After Hours with Amy Lawrence PODCAST: Hour 3

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You're listening to After Hours with Amy Lawrence. Okay, I feel like some of you are holding out on me. Unless every single one of the listeners is married or so happy in your current relationship, then some of you are just lying. That's a lie.

That's a lie. Because not one of you has mentioned a dating app or website yet. Not one. I don't use them. I'm being perfectly honest.

However, there are a hell of a lot of you that do. How come not one of you has mentioned that you're using a dating website? Amy, first let me say this.

Shut up. Light up Amy's phone lines now. 855-212-4CBS.

That's 855-212-4227. Oh, the shows we've had in which we've shared stories about how much dating sucks. My gosh, for years my New Year's resolution was to get married the following year and I no longer have to say that. I got to come up with a new New Year's resolution. But we're not there yet. Still a couple more days and even on into 2024, I think we all can use a couple of days to let the dust settle on the holidays before we face fall. We face fall. We start focusing on what's to come. Gosh, if I just can get through this move over the next three days, I will be thrilled.

It's definitely not the newlywed glow that I had a week ago. I do love being married still, but boy, moving is stressful. As all of you know, at any point in your life that you've moved, you recognize it is a project.

It's a monster project. And we're about, gosh, I'll say 14 hours away from needing to be on the road, needing to pull out of Houston, Texas and head to Hattiesburg, Mississippi. It will be a miracle, and I am not exaggerating, a miracle if we are in fact able to leave here on Thursday around dinner time.

It may be a little bit later, but by this time tomorrow, we will definitely be in Hattiesburg. By this time tomorrow, we'll definitely be at least one leg through a move. And I admire my husband so much for agreeing to do this on the heels of our wedding and the holidays and everything else.

And he's awesome. Now, he tells me I'm not making him move. I didn't ask him to move. He wants to move.

He says all the right things, but I do admire him because this is a lot. And it's he's got a house that's bigger than mine and we're combining and purging and merging and doing everything else we can. But yeah, it's it's just it's a huge undertaking because I've already got what a house full, a small house that's only 1300 square feet, but a small house that's completely furnished. And he had a much larger house with all the furniture and everything else. And so we've been packing boxes and loading a trailer and and making a huge pile to donate.

And he sold other items and all of this around getting married. We had to be married two weeks. We get to celebrate our two week anniversary on New Year's Eve. It's after hours with Amy Lawrence on CBS Sports Radio. A couple hours left to go here before. I will not work on Thursday night into Friday, but I will be watching Browns and Jets, of course, actually be listening to it while I'm driving. Probably not a good idea to be watching a game on my phone while I'm driving, but I will be listening to it as we kick off week 17 in the NFL.

And this is when it gets real juicy. I know some of the playoff spots have already been accounted for, but there are still many upper grabs and seeding as well. So we'll look at that schedule for week 17 coming up before the end of the show.

But between listening to the Jets and Browns on Thursday evening as Cleveland has a chance to clinch a playoff spot and then wanting to be home in time for Lions and Cowboys on Saturday evening. Yeah, they're seventeen hundred miles, two dogs, two people, two vehicles, two Airbnbs between now and then. Please say some prayers for us if we can get through this. Oh, we can get through anything.

I said that to him actually on our way to Houston, if we can get through seventeen hundred miles, including eighteen straight hours of driving and not want to call the wedding off, we're golden. Our phone number is eight five five two one two four two two seven in light of the Broncos move to bench Russell Wilson with two weeks left to go in the regular season. It was a move about winning.

Wink, wink, wink, wink. In light of this move by the Broncos, it seems pretty clear that they are ready to part ways with him, despite the implications in the contract, despite the fallout that they'll have with this contract extension that he hasn't even started playing under yet. It doesn't even kick in till next year, for heaven's sakes. But the Broncos, they're done. They've seen enough. The Walton Penner family gave him the huge monster deal before they ever saw him take a snap in a regular season game.

