Go Long Podcast

Here’s your weekly dose of NFC North talk with my co-host Bob McGinn. The Lions steamrolled the hapless Cincinnati Bengals, 37-24, back in David Montgomery’s hometown. This one meant something special to the hard-charging back. Be it Jared Goff’s pinpoint precision, Jahmyr Gibbs’ jukes or Amon-Ra St. Brown’s brilliant route running, these Lions have A-level players all over the field. And the best...

Back in August, I caught up with my pal Michael Silver at Buffalo Bills training camp in Pittsford, NY. It’s always a treat. One of Silver’s stories invariably leads to another. And another. And another. And another. And this day, we were discussing the eccentric main characters of his book, “The Why is Everything: A Story of Football, Rivalry and Revolution.” Silver clearly got the goods. I could...

What a week it was in the NFC North. Micah Parsons’ grand return to Dallas had no fairy tale ending. Only questions for that Packers defense… and special teams. (Yikes.) The good news? Romeo Doubs, profiled here , took charge. It wasn’t pretty in Las Vegas. Ben Johnson lost his cool, too. But Caleb Williams’ late drive was enough. Are the skies clearing up for injury-riddled Chicago? J.J. McCarthy...

Leverage. Leverage. Leverage. In sum, that is what matters most for the NFL’s players ahead of the next round of CBA negotiations with owners. And right here at Go Long, former NFL quarterback Matt Schaub announced his candidacy to run as Executive Direction of the NFLPA. In exceptional detail, he lays out his plan for the players . I cannot recommend reading his arguments enough. Here on the Go L...

Happy Valley… to Jacksonville… to Chicago… to several other stops at the tail-end, Allen Robinson experienced a little bit of everything as an NFL wide receiver. Poor QB play. Super Bowl expectations. A torn ACL. 1,000-yard seasons. Contract disputes. Revis Island. Stafford ‘n Goff. There’s a lot to get into and the longtime NFL wide receiver is much obliged. We welcomed Robinson onto our latest Z...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.golongtd.com So much for the post-Ben Johnson haze. The Detroit Lions are just fine on offense. Dan Campbell’s fourth-down swag was back in a 38-30 win over the Baltimore Ravens. Jared Goff knifed clutch completions. Aidan Hutchinson changed the game late. And most encouraging? This offensive line was back to bullying bodies up fron...

He’s hardly sleeping and drinking coffee nonstop. He’s working on Eastern Standard Time from the United Kingdom. He lives 24/7 at the edge of offensive innovation in pro football. What a fun time learning more about this 2025 NFL season with a man married to the game: Oliver Connolly at The Read Optional . Here on the Go Long Podcast, we dive into a wealth of topics: * Tebowmania. What a time to b...

Live from 2 Patriot Place, we touch on a variety of NFL topics and take your questions on Substack Live. Excellent submissions. This Sunday is a major litmus test for Mike Vrabel, Drake Maye and the New England Patriots. The Buffalo Bills are 3-0, too. We discuss their win over Miami on Thursday night — and Go Long-approved bad ass Jackson Hawes. Want to join future broadcasts? Download the Substa...

Matt LaFleur couldn’t have scripted a faster start for his Green Bay Packers. Ben Johnson couldn’t have scripted a worse start in Chicago. Dan Campbell’s crew got back on track. Meanwhile, in Minnesota, Kevin O’Connell may be asking himself some hard quarterback questions over the next few weeks. Of course, things always change fast in this league. We di… This is a public episode. If you'd like to...

Perhaps it’s not time for teams to call 9-1-1, but there’s a stench in the air. A few houses are starting to burn. Two weeks into this 2025 NFL Season, I thought we should catch up with the sharp John Middlekauff of the “3 and Out” podcast on The Volume network. Middlekauff is a former scout with the Philadelphia Eagles and always brings a fresh perspective on his show. Here on the Go Long Pod, we...

All respective NFL franchises placed their bets the spring of 2024. Some teams did more homework than others. And in Year 2 of a quarterback’s development, major progress is expected. Each week, all season long, I’ll be joined by a new guest to dissect what we see on Sunday and look ahead. First up: Mike Tanier of Too Deep Zone . Mike always brings an insightful ‘n entertaining flair to his analys...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.golongtd.com Good morning! We’re off and running with Season 4 of the “Ty & Bob Pod.” Once again, I’ll be joined by Hall of Famer Bob McGinn each week to break down the NFC North. There’s only one Bob. Absolutely thrilled to bring his season-long analysis to Go Long once again. Full two-hour episodes are always accessible to paid su...

