Unpacking Aaron Rodgers' Future (Hour 1)

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There's a lot to listen to, so get started and download the free Odyssey app today. Live from the PlayShow, yet not overly ostentatious, studios of CBS Sports Radio here in beautiful New York City, sitting on top of the 10th floor of 345 Hudson Street, welcome on in to a Monday edition of the Zach Gelb show across all of our great local CBS Sports Radio affiliates, Sirius XM, Channel 158, and that free Odyssey app. 855-212-4CBS is number to jump on in, 855-212-4227, you could always get at me on Instagram where I'm straight flexing, or via the good old cesspool of Twitter, at Zach Gelb, that's Z-A-C-H-G-E-L-B, and producing this extravaganza for the next four hours is no other than Hot Take Hickey.

This dumb producer, Hot Take Hickey. Now to start off with the Green Bay Packers, as last night it was a win and you're in game for Aaron Rodgers and the Packers, all they simply had to do was take down the Detroit Lions and they would be playing next week in San Francisco, going up against the Niners. And you know by now that the Aaron Rodgers led Green Bay Packers once again in an important game at legendary Lambeau Field came up small.

Now there's a few reactions to this, but let me just say it right out of the gate. I know that there is a little ambiguity, to say the least, about the future of Aaron Rodgers. This has been the same dance pretty much the last three off-seasons. Is he going to retire? Is he going to come back and play for the Packers? Is he going to come back and force a trade? I do believe that Aaron Rodgers will be starting week one next year for the Green Bay Packers. I said that last off-season and I will say it this off-season again.

I think the least likely option is that he gets traded. I really do believe this decision comes down to is he going to retire or is he going to come back for Green Bay? And really last night after the game, and I understand those are tough emotions, say what you want about the commitment level of Rodgers, he wants to win. No one takes the field and says, oh I want to lose.

No one takes the field and says, I want to get embarrassed. So last night, it was just bizarre after the game where you had a player go up to Rodgers, ask for his jersey and he said, hmm, I may want to hold on to this one. Then in the post-game press conference, he said, when he was asked, what would you miss the most if you aren't back next year?

And he starts to give you just weird things and funny jokes about every member of the media and then he casually says at the end, I would miss the fans and I would miss obviously my teammates. You had Allen Lazard after the game, sounding like Allen Lazard was on his way out of the Green Bay Packers. But every year, we go through the song and dance of if Rodgers is going to come back and play for the Packers, and even when it looks like he's on his way out, he always comes back. So I don't think this one is any different unless, and we all know Rodgers is very bizarre and beats, and goes at the beat of his own drum, but I really do believe that barring him just wanting to pass up all this guaranteed money, that he's going to come back. And maybe he doesn't have the energy anymore to play football, maybe he just feels like he's done with playing football and there's greater things to accomplish, so that's where you put the retirement in play.

But with the way that this contract is structured for the Packers and Aaron Rodgers, it does make sense with the extension that he got this past offseason for him to come on back and give it one more run with the Green Bay Packers. But I will say this, what we saw last night, and there have been three awful moments for the Packers to end their season in three consecutive years at Lambeau Field, which everyone says, Lambeau Field, a frozen tundra, home field advantage, the last three times they have finished their season has been at Lambeau Field. You go back to 2020, where they were down and he had three drives to either tie the game or go take the lead. Two times down, five to go take the lead, three and out, three and out. And we all know the decision by Matt Leflore on that final drive, they were down by eight, could have went down the field, got a touchdown, got a two point conversion and tie it up.

They elected to kick a field goal. That game was bad because it was an NFC title game at Lambeau Field, but you were going up against Tom Brady and the Buccaneers who ended up winning a Super Bowl championship. You could even go back to last year when they lost in the divisional round to the 49ers. Once again, none of these are good moments. It was a bad performance. They scored an opening drive touchdown, then did not get in the end zone another time that evening. But honestly, last night was the worst out of the three.

And here's why. At least the one in 2020, you could chalk it up to going up against Brady and the eventual Super Bowl champion, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Last year, you could chalk it up to the 49ers are just his kryptonite. But this one is the worst one out of the last three years had they finished their season because he has no respect for the Detroit Lions. He looks at the Detroit Lions like they are gum on the bottom of his cleat. That's how he looks at Detroit. And he basically even said that when they already lost to Detroit earlier this year, 15 to 9. And you know what it kind of reminds me of?

