Heed the Call NFL Podcast with Dan Hanzus & Marc Sessler The Weird & Wonderful NFC Playoff Race (with Michael-Shawn Dugar)
Dec 4, 2025
Michael-Shawn Dugar, a sports journalist for The Athletic covering the Seahawks and author, joins to explore the NFC playoff race. He shares insights on Sam Darnold's enigmatic performances and how the Seahawks' defense makes them contenders. Dugar discusses the NFC landscape, revealing his skepticism about teams like the Eagles and the Bears while hyping the Rams and 49ers. He also offers a betting parlay for Week 14 and analyzes the pivotal Cowboys vs. Lions matchup with key playoff implications.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
NFC QB Confidence Pyramid
- Dan Hanzus created an NFC QB Confidence Pyramid to rank 10 contenders across tiers of trust for playoff performance.
- He places Stafford and Dak at the top, Purdy and Darnold mid, and Caleb Williams and Bryce Young at the bottom based on current form.
Writing The Legion Of Boom Book
- Michael-Shawn Dugar published The Franchise, a curated history of the Legion of Boom era, using a Last Dance-inspired structure.
- He ships signed copies internationally and describes fans from Scotland and Europe connecting over the show.
Darnold: Brilliant But Volatile
- Michael-Shawn Dugar calls Sam Darnold a high-ceiling, high-variance quarterback whose best throws rival top stars.
- Dugar warns Darnold also retains the capacity for notorious multi-interception collapses seen earlier in his career.
