The Mmqb: 10 Things

In the spirit of the holidays, Jenny, Conor and Gary are giving you the gift . . . of filling out our show outline for us!Last week, we ran down the rule changes we need to see in the NFL. Now, we’re fielding your rule proposals and deciding which suggestions are worthy of working into our imaginary (and very much superior) version of the NFL.Has the time finally arrived for the three-point conversion? What CFL rules should the NFL be adopting? Should the clock stop after the first down like in college football? And what should happen when the ball gets fumbled out of the end zone?But, most importantly, we answer the age-old question: Does Krampus put kids in, like, a laundry hamper or something?Do you have a good rule-change suggestion? Even better, do you have a bad one? Email themmqb@gmail.com or tweet at @GGramling_SI, @JennyVrentas or @ConorOrr Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcirc

For the first time this season, the NFL postponed three Week 15 games due to COVID-19 outbreaks—they'll be played on Monday and Tuesday. The league and the players union also negotiated new protocols that include, surprisingly, less testing. Conor and Jenny break down the rest of the abbreviated weekend schedule, starting with the Packers' win against Baltimore that came down to a failed two-point conversion try and knocked the Ravens out of first place in the wide-open AFC North. They also discuss the two big upsets: Tom Brady and the Bucs being shut out in yet another regular-season loss against the Saints, and the Cardinals being at risk for another late-season collapse after falling to a Lions team that had won only one other game this season.Then, a discussion of the Jaguars' decision to fire Urban Meyer after his disastrous 11-month tenure, and the ripple effects for Trevor Lawrence and other college coaches looking to make the jump to the pros. Plus, the Steelers stay alive against a deplet

More specifically, Jenny, Conor and Gary each write—or change, or eliminate—one rule in the NFL that will make the sport we love into a sport we love more.We saw it done in light of the Kenny Pickett “fake slide” move in the ACC title game—the rule banning it was in place less than a week later. So it’s time to get out in front of a few other things. Conor delves into the evils of the onside kick, and looks to the Alliance of American Football to improve upon it. Gary asks that you expand your mind, and reconsider how we administer penalties in light of down and distance—does the first-down marker really have to stay fixed in place like the North Star? And finally, Jenny wants more points for some kicks, but fewer points for others, and it doesn’t matter if it creates a nightmare scenario for indecisive coaches.Do you have a good rule-change suggestion? Even better, do you have a bad one? Email themmqb@gmail.com or tweet at @GGramling_SI, @JennyVrentas or @ConorOrr Learn more about your ad-choices at https:/

Jenny, Conor and Gary run through a Week 14 Sunday rife with playoff implications. There were winners, losers, and Urban Meyer struggling through it all (including, allegedly, defining the words “winner” and “loser”).First, the Bucs throw their hat in the ring as the NFL’s best before having to hang on against the Bills, but why Buffalo’s second-half performance was a positive step in the overtime loss. The 49ers steal one in Cin City thanks to their catch-and-run studs and a couple of special teams mistakes by the Bengals. And the AFC North is anyone’s race again (but especially the Browns’!) after Lamar Jackson’s ankle injury.Then, a discussion of the latest Urban Meyer debacle on the field, and the constant fire raging around the coach when it comes to his interactions with his team.Plus, SNF starts wild but ends up the same old story for Packers-Bears, Dallas proves they can get it done on an off day for Dak, coaches with chapped butts over guaranteed wins, Joe Judge and Matt Rhule go out of their way to

In light of the Patriots’ unique statistical profile in the windy Monday night victory over the Bills in Buffalo, Jenny, Conor and Gary decided to unleash a new game show on the world.In it, each host asks for statistical leaders—sometimes players, sometimes teams—in three categories. Then, the other two hosts must collaborate and make their guesses. Each wrong answer scores a point for the host who asked the question.Who is the NFL’s most accurate play-action passer? Which defense forces the highest percentage of three-and-outs? Who clocked the fastest speed in mph as a ballcarrier this season?Join us and play along (on your own, we can’t hear you and also podcasts are not live), enjoy the mind-blowing stats and learn a few life lessons along the way.Have a question for the show? Email themmqb@gmail.com or tweet at @GGramling_SI, @JennyVrentas or @ConorOrr Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https:/

