Scoop City: Inside The NFL

The Super Bowl is just days away, and we’re getting final reports from each team. Michael-Shawn Dugar joins to share updates from the Seattle Seahawks side. What’s the latest with safety Nick Emmanwori? How has Sam Darnold looked? And is Mike Macdonald ready to face off against Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel?

On the AFC side, the New England Patriots enter with an experienced coaching staff but a young team. How will Drake Maye handle playing in his first Super Bowl? Will Josh McDaniels’ experience help calm his young QB? How will Vrabel’s Super Bowl experience help his team? Patriots beat writer Chad Graff joins to answer all those questions.

Plus, Jerry Brewer stops by Scoop City to examine this year’s head coaching cycle. Does the NFL have an issue identifying coaching talent? Why was there a lack of diverse hires in this year’s coaching cycle despite numerous job openings? Brewer helps answer some of the most pressing questions in the league outside of the Super Bowl action.

Don’t forget to like, comment, subscribe, and turn notifications on so you can stay up to date with everything happening across the NFL.

Who will win Super Bowl LX? Drop a comment with who will win and why!
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What’s the future of the NFL’s Pro Bowl? Is this Super Bowl lacking the usual buzz? What should we take away from Roger Goodell’s press conference? And what’s been the reaction in Cleveland to the Browns hiring Todd Monken?

Scoop City returns with a new episode as the hype builds for Super Bowl LX. The Athletic’s senior NFL insider Dianna Russini joins James Palmer from San Francisco to discuss everything from the Pro Bowl to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell’s annual press conference. Plus, the two discuss whether there’s growing buzz about bringing a Super Bowl overseas.

Meanwhile, in Cleveland, the Browns have a new head coach. Will Todd Monken want to retain Jim Schwartz on his staff? And what should the Browns do at quarterback? Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel failed to impress in their rookie seasons, while Deshaun Watson is still on the Browns’ roster. Senior columnist Jason Lloyd joins to share insight on the state of the Cleveland Browns.

Don’t forget to like, comment, subscribe, and turn notifications on so you can stay up to date with everything happening across the NFL.

What do you think the Browns should do at QB? Leave us a comment!
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Super Bowl week is officially here, and Scoop City kicks it off with a full-scale breakdown of Seattle Seahawks vs. New England Patriots and the decisions that will decide Super Bowl LX. Can Sam Darnold guide Seattle’s balanced, explosive offense through New England’s pressure-heavy defense? Can Drake Maye and the Patriots generate enough big plays against what many believe is the best defense in football? And a shocking fire in Minnesota. What happened behind the scenes of one of the most bizarre timing changes at GM in recent memory?

James Palmer and Chase Daniel pull back the curtain on what Super Bowl week is really like from a player’s perspective. From the downtime and routine management to preparation inside the facility, Chase explains how teams avoid overthinking the biggest game of the season.

James and Chase then lay out the keys to victory for both Super Bowl teams, starting with the Seahawks offense and Sam Darnold, breaking down how Seattle’s top-10 unit can stress a Patriots defense that thrives on disguise and late movement. They examine Klint Kubiak’s role in adjusting on the fly, how Jaxon Smith-Njigba can be moved around to find matchups.

From there, the spotlight turns to Drake Maye and the Patriots offense facing Seattle’s versatile, physical defense. James and Chase breakdown how Maye’s mobility, patience, and selective aggression can unlock opportunities, especially on deep passes

Next, The Athletic’s senior NFL insider Dianna Russini joins the show with must-hear reporting on the coaching and front-office landscape. Russini breaks down the Minnesota Vikings’ decision to move on from Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and how Sam Darnold's trip to the Super Bowl could be responsible for the move. Dianna also shares the latest in the coaching carousel, where the final two vacancies are set to be filled.

James and Chase wrap the show locking in their Super Bowl predictions, final scores, and MVP picks,

Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and turn on notifications so you don’t miss a moment of Super Bowl week on Scoop City.

