Takes

95% of NFL games are lost, not won

There was a great quote by Ian Eagle during the game. ... Ian Eagle said 95% of games in the NFL are lost and not won. ... I still don't know what the fuck he was talking about, but it makes sense.

The Bill Belichick coaching tree has a combined 41% winning percentage as head coaches

If you look at Belichick's former coaches that have gone on to coach in the NFL, their winning percentage is 41%. Not good. They're a combined 225, 319 and one. ... The best head coach that has been a former Bill Belichick assistant coach is Bill O'Brien.

Kyle Shanahan owns Sean McVay

I assume that was who you're gonna be if you were basic. Yeah, no, I agree with you. But also at some point, I feel like every time this happens... we've known for a while that Shanahan owns McVay. He's eight and four against McVay overall. Straight up.

The Bears' win over the Patriots was my favorite Bears game since 2018

It was probably my favorite Bears game that they've played since probably 2018 against the Rams on Sunday Night Football when we almost made our good friend Jared [Goff] cry because it was so cold and that defense was awesome.

The 'Washington Football Team' was the best name the franchise has had recently

I feel like the coolest name was the football team. I mean, I thought that was, I like that one the best. Yeah, I mean, Commanders was cool, you know, hopefully we can keep this thing rolling.

Joe Gibbs winning three Super Bowls with different QBs and RBs is incredibly impressive

It's interesting cuz like Joe Gibbs won three Super Bowls with three different starting quarterbacks He did. And three different starting running backs. That's just kind of interesting.

The New York Giants will make the playoffs

The New York Giants are gonna make the playoffs. They just are, they're going. It's hard. I want you to all prepare yourself for that moment because I don't want to sneak up on anybody. The New York Giants are gonna be playoff team.

The Saints will beat the Cardinals 23-17

I'm gonna say Saints 23, Cardinals 17.

The winner of Titans vs. Colts will win the AFC South

I think if the Titans win this game, I'm ready to declare the Titans the winner that division... I'm ready. Whoever wins this game will win this division.

There are only three or four truly good teams in the NFL right now

I just don't think there's more than three or four really good teams. Like when you think about the really good teams, the Bills and the Eagles have played really good football, the Chiefs, the Giants and Jets you could throw in there, but like everyone else has... had some real stinker of games.

The rats run New York City, not the humans

I think the rats run the city. If you have to say that [the rats don't run the city], I think the rats run the city.

Alabama's dynasty isn't dead, but NIL and depth issues have made them beatable

I don't think it's dead... but what I do think has happened, I blame Kirby Smart for a lot of it. Kirby Smart's been at Georgia now since 2016 and every year he's been there, he's sheared off a few guys that would've signed with Alabama... If you sign 20 of those guys a year instead of 25... your depth suffers.

Brian Harsin will not be the coach at Auburn in 2023

Clearly he will not be the coach at Auburn in 2023. The, the problem for Harsin... his first year at Auburn, they looked at his recruiting and they're like, Did you go after anybody that Nick Saban and Kirby Smart wanted? ... And the answer was no.

Matt Rhule will do TV for a year and then get another big college job

My guess is he does TV and then waits this cycle out and, and sees what's available next cycle... he'll be beloved on tv. Unlike most head coaches at that level, he can have a normal human conversation.

The Cardinals vs. Seahawks game will be a high-scoring shootout

My favorite over is Cardinals Seahawks over 51... This to me just screams shootout. It does 51 points over.

The Big 12 is the toughest conference to win on the road

When I first got to Baylor, Roy Williams said, toughest league to win on the road, you gotta win your home games. And I think that's so true in the Big 12... it is really hard to win on the road in the Big 12 and there's no feeling like when you get a road win.

A 'motor' is the most important attribute for a basketball recruit to have

I think it's something a lot of coaches wish more players had nowadays and that's a motor. And if a guy really plays hard, competes every possession, they're gonna get better.

The Phillies are the wildcard team getting hot at the right time

It's like the wildcard team that's getting hot right at the right time. Everyone seems loose. They're having fun. [Kyle] Schwarber is a fucking beast.

