Derek Carr, Oklahoma State HC Eric Morris, The Chiefs Are Back, CFB Recap + Listener Submitted Takes

The Chiefs' run game, unseen since the Kareem Hunt era, gives Mahomes the perfect on ramp to get back into the flow and play his best football at the end of the season.

Kenneth Walker will get even better now that he is the primary back and can get into a rhythm, as his stats show he averages more yards per carry with over 20 carries.

The Chiefs' window never actually closed; Mahomes was just injured and the team had a year from hell.

Good dynasties find a way to reinvent themselves, and this might be the start of the next era where they lean on a beast at running back.

The Broncos' defense looked like utter dog shit and can't tackle to save their life, committing 28 missed tackles.

Bo Nix looked tentative and bad, and Sean Payton should probably take back play-calling duties if things go wrong.

Sean Payton's decision to give up play-calling is risky because the first thing people will want to change if things go wrong is for him to take it back.

Bo Nix was ranked 59th and Lamar Jackson was ranked 69th in the NFL Top 100 voted on by players.

No one would take Bo Nix over Lamar Jackson right now, and the rankings might be influenced by analytics or contract considerations rather than pure talent.

The AFC is absolutely stacked with elite quarterbacks and teams, making it the most competitive conference. Mahomes is the biggest winner in the conference, having won three times, while Burrow, Jackson, Allen, and Herbert are all performing at high levels.

Texas won because Arch Manning had to put together really good drives to come back and win after early turnovers, making it a Texas win rather than just an Ohio State choke.

Ohio State's play-calling was too conservative, and they showed zero situational awareness by not letting Texas score at the end of the game to preserve time for a comeback.

Texas is a really, really good team, and Arch Manning's performance in the fourth quarter was huge for him and the program.

Oklahoma State's win over Oregon was shocking not just because they lost, but because they got dominated in total yardage, and Oregon's defense kept them in the game with a pick six.

Dan Lanning is not going to get fired, but the loss raises questions about whether Oregon's season could spiral if they lose to USC, similar to Penn State's struggles last year.

Oklahoma State's win was super impressive, especially after a disappointing week one start, and Eric Morris deserves credit for the turnaround.

Michigan's defense is fucking for real, and if they can figure out Bryce Underwood at all, they are a real team.

Bryce Underwood will get better over the offseason, but Michigan might not need him to improve that much if their defense remains dominant.

Arch Manning was dumb to acknowledge in a press conference that he saw and found funny an AI video of Steve Sarkisian slapping Holly Rowe.

Arch's apology was decent because he admitted he said what he meant and it was stupid, and Holly Rowe replied that they talked privately and it's all good.

Sam Darnold has an unusual, strange deep tissue injury in his glute that NFL doctors are not super familiar with, and he will be out for at least another couple weeks.

The injury might be related to the concrete underneath the Seattle turf, making it a bad sports town issue.

LeBron James owns a powerboat racing team in the E1 series, which is like F1 on water, and he recently traveled to Angola to watch them race.

The future economy will feature celebrity-backed niche sports like powerboat racing as the only entertainment while the rest of the world lives in poverty.

Fullbacks were on the field for 12.4% of offensive plays in week one, up from 7.5% last year, indicating they are making a comeback.

Smash-mouth football is coming back, and fullbacks are a key part of that trend as teams look to balance their offenses.

AI companies agreed to pause or slow down development because they saw something that scared them a lot. There is a 10% chance AI will kill humanity by the end of the decade, which is too high of a risk.

The AI apocalypse will likely involve robots turning off most power for humanity while keeping it for themselves, or launching nukes.

The Chester Zoo accidentally advertised a 'Child Predator Tour' instead of 'Child Passes Tour' for their predator exhibit.

AI would have caught the typo, proving that human copywriting is still important.

Sidney Sweeney is facing backlash from female athletes who claim she suppresses women in sports, but she clapped back by referencing the ESPN Body Issue.

Sidney Sweeney has a stranglehold on the internet and is the definition of a hot woman in America, rising to the top despite massive saturation from OnlyFans and AI content.

Romania launched the RXF Slap League, a ten-round competition where judgment is based on impact and redness of ass slapping.

