Look no further than the NFC East.

Philadelphia, Dallas, Washington and the New York Giants are all dealing with varying degrees of drama, controversy and injuries. From blood clots to shoddy defensive play to clock fiascos to one break-glass-in-case-of-emergency “Nine” decision. Nobody has won a game the last two weeks… and two of ‘em even played each other. It’s rough in the division Parcells and Gibbs built.

On this week’s episode of Real Football, we try to make sense of a nonsensical division.

We also discuss Jordan Love going bombs away in Green Bay, the Rams and Jim Leonhard’s (very) rocky start as Buffalo Bills defensive coordinator. Buffalo is giving off strong 2011 Packers vibes.

Video and audio are above.

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Make it three in a row. These Green Bay Packers are suddenly crushing opponents.

Back when boos were reverberating through Lambeau Field — and rancor spiked to rare extremes — sources told Go Long that head coach Matt LaFleur stayed calm. He didn’t ask assistants to pull all-nighters, didn’t lose his mind. A measured tone that was very welcomed. Green Bay then squeaked out a win in Tampa Bay, dominated the Bears and then embarrassed a loaded Dallas Cowboys offense.

Momentum is building. Are we starting to see the real 2026 Packers? Here’s your weekly two-hour dose of NFC North talk/film dissection with co-host Bob McGinn.

I hit record live from Badger State Brewing on Tony Canadeo Run in the shadows of Lambeau. We’ve got much to discuss on this team.

The 5-0 Minnesota Vikings and 3-2 Detroit Lions had a bye week, but the Chicago Bears welcomed back their quarterback. Caleb Williams was nearly perfect in Atlanta, while Kyler Gordon supplied a knockout punch. As always, McGinn guides us through the performance of everyone in this division.

Heading into a North showdown vs. Dan Campbell’s Lions, LaFleur has an interesting decision to make on the offensive line.

And perhaps what’s most encouraging on the field for this team is that it’ll be infused with a difference-maker on each side of the ball soon: running back Josh Jacobs and edge Micah Parsons.

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With co-host Bob McGinn on vacation, Tom Silverstein joins me this week.

Thirty-eight years on the beat strong, “Spoon” continues to analyze and cover this team with the sharpest eye. Follow all of his work at PackersNews.com.

We examine what went right at Lambeau Field vs. Chicago and try to figure out where the season goes from here for Matt LaFleur’s team.

Is Silverstein confident what we saw in this game is sustainable? Instead of getting granular with the NFCN X’s and O’s, as we do with Bob, let’s take an episode to zoom out.

Video and audio is above.

Miss our series on LaFleur? Here’s Part I & Part II examining this coach in Year 8.

The legend, Mike Ditka, also passed away. Here’s a piece from “Blood and Guts” on the legacy he leaves.

Thanks, all.

Be sure to submit any mailbag questions to golongtd@substack.com as well.

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His coverage has been synonymous with pro football itself.

Now, he’s got a new book hitting the shelves: “The Game” is available for purchase everywhere you get hardcover, Kindle or audiobooks. Peter became the standard for taking fans places they could not go. “The Game” is far more than a collection of old stories, too. It’s packed with fresh reporting and stories you’ve never heard before.

Loved welcoming a friend onto the Go Long Podcast here.

He’s insightful, entertaining, a timeless true titan in the industry.

We get into plenty…

• Bill Walsh’s season on the brink.

• A car ride with Boomer Esiason he’ll never forget.

• Ron Wolf’s epic turnaround in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

• Why the Green Bay Packers are different, QB to QB to QB.

• How genuine curiosity became central to his journalism.

• What has changed for the better and what has changed for the worst since Peter first started covering the NFL in the mid-80s?

• Over the offseason, we examined the league’s fragile long-term future with Chuck Klosterman — that episode is here — and a growing bubble that could burst. What does Peter think the NFL will look like 40 years from now? Is he equally concerned?

Full video and audio are embedded above.

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And, again, purchase THE GAME today.

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ICYMI:

‘Monster:’ The Impossible Deone Walker

RIP, Mike Ditka

This hair-raiser was worth the midnight adrenaline rush.

