Is Anyone Challenging the Eagles? Plus, Jerry Jones Gets Punched
The Cowboys Implode & Bama Gets Bullied: The SMQB’s Crew Tackles a Wild Football Kickoff….Football’s back, baby! and the SMQB’s are fired up and ready to go for this episode!
This week, Rooster, House, and Pope are holding down the fort, and let me tell you, they had a lot to talk about after a wild opening weekend in both the college ranks and the pros.
Who Can Dethrone the Eagles in the NFC?
The show kicks off with a full-on preview of the NFC. The big question on everyone’s mind: can any team actually challenge the Eagles this year? House is seriously worried about the Detroit Lions, pointing out that their receiving corps is scary, and if their defense can stay healthy, they are a legitimate threat.
Pope threw a few other teams into the mix. He thinks you have to consider the Packers, especially if Jordan Love reaches his potential. He also said not to sleep on the Niners, provided they have a bounce-back year and Christian McCaffrey stays healthy. House also gave a nod to a team he’s a “little worried about”: the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. With Baker Mayfield coming off a 42-touchdown year and a timeless Mike Evans, they could be a problem.
The Trade That Broke the Cowboys’ Backs
Okay, let’s get to the topic that really set the show on fire: the absolutely shocking Micah Parsons trade. You’ve gotta hear Pope, a die-hard Cowboys fan, just unload on owner Jerry Jones. He calls it “Luca part two,” saying it’s the second generational, 26-year-old talent the city has lost in the last eight months. The deal sent Parsons to Green Bay for two first-rounders and defensive tackle Kenny Clark.
So, what happened? The guys explained that the relationship between Micah and Jerry had been deteriorating for a while. It all came down to a contract dispute where Jerry wouldn’t budge, hamstrung by the massive contracts he already gave Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb. But House had a slightly different take. While he thinks the Cowboys lost the trade, he’s not ready to crown the Packers just yet. He argued that the Cowboys had way bigger problems on defense, like being unable to stop the run, and that this move doesn’t suddenly make Green Bay the Super Bowl favorite.
College Football Chaos: A Weekend of Stunners
The guys then jumped into the wild weekend of college football, and it did not disappoint. They broke down the #1 vs. #2 matchup where Ohio State took down Texas. Arch Manning’s much-hyped debut was pretty rocky, and Coach Steve Sarkisian’s play-calling on a critical fourth-and-goal sneak got seriously questioned.
But the biggest shocker? Florida State putting an absolute beatdown on Alabama. FSU’s transfer quarterback, Tommy Castellanos, talked some serious smack before the game and then walked the walk, completely dazzling on the field. Meanwhile, Alabama got “shoved off the line on both sides of the ball” and just looked soft. It was a disaster for the Crimson Tide.
Picks, Punches, and Praise
Of course, it wouldn’t be an SMQB’s episode without the crew’s signature segments. They laid out their NFL bets in “Plaxico Locks” and introduced their new college football betting segment, “Matier Matters”.
In “Punchable Face of the Week,” Jerry Jones got a massive uppercut for the Parsons trade. He wasn’t alone, though; Northwestern University also got blasted for disrespecting Tulane on the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina by not allowing them to wear their preferred white jerseys. On a much more positive note, this week’s “Lasso” went out to former NFL linebacker Glenn Cadrez, who heroically pulled a driver from a flaming car wreck on a California highway.
This is just a taste of what the guys got into. For all the hot takes, betting picks, and hilarious arguments, check out the full episode.