Previewing AFC & NFC Title Games (Hour 3)

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There's a lot to listen to, so get started and download the free Odyssey app today. I'm Larry Mullins, host of the podcast, Your Weirdest Fears, the show that explores the odd things that make your heart stop. I am so scared of the Grinch. He is bad vibes. We talk to everyone from therapists to exterminators to lizard man. I was 25 when I actually got my tongue split.

I have one tattoo that covers my entire body. Listen and subscribe on the Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts from. That's what I'm talking about. It is the Zach Yelp show coast to coast on CBS Sports Radio. We're here all the way up until 10 p.m. Eastern, 7 p.m. Pacific. Dave Lapham will join us coming up 20 minutes from now. We'll get the Bengals perspective going into this AFC title game coming up on Sunday at Burrowhead. Which, cheese fans will say, is Arrowhead, of course. Do you think, Hickey, and I know we're about to do onside offside, I'm going to ask you an onside offside question before we get to onsides offside. Do you think, at one point in the broadcast on Sunday, Jim Nantz or Tony Romo will refer to Arrowhead as Burrowhead? Do you think they will do that on the broadcast?

Oh, without a doubt. Probably within the first three minutes of the game. Like, I'm not talking about, oh, earlier last week you had Mike Hilton refer to it as Burrowhead.

I mean, we're here at Burrowhead, right Jim? Something like that. Do you think it will sound like that? Yes, especially if the bang goes right down the field to score a touchdown. Opening drive.

Who says it first? Nantz or Romo? Romo. It could come in the pregame report with Tracy Wolfson, but that's more talking about the storyline.

I could see Romo definitely playing into the whole Burrowhead line. Alright, anyway, five questions, five answers. We do this every Monday and Friday on the Zach Gelb Show on CBS Sports Radio. Let's get to a little onsides offside. Hot take, Hickey?

Hit it! Zach's taking on the most polarizing issues in sports. Which side of the line of scrimmage will he end up on? Offside, defense number 69. It's onsides offsides with Zach Gelb on CBS Sports Radio.

Alright, what do we got? Well, Z-Man, a lot of attention on conference championship weekend will be placed on who else but the quarterbacks. Patrick Holmes looks to play through an ankle injury while also holding on to his top spot as the number one quarterback in the NFL. While Joe Burrow does look to displace Mahomes and catapult himself to the top ranks to call himself the best quarterback in the league with a second straight Super Bowl appearance. The Brock Purdy looking to make history for the 49ers and really making history in the NFL to try to become the first rookie quarterback ever to make the Super Bowl and win a conference championship game.

And finally, Jalen Hurts looks to finish off the best year of his career with a trip to the big game at home and defend home turf. Onsides or offsides, Zach? Patrick Holmes is the quarterback this weekend with the most pressure on him. That's offside because I just look at how you would talk about him if he lost. Like if Mahomes loses, I think you say two things. There's no shame in losing to Joe Burrow or the ankle played a significant role in the game.

When I look at pressure off the losing side of the conversation. If Burrow loses, I think it's okay. You didn't win a Super Bowl, you haven't won a Super Bowl yet, but there's no shame in losing to Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs. And you beat them already three times. If the 49ers lose, the way we talk about Brock Purdy, I think it's okay.

Cinderella had midnight hit. But if you look at Jalen Hurts, if Jalen Hurts loses, I think you say, wow, you lost to Mr. Irrelevant. Wow, you lost to Brock Purdy and you did so at home. I really do think the 49ers and Eagles rosters are very, very even. But where I look at an advantage, I see Jalen Hurts, who's played like an MVP this year.

Brock Purdy has had a great run, but it's not to an MVP level. And I think the most pressure is really on Jalen Hurts coming up this weekend. Because how it would be talked about if you look at all the quarterbacks and how it would be talking about them if they did go out there and lose the game coming up on Sunday. So Patrick Mahomes is the QB with the most pressure on him this weekend.

I would go offside. There's an enormous amount of pressure though on Mahomes because, right, the Bengals look like a better team than the Chiefs. Also, his injury is going to play a major role in the game, but I'm still going with Jalen Hurts just because how we would talk about it if Jalen Hurts were to lose compared to how we talk about it if Mahomes were to lose.

I think that ankle could be used as an excuse. Sean Payton's future, it is what Aaron Rodgers would say is a beautiful mystery. It seemed like earlier this week that the former Super Bowl champion was not going to get a job this cycle.

Wait, real quickly. Rodgers has said that before, a beautiful mystery? Oh, yeah, about his future. Last year. Oh, okay. I don't remember that.

What's my future? It's a beautiful mystery. One of the most vague teases you can give on whether he's going to return, whether he's going to force a trade, whether he's going to retire. He's really pumping it up. I think it was in a press conference, not even a Mac feature.

