... He has built phenomenal – like the Rams team, you could see, has got talent... Aaron Donald, Quinn, Alec Ogletree... All those guys are Fisher guys.

Banning ping pong tables in the locker room leads to playoff success

Sabermetrically, two coaches eliminated ping pong tables from their locker rooms this year. Both of them made the playoffs... Not only did [Doug] Marone get rid of that, but he also got rid of the dominoes table, which is like a multiplier for the ping pong table.

Ben McAdoo is a perfect hire for the Cleveland Browns coaching staff

The Cleveland Browns are officially back because they look like they're going to hire Ben McAdoo, offensive coordinator. I can't think of a better move than the guy who basically made every wrong decision in New York... You're going to fit in perfectly, Ben.

It is highly unlikely that I will ever return to NFL coaching

In regards to going back into the professional ranks, I've never closed a door that I don't have to, but I think it's highly unlikely is probably the best way of saying it. I'm very happy with the life I have, the balance I have with my life and the platform that exists with my job at CBS.

The New York Giants job is the most attractive head coaching vacancy in the NFL

Would you rather be in the NFC North, the AFC South, or the NFC East? I think right now I'd rather be in the NFC East. [The New York Giants]... Now, do you have a quarterback in that team? [Eli Manning]... How high is your draft pick? Pretty high. [No. 2]... I think you guys are starting to answer your own questions.

The Divisional Round should be renamed the 'Best Fucking Weekend of Football of the Year'

I just nominate, we call it the best fucking weekend of football of the year.

The Vikings' win over the Saints was a 'stay of execution' and they will still lose in heartbreaking fashion

[It] kind of feels like a stay of execution for Vikings fans. Because they are destiny. You know, it would actually be, I hate to say it, the most Vikings end to a season if they lost a Super Bowl in heartbreaking fashion in front of their home fans... They're going to win next weekend, and it's going to be – God, I feel so bad for them in advance.

The Saints should blow up the Drew Brees and Sean Payton era

Not to brag what I called it, but you should probably blow up the Drew Brees, Sean Payton Saints. Didn't win a Super Bowl.

Steve Sarkeesian being hired by the Falcons cost Georgia the national championship

If Steve Sarkeesian hadn't been hired by the Falcons, Georgia would have won the national championship because he still would be in the booth for Alabama. And the Falcons probably would have been a decent team this year because they wouldn't have had him calling the same 10 plays over and over.

The Jaguars' defense is as good as the 2002 Buccaneers

I've been saying since week four, not to brag, the Jaguars' defense is like the Buccaneers in 2002. They're that good.

Jeff Fisher is the best coach in football

All of [Jeff Fisher's] players are going to the NFC Championship game, and I love it because it just solidifies that Jeff Fisher is the best coach in football.

My Super Bowl prediction is the Steelers vs. the Saints

Here's my pick right here. Pittsburgh Steelers versus the New Orleans Saints.

There will be another 2,000-yard rusher soon because quarterback play is diminishing

Teams are going back to it because the quarterback play is starting to diminish... So in the meantime, if you're a team, you're trying to protect a young quarterback. What do you have to do? You have to run the ball again. And so it's going back to that. So, yes, I think there will be a 2,000-yard rusher again.

Christian McCaffrey will be a wide receiver in two years

[Christian McCaffrey] is going to be a receiver. No, he's not... A million bucks is the bet... He's going to line up more as a receiver in two years than a running back... Next year he's not going to be listed as a running back.

The divisional round is the best weekend of football

I would like to contend that the divisional round is the best weekend of football. Saturday and Sunday. It is a full weekend of football, and you're going to miss this. Actually, just one week when there are just two games left.

The Falcons will win the NFC

I've been on the Falcon bandwagon. I am on their bandwagon of thinking that they could win the NFC. I said it a couple months ago. I am going down with the ship, so I'm taking the Falcons. I'm taking them all the way to the Super Bowl.

The Eagles will cover +2.5 against the Falcons

I like the Falcons too. But I'm going to take the Eagles. Hank's on the Eagles plus two and a half.

The Patriots will win the Super Bowl

Bill Belichick and Tom Brady are just going to fucking, you know, shit kick everyone in the playoffs this year. I think, honestly, I have to take the Pats. I'm going Pats.

Bill Belichick leaked the Seth Wickersham article himself to motivate the team

I'm very, very woke on this whole article thing because there's a reason it came out last week when they didn't have a game. I think Belichick might have been the source for some of the things just to try to get a little controversy going out there in the media, get people starting to doubt the Patriots because Belichick, he loves to play the 'we don't have any respect' card.

The Patriots will beat the Titans by 30 points

Bet every single dollar you have on the Patriots. They're going to win by 30.

The Vikings will beat the Saints in the Divisional Round

This to me is the game where everyone just forgets that the Vikings are really fucking good. I think the Vikings are really fucking good and people forget that. I'm taking the Vikings.

Case Keenum is a Kurt Warner in the making

I think Case Keenum has proven that he's actually just really good. He's just a good quarterback. He's a Kurt Warner in making. Thanks to Jeff Fisher and his tutelage, he has evolved into an elite quarterback.

Bears fans should be excited about Matt Nagy and Mitch Trubisky

You should be so fucking excited just for what Mitch Trubisky's going to be able to do now. It is, like, it's really going to be, I think, a mixture of an old-school West Coast offense and a spread system. He's creative, he's smart. I think being a head coach, you have to be a really good leader. I think he's got that.

Jalen Ramsey is the best cornerback in the NFL

I think right now Jalen Ramsey's the best corner in the NFL. I mean, Calais Campbell could probably be defensive player of the year. That defense is legit, right? Just watching them, they seem like one of the best defenses I've seen in the last five, six years.

