Ross Tucker | Former NFL Offensive Lineman & Host of The Ross Tucker Podcast

Ever notice how feline family members take a backseat to dogs by most pet insurance companies?

Yeah, that chafes me. Cats have feelings too, and it's just wrong. But, hold your horses.

I got some good news here. felikscatinsurance.com is doing something about it. They call it whisker-to-tail protection. Because, look, our cats don't actually have nine lives, and accidents and things can happen anytime. Felix Cat Insurance has plan options for cats of all ages, and it covers accidents, illnesses, emergency care, and more.

Best part? Plans start at under $1 per day. Customizable coverage exclusively for felines.

felikscatinsurance.com. No dogs allowed. Hold up. This ain't over yet. Roll that legal stuff. Insurance is underwritten by Independence American Insurance Company and produced by Independence Pet Group.

Pre-existing conditions are not covered. For all terms and limitations, visit felikscatinsurance.com. Imagine you're looking at a balancing scale with everything you do for other people on one side and everything you do for yourself on the other side. If it isn't balanced, maybe it's time to spend a little more time on you. And therapy is a great place to start. BetterHelp connects you with a licensed therapist online who can help you find that balance and stick to it. Visit betterhelp.com slash positive to get 10% off your first month.

That's betterhelp.com slash positive. Kevin Harlan, Ross Tucker. I listened to the entire second half. They had a great time, and Ross now joining us here on After Hours. All right. This is where you make the big bucks, Ross. How do you explain the final few seconds of the game, much less the fourth quarter?

It's a great question, Amy. And it's funny because I did the game, obviously, with Kevin Harlan. And he's done a lot more games than I have. But I can't remember a game ending like that. I mean, when's the last time you saw a game winning too many men on the field penalty?

Never. Which is essentially what happened in the game. It's really hard to believe. I mean, first of all, the bills got the critical sack to knock the Broncos out of field goal range. And I guess McDermott was concerned that maybe they would complete a pass underneath and have a chance at a long field goal attempt, which is why he called the all out blitz. But I really hate that decision to call an all out blitz because Russell Wilson ends up just lobbing the ball up in the air and it's thrown behind Jerry Judy.

So Taron Johnson interfered with Judy past their parents was the right call. And then after that, I don't I didn't really understand why the Broncos made it a fast field goal situation, right? Like third down, they could have just done an incompletion, like just throwing the ball away. I don't understand why they felt the need to have to have their field goal team run on to the field like they did successfully, I might add, at the end of the first half. But then they do that and they come out and they miss the kick with everything being so worried. And then the bills had too many men on the field.

I just can't believe it. I mean, I said before the game, Amy, that I felt like it was not a must win game for the bills, but the type of game where if they lose, you wonder if there's some changes this week. Now, I don't know if that'll be the case with it being a short week, but certainly it's a really, really bad loss for the bills. And then the manner in which they lost at the end of that game really makes you think that changes are coming to Buffalo sooner rather than later. If this was just an isolated incident or an isolated game in which the bills look so messy and so undisciplined, maybe it wouldn't be so concerning, but it really does follow a pattern for them this season. They waste a game in which they finally rushed for nearly 200 yards. What is wrong with the Buffalo Bills in 2023, Ross?

Yeah, several things, right? Number one, they just turned the football over way too much. Four more tonight, two interceptions, two fumbles.

And honestly, it could have been worse, could have been worse, Amy. I mean, Josh Allen threw a couple other passes that I thought were four decisions very much got in harm's way. And I did not like his decision to throw the football in those situations.

So could have been even worse. And then, I mean, how about when James Cook is running down the middle of the field and the ball gets ripped out and bounces right back up to him. I mean, he was crazy fortunate in that situation because it's an oblong ball.

You never know what direction it's going to bounce. They turn the ball over too much even when they don't turn it over. They've got critical drops like we saw time and again, Kincaid had one, Latavius Murray, obviously the Gabe Davis one that went through his hands. I don't think that they're as talented as we think they are. You know, like Josh Allen's really talented. Devon Diggs is really talented. Gabe Davis is not like a really good number two receiver.