So to me, this is on them. And I said it going back last year. Producer Jay knows what I was saying behind the scenes about this contract given to Russell Wilson before he ever took a snap that mattered. I felt like it was one of those.

You know what? It was the honeymoon period for the Broncos and Russell Wilson. There was so much excitement, anticipation. They felt like they had finally found their next franchise, QB, and they threw caution to the wind. It was like a shotgun wedding.

Oh, well, that would imply someone was pregnant. But it was like a Vegas wedding, right? We're euphoric. We're excited. This feels like a match made in heaven.

The emotions are flying high and riding high. And so we go ahead and we give them this massive contract extension together forever, except there's no prenup. And now the Broncos want out and they want Russell Wilson to give them back their money.

Rutro doesn't work that way. And honestly, the fact that they would ask him this in October to me is so, so counterproductive to what you want to do. You're coming off a big victory over the chiefs. Russ throws three touchdown passes and the team then reaches out and says, Hey, we'd actually like you to consider amending the terms of your contract extension.

What did they think? He was going to be so happy, so ecstatic after the victory over the chiefs that he would be thrilled to give the money back. I don't know that he would want to pay them in essence to remain a Bronco through the course of the extension, which probably wasn't going to happen anyway. Are you kidding me? Do they think they'd catch him off guard because he was so happy about the win over Kansas City? Robot Russell, Mr. Unlimited, Mr.

Unlimited. I know he's not the same quarterback he was in Seattle, and I now feel like it's been confirmed and validated after almost two full seasons that Pete Carroll and John Schneider, they had it right all along. There was a reason why they balked at giving him a contract extension. There was a reason why they were willing to let him go. Even if it meant they didn't have a high profile upper echelon elite starting QB, they could see it. No doubt they were giddy euphoric over what the Broncos gave up to get Russ. They got a playoff spot out of it last year. They gave Gino a modest contract extension. Now, are they primed and ready for a Super Bowl run?

Probably not. But in the midst of what was another rebuild, as they essentially have retooled most of their roster, not all they've got a few veterans left over, but most of it. They were OK with competing, maybe not having a quick fix like what the Broncos were looking for. Two completely different strategies for two teams in transition.

The Broncos felt like the one missing piece was Russ. They were wrong. They should have waited on the contract. They didn't. And now they want him to give back some of the money. Huh?

Interesting when the shoes on the other foot, huh? On Twitter, a law radio, also on our Facebook page, we're asking you, where will Russ be an upgrade at quarterback in the NFL? Don't say nowhere, because that's not true. Have you seen some of the QBs that are starting this year in the league? Quarterback injuries have decimated that position.

In fact, there is a bunch there are a bunch of teams out there. That I'm impressed they're even still relevant with all the quarterback changes. So where would Russ be an upgrade contract notwithstanding that that's the key because teams can't get him for free. The Broncos aren't going to pay for him to go somewhere else. Well, they'll pay some, but they're not going to pay the whole thing. So where will he be an upgrade?

But for now, we'll put the financial piece aside. Let's talk to our friend Jordan, who's in Portland, identified as a Seahawks fan on the show last night. Jordan, are you stunned by this move? Jordan. Hey, producer, Manny, do we have Jordan up?

I mean, he's on the board, must have muted himself because I can hear you, Jordan. I thought maybe you hung up because your mom was going to discover you were listening to the radio again. Nope, I'm still here. How are you?

My call? Of course. How are you doing?

I'm good. I was thinking that Russia would be a good fit in either Carolina or Tennessee. Tennessee is a good one. They're struggling now because we know Ryan Tannehill is on the way out. They just bench. Well, Will Leviss is dealing with injury. The Malik Willis piece didn't work out. So maybe they bring Russ in as a veteran guy behind Will in case they need someone on the field. And gosh, how many quarterback changes have we seen this year? And Carolina.

See, that's another interesting one. They have Andy Dalton, right, as a veteran quarterback there. They're trying to get Bryce Young acclimated to the NFL, but so many changes there that maybe a veteran QB is a better option than a rookie.

