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 220): Super Bowl 59 Recap! Plus, Nik is Somehow Forced to Defend Both Patrick Mahomes and Tom Brady
In this episode of the Necessary Roughness Podcast, host Nikolas Donadic dives into Super Bowl LIX. He also touches on some Super Bowl LIX conspiracy theories, weighs in on the Saints hiring of Kellen Moore, and dives into some drama between Cam Newton and his former teammates. Enjoy the show and join us the weekend of March 7th for the following episode!
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Necessary Roughness Podcast (EP 219): Super Bowl 59 Preview! Plus, Nik’s Reaction to Eli Manning Not Making the NFL Hall of Fame (Yet)
In this episode of the Necessary Roughness Podcast, host Nikolas Donadic dives into Super Bowl LIX. He also touches on Josh Allen actually winning the MVP, discusses how the NFL weighing in on the “referee controversy” has only muddied the waters more, and fights against himself to justify his Super Bowl pick. Enjoy the show and join us next weekend for the following episode!
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Necessary Roughness Podcast (EP 218): Nik’s Picks for the NFL’s Seasonal Awards! Plus, Nik Names the 2nd Annual NFL All-Name Team
In this episode of the Necessary Roughness Podcast, host Nikolas Donadic recaps last week’s NFL Championship weekend and gives his picks for the NFL’s end-of-year awards. He also re-proposes his rule change to ban the tush push, gives his take on the widespread complaints about the refs following the Bills loss in KC, and debates if Josh Allen truly did enough this year to unseat reigning MVP Lamar Jackson. Enjoy the show and join us next weekend for the following episode!
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Necessary Roughness Podcast (EP 217): NFL Conference Championship Weekend Preview! Plus, Nik’s Take on Yet Another Premature Ravens Playoff Exit
In this episode of the Necessary Roughness Podcast, host Nikolas Donadic dives into the NFL Conference Championship matchups. He also dishes out credit/blame for the Commanders upset win over the Lions, breaks down this week’s new head coach hires, and discusses if this is finally the year that the Bills get one over on Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs. Enjoy the show and join us next weekend for the following episode!
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Necessary Roughness Podcast (EP 216): NFL Divisional Weekend Preview! Plus, Nik Rants About the Steelers “Chess Master” HC Mike Tomlin
In this episode of the Necessary Roughness Podcast, host Nikolas Donadic dives into the NFL Divisional Weekend matchups. He also dives into an odd remark about Justin Herbert made by Robert Griffin III, complains about the new onside kick rule (again), and finds himself agreeing with Troy Aikman about how unappealing the Dallas Cowboys vacant head coach position may truly be. Enjoy the show and join us next weekend for the following episode!
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Necessary Roughness Podcast (EP 215): NFL “Super” Wild Card Weekend Preview! Plus, Nik’s Take on Sam Darnold’s Sloppy Outing Against the Lions
In this episode of the Necessary Roughness Podcast, host Nikolas Donadic dives into the NFL “Super” Wild Card weekend matchups. He also weighs in on the narrative that the “Chiefs were afraid to face the Bengals,” discusses this year’s edition of Black Monday, and debates if he should stand by his preseason prediction of a Lions-Chiefs Super Bowl. Enjoy the show and join us next weekend for the following episode!
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Necessary Roughness Podcast (EP 214): NFL Week 18 Preview! Plus, Nik’s Take on the Oddly Public Drama in Indianapolis
In this episode of the Necessary Roughness Podcast, host Nikolas Donadic dives into the NFL regular season’s Week 18 matchups. He also touches on the New York Giants fumbling the #1 pick in the 2025 Draft, makes his predictions for Black Monday, and gives his pick for the biggest regular season game of the season: Vikings vs. Lions. Enjoy the show and join us next weekend for the following episode!
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Necessary Roughness Podcast (EP 213): NFL Week 17 Preview! Plus, Nik’s Take on the 2024 NFL MVP Race
In this episode of the Necessary Roughness Podcast, host Nikolas Donadic dives into the NFL regular season’s Week 17 matchups. He also checks in on the NFL playoff picture, touches on the Bills comeback win over the lowly Patriots, and gives his take on the NFL v. NBA Christmas Day ratings battle. Enjoy the show and join us next weekend for the following episode!
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Necessary Roughness Podcast (EP 212): NFL Week 16 Preview! Plus, Nik’s Hot Take on the Report About Jets Owner Woody Johnson
In this episode of the Necessary Roughness Podcast, host Nikolas Donadic dives into the NFL regular season’s Week 16 matchups. He also defends Dan Campbell’s 4th Quarter onside kick attempt, wonders why no one is comparing Anthony Richardson to another notable former NFL mobile QB, and discusses the Falcons benching of Kirk Cousins. Enjoy the show and join us next weekend for the following episode!
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Necessary Roughness Podcast (EP 211): NFL Week 15 Preview! Plus, Nik’s Take on a Potential Change to the Defensive PI Rule
In this episode of the Necessary Roughness Podcast, host Nikolas Donadic dives into the NFL regular season’s Week 15 matchups. He also touches on the Rams recent resurgence, wonders what’s gone wrong for the Atlanta Falcons, and discusses Bill Belichick’s decision to go coach college football at UNC. Enjoy the show and join us next weekend for the following episode!