I mean, think about so many other good teams. Amy, he's not Devante Smith, right? He's not, you know, Deebo Samuel or Brandon Aiyuk.

You know, he's definitely a step below. The same with their third receiver Shakir. So I think the Bills are not as talented as everybody seems to think that they are. I think that's another part of it and I also don't love a lot of the things they do offensively with Ken Dorsey. People that go out there, even when they are having success running the ball, they don't stick with it. Why would they be taking a major step back from last season though, Roth?

Well, that's a good question. I think defensively it's a little bit because of Milano and Tredavious White. Offensively, I don't have a great explanation for that other than the turnovers and I think other teams also have gotten a little bit of a better feel for how to defend this iteration of the Bills. It's interesting because we recently heard Kyle Shanahan talk about Brock Purdy and how he's willing to accept interceptions because he likes the fact that Brock is aggressive and he will air it out. He will sling it downfield and I know there's some of that with Josh Allen and that Sean McDermott has said that in the past. The word that comes to mind is undisciplined across the board with an offense that shouldn't have so many problems.

Yeah, you're exactly right and here's the thing, Amy. If you look at the amount of turnovers that Josh Allen's had over the last six years, the amount that he's had over the last two years, it's the most in the NFL and so we're kind of at a point, he's a different player and it's a different situation, but we're kind of at the Carson Wentz point. He's a better player. I'm not comparing him in that way, but what I mean is we're at the point where this is just who he is now. You know what I mean? He's not gonna fix it.

It's not gonna get better. I love him. I think I think he's a terrific player. He's very entertaining. All those things, but I think we just kind of have to acknowledge now at this point that he's going to turn the football over a lot.

If he hasn't learned his lesson by now, he's just not gonna. Interesting. Ross Tucker, fresh off the call of Monday Night Football in Orchard Park with Kevin Harlan on Westwood One. Obviously, former offensive lineman himself. He's got the Ross Tucker Football Podcast with so much to say after a weekend in which the vast majority of the games were decided by a single score.

It's after hours with Amy Lawrence here on CBS Sports Radio. I heard you talking to Kevin about the fact that Russell Wilson looks so much better. How do you explain the upgrade, the uptick or maybe going back to who Russell Wilson was before? Yeah, you know, and I don't know that he's what he was before, but I think you gotta get Sean Payton a lot of credit.

Sean Payton is the only kind of new variable, right? And he's found a way to get Russell Wilson to play much smarter football. He's not careless with the ball. He takes care of the ball. You know, he's got only four interceptions this year. He's been much, much better in that area. And, you know, he looks at times like he did in Seattle in terms of, like, how many times tonight or during the game, you know, was he able to avoid a rush and get first down yardage or avoid a rush and find a way to shovel the ball forward for a first down?

Just really, really impressive what he was able to get done tonight. And I think a lot of it has to go, has to, to Sean Payton. So let's talk about some of the other games that we saw this weekend. Love to get your reaction to the 49ers and the Jaguars. Why is it, though, in the NFL, you can have the hottest team in the game run into a team that's had three straight losses and get completely blown out?

It's such a great point and nobody really knows. There is no real answer other than it's a week to week league. And every week a team has a different game plan for that game.

You know what I mean? Like every week is is really more so than you even realize a unique entity unto itself. And each week proves that. The other thing is, yeah, the way I look at it, I guess on some level, Amy is like, based on the way in which the Niners had lost three in a row and the Jags had won all those games in a row, it just didn't seem real likely to me that, like, was it really going to be the case that Jacksonville had won six in a row and San Francisco lost four in a row?

It kind of felt like that was just kind of felt like that was going to happen. One of the great stories that we've seen coming out of the first, what, 10 weeks of the season is the development of C.J. Stroud, the Texans over 500, D'Amico Ryans. What stands out to you about the Texans run so far? Well, I think mainly C.J.

