Connor Hughes on a 2-0 Start for New York Football

All right, everyone, time for another edition of Mac Daddy. It's Patrick McEnroe here. It's Rich Big Daddy Salgado over there. I gotta admit it, Big Daddy, I kind of missed you this week. You know, I missed you on Monday. You were coming back from Tennessee, where my New York Jets got it done. We're gonna get into that with Connor Hughes, our guest momentarily. Uh by the way, we at MacDaddy presented by our friends at Volition, wearing one of their uh one of their brands here, the old uh uh t-shirt. Don't forget about Dose Home Braves, and don't forget about Fire Department Coffee as well, sponsored by them. We appreciate their ongoing support. So give me the quick rundown, Big Daddy, of your trip to Nashville before we welcome in Connor and our producer Lauren as well.

Well, I'll tell you one thing. It was one of the hottest games that I have ever been to. I mean, even during the pregame, uh, this is where I would have, if I had seen Connor at that game, I would have been like, take that tie off. That jacket has to come off because it was hot. And then obviously it was hot on the field because the Jets look like a well-oiled machine. You know, they came out, they ran the ball. Um, I think the biggest um upgrade or blessing at the same time for the Jets is Frank Reich. I mean, he's a great offensive mind. He will help Geno Smith, and in turn, he will help the Jets. You know, I think he's uh uh he he pulls the trigger here and does the magic. He'll be back in that head coaching uh you know candidacy circle. You know, Connor, you can correct me if I'm right or wrong, but uh uh obviously I'm being loyal to a fellow.

There we go. So let's welcome in. Let's welcome in Lauren, our producer, uh, who's still smarting over the ducks losing. That's another story for another day. Uh we've got the we got to get into what happened with Connor now, Lauren. Uh it's Connor Hughes joining us here, who's an NFL guru, especially here in New York for SNY. Uh, we appreciate you being you're overdressed for the Mac Daddy on a Friday. Okay, but we appreciate how good you look, and we appreciate you dropping some knowledge on us here. And how about this New York teams? I mean, it's big listen, it's been a while since I've heard this phrase. The Jets and the same line is a well-oiled machine. I don't think I've heard that for a long time. What do you think about what you've seen? It's early, but we're pumped up here in New York, and then we got the Buffalo Bills last night. That is a well-oiled machine. We know that.

Yeah, look, I I think that this team, for the first time in a while, specifically about the Jets, you can say they're competent. Like there is a there is a baseline competence to this team. I think the coaching staff has been dramatically improved with Aaron Glenn taking over the defense, and you can obviously see what Frank Wright means to the offense. Geno Smith, for all his faults, is a professional NFL quarterback. This isn't somebody who has a super low floor. You know what you're gonna get with him. Uh, this isn't like when you had Aaron coming off the Achilles or Justin Fields just being scared of his own shadow. I mean, this is a guy who's gonna stretch the ball down the field and can play the quarterback position and has pretty well over the last four or five years. Uh, and I think what you've finally gotten to a point with some of the veteran additions that the Jets have made, guys, is that when they play teams that are worse than them, they are going to win those games. That hasn't always necessarily been the case. We watched the Jets lose to the Dolphins a season go, and it was very clearly the Jets were on paper a better team. This coaching staff has elevated that. The veteran leaders in the locker room have raised the floor of what's going to be accepted and what's not going to be accepted. Uh, and I think you're seeing the results or saw the results there on Sunday, where that was a team the Jets were better than, and it certainly looked like that for four quarters.

Yeah, not necessarily the case coming this weekend as Green Bay comes into New York to take on the Jets. But before we look ahead to that and to the Giants, I know you get both you guys are heading out west for that, which I'm very intrigued by that game. Tell us about last night, because that was a monster performance from Josh Allen and the Bills opening the new stadium for drop 41 uh on the opposition last night. Tremendous performance against the Lions. Uh, what did you like most about what you saw from Josh Allen and the Bills last night, Connor?