I think it was last year after the loss, I believe, or maybe on the exit interview, one of the two, but beautiful mystery. It's weird. We have to talk about this Rodgers stuff so much.

I'm really tired of it. Let's just know what's happening already. Well, we will not talk about an on-sides-off side, so you don't worry about that. Oh, really? That is correct.

Okay, well, then you can keep on talking. We will talk about someone else's future that's been talked about a lot with and is very uncertain. That is Sean Payton. Because, again, we thought that he was not going to get a job, but earlier today, NFL Network's Ian Rappaport is making it seem like the door is still open for Payton to coach this season. He's on the Pat Mac official earlier today. He said that Sean Payton's interview with the Cardinals yesterday went well, and then also, Payton has not been eliminated from the Broncos' head coaching search.

On-sides or off-sides, Zach, Sean Payton will be coaching in the NFL in 2023. You know our pal, Jersey Jerry, who tries to find the signs and everything to make him go out there and have a winning bet? I think there's some signs here.

I think there's some hints here. D'Amico Ryans. What's the latest report on D'Amico Ryans? He's emerged as the top candidate for the Texans' job, correct?

That's correct. So, maybe that means D'Amico Ryans, assuming he takes that job, is because maybe there's a sense, and, you know, D'Amico Ryans up for the other jobs, that Sean's either going to land in Arizona or Denver. Like, I would have thought that D'Amico was going to land in Denver, but now the Texans are emerging, and they may be the top landings bottom.

We'll see if that does come to fruition. So with that being the biggest name right now on the market, or the hottest name on the market right now outside of Sean Payton, is D'Amico Ryans, I think that's telling because we know the biggest name is Sean. So that makes me think, since we got news today about where D'Amico Ryans could potentially land, and that it seems like it will be Houston, then maybe there is some talk behind the scenes after that eight-hour meeting that Arizona is going to offer the job to Sean, and they got to get a deal done with the Saints first before you could talk contract, or maybe Denver swoops back in, Sean, you went, you did all your visits, you did all your interviews. All right, let's get you back to the table, and we could offer you the most money because we have the richest owners in the NFL. So I believe it's either going to be Denver or I think it's going to be Arizona.

I predicted Arizona yesterday, so I will stick with that today. And you asked me just simply not where is he coaching, but will he be coaching in 2023? And I think he will be, onsides.

How would you answer that question, by the way? Onsides, yes, I think he's coaching. Zona?

Yes, yes, Arizona. The timing of the D'Amico Ryans report to me is fascinating. I think it's more about, honestly, the lack of interest for Denver than it is him thinking that Sean Pate's going to get the job, because remember yesterday, it was reported that D'Amico Ryans was the favorite and the top candidate for the Broncos.

Even while Sean Pate was still not eliminated. So it seemed like they wanted him first, but obviously playing in Houston, he has that connection, and now if he prefers to coach his old team, not good for Denver. Not good for Denver. Seems like it's a staring contest between the Cardinals and Broncos for Sean. And it could go either way, and probably the Cardinals have the upper hand right now. And D'Amico's like, I'm not waiting to be the second guy there, so let me just go get my job with the Texans, a place where I'm beloved.

And probably, you would imagine, is going to inevitably get more power, because I don't know how much longer Nick Caserio is going to be last in there if you don't have some signs of success coming up next year. Let's talk a little gambling onto you for Chiefs and Bengals, because it has been a wild, wild week for that line specifically. Now, right now, currently as we said here, the Chiefs are one point favorite at home. The line is flip-flopped between Sunday night when it first came out, and now seven different times, starting out Sunday evening as the Chiefs as two and a half point favorites. It eventually got as high as the Bengals as two and a half point favorites, and now it is Landon at one point in favor of the home team right now. If the line does hold, it will mean that Patrick Holmes, in his career, would have been a home underdog just one time. It actually happened early this season, week six against the Bills, in which, again, the Chiefs did lose and did not cover either. In the NFC, Eagles do head into Sunday's game as two and a half point favorites at home over the 49ers.

Onsides are offside. Zach, both favorites, so Chiefs and Eagles, will win on Sunday. It's weird, I don't really consider, right, the way that, it's kind of tough to say who's the favorite in the Chiefs-Bangles game.

Like, I know we had this conversation earlier, like, nationally, who do people view as the team to beat? But the fact that the Bengals earlier in the week got up to a two and a half point favorite, it shows you how uncertain people are. Like, there's usually not a coin flip kind of scenario. This seems like a coin flip, and it's also, it's now a one point spread, so it's basically a pick'em. Anyway, just as long as Kansas City, you know, doesn't win the game by one point. Like, they win, I don't know, 27-26 or 30-29, and you lay the point with the Chiefs, right, then you end up pushing. So, this is basically a pick'em, and I believe the Bengals are going to win. They beat in the last three times. I don't know what the status of Mahomes is.