I like those. So were you a huge Russ fan when he was in Seattle? I was not, actually. I was kind of glad that we got him out of here. Were you giggling when the Broncos gave up so much to get him? Yeah, I have a lot of Broncos fans or I have a lot of friends who are Broncos fans. Yeah, I'm still reminding them of that today. Oh, you like to rub the salt in the wounds, Jordan? A little bit.

I like it. By the way, you were by far our most popular caller of twenty twenty three. We had so many people respond to you after you called last night.

So thanks for listening and calling back. Sure. Did your mom ever find out? Nope.

Oh, my goodness. Are they in the another part of the house snoring away? No, well, across the hall. Oh, how do they not hear you?

They must be really heavy sleepers. Yeah. Are you hiding in the closet?

No, I'm just in the corner of my room far away. Right. I like it. Now, are you going to continue to listen even after you get back to your school routine? Yeah, when you're talking football, I'll be calling.

Oh, well, you know, football is about 90 percent of what we do right now. I like it. Yeah. All right, Jordan. Well, it's good to talk to you if I don't talk to you again. Happy New Year. And we'll look forward to connecting in twenty four.

Yep. Happy New Year to you. Have a good night. Good night. He's in the corner of his room and his mom's sleeping across the hall.

She has no idea he's become a star. I hope he aces every one of his classes. Oh, M.G., that is got to be one of the highlights of my year as a radio host.

I do love it when kids call. For those of you who are in Baltimore, you may remember Moe. Moe has since passed away, but I was first introduced to Moe when he called the show. My show, gosh, going back to maybe 14, 15.

I'm not exactly sure when it was. And Moe also turned into a radio star. He would call other shows on the network. And he was really popular on our Baltimore affiliate one of five seven. The fan dealt with a lot of health challenges, but did it with such joy and grace and a sweet spirit. Loved, loved, loved his Baltimore teams, the Orioles and the Ravens.

Every now and then it would text with Mo Gabba. And all he wanted to do was talk about his teams. And even when he was really sick at the end, he was still so sweet and such an inspiration to so many people. And so, yes, we do love it when we've got younger listeners who call up and who will talk to us about what matters to them in sports. But also just give us a different perspective.

So, Jordan, just don't let your mom get you. It's After Hours with Amy Lawrence here on CBS Sports Radio. Jerry is in D.C. So, Jerry, where would Russ be an upgrade in the NFL right now?

I think Russell would be an asset to the Atlanta Falcons. First of all, they don't have a steady quarterback, but they have a steady backup in Tyler Heineke. Heineke is my guy. He's your guy. Yeah, I love that guy when he was up here with us.

I mean, he had heart. I mean, this guy was great. And before I go any further, congratulations on your marriage and everything. I haven't talked to you in a while. I am the guy that always talked about gardening and everything.

And I hope your husband likes the garden. And if he doesn't, I'll show him how. And Sierra is a big entertainer and Atlanta is a big entertainment world, especially in her line of music. But I think Ross could be there and he could be a contributing factor to them. It's just a matter of the managers and the accountants who could work the contract out. And I think he would do great day.

He would actually fill more seats in there than any other quarterback since Ryan. So I hope that he does it. I hope he's successful.

And you continue to do what you do. I'm I'm praying for you. And let me tell you something that it's a secret between you and I. When you made the announcement about your grandma, I mean, my eyes got real sweaty.

I just couldn't call on the phone because I was too emotional. But I know that she's up there looking at you being so happy. And I'm so happy for you right now.

And I'm gonna get off the air because my eyes getting sweaty. Okay. All right. Thank you, Jerry. You're very kind.

I appreciate it. So many so many people have mentioned my grandma. My Grammy Helen is what I called her who passed away in July of twenty two at one hundred years old. And I just know she would love my new hubby. She would really they would be fast friends. She would entertain him with her fun stories and her sense of humor. And he absolutely would have loved her, too. And so many of you have brought up Grammy Helen and how she is so happy and is so proud, even though she has passed on to heaven. So I appreciate that, that you care about her because of the stories that I told on the air. I used to tell her she was famous.