Stroud. It's just unbelievable. I mean, he's better than I feel like I ever thought he would be. He's been absolutely fantastic. I mean, he looks better than he did at Ohio State. I mean, I was honestly watching him recently thinking, how did they lose to Michigan the last two years? Like, I mean, he's he's one of the best rookie quarterbacks I think I've ever seen. He has been crazy, crazy impressive so far. I mean, even in the Cincinnati game, right, to throw that interception like he did that let the Bengals get back in the game and then find a way to battle back from it and still lead them down for the score.

It's just it's remarkable. I thought he had a chance, Amy, to be good eventually, but I just thought, you know, you watch Ohio State and he always had a clean pocket. He always had a situation where it felt like, you know, the receivers were wide open. How many times are these receivers wide open at Ohio State? And yet somehow he's been able to take that and it hasn't always been a clean pocket in Houston. I mean, they had their offensive line was banged up earlier and the receivers I thought were pedestrian, but now you got tank Dell looks awesome.

Noah Noah Brown's making all these plays. It's it's just remarkable. I mean, you know, you talk about all the sports and I'm sure like, you know, like the web and yama guy and for basketball, I'm sure it's a bigger deal. I'm sure it's a bigger deal, right? But it's hard to think about like he has changed the entire Houston Texans franchise.

Now, like if you're an eight year old that lives in Houston, you just kind of changed your life. Kind of like when you can shorten it to when be if you want. When we Yeah, I don't I have no idea if I said that even close to right. I've heard other people say it.

I'm not a big NBA guy. When when been yama looks the best to me, but I know that's not right. No, it is it is actually right. Victor when been yama.

Yes, that's perfect. Way to go Ross Tucker. It's after hours here on CBS Sports Radio. When you have a situation like the Jets do with Zach Wilson, or even the Patriots do with Mac Jones right now, when you get frustrated, what do you do as someone who's watching this same scenario play out week play out week after week after week? As a fan as a player as a what as a player?

Yes, as a teammate. Oh, man, it's really, really frustrating. So it's funny in any situation like that, Amy. It's like if you're a star player, or a star receiver or whatever you are incredibly frustrated, annoyed, all of those things.

But for a guy like me, you're really just focused on yourself, right? Because you know, when things are this bad, there's going to be changes. And you want to make sure that either you're not part of the changes, or that if you are part of the changes, that you're able to get picked up by some other team. I mean, those things really go through your head. Certainly you wish Mac Jones was playing better Zach Wilson and, and you're frustrated about that.

But man, you're thinking about what this means for your future moving forward. Because, you know, what's going to happen with Bill Belichick? What's going to happen with Salah? I mean, I think people think he's safe, but I don't know. I don't know that he is probably is because Aaron Rodgers got hurt. So that's kind of the excuse that the Jets don't make the playoffs this year and maybe understandably so but that's absolutely the thought going through your head as a as a pro athlete.

It's like self preservation. Every team in the AFC North, including Cleveland is above 500. So Ross Tucker, how would you describe the AFC North?

Awesome. I think it's awesome. I mean, I think all four teams are good.

I think it's highly competitive. I'm already pumped up for Thursday night. And that game, the Bengals at the Ravens, I think it's kind of fantastic. I don't know how the Steelers are doing what they're doing. I'm fascinated clearly by the Browns with the defense.

And now they get to Sean Watson playing well. I mean, there's just a lot of really cool stuff I think going on in that division. And I'm kind of hopeful that all four of them make the playoffs. That'd be amazing.

Could you imagine that would be pretty incredible. But the AFC is so stacked. It's going to be incredibly competitive in the NFC East. Will the real Dallas Cowboys please stand up though? Who are the real Dallas Cowboys, Ross?

I think probably what we've seen. I mean, I think I think they are a talented team that can blow away bad opponents like they've done this year time and time again. But for whatever reason, they, they lack the DNA to be able to properly find a way to win close games against better opponents. I mean, the Niners game wasn't even close. They got blown away, but I feel like we're headed for the same old Cowboys season. They make the playoffs. They probably win a playoff game, but I think we all will believe the Cowboys will actually go to the postseason and get to the NFC championship game if we actually see it. I mean, cause they look so good at times like that that Eagles game a couple weeks ago. They should have they should have won that game. I mean, they were the better team that could be part of their DNA is that they can be unbelievably infuriating the Detroit lions.

