The MMQB NFL Podcast

The Super Bowl is coming up. But whatever. There were 53 other big news stories from around the NFL that have nothing to do with the Chiefs of the Eagles. So Conor and Gary went around the league, starting with the Sean Payton-Broncos marriage. Payton was Denver’s third choice, but keep in mind that the Broncos were probably about Payton’s eighth choice. That said, he is a great coach, but also on...

It was one debacle and one (albeit sloppy) thriller on Championship Sunday, and Conor and Gary are here to discuss how we ended up with a Chiefs-Eagles Super Bowl. And how NFL officiating might have hit a new low in the process. First, Patrick Mahomes’s exceedingly impressive performance on a bad ankle and with three receivers—how did he make it work? Plus, the Ossai push, Skyy Moore redemption, a...

We have our first head-coach hiring of 2023, as the Panthers turn to former Colts coach and first starting quarterback in Carolina franchise history Frank Reich to come in and get the offense moving. Conor and Gary size up the move, the upgrade for Reich himself after escaping Indianapolis, and the mild disappointment that the Steve Wilks-Ben McAdoo marriage has probably run its course. Then, a lo...

The NFL’s final four is set, and Conor and Gary are here to talk through just how we arrived here. First, what in the world is happening to the Cowboys at the end of playoff losses? Is there anything fundamentally wrong with this team, or do they simply keep running into a very good 49ers team in the playoffs? And does, theoretically, handing things over to Sean Payton make things any better? Then...

Conor and Gary are still sifting through the aftermath of *SUPER* Wild-Card Weekend, including what was likely the end of Tom Brady’s run in Tampa. Assuming he comes back, where does it make sense for him to play in 2023 (and, likely, beyond?). Then, a conversation of three very different outcomes for offensive coordinators. Joe Lombardi, as expected, is out with the Chargers, opening up a chance...

Super Wild-Card Weekend is five-sixths of the way done—nobody likes Monday night playoff football!—and Sunday’s and Saturday’s action brought a nice mixture of excitement and regret. Conor and Gary discuss every bit of it. The Ravens once again had Joe Burrow’s number (relatively speaking) and came up with some nice solutions on offense, but also a few of the most mind-bogglingly poor decisions by...

It was a relatively quiet Black Monday in the NFL, as only two teams made moves at head coach while three other significant coordinator firings went down. Conor and Gary delve into the situation in Arizona, where Kliff Kingsbury and Steve Keim are done less than a year after being awarded seven-year extensions. Then a look at Houston, where a head coach went one-and-done for the second consecutive...

That’s a wrap for the regular season, but the entire week was unforgettable across the NFL. Conor and Gary start with an unbelievable opening play in Buffalo, and the Bills pulling it together under unreal circumstances. Also, Conor discusses the time he spent in Western New York last week, as greater Buffalo worked its way through the emotion of Damar Hamlin’s collapse and recovery. Then, the Pac...

Unless you’re a Bucs or Packers fan, everything you feared came to be in Week 17: The Packers are still alive, the Bucs are going to host a playoff game, and Jarrett Stidham is maybe good, perhaps? Conor and Gary are here to figure things out. First, whether or not anyone should fear the Packers in the event Green Bay gets back to the playoffs, or if it seems like that’s just the stylish thing to...

It’s a hybrid show on The MMQB NFL Podcast—not quite a review, not quite a preview, but you get a good meal. Conor and Gary do their best to ignore a horrifically boring slate of Week 16 games and instead look to the bigger pictures around the league. And, to do that, it’s a whirlwind trip division by division. On this show: • A discussion of the fallout in Denver, where the Broncos’ new ownership...

Or, upon fact-check, two crazy nights (or days—but depending on time zone it was night somewhere). Conor and Gary discuss three truly unprecedented moments from the Saturday-Sunday slate of games. First, a confused discussion of the most stunning finish to a game… maybe ever? The reaction to Jakobi Meyers’s lateral to nowhere with no time left in a tie game, landing in Chandler Jones’s hands for a...

It’s the small-market show on The MMQB NFL Podcast—or the small-to-mid market show—as Conor and Gary take a trip around the NFL to discuss three QB-centric storylines. First, a refresher course on Desmond Ridder in advance of his first career start, and what to expect in an Arthur Smith offense for the rookie. Also, a discussion of Mariota-gate after a strange couple of days during which he may or...

