Best CONNOR BATES Podcasts (2025)

Why the Falcons' future just may keep Kirk Cousins in the mix for QB1. Falcons getting exactly what was expected from rookie defenders. Georgia looks to slow tricky Yellow Jacket offense.

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Hr2 - Raheem Morris says there's nothing that Penix can't do in the pocket and under center 48:46

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2h ago48:46

48:46

Why Texas Tech is a real contender for the national championship. Gainesville head coach Josh Niblett is right in fighting for his players. Raheem Morris: Michael Penix Jr. 'can do what's asked of him'.

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Hr3 - Key for Falcons defense this week?; getting off the field on 3rd downs 27:38

2h ago27:38

27:38

Jessie Bates III: Falcons leaning on vets to push through rough patch. Falcons need complimentary football from offense to help defense. Orin's catching Falcons fever.

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Hr4 - Yellow Jackets will not be overlooked by Dawgs 40:06

2h ago40:06

40:06

Connor Riley: Georgia respects what Yellow Jackets are capable of. Falcons confident Michael Penix Jr. operating offense regardless formation.

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Connor Riley: Georgia respects what Yellow Jackets are capable of 7:58

1h ago7:58

7:58

Carl and Mike are joined by Connor Riley to preview Georgia's rivalry week showdown with Georgia Tech

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Falcons need complimentary football from offense to help defense 13:49

5m ago13:49

13:49

Carl and Mike are joined by Wes Durham as they discuss the Falcons win over the Saints and how the offense should look moving forward with Kirk Cousins as the starting QB.

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Jessie Bates III: Falcons leaning on vets to push through rough patch 9:27

2d ago9:27

9:27

Carl and Mike continue with more Falcons talk and are joined by Jessie Bates III and discuss the Falcons ending their losing streak and the vibe among the vets to keep the team focused through rough patches.

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Raheem Morris: Michael Penix Jr. 'can do what's asked of him' regardless of formation 19:30

1h ago19:30

19:30

Carl and Mike are joined by Raheem Morris as they discuss the Falcons win on Sunday and getting ready for the Jets this weekend.

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Why Gainesville head coach Josh Niblett is right in fighting for his players to play 10:38

1h ago10:38

10:38

Carl and Mike share more thoughts on the Gainesville players being suspended following last week's fighting incident during their game against Brunswick.

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Why Texas Tech is a real contender for the national championship 12:36

2h ago12:36

12:36

Carl and Mike share a few more thoughts on college football and some of the matchups for the weekend and which teams they believe are going to be legitimate contenders for the national championship. They then get into some of the NFL headlines and some of the matchups taking place on Thanksgiving including the Bengals and Ravens which will see the …

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Georgia looks to slow tricky Yellow Jacket offense 14:22

2h ago14:22

14:22

Carl and Mike get into some college football talk as they share thoughts on some of the matchups this weekend and the impact some of the rivalry week matchups may have on the CFP.

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Falcons getting exactly what was expected from rookie defenders 12:37

18m ago12:37

12:37

Carl and Mike continue with more Falcons talk as they dispel speculations about Michael Penix Jr. potentially being out all of next season. They then share thoughts on Raheem Morris discussing how well Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr. have been playing and how important of an impact they have had.

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Why the Falcons' future just may keep Kirk Cousins in the mix for QB1 12:05

9m ago12:05

12:05

Carl and Mike open up the show with Falcons talk as they discuss responses from Zac Robinson in regards to running the offense with Kirk Cousins under center and what the future between the Falcons and Cousins may be especially if Cousins plays well the rest of the season.

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11-25-25 Full Show 3:35:36

1h ago3:35:36

3:35:36

The full 11-25-25 show from Dukes and Bell.

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Hr1 - Raheem says Falcons "do what the QB can do"? 39:38

2h ago39:38

39:38

Falcons must fault themselves for offensive woes and quarterback issues. Why Georgia is better off playing in SEC Championship? Why Gainesville players should be reinstated for GHSA quarterfinals?

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Hr2 - QB might be an issue, but the Falcons 1st round defender are not 40:15

2h ago40:15

40:15

Officials need to be held more accountable when incidents get out of hand. Falcons getting their money's worth in 'fire breathing' defensive rookies. Expanded CFP gives more juice to rivalry week.

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Hr3 - Old Fashioned Hate lost some luster with the Pitt loss by Georgia Tech 39:52

2h ago39:52

39:52

Georgia Tech has more juice now for Georgia despite loss to Pitt. Falcons offense feels like it's moving in right direction with QB change. Stopping leaving shopping carts out in the open in parking lots.

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Falcons still mathematically in NFC South race 38:14

2h ago38:14

38:14

Why Falcons didn't get it right first time around with Kirk Cousins. Georgia ready for Georgia Tech to bring their best to 'ole fashion hate'. 'Technically it's not over' for Falcons but they dug too deep of a hole.