The ass slapping league is just another bizarre niche combat sport joining the trend of Power Slap and other viral competitions.

I am definitely still retired, but my agent talked to certain people last year to see where teams were at, and I went out to throw a few times to check my shoulder. I've been training and working out to keep my body right, but I let throwing rest until it's needed.

Bo Nix was a little rusty and made some throws he'd want back, but facing Spagnuolo's defenses is mentally stressful and requires reps to learn where you can and can't go.

Bo Nix will play his best games as time goes on and he gets more reps against the Chiefs' new defensive group.

A week one loss wakes people up and creates a sense of urgency because every game matters in the short NFL season, and teams don't want to look back and regret giving one up.

Week two already feels like a must-win for teams like the Packers and Cowboys, especially in division games that count double for playoff standings.

The Browns need their leaders to step up and rally the locker room around brotherhood and unity, proving their teammates right rather than trying to prove the owner or fans wrong. When the Raiders lost their coach, the team rallied around a 'nobody cares' mentality and made the playoffs, showing how internal unity can overcome external negativity.

The Raiders are trying to be patient with Fernando Mendoza, who needs to gain experience under center and see the speed of the NFL before he steps in.

Mendoza will need a thousand reps under center before it becomes natural, and the Raiders should give him time to develop.

Being under center is the most important part of offensive balance because it allows quarterbacks to move the pocket, run play action, and create one-on-one matchups. The biggest adjustment for college quarterbacks is turning their back to the defense and making quick decisions as NFL windows close rapidly.

College coaches should emphasize under center reps to better prepare quarterbacks for the NFL, as there is a quarterback development issue across the league.

C.J. Stroud showed impressive growth against Buffalo with some tough throws, and Bryce Young played great despite a turnover, showing development that wasn't visible before.

Both quarterbacks face contract and franchise questions, but their week one performances give hope they can catch the right footing and lead their teams forward.

Jon Gruden is the little voice in my head that reminds me to focus on fundamentals and move past losses by saying we just ran out of time. Gruden celebrated a win over the Chiefs by having the bus drive around Arrowhead multiple times, showing his unique motivational style.

Max Crosby will address his return directly and eliminate any awkwardness by telling the team he's back to ball, and his leadership will stabilize the locker room.

The Ravens knew about Crosby's knee injury when they traded for him, suggesting they had an out or were waiting for confirmation on another player.

Crosby gets intense in practice and would hit linemen and running backs, but he respected me and never hit me, though he probably would now that we're both grumpier veterans.

The 49ers impressed with their balanced offensive attack, distributing the ball to multiple weapons rather than relying on one player.

Brock Purdy's distribution makes him a legitimate MVP candidate this year if he continues playing at that level.

Getting Lamar Jackson under center with Derrick Henry creates a defensive nightmare where ends must choose between crashing on Henry or containing Jackson's bootlegs.

The old school under center run game will make Patrick Mahomes more efficient and help the Chiefs grow, especially if they can run the ball like they did against the Broncos.

The real test for the Chiefs will be whether Andy Reid sticks to running the football, as he historically loves to steer away from the run even when it's working.

Coaches like Reid, Gruden, and Payton love throwing because they know how to shred defenses, but the key is whether they can stay consistent with the run after a few unsuccessful plays.

I hit a hole in one at Southern Highlands with no witnesses because the groups ahead and behind me had already left or finished their round. I walked into the clubhouse, told the staff, and they gave me a ball and flag, but it was the worst feeling because no one saw it.

Bo Nix's situation worries me because having Sean Payton in the room but not calling plays is like having Gruden there and asking someone else to call the game.

Experienced coaches like Gruden provide crucial alerts and reads that coordinators might miss, and having that direct voice helps quarterbacks make better decisions.

Bo Nix would prefer not to be part of an experiment when he has a proven play-caller available, as his career is on the line.

I help with game planning, quarterback development, and recruiting at UCLA, and Coach Chesney has given me an open-door policy to learn and provide value.

The role is a dream job for someone who wants to be a head coach someday, allowing me to stay involved while coaching my kids' youth team.

The quarterback run game is the biggest college trend influencing the NFL, but I'm also seeing NFL pass concepts trickling back to college, which will better prepare quarterbacks.