Josh Allen and Matthew Stafford are the two most recent MVP winners. So I suppose there was never any doubt they’d eventually swap TD for TD for TD in a Monday Night Football classic. Buffalo prevailed in overtime, 37-34, thanks to Greg Rousseau’s blocked kick and Allen’s legs.

The Bills are 4-1. As Allen told Go Long: “I’m going to play football how I know how to play it until I can’t.” He brought those words to life in this one.

The Bills, of course, also have some major issues. Stafford (383 yards, 3 TD) and Puka Nacua (17 catches) carved up this secondary. James Cook fumbled again. Troubling themes.

Here’s your weekly dose of Bills talk with the team’s former director of personnel, Jim Monos. We analyze it all.

Video and audio is available above. Also be sure to subscribe to our Apple, Spotify and YouTube channels.

Miss the feature on Deone Walker? Here’s the story of the “unicorn,” icymi.

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Josh Allen’s late-game interception was a colossal fail, a rookie mistake… but no. Joe Brady should not send him to the chalkboard to write “I Will Not Throw Into Double Coverage” 100 times. As the Bills QB told Go Long, he isn’t going to change his play style. We examine the QB-HC dynamic.

Buffalo’s Defense. There are issues in the secondary. Maxwell Hairston wanted no smoke with the game on the line. Next up: the Los Angeles Rams.

Hey, what about those Atlanta Falcons? A year ago, I sat down in Terry Fontenot’s office. He was beaming. He was soon fired. The GM’s vision is finally being brought to life… albeit after Arthur Blank fired him.

All GMs for all teams know they’ve got to find a quarterback. But what’s the best path? Selecting one first overall doesn’t guarantee anything. Nor does staying patient apparently.

And, hey! It’s Packers-Bears Week. After sifting through the nitty-gritty matchups with Bob McGinn, let’s think big picture with Monos. This the most important regular-season game of Matt LaFleur’s eight-year tenure. Ben Johnson has morphed his Chicago offense into a soul-snatching machine up front. It’ll be must-see TV again.

Thanks for watching, listening, sharing.

You power everything at Go Long.

Two-part series on LaFleur is right here, icymi:

• Matt LaFleur Show, Part I: The Boss

• Matt LaFleur Show, Part II: Identity Crisis

Since then? Ben Johnson continues to build a machine of a rushing attack and win with both No. 2 (Tyson Bagent) and No. 3 (Case Keenum) quarterbacks. Matt LaFleur has the Packers at 2-2 after squeaking past winless Tampa Bay.

This may be the most important regular-season game of LaFleur’s eight-year tenure.

Green Bay’s season could realistically take a very hard turn either direction Sunday afternoon at Lambeau Field.

Here on the “Ty & Bob Pod,” we preview the matchup and — as always — Bob McGinn offers his insight on all NFCN games from a week ago: Packers-Bucs, Bears-Jets, Vikings-Dolphins and Lions-Panthers.

Subscribers can access the full one-hour, 55-minute episode.

If you prefer to listen on Apple or Overcast, bang it here to sync your subscription. Instructions on syncing on Spotify are also here.

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Two-part series on Matt LaFleur, icymi:

Matt LaFleur Show, Part I: The Boss

Matt LaFleur Show, Part II: Identity Crisis

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As a sports agent. As a Green Bay Packers executive. As a member of sports media.

Even as the GM of the Barcelona Dragons.

We all know so much more about how the NFL works because of his voice, his ability to articulate complicated stuff to the masses. Now, Brandt has documented his journey for us all to read. “Smarter About Sports: My Life Navigating Athletes, Agents, Media, and the Business of the NFL” is available everywhere books are sold.

Be sure to add Brandt’s book to your library today. It’s excellent.

Here on the Go Long Podcast, Brandt shares a few of those tales.

Video and audio of our conversation is available above. I’ll also share the transcription for those who’d prefer to read later today.

Topics include…

• How Brandt broke into the agent world. (Yes, with a trip to Barcelona to follow.)

• Learning from NBA super-agent David Falk.

• Allowing for “serendipity” at every turn — Brandt constantly bet on himself to pursue a life in sports.