If you go back to 2017. The Jacksonville Jaguars beat the Pittsburgh Steelers in the regular season, went up against them again in the postseason, saw them twice. And the Steelers went into that game overlooking Jacksonville, already thinking about the AFC championship game. And Jacksonville came into Pittsburgh, punched them in the mouth, took their lunch again, bullied the Steelers again.

And then Jacksonville went to the AFC title game, not the Pittsburgh Steelers. That's kind of the approach that Rogers had, where he threw three interceptions against Detroit the last time these two teams met. He basically said, we moved the ball. We just made mistakes.

They didn't really do anything well. He even had players for the Lions leading into this game talking about how Rogers doesn't respect them. And there was just this arrogance from Aaron and the entire Packers team. And I get it, they should be confident.

I get it. You go into a game thinking you're going to win and not lose. But I don't even think they thought it was a possibility that Detroit could win the game. I don't even think that Aaron Rodgers had any respect going into that game last night up against the Lions. And it wasn't until that final drive for him, where he threw the interception, that he said, wow, this is how the season is going to come down.

And this is how it's going to come crashing and burning down. But to only score 16 points last night, it's embarrassing. And I like the Lions headed into the game plus the five and a half points. I thought Green Bay, though, was going to win like 24 to 20. But I did plus the five and a half points with the Detroit Lions.

But for Aaron Rodgers and the Packers to lose that game last night. And I wasn't asking them to go on a Super Bowl run. I wasn't asking them to win a playoff game. All you were asking for was this team to get in the tournament. And even though they did a good job fighting back and putting themselves in a position to have a win or go home or win in your end type of situation, they failed when the moment was the brightest at home to a team that, quite frankly, you know, the quarterback doesn't respect.

I said it once and I'll say it again. This was the worst loss out of the three, because at least when they lost to Tampa, you could chalk it up to it's Brady and the Bucks. Last year, you could chalk it up to the 49ers.

That's their kryptonite. You could use the excuse, oh, special teams mistakes and all that stuff. This one, though, I know Detroit is an ascending team with Dan Campbell, but Rodgers doesn't respect them. And this was all in the offense last night. You can't blame the defense. You can't blame special teams. This was on Aaron Rodgers and his dreadful offense last night, only 16 points against the Lions. And even with playing a game that wasn't that clean, you had an opportunity to drive down the field and take the lead. And you couldn't do it. And you threw an interception to a guy that almost picked you off twice earlier.

One he dropped, then the other was negated by a penalty, and then the third time was a charm. That is bad. That is brutal. It does feel like, I will say, even though I think Rodgers is coming back, that a chapter did close and a book did close last night. But then I don't want to get caught up too much in the emotions, even though there was a lot of bizarre things after the game, because these last three years have all been bizarre. And any time you think Aaron Rodgers is on the verge of leaving Green Bay, and has one foot in, one foot out, and is very close to taking that left foot and joining with the right foot and walking out the door, he always comes back to the Packers. So you could be fed up with this. If I'm a Packers fan, I'm annoyed.

I am, first off, livid about the performance last night, but then it's like, oh, here we go again. It's another, is Aaron Rodgers going to come back? What is Aaron Rodgers going to do? Is he going to retire? Is he going to force himself out and get traded? Or is he going to come back with Green Bay? And I know Hickey and I, we've had this conversation now for the better part of three years, and even Hickey made the joke on this show last week that he's going to predict for a third straight year in a row that Rodgers is going to leave this offseason.

And I'm not going to lie, you guys know me, I love to throw it back in Hickey's face whenever you get something wrong. But the last two years, there was actual tangible proof that this guy wasn't going to come back. And if you're going to call me up today at 855-212-4CBS and say, Zach, I think he's retiring.

Zach, I think he's going to force a trade. I can't yell at you. I can't tell you that you're definitely wrong. I could just give you what I think. And I think the most likely outcome, maybe just because I'm immune now to all this conversation and I'm just like, oh, who cares? Just be honest. That's the other part. Rodgers, last night, I know he's not going to sit there and say, I'm out, I'm staying, I'm going to retire.

