From college upsets to pro comebacks, the crew discusses Lamar Jackson's struggles, the Eagles' gritty win, and why you should always have 11 players on the field.

—

In this episode:

* Break down the Oregon vs. Penn State game, highlighting the theme of “Penn State going Penn State” and analyzing the game-ending interception against Oregon’s four-down, three-high defensive front.

* Discuss Lamar Jackson’s struggles in big games, noting two delay-of-game penalties after an interception, and how the Kansas City Chiefs’ offense looked “back” with the return of Xavier Worthy.

* Dive into the Eagles’ win over the Buccaneers, a game they won despite not completing a single pass in the second half, by playing “bully ball” with their physically dominant offensive line.

* Highlight the most glaring coaching error of the week is examined, focusing on the Indianapolis Colts having only 10 players on the field during the Rams’ game-winning touchdown.

* Examine the surprising 3-1 Jacksonville Jaguars, who are praised for their improved defense and potent running game, which has put them in control of the AFC South.

—

Timestamps:

00:06 Intro: Oregon Upsets Penn State

01:48 X’s & O’s: Breaking Down the Game-Winning Interception

03:24 College Football Roundup: Bama Beats Georgia, A&M Tops Auburn

05:23 Are Vandy & Georgia Tech For Real?

07:27 TNF Recap: Marvin Harrison Jr.’s Rollercoaster Game

10:25 Steelers Grind Out a Win Over the Rams in Ireland

13:58 Eagles Play “Bully Ball,” Win Without a 2nd Half Pass Completion

17:01 How Vic Fangio’s Defense Shut Down the Bucs’ Passing Attack

20:55 The Colts’ Glaring Error: Losing With Only 10 Men on the Field

24:33 Chiefs vs. Ravens: Lamar’s Big Game Struggles Continue

28:28 The Chiefs’ Offense is BACK With Xavier Worthy

31:22 NFL Roundup: Caleb Williams Comes Back to Earth

34:22 Why the Jacksonville Jaguars are Quietly Taking Over the AFC South

37:12 NFC South Chaos & Final Thoughts

—

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© 2025 MatchQuarters | Cody Alexander | All rights reserved.

A deep dive into why Dallas's defense is struggling, how Caleb Williams compares more to Aaron Rodgers than Patrick Mahomes, and which college sleeper teams like Texas Tech could be dangerous.

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In this episode:

* Break down the strategic implications of the Eagles' "Tush Push," which effectively gives their offense an extra down and changes how defenses must game plan.

* Analyze the major shifts in college football, focusing on Clemson's struggles as a program and the rise of Oklahoma, whose defense now looks elite.

* Discuss the Bears' dominant win over the Cowboys and make the case that quarterback Caleb Williams is more comparable to Aaron Rodgers than Patrick Mahomes.

* Highlight the importance of special teams, pointing to the increase in blocked kicks and game-changing plays across the league.

* Examine teams in trouble, such as the Houston Texans, who have started the season 0-3 and face a difficult remaining schedule.

—

Timestamps:

00:08 - Eagles vs Rams: Jordan Davis's 61-Yard Fumble Return TD

02:06 - College Football Recap Begins

02:13 - Clemson's Struggles and "Dumpster Fire" Season

03:51 - Oklahoma's Defense Looks Elite Under Venables

05:11 - Sleeper Teams: Why Miami is Built for the NIL Era

06:43 - Texas Tech Might Finally Have a Defense

08:54 - Analyzing the Eagles' Unstoppable "Tush Push"

13:42 - The Rise of Blocked Kicks & The Importance of Special Teams

17:42 - How the Indianapolis Colts Offense is Thriving

20:49 - NFC South: Carolina's Defense Shuts Down the Falcons

23:08 - Bears Dominate Cowboys: Caleb Williams-Aaron Rodgers Comparison

25:40 - A Deep Dive into the Dallas Cowboys' Defensive Issues

28:14 - Teams in Trouble: Arizona Cardinals

31:06 - Houston Texans' Offensive Line is a Major Problem

33:27 - Week 3 Wrap Up & Outro

—

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© 2025 MatchQuarters | Cody Alexander | All rights reserved.

In this episode:

* Why Clemson and Head Coach Dabo Swinney need a "complete reset" due to a "vanilla" offense and a refusal to properly utilize the transfer portal.

* Analyze the Green Bay Packers' dominant 2-0 start, debating if they are currently the best team in the NFL thanks to their formidable defense.

