The MMQB NFL Podcast

It seemed the Steelers were heading toward—at best—a tie with the Geno Smith-led Seahawks on Sunday night. That’s when T.J. Watt did what he does best, the most important thing a defensive player can do in the modern NFL: He took the ball back. Turnovers have been declining at a steady rate over the history of the NFL, and the number is on-pace to hit a new low again this season. Jenny and Gary di...

The sixth Sunday of the NFL season brought the extremes, with a number of weird and wild games sprinkled in with some absolute blowouts. Jenny, Conor and Gary start with the Cowboys’ rollercoaster ride in New England, where they overcame a ton of penalties, a ton of third-down struggles, and a late, long Mac Jones touchdown pass to beat the Patriots in overtime. What does it say about Dallas as a...

Monday brought one of the most stunning developments the NFL has seen in recent years: Jon Gruden, once perceived as untouchable in Las Vegas, stepped down as head coach after a series of racist, misogynist and anti-LGBTQ emails were released to the New York Times. Gruden’s language—and his presumption that he could use such words—is problematic. But it points to a larger cultural problem that exi...

The Chiefs fall again, this time on Sunday Night Football. Jenny, Conor and Gary run down how it’s going wrong for K.C., from the defense’s disappearing stars to the offense’s lack of patience. But also, a look at how the Bills finally got their white whale, scoring a convincing road win in the elements. Then, a discussion of the undeniably beautiful game between the Chargers and the Browns, in wh...

From an otherwise meaningless five-yard run at the end of a lopsided game came one of the most intense, delightful and senseless coaching feuds the NFL has ever witnessed. Jenny, Conor and Gary take a look at the utter absurdity—of all parties!—in the Vic Fangio-John Harbaugh feud that came out of Harbaugh’s desire to go for a record streak that, quite possibly, no one but him and a few Ravens coa...

The biggest game in the history of sports (that actually doesn’t have that big an impact on the standings) was played in Foxboro on Sunday night, as Tom Brady played kinda O.K. in a game that his current team won against his former team after a last-minute field goal attempt bounced off the upright. Should Bill Belichick have gone for it on fourth down? Hypothetically, would Mac Jones have gotten...

You are in the same place. You are in the same time. But this world is very different. Different because of one thing: Tom Brady is still the quarterback of the New England Patriots. What would have happened if Brady re-signed with the Patriots in the winter of 2020? Travel the multiverse and find Jenny Vrentas, Gary Gramling and Conor Orr (with the help of alternate reality host Mitch Goldich), r...

Week 3 brought the usual surprises, along with some of the wackiest moments of the early season. Jenny, Conor and Gary start with the Sunday night thriller in Santa Clara, how in the end it came easy for Aaron Rodgers after the 49ers scrapped to take a late lead, why continuity matters, and a conversation about Davante Adams’s uncomfortably brief time in concussion protocol. Also, a discussion of...

Two-time rushing champion, fantasy football darling, and perhaps the most misunderstood man in the NFL. In this episode of The MMQB, Conor Orr and Gary Gramling examine what Derrick Henry is, what he is not, and how someone who plays the most devalued position in football has become one of the most indispensable non-quarterbacks in the NFL.  How is Henry able to withstand a workload that has wreck...

It was a Week 2 Sunday full of thrillers, and Jenny, Conor and Gary are here to break it all down and tell you what it means. That starts with the Ravens finally knocking off the Chiefs on Sunday Night Football, behind Lamar Jackson heroics, a better O-line performance, a defense that didn’t take risks and a little bit of luck. A look at the Titans’ unlikely comeback win in Seattle, and what it sa...

Jenny, Conor and Gary took in all the action and bring you every take imaginable about all 14 games played on the first Sunday of the 2021 season. First, Matthew Stafford immediately showed why the Rams went and got him, as Sean McVay dialed up an early touchdown that simply wasn’t in the playbook with the previous quarterback. Plus, why Matt Nagy will have a tough time sticking with Andy Dalton a...

Jenny, Conor and Gary break down all things regular-season opener, starting with—of course—the star quarterbacks playing like star quarterbacks. The Tampa offense looks like it’s completely under Tom Brady’s command, while Dak Prescott might not have looked like 100% Dak, but was awfully close (especially as the game went on). Some Vita Vea appreciation, how the Bucs will deal with depth issues in...