But he gives these answers that are just so vague that he basically mind bleeps you and you don't know what the heck he's doing. So here's our poll question today. Week one of 2023, Aaron Rodgers will be, and fill in the blank, starting for the Packers, starting for a new team, or retired? Right now, 38 percent believe that Aaron Rodgers is going to retire at the end of the season.

35 percent believe starting for a new team and 27 percent say starting for the Packers. Now, he's under contract with Green Bay. I know at times he appears to be frustrated, but he's always gone back to Green Bay. So even if last night is some frustration, even if last night is realizing maybe he lost some speed on his fastball, and sometimes you see the decline very quickly where a guy could go from back to back MVP award winners and then this year just not looking like himself. But what happened last night, even for Aaron Rodgers, who's going to be a first ballot Hall of Famer whenever he retires, Aaron Rodgers is going to go down as one of the top 10, 15 greatest quarterbacks to ever lace him up. Last night had to be humbling for him.

Last night had to be a wake up call for him as well, because it never even crossed his mind. I guarantee you it, that he could lose, and I say this in just the way that Rodgers probably views it, to the lowly Lions. And now Detroit is ascending. The Vikings won that division. Like, say what you want about the Packers going into the year, even with losing Devante Adams.

And even if you think they were going to take a step back, did anyone think they were going to take a step this far back? Where not only would they not win the NFC North, they wouldn't even qualify for the postseason. And even if I told you things were going to go bad for the Packers this year, if I told you all they had to do, headed into the season, was beat Detroit the final week and they would get into the tournament, you would say, okay, they'll definitely be in the playoffs.

But that's not the reality. That's not the Packers in 2023. The Packers in 2023 are out of the postseason without a championship.

No Lombardi Trophy once again. Rodgers coming up small once again at Lambeau Field. And we are left here just wondering, what will Aaron Rodgers do?

So I guess I'm in the minority right now with this poll question that you can find on Twitter at Zach Gelb at CBS Sports Radio. I get it why you would say, hey, Zach, maybe Rodgers going to retire. Hey, Zach, maybe Rodgers going to start for a new team. But for the last three years, every time we've had this conversation, he has always been back with the pack.

He's always had outs. And just freshly signing this contract this last offseason. I'm not going to sit here and tell you that I don't believe Rodgers is back in Green Bay next year, because I do believe he will be back in Green Bay. And if I had to list them in order in this poll question, most likely the least likely one back starting for the Packers next year, two retired, and the least likely would be starting for a new team.

What say you, 855-2124, CBS, 855-212, 4227. Week one of 2023, where will Aaron Rodgers be? We'll take a break. When we come on back, we'll get to what was a very special scene in Buffalo yesterday. And also, the Miami Dolphins are in the postseason.

But will they get to Otunga-Vilova back this weekend? We'll get to all that, we'll do a little preview Dolphins and Bills talk where those two teams are when the Zach Gelb show returns in five minutes. Listen and subscribe on the Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts from. There's a lot to listen to, so get started and download the free Odyssey app today. The listening you love is on the free Odyssey app. Your trusted local radio stations, coverage of your favorite teams, live news from your hometown, and millions of podcasts on demand. Best of all, you can completely customize your listening experience. Follow topics you care about, like leagues and teams, pause or rewind your local sports and news, and add shows to your queue to catch up later.

There's a lot to listen to, so get started and download the free Odyssey app today. Now, Hot Take Kiki, I know you believe Aaron Rodgers will not be back in Green Bay next year. You've shared that opinion before. The part of the conversation that we really haven't delved too much into, though, when it comes to your analysis that Aaron Rodgers won't be back in Green Bay, and I wonder where the pulse of that situation is after the way that you saw everything go down last night. Does that mean you think Rodgers is going to go and retire or Rodgers and the team are going to come together and find a way to trade him to a destination that would be mutual for both? I would still lean towards he'll play next year for a different team.

So rank him for me in order. You think there's no shot that he's coming back and starting for them? Do you think it's more likely that he will retire than come back and play in Green Bay next year? Yes, I would say no shot because you can't predict this guy. There's a chance he'll come back, but if we're doing, especially your poll question, 3-2-1, I would say least likely, not 0% chance, but least likely for me is playing Green Bay next year.