She would giggle like she always did after hours with Amy Lawrence here on CBS Sports Radio. Let's do one more here. Chad is in Albuquerque. Where is Russell Wilson, an upgrade in the NFL right now? Chad.

Hi. I was thinking, you know, I haven't heard anybody mention this yet, but I was thinking he would be a really good fit in Pittsburgh with the Steelers. I'm thinking with Tom, with Mike Tomlin, maybe the two of them could revive two Hall of Fame careers and put together a good playoff run. And I think that Tomlin has the right idea with his style of football. I think Russ would probably fit in really well with a running game, a good defense and some good tosses down the field. What do you think?

It's interesting that you say that because I have actually seen it a bunch on social media. Is it because after a season and a half, because really Kenny Pickett's been out for a few weeks and he's missed a couple of games. Is it because the jury has already decided that Pickett is not good enough? See, I'm not sure that it's time to move on from him necessarily. And I think when it comes to Russ, he only buys a team a certain amount of time, right? So first of all, they have to be willing to go and pick up the contract, which then does limit what else they can do. But at the same time, we're so quick to toss young quarterbacks. It doesn't always come together in year one. And again, he's been dealing with injuries, but they've also had transition on their offensive line and and their run game. Right. And they've got, you know, George Pickens, who's dynamic, but still could could add a few other pieces that wide receiver to.

I don't know. I just I feel like the offense is more than just the QB, but also I like some of what I've seen from Pickett. They're just not a complete offense. So as much as I understand what you're saying, I just I don't know if it's too early to to throw in the towel on Kenny. I absolutely agree about Kenny, but he is still on his rookie contract.

Right. So there's time to buy and maybe mold him into what they actually want from him. I'm not completely out on him as well. I've always been rooting for him. I love that he's a Pittsburgh homeboy. And I think that I think that with the right setting, he could be a tier one quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers. It's just a matter of him learning when, where, how in an appropriate setting. Even Patrick Mahomes, you know, my favorite quarterback, my team, he sat a year behind Alex Smith and he learned the nuances of how to be a quarterback in the NFL.

And and Kenny never he never had that. So maybe bringing in Russell would help his progression even. And still, you know, like I said, we have a couple Hall of Fame careers at the same time.

All right. I like the the fact that there is some thought put into that, Chad. I don't know if Russ will find a starting job next year, but I do know that backup quarterbacks are just as valuable right now because of the number of QBs we saw we've seen get injured. But also, I mean, desperate teams make desperate moves. That's what the Denver Broncos were doing. They were desperate. And so they they threw everything at the Seahawks to get Russ and then gave him this contract. They didn't need to. That's the crazy part.

They did not need to give him one dime because he was already under contract. And yet they did. So desperate teams do sometimes take drastic measures. And I could see that there might be some teams out there who say like, heck, we're stuck in this cycle where we can't seem to find the right guy.

The most important position on the field. So why not Russ? The problem is the last two years with Russ have been well, this year's been better, but last year was hideous, right?

It's so pretty mediocre for sure. Yeah, yeah, exactly. So with the thought of desperate teams doing desperate things, you have any ideas for new tackles and wide receivers for my team?

I'm just wondering. So the kids were top of the Chiefs, right? Yes, we are.

Yeah. So here's the thing about the Chiefs is even if I mean, I think they'll probably still win the West this year, but even if they don't do what they've done the last five years, which is play every playoff game at home, host the AFC championship, even if they don't do that, they're still a free agent destination because not just of Patrick Mahomes, but because of Andy Reid and the creativity that he's got still in his staff. And so I think that, yeah, you're talking about them now swinging for the fences in the off season, try to come up with a couple of other free agents, but honestly, I mean, if you're a free agent wide receiver or even a running back, although I know Pacheco is great, it's just that he's been hurt, but they can pretty much have their pick of the litter. I agree. I think Baltimore beat us to the punch a couple of times this year and in the off season with Beckham and flowers, I think we were kind of looking at both and so it's working out for them. Good for Baltimore, still rooting for the Chiefs. All right, sir. Well, I think that the team is because they're veterans and because they have been here, done that type of thing, they're going to be still a really tough out. But, but I don't know if you heard what Travis Kelsey had to say on his podcast earlier this week, we're actually going to use the audio, but he's livid.