They offensively just have it. And I'm curious about that DJ Moore injury and how much time he's gonna miss because I think people forgot a bit of how good he is and how good he was in Carolina and how good he was with Justin Fields early in Chicago. And then as the Bears kind of added more weapons, it never looked like he really clicked with Caleb Williams, which isn't super uncommon. I mean, Caleb isn't at this point a tremendous on-script player. He reminds me a little bit of Russell Wilson early in his tenure, where it's almost like when plays break down is when he's gonna be at his best, because that's when he's gonna be running around making the ridiculous happen. And, you know, there's certain receivers that can work really well with that. Baldwin did, Golden Tate did, Lockett did with Russ Wilson. And then other guys, when they were introduced to the fold, just it doesn't click with them because they're more on script players. And I think Moore is more of an on-script guy than maybe he was with Caleb. And Josh can do all that off-script stuff, but he's also really, really good when the play is going to be run exactly how it's designed. He doesn't turn to the heroics until he has to. And that's why I think in the opening you saw DJ Moore really, really thrive. And uh I think without him, maybe that offense takes a step or two back. But you're seeing Dalton Kincaid play some of the best football that we've seen from him in his career. Shakir uh is that reliable third-down slot option for him. And really, Coleman had a pretty good game as well, which he's kind of been the much-aligned player that was kind of cast off almost a bit as somebody who was going to be a bust and just wasn't professional enough to be a professional ball player. But he looks like he's really coming to his own. And Josh Allen is as good as advertised. And, you know, sometimes, guys, you just need that new voice to take your team to another level when the same message, when the same guy's been there for so long, just becomes stale, which is what makes people like Andy Reid so uncommon that they've been able to do it for so, so long. But even him in Philly, the message runs stale. He needed a fresh start, went to KC, and you saw what he's accomplished. I wonder if this Bills team under Sean McDermott just needed a new voice. Joe Brady supplied it, and you're seeing at least offensively that team take it to another level.

Yeah, I think the question is going to be the same one it's been, right, in the last couple of years of the playoffs. Can their defense stop someone when it really matters? And it is a, you know, I've I've heard people say, well, Josh Allen doesn't get it done in the big game. I don't buy that. I mean, if if I could start the a franchise today, and I'm interested to hear you, football experts, opinion on this, if I could start a football franchise today, I would pick Josh Allen. What say you, Big Daddy? Who'd you pick?

Um, yeah, I mean, he's the deal. I mean, he runs, he passes, he barely makes mistakes. I mean, you know, you get some quarterbacks that you put in there and you're like, all right, don't lose the game for us. But Josh Allen's a gunslinger. He does take chances, but he's the element that allows you to, if the passing game isn't working, you know, you see how much he runs. I mean, and the uh the one play that I loved last night was when they uh they pulled the tackle around and he followed the tackle and Frank Gore up the hole. And they kept highlighting the blocks. You know, Frank Gore, just stuff, Frank Gore Jr. stuck his head right in there, knocked the linebacker down, and uh the tackle made the block. Not every quarterback is doing that, you know, especially like a guy like our guy at the John Gorr, you got on him with his head and everything. Uh I'm like slide, slide, slide. Josh Allen, you know, he's a big though. Yeah, but Josh Allen is he's big, but he runs it in there, man. And and and that's exciting to see in a quarterback.

You brought up he brought up the receiving core, and I and I think it's a good point because he's never really had an alpha. And then he brings in DJ. And the funny thing is, all his receivers are undersized. He's oversized, and they're undersized. So he's even last night, he he was still had to kind of Shakur had to come back to him and everything. But uh Big Daddy, he he started nine touchdowns, no turnovers this season. The only two guys that ever did that before went on to win the MVP. That was Peyton, uh, I believe 2013, and um uh who is uh oh Mahomes. So so again, there there you go in terms of Pete Mac. You called this with Josh Allen. I mean, you you've been kind of all over him.

Not not exactly going out on a limb, you know, by saying Josh Allen's the best player in football, but I I get you. Yeah, I appreciate the love.

Yeah, it's a it's a special start for them, though. And and it's interesting to think, Connor, we we their possibility of the three New York teams starting out 2-0. I mean, that hasn't happened at least since 2019, 2020, I believe.