Middle is retiring, and then for me, the leader is right now playing on a new team next year. I know we have to have this conversation. It's the biggest talking point of the NFL day today because of last night, them coming up short once again in the big stage, on the big stage at Lambeau Field. But I don't know about you, I'm just tired of this. I really am. I don't want this to be a long dance. I don't want this to be a big circus this offseason with Aaron Rodgers, and maybe I should, but I just hope we get this decision soon.

Have a week, have a week and a half, two weeks, go do your little Ayahuasca trip, all that stuff. I guess he's not dating a witch anymore in Aaron Rodgers now. He's a co-owner of the Bucks, a minority owner, but he's dating the majority owner's daughter or something like that I read over the weekend. So go take a two-week vacation, cleanse your mind, get in your happy place right, as it would be said to Happy Gilmore, and then two weeks from now, just let us know what you want to do. Let us know if you're going to retire, let us know if you're going to force a trade, or what I think is going to be the most likely outcome, come on back for the Green Bay Packers. I don't want this to be Rodgers Watch 2023, where we have people camping outside of his home or outside the facility. What is Aaron Rodgers going to do? Sources close to the Rodgers camp tell me this, or friends say this and that.

The locker room just has to even, they won't admit it, but even the locker room has to be annoyed at this point because every year, anytime they get asked the question in the offseason, these players, it's all about what is Aaron Rodgers going to do? Is he going to do this? Is he going to do that? Just dude, make a decision and make it rather quickly. Like two weeks, I don't think I'm being unreasonable here, Ryan.

But two weeks should be enough to figure out what he wants to do. It's impossible to read Aaron Rodgers, right? With that said, there's one thing I can guarantee.

Only one guy can read him. No shot, two weeks will get a decision. I feel very confident in saying that for sure. Even, I think he's not going to be a team, I can't say that's a guarantee he'll be another team next year, but I feel certain as hell we will not get a decision in two weeks. This will drag on for two months. There's only one man I think in the world that could get Aaron Rodgers to expedite this process.

And this is how low of a scenario we're going to if I have to implore this guy to expedite the Aaron Rodgers process. Do you have any idea who this is? Mark Murphy? No. Brian Gudekunst?

Oh, come on. You think Rodgers actually cares what those guys have to say? Maybe Randall Cobb. It's Joe Rogan. Rogan and him are BFFs. Go to the Joe Rogan complex, maybe a tape of podcast, smoke a little cigar or something like that with Rogan, and Rogan could get the answer out of him.

That's the only person. Because I was listening to Dave Portnoy with Joe Rogan, and I heard that Joe Rogan say he's not a sports fan other than combat sports, but he's very good friends with Aaron Rodgers. Like he doesn't follow Rodgers. He doesn't watch the NFL, but he has a great relationship with Aaron Rodgers and he loves him. So Joe Rogan, be a good friend. Tell Rodgers, hey, the image of this is not good. And then let's get a decision done in two weeks. Joe Rogan is the key to getting Aaron Rodgers to expedite this process. That is how desperate I am to just want to put this stuff to bed and lay it to rest and just let us know what the heck Aaron Rodgers is doing.

855-212-4CBS. Let's go out to Green Bay, Wisconsin, and we talk to Chad, who's next up on CBS Sports Radio. Chad, what's happening? Hey, guys. Happy New Year's.

First off, bone in wings, blue cheese, hickey, stop eating chicken tenders. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, Chad. You are a phenomenal human being.

I really don't care what you say the rest of the phone call, but that's music to my ears. But go ahead. Two points for you about this game.

Yeah. All week we were talking about it in Green Bay about how embarrassing it would be to lose to the Lions with a chance to win the playoffs. And we did it. That's all on Aaron Rodgers. And I want to point out that play about that I called back with the hands of the face interception. It was like to me, Aaron Jones is shrieking down the field and he was going to be wide open. But Rodgers on your throne. I think he might be in the pain man era of his career where all he does now is I think he lost his arm strength. Well, I don't know about that.

And I appreciate the phone call, Chad. He's not he didn't have a good year. Now, that's clear. And to the last two years before this one, he won two MVPs. Now, Manning had a massive injury, but then Manning was able to come back in Denver and he was money. Now, it did quickly fade for Peyton Manning. But when I still watch Rodgers, I'm not ready to say because like Manning at the end of his career. And I know ironically, he ended it with the Super Bowl. But there was like talk of maybe having Brock Osweiler continue that run. Remember when Manning got hurt in that season? I still think Rodgers could play, but in these big moments, he doesn't show up. But even when he was at his best, which was the last two years, back to back MVP award winners.