They have assumed a brand new identity under Dan Campbell. What do you see with them? That's so different from the lions in the past.

Like everything. I mean, they're exciting. They're fun to watch. Uh, they believe Alexander Loney.

They're they're star linebackers from my hometown. I talked to him a bunch and I think Dan Campbell, his belief in those guys, uh, the way that he's authentic and genuine, his passion. I think that really does go a long, long way and that he deserves a lot of credit for their success. It's like he believes in him, believes in Amy. And we all need people in life that believe in us and he believes in those guys and what they're doing. And I think they feed off of his confidence a little bit.

I really do. Could that same thing be happening in Vegas with Antonio Pierce? Yes. And ironically, it's funny, both of those guys are former teammates of mine. Wow. Um, and Antonio and I were, uh, undrafted rookie free agents with Marty Schottenheimer together in 2001 in Washington. And then Dan and I were together in Dallas in 2003. And, uh, there's a lot of similarities between them in terms of their sort of their confidence, their swagger, their passion, the way they carry themselves.

And, uh, I'm not surprised they're both having the success that they're having right now. I think players like when you're honest with them, I think players like when they know you don't have to be a former player, you know, Belichick's had a lot of success without being a former player, but I think it kind of helps knowing this guy's kind of done what we're doing. So Ross Tucker football podcast is his show and he's with us here. Fresh off Westwood one's broadcast of Monday night football.

It's after our CBS sports radio. I just have to ask you one more thing as a former offensive lineman, how difficult is it to assimilate a quarterback like Josh Dobbs, who was on the team for 10 minutes and then has had, Oh, I don't know a week of practice. And yet the Vikings have not missed a beat since he became their QB. It's really funny that you say that Amy, because that's going to be the article I write this week for, uh, for the 33rd team. Cause I've actually twice in my career, I got signed by a team and suit up in the next game. And in fact, once I started at center, uh, for Cleveland, so I'm going to talk about just how hard that is and how you do it in quarterback, certainly harder than even center was and how you go about doing it. And you know, they pare down the game plan, but he's unbelievable.

I mean, I did the Cardinals Ravens game for CBS on TV a couple of weeks ago. So met him in the production meetings and such a super smart guy. And he talked about the time he spent researching how you have a long career in the NFL. And he realized you can only be the young developmental guy for a few years. And then you got to be the experience backup and he wasn't getting any experience in Pittsburgh because he was behind Mason Rudolph and big Ben. So he literally went somewhere else. Cause he realized he needed a chance to play somewhere.

He needed a chance to be the number two and have a chance to get in the game and man Oh man, as he made, as he made the most of it, I still can't get over the fact that he was practicing his cadence and his snap count on the sidelines before he went out there on the field for his first offensive series. So cool. So cool.

You know, they didn't think that was going to happen obviously. And for them to win that game is just absolutely bananas. Incredible. It's like a movie and I love it. So I'm glad that you mentioned that it kind of transitioned so well, whether it's a movie or whether it's an article written about your life, uh, my front page story.com. I know you call it the best gift ever.

Why Roth? Well, because it's so unique. It's so special.

Everybody driving right now. The holidays are coming up. You don't know what to get your wife or your mom or whoever. Imagine talking to a writer for 10 minutes, a professional writer, telling them how great your wife is. They write the most unbelievable story about her. It looks like it's on the cover of the newspaper. You send in a couple of pictures. It's framed.

It's unbelievable. I've seen so many of these now, Amy, where as the, as the wife's opening up, she doesn't even know what it is to be able to say, honey, I want to do something special. So I had a story written about you. It makes it sound like you're the most romantic guy.

It makes it sound like you, you commissioned like John Grisham to write some story about her. And then, and then when she actually reads the quotes and it's like, you know, I just don't thank her enough for all the little things she does for me and the kids. I mean, they cry every time. It's so cool. Like happy tears.

