• 294: Will The Real Drake Maye Please Stand Up?
    Oct 15 2026

    The Underdog NFL Show turns to Regression or Reality with the Minnesota Vikings, Drake Maye, and Jared Goff, asking what is real and what is just a hot start. Chris Horwedel and Mario Hines also go game by game through the Week 6 NFL schedule and give their thoughts and predictions for each contest.


    The episode then takes a brief detour to the movie Digger, starring Tom Cruise, as the hosts debate how satirical is too satirical. Along the way, listeners get a mix of NFL analysis, weekly picks, and a side conversation that pulls in both football and film.


    It is a focused look at Week 6 NFL storylines, with the Minnesota Vikings, Drake Maye, and Jared Goff at the center of the regression-or-reality question. The discussion moves between matchups, predictions, and the kind of pop-culture detour that gives the conversation its shape.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Show More Show Less
    39 mins
  • 293: The NFL is Certainly Unpredictable
    Oct 9 2026

    Chris Horwedel and Mario Hines open with Lane Johnson’s retirement, Cam Jurgens’ trade and the Eagles’ rapidly changing offense. “Regression or Reality” returns with 10 Week 4 trends, including Minnesota’s strange 4-0 start, Detroit’s defensive collapse and Brock Purdy’s surge. The second half previews the full Week 5 slate with injuries, quarterback questions and lines from oddsmakers. The show closes with a movie-sequel detour tied to Michael Penix Jr.


    0:13 Eagles overhaul — Johnson retires, Jurgens is traded and the Hurts/Sirianni era comes into focus.


    9:49 Sixers — Preseason optimism after a strong showing against New York.


    10:34 Lions/Eagles outlook — Detroit’s defense and Philadelphia’s offensive struggles.


    14:17 Vikings — 4-0 despite twice winning without a touchdown.


    16:23 Drake Maye — Big Week 4 production versus a league-high turnover total.


    18:12 Eagles offense — Third-down failures and historically low production.


    20:15 Lions defense — Detroit’s numbers approach 2008 territory.


    23:15 Jaguars — Can a takeaway-heavy defensive identity last?


    25:08 Bears — Three wins with three different starting quarterbacks.


    27:35 Winless teams — Tampa Bay, Chargers, Miami, Houston and Tennessee sit 0-4.


    31:49 CeeDee Lamb — Dallas’ extraordinary target volume.


    34:52 Brock Purdy — San Francisco’s unbeaten start and efficiency.


    37:31 Jets — New York ends a 637-day interception drought.


    39:40 Buccaneers-Cowboys — Baker Mayfield’s absence shapes Thursday night.


    44:34 Eagles-Jaguars — Philadelphia’s depleted roster heads to London.


    46:18 Bears-Packers — Chicago’s QB carousel meets Green Bay.


    48:21 Bengals-Dolphins — Cincinnati, Miami and Joe Burrow’s future.


    50:05 Browns-Jets — Two difficult teams to evaluate meet in New York.


    51:38 Texans-Titans — Two 0-4 AFC South teams chase win No. 1.


    52:36 Colts-Steelers — Indy visits Pittsburgh, plus Arch Manning talk.


    55:29 Raiders-Patriots — Las Vegas meets Drake Maye and New England.


    56:23 Vikings-Saints — Minnesota’s unusual formula faces New Orleans.


    59:45 Broncos-Chargers — Denver visits winless Los Angeles.


    1:00:34 Giants-Commanders — Washington’s QB uncertainty against New York.


    1:05:09 Lions-Cardinals — Detroit’s offense meets Arizona.


    1:06:01 49ers-Seahawks — NFC West contenders meet in Seattle.


    1:07:14 Ravens-Falcons — Baltimore visits Atlanta Sunday night.


    1:07:47 Bills-Rams — Buffalo and L.A. close Week 5 Monday night.


    1:08:15 Movie sequels — Bad originals that produced much better follow-ups.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 11 mins
  • 292: Regression or Reality?
    Oct 1 2026

    Chris Horwedel and Mario Hines debut “Regression or Reality?”, examining 10 of the NFL’s strangest three-week trends before turning to the full Week 4 slate. They cover every matchup, major quarterback story, injuries, and the latest lines. The show closes with Sunday and Monday night games and a quick ticket-shopping detour.


    0:13 Opening — Phillies-Braves distraction and the setup for a new recurring segment.


    2:00 Vikings — Minnesota’s 3-0 start despite the NFL’s lowest-yardage offense.


    5:06 49ers — Brock Purdy’s sack-free start and extreme passing efficiency.