Week 13 looked like a dud of a slate until the games got underway and the chaos and excitement unfolded. Jenny, Conor and Gary start with a throwback rivalry game in Pittsburgh, where Ben Roethlisberger turned back the clock (for at least a quarter) and the Steelers pulled off the upset. What’s next for an otherwise frustrating offense? And where do we fall on John Harbaugh’s decision to go for two and the win after the game’s last touchdown?Then, a discussion of the Chiefs rising defense and still-stalling offense, how the Lions got on the board and what the loss means for the Vikings' playoff hopes, and how the Seahawks knocked off the 49ers and Chargers topped the Bengals in downright wacky games.Plus, whether the Bucs will continue to enable Antonio Brown after his latest suspension, the Panthers’ decision to fire offensive coordinator Joe Brady after not providing him with a quarterback, and more!Have a question for the show? Email themmqb@gmail.com or tweet at @GGramling_SI, @JennyVrentas or @ConorO

With our four-step process, it’s never been easier to live out your dream of leading one of the 32 NFL franchises onto the field on autumn Sundays. Jenny and Conor run through everything you need to know to get started on your head-coaching career:Getting your name in the news cycleLearning how to ace an interview with a team ownerDo’s and Don’t’s for winning the press conferenceHow to lose your job but keep your dignityBy the time you finish this episode, you will have everything you need to go out and conquer the NFL’s next hiring cycle and land a job that could last multiple seasons if you’re lucky.Have a question for the show? Email themmqb@gmail.com or tweet at @GGramling_SI, @JennyVrentas or @ConorOrr Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Conor and Gary break down a Sunday full of uneven action, ugly offense and unexplainable errors as teams across the NFL look to survive the last third of the regular season.We start things off with the Sunday night game in Baltimore, where the Browns passing offense (and, therefore, entire offense) was revealed as downright dysfunctional in a loss to the Ravens. And while the Ravens didn’t fare much better against a Browns defense that has been built to stop their all-world quarterback, Baltimore still had Lamar Jackson on their side.Also, a look at how the Packers moved to 9–3 with a convincing win over a Rams team that still hasn’t found its way with its big-name acquisitions, the 49ers continue to recapture their 2019 offensive form in rolling for a third straight week, the Bucs get a little help in the form of some sloppy Indy turnovers and some questionable officiating in coming back to beat the Colts, and the Bengals simply blast the Steelers for a third straight time.Plus, the latest weirdness from the

Sunday’s action won’t go down as the most exciting set of games this season, but it might have been the weirdest.Jenny, Conor and Gary start with the headliner between the Chiefs and Cowboys, in which K.C. got a lead, the Cowboys lost a second star receiver, and the Chiefs defense did more than enough to hold them off.On Sunday night, the Chargers seemed to be in control until the shorthanded Steelers’ special teams and defense started making plays in a fourth quarter that featured 41 points. The most aesthetically pleasing game was likely the Vikings’ victory over the Packers, featuring a dominant performance by Minnesota’s star receivers. And in Chicago, subbing for Lamar Jackson, Tyler Huntley waited until the Ravens absolutely needed a touchdown drive before he put one together, spoiling Andy Dalton’s relief work.And, oh yes, the Texans knocked off the Titans and a weirdly soaked Mike Vrabel, the Colts steamrolled the Bills, Heinicke and Hurts continued to shine, and Colt McCoy outplayed Russell Wilson in

It happens so often that you might not even take much notice anymore. A scramble concluding with an off-balance throw that lands directly on-target downfield. A sidearm sling to work the ball through an impossibly narrow throwing lane. A jump pass from a collapsed pocket, the ball flying further than what would seem to be biomechanically possible.Ten, maybe even five, years ago you’d only see a couple plays like this over the course of an NFL season; now, you’re seeing a handful of them seemingly every week. And, it turns out, that’s not by accident.Conor joins Jenny and Gary to discuss his SI cover story on the quarterback evolution, and coaching revolution, that has swept through all levels of football faster than anyone could have imagined. And how, just a few years after it looked like the NFL was in the midst of a quarterback crisis, it now seems like the position is stronger than ever.Have a question for the show? Email themmqb@gmail.com or tweet at @GGramling_SI, @JennyVrentas or @ConorOrr Learn more

