The “Necessary Roughness Podcast” airs weekly on lastwordradio.podbean.com, and other LastWordRadio outlets.
|| Current Season (2025-26)|| 2024-25|| 2023-24|| 2022-23 ||
|| 2021-22 || 2020-21 || 2019-2020 || 2018-19 || 2017-18 ||
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Necessary Roughness Podcast (EP 77): Super Bowl 54 Recap! Plus a Closer Look at the Possibility of an NFL Team in London and the XFL
In this episode of the Necessary Roughness Podcast, host Nikolas Donadic breaks down Super Bowl LIV. He also gives his take on if Kyle Shanahan is a bad “big game” coach, provides an in-depth look at the logistical nightmare that moving the Jaguars to London could cause, and gives his thoughts on if the XFL can or will catch on. Enjoy the show and join us March 15th for the following episode!
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Necessary Roughness Podcast (EP 76): Super Bowl 54 Preview! Plus Nik’s Thoughts on the Possibility of Tom Brady Leaving New England
In this episode of the Necessary Roughness Podcast, host Nikolas Donadic dives into the Super Bowl 54 matchup. He also gives out his end-of-year awards, ponders how the Patriots would try to replace Tom Brady, and talks about why he hopes that the Super Bowl will be a better game than the AFC and NFC Championship games. Enjoy the show and join us next Saturday afternoon for the following episode!
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Necessary Roughness Podcast (EP 75): NFL Championship Weekend Preview! Plus How the Ravens Loss was More on Coach Harbaugh than Lamar Jackson
In this episode of the Necessary Roughness Podcast, host Nikolas Donadic dives into the NFL Championship weekend matchups. He also explains why everything went right for the Titans in their upset of the Baltimore Ravens, touches on how unlucky it was for the Seahawks to lose the two biggest games of their season by a yard, and wonders if Luke Kuechly’s early retirement is another blip or indicative of a larger trend which should frighten the NFL owners. Enjoy the show and join us next Saturday afternoon for the following episode!
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Necessary Roughness Podcast (EP 74): NFL Divisional Weekend Preview! Plus Nik Has an Inexplicable Feeling About the Seahawks
In this episode of the Necessary Roughness Podcast, host Nikolas Donadic dives into the NFL Divisional weekend matchups. He also provides an in-depth break down of the what might’ve been the best NFL Wild Card weekend of all-time, gives his take on the debate surrounding Tom Brady, and talks about why Texans-Chiefs might be the closest game of the weekend (on paper at least). Enjoy the show and join us next Saturday afternoon for the following episode!
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Necessary Roughness Podcast (EP 73): NFL Wildcard Weekend Preview! Plus a Special Shoutout to Jameis Winston for Making NFL History
In this episode of the Necessary Roughness Podcast, host Nikolas Donadic dives into the NFL Wild Card weekend matchups. He also breaks down the weak link in each conference, discusses the Black Monday firings, and stands by his preseason Super Bowl pick. Enjoy the show and join us next Saturday afternoon for the following episode!
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Necessary Roughness Podcast (EP 72): NFL Week 17 Preview! Plus, Why Michael Thomas Might be Having the Best Single Season for a WR Ever
In this episode of the Necessary Roughness Podcast, host Nikolas Donadic dives into the NFL regular season’s Week 17 matchups. He also breaks down how this week’s games can shift the NFC and AFC playoff seedings, discusses the chances of the Raiders hitting a magical playoff parlay, and wonders if the “Marshawn Magic” will be enough to will the Seahawks to a division title. Enjoy the show and join us next Saturday afternoon for the following episode!
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Necessary Roughness Podcast (EP 71): NFL Week 16 Preview! Plus, Why Another Late Loss for the 49ers Might Be Cause for Concern
In this episode of the Necessary Roughness Podcast, host Nikolas Donadic dives into the NFL regular season’s Week 16 matchups. He also breaks down this week’s big NFC Least Showdown between the Cowboys and Eagles, dives into how the refs cost the Raiders a win (in what might be their last ever game in Oakland), and explores the conundrum the Bucs are facing in Jameis Winston’s expiring contract. Enjoy the show and join us next Saturday afternoon for the following episode!