• Ron Wolf’s words that changed his life. The Packers wanted an agent to take over as VP. Brandt was the choice. Brandt handled the team’s contracts from 1999 to 2008.

• Life in Green Bay. It was different than anything he had experienced.

• Reliving the day Brett Favre’s father died. He’ll never forget it.

• Reliving the transition from Favre to Aaron Rodgers — Brandt was close to both. He’ll never forget this all, either. Ninety-five percent of calls to his phone were pro-Favre.

• What makes the Packers different on and off the field in the business of pro football.

This was a ton of fun.

These days, Brandt is the executive director of the Jeffrey S. Moorad Center for the Study of Sports Law at Villanova University.

You can also get all of his insight at the Sunday Seven newsletter.

Live in Wisconsin? Be sure to hang out with Brandt at one of his book signings coming up. He’ll be in at the Appleton Barnes & Noble on Oct. 17 (10:30 a.m. CST), Lion’s Mouth Bookstore in Green Bay later that same day (3 p.m.), and then the Barnes & Noble in Green Bay on Oct. 18 (11 a.m.). All info can be found at smarteraboutsports.com.

It’s now Year 3 for all six quarterbacks.

With Drake Maye’s mind-boggling struggles, injuries to Caleb Williams/Jayden Daniels, more Bo Nix fourth-quarter magic, the J.J. McCarthy trade and Michael Penix’s return from another ACL, I thought it was a perfect time to discuss the 2024 quarterback class in full here on Real Football with co-host Jim Monos.

All QBs can still veer all possible directions.

We start in Foxborough where Maye’s career arc is particularly shocking.

Last season, he nearly won MVP. The North Carolina product zapped life into the entire organization and played beyond his years. Three games into this 2026 season, he’s arguably been the worst starter in the league. What happened? Can he rekindle his magic? So much about playing quarterback is rooted in confidence.

QB to QB to QB, we get to ‘em all.

Daniels is hurt, again, but hustling to get back. His first half in Dallas was encouraging. Williams had a front-row ticket to the Case Keenum Show at Soldier Field. What’s next for this quarterback we’ve tracked closely?

The Vikings found a team to take McCarthy off their hands. I explored why it didn’t work out in our Kyler Murray two-parter. Now, let’s get a scout’s perspective on Real Football.

Meanwhile, all Nix does is turn it on in the fourth quarter. Listeners of the pod remember Monos pegging Denver as the team that’d draft Nix far back as the NFL Combine that spring. He worked with Sean Payton in New Orleans. (We still like these ‘26 Broncos.)

Then, there’s Penix. Atlanta has life after clobbering the Packers. This QB is all, all, all arm.

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Case Keenum defied the odds on Monday Night Football, shredding the Philadelphia Eagles for 247 yards on 24-of-34 passing with two touchdowns and no turnovers and no sacks.

How did he do it? Our Bob McGinn details on this episode of the Ty & Bob Pod.

Also, Ben Johnson must’ve enjoyed seeing a quarterback operate with such timing. This 27-7 dismantlement could have the Bears coach thinking about the short and long term.

This was a convincing punch to the 2024 champ’s mouth.

Elsewhere, the sight of a third-string quarterback lighting it up for Chicago must’ve been especially painful for the team that once tortured this team. The Green Bay Packers hit a new low in their 35-14 blowout loss to Atlanta on Thursday Night Football. McGinn explains where everything went wrong and how Matt LaFleur and Brian Gutekunst are trying to fix the offensive line on the fly with the Laken Tomlinson and Mekhi Becton signings.

Since recording this episode, Green Bay also has signed veteran guard Kevin Zeitler.

Will this act of desperation work? McGinn reached out to some NFL scouts to see what these signees have to offer. Fascinating insight.

The Minnesota Vikings again rode their defense to victory. After Justin Jefferson went down, quarterback Kyler Murray struggled to find a rhythm.

They’re 3-0. They’re riding a defense that attacks.

The Detroit Lions held off a Jets rally to get back on track. Questions on D remain.

And stick around for the weekly McGinn Memory. Once again, my co-host looks back to Bart Starr’s coaching days.

Thanks, all.

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But defensively? This is the sort of victory Joe Brady loves to see this time of year.