    6:35 Raiders — Kirk Cousins, a 3-0 start, and Vegas’ surprising offense.


    8:58 Bills — Josh Allen’s historic rushing-touchdown pace.


    10:15 Seahawks — Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s record-level receiving start.


    12:09 Panthers — Bryce Young leads the NFL in passing yards.


    13:23 Chiefs — Kenneth Walker’s impact on Kansas City and play action.


    14:55 Texans — C.J. Stroud’s turnover-free start amid Houston’s 0-3 record.


    16:56 Patriots — Drake Maye’s early turnover problems.


    19:11 Colts — Indy’s defense swings from historically bad to dominant.


    21:01 Steelers-Browns — AFC North uncertainty and Cleveland’s 2-1 start.


    23:58 Colts-Commanders — Washington’s offense, Marcus Mariota and Indy’s defense.


    25:18 Cardinals-Giants — Arizona’s messy start and J.J. McCarthy’s fit in New York.


    27:23 Cowboys-Texans — The Battle of Texas and Houston’s winless opening.


    28:21 Packers-Buccaneers — Green Bay, Tampa’s QB situation and the matchup.


    29:10 Jaguars-Bengals — Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville’s identity and Cincinnati.


    31:17 Rams-Eagles — Philadelphia’s defensive issues and Puka Nacua’s status.


    33:14 Patriots-Bills — Drake Maye, Buffalo and several passing props from oddsmakers.


    35:48 Jets-Bears — Case Keenum, Ben Johnson and Chicago without Caleb Williams.


    37:55 Titans-Ravens — Cam Ward’s start, Baltimore and young-QB development.


    40:24 Dolphins-Vikings — Minnesota’s defense against Miami and Malik Willis.


    41:17 Broncos-49ers — Denver’s strange winning formula and San Francisco.


    42:56 Chiefs-Raiders — Kansas City visits unbeaten Las Vegas.


    44:04 Chargers-Seahawks — Seattle’s matchup with Los Angeles.


    44:33 Lions-Panthers — Sunday night, Carolina’s injuries and Detroit’s offense.


    46:03 Falcons-Saints — NFC South matchup on Monday night.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Show More Show Less
    48 mins
  • 291: A Bad Week to be a Quarterback
    Sep 24 2026

    The Underdog NFL Show previews the full NFL Week 3 slate as Chris Horwedel and Mario Hines work through every matchup, major injuries and several early-season questions. Jaxson Dart’s season-ending knee injury, Detroit’s defense, and Philadelphia’s offensive-line problems are major themes. The episode also touches on Zach Ertz, MLB labor, and Justin Verlander before closing with Eagles-Bears.


    0:13 Opening: Week 2 takeaways, Carolina’s surprising start and the NFL injury picture.

    2:06 Giants/Jaxson Dart: season-ending knee surgery, Jameis Winston, New York’s offense and defensive injuries.

    8:48 Lions: Detroit’s depleted secondary, Avonte Maddox and concerns about the defense.

    11:22 Zach Ertz and MLB: Ertz’s return to Philadelphia, baseball labor concerns and Justin Verlander’s farewell.

    16:04 Falcons-Packers: Michael Penix Jr.’s return, Green Bay’s run game and offensive-line issues.

    18:21 Panthers-Browns: Carolina’s momentum, Deshaun Watson, Denzel Boston and Cleveland’s offense.

    22:15 Bengals-Steelers: Joe Burrow, Cincinnati’s start and Pittsburgh’s problems with Aaron Rodgers.

    23:08 NFL scoring: how the extremely rare one-point safety can happen.

    26:03 Texans-Colts: C.J. Stroud, Houston’s receivers, Nico Collins and Indianapolis’ offense.

    30:03 Chiefs-Dolphins: Kansas City with Kenneth Walker III and Miami’s struggles.

    31:07 Chargers-Bills: Justin Herbert, Buffalo’s offense and Los Angeles’ difficult start.

    33:17 Patriots-Jaguars: Drake Maye, Jacksonville’s offense and an AFC measuring-stick game.

    34:43 Jets-Lions: the Aaron Glenn reunion, Detroit’s offense and questions about both defenses.

    37:57 Seahawks-Commanders: Jayden Daniels’ elbow injury, Washington’s outlook and Seattle’s form.

    41:13 Titans-Giants: Cam Ward, Jameis Winston and both offenses.

    49:06 Cardinals-49ers: Arizona’s passing game, Trey McBride, San Francisco and Philadelphia roster needs.