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Necessary Roughness Podcast (EP 70): NFL Week 15 Preview! Plus, A Closer Look at the AFC Wildcard Logjam
In this episode of the Necessary Roughness Podcast, host Nikolas Donadic dives into the NFL regular season’s Week 15 matchups. He also weighs in on why last week’s close loss to the Ravens showed the Bills are contenders, feels obligated to mention the OBJ circus in Cleveland, and wonders how the Giants keep finding new ways to lose (and refuse to give Saquon Barkley the ball more). Enjoy the show and join us next Saturday afternoon for the following episode!
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Necessary Roughness Podcast (EP 69): NFL Week 14 Preview! Plus, Why the Ravens-49ers Game was Great…But Changed Nothing
In this episode of the Necessary Roughness Podcast, host Nikolas Donadic dives into the NFL regular season’s Week 14 matchups. He also digs into the floundering Chargers, Panthers, and Cowboys; continues wondering if this Patriots team will ever look like a normal Patriots team; gives his take on how “vulnerable” the Seahawks truly are; and can’t help but discuss the return of Eli Manning. Enjoy the show and join us next Saturday afternoon for the following episode!
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Necessary Roughness Podcast (EP 68): NFL Week 12 Preview! Plus, How the 2019 Vikings are Different…But Still the Same
In this episode of the Necessary Roughness Podcast, host Nikolas Donadic dives into the NFL regular season’s Week 12 matchups. He also touches (again) on the underwhelming Patriots offense, wonders if Todd Gurley might finally be back, and discusses big potential future changes to the NFL and its schedule. Enjoy the show and join us next Saturday afternoon for the following episode!
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Necessary Roughness Podcast (EP 67): NFL Week 11 Preview! Plus, How the Media is Overhyping Lamar Jackson
In this episode of the Necessary Roughness Podcast, host Nikolas Donadic dives into the NFL regular season’s Week 11 matchups. He also weighs in on if the Tennessee Titans are legitimate playoff contenders, touches on what we learned from the fantastic Seahawks-49ers game, and gives his take on the peculiar Colin Kaepernick workout. Enjoy the show and join us next Saturday afternoon for the following episode!
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Necessary Roughness Podcast (EP 66): NFL Week 10 Preview! Plus, Nik Rips into the Bears Trying to “Avoid the Negativity”
In this episode of the Necessary Roughness Podcast, host Nikolas Donadic dives into the NFL regular season’s Week 10 matchups. He also tears into how Freddie Kitchens “doesn’t look at stats,” wonders when the Colts will come to their senses on Adam Vinatieri, and does his obligatory bashing of Pat Shurmur. Enjoy the show and join us next Saturday afternoon for the following episode!
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Necessary Roughness Podcast (EP 65): NFL Week 9 Preview and Midseason Recap! Plus, How the Increase in Trade Deadline Action Benefits the NFL
In this episode of the Necessary Roughness Podcast, host Nikolas Donadic dives into the NFL regular season’s Week 9 matchups. He also gives out his midseason awards, gives his take on Marvin Lewis potentially returning to an NFL sideline, and bashes Bruce Irvin for his comments after the Panthers blowout loss to the 49ers. Enjoy the show and join us next Saturday afternoon for the following episode!
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Necessary Roughness Podcast (EP 64): NFL Week 8 Preview! Plus, Why it’s Put Up or Shut Up Time for the LA Chargers
In this episode of the Necessary Roughness Podcast, host Nikolas Donadic dives into the NFL regular season’s Week 8 matchups. He also gives his midseason AFC and NFC power rankings, weighs in on if the Emmanuel Sanders trade will help fix the 49ers lackluster passing game, and rants about Michael Bennett talking his way off the Patriots. Enjoy the show and join us next Saturday afternoon for the following episode!
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Necessary Roughness Podcast (EP 63): NFL Week 7 Preview! Plus, How the Miami Dolphins Have Utterly Mishandled their QB Conundrum
In this episode of the Necessary Roughness Podcast, host Nikolas Donadic dives into the NFL regular season’s Week 7 matchups. He also wonders if we’ve seen the end of the underwhelming Mariota/Winston era, weighs in on the impact of the Patrick Mahomes injury, and reacts to the Rams dealing Marcus Peters for a questionable upgrade in Jalen Ramsey. Enjoy the show and join us next Saturday afternoon for the following episode!
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Necessary Roughness Podcast (EP 62): NFL Week 6 Preview! Plus, Why Sam Darnold’s Return Could Launch a Jets Playoff Push
In this episode of the Necessary Roughness Podcast, host Nikolas Donadic dives into the NFL regular season’s Week 6 matchups. He also takes a closer look at the Redskins questionable decision to fire Jay Gruden, weighs in on the struggling Browns and Baker Mayfield, and weighs in on why the Chargers have been so underwhelming. Enjoy the show and join us next Saturday afternoon for the following episode!