He’s the only quarterback from the 2024 class who didn’t see the field as a rookie. Finally, the wait is over. J.J. McCarthy is the starting quarterback of the Minnesota Vikings, and this is fairly unprecedented terrain. The Michigan product takes over a 14-win team with clear Super Bowl aspirations. GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and head coach Kevin O’Connell spent big bucks on both lines this past offse...

And just like that, Brandon Beane has locked in his core: Khalil Shakir, Christian Benford, Greg Rousseau, Terrel Bernard and, now, James Cook all inked contract extensions this offseason. Tip of the hat to Terry Pegula for spending this kind of money. The Buffalo Bills know the Super Bowl window is open and wanted to secure their own. Cook’s contract stalemate got testy at the end, but it was alw...

Always love talking ball with my former colleague at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinal: longtime beat man, Tom Silverstein. Nobody covers the team beter than “Spoon,” and you can read all of his work right here . Here on the Go Long Podcast, we get updates and analysis on everything Packers… * Jordan Love enters Year 3 as the starter. How is he adjusting his game? The Packers quarterback opened up on...

Always a joy to welcome on one of my best friends from the college days at Syracuse: Conor Orr of Sports Illustrated . Great writer. Better father. Loved our conversation on all the above. Each NFL season, there’s a team that sneaks up on everyone. Nobody outside of Dan Quinn’s staff expected the Washington Commanders to reach the NFC title game in 2024. Who goes on an unexpected run in 2025? We d...

Joe Flacco or Kenny Pickett? Dillon Gabriel or Shedeur Sanders? The Cleveland Browns are finally freeing themselves of the Deshaun Watson disaster this 2025 season, and the quarterback room has a chance to be more fun than you think. Our season preview features roll along this week with a close look at Grant Delpit and the Browns’ road map to kick ass . So here on the Go Long Pod, let’s chat with...

Odds are there’s someone in your life who knows next to nothing about the NFL — but they know Ryan Fitzpatrick . Especially in Buffalo. That’s the power of “Fitzmagic.” The former seventh-round pick from Harvard played for nine different teams through a wildly entertaining 17-year career. There were highs. There were lows. And there was one very specific turning point when Fitz realized he’s got t...

Joe Burrow is 100 percent correct: the Super Bowl window is always open as long as he is the starting quarterback. Now, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins are secured long term. A new defensive coordinator should help young talent grow on that side of the ball. We’ve explored the team’s brilliant offensive mind on staff, too. Dan Pitcher is a wizard and should be an NFL head coach in 2026. So, why do t...

They’re bound to meet again. Bills . Chiefs . Four out of the last five postseasons, they’ve collided. And each winter, of course, Patrick Mahomes has the right stuff. This offseason — more than any other — GM Brandon Beane overhauled the defense . As training camps across the NFL close in, let’s welcome back a recurring guest: Jay Skurski of The Buffalo News. The worst thing anyone can do is doub...

For 30 years, the Dallas Cowboys were a shining city on a hill. Titles galore. Landy to Jimmy. The next 30 years? Well, there’s technically been shine. This is the richest sports franchise in the world. But this is also the only team in the NFC that hasn’t reached the conference title game. We’ve examined the organizational rot , Jerry’s World and most recently welcomed ex-Cowboys wideout Brice Bu...

It’s no coincidence the Dallas Cowboys are now the only team that hasn’t reached the NFC Championship Game since 1995. We’ve tried to make sense of this wacky team before. Those inside the front office detailed the cycle of organizational rot most recently right here . Also, here’s a big-picture view of Jerry’s World from 2021 . On the Go Long Pod, I catch up with one former player who’s unafraid...

You’ve made your voice known, and it’s glorious. Thanks to all who’ve weighed in on our Super Bowl Era Top 30 quarterback ranking — be it in the comments or inside the chat. As always, all dissent is welcomed. Another member of the 13-person SB Nation panel ranking QBs was Mike Tanier over at the excellent Two Deep Zone Substack. I welcomed Tanier onto this week’s Substack Live to dissect the best...

He was ready to coast into retirement. This is often how it ends for players. Cut loose by a floundering Chicago Bears team, Khari Blasingame had his second baby due soon and was visiting his wife’s family in South Carolina. Mentally, he was ready to move on. The NFL appeared ready to move on from him. And then his agent, Blake Baratz, called: “Hey man, you want to go win a ring with Philly?” Blas...

There’s not another general manager in the sport quite like Terry Fontenot. At Go Long, the Falcons GM guides you through all of his colossal decisions the last two years, and he knows the time to win is now . He doesn’t care what anybody thinks, either. As Fontenot says: “If you’re worried about pleasing everybody, you’re going to be a failure.” He most certainly is not afraid. Our entire piece i...