Yeah, it's it's it's crazy. I think the Giants are the one that's the most intriguing to me because I I think speaking in the same light to the Jets, like you knew there was gonna be a competence. Like I like you figured the Giants were gonna be competent. With with John Harbaugh, the moment they made him their head coach. I mean, that's a floor raiser. Like he's gonna have these guys prepared, he's gonna have these guys uh with the right endurance, they're not gonna be able to get away with the things that they did with the last couple of regimes. I mean, he is a he's been a head coach in the NFL damn near two decades, and you don't become a head coach in the NFL for damn near two decades unless you have a system that works and he's bringing that system to New York. But I think what we saw Sunday night against the Cowboys was signs or hints that this team might be better than expected because, like, comparing it to the Jets, there's still things that are gonna hold them back. Like, I mean, Geno Smith is a professional quarterback, but you know he's bottom 15, not top 15 across the NFL. I mean, they have players on the defense who are playing above their means right now, and they're gonna be a feisty team and play with a lot of tenacity and embrace that playing ugly, but they still have limitations uh at certain spots for the Jets there. They're gonna hold them back from being able to accomplish something that I believe would be like a nine, 10 win season and truly get into the playoffs. I still think the Jets are probably a year away. But when you see Jackson Dart against the Cowboys play the way he does, I mean it's spectacular, damn near perfect, was how Jackson Dart was. You see the run game work the way that it did, the offensive line play the way that it did, the defense does enough, and I still have concerns about that secondary, but the pass rush really pressured Dak Prescott when they needed it and when plays needed to be made. And the Giants take the field and for the first time, maybe in 10 years, be able to say that they unequivocally were the better team than the Dallas Cowboys and they had an identity, and they were gonna go out there and assert their dominance and be the more physical team, the more prepared team, the better football team. That's where you can allow yourselves to start wondering just how good can this Giants team be? Is a playoff run a realistic possibility for this club? And I think we're gonna learn a lot about that here, week two, because you never want to make too much of week one. The Cowboys might just be bad. Like that is a possibility that the Cowboys are just worse than we expected. The defense isn't actually improved. And when we look back on this, it's gonna be like, oh, yeah, the Giants beat the Cowboys, but the Cowboys won six games this year, you know, so it didn't matter. But the Rams, even with or even without Miles Garrett, I'm sorry, they are still a super team. I mean, they are unbelievable. That's a great offense. That's still a really damn good defense, even without Garrett. So now if the Giants can go toe-to-toe, and that's a game into the fourth quarter, that's a game into the final series, that is a game the Giants somehow managed to steal, that's when you can turn around and say, okay, yeah, that this team, this team's for real, and this team can make some noise.

I mean, it's pretty rare to say um what I'm about to say, unusual to say it's a must-win game for the Rams, okay, because of who they are and what you just said about them. And but coming off that trip to us down under, which I make every year, by the way. So I don't know that all this babu haha about this trip. That was a that was a stupid move by them, by the way, to go like the day before. And I don't think that helped in that that loss uh down in Melbourne. But they come home. Uh, obviously, you mentioned the Giants secondary, you're concerned about that. That it's a you know, going up against Stafford's not exactly uh uh a cause for a lot of positivity as a Giant fan, but you mentioned the Giant pass rush, and I think that will be key in this particular game. What do you give us, give us a couple keys, Connor, for the Giants to put pressure on Stafford and to do what you just said they need to do, keep you know, have this game be close in the fourth quarter.

That's that's the thing, guys. I I don't I don't think there's anything again. Tay Banks has been a really good story in the secondary. Greg Newsom's been a better player than I think I expected him to be, considering what he was in Cleveland and Jacksonville, and Hollins had a nice little bounce back, and Newbin earned that starting job. But that they still don't have a number one corner. And I think they still probably need a safety. And if Drew Phillips is gonna be dealing with the penalties that he was dealing with, where he's getting just too handsy and flags are throwing on him, like that's gonna be a problem the Giants are gonna have to navigate throughout this year. So even if the Giants come out with the best game plan in the world, I still don't see them stopping the Rams. You're just hoping to limit them slightly. So to be completely transparent with you, I think the game plan has to be almost identical to the one that they had a week ago against the Dallas Cowboys. I mean, the Giants knew that the Cowboys had a ton of offensive firepower. They know that Dak Prescott's one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. They know that offensive line, even missing a couple pieces, is still a pretty, pretty good group. There was nothing that Denard Wilson's crew was gonna do to shut down the Dallas Cowboys and limit them to seven points or 10 points to just have just this just be a defensive beatdown that the Giants win 35 to seven. That was never gonna happen. So what they did was they played complementary football. The offense's goal was to control the line of scrimmage, eat up time of possession, and limit the number of times that Dak Prescott and the Cowboys were on the field, and then hope that you can steal a possession or two from them, which the Giants did, forcing a punt the Javon Holland interception, but limit the number of times that they are on the field by controlling that time of possession, running the ball down the thrut, and then scoring when you have a chance on offense. Or as Matt Nagy told us the other day, all touchdowns, no field goals. The Rams are in another class than the Cowboys. That's another step up, but they kind of have to do something similar. They need to limit the number of times that Matt Stafford and Puka and Adams and all those guys, Kyron Williams, Quorum, all those guys are on the field. You need to limit their number of opportunities to put points on the board. Because if you give the Rams 15 possessions, they're gonna score points. If you give the Rams 12 possessions, they're gonna score points. I'm not saying you got to limit them to two possessions like the Giants did in the second half against the Cowboys, but you have to have a similar thing where when we look at that box score at the end of the game, the Giants have to have a significant advantage in time of possession, keeping Matt Stafford, the reigning MVP, on the side.

