With five of six Wild Card games over and done, Nate Tice and Charles McDonald break down the first round of NFL playoff action. They kick things off discussing rookie phenom Jayden Daniels’ impressive road performance over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to lead the Washington Commanders to their first playoff win in 20 years, with help from a doink in walk-off field goal from Zane Gonzalez. Next, they talk about the Philadelphia Eagles’ defense showing up to send the Green Bay Packers packing.

Later in the show, the guys discuss Josh Allen and James Cook running all over the Denver Broncos, as the Buffalo Bills dominated on the ground and in the air. They also discuss the Baltimore Ravens, who got out to an early lead over the Pittsburgh Steelers and never let their foot off the gas, with Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry going off for two touchdowns each.

They close out the show with the Houston Texans’ win over the Los Angeles Chargers as Houston’s defense comes up huge to intercept Justin Herbert four times and C.J. Stroud playing a solid game as they eye a divisional matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs.

(2:19) Commanders 23 def. Buccaneers 20

(9:08) Eagles 22 def. Packers 10

(20:50) Bills 31 def. Broncos 7

(29:54) Ravens 28 def. Steelers 14

(42:13) Texans 32 def. Chargers 12

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In this absolutely packed episode of Football 301, Nate Tice and Charles McDonald break down every matchup heading into Wild Card weekend, offering insights into how playoff contenders are shaping up and which teams might be in trouble. First up is the Los Angeles Chargers at Houston Texans, featuring a crucial QB battle between Justin Herbert and CJ Stroud. Will the Chargers offense—built for a smash-mouth style—be able to dominate the Texans' struggling defense, or will Stroud find a way to get his team back on track despite numerous injuries? Next, the Baltimore Ravens take on the Pittsburgh Steelers, where Russell Wilson will have to hunt for explosive passes to keep up with one of the best offenses in the NFL.
The hosts also tackle the Green Bay Packers vs. Philadelphia Eagles and Buffalo Bills vs. Denver Broncos. Can Jordan Love rise to the challenge against Philadelphia's elite defense, or will the Eagles' depth prove too much? Meanwhile, the Bills are facing their own struggles against the Broncos, especially on defense, as Nate points out the advantage Denver's screen game might have over Buffalo's shaky defense.
Later, the Washington Commanders face off against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, with Charles and Nate breaking down what might be a classic hoss fight between two strong units. Can Vita Vea single-handedly shift the game for Tampa Bay? Finally, Nate and Charles dive into the Minnesota Vikings heading south to take on the Los Angeles Rams, where Matthew Stafford has the ingredients to keep up in what could be a shootout.

(2:50) - Los Angeles Chargers @ Houston Texans
(20:35) - Pittsburgh Steelers @ Baltimore Ravens
(30:00) - Denver Broncos @ Buffalo Bills
(43:55) - Green Bay Packers @ Philadelphia Eagles
(1:01:40) - Washington Commanders @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers
(1:18:40) - Minnesota Vikings @ Los Angeles Rams

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In this episode of Football 301, Nate Tice, Matt Harmon and Charles McDonald bring you their picks for end-of-season awards. From MVP to the best assistant coach, the trio debates the key players and coaches that defined the 2024 NFL season.

The MVP race was tight, as the trio debate between Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen. As the discussion shifts to Offensive Player of the Year, Saquon Barkley’s historic 2,000-yard season gives him a very strong case, though Ja'Marr Chase’s Triple Crown performance puts him in consideration. On the defensive side, Patrick Surtain II stood out as the top contender for Defensive Player of the Year with his lockdown play, while Dan Campbell's leadership and resilience in Detroit is compared to Kevin O'Connell's unbelievable turnaround of Sam Darnold's career in Minnesota for the Coach of the Year award.

The episode also includes debates over Assistant Coach of the Year, with Aaron Glenn's impressive defensive turnaround in Detroit and Joe Gilbert’s work with the Carolina Panthers' offensive line both getting major props. Meanwhile, the Executive of the Year conversation highlighted the impressive work of Jason Licht for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Brad Holmes for the Detroit Lions, turning around their teams with savvy draft picks and trades. Wrapping things up, the guys discuss the candidates for Offensive and Defensive Rookies of the Year, including Jayden Daniels, Brock Bowers, Quinyon Mitchell, Jared Verse, Nate Wiggins and more.

