Almost Shameless

2023 NFL Season Preview Hot Topics with Mike D’Abate

Tanya kicks off NFL season with Patriots beat reporter and Locked On Patriots host Mike D'Abate by hitting on some of the hot preseason topics  around the league (2:30), including Aaron Rodgers' chances of making the Jets the real deal and which NFC North team is most ready to grab the division by the horns in his absence. Stay tuned after that for a Patrick Mahomes GOAT hot take (34:16) and then a blind ranking of 10 random NFL head coaches (48:06).

Patriots defense is legit, the Lamar Jackson skepticism is weird, plus a WWE Extreme Rules chat with Ladarius Brown

Tanya quickly recaps why it's encouraging that the Patriots won decisively against the Lions, who were a great matchup for their ailing offense, as they head into a more forgiving stretch of their season (2:00). Then she discusses the weird way that the broadcast handled Lamar Jackson's final drive in the Ravens' Week 5 win over the Bengals, and why it's yet another indication that Lamar doesn't get the respect he's earned (8:13). For the rest of the show, Tanya welcomes on Ladarius Brown to discuss the highlights of WWE's Extreme Rules pay per view and why one wrestler might be this generation's John Cena (13:49). 

NFL hasn’t earned our trust regarding Tua’s health, Bill Belichick needs to chill it with the QB intrigue

Tanya dives into why the NFL and the Miami Dolphins deserve all the skepticism regarding what happened to Tua, and how it ties into learning our lesson from all the passes that we gave Brett Favre in spite of a million red flags (3:30). Then she hits on why she's tired of Bill Belichick's game of chess with the media regarding Mac Jones' injury status and availability in Week 4, and why it doesn't matter THAT much who is going to be behind center against the Green Bay Packers (16:16). Finally, Tanya explains why men on the internet need to check their biases when it comes to their over-the-top criticism of ESPN's Malika Andrews (21:08).

Media failed yet again with the Ime Udoka story, Patriots offense may need to look backward to move forward

Tanya takes a deep dive into some major reporting failures in the story of Ime Udoka's misconduct within the Boston Celtics organization, the red flags raised by his one-season suspension and why it should never have been reported as a consensual relationship without more context (2:53). Then she hits on the Patriots win over the Steelers and why the Patriots offense may have to look back at what worked last year in order to move forward and help Mac Jones progress as they prepare for the Ravens in their first home game this season (15:41). Finally, Tanya talks about why teams like the Chiefs and Bills are thriving amid mediocrity as Week 3 of the NFL season approaches (20:09). 

Chiefs can win any way and AFC should be worried, Patriots defense has prime opportunity against Trubisky

Week 2 kicked off with a messy game between the AFC West rival Chargers and Chiefs, and we learned a lot about how not only that division could play out but also what it means for the rest of the AFC as the Chiefs establish their ability to stay in any type of game (1:58). With that in mind, Tanya takes a look at where the Patriots stand as they head to Pittsburgh to take on a weakened Steelers team, and makes a prediction on how the game will go based on where both teams stand after Week 1 (8:02). Finally, it's hot take time as Tanya reveals why she engages in Twitter debates with trolls and burner accounts (16:03). Take notes! Be sure to stay for the side note about the Belichick "hot seat" BS (22:02).

The Bills aren’t screwing around, NFC predictions, and why the Patriots cannot lose in Week 1

Week 1 of the 2022 NFL season officially kicked off on Thursday night with the Bills trouncing the reigning Super Bowl champion Rams, so Tanya dives into what we learned about both teams in the inaugural game of the year (01:31). She also examines what it means for the Patriots' ceiling this season (12:00). Then it's time to take a tour around the NFC to look at which teams have the best chance at locking up the division and who should be in wild card contention (15:15). Finally, Tanya explains why the Patriots have absolutely no room for error to lose in Week 1 to the Dolphins (26:28). 

50. Why you’re wrong about Belichick, sports media’s ethics problem, AFC preseason preview

The new season of Almost Shameless with Tanya Ray Fox kicks off with a more optimistic assessment of what we can and should expect from the New England Patriots coming off of a less than impressive preseason (03:47). Then she goes in on critics of Bill Belichick's career without Tom Brady (09:08), and hits on the issue of how sports media continues to deal with sexual assault stories in the NFL and why it's important to leave outdated journalistic values in the past (17:38). Finally, Tanya takes a tour around the AFC to make some broad predictions about what we can expect to see in the conference in 2022 and how it relates to playoff expectations for the Patriots (26:27). 

49. Blockbuster QB trades and the state of the Patriots with guest Mike D’Abate

Almost Shameless is back with guest and Patriots insider Mike D'Abate just in time to break down the major QB moves that are shaking up the NFL, beginning with the blockbuster trade of Russell Wilson to the Denver Broncos (03:17). Mike and Tanya continue the conversation by discussing whether Wilson can get the Broncos out of a very competitive AFC West (09:29). Next up they hit on the breaking news that the Indianapolis Colts traded Carson Wentz to the Washington Commanders, and what that might spell out for the future of the QB position on a talented Indy roster (14:48). Then Tanya goes through the state of the Patriots in this early part of the offseason, including where Mac Jones goes from here without Josh McDaniels (22:22), what the coaching staff will look like in 2022 (28:10) and whether Bill Belichick is about to blow it by letting JC Jackson hit the open market (32:14). Finally, Tanya and Mike make their way-too-early predictions about whether the Patriots will improve their record next season (40:12).

48. Super Bowl LVI wrap-up: Aaron Donald is the latest proof of the NFL’s obsession with flashy offense

That's a wrap on the NFL season! (muffled cries) Tanya kicks the show off with few broad takeaways from the Los Angeles Rams Super Bowl win over the Cincinnati Bengals, including the difference between a good game and good narratives. Then she dives into the main topic of the show, explaining why Aaron Donald should have been the game's MVP, how broadcasters can better help shape the conversation about players and how Cooper Kupp's MVP win is a perpetuation of the league's insistence on rewarding inconsistent but flashy offense over elite defense (9:03). Then she hits on what the win means for Matthew Stafford and why it proves that upgrades at QB aren't just about the stats (22:32). Tanya also offers her thoughts on where the Bengals go from here and hard decisions they might need to make to prevent Joe Burrow from becoming the next Dan Marino (27:42), and why this Rams Super Bowl may be the peak before the valley after their all-in gamble for a title paid off (33:01). 

47. NFL’s racism is on full display in Brian Flores lawsuit, Tom Brady owes Patriots fans their farewell

We should be talking about the impending showdown between the Los Angeles Rams and the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl LVI. However there are bigger things at play this week. Tanya starts the show off with an overview of the allegations in the lawsuit filed by Brian Flores accusing three NFL teams of racism in the hiring process (3:36). She goes into exactly what is at stake for the former Miami Dolphins head coach, how the power structures remain complicit, and she outlines exactly where the league has to start in order to address this problem head on (8:41). Then she talks about the controversy over Tom Brady leaving the New England Patriots completely out of his retirement speech, and explains why Pats fans absolutely deserve a personal finale farewell from their QB of 20 years (25:37).