Week 10 Sunday was full of lopsided games, as the second half of the season started with a handful of teams separating themselves from the pack.First, the Chiefs blowout win in Vegas, in which Patrick Mahomes and K.C. looked like themselves for the first time in quite a while. Have the Chiefs gotten right, or were Mahomes’s handful of erratic decisions still cause for concern? And is this the real Raiders after all?Then, a look at the much-anticipated Rodgers vs. Russ matchup that didn’t live up to its billing in Lambeau, how the Patriots got on their climb toward the AFC’s elite, and whether it’s time to jump off the Browns bandwagon (again).Plus, the return of Cam and long-term outlook for the Panthers, what’s going wrong with the Bucs, the Dan Quinn revenge game as the Cowboys blow out the Falcons, the baffling path to victory the Titans have taken the past two weeks, the sadness of the Steelers-Lions tie, and much more! Have a question for the show? Email themmqb@gmail.com or tweet at @GGramling_SI, @Jenn

With the midpoint of the 2021 season officially upon us, Jenny, Conor and Gary take an opportunity to look back at both the season’s first half, and their predictions from the summer when we were all younger and a little more naive. Discussions about the disappointing Dolphins, the pleasant surprise that is the 2021 Bengals, the stunningly slow start for the Trevor Lawrence-led Jaguars, the Saints QB situation, and maybe—just maybe— a good time to hop on the New York Jets’ bandwagon?What was the biggest surprise of the 2021 season so far? What developments are we most intrigued by for the season’s second half? And what were our most accurate—and therefore favorite—predictions?Then, each host has a chance to stick with, revise or (maybe) add to their preseason Super Bowl prediction from the summer.Have a question for the show? Email themmqb@gmail.com or tweet at @GGramling_SI, @JennyVrentas or @ConorOrr Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redc

We hit the (kinda) halfway point of the regular season with a Sunday full of upsets, but the week’s headlining game ended up being nothing like it was supposed to be.Jenny and Gary break down Jordan Love’s underwhelming start in Kansas City, but also why there’s nothing you can really say about the quarterback’s long-term prospects after Aaron Rodgers’s positive COVID-19 test forced him into action. Also, a discussion of a Chiefs offense that still isn’t quite there.Then, a look at the Titans defense dominating in L.A. as the absence of Derrick Henry doesn’t factor in at all, the Broncos defense forces a rough day for Dak Prescott (but could the QB’s calf injury have something to do with it?), and the Browns finally get a couple turnovers in a dominant performance to beat the Bengals.Plus, Colt McCoy has the answers in San Francisco, the Jaguars defense steps up and stuns the Bills, the Saints’ head-scratching lack of Taysom Hill in a loss to the Falcons, Mike Zimmer plays it safe in another heart-breaking Vi

The NFL trade deadline has come and gone with the usual lack of, well, trades. But that won’t stop Jenny, Conor and Gary from breaking down the big deal (Von Miller), the deals that didn’t happen (Odell Beckham Jr. and Deshaun Watson) and the other little deals that went through.Yes, we know what Von Miller brings to L.A., but what does this deal say about the boldness of GM Les Snead, who continues to shed draft capital but also continues to oversee a team that wins a lot of games?Then, a discussion of podcast favorite Charles Omenihu and what he brings to the 49ers, as well as the Texans’ underwhelming trade deadline after loading up on veterans on tradeable contracts last offseason. Plus, the impact of the Chiefs gaining one big name (Melvin Ingram) while moving another (Laurent Duvernay-Tardif).Finally, a look at the awkwardness of the Odell Beckham Jr. situation in Cleveland, after the noise made by his father and one prominent friend named LeBron who is also an athlete of some kind. And the least surpri

