Carl and Mike open up the show with some brief Braves talk as they share thoughts on why Carl believes how the team is performing of late "feels like an illusion" and that they still believe the team missed an opportunity to "stack the deck" with pitching ahead of the deadline. They then get into Falcons talk as they share thoughts on Kevin Stefanski stating that Michael Penix Jr. will not participate in preseason if he is not cleared, which leads them to discuss how the third-year quarterback will be able to win the starting QB role if he is not on the field as a full participant.