So that means Big Daddy, they got to run the ball well, right? I mean, Scattabu's got to have another solid game. You know, Dart's got to pick his spots. I mean, he they he passed very well, as Connor said in the last game. What do you think they need to do extremely well to have a shot in this one?

Well, obviously, Connor just pretty much summed it all up. They've got to stay on the field. They got to keep that Rams offense on the sideline, they got to run the ball, and you know, do it. Take your time. I mean, uh, obviously, you don't want to get in a shootout, especially with a team like the Rams, but if the Giants can control the ground game, keep the Rams on offense on the sideline, I think that is really the key. And then also penalties. Keep the penalties down, and you know, it's just a simple game plan.

No penalties, run the ball. You know, the other the other team I'm interested in, just off, you know, quickly, uh, and Lauren, you and I were texting about this this week. Uh, it wasn't a great Monday night game to kick off the season, but it was a great performance by Kansas City, right? And and Connor mentioned Andy Reid and company in Mahomes. I mean, I thought Mahomes looked okay. He had that one big run, uh, wasn't you know, didn't pass the ball incredibly well. Obviously, he's still not 100% from the surgery, but I was impressed. Uh, you know, I was a little down on Kansas City coming into the season. I'm uh I'm I'm I'm rethinking my uh predictions. What what say you about what you saw from Kansas City?

For me, I I honestly, guys, I I think for Kansas City, I just I think their offense is still going to be held back by the number of playmakers they don't have. I mean, when when this offense was unbelievable and Mahomes was unbelievable, I mean he was throwing to Tyreek Hill, and he had these guys that could take the top off the defense, and you could, you were afraid of the vertical game, then you could also introduce the passing, and then you had Kelsey feasting over the middle. I mean, Kelsey's not what he was. He's just, he's not. He he is not only on the back nine of his career, I mean, he's walking up 18. Like, like he's done. Like this is like Kelsey is not the player that he was. And I don't think that Rice is exact. I mean, his separation is not near the top of the league. In fact, it's in near the bottom of the league. So he's a player that can make something happen with the ball in his hands, but he just doesn't routinely and consistently get open enough for the Chiefs to have that guy be your legitimate number one receiver. And then Worthy hasn't developed as expected. So it's a very interesting spot because I Patrick Mahomes is still one of the best in the league. And uh Andy Reid is still arguably, if not the best coach in the NFL. I mean, in terms of just a culture builder and what he's done year over year over year, but I it almost feels like the Chiefs on offense are more name power than they are actual production. And I wonder if when they play some of the cream of the crop, the top, top teams in in the NFL, because I think the Broncos might have a setback this year, uh I don't know if they're going to be able to compete, compete with them. I mean, we'll see. Like again, it's it's just I worry about what Mahomes has to work with around him. And I don't think that the guys around him make his job much easier. I think it's reliant too much uh on Mahomes being spectacular all the time and not necessarily guys helping him. You can always compare it to Josh Allen, where Josh has help now. Like when Moore is healthy and when Shakir's playing the way he is, and Kincaid's out there and they have Cook, like they have guys that are helping Josh Allen. And then Josh Allen's also, you know, arguably the best quarterback in the NFL. With Mahomes, I don't know how much they have him help they have people to help him, other than that run game of what we saw from Kenneth Walker's here to stay.

Yeah, Kennedy. He looks fabulous, though. I mean, I think Andy Reid's so smart. I think they might just flip the script and become a power running team because they've been slowly building up that offensive line anyway. And Kenneth Walker looked amazing to me. I was really impressed. Are you worried about uh Lauren?

Are you worried about Travis Kelsey now that he's slowing down and he and he you know lost all this money in this Ponzi skin? I mean, I'm a little worried maybe he's not gonna be have as much money when he retires. You think that would be a concern for him, or you think he might have married okay, should be okay in that department?

I think he did, I think he did all right. I think she got her music back. I think I have one more this year.

Yeah, yeah, good for her. All right. What other games are we looking at that are that are intriguing us um other than our you know New York centric teams? Obviously. Well I got I got a good one.