In Week 14 we learned that, if anything, it’s time to tighten our embrace on the Brock Purdy–led 49ers. Conor and Gary discuss how the seventh-round rookie was far from perfect in his first career start, but he’s looking like he’ll be more than enough for the 49ers to stay in the Super Bowl conversation. Also, Justin Herbert disproves the dumbest narratives while cracks show in the Dolphins’ offen...

Baker Mayfield’s year-long freefall seemingly continued into December, as he asked for—and was granted—his release from Carolina, and went unclaimed by everyone but the Rams. Conor and Gary discuss the real story behind “only one team claimed him,” where he fits in L.A. for the near-term, and where he might fit elsewhere in the longterm. Then, a discussion of Titans GM Jon Robinson’s surprise firi...

There were some very intriguing matchups in Week 13, but all eyes were on the return of Deshaun Watson in Houston. Conor and Gary discuss why that was particularly unfortunate, as Watson struggled in his first game back, the broadcast team struggled desperately to articulate why Watson hadn’t played in a meaningful football game in 700 days, and everyone else was treated to one of the worst games...

Deshaun Watson is set to play in his first regular-season game in 700 days on Sunday, when he returns from his 11-game suspension for multiple violations of the personal conduct policy regarding many accounts of sexual assault and harassment from massage therapists Conor and Gary once again delve into why, as of Thursday morning, Watson’s public denials of wrongdoing in the face of overwhelming ev...

It was an entirely pleasant football Sunday in Week 12, with some close games, some stout defensive performances and some interesting developments. And nowhere were the developments more interesting than in Philadelphia, where Aaron Rodgers exited early and Jordan Love got a chance to show what he could do. Conor and Gary discuss Love’s impressive fourth-quarter showing against the Eagles, and wha...

Whether you’re listening to this episode on your drive to Thanksgiving dinner or at some point in the summer of 2024, it doesn’t matter. This show is simply timeless. At least Conor and Gary assume so. The Hodgepodge starts with a discussion of the Odell Beckham Jr. Sweepstakes. Are these sweepstakes exciting? Who should want to win these sweepstakes? And who should Odell want to win these sweepst...

It had been months of frustration watching Justin Herbert and the meek offense the Chargers’ offensive coaches had him operating. But those who waited patiently were finally rewarded on Sunday night when Herbert’s Chargers and Patrick Mahomes’s Chiefs played a classic in L.A. Conor and Gary breakdown that AFC West showdown and much more from Sunday. That includes the weirdly almost-unbeatable Viki...

As it has been since the beginning of time, the third Thursday in November must be a mailbag show on any podcast. Thus Conor and Gary answer your questions, to an extent that might or might not satisfy you. Among the hard-hitting questions taken on in this episode… From an analyst standpoint, are we happy or unhappy about games being played in heavy snow? Deshaun Watson reportedly chose the Browns...

In light of the incredible, unfathomable final moments of the Vikings’ (make that the 8–1 Vikings’!) victory in Buffalo, it’s time to really understand what this all means. That’s why Conor and Gary call on the wise words of one Kirk Cousins before freaking out about the most bizarre finish of the NFL season so far. Then, the Packers finally catch a break, and maybe find a new element for their of...

This episode was supposed to be a good ol’ fashioned, straightforward midseason report show, but then things went a little wacky. There was Josh Allen’s elbow injury (what now, Buffalo?!?!?!), but mostly, there was the Colts—and, seemingly, owner Jim Irsay specifically—going absolutely rogue. Thus, Conor and Gary try to talk through what might be going on in Indianapolis, where Jeff Saturday is no...

It was a smaller slate in Week 9, but there were still a couple of monstrous underdog wins—not to mention a lifetime worth of frustration for two star quarterbacks.  Conor and Gary start things off in East Rutherford, home to lots of winning football in 2022, including the Jets’ victory over the Bills. An examination of just how good this team is, and just how they’re going to manage around an err...

What was billed as a quiet trade deadline was anything but, as a record number of deadline-day deals went down in the NFL. After a little bit of time to reflect, Conor and Gary are ready to dispense the takes. Why there’s plenty of reason to like what the Bears did, the Dolphins are taking advantage of perhaps an open window, the Lions' forever rebuild carries on, the Bills add yet another dyn...

We had points, lots of them, (even in touchdown form!), on Sunday as offenses across the league kinda got back on track. Except for the one Aaron Rodgers oversees. Conor and Gary look at the things that went right, but also the things that continue to go wrong for the Packers offense, this time in Buffalo. Also, what Christian McCaffrey did to the Rams and what the Rams did in one half, but not th...