Some teams fold when everything starts going wrong. (Hello, Matt LaFleur.)

Other teams treat the football like a hot potato and still find a way.

Here’s a quick recap on the Bills’ 24-16 win over the Chargers. The last time Buffalo won a game despite committing five turnovers? That’d be against the Jim Harbaugh-quarterbacked Indianapolis Colts in 1997.

Oh boy, does Harbaugh have his work cut out for him with these 0-3 Chargers.

It’s time for everyone to stop with the annual Justin Herbert hype. He stunk on Sunday.

Still, give this new Bills credit for stepping up. Greg Rousseau, CJ Gardner-Johnson and others supplied the needed stops.

What does this game say about Buffalo moving forward? Video and audio is above and also accessible on our Apple, Spotify and YouTube channels.

As a programming note, I will not have an Aftermath column today and promise it’s for good reason. Chipping away at something much bigger that’ll roll out later this week.

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Here’s a quick feature on the physical transformation of Bills defensive tackle DeWayne Carter, icymi.

The next? He’s motionless. He’s told he may never walk again and starts imagining a life of eating through a straw.

Football can be cruel.

His life completely changed in one split-second.

Thirteen years later, Jermichael Finley tears open those old wounds right here on the Go Long Podcast. Back in my days covering the team at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, I got to know Finley the player and the person. There simply weren’t tight ends sculpted like this 6-foot-5, 250-pounder. His potential was obvious to everyone watching those record-setting Packers offenses. There were ups and downs. He missed the team’s 2010 Super Bowl run with a meniscus tear in his knee.

And with one collision vs. the Cleveland Browns on Oct. 20, 2013, his career abruptly ended.

Since then, I’ve checked in on Finley a few times. He was never shy answering any questions about his former quarterback. To which, Aaron Rodgers has since responded multiple times. Most recently, the Steelers QB said his former tight end “just wasn’t a smart person.”

So, yes, we Finley’s perspective on this comment. He looks back at their relationship.

I think his view on the dynamic will surprise you, despite the fact that he hasn’t spoken to Rodgers since he laid on a hospital bed 13 years ago.

Above all, Finley has matured into a man completely at peace in life.

Down in Texas, he’s been busy raising five boys with his wife Courtney. His oldest is a wide receiver at Notre Dame, and look out. The next Finley boy (London) is coming.

Jermichael Finley is finding true purpose in life, and that’s a quantum leap for all ex-players… let alone the players whose careers end in such horrific fashion.

Video and audio of our full conversation is above.

I will also share a transcript later today for those who’d prefer to read.

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Here on the Ty & Bob Pod, we dissect it all.

Two games in, the Minnesota Vikings should be feeling damn good about themselves, too. Brian Flores has his unit hunting, and the defensive coordinator is armed with an ascending star in edge rusher Dallas Turner. So, what makes this blitz-happy Vikings defense unlike any other? McGinn has studied the film (as only he can) and I’ve spent some time around the personalities who make this defense go. We discuss in full this episode.

Meanwhile, what a whirlwind of emotions in Chicago. After torching Carolina for 59 points, Ben Johnson’s crew was held to a mere field goal in its home opener. Quarterback Caleb Williams writhed in pain one moment — this looked (and sounded) like a season-ender. Testing has revealed a week-to-week hamstring injury. When should the quarterback return to action? Case Keenum may be the man under center on Monday Night Football vs. Philadelphia as Tyson Bagent works through the concussion protocol.

One major difference between these two teams: linebacker play. Blake Cashman and Eric Wilson are humming for the Vikes.

Elsewhere, the Green Bay Packers survived the wretched swamps of New Jersey.

It was ugly. It was win. Javon Bullard is bringing his words to life and Lukas Van Ness had his best game as a pro. But, goodness, what about that offense? The Zach Bako-Bewele injury is a killer up front.

Finally, it was a miserable night in Orchard Park, NY for the Detroit Lions. There are holes throughout Dan Campbell’s defense. How will the head coach adjust on the fly?

Stick around for a “McGinn Memory” looking back to a 1981 Packers trip to Shea Stadium.

We’ve got two-plus hours of NFC North talk for you each week at Go Long.