Go ahead, let me hear. Big daddy, either the Cowboys or the Commanders are gonna be oh and two after this week, and they're both pretty good teams.

That's I would hate to be the loser on that one, man, because uh someone's locker room's gonna implode. I mean, you know, um having the obviously the relationships that I have there, especially in those two teams, you know, it makes it awkward. You just want to stand on the 50 and look to your right and look to your left. You know, it's but that's uh that wow, that's uh you know, the commanders, I'll tell you, they gave the Eagles a little run there uh in Philly, no less. So I would uh you know that that's uh that's a pick-em game if you're you know, not that we discuss gambling and all that, but uh it's we can do that. Uh well I I don't gamble, so doesn't fit my criteria, but uh I would say that game, man, that's a tough one right there. That is really a tough one.

When you're in the business as you are, Big Daddy, and protecting athletes and football players with their life and insurance, we understand why you don't get into betting. We got some, I don't know if we should get a betting sponsor. Now probably not, because we got volition, we're presented by volition, we got fire department coffee, we got Dosomer. We're working, we got another one in the works that we think is coming to come through for us, which we're pumped about. All right, Connor, the Bears were one of the big stories, right, in week one, dropping the 59 there, which was amazing. They're talking like, you know, they didn't do things right. I'm like, dude, what more could they do right? How dangerous will they be this season with that offense?

I I was very curious when Ben Johnson got hired, whether or not he was real or not. And and what I mean by that is that that Lions team was pretty loaded with talent that sometimes you see offensive coordinators that earn that guru, genius, mastermind reputation. And then you're like, oh, the team was just loaded, and then when they leave and they go elsewhere, it kind of you know reveals some of their warts. I don't think Caleb Williams is a perfect quarterback by any stretch of the imagination. I still think he really struggles when he has to play on script. So the fact the Bears have been able to do what they have done, I mean, Ben Johnson's he's a he's an evil mastermind. I mean, and not only that, like he's kind of embraced this bad guy, I don't care if you hate me mindset, like running up the score a week ago against the Panthers, basically saying the world, I want to set the scoring record. I mean, this guy just doesn't care. And I think the reason it's resonating so well in Chicago is that they love that. Like the players are like, hell yeah, like why should we care what other people think? Why should we care what people are saying about us? Let's just go out there and drop 50 on everybody. Like, let's do that. And I think for that team, their their their hype if Caleb, if Caleb can get a little bit better on script, which is again the only thing that when it when he has to just color in the lines and he has to do it exactly as it's drawn. Up sometimes he panics a little bit. And then when he has to go and improvise, he's arguably one of the two best in the league at doing it. But him and Mahomes and maybe Josh Allen's the top three there. But like if he can play a little bit better on script, and then offensive line's going to stand up, and the weapons there with Burden taking another step and Odunze taking another step. And we Loveland didn't catch a pass last week. And this is a guy who could be one of the best tight ends in the league. I mean, there's so much working there and so much going well there for the Bears that they just need to get that defense fixed a little bit. And that is absolutely a contending team.

By the way, Connor, you're making me look like really bad here. You know why? Because I mean, first of all, your knowledge is second to none, as we can hear. I appreciate that. But the background of your look, with I mean, first of all, your look is phenomenal. But look at this guy. He's got he's he's got the daughters of the world. That's my wife. Yeah, that's my wife. That's I can't take credit for that. He's got the twin tower picture there. He's got the SNY little logo, which you work for, obviously, full time. Yeah. You got the sweet books. You got the univers. Is that Dartmouth I see there? Dartmouth?

Monmouth University.

Yeah, Monmouth. It's a Jersey guy. Jersey. Jersey guy. I mean, this is next level stuff.

And you know, I mean, this is a prime right here, dude. Like, so this thing back here. So the I'm a dino nut. Like, I'm a I'm a nerd for dinosaurs. Like, it's it's my thing. So when we see when we had my second, my office was like in my in the in our get in our second bedroom upstairs. And when we had my second, my son was born, like I got my office had to move to the guest room. So we kind of redid the whole book. My wife redid the whole thing behind me. And so she's the decorator. She likes that vision. But I remember saying to her, I was like, look, I've got one thing I want to add to it. And she's like, what is like I want a T-Rex head? And she's like, God damn it, Connor. And I was like, please. So like I've got up there the little like uh John Heyman too, like the cane top with the mosquito on there. So like I'm a I'm a Jurassic Park junkie, like I'm a nerd for all this stuff. So yeah, I appreciate that though, guys. Thank you.

