Overview of 3 & Out by iHeartPodcasts and The Volume
John Middlekauff spends this episode reacting to the Packers’ blowout loss on Thursday Night Football, arguing that Matt LaFleur’s seat is now legitimately hot. He then moves into his weekly “Fugazi Friday” segment, previews key NFL Week 3 matchups, shares a few college football thoughts, and closes with mailbag questions ranging from quarterback evaluations to the sustainability of smaller programs rebuilding through the transfer portal.
Packers-Falcons Reaction: LaFleur’s Seat Is Heating Up
Middlekauff opens with a strong reaction to Atlanta’s 35-14 win over Green Bay, saying the game felt even more lopsided than the score.
Main points
- Matt LaFleur is under real pressure now.
- The Packers’ collapse feels deeper than a bad night.
- Middlekauff says the “lukewarm” hot seat is now fully hot.
- Green Bay’s offense is broken without a run game.
- The drop-off from Josh Jacobs to the backups is massive.
- Without functional rushing, Jordan Love is forced into too much dropback passing, which exposes the offensive line.
- The defense and special teams are also concerns.
- Atlanta’s ability to run the ball and stay on schedule made Michael Penix look comfortable.
- The Packers’ secondary and special teams were criticized as well.
- Organizational instability could be coming.
- Middlekauff raises the possibility of internal tension between LaFleur and GM Brian Gutekunst.
- He suggests the Packers’ season could get ugly fast, especially with a brutal upcoming schedule.
Why the loss stood out
- Lambeau Field crowds are not used to this level of embarrassment.
- Middlekauff frames the Packers as one of the NFL’s “heavyweight brands,” where failures become much louder.
- He notes the team’s upcoming primetime games mean there will be no hiding from criticism.
Fugazi Friday
Middlekauff uses this segment to call out two NFL stories he thinks were overblown or handled poorly.
Mike Macdonald / Sean Payton practice-video controversy
- He argues Mike Macdonald had nothing to apologize for.
- His view: Seattle used publicly available preseason practice clips, and Sean Payton overreacted by accusing the Seahawks of something improper.
- Middlekauff sees this as a classic case of Payton being angry and wrong.
Kyle Juszczyk’s “juice” celebration fine
- He thinks the NFL’s fine for JuJu-style fake drinking is absurd.
- His larger point: football is tied to beer culture, and fining players for harmless gestures is over-the-top.
- He also jokes that the league is increasingly run by people who don’t understand real-world context.
NFL Week 3 Predictions and Game Previews
Middlekauff gives his picks and quick takes on the biggest games of the weekend.
His biggest leanings
- Seahawks over the Giants
- He likes Seattle to win comfortably.
- He doesn’t trust Jameis Winston if he starts for New York.
- Chiefs over the Dolphins
- He expects a blowout if Kansas City plays seriously.
- Chargers at Bills
- Major concern for Los Angeles: are they already a “white flag” team?
- He thinks Buffalo’s offense is rolling and the Chargers’ offensive line is a problem.
- Texans at Colts
- He sees this as a pivotal AFC South matchup.
- Indianapolis’ season could quickly unravel if the losses keep piling up.
- Bengals at Steelers
- He trusts Cincinnati more, especially against Pittsburgh’s struggling offense.
- He’s skeptical Aaron Rodgers can carry the Steelers with their current run-game issues.
- Patriots at Jaguars
- He likes Jacksonville’s defense and thinks the Jaguars may be better than people realize.
- He says Travis Hunter’s two-way usage is not working the way the team hoped.
Broader NFL themes
- The league has a few teams that look clearly ahead of the pack early.
- Middlekauff stresses that some games may be lopsided if the favorites play with intensity.
- He also notes that early-season blowout lines are harder to trust later in the year when top teams coast.
College Football Notes
Middlekauff briefly shifts to college football and says the SEC has controlled the early-season conversation.
His main observations
- The SEC has more meaningful early games because of its scheduling and conference play.
- He thinks the Big Ten needs to schedule more real non-conference games and stop padding the slate.
- He says the current college football landscape is still driven by the SEC and Big Ten, but the SEC is getting more early-season attention.
Quarterback watch
- Arch Manning
- Middlekauff says the “No. 1 pick” hype is premature.
- He wants to see more consistent production, especially in a hostile road environment at Tennessee.
- Trinidad Chambliss (Ole Miss)
- He’s very high on him and compares his watchability to elite college stars.
- He believes a strong performance at Florida could lock in Ole Miss as one of the best teams in the country and further boost Chambliss’ Heisman case.
Mailbag Takeaways
Middlekauff answers several listener questions and gives broader opinions on quarterbacks and team-building.
Broncos not getting enough attention?
- He says Denver deserves some respect, but the easiest way to get more discussion is simple: beat the Rams on Sunday night.
- He admits the Broncos still feel a little fragile, but they have big upside.
Justin Herbert discourse
- Middlekauff pushes back on the idea that Herbert is a scrub.
- He says Herbert is not Mahomes or Josh Allen, but he is still a very good quarterback.
- His view:
- The Chargers’ offensive line is bad.
- Herbert is being judged too harshly by people who don’t watch the games closely.
- He does acknowledge Herbert has to improve in the biggest moments, especially in the playoffs.
Drew Lock and Seattle
- He does not think Seattle should trade Drew Lock.
- His reasoning: Lock is too valuable as a backup on a good team.
- A midseason pick wouldn’t be enough to justify moving him.
Bengals defense and early results
- He says Cincinnati’s defense has looked better, especially against the run.
- He still wants more evidence before fully buying in, but he thinks the defense could make the Bengals very dangerous.
Smaller programs and coaching turnover
- He explains why rebuilding at places like JMU, Boise State, and Fresno State is hard to sustain.
- His point: once coaches succeed, Power Four schools inevitably poach their players and staff.
- The cycle makes long-term stability difficult for non-power programs.
What changes his mind on quarterbacks
- Middlekauff says he’s hard to fully “out” on a quarterback if the player has real talent.
- He uses Matt Stafford as the example of a quarterback whose talent always kept him in demand despite losses in Detroit.
- His threshold for giving up on a QB is very high; he’s more likely to doubt the situation than the talent.
Bottom Line
This episode is mostly about early-season NFL chaos, with the Packers’ collapse serving as the main headline. Middlekauff believes Green Bay’s problems are structural and potentially coaching-related, while also highlighting several Week 3 games that could clarify which teams are real contenders. He also uses the mailbag to reinforce one of his recurring themes: quarterback evaluation is as much about context, supporting cast, and organizational stability as it is about raw talent.