College quarterbacks need to learn pro-style progressions and concepts rather than just throwing bubble screens, as it makes them more evaluable and prepared for the NFL.

The Saints had more pressure because fans expected 40 points a game after Drew Brees, and the team was still feeling the pain of the NFC Championship loss. The Raiders were coming from a hole, so the expectations were lower, but the Saints' pressure was intense because of the legacy and the missed Super Bowl opportunity.

That play would have been called a fumble and a touchdown if I were playing for the Raiders, and it feels like that type of stuff only happens against the Saints.

The Jerry Jeudy fumble ruling was incorrect and got gaslit by everyone, as it clearly should have been a touchdown.

We simplified everything after the Tulsa loss, challenged the players to play fast, and graded them solely on whether they played fast or not, which led to physical domination against Oregon. The players were embarrassed by the Tulsa tape and responded by playing with raw emotion and physicality, which helped the fans and program regain their winning identity.

I shot an armadillo that was getting after my yard, and later my nephew and I killed a second one on Saturday night using an AR rifle. I thought it was a wild hog problem until my yard guy laughed and told me it was an armadillo, so I stayed up at 2:30 AM to handle it.

Mike Leach gave me the nickname 'the Elf' after I looked tiny on a route during film, and he made me wear a green elf costume with taped ears for three or four weeks of practice. Leach was militant about accountability behind the scenes, cutting my best two receivers early in the season to build culture, which ultimately turned the program around.

I studied championship teams and realized they rushed for 150-170 yards per game, so I adopted that mentality and started using tight ends to make our team tougher. My mentors taught me how to throw, but adding a physical run game made our offense better and improved our defense by forcing them to face it daily in practice.

Patrick Mahomes has phenomenal spatial awareness and processes information extremely fast, which is why he makes crazy plays and is one of the smartest players I've been around. Most elite quarterbacks play multiple sports, which trains them to play with their eyes up and process information quickly, a trait Mahomes exemplifies.

The 66-59 game was one of the funnest to watch and physically exhausting to coach, with both offenses accumulating exactly 854 yards in a classic Big 12 shootout.

College football is morphing back to old school Big 12 football with fewer possessions and more physical play, reversing the spread revolution Mike Leach started.

Cam Ward had poor high school tape but displayed one of the best camp performances I've ever seen, and his elite competitiveness made us offer him when others overlooked him. Ward was overweight and played in a wing-T system that didn't showcase his skills, but we knew we could develop him and hide him from other recruiters.

The way we prepare in the meeting room is elite, using detailed cut-ups and game plans learned from Cliff Kingsbury, which sets our quarterbacks apart at the professional level. Successful quarterbacks share traits like spatial awareness, fast processing, and multi-sport backgrounds, but elite preparation habits are what truly separate them.

I'm an avid duck hunter in Arkansas during late December and January, and I'm a pretty good shot with a 12 gauge.

Eric Morris' duck hunting history adds a fun narrative to Oklahoma State's win over Oregon, and we should have gotten an alert about it before the game.

Justin Herbert will be bad all year so he can focus on his marriage, implying his relationship distracts from football.

Tom Brady and Drew Brees balanced attractive wives with football success, but Herbert might be content with his life and not prioritize a Super Bowl.

The NFC West will be more competitive than the AFC West based on week one performances, with the Cardinals looking improved and the Rams struggling.

The Rams have no draft picks and must win their upcoming games, making their situation urgent despite being seven-point favorites against the Giants.

NFL referees should wear masks and remain anonymous to mitigate ego and corruption issues, as TV refs are getting out of control.

Anonymous referees would be worse for accountability, especially for high-profile teams like the Cowboys, Chiefs, and Lakers who already face scrutiny.

The actual NFL season changeover happens in week three or four once everyone is settled, as weeks one and two carry over storylines from the previous year.

Week three or four is when you really feel like the season has started, similar to how the first quarter of a season doesn't reveal true team identities.

The Browns would win more games if they traded QB rooms with the Falcons because of better coaching and roster support.

The Browns likely had a meeting about whether to wish Deshaun Watson a happy birthday on social media, and decided against it to avoid backlash.