I know that he's been a full participant in practice, but how is that going to hold up? The Chiefs and Bengals, I will flip on and vacillate 9,000 times. I feel really good. Like, I mean, I'm not saying it's a blowout. I think I said earlier, what, 24-16, the Eagles beat the 49ers. I feel really confident about the Eagles this weekend, that they're going to win. But Chiefs and Bengals, like, that one could really go either way. I will lean, though, that the Bengals are going to win the game. So, you ask me, both the Chiefs and the Eagles will win, I will go offside, because I like Cincinnati to beat Kansas City. If you just had to money line, like, let's just say I made the money line the same. I know that's not the way that it works for every team this weekend.

But you had to put $30,000 of your own money down, Hickey. Who's the team that you would put it down on this weekend, that you have the most confidence in for this weekend? The most confidence in? For me, it's Philadelphia. I will go with the Bengals.

Really? The Bengals, yes. I feel like the answer is Philadelphia. Now, you don't think the Eagles are going to win the game. Right, I think the 49ers are winning, so that's why I would never say the Eagles.

I don't know, I feel like that little pause, that hesitation that you had, maybe you were thinking about Philadelphia there. Oh, no, I was thinking about the 49ers. I feel good about them. Not maybe as strong as you feel about the Eagles, I feel good about the Niners going in and winning.

Well, obviously, it's the same game. If you're thinking about the Niners, I feel good about the Eagles. Well, I'm saying you could be on the fence, like, I don't know, I think I'm going to win, but I don't feel great about it. I feel pretty good about the Niners. I feel great about the Eagles. Well, one of us will come in here, chest puffed out on Monday, feeling good about a pick.

The other will have a head down and some disappointment. Would you shave your head? No, I would not shave my head for the 49ers, that's for sure. Would you engrave a number on your head that confident that you are in the 49ers? No, I would not do anything betting-wise for the 49ers. Gotcha, so you're not really that confident in the 49ers. Well, no, I'm not a betting guy in general, I'm not going to bet something for a game that's not even my team involved.

You don't bet on other teams? Not really, I'm not a big gambler, I'm a sore loser. I hate losing money, I hate losing in general. You're a sore loser? I'm a very sore loser.

Yeah, tell me something I didn't know. So that's why I really don't just bet in general because I get very, very pissed when I lose. And just the pride itself of losing, nothing's on the line, it's bad enough. Now if it's money, now if it's something else, now that it's paid off.

Yeah, but those things are so, like, forget the money part, I'm talking about, like, shaving something in your head or giving up something like that. That would be pissed. Ah, that's trivial, come on. That's a reminder of what I got wrong.

So, yeah, that's why, yeah. Wait, so you don't get annoyed when you don't gamble on things, but what about all the times that you say the wrong things on the air and you get things wrong? Does that actually annoy you?

That affects you? Yes, oh yeah, I get upset. I want to be right. I'm here to, when I say things, I'm saying them with my heart of hearts that I think I am right. Yeah, but you don't get paid to be right. Oh, I get that, but at the same time, like, I don't say things just to say them, so I say them, again, trying to give my best opinion on what's going to happen.

Okay. And when I'm wrong, I just take it personally. Do you lose sleep over that when you get something wrong?

I mean, I lose, well, it depends, if it's not my team, I'm not going to lose sleep over it, but. By the way, good time to remind everyone, if Hickey gets something wrong, you can find him on Twitter, at Ryan underscore Hickey 3. Plenty of people are not shy.

Not shy, that is for sure. I love the hot take Hickey tweets that you get. Like, you make a prediction on this show, and I get people right away, I'm picking the other teams. I love that. And I say, I have nothing to be that impressed by. I have, uh, I'm only six in playoff picks this year, so I haven't been that great either.

Go ahead. All right, so D'Amico Ryans, we talked to him before, 49ers vets coordinator, he is a man in high demand, and seemingly, he's making his wants known. Now, according to Ian Rappaport, Ryans is the top target for the Houston Texans, and it does appear that the interest is mutual.

Ryans will meet with the team next week, and if all goes well, could be named their next head coach. This comes 24 hours after his report that the two-time Pro Bowler was the top candidate for the Broncos head coaching job, so seemingly, he has his choice between the Broncos and the Texans. Onsides or offsides, D'Amico Ryans should pick the Broncos over the Texans.

This is like, what disease would you rather have? I guess I would go Broncos, because I think they're a quicker fix, but if Russ does not play well, then they're absolutely screwed. Like, the Texans, they don't have a lot of pieces. I know they have good draft capital, but you gotta hit on those picks.