Who has the bigger edge on Sunday: Seattle’s defensive dominance or Drake Maye’s ability to create explosive plays?
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Super Bowl LX is around the corner, and Scoop City’s Thursday Road Trip makes final stops in Seattle and New England before the Seahawks and Patriots head to Santa Clara. Can Seattle’s explosive playmakers and pass rush tilt the game at Levi’s Stadium? Can New England’s offense and Drake Maye’s deep ball rise to the moment against a suffocating defense? How does this matchup of coaches change how franchises search for their next leader? And can the Steelers’ bold hire of Mike McCarthy reshape Pittsburgh’s future — including what it means for Aaron Rodgers?

Our road trip begins in the Pacific Northwest with Michael-Shawn Dugar to trace how the Seattle Seahawks built a Super Bowl roster and who deserves the most credit for the climb. Then the focus shifts on the matchup: Seattle’s ability to win up front and create pressure without sending extra rushers, and what that means for New England’s protection.

Next stop: Foxborough. Chad Graff explains the Patriots’ run to the Super Bowl and why Drake Maye is the centerpiece of their postseason surge, including the reality of his shoulder and how it could affect the plan. They break down why explosive plays feel essential against Seattle, how New England can hunt matchups, and what Christian Gonzalez’s role could be in slowing down Seattle’s top weapon. It’s the Patriots’ path to a title — and the specific pressure points that could decide it.

The Super Bowl head coaches move into the spotlight as Zak Keefer shares how finding the perfect head coach can accelerate your team to a Super Bowl. Keefer connects what Mike Vrabel and Mike Macdonald have done as “CEO” leaders to the broader coaching cycle, including why teams are chasing culture, structure, and fast rebuilds again. If you’re tracking the NFL’s next hiring wave, this conversation explains the trend and the why behind it.

Finally, the Road Trip lands in Pittsburgh with Mike DeFabo breaking down what Mike McCarthy’s homecoming means for the Steelers and how Aaron Rodgers fits into the teams plans for next season.

Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and turn on notifications for the latest news from around the NFL.

Who has the bigger Super Bowl advantage: Seattle’s pressure and playmaking, or New England’s explosive passing and Vrabel’s situational edge?

Take our Audience survey and get a chance to win $100 from Amazon http://theathletic.com/survey26
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Coaches take the spotlight briefly off of the Super Bowl with two more hires and one major snub. Did the Cleveland Browns get it right by hiring Todd Monken? Why did the Buffalo Bills choose Joe Brady — and how much say did Josh Allen really have in the decision? What does the league-wide fallout look like after Bill Belichick was shockingly passed over as a first-ballot Hall of Famer?

The coaching carousel takes center stage as Todd Monken is hired by the Cleveland Browns, and The Athletic’s senior NFL insider Dianna Russini joins Scoop City to explain how the agreement came together. Russini details what separated Monken from other candidates, what Cleveland valued most in the process, and how this decision fits into a broader league trend. She also delivers updates on the ongoing head coaching searches for the Arizona Cardinals and Las Vegas Raiders, including where those processes currently stand.

In Buffalo, Russini breaks down how the Bills landed Joe Brady, why he emerged as the top choice over other candidates, and how involved Josh Allen was throughout the process. With the Bills still chasing their first Super Bowl, the discussion centers on why the organization believes Brady is the right coach to help unlock consistency, adaptability, and greater postseason success.

Bill Belichick was snubbed by Pro Football Hall of Fame voters in his first year of eligibility, sending shockwaves across the NFL. ESPN senior writer Seth Wickersham, who broke the story, joins James Palmer to explain how the decision unfolded, why politics — not accomplishments — played a role, and how the football world reacted to one of the most surprising Hall of Fame moments ever.

Finally, Joe Buscaglia joins the show with reaction from Buffalo following the hiring of Brady and a look ahead to what the rest of the Bills’ offseason could hold. From roster decisions to lingering pressure points, Buscaglia explains what Buffalo must do to finally get over the hump — and whether this coaching move is the one that helps push the Bills to a Super Bowl next season.

Don't forget to like and subscribe for all the latest NFL news from around the league.

Take our Audience survey and get a chance to win $100 from Amazonhttp://theathletic.com/survey26
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.