In the big spot, he just doesn't show up. Now, there's a lot of fan bases around the country. Detroit, you know, being one, Cleveland being another, like, oh, you guys are spoiled. Hey, you're talking about you're bitching and complaining about Rodgers only having one. But with how early in his career he got one. And then he's never won another, let alone been to another Super Bowl. Maybe Rodgers, as great as he is, is just not clutch. And I think that's a fair assessment.

You could be a great player, win a Super Bowl in this league and still have in the big moment moments that are not clutch. And for whatever the reasons are, the last three years you've seen them, really the last four years. The entire team didn't show up in that first NFC title game when they went to San Francisco. They were 13 and three that year. Then the next year, 13 and three, they lose to Tampa. The year after that, 13 and three, they lose to the 49ers this year. OK, no more Davante Adams. Now, injuries all across the offensive line, chemistry problems on the defense.

They were banged up, but they were starting to get hot. Now, it didn't mean this was going to make them go on a Super Bowl run. But how great would that have been next weekend if we got to see Rodgers going to San Francisco? No offense, Seattle, wonderful story.

There's so much more appeal with Rodgers going to San Francisco. And could he find a way to defeat his kryptonite? But he couldn't find a way to take down the Detroit Lions. So could he be starting to slow down?

That's fair. But I don't think he's shot right now. He's still, he's even said this before, even when he's not at his best, it's still better than the majority of the quarterbacks in this league.

Hickey, let me ask you this, because it brings up the point that Chad just brought up. If Rodgers is playing next year, do you think we could see Rodgers at an elite level? Because when you throw out the Peyton Manning part and how his career ended, even though it won in a Super Bowl, he just declined out of nowhere. Rodgers did not play great this year. But I wouldn't think I'm in that mind of thinking that next year, if he goes back to Green Bay or if he goes somewhere else, that this guy, I don't want to say will play like a bum, but will play just really bad and it won't be worth what you traded to go get him.

You know, I think, yeah, physically, I think he'll still be fine. I think he can get back to the level he's in the right offense. I think him, Tom Brady, Russell Wilson, the same category of struggled, struggled different points and different variations of struggling for sure.

But I would say none of the three, their struggles are due to physical decline first and foremost. Well, Brady, I just think whenever he struggles, it's because he doesn't have an offensive line. Russell Wilson, I don't know what the heck happened to him this year.

You could blame the coaching. Russell Wilson, he just didn't even look at half the field for half the season. So that was a problem for Aaron Rodgers. I guess we could just chalk this up to missing Devante Adams this year and all the shuffling that was done in the offensive line. But still, he was developing chemistry with Christian Watson in the second half.

The offensive line got healthier. And last night he just played bad. And in a big moment, I don't know if that rattled him.

I don't know if he got in his own head. But he didn't look like the great Aaron Rodgers last night. And we keep on seeing that in recent years when the stakes do get raised and the games do become bigger. I want to get into yesterday's Buffalo Bills Patriot game. And we knew that was going to be an emotional scene in Buffalo before the game. And the Patriots win the toss.

They defer. And then let's listen up to Chris Brown on the Bills radio network as Naim Hines had two kickoff returns on the day. But this one to start the game just sent Buffalo into a frenzy as we got great news throughout last week about Damar Hamlin after the horrible thing that we saw on Monday.

And today we found out he's he left the Cincinnati hospital and they were able to move him to Buffalo and he's going to continue his treatment in a Buffalo facility. So it's just wonderful. And he's tweeting, he's talking, he's talking to his teammates, his loved ones. It's remarkable. I keep on saying that just remarkable how much progress he's made since a week ago.

And the scene in Buffalo yesterday was something like I've never seen. And it was really storybook how they opened up the game with this Naim Hines kickoff return for 96 yards. Folke puts his foot into the ball. It's going to be short fielded at the four by Hines coming straight up the middle to the 20. Cuts it back at the 25.

He's got an alley down the right sideline to the 40. 50. Down to the 40. 35. 30. 20. 15. 10.