So, I would really hold my nose, and I would slightly go Denver over the Texans, but it doesn't appear that's the way that this is gonna go down, so I'll go onsides. And finally, Tua Tungavailo remains in concussion protocol a month after entering the protocol after a Christmas Day concussion that was discovered the following day. Tua will now skip the Pro Bowl as ESPN is reporting... AKA the concussion spotters missed it. That, they've missed it twice.

Twice, which is pretty scary. ESPN is reporting that there have been any setbacks for the third-year quarterback in the protocol, but that is being very deliberate with this process. Tua missed the better part of six games this year because of head injuries. Onsides are offsides. The Dolphins need to search for a full-time replacement for Tua this offseason.

If you can hear me laughing, I'm not laughing about what Hickey's asking me. Someone sent me just a very funny tweet that I'll tell you in just a second. But you ask the Dolphins, they need to search for a replacement for Tua this offseason onsides. It's unfortunate what has occurred with Tua. We all wish Tua nothing but the best, but we don't know when he's gonna get cleared, and if he does get cleared, he's one concussion away from maybe his NFL career being over.

So I would say onsides that the Dolphins do need to search for a replacement for Tua this offseason. Slick Reynolds on Twitter, who loves just poking fun at you. Hot take Hickey must be taking Bassen Epsom salt every Sunday if he's a sore loser because his favorite team is the Indianapolis Colts.

Look at Slick Reynolds. He's going all Dr. Teals on you right there. He's gonna say wrong sponsorship.

Come on. Epsom salt is the brand. Oh, you said Epsom. I didn't hear the first word.

I thought you were talking about a brand name for salt. Oh, I see. Yeah. It's all right. It's all right.

It's all right. You and Slick Reynolds, I feel the tension between you two. No tension. I don't know what he wants. I don't think you like Slick Reynolds.

He's very negative towards the Colts and I can't really give him a reason not to right now that unfortunately they've not been very good and are making themselves look like fools with this whole Jeff Saturday debacle. So what can I talk about the interview process? Yeah. Oh, yeah.

Oh, make yourselves look like fools. But there's zero percent chance you get the job. He's not going to get hired.

But just even dangling out there is embarrassing enough. You can't even just say there's at least a five percent chance of this guy's getting a second interview is it's still mind boggling to me. Dave Lapham will join us next as we preview the AFC title game, the Cincinnati Bengals and the Kansas City Chiefs. We will be joined by the former Bengal and current team broadcaster Dave Lapham next. I'm Larry Mullins, host of the podcast, Your Weirdest Fears, the show that explores the odd things that make your heart stop. I am so scared of the Grinch. He is bad vibe. We talk to everyone from therapists to exterminators to lizard man. I was twenty five when I actually got my tongue split.

I have one tattoo that covers my entire body. 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. I'm Larry Mullins, host of the podcast, Your Weirdest Fears, the show that explores the odd things that make your heart stop. I am so scared of the Grinch. He is bad vibe. We talk to everyone from therapists to exterminators to lizard man. I was twenty five when I actually got my tongue split.

I have one tattoo that covers my entire body. Listen and subscribe on the Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts from. Because you guys know how much I love hearing Scott so like just to react to all the craziness that goes down during Patriot games. But for the bangles, coffin nails, bam, bam, bam. And just the sound effects that you hear for Dave Lapham, along with Dan Hoard is just some awesome stuff. And Dave Lapham is kind enough to join us right now. Dave, I know it's been a while, but how you been? Hey Zach, doing well. Thanks for the invitation.

I appreciate you coming on. So we all know that this is a confident Cincinnati Bengals team. When you get the burrow head comments and it seems like both these teams are having a back and forth. Does any of that stuff actually matter leading up to this game? There might be a little bit of a showmanship leading up to the game. But honestly, when you get on the field and you have the pads on and they come off the line of scrimmage and hit each other first play, all that stuff goes away. You know, it's just it's just football at that point in time.

There's no question about it. And I do agree this is a very confident football team, but I think it's an earned confidence. They've won 10 in a row and they've done it in different ways and they feel pretty good about it. And obviously the Kansas City Chiefs. I mean, what can you say? Their fifth AFC championship game that they're hosting five in a row.

I mean, that is crazy. This is the team to beat. As Joe Joe Burrow says himself, the Kansas City Chiefs are the team to beat. And fortunately for the Bengals, they have beaten them three times in a row, you know, in a calendar year. And they're going to face it for the fourth time in less than 13 months. It's hard to beat a good team three times a row and even harder to do it a fourth.

Here's the thing. And we were having this conversation earlier about who's the team to beat. And I think nationally it's still perceived to be the Kansas City Chiefs.