* Break down the Kansas City Chiefs' surprising 0-2 start, with a discussion on whether opponents have figured out their offense and controversy over the Eagles' "tush push" play.

* Explain significant concerns about the Dallas Cowboys' defense, which is playing over 95% zone coverage, which could be an indictment of their personnel.

* Dissect the bounce-back wins for the Detroit Lions and Buffalo Bills, while identifying the Indianapolis Colts as a "legitimate team" on the rise.

—

Timestamps:

0:00 - Intro 0:09 -Clemson Tigers: Why Dabo Swinney Needs a "Complete Reset"

1:50 - Dabo's Resistance to the Transfer Portal & NIL

3:26 - Clemson's Defense is Still Good, But the Offense is "Vanilla"

5:28 - Is Clemson's Program Stagnating?

7:22 - Quick Hit: Problems at Notre Dame

8:42 - Green Bay Packers: Are They the Best Team in the NFL?

9:34 - The Story is the Packers' Defense

11:58 - Detroit Lions: Bouncing Back Against the Bears

15:10 - Caleb Williams & the Bears' Offensive Struggles

16:31 - Dallas Cowboys: Brandon Aubrey's Dominance & Defensive Collapse

17:40 - Why is the Cowboys' Defense So Bad?

21:04 - Buffalo Bills: A Strong Defensive Bounce-Back vs. the Steelers

23:14 - Pittsburgh Steelers: An Aging, Injury-Riddled Defense is a Problem

26:05 - Cincinnati Bengals: Joe Burrow's Recurring Injury Issues are a "Real Problem"

27:50 - Early Game Window Rapid Recap

30:53 - Kansas City Chiefs: Breaking Down the Shocking 0-2 Start

33:15 - Has the League Figured Out the Chiefs' Offense?

37:16 - Controversy: The Eagles' "Tush Push" Penalties

39:30 - Indianapolis Colts: A Legitimate Team on the Rise

45:41 - Atlanta Falcons: Bijan Robinson is Elite & the Defense is Showing Up

51:36 - Week 2 State of the League: Final Thoughts & Predictions

—

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© 2025 MatchQuarters | Cody Alexander | All rights reserved.

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In this episode:

* The hosts break down the "ugly wins" from Week 1, including the Broncos' win despite two interceptions from Bo Nix and the Buccaneers' victory over the Falcons by a missed FG.

* A look at Aaron Rodgers' surprising performance, where he threw four touchdowns against his former team, the New York Jets.

* Discussion on the Cleveland Browns' dominant defensive performance against the Bengals, allowing only seven net yards of total offense in the second half but still losing the game.

* An analysis of why the Chiefs' secondary is a "major concern", with breakdowns of miscommunications and busted coverage rotations.

* A Coach's Corner schematic deep dive, including how the Packers' defense dismantled the Lions' offense and the “new” blitz packages the Colts' defense used against Miami.

—

Timestamps:

0:09 - Intro: What the hell were the Saints wearing?!

1:45 - Ugly Wins: Broncos Survive Bo Nix's Turnovers

2:40 - Bo Nix vs. Brock Purdy: Young QBs Making Mistakes

5:15 - Ugly Win #2: Tampa Bay Squeaks By Atlanta

6:56 - Why the Falcons' Loss Was Devastating

9:08 - The Browns' Dominant (and Losing) Defense

13:05 - Aaron Rodgers' 4-TD Revenge Game vs. the Jets

15:14 - Are the Steelers' Defensive Struggles a Real Problem?

17:00 - Brain Drain in Detroit? Lions Offense Sputters vs. Packers

18:45 - Houston's Defense Looks Good, But The Offense Can't Score

21:47 - SNF Recap: Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson Duel in a Classic

25:25 - Dallas Defensive Front Struggles to Contain Jalen Hurts

28:43 - Why the Chiefs' Secondary is a Major Concern

34:04 - Coach's Corner: Packers' Defensive Scheme vs. the Lions

38:51 - Coach's Corner: Is Joe Brady Elevating the Bills' Offense?

41:11 - Coach's Corner: Lou Anarumo's “New-Look” Colts Defense

44:03 - Player Spotlight: Was Aaron Rodgers' Big Game a Mirage?

45:54 - Player Spotlight: George Pickens' Quiet Start in Dallas

48:26 - Player Spotlight: Tyquan Thornton's Role in the Chiefs' Offense

52:37 - Week 2 Preview | Commanders vs. Packers

53:58 - Broncos vs. Colts

54:40 - Eagles vs. Chiefs

56:20 - Falcons vs. Vikings

57:15 - Outro

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© 2025 MatchQuarters | Cody Alexander | All rights reserved.