Josh Rosen is the best quarterback in the 2018 Draft

I would take Josh Rosen first. There are holes in his game, of course, and his personality is going to rub some people wrong, but I think he's the most naturally gifted of the bunch.

Jake Fromm is better than any quarterback in the 2018 Draft class

I had a hot take. Jake Fromm is better than any of the quarterbacks that are in this year's draft.

Tua Tagovailoa will win four or five Super Bowls

Oh, without a doubt. First ballot Hall of Fame for Tua. College and pro. I think you've got to put him up there, four or five [Super Bowls]. He's pretty damn good, though.

Jalen Hurts has a backup job for life in the NFL

He has a backup job for life in the NFL. He proved himself to be the best backup quarterback of all time with a post-game interview. We all know that a starting quarterback and a backup quarterback are very different positions. You just basically want the backup guy to have a heartbeat and to just say, hey, I'm here to support the starter. And then you can get like 12 years.

Jon Gruden is going to make Derek Carr a Hall of Fame quarterback

He's going to make Derek Carr a Hall of Fame quarterback. Probably not.

Rodrigo Blankenship will be a third-round pick because he wears glasses

Rodrigo [Blankenship] understands more than most that if you just have a thing as a college athlete you skyrocket your draft appeal. So if he didn't have those glasses, he probably would be maybe a sixth, seventh round pick. He's probably going in the third round because he's the kicker with the glasses.

I wouldn't have the same impact in today's NFL

I don't think I have the same impact in today's NFL because, like I said, I needed 25 carries. I needed 30 carries... a lot of teams have gone to pass first and run the ball second, and they've kind of diminished the running back position to a degree. So certain teams I think I will still have tremendous success on, but certain teams I think I would be like James Harrison. Trade me. Get rid of me.

Ben Roethlisberger was the best quarterback I played with

I've got to say Ben Roethlisberger. No question about it... Ben had that 'it' that most players don't have. I mean, you can be a good player, but you just don't have that 'it' thing. He's had that 'it'.

Vontaze Burfict is a dirty but good football player

I think he is dirty, but he's a good player. That's the crazy part. He's a good football player, but he does have some antics that come with what he does... I think he's one of those players that he's a good player if he didn't come with all the things he comes with, I think he'd be an even better player and more respected.

Bears fans watch football to avoid being nagged, so we should call Matt Nagy 'Nagy' (with a soft A)

The debate is, how do we pronounce [Matt Nagy's] last name? It's technically Nagy, but we're going to go with Nagy... we watch football so that we don't get nagged. I mean, if you want to get nagged, there's women for that, right? ... Don't give me 'Nag-y'. Give me 'Nay-gy'.

The young Rams will be back and this isn't the last you've heard from them

Sean Connery McVay was unable to defend the Rock. But his arrow is pointing up on this Rams team, and this won't be the last you hear from these kids.

Andy Reid is one of the best coaches in the NFL

I actually think Andy Reid's one of the best coaches in the NFL. But how long he's been coaching in the NFL, that this meltdown didn't even register on the Andy Reid meltdown scale.

Marcus Mariota is better than Jameis Winston

Marcus Mariota impressed me. That's the guy I believe in. That's the guy who I've, whenever someone says Jameis Winston versus Marcus Mariota, my answer is always Marcus Mariota.

The Rams will be really good for the next five years

I think the Rams are going to be really good for like the next five years. Really, really good.

Jared Goff is an elite quarterback

Jared Goff, elite quarterback. Yes. Goff and off. I'm ready for that.

The AFC Championship game will be Jaguars vs. Titans

We're on a collision course right now. It's not going to happen this weekend, but we are on a collision course for the AFC Championship game to be Jags-Titans.

Jalen Hurts sucks

I have a take I'm squatting on. I think Jalen Hurts sucks, and he is going to do in the Alabama – because they – Their offense actually was not good against Clemson's defense.

Baker Mayfield is the best quarterback in the draft

Baker Mayfield. I take Baker Mayfield over any of them. I was the same way with Deshaun Watson last year. ... That dude, he operates as quick as the good NFL quarterbacks when you watch the guys you watch on Sunday.

Lamar Jackson has a similar skill set to Michael Vick

his skill set is actually kind of similar to Michael Vick's. And it's funny because other than Josh Allen, he's the only other one who's run in kind of a pro-style offense.

Bill Belichick was ready to move on from Tom Brady to Jimmy Garoppolo

I do totally think that Bill Belichick was ready to go to Jimmy Garoppolo this offseason. I absolutely do. That makes perfect sense because even if Tom Brady wins the Super Bowl, Belichick's one mark is that he always gets rid of guys before they start to decline.

Wild Card Weekend is the second best football weekend of the year

This is the second best football weekend of the year. I might even say first best because we do have the college football finals on Monday.

The Bills vs. Jaguars Wild Card game is going to suck

My hot take for this game, and you're probably not going to like it, I think this game's going to fucking suck... in a bad way. This is one of those games where you look like both offensive lines... and the Jags offensive line's not very good. So no Shady [LeSean McCoy]. I feel like this is going to be one of those games we sit there and like, ew, gross.

Cam Newton will wear a goofy hat to his press conference if the Panthers lose

My prediction for this game is Cam's going to do something that will give us headlines for at least 48 hours, because he always does. Like... wear a goofy hat to the press conference in a loss, or not show up to the press conference.

The Saints and Patriots will play in the Super Bowl

I think it's going to be Saints and Patriots in the Super Bowl.