But if the Bengals now, which they already beat them twice in the regular season, if they now go back to back in the AFC title game, it starts to feel like the Bengals then become the team to beat for the foreseeable future in the AFC. And, you know, it's crazy because all three of those football games are by three points. I mean, you know, it's just they are just slobbernocker battle royales, you know, and it comes down to just who's going to make a play. What you try to do in these football games, who's going to make the play, who's going to avoid the big mistake. You know, and that's basically what these games have boiled down to. And this one's going to be a very interesting chess match because, you know, Patrick Mahomes with the high ankle sprain, I don't think it's a severe one to see him moving around the way he's moving around.

It definitely doesn't appear to be as severe as initially thought. But what kind of adjustments will they make offensively? I have a feeling it would not shock me if they come out in two tight ends and try to pound the rock, play, you know, beat the Bengals on the ground. And if there is a fly in the defensive ointment of Lou Annaromo, it has been against multiple tight end sets and people, you know, playing big boy pad ball on them and putting on those big boy pads and double chin straps and trying to get after them a little bit. The Bengals had their issues there.

And if they can get that running game going and play action pass off a bit and RPOs and that kind of thing with Patrick Mahomes and don't rely on him trying to get out of pocket, extending and creating. Just watching him even jog between drills and everything in practice, he still does have a limp. It's not a terrible one, but he's not 100 percent. You know, maybe he's 85, 90 percent, but he's not 100.

Talking to Dave Lapham right now. So you look at the way that these games have gone in the last three times out. Lou Annaromo's defense just takes over, really in the second half, especially in that fourth quarter. What is it about him as a defensive coordinator that as the game gets on, he kind of starts to figure out and shut down this Kansas City offense? Because other than Lou, we really haven't seen that from any other D.C. in the NFL. I agree with that.

And with that said, it's amazing to me. He hasn't gotten an interview for a head coaching position yet. I just can't figure that one out because he is one of the bright defensive coordinators in the National Football League.

There's no question about it. And what he does, he's always got something in his hip pocket. He's always saving some kind of an adjustment. You know, he knows, you know, with with Andy Reid and Eric, the enemy and Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce. You know, there's going to be adjustments and adjustments to adjustments.

So, you know, you always want to have something that you can you can pull out of there. But he was a former defensive back himself. He cut his teeth as a defensive backfield coach. His whole philosophy is take care of business from the top down. And he gives you so many different looks on the back end.

Pre snap and post that are totally different. And he's got and then he'll he'll give you a different pressure packages up front as well. And he'll mess with you in that regard. So he'll he'll try to get in the line and offensive lineman's head, the quarterback head and just play like a chess game, like he's a chess master. And the thing that they've done a great job of personnel department and the coaching staff is drafting players that have both the physical and mental ability to be positionless. I mean, he's got defensive lineman that can drop out of there and play linebacker. He's got, you know, defensive backs that can line up can play slot corner outside corner safety. He's got six different players out of his 11 that can spy a quarterback and he mixes and matches all of it. So he's very, very versatile in his looks because the personnel on the Bengals defensive football team has the mental and physical capacity to be versatile as well.

Dave Lapham here with us. We know Buffalo last week could not take advantage of all the shuffling that's been going on because of injuries on the Bengals offensive line. I know Kansas City's second most sacks in the league, but where's the confidence level with the offensive line as they once again won't have Kappa and Williams. And we know Lael Collins has done for the season.

Yeah, I think they realized that they're they're stepping into the next level. You mentioned that 55 sacks second in the NFL, Philadelphia has 70 the only team with more. The other thing is Kansas City's only given up 26, which is third best in the NFL.

That plus 29 ratio sack ratio between sacks allowed sacks given up is the best in the NFL. So they protect the homes and the homes protects the offensive line with creating and extending plays as well. That's why I'm wondering, you know, with this ankle injury, they're going to try to keep him in pocket. Get it out of his hand quickly. Quick rhythm passing game with the RPOs and that kind of thing.

Get the ball out of his hand in less than two and a half seconds. So as not to tax the offensive line unnecessarily as well as my homes trying to make him do things that he can't really do physically in this football game. So I think that pressure protection stuff is going to be a big, big factor in this football game. The Bengals ended up minus 14. The Bengals only had 30 sacks on the season and gave up 44. And it got a lot better in the second half of the season than it was in the first half. They're on a 10-game winning streak and their sack ratio on that 10-game winning streak is positive for sure.

And that's going to have to continue. I think, you know, give burrow. Joe burrow when he sacked three times or fewer in the last two seasons is 23 wins, three losses.

Protect burrow, you win some games. Dave Lapham here with us. It's also crazy because the last two years I feel like all we talk about is the offensive line for the Bengals and how much burrow does get hit. But still, Dave, he's had this just ridiculous success. It just shows you why he's really just the true leader of that team and really one of one for the Bengals. He's a football savant. I mean, his football IQ is Menza. He has the answers to the test and he ain't cheating.

I mean, the guy who's protocol is preparation is on a weekly basis is extraordinary. And it's it's it's laser focused. He is not hit when he comes off the football field. He knows exactly what took place.