(3:00) - Most Valuable Player

(11:15) - Offensive Player of the Year

(18:25) - Defensive Player of the Year

(28:10) - Coach of the Year

(36:20) - Assistant Coach of the Year

(45:05) - Executive of the Year

(54:20) - Offensive Rookie of the Year

(59:45) - Defensive Rookie of the Year

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The 2024 NFL regular season is finally in the books and the blockbuster Sunday night finale between the Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings was a bit more lopsided than anticipated. Jared Goff and the Lions secured an overwhelming 31-9 victory in which Jahmyr Gibbs scored 4 touchdowns and the Vikings offense never got comfortable.

Nate Tice and Charles McDonald break down the biggest storylines from the end of Week 18, leading off with Detroit securing both the NFC North crown and home field advantage through the playoffs. Next, they talk about the Denver Broncos blowing out the Kansas City Chiefs backups in order to punch their ticket into the AFC playoffs and how this came at the expense of the Cincinnati Bengals, who beat the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday.

In the latter half of the show, the guys check in on the NFC South, where the Tampa Bay Buccaneers secured another division title and the Atlanta Falcons blowing a game in overtime to the Carolina Panthers.

In a surprisingly swift bit of news, the New England Patriots fired head coach Jerod Mayo after just a single season after he had reportedly been the head coach in waiting for a number of years. Charles and Nate criticize the Patriots ownership and front office with the decision making and wonder if Mike Vrabel or Ben Johnson could be the next HC in Foxboro.

Closing out the show, the run through some quick topics including the Tennessee Titans securing the top pick in this April's NFL draft, Trey Lance getting the start in Dallas over Cooper Rush and Tanner McKee looking solid in relief of Jalen Hurts in a Philadelphia Eagles win over the Giants.

(0:32) - Detroit Lions soundly win NFC North

(13:20) - Broncos get AFC 7th seed over Bengals & Dolphins

(27:15) - Buccaneers secure NFC South, another Falcons flameout

(41:25) - New England Patriots fire HC Jerod Mayo

(48:50) - Quick hits: Titans, Eagles, Trey Lance

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In this episode of Football 301, Nate Tice and Charles McDonald dive deep into the high-stakes drama of Week 18, breaking down the biggest matchups across the NFL, including the highly anticipated showdown between the Minnesota Vikings and the Detroit Lions. With the 1 seed on the line, Nate and Charles preview what should be a hoss fight for the ages. Will the Lions' defense, dealing with significant injuries, hold up against the explosive Vikings offense led by Justin Jefferson? And can Minnesota's aggressive defense stop the Lions' grinding run game? The guys explore these matchups and more as they analyze what makes this game a must-watch.

Beyond the NFC North, the hosts touch on the Cincinnati Bengals' looming clash with the Pittsburgh Steelers, with playoff seeding and potential departures (including Tee Higgins’ future) looming large. Nate and Charles also give their take on the Kansas City Chiefs battling the Denver Broncos, with some lighthearted banter about backup quarterbacks and a fun tangent about Carson Wentz's unorthodox presence on the field. The duo also give their thoughts and predictions on the Cleveland Browns vs. Baltimore Ravens, Atlanta Falcons vs. Carolina Panthers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. New Orleans Saints matchups.

As always, the crew wraps up with a mailbag question, where Charles gives his recommendations for books to read if you want to learn more about schemes and football terminology.

(3:50) - Vikings @ Lions

(41:15) - Bengals @ Steelers

(46:10) - Falcons @ Panthers

(53:20) - Chiefs @ Broncos

(58:40) - Saints @ Buccaneers

(1:05:00) - Mailbag question of the week

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In this episode of Football 301, Nate Tice and Matt Harmon are ringing in the New Year with their resolutions for NFL teams as the playoff race heats up. Matt's resolutions focus on teams in the playoffs, while Nate takes aim at franchises that are in need of some serious soul-searching.

First, the guys tackle the red-hot Minnesota Vikings, who are gearing up for a crucial Sunday night game. Matt admits to regretting his past doubts about Sam Darnold, while Nate discusses how Darnold’s recent performances are reshaping the team’s future. From there, they turn their attention to the New England Patriots, discussing the lack of supporting talent around rookie QB Drake Maye and the need for a drastic roster overhaul. They also dive into the Detroit Lions’ identity, where Coach Dan Campbell's aggressive philosophy is clearly paying off.