And so if nothing else, they've got strong leadership that I think could still get them turned around before the postseason, but they've got a lot of bad habits, which I don't love. Right. Right.

I agree. I love your pay, Amy. And congratulations on your marriage for a guy that's been married for 27 years.

You're going to love it once you find, once you find that one, um, it's easy when there's a best friend, it's easy, so you won't have a problem. Oh, thank you, Chad. Happy new year to you. Happy new year to you, Amy. Take care.

All right. On Twitter, a law radio also on our Facebook page after hours with Amy Lawrence, where would Russ be an upgrade right now in the NFL? So I'm going to try to answer that question to give you just some of my thoughts on the teams around the league.

So money notwithstanding also, yes, Travis Kelsey goes on a tirade about how the chiefs are playing right now. And we'll also look ahead to the start of week 17, you guys week 17 in the NFL. I really looking forward to New Year's Eve because it's a full slate. I'll get back into NFL Sundays again with so much on the line.

8 5 5 2 1 2 4 2 2 7. It's after hours with Amy Lawrence on CBS Sports Radio. Let's face it, most people aren't making massive turkey feasts on the regular. And after 364 days of not thinking about it, it can be hard to get that bird just right. That's where Instacart, the holiday rescue app comes in from getting all the ingredients to prep a full seasonal spread to getting last minute swaps in a turkey emergency. Instacart has everything a holiday host needs to save face and save dinner. And right now, if you download Instacart, you'll get free delivery on your first three orders and delivery in as fast as one hour.

Offer valid for a limited time, $10 minimum per order, additional term supply. I'm Kate Abdo, the host of Kicking It, a new weekly show from the CBS Sports Galasso Network, where Clint Dempsey, Charlie Davies, Mo Ado and I connect with the biggest personalities from global soccer and beyond to learn about their journeys and what makes them tick. This is the place for football fans to hear unfiltered conversations with the game's most familiar faces.

So what are you waiting for? Follow and listen to Kicking It on the Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts. We're desperately trying to win and sure in our game today, there are economics and all those other things, but the number one push behind this and it's a decision I'm making is to, you know, get a spark offensively.

This is After Hours with Amy Lawrence. I just keep thinking how much this undermines your quarterback when you go to him in late October. Happy Halloween. You just beat the Kansas City Chiefs. You start to look like a team that can compete in the AFC West and a team that can compete potentially for a wild card spot.

You can find some momentum. The defense is playing better. And then you ask your starting quarterback to take what is maybe not a pay cut, but to give some money back on the heels of a huge win, almost like you thought his euphoria, his excitement would lead him to have a softer heart, a more open mind to giving money back.

I mean, it's just the timing of that is ridiculous. And then you threaten to bench him. Again, he just threw three touchdown passes against the Kansas City Chiefs. You beat the defending Super Bowl champion, something you haven't done in your division since they took over as one of the best teams in the league. I mean, week in and week out, you're in and you're out. That's been the Chiefs the last five years. So you beat them.

It's a major milestone for you. But then you threaten to bench your quarterback because of money, not because of how he's playing, but because of money. How does that not undermine him and his confidence and run counterproductive to winning? So I get that Sean Payton really wants to win, but this approach from the Broncos reeks. It stinks. At the very least, wait until the season is done, but to threaten to bench him in October, for what reason?

Money. That's the reason. Now, likely this is going to play out the same way it played out in Las Vegas last year. First of all, with Jarrett Stidham starting the final two games of the year.