They cry every time. Plus it's, it's framed. It'll be hanging up in the house forever. Trust me, fellas, my front page story.com. It's my front page story.com. It's so money.

It's not even funny. Well, considering that I'm about to walk down the aisle in four and a half weeks, I might just suggest this to my future hubs. Oh, Amy, congratulations.

I didn't know that. Thank you. That's wonderful. Celebrating you and your upcoming nuptials.

What a lucky man that is. And you know how I feel about you and your show. Anytime I am up when your window is, when you're on the air, you're the show I'm listening to.

Oh, I appreciate that. And yes, I would love to engage in a debate about how never in my life did I think I would get married, not just during NFL season, but Ross on an NFL Sunday. You want to find Ross on Twitter at Ross Tucker NFL, and he's the host of the Ross Tucker football podcast, which is great.

You get his personality, his laughter, all that stuff. You can also hear him on Westwood one and see him on CBS sports and it's my front page story.com. Great to connect with you, Ross. Thanks so much. Always fun to listen to. Of course, my pleasure.

It's always fun to listen to you. Thank you. Selling a little or a lot. Shopify helps you do your thing. However, you cha-ching Shopify is the global commerce platform that helps you sell at every stage of your business from the launcher online shop stage to the first real life store stage all the way to the did we just hit a million orders stage. Shopify is here to help you grow. Whether you're selling scented soap or offering outdoor outfits, Shopify helps you sell everywhere from their all-in-one e-commerce platform to their in-person POS system. Wherever and whatever you're selling, Shopify has got you covered. Shopify helps you turn browsers into buyers with the internet's best converting checkout. 15% better on average compared to other leading commerce platforms and sell more with less effort thanks to Shopify magic, your AI powered all-star. Shopify powers 10% of all e-commerce in the US and Shopify is the global force behind Allbirds, Rothy's and Brooklinen and millions of other entrepreneurs of every size across 175 countries. Plus, Shopify's award-winning 24-7 help is there to support your success every step of the way because businesses that grow, grow with Shopify. Sign up for a $1 per month trial period and trial period at Shopify.com slash Odyssey podcast, all lowercase. Go to Shopify.com slash Odyssey podcast now to grow your business no matter what stage you're in. Shopify.com slash Odyssey podcast. Why does this room look amazing?

What'd you change? Oh, I just got these custom shades from blinds.com. It's all online, so it's really easy. Great price too.

I remember shopping for blinds. I waited around all day just to get a quote. Hi, sorry I'm late. I know you said just the bedroom, but what do you feel about that?

I feel like I had to say yes just to get rid of her. All right, just go ahead and sign here and we'll get everything. It took forever and the worst part, hidden fees.

How about you? I chatted with my blinds.com design consultant on my time, got free samples and it was all super high quality at a great price. Plus they make it easy to DIY or add installation like I did. Blinds.com sounds way better.

Way better. And everything comes with their 100% satisfaction guarantee. Plus check this out.

I can control them from my phone. Whoa, magic. Shop and save 40% site-wide plus doorbuster deals at blinds.com's Black Friday early access sale happening now. Rules and restrictions may apply. Ready to start talking to your kids about financial literacy? Meet Greenlight, the debit card and money app that teaches kids and teens how to earn, save, spend wisely and invest with your guard rails in place. Parents can send instant money transfers, automate allowance and more. Plus keep an eye on spending with real-time notifications. Join more than 6 million families building healthy financial habits together on Greenlight. Get your first month free at greenlight.com slash odyssey.

That's greenlight.com slash odyssey. Ew, gotta get rid of this old Backstreet Boys t-shirt. Tell me why. Because it stinks, boys. Tell me why. I've washed it so many times but the odor won't come out.

Tell me why. No, you tell me why I can't get rid of this odor. Have you tried Downy Rinse and Refresh? It doesn't just cover up odors. It helps remove them. Wow, it worked guys.

Yeah. Downy Rinse and Refresh removes more odor in one wash than the leading value detergent in three washes. Find it wherever you buy laundry products.