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Necessary Roughness Podcast (EP 61): NFL Week 5 Preview! Plus, Why the Rams Identity Crisis Threatens to Derail Their Season
In this episode of the Necessary Roughness Podcast, host Nikolas Donadic dives into the NFL regular season’s Week 5 matchups. He also touches on why Kirk Cousins is at the core of the Vikings issues, breaks down why Joe Flacco’s time as Denver’s starting QB is approaching its end, and defends the NFL’s suspension of Vontaze Burfict. Enjoy the show and join us next Saturday afternoon for the following episode!
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Necessary Roughness Podcast (EP 60): NFL Week 4 Preview! Plus, a Closer Look at the Browns Slow Start
In this episode of the Necessary Roughness Podcast, host Nikolas Donadic dives into the NFL regular season’s Week 4 matchups. He also breaks down why the Chiefs-Ravens game was not nearly as close as the scoreboard indicates, weighs in on when (or if) the Patriots will lose a game this season, and rants about this season’s Monday Night Football matchups. Enjoy the show and join us next Saturday afternoon for the following episode!
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Necessary Roughness Podcast (EP 59): NFL Week 3 Preview! Plus, How the Giants Continued to Mishandle the Closing Stages of Eli Manning’s Career
In this episode of the Necessary Roughness Podcast, host Nikolas Donadic dives into the NFL regular season’s Week 3 matchups. He also breaks down why he feels the Giants benching of Eli Manning was an odd move, touches on Miami’s plan moving forward (or lack thereof), and weighs in on which 0-2 team has the best chance of making a postseason push. Enjoy the show and join us next Saturday afternoon for the following episode!
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Necessary Roughness Podcast (EP 58): NFL Week 2 Preview! Plus, How Gardner Minshew Could Steal Nick Foles’ Starting Job
In this episode of the Necessary Roughness Podcast, host Nikolas Donadic dives into the NFL regular season’s Week 2 matchups. He also breaks down the awful week that was for the New York Jets, rants about John Harbaugh’s lack of sportsmanship against the Dolphins, and wonders if the Steelers-Pats “rivalry” is even worth talking about anymore. Enjoy the show and join us next Saturday afternoon for the following episode!
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Necessary Roughness Podcast (EP 57): NFL Week 1 Preview! Plus, How the NFL Botched the Opening Week’s Schedule
In this episode of the Necessary Roughness Podcast, host Nikolas Donadic dives into the NFL regular season’s Week 1 matchups. He also gives his Super Bowl and yearly award predictions, touches on the potential of the NFL expanding its playoffs, and rants about being tired of having to watch Cowboys-Giants in Week 1. Enjoy the show and join us next Saturday afternoon for the following episode!
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Necessary Roughness Podcast (EP 56): 2019-20 AFC Preview! Plus, Why the AFC North is a Three-Horse-Race
In this episode of the Necessary Roughness Podcast, host Nikolas Donadic breaks down each division in the AFC. He also dives into how all the pressure in Cleveland is on Head Coach Freddie Kitchens, wonders why the Titans never put together a talented receiving corps for Marcus Mariota, and weighs in on if Josh Rosen will be on a third team, this time next year. Enjoy the show and join us next Saturday afternoon for the following episode!
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Necessary Roughness Podcast (EP 55): 2019-20 NFC Preview! Plus, How the 49ers Could Ride Their Running Game into the Playoffs
In this episode of the Necessary Roughness Podcast, host Nikolas Donadic breaks down each division in the NFC. He also dives into why picking the NFC East is tricky, gives his take on why the Green Bay Packers could end the season in last place, and praises the Bears “budget baller” offense. Enjoy the show and join us next Saturday afternoon for the following episode!
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Necessary Roughness Podcast (EP 54): How the Dolphins Backed Their Way into a Quarterback Catastrophe. Plus, Andy Reid is Right, the NFL’s Current Overtime Format is Inherently Unfair
In this episode of the Necessary Roughness Podcast, host Nikolas Donadic breaks down the signings from the early period of NFL Free Agency. He also weighs in on the dumpster fire that is the New York Giants organization, gives his take on why the Browns are currently the best team in the AFC North (on paper), and rants about the unfairness of the NFL’s “coin toss.” Enjoy the show and join us on April 20th for the following episode!
Nik Donadic 