Yeah, you remember you remember like the beginning of COVID when we were all doing this, you know, all doing this stuff from home, and there used to be the room raider. Remember that? I mean, you're 10 out of 10. I mean, this is I did get one of those.

I did get they hit me up. Yeah, I did get one. I gotta see. I think they're more fluid though, with giving the 10 out of 10s out now. So it was harder back in the day. Yeah, now like I think Room Raider has a um a shop now where it can be like they sell the shirts and like the mugs, they say like 10 out of 10 room. So I think they're juicing the score so that they can sell more merch. I mean it's a smart business philosophy, but I thought it's like it's like 10 out of 10s are handed out.

The rating pizzas, you know, he made he became a mil billionaire doing that stuff. Um exactly. All right, let's let's talk a little bit about R my J-E-T-S, a little bit more about that game. Because you know, if the Jets can win this one at home, I know I understand they're a home dog uh against a pack. Uh chances for the Jets to pull this out, Connor.

I don't think it's out of the realm of possibilities. I mean, I I think they're uh uh they're uh they're justified underdog. Like they should be the underdog. It's it's not like one of those where you look at the line and you're like, what's going on here? Like it's not none of that. They should be an underdog, but it's not a not winnable game. The Packers are a little funky this year. And I go back all the way, guys, to like Matt LaFleur's contract extension that he was gonna get, then he wasn't gonna get, then he got it, the way they fell apart at the end of last year, some of the issues going on, obviously, with Josh Jacobs. You have like the receivers, who's gonna step up, who's not the defense, their their inability to close and finish games. And very rarely do teams like with a uh the the same regime that can't figure out how to close things, figure out how to close things. So I I think they're the Packers are a team that, again, they're more talented than the Jets. You just look at paper, and the Packers are a more talented team just about everywhere. But I I think that they're a team also that if you if you want to play a good team and you want to get them at the right time, this is the right time to get the Packers. I mean, you just saw Carson Wentz go off on him in the fourth quarter. Didn't they didn't Carson drop like 39 points? So like again, that's that's Carson Wentz and he's dropping 39 points. This isn't 2016 anymore. Like, this is Carson Wentz in 2026, dropping 39 on the on the Packers. So I think this is one where as long as the Jets avoid the turnover, if you get bad Gino and he throws two interceptions or three interceptions, starts fumbling the ball, like that's when things are going to get away from you and the Packers will run away with this. But if the Jets can avoid the turnover and then get that pass rush going, and if they can find a way to steal a turnover or a possession or two from Green Bay, they absolutely have a chance. I think that's a testament too, guys. Like, obviously, you're a Jets fan. Like, I think that's a testament to the direction that the team is going because I know everyone wants to hate on Aaron Glenn and Darren Muji's everyone's you know, golden child at the moment, but everyone wants to hate on Glenn and hate on the process and believe they're horrible and tanking and all that. The fact that you can go into this game and not think the Jets are just gonna get killed and they're not just gonna get the door slammed on them and run out of the building, like it's a sign that it's going in the right direction. Like it is progressing. They are taking steps forward. They're not a playoff team yet. They went beat the Packers. Maybe we can start having the conversation and making the argument, but like they're headed in that right direction that you can see real paths to them winning this game.

Yeah, particularly in the division they're in. I mean, we know how bad Miami is. We know, you know, I'm I'm thinking New England maybe has a bit of a down year, like you mentioned, Denver earlier. Obviously, the Bills are the Bills. All right, Big Daddy, give me an idea because I'm intrigued by this. You go to Nashville, you come back, you miss our show Monday. Okay, we we we dealt with it. It was tough, but we got through it. And now I want to hear about your travel plans going out to the West Coast. Give me an idea of like what the Big Daddy's doing. Like when you fly out there, where are you gonna stay? Where do you go eat? Like, what's your routine when you get out to LA?

Well, you know, obviously, uh being Mr. World Universe, I guess if you want to call me that, uh, you know, I get to LA, I've got uh a couple of people that I will get with and I will visit. Uh, I'm gonna stay actually right near SoFi Stadium, so uh it'll make my commute a lot easier. And um look, I'm gonna get to see our sponsoring friends at Dos Ombres. We will be at uh they're opening up a new bar at uh SoFi Stadium. So the game starts out there at five o'clock.

I'm actually hold on, Pepper has to go for his walk, so just say goodbye, say goodbye to him, okay? That's in his PJ's.

All right, so go ahead.

I'm it I'm intrigued by this.