5. Touchdown Naim Hines. 96 yards. Run, run as fast as you can. You're not catching Hines.

He's your end zone man. Buffalo on the board with the first play from scrimmage. So I'm hosting Ion football yesterday. And we immediately go to our reporter, Paul Hamilton, who's been covering the Bills forever. And he was describing the scene, Hickey.

And he just said there wasn't a dry eye in the building. And you know how passionate Bills fans are. You know how generous Bills fans are.

And in tough times, they rise to the occasion and elevate to the moment like no other. This entire past week, as you see all the money that's been donated, you've seen just the way that not only Bills fans, but the entire world has rallied around DeMar Hamlin. Even as a Patriot fan, I was fine with that kickoff return yesterday. And what was a win or go home game for my team, I was fine with that moment because I think we're all human. And not only did Bills fans deserve that, but those teammates, the medical staff, everyone involved in that organization, and DeMar Hamlin watching from his hospital room also deserved to see that moment. And basically everyone just celebrate him before the game. And then to start that game off that way, it's one of, I'll once again use the word, remarkable things that I've ever seen when it comes to sports. One of those moments where life was bigger than sports, but it's also one of those moments too where sports does bring you these just almost divine interventions, if you will, where it just was truly perfect. You can't even write the script. Right.

It was perfect. And it's really Hollywood like to see the way that Naeem Hines went into the end zone yesterday to open up the game. Now on the other side, the Bills will have a home game this weekend as well, and they will be going up against the Miami Dolphins as they will now meet for the third time. Dolphins beat them earlier in the year. And then the Bills a few weeks ago in that snowy game back and forth game, Buffalo was able to emerge with the victories.

The snow started to fall in the fourth quarter and then just out of nowhere became a blizzard in that fourth quarter. The big question with the Dolphins who Patriots lost yesterday. Dolphins just survived up against the Jets.

They went 11 to 6. Sanders with the big kick at the end before the safety that did cost some people in the gambling world. The big question is, are we going to see Tua Tunga Vailoa? Mike McDaniel did address reporters today, and McDaniel did say that they're hoping to have more clarity by Wednesday. I don't know if Tua is going to play or not. I probably think he shouldn't play the rest of the season when he suffered multiple concussions. I think what you're going to get, though, from the Dolphins when they say clarity by Wednesday is if he's not able to clear concussion protocol, then they're just going to say, we're going to move forward, and I guess it will be Skylar Thompson who's going to be starting, which I think Buffalo's winning the game even if Tua does play, but if they don't even get Tua on the field, and it still may be a blowout with Tua on the field, then this could be, depending on who you root for, and if you don't have a dog in the fight, it could be a really, really long and ugly day for the Miami Dolphins coming up this weekend. And now you're sitting here hoping that Teddy Bridgewater isn't going to be ready to go, which is kind of sad reality, but that's... Even if Tua plays, and I don't think he should play again when he suffered two concussions that we know of, I thought he suffered a third one. They say in that game against Buffalo, it was a back injury.

I don't think he should play, but even if he does, I don't think the game is going to go in Miami's favor. With all that, even before you say with what the Bills have been through, but just the way the Bills have been playing. And I still look at them from top to bottom as the most talented team in football. And you look at the AFC, it's Buffalo, it's Cincinnati, and it's Kansas City. All of those three teams will get to the Super Bowl, and in the NFC, it's a little bit more wide open, but I just don't see right now how Miami is going to be able to slow down Josh Allen. And Josh Allen, he's a top three quarterback in the game.

You could argue one. I know everyone's going to see him at home, so you could argue one for Josh Allen, and I just don't see how Miami's going to be able to slow him down. But if they don't have Tua, they don't even have a shot.

If they do have Tua, I don't think they're going to be able to win that game. Follow topics you care about, like leagues and teams. Pause or rewind your local sports and news, and add shows to your queue to catch up later.

There's a lot to listen to, so get started and download the free Odyssey app today. What's the strangest thing you're afraid of? Tails without fur on them, such as rats or possums. I'm Larry Mullins, host of the podcast Your Weirdest Fears, where we dig into the crazy things you're afraid of. Everything from animal-people hybrids, you know, people who get surgeries to look like an animal, to giant statues.