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Necessary Roughness Podcast (EP 210): NFL Week 14 Preview! Plus, Why Justin Tucker’s Slump Makes the Ravens Much More Vulnerable
In this episode of the Necessary Roughness Podcast, host Nikolas Donadic dives into the NFL regular season’s Week 14 matchups. He also wonders if the Lions aggressive playstyle will end up costing them in the playoffs, touches on the weird Diontae Johnson situation in Baltimore, and discusses Kayvon Thibodeaux’s interesting take on a locker room “meritocracy.” Enjoy the show and join us next weekend for the following episode!
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Necessary Roughness Podcast (EP 209): NFL Week 13 Preview! Plus, Nik’s Unpopular Opinion on the Bears Firing of HC Matt Eberflus
In this episode of the Necessary Roughness Podcast, host Nikolas Donadic dives into the NFL regular season’s Week 13 matchups. He also gives his up-to-date conference AFC and NFC power rankings, wonders why the Texans somehow took a step backwards this season, and swears off picking the Dolphins for the rest of 2024. Enjoy the show and join us next weekend for the following episode!
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Necessary Roughness Podcast (EP 208): NFL Week 12 Preview! Plus, Nik’s Take on the End of the Daniel Jones Era in NY
In this episode of the Necessary Roughness Podcast, host Nikolas Donadic dives into the NFL regular season’s Week 12 matchups. He also wonders if Bengals HC Zac Taylor’s seat is getting warmer, touches on the Ravens loss to the Steelers, and makes his picks for the NFL’s Thanksgiving Day tripleheader. Enjoy the show and join us next weekend for the following episode!
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Necessary Roughness Podcast (EP 207): NFL Week 11 Preview! Plus, Nik’s Take on 2024’s Surprise Playoff Contenders
In this episode of the Necessary Roughness Podcast, host Nikolas Donadic dives into the NFL regular season’s Week 11 matchups. He also touches on the Lions against-all-odds SNF win, debates if the Giants or Jets have had the worse season so far, and weighs in on the Colts un-benching Anthony Richardson. Enjoy the show and join us next weekend for the following episode!
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Necessary Roughness Podcast (EP 206): NFL Week 10 Preview and Midseason Awards Special! Plus, Nik’s Take on this Year’s Active NFL Trade Deadline
In this episode of the Necessary Roughness Podcast, host Nikolas Donadic dives into the NFL regular season’s Week 10 matchups and gives out his midseason awards. He also wonders if the Dak Prescott injury has bought Mike McCarthy leeway or doomed him, touches on the 49ers chances to win the NFC West with a returning CMC, and debates if Andy Reid should somehow be a Coach of the Year candidate. Enjoy the show and join us next weekend for the following episode!
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Necessary Roughness Podcast (EP 205): NFL Week 9 Preview! Plus, Nik’s Take on the NFL’s Supposed “QB Development” Issue
In this episode of the Necessary Roughness Podcast, host Nikolas Donadic dives into the NFL regular season’s Week 9 matchups. He also discusses why the Steelers may actually be contenders in this year’s AFC, wonders if he was too quick to raise the expectations on CJ Stroud and the Texans, and tries his hardest to avoid derailing the show by ranting about the Yankees World Series performance. Enjoy the show and join us next weekend for the following episode!
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Necessary Roughness Podcast (EP 204): NFL Week 8 Preview! Plus, Nik’s Take on the “Cowboys Tours” Non-troversy
In this episode of the Necessary Roughness Podcast, host Nikolas Donadic dives into the NFL regular season’s Week 8 matchups. He also discusses the Texans apparent issues with clock management, wonders if the 49ers injuries have finally caught up to them, and touches on Daniel Jones’ “disappointment” in being benched. Enjoy the show and join us next weekend for the following episode!
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Necessary Roughness Podcast (EP 203): NFL Week 7 Preview! Plus, Why Amari Cooper Could be a More Impactful Addition than Davante Adams
In this episode of the Necessary Roughness Podcast, host Nikolas Donadic dives into the NFL regular season’s Week 7 matchups. He also touches on Eagles HC Nick Sirianni’s back-and-forth with his own fans, weighs in on the Bengals underwhelming win over the Giants, and briefly previews the upcoming NFL Trade Deadline. Enjoy the show and join us next weekend for the following episode!
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Necessary Roughness Podcast (EP 202): NFL Week 6 Preview! Plus, a Closer Look at the Jets Firing of Robert Saleh
In this episode of the Necessary Roughness Podcast, host Nikolas Donadic dives into the NFL regular season’s Week 6 matchups. He also dives into the Bengals and Bills late collapses, touches on the Cowboys primetime win in Pittsburgh, and wonders why Browns HC Kevin Stefanski publicly anchored himself to Deshaun Watson. Enjoy the show and join us next weekend for the following episode!