New here? McGinn, a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, has covered the NFL since 1979. We’re former co-workers at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Subscribers can access all episodes, all season long.

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Related:

• ‘Through the storm:’ Blake Cashman is the Minnesota Vikings’ maniac in the middle

• ‘Who’s going to take this yard?’ The Arrival of Eric Wilson

• The Promise of Aaron Jones

• Canton is still the goal for Aaron Jones

• The Kyler Murray Project, Part I: Liberated

• The Kyler Murray Project, Part II: The Great Unknown

• Tate Ratledge feels no pain

• Javon Bullard is the dagger

• ‘Kill ‘em all:’ The Sean Rhyan Code

Here’s my column from the 41-31 win. This “lunatic” of a quarterback with a smelling salt hanging from his mouth is playing more free than ever. (And he’s not alone.)

And, icymi, here’s our story off an exclusive 1 on 1 with owner Terry Pegula. He details why football always needed to stay in Western New York.

“The Bills are here. The Sabres are here. And they’re going to stay here.”

In addition to our two main podcasts — “Real Football” (with Jim Monos) and the “Ty & Bob Pod” (with Bob McGinn) — we’ll get into the habit of dinging record on a Bills show. As most know, Monos served as the team’s director of personnel from May ‘13 to May ‘17 and always brings a fresh perspective.

Today, we try to make sense of Allen’s performance and a perplexing defense. They made plays up front, but clearly this scheme is a major work in progress.

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Links from the week…

‘Legacy:’ Terry Pegula opens up on his mission to keep the Bills in Buffalo

‘Dangerous:’ Say hello to the new Buffalo Bills juggernaut offense

Real Football: Is Patrick Mahomes BACK?!

Ty & Bob Pod S5 E1: Inside the Packers-Vikings meltdown

Unfortunate Situation: Vikings roar and Matt LaFleur chokes (again)

Monos Report: What’s real and what’s fake in the NFL?

Do or Die for C.J. Stroud

He has earned that right.

He was a central the-one-that-got-away figure in our first story ever at Go Long.

There’s a strong case to make that Mahomes is the best quarterback ever this side of Tom Brady. The Kansas City Chiefs star has captivated us all with a magic to his game.

Yet, last season, Mahomes posted career lows across the board and the Chiefs missed the playoffs. In my piece on C.J. Stroud and the gnarly Texans defense, sources detailed the team’s blueprint vs. Mahomes — one that Philadelphia used in the Super Bowl, one that bludgeoned the QB into submission. Houston made him look downright bad in 2025.

Of course, the three-time champion and five-time Super Bowl participant is also coming off a torn ACL. This could dull mobility, too.

Under the Monday Night Football glow, Mahomes started sluggish, ran for one touchdown and threw short for two more in a 31-10 win over Denver.

What do we make of his performance? Where do Mahomes and the Chiefs go from here?

This is our main topic on “Real Football” with co-host Jim Monos, our longtime NFL scout.

Andy Reid and Brett Veach restructured this team in major ways in an attempt to create a new championship window. (Holy, Kenneth Walker Jr.)

We get into plenty on the first episode of the regular season.

• Everything Mahomes. (Also: I loved the QB’s trainer, Bobby Stroupe, sharing our story as motivation.)

• Drake Maye’s scary debut. Aberration? Or cause for concern?

• Juggernaut Chicago Bears offense.

• Matt LaFleur’s Week 1 dud.

• Baker Mayfield’s $55M/year contract. If Monos was the Buccaneers’ GM, what would he have done?

• Why I still love the Ravens. New playcaller Declan Doyle, 30, supplied quite a first impression.

• UPSET ALERT. Monos believes the Indianapolis Colts will beat KC this week. We rapid-fire predict all Week 2 games.

Full video and audio is above.

As a reminder, you won’t be peppered with one advertisement at Go Long and that’s only possible because of you. So thank you for watching, listening and sharing with a friend.

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Subscribers can also catch the two-hour, 12-minute NFC North podcast with Bob McGinn. He dissects all the action as only he can.

Here’s our mission into Year 7, icymi.

Thanks, all.

Each week, I’ll be joined by Bob McGinn to discuss the NFC North.