So you gotta so you can are you trying to be the next Kirk uh Kirk Herbstreet, have his dog on the show?

Uh no, I'm not gonna go there. No, I'm not gonna go there.

Uh but uh to finish, yeah, I'll uh I'll uh get to the stadium early, and uh they've got a lot of promo stuff going on there and whatnot. But for me, I will do my you know, my circle, my lap, my walks and talks, and you know, Lauren's uh been with me at that stadium, and he's watched me do what I do when I'm there. It's uh for me, it is my office, and I am meeting with everyone, and and and again, a lot of what a lot of people don't realize is that um this is who I am, this is what I do, and then when people say, Hey, what does Big Daddy do? Well, if I'm doing a good enough job, you're gonna know who I am and what I do, so that'll lead all the way up to kickoff, and then obviously I'll mingle around, and you know, I got a couple of suites that I gotta show up and say hello to some folks, and uh and then you know Mr. World Universe.

It's like he's taking pit bull on steroids, he's gone from Mr. Worldwide to Mr. World Universe.

Well, the the funniest thing is obviously Lauren knows this. So uh when I'm down on the field, I'm gonna say hello to Mr. Pat McAfee, and I'm gonna say, Pat, here's the Batman of the NFL right in front of you.

What are we gonna do about it?

Yeah, yeah, you know, what are we gonna do about it? Here we go. We've now met. You try to compare me to Big Dom and Philly, can't compare. Okay. He's sending you uh, what do you call it? Chicken cutlets or whatever. I will send you Super Bowl winning pizza from Umberto's.

Yeah, uh well, Mr. Yeah, Mr. Strahan told us about that when you did that for the for Big Blue back in the day. So uh they appreciate it. Mr. World Universe is the one and only Big Daddy. Um, we tell you to have an awesome trip. Connor, before we let you go, and we so appreciate you joining us here on MacDaddy. Give give me the one uh sort of upset pick for this weekend in uh week two of the NFL. Give me one that people aren't expecting. Yeah, I know I put you on the spot, but that's what we do here.

Yeah, especially, especially because like again, doing Jets Giants, my mind is so like just focused on those two teams you couldn't tell me. I know. It's like it's I people joke with me all the time. They're like, uh especially when then you could pick the Jets.

Give me a Jet and Giant prediction, and then that'll give you two.

I'll give you a game I love a game that I'm really I don't know if they're gonna win it, but like Sam not playing and the Arizona Cardinals after taking down uh Jim Harbaugh and going in there and playing the defending champs. I think Mike LaFleur is a lot better coach than people are giving him credit for. Like, I think that he was originally hired and people thought, oh, it's because he was with the Rams, oh, it's because of who his brother is, blah, blah, blah. When you go back and look at what Mike accomplished during his two years as the Jets offensive coordinator, and then you look at the pieces that he accomplished that with, he had absolutely nothing. Like there, there was nothing in terms of competent quarterback play. I mean, he had to turn to Mike White, and once he did, I mean, his offense ranked top five in the NFL with Mike White, Joe Flacco, and Josh Johnson running his offense. It dropped to bottom third in the NFL or bottom three in the NFL, I'm sorry, when Zach Wilson was out there. So what that tells me is like the guy can call and draw up an offense. He just needs a quarterback that can run it. They didn't have it and it didn't work. And obviously, we haven't seen any success from Zach since. And Mike went on and had a lot of success helping Matt Stafford with Sean McVay, learned even more under McVeigh, and now he's taken over the Cardinals. And, you know, that's not a fluke. Like taking down Jim Harbaugh, that's that's another team that's like they're gonna be prepared, they're gonna be ready to go, and they're really talented. And for him to take them down in that way, and have with the the lack of talent around him, a full speed, 100% Seahawks team probably beats the Cardinals by two or three scores. But I I wonder if with Drew Locke out there, if the Cardinals can't at least make this one close, and and maybe if it comes down to the wire, Mike's got another creative trick or so in his bag to uh if the Cardinals have the ball last, they can't go down there and score. Interesting. All right, that's interesting. Can you imagine? Can you imagine if the Cardinals were two and oh in one division? Dude, that I know we were joking about lines and stuff like that. That I think their their win total is like three and a half. That was when I was like, man, hammer that. Like, hammer the over there. Because again, I don't think they're gonna win eight games. I don't think they're gonna win nine, but like there's enough there for Mike to work with where the offense is gonna be fun and that the defense just can be competent-ish. I think they can they can probably win, find themselves winning five or six games.