Gosh, that's just crazy. Also ironic that some of you were saying the Raiders would be a good fit for Russell Wilson. I mean, Aidan O'Connell is their rookie. They've already benched to me. Garoppolo. They don't like what they've seen at the quarterback position. And so instead, could they try another veteran?

I mean, that, too, is ironic. It's after hours with Amy Lawrence here on CBS Sports Radio eight five five two one two four two two seven. That's eight five five two one two four CBS. So wonderful in the NFL, this portion of the show brought to you by Wesley Financial stuck in a timeshare and want out.

Contact Wesley Financial Group now and get a free timeshare exit information kit at Wesley Financial Group dot com. You can find me on Twitter, a law radio also on our Facebook page. We'll get back to your phone calls.

But just looking around and this is taking into account your responses that I'm getting on both Twitter and Facebook. Looking around the NFL, we've got a fair number of teams that are stuck in this quarterback cycle where they just can't find the right fit. I know we had a caller mention the Pittsburgh Steelers. They've already made a change in offensive coordinator this year. Right. The play calling was not the right fit for the tools they have out there on offense. The offensive lines going through transition at best. Yes, they have a George Pickens who's a budding star in the NFL. But Kenny Pickett's been dealing with injuries.

Right. So they've kind of been stuck in neutral at times going backward. And yet because the defense is so good, they've won games. They're above 500 yet again. Nadja Harris has had a fairly strong season. Pickens is over a thousand yards receiving. They've got some guys that are great number twos or tandem like a Jalen Warren. Deontay Johnson's had some flashes. They don't have a lot from their tight end position.

Pat Frymuth has been injured a bit too. Yeah, we're seeing them get the most out of the offense. And yet they're at this point.

Still considering the Kenny Pickett experiment. I don't think there's any way you can say that they're sure he's the franchise moving forward. So the Steelers are one popular answer, but I just think there's not enough around their quarterback anyway to be able to judge him yet.

Still, they are above 500. I mean, heck, the Cleveland Browns have started, what is it, four different quarterbacks. And now they've got Joe Flacco as their guy moving forward. And they're at 10 wins. Potentially clinch a playoff spot later on tonight. Whether or not you're on board with the Steelers, certainly the two teams in New York. Now, I know Aaron Rodgers is supposed to come back and be healthy for the Jets. I get it, but he's 40.

So what if he's not healthy or what if he can't stay healthy? The Patriots, a very popular answer, also in the AFC East. Sitting on just four wins, another rough season offensively. And last year maybe people would point more to the two defensive slash special team coaches who were moonlighting as offensive coordinators.

That was a disaster. But Mac Jones has been benched. Bailey Zappi helped to lead them to a nice win over Denver, ironically. But they've got to be in the hunt for a new QB.

We talked about the Raiders. How about the Giants where Brian Deball is now the head coach. They're going back to Tyrod Taylor after Tommy DeVito. Do they have buyer's remorse about Daniel Jones?

There's got to be at least some element of that. The Washington commanders, I mean, they've been a revolving door at quarterback. They're about to clean house with that coaching staff. The new ownership, they want to win.

We've already seen them start to purge, if you will, in preparation for a total rebuild. So what do they do at quarterback? The Vikings, I think, will stick with Kirk Cousins.

I could be wrong, but I do believe that they'll probably bring him back once he's healthy again. Then you think about the Atlanta Falcons. A bunch of you have mentioned the Falcons. I don't know whether or not this coach survives. Arthur Smith may not, but the Desmond Ritter slash Taylor Heineke moonlighting this year has not even gotten them to.500. The Saints are going to stick with Derek Carr, obviously.

You look around and think what else is available, but they can't be happy either. And how about the Seahawks? It sounds nutty.

It really does. The Panthers have their rookie. They have a different veteran backup. Could they be looking for a quicker fix with a veteran QB and Russ?

I don't know. All of this is nuts. Whoever thought Russ would be available again after two years in Denver? So on Twitter, on Facebook, where is he an upgrade in the NFL right now? And we'll get to your calls after the break also. Just because it's great audio, Travis Kelce sets a fire to his team, to his offense.