Conor and Jenny are here to take you through a bewitching Week 8 in the NFL. We start with the big upset in New Orleans, where the Saints haunted Tom Brady to take down the defending champs, even after losing Jameis Winston early in the game to a knee injury.Then, we discuss the thrilling wins for the other back-up QBs: Cooper Rush leading the Cowboys over the Vikings on Sunday Night Football, the Jets' Mike White throwing for 400 yards against the Bengals and Geno Smith notching his first W as a starter for the Seahawks. The Patriots and the Steelers also deliver big wins for their proud franchises in what is a frighteningly wide-open AFC. Plus, Jimmy G scares away his critics, the Titans have a death-grip on the AFC South and the ghoulish blowout losses brought to us by the worst rosters in the NFL. All in a Halloween's work.Have a question for the show? Email themmqb@gmail.com or tweet at @GGramling_SI, @JennyVrentas or @ConorOrr. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwor

It’s been more than seven months since news of the first civil suit filed against the quarterback first came to light, and ever since it’s been a mess of rumors, misperceptions and incorrect information. Jenny and Gary, who have reported the story more deeply, thoroughly and independently than anyone in the industry, discuss what’s true and what isn’t when it comes to the Deshaun Watson situation.That starts with Roger Goodell’s first public comments regarding the league’s lack of action on Watson, the basis for which doesn’t hold up to scrutiny. Jenny and Gary also—once again—address the stubborn conflation of license massage therapists and paid sex workers when it comes to the details SI has independently corroborated, as well as the absurd and insulting Houston-area rumors that SI’s reporting was influenced by a plaintiffs’ attorney who was heavily criticized throughout the process.Finally, a look at the trade rumors themselves and who they’re affecting—as well as who’s escaping accountability—in the final

Week 7’s slate might not have been the best one we’ve seen this season, but it did give us a better grip on more than a few teams. First and foremost: The Bengals are really good. Jenny, Conor and Gary break down not just the emergence of Joe Burrow and the (controversial, at the time) addition of Ja’Marr Chase, but the overlooked defense that is fueling their early success just as much.Then, a look at everything going wrong for the Chiefs, coming off their worst game of the Mahomes era, sorting through a wet win for the Colts on Sunday night and figuring out just where Carson Wentz stands.Plus, a discussion on the continued absurdity that is the Deshaun Watson rumor mill, in light of reports that the Dolphins and Panthers are ready to leap without looking.Have a question for the show? Email themmqb@gmail.com or tweet at @GGramling_SI, @JennyVrentas or @ConorO Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: http

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 discuss just what the takeaway means at a time when defenses are struggling more than ever to get off the field.Also, a look at how Watt is doing his part to keep defenses afloat with his aggressive approach to forcing turnovers. And a discussion of Trevon Diggs’s historic pace on interceptions, and whether he can make a run at an INT record that hasn’t really even been threatened since it was set in 1952.Have a question for the show? Email themmqb@gmail.com or tweet at @GGramling_SI, @JennyVrentas or @ConorO Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircl

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 potential Super Bowl contender? And what does it say about the Patriots and their rookie QB?Then, a look at the things that went very wrong for the Browns in a lopsided home loss to the Cardinals, and how the Ravens are overcoming plenty during their current winning streak.Also, T.J. Watt takes over overtime on Sunday night (a difficult thing for a pro-Geno Smith podcast to admit), the post-Gruden Raiders get off to a great start, the Chiefs prove that—at least for one day—some sloppy turnovers can be easily overcome, a closer examination of Aaron Rodgers’s claim that he owns the Bears, Kirk Cousins gets it done in Ca

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 exists in places across to the NFL, and raises the biggest question of all: Why hasn’t the NFL released any details regarding the investigation into the Washington franchise’s toxic workplace environment?The impact of Gruden’s words and the consequences he is now facing, what’s next for a Raiders franchise in which he once held near absolute power, and what’s next for the league office that now might have no choice but to act.Have a question for the show? Email themmqb@gmail.com or tweet at @GGramling_SI, @JennyVrentas or @ConorOrr Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comAdvertising Inqui