To those who remember McGinn’s weekly Rating the Packers column at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the format is familiar. He studies the film of the NFCN teams — Packers, Bears, Lions, Vikings — and offers a fresh perspective on all players at all positions.

And to those who remember our MJS days, we started this whole podcast thing in 2012 from Bob’s kitchen. A huge thank you to everyone who’s made their way back.

This is our fifth season of the reboot here at Go Long.

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On this episode, we make sense of Green Bay’s 39-22 collapse in Minnesota, one of the craziest possible ways to open the 2026 season. (Here’s my column, icymi.)

Meanwhile, Ben Johnson is gunning for history. He wants to score more points than any team in NFL history and got off to a 59-point start in Carolina.

Detroit and New Orleans fought to an overtime finish.

Get the good, bad and ugly right here every week.

Each episode also ends with a “McGinn Memory.” Loved kicking off the season with a tribute to a great human being: Bob Harlan.

The full two-hour, 12-minute episode is available to paid subscribers above.

If you prefer to listen on Apple or Overcast, bang it here to sync your subscription. Instructions on syncing on Spotify are also here.

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We’ll be on-hand for all festivities. Cannot wait to reboot our Gameday Chat. Tune in for all sights, all sounds and all tomfoolery with fellow readers around the country. Always a good time. We’ll discuss anything and everything you’d like all Sunday.

Get more from Tyler Dunne in the Substack app

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After two midweek clunkers, I’m feeling good about the Sunday slate. Or maybe it’s just the random Blake Bortles jersey I spotted at my layover in Detroit. Either way, let’s get the party started with Jarrett Bailey & Todd Haley of the insightful Pump Fake Podcast. Subscribe to their channel here. You know Haley from his long career coaching in the NFL — from WR coach to Arizona Cardinals’ Super Bowl OC to Kansas City Chiefs head coach to Steelers OC with a year in Cleveland we absolutely touch on. Bailey is an NFL writer at SB Nation and the producer of Behind the Steel Curtain.

We rip through a medley of topics on the cusp of this season.

• Aaron Rodgers’ podcast appearance on Not Just Football broke the Internet. He’s saying whatever he wants. Agree with him? Disagree? Bring it on. All of it.

• But as a quarterback — 43 years old in December — what does Rodgers have to offer? And what is Pittsburgh’s ceiling?

• Bailey has the Tennessee Titans making the playoffs, and explains why.

• Haley steers the focus to Robert Saleh. He wants the Titans HC to bring all of his sideline energy as a coordinator to the head job.

• Kyler Murray? No, Haley is not quite as bullish.

• None of us believe Chicago will make the playoffs. There’s got to be a odd man out in the NFCN.

• Which wide receiver did Haley need to convince to embrace blocking? His answer definitely shocked me.

• Does he still think about that ‘17 playoff loss to Jacksonville?

• C.J. Stroud and the Texans. We’ve got a deep dive live for subscribers. I hit on a few themes covered.

• You’ll want to stick around for Haley’s story from the 2018 draft. He was in Cleveland then and, dammit, he tried his best to convince owner Jimmy Haslam to draft Josh Allen. He relives that spring in full.

• Super Bowl picks.

Video and audio is above, and be sure to subscribe to our Apple, Spotify and YouTube channels.

You can follow Bailey and Haley on X, and listen to the latter on Sirius XM Radio.

Miss any season preview stories? All links below.

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Do or Die for C.J. Stroud

Tony Pollard is the NFL’s hidden warrior

The “Big John” Simpson Creed

Tate Ratledge feels no pain

The Kyler Murray Project, Part I: Liberated

The Kyler Murray Project, Part II: The Great Unknown

‘We will be the best offensive line in football:’ Q&A with Alec Anderson, Buffalo Bills enforcer

‘Who’s going to take this yard?’ The Arrival of Eric Wilson

Jordyn Brooks is the captain now

Dregs to Domination: The Aaron Brewer Blueprint

It’ll be an AFC heavyweight fight at Reliant Stadium… a place that’s been a house of horrors for Josh Allen.

What changes in 2026? We discuss the matchup and the identity of the Bills here on a quick Substack Live video.

This Texans defense is a different animal, as we learned.