Good batter and different. And he just he sees the field sees the entire field about as rapidly as any quarterback I've ever been around. And he is he is a very unique player. And as a result, you know, his teammates have the utmost respect for his game. There's no question about it, but they also like him. You know, they trust him and they like him. You respect the guy. You trust the guy.

And I like a guy. Good things are going to happen. He is definitely he's the most dynamic leader they've had since Boomer size and the blonde bombshell took him to Super Bowl twenty three. Dave Lapham here with us.

All right. When we get to this Bengals Chiefs matchup, I just want to touch on one more thing from last week. Did it surprise you how lopsided that game was between the Bengals and the Bills?

Yeah, I really did. Honestly, I mean, the Bengals played about as clean, you know, a football game as you can play. They had two penalties for nine yards. They did not have a defensive penalty called on in the whole game. No defensive holding, no pass interference, no lining up offsides, no jumping offsides. Nothing.

Zero. They had two false starts for nine yards lost. Two penalties for nine yards lost. They did not have an interception. They not only didn't lose a fumble, they didn't put a ball in the ground. They took care of the football. They only had two negative plays in 71 snaps, one quarterback sack at Joe Burrow and one run that ended up with one yard loss. They played about as clean and cohesive and, you know, just a complete football game.

There's no question about it. I mean, every phase was feeding off the other. The Buffalo Bills had the best special teams unit, number one special teams unit in the league. And the Bengals special teams outmatched them in the football game.

Every offense, defense, special teams, everybody contributed. I mean, start the game, Bengals, Joe Burrow goes four for four on the first drive, including a touchdown pass. And the Buffalo Bills go three and out. Next drive, five for five, including a touchdown pass. Nine for nine in the first two drives, two touchdowns. And the Buffalo Bills go three and out again. I mean, it's like 150 yards on 16 snaps to like 10 yards on six snaps. I mean, it is just a blowout.

They just take a commanding lead early on. And at that point in time, just, you know, basically suffocated the Buffalo Bills the rest of the way. And it was remarkable.

On the road in front of Bill's Mafia, that loud, boisterous crowd in tough weather conditions. And you talked about that offensive line with three new starters. They handled things with a silent snap count. I mean, they hadn't really worked with each other. And to go into that environment, handle the silent snap count, everything goes along with it as well as they did. It was truly remarkable. It was iconic, really. That's going to go down in team history as what a performance by a group that you go into the football game thinking they're going to be a liability.

And they ended up being a very big positive. How do you think this game plays out, Dave Lapham, coming up on Sunday? I think it's going to be another close one. And I think the running games for both football teams are going to be huge factors. One thing that helped that offensive line, that newly constructed offensive line, is they ran for 172 yards. Joel Mixon had 105 of them on 20 carries. Makes it easier to pass protect. You know, when you anchor on that well in the running game, you can pass block much, much more easily. And then you protect Joel Burrow, like I said, only gave up one sack. Well, Joel Burrow protected his offensive line because he got the ball out in an average of two and a half seconds or quicker in that football game. One of his throws was 1.1 seconds.

Never seen it before. I mean, as soon as he caught the football and the shotgun, he threw it. I asked him after the game, I said, did you even get your fingers on the laces? And he laughed.

He said, nah. I just grabbed it. I caught that one and threw it, man.

That was a little wobbly. It was a completion of Joel Mixon out in the flat for like about eight yards. And so the offensive line protected him, and in turn, he protected the offensive line by getting the ball out of his hand so quickly. And as a former lineman, I can tell you that that is your biggest ally, a quarterback that gets it out of his hand right now.

Dave Lapham, you'll look at, and we talked about Luanna Rumo, right? And how this guy should be getting some head coaching interviews and he hasn't even got one. Zach Taylor, this team was 4-4.

And people were wondering what direction they were going after that blowout loss to the Cleveland Browns, and they haven't lost since October 31st. Like, you're there every day. You're around this guy all the time. What do you want people to know about Zach Taylor? Because I feel like he still doesn't get the credit that he's deserving of. Yeah, Zach Taylor deserves a tremendous amount of credit for the culture that he's built. I mean, his players love him.

Love him. And, you know, they just, I've never heard a group of guys praise a head coach as much as they praise Zach Taylor. And it's starting to get out around the league. I mean, they drew some incredible free agents in the offseason. They drafted well. And he's really doing a good job with his staff of developing young players. This football team is better not just because of what they did in free agency in the draft, but Joe Burrow is a year older and more wise and has been through a Super Bowl season. He's a better player. Jamar Chase. It goes down the line.

It goes down the list. And Zach Taylor is doing a magnificent job of building a team that has high character, no jerk factor. This football team, the biggest trait that it has, I think the thing that people love most about it is that they not only respect and trust each other, they like each other. They spend time around each other that isn't scheduled. I mean, if somebody says, hey, show up at my house, I got a little event going on, little function. The whole football team goes over there.