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Necessary Roughness Podcast (EP 201): NFL Week 5 Preview! Plus, Which Team is the Best Fit for a Davante Adams Trade
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 the Ravens blowout win over the Bills, heaps some praise on Big Kirko and the Falcons, and rants about the weird free kick from Monday Night Football. Enjoy the show and join us next weekend for the following episode!
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Necessary Roughness Podcast (EP 200): NFL Week 4 Preview! Plus, Nik Goes Off-Topic and Rants About the Oakland Athletics
In this episode of the Necessary Roughness Podcast, host Nikolas Donadic dives into the NFL regular season’s Week 4 matchups. He also starts to wonder if the offseason reports of the Buffalo Bills demise were too premature, discusses how the Ravens win over the Cowboys should be their blueprint for the rest of the season, and runs through a few hypothetical trades for Dolphins QB relief. Enjoy the show and join us next weekend for the following episode!
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Necessary Roughness Podcast (EP 199): NFL Week 3 Preview! Plus, Nik is Befuddled by Mel Kiper Jr.’s Bizarre New Rule Proposal
In this episode of the Necessary Roughness Podcast, host Nikolas Donadic dives into the NFL regular season’s Week 3 matchups. He also discusses his concern level for the injury-riddled 49ers, gives props to the underdogs that dominated Week 2, and can’t figure out the upside in the Panthers benching of Bryce Young. Enjoy the show and join us next weekend for the following episode!
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Necessary Roughness Podcast (EP 198): NFL Week 2 Preview! Plus, Nik’s Take on the Tua Tagovailoa Retirement Talk
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 New York Giants abysmal debut to their 100th season, wonders if the luster is already off the 2024 Atlanta Falcons, and gives props to a few teams who *almost* pulled off Week 1 upsets. Enjoy the show and join us next weekend for the following episode!
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Necessary Roughness Podcast (EP 197): NFL Week 1 Preview! Plus, Nik’s Take on the Ravens Rough Loss to the Chiefs
In this episode of the Necessary Roughness Podcast, host Nikolas Donadic dives into the NFL regular season’s Week 1 matchups. He also breaks down Isaiah Likely’s remarks after Baltimore’s loss, applauds Kylen Granson’s comments about wearing the Guardian Cap, and touches on Roger Goodell’s about-face on the NFL’s potential European division. Enjoy the show and join us next weekend for the following episode!
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Necessary Roughness Podcast (EP 196): 2024 NFL Kickoff Special and Season Preview! Plus, Nik Gives Out His Preseason Awards Picks
In this episode of the Necessary Roughness Podcast, host Nikolas Donadic breaks down the upcoming NFL kickoff matchups, as well as reveals his preseason pick to win the Super Bowl. He also forecasts a big sophomore season for Bijan Robinson, debates if this is the year Lamar Jackson finally leads the Ravens to the promised land, and predicts a revenge tour for one of last year’s title contenders. Enjoy the show and join us next weekend for the following episode!
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Necessary Roughness Podcast (EP 195): 2024-25 NFC Preview! Plus, Nik Wonders if History Will Repeat Itself with Caleb Williams and the Bears
In this episode of the Necessary Roughness Podcast, host Nikolas Donadic dives into his NFC predictions for this season. He also wonders if anyone in the NFC West will push the San Francisco 49ers, predicts a Detroit Lions revenge tour following their heartbreaking NFC Championship loss, and debates if the Falcons are the smart pick to win the NFC South or just the flashy pick. Enjoy the show and join us next weekend for the following episode!
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Necessary Roughness Podcast (EP 194): 2024-25 AFC Preview! Plus, Nik Rants About the NFL’s New Onside Kick Rules
In this episode of the Necessary Roughness Podcast, host Nikolas Donadic dives into his AFC predictions for this season. He also wonders if Jim Harbaugh can revamp the Chargers into a playoff team in one offseason, debates if the AFC North will have three playoff teams again, and forecasts a dropoff for a recent AFC playoff stalwart. Enjoy the show and join us next weekend for the following episode!
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Necessary Roughness Podcast (EP 193): NFL Draft Recap! Plus, Nik’s Take on the Falcons Perplexing Penix Jr. Pick
In this episode of the Necessary Roughness Podcast, host Nikolas Donadic dives into the 2024 NFL Draft. He also celebrates the NFL adopting the XFL kickoff rule (at least temporarily), touches on some NFL trades we missed over the last month, and weighs in on the that rumor Robert Kraft put the kibosh on Bill Belichick’s bid to coach another team. Enjoy the show and join us August 17th for the following episode!
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Necessary Roughness Podcast (EP 192): NFL Free Agency Extravaganza! Plus, Nik’s Take on if OBJ is the Most Overrated Player in NFL History
In this episode of the Necessary Roughness Podcast, host Nikolas Donadic breaks down the NFL’s free agent frenzy thus far. He also names his winners and losers of each division, touches on the proposed changes to the NFL’s kickoff rule, and wonders if Matthew Slater can make the Hall of Fame as a career Special Teams Ace. Enjoy the show and join us May 3rd for the following episode!
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Nik Donadic 