Now, Joe Brady takes charge. His boss, Brandon Beane, certainly understands the stakes of this season.

Also: Keep an eye out for an extensive C.J. Stroud piece soon. Nobody in the NFL faces more pressure to produce.

Want to join future Substack Lives? Download the app right here.

Thanks, all.

Get more from Tyler Dunne in the Substack app

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Good evening! The 2026 NFL Season is… here.

Finally.

Perfect time to schedule a Go Long Happy Hour for this Friday night.

All season, paid subscribers can hang out with former NFL coaches and players. Next up? Former head coach Todd Haley will join the program with his co-host on The Pump Fake podcast, Jarrett Bailey. (Loved popping on their show after our Vikings series.)

Haley is a football lifer, of course.

A longtime receivers coach, he was the offensive coordinator on the Arizona Cardinals’ Super Bowl team in 2008, took over as head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs from 2009 to ‘11, and then had a strong run as the Pittsburgh Steelers’ OC ‘12 to ‘17. These days, he’s coaching in the UFL and hosting an insightful program on NFL Radio.

You’ll love talking ball with Bailey, too. (Maybe we can get him going on McAfee’s album again.) When he’s not hosting The Pump Fake, he’s writing at SB Nation.

Subscribers can join our Zoom Happy Hour at the link below.

Here’s our last Happy Hour with ex-Bills GM Doug Whaley, icymi.

See you then.

Ask anything you’d like.

Log-in details:

When: Friday, Sept. 11 at 5:30 p.m. (EST)

Link: CLICK HERE

Meeting ID: 889 4615 6328

Passcode: 170624

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The 2026 NFL Season is HERE.

No more lists. No more forecasting. We officially have substantive games to gnaw on starting Wednesday night.

You bet “Real Football” will march on with co-host Jim Monos, our resident NFL scout/exec, this fall. Subscribers can expect a full episode each Tuesday. Our goal — always — is to bring you something different. Monos will tap into his experiences with the Eagles, Saints and Bills, while I share reporting stories from the road.

In addition to these weekly shows, we’ve got fun news to share: Expect half-hour Buffalo Bills postgame shows on Substack Live. Monos served as the team’s director of personnel from May ‘13 to May ‘17 and I’ll be around One Bills Drive plenty this season. On these live videos, paid subscribers will be able to hang out with us and ask questions in real time after all games.

Subscribe now

This week, my pal made the trip down to Ellicottville, NY.

We post up at Ellicottville Brewing Company.

Gotta say, as much as I love their signature EBC Blueberry, “The Charge Lager” and “Fan Zone” beers on tap deliver. Highly recommend. If we have readers that’d like to hang out in-person down here in the Southern Tier, let me know.

On this episode, we primarily we dig into everything NFC after last week’s AFC show.

The Los Angeles Rams have constructed a mega team.

Who’s the best challenger?

• There was one grave omission in our 2026 NFL Predictions: the Jaguars. How did we all overlook a 13-4 team?

• How is Sean McDermott taking in Bills games this season?

• Readers asked why in the hell Monos has Matt LaFleur on the hot seat while also picking Green Bay to make the Super Bowl. He explains. (And he still can’t shake that playoff loss).

• Jared Goff doesn’t move. That’s fine. His brain’s sharper than ever.

• Caleb Williams does move and improvise and create as well as anyone. Can he master the other stuff?

• Christian Parker, profiled here, could be the ultimate X-Factor in this conference. If the Cowboys’ defense improves to average, look out.

• You guys know I’ve been bullish on Minnesota.

• Hey, let’s not forget the Seattle Seahawks did win a Super Bowl.

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2026 NFL Season Preview Features to date…

• Tony Pollard is the NFL’s hidden warrior

• The “Big John” Simpson Creed

• Tate Ratledge feels no pain

• The Kyler Murray Project, Part I: Liberated

• The Kyler Murray Project, Part II: The Great Unknown

• ‘We will be the best offensive line in football:’ Q&A with Alec Anderson, Buffalo Bills enforcer

• ‘Who’s going to take this yard?’ The Arrival of Eric Wilson

• Jordyn Brooks is the captain now

• Dregs to Domination: The Aaron Brewer Blueprint