Next, they touch on the Chicago Bears, who have a lot of work to do, particularly in finding a long-term solution at center to help their young QB Caleb Williams. The conversation shifts to teams in need of renovation or a redefined sense of direction. The Los Angeles Rams need a refresh on offense with more speed and explosiveness, while the Indianapolis Colts seem stuck in the muck, lacking defensive leadership. On the flip side, Matt and Nate give props to the Houston Texans for their surprising playoff berth but caution that they may have overestimated their readiness for a deep run. Meanwhile, the Green Bay Packers might need to trim the fat in their offense, and the Las Vegas Raiders must decide whether to commit to a long-term plan or continue with their half-measure approach. The episode wraps up with a look at the San Francisco 49ers, who need to eat their vegetables.

(2:15) - Minnesota Vikings

(11:05) - New England Patriots

(19:40) - Detroit Lions

(24:40) - Chicago Bears

(30:40) - Los Angeles Rams

(38:05) - Indianapolis Colts

(45:05) - Houston Texans

(54:50) - Green Bay Packers

(1:02:50) - Las Vegas Raiders

(1:07:10) - San Francisco 49ers

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One more week left in the 2024 regular season and the playoff picture (and first pick in the draft picture) is coming into shape. Nate Tice and Charles McDonald discuss the five biggest results from Week 17's Saturday and Sunday action, leading off with the Minnesota Vikings' well-earned divisional win over the Green Bay Packers.

Nate & Charles discuss how Sam Darnold's play and Kevin O'Connor's scheming always kept Green Bay a step behind and why the Packers defense is not quite up to the task of stopping an elite Super Bowl-contending offense.

Speaking of elite, the guys look back to Saturday and look at the Los Angeles Rams' 13-9 win over the Arizona Cardinals. Nate explains why sophomore receiver Puka Nacua has entered the top-tier of NFL wideouts and why his play the last two seasons is basically unparalleled from a statistical perspective.

Also on Saturday, the Cincinnati Bengals eked out an overtime win over the Denver Broncos, keeping their playoff hopes alive. The guys talk about Joe Burrow's MVP case and how the Broncos still may backpedal into the playoffs against a Kansas City Chiefs team that will likely rest their starters next weekend.

Closing out the show, they chat about Drew Lock and the New York Giants extinguishing the Indianapolis Colts' playoff hopes and Saquon Barkley's 2,000-yard season in a Philadelphia win over the Dallas Cowboys.

(1:50) - Vikings take out Packers

(12:10) - Puka's elite status in Rams win

(24:40) - Burrow keeps Bengals playoff hopes alive

(30:25) - Drew Lock extinguishes Colts

(37:40) - Saquon hits 2k yards over Dallas

(40:35) - Week 17 game balls

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As we enter the penultimate week of the NFL season, Nate Tice and Charles McDonald are back to break down all the action from a festive—but somewhat underwhelming—set of Christmas games before deep diving on the most interesting matchups to look forward to this weekend. The duo kicks things off by revisiting the Kansas City Chiefs' dominant win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, where despite some strong production value, the game got blown open as the Chiefs appeared to be entering postseason mode. The show then pivots to a tough reality check for the Houston Texans, who were completely outclassed by the Baltimore Ravens. While CJ Stroud did his best, the Texans’ glaring weakness in the trenches is hard to ignore, and Nate has some strong thoughts on their offensive line struggles.

Next, Nate and Charles deep dive on the Denver Broncos @ Cincinnati Bengals matchup—a defensive hoss fight that features some of the league's top talent, including Ja'Marr Chase and Patrick Surtain II, and preview an intriguing Green Bay Packers @ Minnesota Vikings game where defensive adjustments will likely determine the outcome.

As the episode rounds out, the guys tackle a high-stakes game for the Atlanta Falcons, who need a win against the Washington Commanders to keep their playoff hopes alive, and a double slop watch featuring the Dallas Cowboys @ Philadelphia Eagles and the Carolina Panthers @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The duo wrap up with a mailbag question, as Nate and Charles dissect the complexities of motion in the NFL and why some teams choose not to use it very often.

(2:55) - Chiefs beat Steelers 29-10

(11:35) - Ravens beat Texans 31-2

(23:05) - Denver Broncos @ Cincinnati Bengals

(33:05) - Green Bay Packers @ Minnesota Vikings

(49:00) - Atlanta Falcons @ Washington Commanders

(59:50) - Dallas Cowboys @ Philadelphia Eagles

(1:03:30) - Carolina Panthers @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers

(1:07:20) - Mailbag question of the week

Subscribe to Football 301 on your favorite podcast app:

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