If I ever saw one of those giant statues, I probably would poop my pants. Listen and subscribe on the Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts from. The listening you love is on the free Odyssey app. Your trusted local radio stations. Coverage of your favorite teams. Live news from your hometown. And millions of podcasts on demand. Best of all, you can completely customize your listening experience. Follow topics you care about, like leagues and teams. Pause or rewind your local sports and news, and add shows to your queue to catch up later.

There's a lot to listen to, so get started and download the free Odyssey app today. You're listening to The Zach Gelb Show. I think the AFC for Wildcard Weekend is very predictable. The NFC? I think it's very unpredictable. Like, Hickey, you would agree, Bills-Dolphins, even if Tua plays, you would anticipate that the Buffalo Bills are going to win that game, correct Amundo? Yes. Bengals-Ravens, even if Lamar Jackson makes his triumphant return for the Baltimore Ravens, you would agree that the Cincinnati Bengals are going to win that game.

Correct. Now, Saturday night, that's what I think actually may be the best game of the weekend. In a weird way, I'm actually most excited for Chargers and Jaguars, because just in the AFC, I think that's the most unpredictable game out of the three. Doug Peterson and the Jaguars are hot. Trevor Lawrence playing really good football, taking that huge step.

It's weird to say you're number two, because does Lasher even count with that jackass Urban Meyer on the sidelines? But for the Chargers, they have a young, great quarterback in Justin Herbert, but you don't even know what Mike Williams is going to be at. Because in a game that meant nothing yesterday for the Chargers, I understand playing some of your guys early.

But with how late that they played their guys, even after the injuries, it was just stupid to me by Brandon Staley, who I don't have a lot of confidence in. But Jaguars and Chargers, right now, I won't hold you to it, Hickey. On this Monday, who are you saying is going to win that game between the Chargers and Jags? I'll go Jacksonville. Uh-oh, Duval.

Duval, you just lost the game. I'll go Chargers for now just because of Herbert, but it wouldn't surprise me either way. Now, with that being said, think about what divisional weekend could be in the AFC, Hickey. You could be getting Josh Allen against Joe Burrow, and you could get Patrick Mahomes up against either Trevor Lawrence, or you could be getting Justin Herbert against Patrick Mahomes. I think the NFL would love 1-5 Mahomes-Herbert, and they would also love 2-3 Bills-Bangles.

That would probably be the best scenario, but if you then substitute Herbert out-Lawrence in, you still get a phenomenal divisional weekend in the AFC. Outside of 49ers, Seahawks, because I think the 49ers will continue to roll. They've won 10 in a row, and I know that you could always be fearful and apprehensive of maybe Brock Purdy having a rookie moment. I just think the roster is just too good in San Francisco to lose to a Seattle team who's had a heck of a season, and Pete Carroll has done a masterful job this year. But I just don't think the 49ers are going to lose. But as for the other two games, Cowboys and Buccaneers is a toss-up, and Giants and Vikings, that was a very close game the last two times those two teams met. In a long field goal that won the game for Minnesota. So could I see Daniel Jones and the Giants going into Minnesota even though Minnesota has more talent winning the game?

Yes. I know the Buccaneers have not had a good season, and I've been very much so telling you that the Bucs are not going to be a threat come playoff time in a weird way because Brady's my guy. I had to convince Hickey to finally agree with me after weeks and weeks and weeks of Hickey just digging his heels deep into the ground and saying, I'm not backing off Tampa. He finally did back off, but Hickey, with the way the Cowboys looked yesterday, and really with the way that the Cowboys have looked the last few weeks, Dak Prescott, I saw this stat the other day. He leads the league in interceptions this year. He has 15 tied with Davis Mills. Dak Prescott missed five games this year.

Five! He's having a horrible season. And I know it was very unlikely yesterday that the Eagles were going to lose to the Giants. So the Cowboys really didn't have much of a shot to go get the NFC East crown. But just by the chance the Eagles would have lost, the Cowboys wouldn't even been able to capitalize because they got embarrassed by Sam Howell.