Speaking of the charger, Lauren. You know what I'm gonna say, Lauren? His boy, his boy is the gunslinger out there, Mr. Herbert. So uh, you know, we gotta walk lightly when you talk about uh the uh the uh the chargers.

No, it's okay. I'm a I'm a realist. It's it's a it's been a rough start.

Um listen, I just want to he's the I mean he is your pro-typical quarterback. Um, but you know, Jim Harbaugh, I never saw him short. I mean, he's always seems to find a way to win. So we'll see, right? We'll see.

I just want I just I just want you guys to know before I let you go, uh I'm gonna give you my picks, okay? Uh I got the Jets winning, and as Connor said, uh they got to keep it low-scoring 17-13 Jets over the back. I'm hoping for the Giants to do the same so we as a New York team could go 6-0, but I'm I'm not feeling it because I think Stafford and the Rams, it's gonna have a chip on their shoulder after what happened. So I think the Rams get it done. Although I think the Giants will play well and keep it close and keep Big Daddy interested. Yeah, keep Big Daddy interested while he's walking around, doing the sweets, you know, seeing people, yeah, having some dose home race. Maybe one time on this show, Big Daddy, you'll actually tell us who you're meeting instead of just you know going off. I'm gonna meet someone here. Oh, listen.

Hey, listen, it's no big secret, ready? I go, I'm uh I'm obviously like I said, Lauren's been with me at that stadium, and you just run into people from all walks of life at and different levels at the NFL, team-wise. Obviously, I'm well represented with the big blue. I know people on the Ram staff. Um man, it goes all the way up to uh their president Kevin Demoff, who's a friend of mine I've done business with. I mean, the list goes on and on. Les Sneed, the GM. I go back with him from his Atlanta days, and his wife is a very good friend of mine, Cara Henderson, who used to be at the NFL Network, and she actually did the first ever feature on me on NFL Network, and that was like 15 or 18 years ago. So there's a lot of ties there, and and then obviously Brian and Aaron, which uh we'll get a shout-out for the boys to Mac Daddy, and uh I'll share uh some mascal and tequila with Connor uh before the game.

Yeah, take care take care of the guy.

They were at they were at was those sombrays the ones that were at the your your golf outing? Yeah, yeah, yes. They were awesome. They had the van, right? Or the the truck.

They were making margaritas there, remember?

And I was like, they made a um what did they make me? Um uh um it was it was spicy spicy.

Oh, they got the mezcal and the and and they got the new repas reposado, which is next level, tremendous.

And I'm not I'm not a big mezcal fan. I just we went to we went to Mexico once and I had a bad three night stretch on it. So I kind of worn off the worm in the bottom of the bottle. Like I'm good on that one. But I'll be honest, that thing was good. I forget how it was. It was a it was a mezcal cocktail, and it was it was delicious, like smoky and everything. Like they were awesome, they were really, really good.

I had the same thing. I'm like, you know what? I never like indulge in anything except water. So let me uh let me try this because they went out of their way to you know do this. And I was like, man, wow, this is good, man. I'm like, I'm gonna get out of here because I'm gonna go from one to two with no problem after having the first one. And I'm thinking to myself, well, I'm gonna be running around and then wow, Big Daddy, you look a little tipsy, you know. Uh, even though as big as I am, I'm not a heavy drink, I'm not a big drinker, obviously, for all my past reasons, but uh I was like, man, this is good. Now I and I did taste the tequila. I uh was like, you know what, let me try this. I'm not a big tequila guy, but yeah, I was like, wow, this is uh the boys, uh the boys have they've they've they're on to something there. So you know, everybody's getting rich on these uh alcohol, on these uh drink lines, you know.

Uh oh yeah.

Everybody has uh their own vodka, everybody has their own tequila, and everybody has this and that. I'm like, well, God bless them, and we love them because they're uh part of the MacDaddy family.

Well, we we love you, we love you, Big Daddy. We love you, Connor. We thank you for coming on uh a little fire department coffee Tuesday morning when you guys are out there in LA before you get on the plane coming home. Lauren will talk this weekend. All the best to all of you. Thanks again to Volition, our show MacDaddy, presented by Volition Fire Department Coffee, and as you just heard, Dos Ombre. Signing off, we'll see you next week.

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Confident without trying too hard. Interesting the second they walk into a room. Maybe a little smoky, maybe a little dangerous, you know, effortlessly charismatic. Not everyone has that. Some people build it over time, others just born with it. I wouldn't know anything about that, of course. Go zombraves. Strip away the noise.

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