    53:33 Vikings-Buccaneers: Kyler Murray’s return and Minnesota’s quarterback situation.

    54:42 Ravens-Cowboys: Baltimore’s offense, Dallas’ Week 2 showing and the matchup.

    56:06 Raiders-Saints: Kirk Cousins, Tyler Shough, Brock Bowers and both offenses.

    57:42 Rams-Broncos: Aaron Donald’s return, Denver’s injured backfield and both defenses.

    59:56 Eagles-Bears: Caleb Williams’ hamstring, Chicago’s backup-QB situation and Philadelphia’s offensive line.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 4 mins
  • 290: Week 2 NFL Games
    Sep 17 2026

    The Underdog NFL Show returns for Week 2 with Chris Horwedel and Mario Hines working through the full NFL slate after a chaotic opening weekend. They revisit the biggest Week 1 takeaways, injuries, quarterback questions and offensive-line concerns while previewing every matchup. The episode closes with a look at several Week 2 specials.


    0:13 Opening: Week 1 surprises and the challenge of getting through the full NFL slate.

    2:19 Lions-Bills: Detroit’s secondary, Jahmyr Gibbs’ workload, Jameson Williams and Buffalo’s opener.

    7:20 Panthers-Falcons: Atlanta’s quarterback issues, Bijan Robinson, Bryce Young and Carolina’s defense.

    10:27 Bengals-Texans: Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, C.J. Stroud and Houston’s defense.

    12:26 Browns-Buccaneers: Deshaun Watson, Cleveland’s offensive line, Quinshon Judkins and Baker Mayfield.

    15:43 Packers-Jets: Green Bay’s Week 1 collapse, New York’s outlook and Tennessee’s long-term QB situation.

    17:47 Vikings-Bears: Kyler Murray, Carson Wentz, Kevin O’Connell, Justin Jefferson and Chicago’s offense.

    24:45 Saints-Ravens: Lamar Jackson, Derrick Henry and New Orleans’ run defense.

    26:38 Eagles-Titans: Philadelphia’s interior offensive line, Landon Dickerson, Saquon Barkley and Tennessee.

    31:47 Steelers-Patriots: Drake Maye, New England’s depleted weapons and Pittsburgh’s outlook.

    35:31 Jaguars-Broncos: Bo Nix, Denver’s offense, Jacksonville’s ceiling and the Drew Brees-Broncos story.

    42:30 Raiders-Chargers: Justin Herbert, Mike McDaniel, the Chargers’ offense and Fernando Mendoza’s timeline.

    50:29 Dolphins-49ers: Miami’s roster concerns, San Francisco’s Australia trip and the Rams’ Week 1 context.

    52:56 Seahawks-Cardinals: Drew Lock, Seattle’s offense and Arizona’s early-season test.

    54:09 Commanders-Cowboys: Dallas’ Week 1 issues, Washington’s defensive scheme and Jalen Hurts’ middle-field success.

    56:23 Week 1 stats: passing, rushing, receiving, sacks and tackle leaders.

    1:00:06 Colts-Chiefs: Patrick Mahomes, Kenneth Walker III, Daniel Jones and Kansas City’s outlook.

    1:00:40 Giants-Rams: Jackson Dart, New York’s young core and Los Angeles’ reset after Australia.

    1:01:17 Betting specials: Week 2 boosted parlays and the Giants-Rams prop package

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 4 mins
  • 289: Drake Maye - Top 10 Quarterback
    Sep 9 2026

    The Underdog NFL Show previews the complete NFL Week 1 slate, with Chris Horwedel and Mario Hines breaking down every matchup, roster question, and early-season pressure point. The episode opens with online privacy before moving into Patriots-Seahawks and the NFL’s Australia game. Christian McCaffrey, Aaron Rodgers, C.J. Stroud, and Drake May become major discussion points. The show closes with the remaining Sunday and Monday matchups.


    0:13 Intro, Mario’s Future Chefs photo, online privacy, data-removal services and spam calls.

    9:27 Patriots-Seahawks: Super Bowl rematch, New England’s offseason, Seattle’s line and Sam Darnold.

    15:57 49ers-Rams in Melbourne: travel, Aaron Donald and Christian McCaffrey’s workload and career trends.

    24:09 Falcons-Steelers: Aaron Rodgers, Pittsburgh’s offense, Atlanta’s secondary and Mike Tomlin.

    31:34 Ravens-Colts: Daniel Jones’ Achilles return and Baltimore’s new era.

    32:45 Bills-Texans: C.J. Stroud’s contract expectations, Houston’s offense and Buffalo’s outlook.