Doesn't matter position group or anything else. These guys want to be around each other when you have that kind of a scenario going one plus one equals three. I mean, it's it's something else. And, you know, you say, oh, yeah, well, they're winning.

You know, well, it's the age old question, chicken or the egg is winning. Build that kind of culture or it's a culture build winning. Well, until Zach got the players that he needed to get in there to establish the culture, they were struggling. So, you know, I think I think that you got to get the players and build the culture. You're going to win football games.

I think it does. It does start with the coach establishing a culture, a foundation and getting the players that can fulfill and deliver on it. And it's also neat how he's going into the bars after the playoff games and given the fans the game ball. I got a kick out of that.

Yeah, he's doing that. And the thing is, amazingly, the back to back AFC Championship games, they've gotten fans all over the country. Yeah, I mean, he's now delivering footballs all over the country. They they get fans in Hilton Head and wherever else all over the place.

So it is a very unique dynamic. But like I said, the Buffalo are the Kansas City Chiefs five straight AFC Championship games. Are you kidding me?

Joe Boro said it himself. This is the team to be five straight and hosted every one of them. That that Kansas City Chiefs football team is a force to be reckoned with. There is no doubt it's going to be a fun one. Safe travels and have a good broadcast.

Dave Lapham. We appreciate it. Thank you, Zach. Thanks for the opportunity. You got it. Anytime. There's Dave Lapham joining us in the Zach Gelb show on CBS Sports Radio. There's a lot to listen to.

So get started and download the free Odyssey app today. I'm Larry Mullins, host of the podcast, Your Weirdest Fears, the show that explores the odd things that make your heart stop. I am so scared of the Grinch.

He is bad vibes. We talk to everyone from therapists to exterminators to lizard man. I was twenty five when I actually got my tongue split.

I have one tattoo that covers my entire body. Listen and subscribe on the Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts from. I'm Larry Mullins, host of the podcast, Your Weirdest Fears, the show that explores the odd things that make your heart stop. I am so scared of the Grinch.

He is bad vibes. We talk to everyone from therapists to exterminators to lizard man. I was twenty five when I actually got my tongue split.

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You may even trek across the globe for your next lead. Every week, new chapters are added with new characters to meet and places to search. Plus, there are tons of fun, unique features to keep you entertained. From building your own island estate with expansive gardens and beautiful buildings, to collecting scraps of information on each character to fill your photo album. You can even play with or against other players by joining a detective club. Find your first clue by downloading June's Journey today. Available on Android and iOS mobile devices, as well as on PC through Facebook games. You're listening to the Zach Gelb Show.

You can think of rally auto parts for all your car care needs, get guaranteed low prices and excellent customer service from the professional parts people at O'Reilly Auto Parts. Let's get to one thought on each game or each team for this upcoming weekend. Got changed out a little bit. Can't just do one game. Only got two games or two.

You know, what the heck? What do you call this segment again? One thought in each team. One thought in each team. Right, because we can't do one thought in each game. It's only two games. So one thought on each team with four meaning.

Yeah, I messed myself up there because we had to change the name of this thing. So anyway, we'll give you a thought on each team pretty much because you only got two games this weekend. Bengals. My thought is about their confidence. They know they're really damn good. They know they have the Chiefs. Right on the ropes and they're about to knock them out and about to beat them for the fourth straight time. But I wonder if the confidence at all becomes their biggest detriment for this one.

Because going into the game, you have the Burrowhead stuff. Going into this game. It's really been the first time heading into this matchup where we've seen it three other times that they have kind of known that they're the top dog here. I just wonder if that confidence and being too overconfident comes back to bite them. That's my thought on the Bengals.

My thoughts. The Bengals is complementary football. Look, Joe Burrow to marches.

They get a lot of tension and rightfully so. But this is an offense that is predicated on running the ball. They did so tremendously last week. That's part of the reason why Joe Burrow is able to carve up the Buffalo Bills defense. I think it was 172 yards. We also look at Joe Burrow. It's not like he threw for 350 last week. It's like 214th time ahead.

So he was really good, but also really good in small stretches in part because Joe Mixon and that offensive line did a tremendous job at dominating the line of scrimmage. They got to do it again in Arrowhead on Sunday. Burrowhead. Burrowhead. You want to call it Burrowhead? Win the line of scrimmage and have those three backup offense linemen push their front for the Chiefs all up and down the field.

242 last week through the air for Joe Burrow. And I also think that fits into your point. The point that you're making really fits to the point that Dave Lapham was making. The complementary football is huge because you have an offensive line that's kind of patched together.

It's banged up. We all know offensive linemen love to run block. We know that. And it can make up for some of the lack of star presence that you do have on your offensive line.