Think about that. The commanders took command of the Cowboys yesterday. But Brady has never lost against the Cowboys in his career. I know that the Cowboys have a good pass rush, but I can't trust Dak Prescott in a big spot. I can't trust Mike McCarthy in a big spot. So I kind of lean early on on this Monday, that Monday Night Football, which I don't like that this game is a Monday Night Football and ESPN should be very happy that they have Troy Aikman and Joe Buck now a part of their team. Because if this is still Steve Levy and Greasy and Lewis Riddick, I don't think they're getting Cowboys and Buccaneers, but that's what they get. Right now, early lean on a Monday, a week away from this game as I'm going Buccaneers on the Sunday NFC game, I would slightly now lean the Giants and then I would go with the 49ers. But I think the NFC outside of that Seahawks and 49ers game, it's really unpredictable because Giants, Vikings very close last time they played. Cowboys, Buccaneers played week one where Tampa Bay won, but you really can't trust either of those teams with the way that they've played in Dallas and Tampa. It's going to be fascinating to see how it plays out in the NFC. Oh, yeah, there's a lot of teams you don't feel good about, which does create, you know, uncertainty, which is what you want for playoffs for sure.

And also, not that I want to crush the Eagles yesterday, and I still think they could get to the Super Bowl and they've been my pick for the majority of the season coming out of the NFC. But it is an unknown with how healthy Jalen Hurts is. And even Nick Sirianni admitted, now they'll have a week in between and he hasn't played the last few weeks, but even Nick Sirianni admitted yesterday that Jalen Hurts was 100%. So if he's not 100%, how close is he to 100% and how much will this week off help? And not to ask him to really do much yesterday because you're going against the Giants who was starting Davis Webb. It's just OK. That's something that Hurts has been so good this year.

It's just an unknown. And as much as San Francisco has been wonderful, they were three and four, haven't lost the game since. You look at San Francisco and Kyle Shannon, you know, maybe the coach of the year this year, it's either going to be him, Doug Peterson, Brian Dabler, Pete Carroll, probably how everything did play out. San Francisco has great of a roster, they have you, and Brock Purdy is playing some big time ball this year. You know, he's looking pretty good.

Rock out with your Brock out with the way that Brock Purdy is playing. But if he has a rookie moment in the postseason, would that surprise anyone? But I can't tell you I buy into the Seahawks. I can't tell you I buy into the Cowboys.

I can't tell you I buy into Tampa Bay. And I can't tell you that Minnesota, all of a sudden, I have this tremendous amount of confidence in to go to the Super Bowl. They got blown out by Dallas. They got blown out by Green Bay. They lost big to the Lions.

They lost big to the Eagles, Minnesota. So it's like I still feel as if we're going to get Philadelphia and San Francisco in the NFC title game at Lincoln Financial Field. But in the NFC, with the way that it's gone this year, would it's would I be stunned with my jaw be on the floor? If Philadelphia or San Francisco had a hiccup or had a little bit of a stumble where then it becomes a disaster, would they fall flat on their face in the divisional round?

No. Like the AFC, if it's someone other than Burrow, Allen or Mahomes in the Super Bowl this year in Glendale, Arizona, I'd be stunned. In the NFC, yeah, you'd think it's either Philadelphia or the 49ers, but nothing at this point would surprise me.

Because all year, like we've been trying to trust teams in the NFC and I know Philadelphia and San Francisco have both garnered the most trust. But going into the postseason, it's like, OK, let's see what Brock Purdy will do. He did so well in the regular season.

What will he do in the postseason? And then for the Eagles, a guy that was maybe going to win the MVP of the league, got hurt, comes back. And it's like we're blown away or not really.

Was he even in a position yesterday to blow you away? Well, the AFC, it's loaded, it's top heavy. The NFC, it's like we're trying to make someone great.

San Francisco has been playing the best ball, but it doesn't mean that they're a lock to get into the Super Bowl this year. It is the Zach Gelb show on CBS Sports Radio. We will take a five minute break. We'll come on back.

And when we return, it's time for no huddle offense as we go from game to game around the league in the final NFL regular season week, which was yesterday in week 18. Follow topics you care about, like leagues and teams, pause or rewind your local sports and news and add shows to your queue to catch up later. There's a lot to listen to. So get started and download the free Odyssey app today. The listening you love is on the free Odyssey app, your trusted local radio stations, coverage of your favorite teams, live news from your hometown and millions of podcasts on demand. Best of all, you can completely customize your listening experience. Follow topics you care about, like leagues and teams, pause or rewind your local sports and news and add shows to your queue to catch up later. There's a lot to listen to.

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