    40:27 Bears-Panthers: Caleb Williams, Drake May comparisons and Carolina.

    44:52 Drake Maye QB-ranking debate against Hurts, Love, Goff, Burrow, Mahomes, Herbert, Stafford, and others.

    54:44 Jets-Titans: Geno Smith, Cam Ward and Tennessee.

    55:45 Browns-Jaguars: Cleveland’s QB situation and Jacksonville’s offense.

    55:59 Saints-Lions: New Orleans’ roster and Detroit.

    56:32 Buccaneers-Bengals: Baker Mayfield’s deal, Joe Burrow and Cincinnati.

    57:26 Cardinals-Chargers: Arizona and Mike McDaniel’s Chargers offense.

    58:40 Packers-Vikings: Kyler Murray, Kevin O’Connell and Minnesota’s QB situation.

    1:01:30 Dolphins-Raiders: Malik Willis, Kirk Cousins, Fernando Mendoza and Miami’s rebuild.

    1:04:04 Eagles-Commanders: Philadelphia’s defense, Washington’s line and Jayden Daniels.

    1:05:05 Cowboys-Giants: Malik Nabers, New York’s defense and Dallas.

    1:08:25 Broncos-Chiefs: Denver’s expectations and Kansas City.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 2 mins
  • 288: Divisional Predictions
    Sep 4 2026

    The Underdog NFL Show previews every NFL division, Eagles and Lions roster decisions, Hurts-A.J. Brown, the Wednesday opener, Kirk Cousins and the Raiders, Joe Burrow’s future, NFL roster ages, and conference/Super Bowl futures ahead of Week 1.


    0:13 Intro from Azerbaijan, Qarabağ FK, NFL kickoff week, and oddsmakers’ season markets.

    3:54 Lions roster cuts, Greg Dortch and Detroit’s preseason outlook.

    5:20 Eagles cuts: four quarterbacks, International Pathway prospects, Carson Steele and Jalen Hurts-A.J. Brown.

    9:17 NFL’s rare Wednesday opener and the 2012 Cowboys-Giants precedent.

    12:44 NFC West: Rams, Seahawks, 49ers and Cardinals outlook.

    16:00 NFC East: Eagles, Cowboys, Giants and Commanders, including offensive-line and quarterback questions.

    21:11 NFC South: Buccaneers, Saints, Panthers and Falcons roster outlook.

    25:37 NFC North: Lions, Bears, Packers and Vikings, plus Micah Parsons and Harrison Smith.

    33:34 AFC West: Broncos, Chiefs, Chargers and Raiders with Kirk Cousins starting in Las Vegas.

    35:31 AFC East: Bills, Patriots, Jets and Dolphins, plus Buffalo-New England expectations.

    41:35 AFC South: Texans, Jaguars, Colts and Titans, plus NFL roster-age comparisons.

    48:06 AFC North: Ravens, Bengals, Steelers and Browns, Joe Burrow’s future and an Eagles hypothetical.

    49:57 NFC/AFC championship and Super Bowl futures discussion.

    51:21 Close and look ahead to Week 1.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Show More Show Less
    46 mins
  • 287: The Epitome of Competent
    Aug 27 2026

    0:13 Intro: Za’Darius Smith’s retirement story and NFL return.

    5:05 College eligibility: Da’Quan Wright, NFL-to-college returns, conference bans, and draft questions.

    9:55 NIL economics: college QB salaries vs NFL rookies, Darian Mensah, Dante Moore, Trinidad Chambliss, Arch Manning, Dylan Raiola and Bryce Underwood.

    17:04 College football futures and Michigan/Michigan State title odds.

    21:30 NFL ends the Pro Bowl game; what the honor means going forward.

    24:17 NFL watchability 32–21: Browns, Dolphins, Titans, Cardinals, Falcons, Raiders, Steelers, Jets, Saints, Giants, Chiefs and Panthers.

    37:20 Rankings 20–15: 49ers, Colts, Packers, Jaguars, Bills and Eagles; Travis Hunter, Jalen Hurts and Philly’s defense.

    46:38 Eagles outlook: DeVonta Smith receptions and Saquon Barkley rushing totals.

    48:15 Rankings 14–10: Buccaneers, Commanders, Texans, Ravens and Broncos.

    54:22 Rankings 9–5: Vikings, Seahawks, Bengals, Cowboys and Patriots.

    57:53 Rankings 4–1: Chargers, Lions, Rams and No. 1 Chicago Bears.

    1:01:40 Close and look ahead to the NFL season.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Show More Show Less
    56 mins