In this episode:

The hosts provide a deep dive into the defensive slugfest between Ohio State and Texas, comparing it to the classic 2011 LSU vs. Alabama game and analyzing the immense hype surrounding Arch Manning's first start.

They break down Bill Belichick's rough coaching debut at North Carolina, pointing to schematic issues and predictable defensive calls that TCU's offense easily exploited.

It's declared a "defensive coordinator's weekend," with high praise for the game plans of Ohio State's Matt Patricia, LSU's Blake Baker, and Florida State's Tony White.

Other major Week 1 games are recapped, including LSU's victory over Clemson, Florida State's impressive win, and Miami's defeat of Notre Dame.

The episode concludes with a look ahead to Week 2, highlighting the Michigan vs. Oklahoma game and identifying potential "upset specials" like South Florida vs. Florida.

—

Timestamps:

00:07 Intro: Ohio State vs. Texas Game of the Year?

00:49 2011 LSU vs. Alabama: A Historical Comparison

01:44 A Defensive Slugfest: Patricia vs. Kwiatkowski

02:54 Analyzing Texas' Offensive Struggles & Game Control

04:43 The Arch Manning Debut: Separating Hype from Reality

06:07 Steve Sarkisian's Red Zone Play-Calling Criticized

08:30 How Matt Patricia's Defense Dominated for Ohio State

10:13 Recap: LSU vs. Clemson

12:49 The Noles Are Back! Florida State Upsets Alabama

15:39 Catholics vs. Convicts: Notre Dame vs. Miami Recap

19:30 LaNorris Sellers Shines for South Carolina

21:07 The "Parcells Test" for Young Quarterbacks

23:49 Bill Belichick's Disastrous UNC Debut vs. TCU

26:54 The "Mickey Mouse" Balloon Incident

28:04 Schematic Breakdown: How TCU's Offense Beat UNC's Defense

32:34 Week 2 Preview

32:46 Top 25 Matchup: Michigan vs. Oklahoma

36:53 Upset Alert? South Florida vs. Florida

37:25 The Border War: Kansas vs. Missouri

40:19 Sicko Game of the Week: Western Kentucky vs. Toledo

41:14 Outro

—

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© 2025 MatchQuarters | Cody Alexander | All rights reserved.

Our guest: Danny Heifetz is the host of ‘The Ringer Fantasy Football Show.’

—

In this episode:

- Danny Heifetz of The Ringer Fantasy Football Show takes over as host to ask a series of questions about the upcoming NFL season.

- A hypothetical Micah Parsons trade is used to break down the Dallas Cowboys' roster, revealing why the defense could be a "disaster waiting to happen" with significant questions at defensive end, linebacker, and cornerback.

- The conversation explores a potential league-wide "cornerback drought", analyzing why numerous contenders like the Chiefs, Bills, and Lions have major weaknesses in their secondaries.

- Coaching schemes are put under the microscope, from Bill Belichick's staff being unprepared for a modern spread offense to whether Mike McDaniel's system in Miami is too fragile to sustain success.

- Bold predictions are made for the 2025 season, including the argument that the Kansas City Chiefs are more likely to miss the playoffs than they are to have a fun, explosive offense again.

—

Timestamps:

00:07 Introduction

01:03 Bill Belichick's UNC Breakdown

03:38 The Coaching Ego Problem in Modern Football

08:51 The Micah Parsons Trade

09:33 The "Official" Argument for Trading Parsons

10:32 The REAL Reason Trading Parsons is a Disaster

15:15 Why Pay Daron Bland But Not Micah Parsons?

16:02 Is Daron Bland Overrated?

18:23 The Cowboys' Shaky Secondary: Diggs & Elam

21:49 Dallas Defense Recap: A House of Cards?

23:07 Packers: Are They an NFC Contender with Parsons?

28:25 The NFL's Cornerback Drought

33:10 Why is Elite Cornerback Play So Rare Now?

38:35 Can the Steelers Evolve with Aaron Rodgers?

40:53 Is Mike Tomlin's Defensive Scheme Outdated?

45:14 Kansas City Chiefs: Boom or Bust?

50:13 "IN or OUT" on NFL Coaches: McDaniel, Campbell & Johnson

55:53 Final Thoughts & The Most Interesting Team to Watch

57:31 Outro

—

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© 2025 MatchQuarters | Cody Alexander | All rights reserved.