It’s the big one: Jenny, Conor and Gary etch their season predictions in stone. But first, they begin with some friendly, respectful, light-hearted disagreements regarding certain takes. Are the Patriots in a position to steal the AFC East—even with an offense that looks like it *might* have been built with Cam Newton in mind? Are the Browns or Steelers the better bet to win the AFC North? Is ever...

With the preseason winding down, Jenny, Conor and Gary take a trip around the league to review major storylines and visit some big deals that went down—and didn’t go down—this summer. First, the Saints quarterback situation has been settled. For now. Probably. Why Jameis Winston got the job, and whether or not he can avoid the kind of absurd interceptions that cost him QB1 in Tampa. Then, a discus...

In recent weeks, as the NFL season fast approaches, Jenny, Conor and Gary have been identifying their X-factors for various teams across the league. But rather than unveiling them in a traditional manner like normal people would, the trio instead engage in a life-or-death battle of the classic children’s board game “Guess Who?” Based on a series of yes-or-no questions, can they identify who each p...

Jenny, Conor and Gary rip open the mailbag one more time before the regular season starts, and everyone is talking about Mac Jones. Or, at least three people are talking about Mac Jones toward the top of the show. After that, a buffalo wing heat index on everyone’s darkhorse picks, a discussion of what homefield advantage means, whether the Fangio/Staley-style defenses age better than the Seattle-...

The division preview series reaches its terrifying conclusion, as all eyes (or at least those of Jenny, Conor and Gary) turn to the NFC North. After an offseason of turmoil, Aaron Rodgers is back and the Packers are the prohibitive favorites to win the division. But how far will they go? That will depend heavily on the new defensive boss in town. As for the rest of the division: Lots of talk about...

Chapter 7 of the Division Preview Series Octology delves deep into the AFC South, but the show starts with a look at the past week’s headlines as training camps got underway. Jenny, Conor and Gary discuss Aaron Rodgers doing exactly what everyone thought he would do and not coming away with a whole lot to show for his effort. Also, a larger look at how the new CBA has turned holdouts into hold-ins...

As the world turns and the Division Preview Series moves on, Jenny, Conor and Gary turn their attention to the NFC South, home of the defending Super Bowl champions, the NFL’s strangest QB situation, the most challenging reclamation project in the league, and… also the Falcons. Just how good was the Bucs offense last season? And if the answer is “not as good as you remember it being,” can we expec...

The Division Preview series moves on to the AFC West, where Jenny, Conor and Gary wanted to talk about pretty much everything except Patrick Mahomes. The Chiefs are penciled in as heavy favorites again, but who will emerge as their top challenger within the division? A look at why expectations for the Chargers should be high for reasons that go beyond Justin Herbert. The Broncos have the pass rush...

As the division preview series moves on, Jenny, Conor and Gary arrive at the NFC East, the division with nowhere to go but up. A discussion of Ryan Fitzpatrick—maybe the missing piece, maybe a ticking time bomb—in Washington, and just how good the Football Team defense was and can be. A look at the kinda-but-not-really make-or-break year for Daniel Jones and Jason Garrett, now that the Giants have...

Chapter 3 of the Division Preview Octology has arrived, as Jenny, Conor and Gary break down all things AFC East. Bill Belichick has his hand-picked QB and some old friends on the defensive side of the ball as the Patriots redemption tour gets underway; how good they can be, and a much-needed reset of the draft-season narrative on Mac Jones. Plus, Brian Daboll looks for a repeat performance with Jo...

The Division Preview Series moves on to the bluebloods of the NFC West, where all the most interesting QB-coach marriages live. What do Jenny, Conor and Gary make of the upgrade from Jared Goff to Matthew Stafford? Does this ramp up the pressure on Sean McVay? Does Les Snead catch some heat if a thin defense falls apart? And is anything less than a Super Bowl acceptable for the Rams? A look at Tre...

It's that time of year: A deeper look at how each of the divisions are shaping up in the first of our eight division previews. It’s a look at the AFC North. Who was the best veteran addition in the division? The most intriguing rookie? Which coach—head or assistant—are we keeping an eye on in 2021? The Ravens’ work solidifying their roster, the Steelers offensive question marks, the never-over...

Jenny, Conor and Gary—again, and surely not for the last time—revisit Aaron Rodgers in light of his holdout from OTAs. A discussion of the possible outcomes if the GM isn't going anywhere, and what the Packers need to do to get this resolved. Then, the new game show that's basically on the verge of sweeping the nation: Four blind items about NFL quarterbacks when they were young, and what...