So I'm with you. The complementary football part is a very big piece. Chiefs. We talk about that offensive line for the Cincinnati Bengals. Do what the Bills couldn't do last week.

Make Joe Burrow actually break a sweat. And I know he's going to get the ball quickly. I know they're going to try to run the ball like we all just talked about. But the Chiefs have the second most sacks in the NFL this season. The only team that has more sacks than them is the Philadelphia Eagles. The Chiefs have to make Burrow pay. That defense has to be all over Joe Burrow and all over that offensive line and finally make them feel pressure.

And we'll see if they can do that. One thing I'm watching is, look, clearly this is obvious. The health of Patrick Holmes is his ankle, right? But one of the reasons why that's so important is he is the best quarterback outside of the pocket in the NFL. You look at postseason stats since 2020.

So the last three post-seasons. He has 15 touchdown passes outside of the pocket. That is 11 more than any other quarterback in the NFL. So we know how good he is in the pocket, but he is really dangerous with extending plays. If you get that initial coverage set, he is the king of rolling out, finding things, throwing the ball 60 yards down the field, or doing what he did to Jeffrey King a few weeks ago, flipping behind his back in order to, or underhand, in order to make touchdowns happen. You have to, if you're the Bengals, I know he's going to be gimpy.

That's going to help. But also you have to make it a fact and a point this week. Keep Patrick Holmes in the pocket at all times. The Eagles. Jalen Hurts.

That's a thought. He's been your MVP this year. He's been your leader. You look at these rosters, they're pretty much splitting hairs. They are so even. Where I think the big advantage the Eagles have is their quarterback. I know Brock Purdy has been a pretty good story, but Jalen Hurts has been playing like an MVP. That's where you have to have the big advantage, and I'm going to be curious to see if Jalen Hurts will do that once again coming up on Sunday. Turnovers. Brock Purdy, one of the best things he's been good at this year, not turning it over, not giving other teams an opportunity to get quick possessions deep in your own head. If you're the Eagles secondary, especially, they've been very good at this, forcing turnovers. I think you've got to get a turnover or two. Interception would be obviously preferred, but kind of getting Purdy's head a little bit in order to win this game. I chuckle when you say the one thing Brock Purdy has been good at this year, or the things Brock Purdy has been good at this year is not turning over the football.

It's been like two months. I just love that. It's a small sample size, but Mr. Irrelman, you think a guy rookie, that's one of the areas he would struggle in.

He's been great in it. 49ers. The start of that game, I think, is enormous.

You're in a place in Philadelphia that's going to be bumping. You've got to survive that first quarter. If you go down by 10 points, 14 touchdowns early, this game could get very ugly. The 49ers have got to have a good start, and they've got to come out swinging right out of the gate. Last week against the Cowboys, Dallas did a great job of slowing down the run game. We know San Francisco is a run first team.

They won that game last week, as we know. I don't think they're beating the Eagles if they run the way they did last week in Dallas. You have to get that run game going here. Especially with Christian McCaffrey, get that established. Especially if you can go, nice long drive early on, run the ball down their throats. That is a recipe for major success for San Francisco, watching that run game especially early. So, that is one thought on each team. We usually do it one thought on each game, but we had to change it up this late in the game of the 2022 NFL season that's now obviously bleeding over into 2023.

We will break when we come on back. Jason Lacanfora, JLC, he has some predictions about where these quarterbacks are all going to wind up this offseason. We'll react to that CBS Sports column. And also, you will hear from Willie Gay Jr. on the Zach Gelb show coming up at 9.20 p.m. Eastern, 6.20 p.m. Pacific, so 25 minutes from now. You can always give us a follow, Instagram, Twitter, do that right now, at Zach Gelb, Z-A-C-H-G-E-L-B. Thank you to catch up later.

There's a lot to listen to, so get started and download the free Odyssey app today. I'm Larry Mullins, host of the podcast, Your Weirdest Fears, the show that explores the odd things that make your heart stop. I am so scared of the Grinch.

He is bad vibes. We talked to everyone from therapists to exterminators to lizard man. I'm Larry Mullins, host of the podcast, Your Weirdest Fears, the show that explores the odd things that make your heart stop. I am so scared of the Grinch.

He is bad vibes. We talked to everyone from therapists to exterminators to lizard man. I'm Larry Mullins, host of the podcast, Your Weirdest Fears, the show that explores the odd things that make your heart stop. We talked to everyone from therapists to exterminators to lizard man. I was 25 when I actually got my tongue split.

I have one tattoo that covers my entire body. Listen and subscribe on the Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts from. Some folks don't stop till they find the truth. June's Journey is a roaring 20s murder mystery hidden object game. Find your first clue by downloading June's Journey today. Available on Android or iOS devices and on PC through Facebook games.