Justin Fields will have 17+ completions against the Commanders

Justin Fields is gonna have 17 completions plus. [PFT: 17 with the overall there?] 17 plus. [Big Cat: That's an insane game].

The Bills will destroy the Steelers and Kenny Pickett in his first start

I am going with the Buffalo Bills. Okay. I think if Mitch [Trubisky] was playing, it's a different story... But it's Kenny Pickett. He's a rookie. He's gonna get destroyed by that defense.

Brian Kelly gets a B+ grade for his first five weeks at LSU

So far I give him a B plus just because I think when you take over a program that had 39 scholarship players... and for Brian Kelly to take that team, have to go out and transfer portal, have to recruit to be able to put 85 scholarship guys. I think he's done a remarkable job.

Aaron Donald is the best non-quarterback in football

I think Aaron Donald is the best player in football that's not a quarterback. Quarterbacks are, are always going to get the, the notch above because they touch the ball every play. He's the best non quarterback in nfl.

The Buccaneers and Chiefs will both make the divisional round of the playoffs

I would make a healthy wager that both the Bucks and Chiefs will be around divisional round playoffs.

The Bengals are still playing clunky and disorganized football

The Bengals, I don't wanna say they're like back because it does still feel like there's, they have drives where it's just very clunky and disorganized.

The Ravens purple jerseys are a brighter shade this season

I have noticed one thing about the Ravens, I think, and I don't think this is just me being weird about it. Their jerseys are brighter this year. Their purple jerseys. I think it's actually a completely different purple.

Greatness is a mindset rather than an ultimate goal

You talk about the name Greatness Wins. I think a lot of times people look at greatness and they think it's an ultimate goal. I look at it as a mindset, you know, so I look at having that mindset and anything that you want to achieve.

Betting the under on NFL prime-time games is a proven winning strategy

My under I'm gonna do the Broncos Niners under 44 and a half. Tommy gave us a stat. It was something like the last 45 prime time games, it's 30 and 15 to the under. And I was like, oh, that's why I lose all my money. So I'm done. I'm gonna try to ride the wave now.

The 'He is Him' phrase is being overused in the NFL

I think there's too many hymns right now. It's like church. There's a lot of them. There's a lot of 'em going around. I think, you know, if everybody's great. Nobody's great. So we gotta, I there's gotta be a new word.

Aaron Judge will break the AL home run record in the final two weeks of the season

Aaron Judge, two more home runs today. He's at 59, two shy of Roger Maris. These final two weeks got to be locked in. Even if you're not a Yankee fan, it's history. 61 home runs the Yankee record and the non-steroid record.

The Texans will win five games this year

I think they're [Texans] going to win five games this year.

I'm taking the Broncos -10 over the Texans because of the altitude advantage

Denver Broncos minus 10 makes no sense to me and therefore I'm gonna take it. The Broncos lost in September at home... they're covering machines because of the altitude and the heat... that combo is a killer.

Seahawks fans will eventually cheer Russell Wilson in a few years once the rawness of his departure fades

I think if this game took place at any point, other than this year and especially week one, it might be a little different. So if Russell Wilson plays for eight more years and he comes back to Seattle at the end of his career, I think they will cheer him. I think it's just so raw... The rawness of it, the fact that it was week one, I think that if it happens... eight years from now or say, let's even say Russ goes somewhere else... I think they might be a little bit more receptive to 'em and be like, Hey, that was cool when you won us a Super Bowl.

There will be revisionist history about Andrew Luck proving he was much better than we gave him credit for

I do think there's gonna be some Andrew luck revision where it's like, oh yeah, he was really that fucking good. And his, he was, he was on a, like, his teams were not good. And they, he was a very good quarterback... I'm saying like, he, he, people will say, oh, he was way better than we gave him credit for. That's the revisionist.

Locker room culture and the human element still trump analytics and numbers in football

Does that human element still trump everything else when it comes to numbers? ... let down games or the team that has no chance. Everyone wrote 'em off, but they're able to do something like the locker room and how it comes together. Is that, would you say that's more important than, you know, numbers and all these like, Hey, when should we go on fourth down and everything?