Who the f*** is that guy? On the new heights podcast, he doesn't hold back. And I hope we get to it next hour.

We're going to have to make time for it. But there are two other pieces of audio that I mean, they're worth hearing. I don't know if you guys heard about Aaron Gordon getting attacked by a dog and needing 21 stitches. Gosh, talk about traumatic. And then there's a whole situation in Green Bay where Jair Alexander walks out into the field and does a coin flip when he's not a captain and not supposed to be out there.

They've actually suspended him a game, but the exchange with reporters postgame last weekend. Oh my gosh. It's like the Twilight Zone. Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo. That is the NFL half the time. He got inside the pylon on the near side. It's a four yard touchdown pass by quarterback Patrick Mahomes to Travis Kelce and the Chiefs have gone up 13 to 7 before halftime.

This is after hours with Amy Lawrence. It is easy to pile on the Chiefs because they're only nine and six. I mean, come on. There's half the NFL that like to be in the position the Chiefs are in still on top of their division, the AFC West. But yeah, really sloppy undisciplined play. Very unlike Andy Reid, Patrick Mahomes teams that we've seen the last few years. They've got more drop passes than any other team in the NFL. They've got gosh, 50 something penalties offensively, right? So not just defensive penalties, but offensive penalties. They've got so many turnovers. They really never found a consistent offensive rhythm this year.

And it's a group effort. OK, so a lot of people point to Mahomes. I've actually seen people say that the shine is off Patrick Mahomes, that he's he's he's great the first five years, but not anymore. I mean, seriously, it's after hours with Amy Lawrence on CBS Sports Radio. Travis and Jason Kelce, of course, have their new heights podcast weekly. And Travis lights up his offense.

All right. So he's saying, hey, it's everybody. This is a total team effort when it comes to sucking. It's a frustrating experience right now.

And every single day we're going in here fixing it. I promise you guys, it's not just one guy. It's not just me playing like dog. It's not just us not being able to get the run game going. It's not just us not being on the same page passing wise. It's everybody's in this thing together. Everybody at some point isn't being accountable. And we all just got to bring it together, man. I love that he just unleashes and you can do that on your podcast, right?

He may not do it in front of a microphone when he's doing a press conference, a little more diplomatic then. But yeah, it is a total team effort. To say, though, that Patrick Holmes was great, but is only good now is ludicrous. The difference, though, is when you have the quarterback moving forward, you feel like, all right, we've got the most important piece. There are a bunch of teams in the NFL who will be once again on the hunt for a new quarterback, whether draft or free agency. In fact, they're probably already in the evaluation process before the season's ever done. Sounds like and looks like the Broncos will be in that space.

So where will Russell Wilson be an upgrade elsewhere since he does expect to be released in March in the spring? On Twitter, a law radio, also on our Facebook page after hours with Amy Lawrence, Jeremy is in Dallas. Jeremy, what do you think? Good morning. How are you? I'm good.

Thank you. So this is just my opinion, and I know not many people have mentioned it, aside from you, but I think Minnesota, I think for a couple reasons. You look at what they've had.

They've had big speed wins. Now they have just Jefferson, they have Hopkinson, even though he tired, of course. And you know, no disrespect to Kirk Cousins, but if I'm looking at the two on paper, I'm going to take Russell Wilson. And even if he's a two year short guy and he turns into a backup and they dropped another quarterback in the next couple of years, I think he would be a good mentor, even as a backup. But for right now, if I'm looking at that franchise and what they have right here, right now, I would say Russell Wilson would be an upgrade over Kirk Cousins.

You know, I'm not downplaying anything about Kirk Cousins, but I still think Russell Wilson will be better. Just because you look at Minnesota in the past five years or so and they haven't done anything in the playoffs, really. And trust me, I'm a Dallas fan.