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'Technically it's not over' for Falcons but they dug too deep of a hole 9:40

26m ago9:40

9:40

Carl and Mike get right back to Falcons talk and continue to share their thoughts on the Falcons offense and what to expect should they continue to function well with Kirk Cousins as the starting quarterback and should they continue to dial up schemes which best serve Cousins' skillset.

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Georgia ready for Georgia Tech to bring their best to 'ole fashion hate' showdown 8:13

3d ago8:13

8:13

Carl and Mike get into some college football talk as they discuss Oklahoma State hiring North Texas coach Eric Morris and Georgia expecting to get Georgia Tech's best punch in Friday's rivalry matchup.

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Why Falcons didn't get it right first time around with Kirk Cousins 12:16

38m ago12:16

12:16

Carl and Mike get back to Falcons talk as they continue to react to Raheem Morris' comments in regards to having Kirk Cousins under center because it is what the veteran quarterback is comfortable with.

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Falcons offense feels like it's moving in right direction with another QB change 9:54

2h ago9:54

9:54

Carl and Mike get back to Falcons talk as they share more thoughts on Raheem Morris' comments in regards to Kirk Cousins being more comfortable unders center and discuss who should be blamed had the Falcons made the necessary adjustments sooner than they did, which likely only is the case due to Michael Penix Jr.'s injury.…

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Barbara Dooley: Georgia Tech has more juice now for Georgia despite loss to Pitt 12:18

1h ago12:18

12:18

Carl and Mike are joined by Barbara Dooley as they discuss good ole fashioned hate week and Friday's matchup with Georgia Tech and why playing in the SEC Championship still should matter for Georgia.

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Falcons getting their money's worth in 'fire breathing' defensive rookies 14:20

3h ago14:20

14:20

Carl and Mike are joined by Dave Archer to discuss the latest on the Falcons

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Why Gainesville players should be reinstated for GHSA quarterfinals 11:35

34m ago11:35

11:35

Carl and Mike get into some brief thoughts the fighting incident which took place between the Gainesville football team and Brunswick football team which has resulted in 35 Gainesville players being suspended for the quarterfinals of the Georgia High School Association state championship tournament.

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Why Georgia is better off playing in SEC Championship 12:10

17m ago12:10

12:10

Carl and Mike are joined by Seth Emerson to discuss the latest college football headlines and what Georgia's future may look like in regards to why playing in the SEC Championship is a better scenario for them

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Falcons must fault themselves for offensive woes and quarterback issues 12:14

14m ago12:14

12:14

Carl and Mike open up the show with Falcons talk and discuss where blame should fall in regards to how the Falcons handled their quarterback situation and how the offense looked better with Kirk Cousins back under center while it seemed to have some struggles with Michale Penix Jr. As they discuss, they react to comments from Raheem Morris in which…

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11-24-25 Full Show 2:31:08

4d ago2:31:08

2:31:08

The full 11-24-25 show from Dukes and Bell.

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Hr1 - How does the Saints win bring more questions than answers for the Falcons? 38:43

4d ago38:43

38:43

Falcons offense may have revealed dysfunction was Michael Penix Jr. related. Falcons 'best' defensive play overshadowed by too many loses. Georgia Tech doesn't need to break the bank until Brent Key wins big games.

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Hr2 - Sunday showed why this was a two year plan for Penix to be the starter 37:04

2d ago37:04

37:04

Zac Robinson proves he can make necessary adjustments for Falcons offense. Why Falcons offense was able to play to strengths of Kirk Cousins. Why Michael Penix Jr. may not have been ready to helm Falcons offense.

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Hr3 - Kirk gives the Falcons the play-action passer they need at the moment 38:10

3d ago38:10

38:10

'Under the circumstances' Kirk Cousins Falcons' best option moving forward. Georgia Tech 'has to learn how to win' big games. From Atlanta to Netflix, Elle Duncan making moves.

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Hr4 - A season of promise for Tech is ending in disappointment 37:10

3h ago37:10

37:10

Was Michael Penix Jr. 'hampering' Falcons offense not being under center. Falcons offense must keep proving 'complementary football' to defense. Georgia Tech misses opportunity to prove their ready for to make the jump.

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Georgia Tech misses opportunity to prove their ready for to make 'the big jump' 13:33

6d ago13:33

13:33

Carl and Mike close out the show with final thoughts on Georgia Tech's loss to Pitt which Carl believes was the worst sports related thing to happen in Atlanta this weekend.