In this episode:

The Quarterback Unknowns: Arch Manning makes his first major start after playing behind Quinn Ewers for three years. On the other side, former Alabama five-star Julian Sayin takes the reins for Ohio State with very little experience.

Ohio State's Elite Receivers vs. Texas's Secondary: Can the Longhorns' defensive backs, featuring Malik Muhammad and walk-on standout Taff, contain future top-10 NFL draft pick Jeremiah Smith and the rest of Ohio State's talented receiver corps?

The Battle in the Trenches: We analyze if a Texas defensive line that lost key players can pressure the QB, or if an Ohio State offensive line that used nine different starters last year can finally find stability.

Texas's New-Look Receivers: Who will be Arch's favorite target? We discuss DeAndre Moore, Ryan Wingo, and a potential dark horse in Parker Livingston.

Plus, we recap the schematic chess match from Week 0 between K-State and Iowa State and give our rapid-fire predictions for the other massive games on the Week 1 slate.

—

Timestamps:

00:00 - K-State vs. Iowa State: A Nerdy Football Recap

02:42 - The Arch Manning Debate: Is The Hype Real?

07:37 - Ohio State's QB & Star WR Jeremiah Smith

09:40 - Matchup 1: OSU's Passing Attack vs. Texas DBs

13:33 - Matchup 2: Can Texas Get Pressure on the QB?

16:38 - Matchup 3: Who Will Arch Manning Throw To?

19:27 - FINAL PREDICTIONS: Texas vs. Ohio State

20:41 - Week 1 Picks: LSU vs. Clemson

21:20 - Week 1 Picks: Notre Dame vs. Miami

22:43 - More Games to Watch: Bama/FSU & VT/SC

—

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© 2025 MatchQuarters | Cody Alexander | All rights reserved.

In this episode:

* Arizona Cardinals: The team’s success hinges on Kyler Murray’s performance in his seventh year and the development of their unique defensive scheme under coach Jonathan Gannon.

* San Francisco 49ers: With concerns about receiver injuries and defensive line attrition, the hosts suggest hitting ‘pause’ on Super Bowl expectations.

* Los Angeles Rams: We know what Sean McVay and Matthew Stafford can do, but can their young, talented defensive line overcome a questionable secondary?

* Seattle Seahawks: In a ‘new era’ (no Geno, no DK) under coach Mike Macdonald, the team’s success depends on its defense starring while the offense navigates issues with its O-line and new quarterback, Sam Darnold.

* NFC West Outlook: The division is defined by its elite coaching matchups and is considered ultra-competitive, but every team faces significant ‘what if’ scenarios that make the outcome uncertain.

—

Timestamps:

0:00 - Arizona Cardinals: Is Kyler Murray a "Freakish Athlete"?

01:21 - Cardinals Offense & Kyler Murray's Career

03:51 - A Deeper Look at Murray's Stats

05:55 - What is the Plan for Marvin Harrison Jr.?

07:03 - Trey McBride's Role in the Offense

09:04 - Breaking Down the Cardinals' Unique Defense

10:58 - Key Defensive Players & Scheme

14:06 - Seattle Seahawks: The Post-Pete Carroll Seahawks

15:16 - Concerns Clint Kubiak, the Offensive Line, & a Declining Run Game

18:11 - Why the Defense MUST Be the Star of the Team

19:08 - Strengths & Additions in the Secondary

20:17 - San Francisco 49ers: Are the 49ers Still Super Bowl Contenders?

21:31 - Early Season Injury Concerns for the Offense 2

2:47 - Christian McCaffrey's Health & Importance

24:00 - The Return of Defensive Coordinator Robert Saleh

26:16 - D-Line Attrition: A Major Concern

27:52 - Can Ricky Pearsall Step Up?

29:14 - Los Angeles Rams: Why the Rams are Division Favorites

29:43 - Analyzing Sean McVay's Offense

32:07 - Examining the Young Rams Defense & "Cheetah Package"

34:46 - Addressing the Problems with Run Defense

36:17 - The "Pass Rush Over Coverage" Philosophy

37:57 - NFC West Final Outlook: What Has This Division Lost?

39:03 - A Division of "What Ifs"

41:58 - Comparing the Division's Elite Coaches, McVay vs. Shanahan: A Coaching Style Breakdown

45:53 - Final Thoughts & Why the Pressure is On

—

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© 2025 MatchQuarters | Cody Alexander | All rights reserved.