I believe that Queen Elizabeth is in heaven and I definitely believe in hell

[Big Cat]: Do you think Queen Elizabeth is in heaven? [Goff]: I hope so. [Big Cat]: Follow up. I know this is part of the first question. Do you believe in hell? [Goff]: Oh yeah.

The Giants are 'big stinky poop' and will lose to the Titans

Titans minus five and a half at home against the Giants. I think the Giants are big stinky poop... I think that the Titans, we have a bad taste in their mouth from them from last year in the playoffs... Ryan Tannehill is good enough to beat the Giants who I think are gonna be very bad this year by six points at home.

I will watch the in-season Hard Knocks in April because I already have in-season football content now

I'll probably watch the in season Hard Knocks in like maybe April after the NCAA tournament. That's when I'll go back and I'll rewatch the football content. But now like I have in season Hard Knocks already, it's called NFL football.

You are a scumbag if you don't bet the over on the Bills-Rams season opener

You're scumbag if you don't bet this over... I've been saying the over since they announced the game... I'm taking the over no matter what.

Big Ben's podcast will devolve into him ranking the injuries he's played through

I'm sure that it's just gonna devolve into [Ben Roethlisberger] talking about various injuries. It should just be him talking about, I ranking the injuries that he's played through.

Bryce Young and C.J. Stroud are the two best quarterbacks in the country

I think [C.J. Stroud] and Bryce Young are the two best quarterbacks in the country. I think that they will be Heisman finalists.

Pitt will win and cover against West Virginia

I think Pitt's going to win and cover. So I guess one of us will look stupid.

Josh Johnson will play for at least two more NFL teams this year

Josh Johnson got cut. He's played on 14 teams now. He'll probably play for at least two more this year. I love the fact that he's the guy that you call when you don't have another guy.

Frosted Flakes are a perfectly average and unexciting cereal

I feel like Frosted Flakes is an okay cereal, but it's just never is anyone's like—does anyone get excited about it? They're perfectly average. Unless they're stale at the continental breakfast.

Rory McIlroy is playing the best golf of his career

Credit to us though, because we're the first people I think on the planet that told you that Rory McIlroy was playing the best golf of his career before the season even started.

The Buffalo Bills will win the Super Bowl behind Josh Allen

I'm going with the Buffalo Bills and Josh Allen. I see him this, and this is also my reasoning with him. ... I feel like Josh Allen's trajectory is gone that way.

Week Zero should always feature at least one ranked team to feel meaningful

What they should do is there should be one matchup every week zero where one of the teams is ranked number 25 in the nation. Just put a ranking next to it. I don't care... just like put those little numbers next to one of the team's names to make me feel like I'm not completely wasting my Saturday.

Mad Dog Russo only says Nick Saban isn't the GOAT to look stupid and get attention

He said that Nick Saban is not the greatest coach of all time, which is a very funny thing to do... he said, 'How can I have a take that shocks the world and makes me look really stupid?' Boom. Mission accomplished.

Monday Night Golf is a perfect idea and more sports should use Monday nights

They're going to start doing Monday night golf, which I don't know why more sports don't do this. Monday night is the perfect night for sports because everyone's like, oh man, I wish it was the weekend. Monday sucks. Give us sports. Every Monday night, every Monday, there should be Monday night football every Monday night in different sports.

Hangovers at age 37 are a traumatic experience that ruins your entire week

I'm pre upset at myself for how shitty I'm going to feel on Saturday and Sunday... I know I can reach my peak. It's just the, when I reached my peak, the aftermath is very, very difficult to bounce back with. So I'm, I probably won't feel good again until mid next week. So yeah, pre fire-festing the hangover and the regret that I have from going on a bachelor party at 37.

Hard Knocks episode three is when you realize you're just ready for real football

That feeling of Hard Knocks episode one is one of the best feelings in the calendar because you're like, we want football. And then you get to episode three and you're like, okay, I wanna play real games.