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Falcons offense must keep proving 'complementary football' to defense 11:56

6d ago11:56

11:56

Carl and Mike get back to Falcons talk and discuss why the offense was "not the same" when Michael Penix Jr. was under center and was able to function more effectively with Kirk Cousins back as QB1. As their conversation continued, they agreed the Falcons offense must continue to provide complementary football to the defense which has been playing …

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Was Michael Penix Jr. 'hampering' Falcons offense not being under center 11:40

6d ago11:40

11:40

Carl and Mike get back to Falcons talk as they continue to react to their win over the Saints and why they believe it was obvious things were different in comparison to when Michael Penix Jr. led the offense. As they discuss, they share thoughts on why the Falcons did not implement the offense they used in Sunday's win with Kirk Cousins while Micha…

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Georgia Tech 'has to learn how to win' big games 11:37

3d ago11:37

11:37

Carl and Mike get into some college football talk as they continue to share thoughts on Georgia Tech's loss to Pitt and why they believe the loss was "devastating" and may have taken some of the hype away from this Friday's game against Georgia and further proves that Georgia Tech has to learn how to "win these games" in regards to the Pitt loss wh…

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'Under the circumstances' Kirk Cousins Falcons' best option moving forward 12:55

6d ago12:55

12:55

Carl and Mike continue with some brief Falcons talk as they continue to share thoughts on the offense looking better with Kirk Cousins back as QB1 on Sunday. They then take calls from listeners to allow them to share thoughts on the Falcons win and Kirk Cousins taking over as the starting quarterback.…

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Why Michael Penix Jr. may not have been ready to helm Falcons offense 14:19

1h ago14:19

14:19

Carl and Mike get back to some more Falcons talk and share more thoughts on why the offense was able to function better with Kirk Cousins, especially with 60 percent of his snaps taking place with him under center. As their conversation continues, they discuss whether or not Michael Penix Jr. simply was not comfortable with what Zac Robinson wanted…

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Why Falcons offense was bale to play to strengths of Kirk Cousins 10:21

3d ago10:21

10:21

Carl and Mike get back to Falcons talk as they discuss how well the defense played in Sunday's win over the Saints and how the offense was able to play to the strengths of Kirk Cousins.

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Zac Robinson proves he can make necessary adjustments for Falcons offense 12:27

1d ago12:27

12:27

Carl and Mike get back to Falcons talk as they share their thoughts on why it appeared the offense functioned better with Kirk Cousins being under center for majority of the snaps. As they discuss they discuss if the Falcons will be able to gain momentum from Sunday's win and roll into New York and pick up a win over the Jets.…

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Georgia Tech doesn't need to 'break the bank' until Brent Key wins games that matter 14:36

2h ago14:36

14:36

Carl and Mike back with more football talk and discuss Brent Key and why Carl believes Georgia Tech does not need to "break the bank" in regards to paying their head coach until he proves he can win the games that matter, especially following Saturday's loss to Pitt.

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Falcons 'best' defensive play overshadowed by too many loses 11:41

2h ago11:41

11:41

Carl and Mike get back to Falcons talk as they continue with their thoughts on the win over the Saints. As they discuss, they agree the defense may have played their best game of the season to this point however the Falcons losing record is overshadowing how well the defense has been playing.

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Falcons offense may have revealed dysfunction was Michael Penix Jr. related 11:43

3h ago11:43

11:43

Carl and Mike open up the show with Falcons talk as they react to Sunday's win over the Saints and share thoughts on the offense functioning better than it has been in comparison to when Michael Penix Jr. was starting.

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Hr1 - Is Cousins playing for a future in Atlanta? 39:05

37m ago39:05

39:05

Kirk Cousins can rejuvenate trust from Falcons' fans with win vs Saints. Georgia Tech positioned to prove they're ready to 'take the next step'. Jalon Walker: Falcons 'must focus on the week' not the past.

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Hr4 - Its been 14 games with Penix; it's still about patience, even with the injury 36:57

42m ago36:57

36:57

Falcons look for Kirk Cousins to revive their offense. Why Falcons will exercise patience with Michael Penix Jr. Lane Kiffin 'playing with a lot of peoples' emotions

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Hr2 - With a Saints loss, this season can get lower 36:39

43m ago36:39

36:39

Why Falcons have yet to hit 'their lowest point' of the season. Georgia Tech in full control of their CFP fate with win on Saturday. Falcons still talented enough to regain preseason national hype.

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Hr3 - To say this Falcons season is a disappointment is an understatement 40:16

9d ago40:16

40:16

Jeremy Fowler: Falcons were expected to show 'progress' this season. Why Mike prefers turkey over ham for Thanksgiving. Steve Koonin: 'The vibe is outstanding' for Hawks despite not Trae Young.

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Lane Kiffin 'playing with a lot of peoples' emotions 12:02

22m ago12:02

12:02

Carl and Mike close out the show with final thoughts on LAne Kiffin and a statement from the Ole Miss brass in regards to him making a decision to remain in Oxford. They then get into more Falcons talk and share final thoughts on what a win against the Saints could do for the team moving forward.

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Why Falcons will exercise patience with Michael Penix Jr. 10:11

1h ago10:11

10:11

Carl and Mike are joined by Bryant McFadden as they discuss the latest NFL headlines and whether or not the Falcons must make a coaching and GM change why he believes the Falcons will exercise patience with Michael Penix Jr.