So the last single the Cowboys had was before I was born. But I would still think Russell Wilson would be a good pick there. So I don't think I agree with you about them not making the playoffs. It's not been on the offense. I mean, their defense was so bad, like historically bad last year. And so I know that Kirk Cousins had a career year, had one of his best years in the league last season. And yet they did win the NFC North, but yet obviously early exit in the playoffs. I do think that the offense is built around him and he's got a good rapport with the receivers. They've obviously changed some receivers this year.

So I don't know that I agree with that, but I do like the creativity. I mean, they you're right. They haven't won with Kirk, won a Super Bowl with Kirk at their quarterback.

So maybe it's time for a change. And he is at the end of his deal and will likely still be hurt to start next year. So they may be looking for something different simply by virtue of the fact that they won't have Kirk to begin next season more than likely. Right, right.

And even if he doesn't go with Minnesota, if you want to look at him as a backup, you know, I think any of the guys that have a rookie quarterback this year, Carolina and Houston and so on, he would be a good backup for them to learn from and pick up things that he's been around, you know, however many years. Agreed. I do agree with that. Now, will he be happy doing that? That's the question. But Jared Stidham, who is taking over this week, raves about Russ and the way that he has been such a source of wisdom and experience and all that jazz. Really great guy, regardless of the things that people hear. Maybe he's eccentric.

Maybe he's different. He certainly is a megawatt star, but none of that matters if the team is winning. Right. Those wouldn't be issues if the team is winning. So and I think the way the team has treated him in this situation, now that the story is out, is going to cause other players to kind of think less highly of management if they already had a low opinion.

That's probably the case in Denver because of some of the mistakes they made. All right. Thanks so much for your phone call.

Happy New Year to you. Good to talk to you. Let's talk to Dave, who's in Kishner, Ontario, about Russ.

What do you think? Hello. Hello. Are you there, Amy? I got to be.

I got to be here. Hello. Hello. Yeah. You got about 60 seconds. Go ahead, sir. Hello.

This is such good radio. All right, let's move on. Ellen's in St. Louis. Ellen, what do you think about the Broncos mess? Hey, Amy, how's it going? It's going well. Thank you. I think we're about like 60 seconds, maybe 90 seconds away. So go ahead.

Oh, let me hurry up. First of all, kudos to producer Manny. I'm sure doing remote broadcasting is challenging.

So good job. Secondly, just as an aside, Mahone has become, you know, a little bit of a crybaby. And I'm a fan as a person who lost her team. I am a chief fan, but him. I mean, he just kind of looks like he's whining all the time. And it's not a good I mean, you agree or no? No, I do agree. And I think he understands it, too, and is not who he has to be. Yeah, no, I agree. I agree. He's turned into a bit of a crybaby for sure.

All right, about 45 seconds to adversity. Yeah. So bottom line, I do think that Sean Payton wants a quarterback he can control. And Russ kind of got over his ski. True. Colorado speak. But he's absolutely I think Russ was bigger than the game in a way.

And Sean Payton was like, no, I want somebody I can control and groom and ideas. So all my sister. Happy New Year to you.

Thank you so much. And happy New Year to you. Funny point about Patrick Mahone. So true that he's he's been a bit of a whiner this year.

We could do memes about that. I think it's interesting about Sean Payton. You're right. He's definitely a control freak. We knew they were going to butt heads.

What we didn't know is that the team was undermining its quarterback by threatening to bench him in October. We'll talk about that coming up. It's after hours on CBS Sports Radio. And right now, if you download Instacart, you'll get free delivery on your first three orders and delivery in as fast as one hour. Offer valid for a limited time.

Ten dollar minimum per order. Additional term supply. The most unique NBA podcast is out on Odyssey Heat Check with Trista Crick. NBA fans, listen up. I'm Trista Crick, host of the Heat Check podcast. And if you love this league, the storylines and want a funny digestible way to get all the news from around the association and someone to break down. What's really going on straight up. No chaser and make you laugh at the same time. Follow the Heat Check on the free Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcast.