2023 NFL Team Expectations (Hour 4)

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That's stateofaudio.com. Take advantage of exceptional lease and finance offers today. Yo, yo, it is the Zach Gelb show on CBS Sports Radio. Tomorrow I am off and all of next week I will not be in our regularly scheduled time slot. Monday, Tuesday, I'm off because of July 4th.

And next week, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, I will be working. But I'll be on the show prior to ours. And that, of course, the Maggie and Perloff extravaganza on many of the same CBS Sports Radio affiliate Sirius XM Channel 158.

Look at me being a company guy and the free Odyssey app. You can also watch my mug on YouTube when I'm in for Maggie and Perloff. Maggie is out, I think all of next week. So I will be filling in with Andrew Perloff on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. And then that following Monday, I'll be back and we'll have, I believe, a full week of shows. You're getting into the summer months. This is when vacation usually does happen.

So I get moved around other places or I take my own vacation, which, yes, I do get some days there. So we'll get to onsides, offside in just a second. But Hickey, I guess Andrew Perloff lost a bet today. So I was in the studio watching this unfold. He had to do the Blazing Hot Challenge sauce from Buffalo Wild Wings on, I want to say it was 10 chicken nuggets, boneless wings, whatever you want to call. I thought he should have been a real man and get the actual bone in wings. But that was really funny to watch because it was almost as if it was a slow death, as that sounds not so nice to say. Because you had the he had the first chicken nugget and he was OK. And then halfway through the second chicken nugget, that's when the hot sauce, it was deceptive a little bit where it really started to kick in. And I didn't think four or five chicken nuggets in that he was going to be able to get through till 10 because he was struggling where David Mayernik, our boss, was standing by as the EMT from a legal standpoint. And Mayernik goes to say something and Perloff just goes, shut up, Dave. And then Maggie went to say something to he goes, shut up, Maggie, because his brain was on fire and he talked a big game going in, which is funny, like Perloff talking a big game with spicy food. And he goes, oh, I won't drink anything during this.

So as this is going on, no sip of milk. He had like an orange juice, water, bread and all this other stuff for when it was over. But he kind of shot himself in the foot because he was talking a big game. Those weren't the rules originally. And then he couldn't put anything else in his mouth outside of the spicy chicken nugget.

That sounds painful. Number one, he finished the 10. Yes. And the 10. So if you get halfway through, you know, God, if he's going to make it impressive that you finish. I don't know why he's talking a big game if I think I talk a big game. If you know you're going to put in the clear, knock it out of the park.

I ended up doing it in, I think, like six or seven minutes. OK, now Perloff won't be playing for Los Angeles Clippers because he got a little hurt and he powered through and he was able to get the job done. That was Kawhi. He'd be a load manager. We wouldn't see him until August. Probably.

But Kawhi's had serious injuries. Wow. So he had the hot sauce powered through. What was the bread going to do? Milk makes sense. Orange juice? Is that really something to quench the fire? Spike told him that.

They said something that Spike said that was a trick that it will take the heat away. But milk was a trick. It was milk. And he said also get an orange juice.

And the bread was just there to soak up in his stomach? I guess so. When you're at that level, have you ever had really spicy food? Like for me, yes. But for most people... OK, so I like spicy food. It's not as if I go out of my way to try it. But if it's there and someone goes, oh, this is really spicy.

You should try this. I won't say no. And when you get something that is just ridiculously spicy, your brain just shuts down. So whatever food items or drinking beverages that you could go get, you just try to consume them, hoping that it will take some of this thing away. So I guess in that line, I know that you go into it without the spice in the system, but I guess you think that the bread is going to soak something up. I guess would be the logic there. That's interesting.

OK, I never thought about that. You always think, again, when I've had spicy food, usually I just go into the water and you think, OK, let me cool my mouth, my throat down. I never actually thought about trying to, I guess, cool my stomach. Is that the right word?

Cool that down. The esophagus. He's thinking beyond just the easy thought of just the mouth. And the water doesn't really do anything, right? Because I'm always told that you should go with milk.

So what does the water actually do? Well, again, that's for me because I'm not having the hottest sauce or eating the spiciest chip in the world. Like, but so I usually have what's around me like a normal at a normal restaurant. Like this is like you have the milk if you're going into something, knowing this is going to be spicy.

I kind of feel left out of the party here. So D.A. show they, well, Meraz is leaving, but they eat everything known to man. So maybe that's going to change.

Maggie and Perloff, they have a food challenge each and every week. I think we have to maybe pick up our game here and come football season. Maybe instead of making dinner bets, which, by the way, I have not forgot, you stole me dinner. That maybe we'll we'll do some ridiculous food bets and we'll go outside of our comfort zone.

Or at least you outside your comfort zone, because I'll try whatever you are very hesitant to try anything. Maybe we'll do that this year. Don't forget, I did the Mac Jones cookie challenge. Crushed. That was kind of all rush. It was weak. There was something else on the pushup challenge, pushup challenge. That was impressive. Crushed where you did forty two push ups for two cookies. You had ten minutes to eat ten chocolate chip cookies.

I could do that in about two minutes. Well, you made the rules. I just followed them. Yeah, the ball was in your court for that. I just was the basically the dummy for lack of better word, the joker. Well, here's what I'm saying. I think we need you to be the dummy more often. No, I'm OK with that. But it's even I'm saying it's even in terms of we'll make a bet that we'll have to eat this for a certain week or something like that. Not every week, maybe once a month.

Well, we'll do a tally in football season. And then whoever loses, we know going in what you're going to have to eat and it will be mutually agreed upon. I think we should do that. But you've got to go outside of your comfort zone a little bit. I think you live life just too comfortably and you've got to go try some things. Only get one life here.

As the kids would say, Yolo, you only live once. I think you need to just go try some new things and see how far it takes it. Do you think that I guess what I'll say is this.

I'm not against trying new things. Maybe we don't do food. Food feels a little. No, everyone else is doing food.

Everyone does food. Right. So why don't we do something else? What's your genius idea?

You just put this on me. You have to football season. You got plenty of time to think. But you're saying you want to do something. I'm just saying I'll be open to ideas. But if you do not come up with significantly good ideas, then we're going to do something wacky and zany with food and we'll just kind of fall in line here. Everybody else at CBS Sports Radio that just loves to eat bizarre, crazy things.

And the listeners, they absolutely love to see us suffer. Also, no one really eats. Moraz is what the football food of the week. It's good food. No, no, no, no, no.

You don't understand this. Like the D.A. show has tried these ridiculously spicy chips. The world's hottest pepper. You look at Maggie and Pearl off. They've done disgusting things like an entire jar of peanut butter, an entire jar of jelly, the hottest wing. It's stuff like that. You got to be creative here. You need to work on the creativity a little bit.

OK, but that's all right. I guess I guess I'm maybe just missing the whole point of me. That's what the disconnect is. The disconnect is the listeners like to see us suffer. So we are performers. We are entertainers.

And sometimes you have to make a little bet that you may end up losing or you may end up winning and avoiding it. And then you get to see me suffer. So you got some enjoyment out of that and seeing me suffer. You would love to see me suffer. You don't actually like me. Come on.

What are we talking about here? I'm on the team of anyone but me. So if whoever's on that side of that glass in terms of making a bet, you, Marco, J.R., Maggie, Pearl off, Stu, whoever. I am very selfish.

I'm about me. I want to win the bet. If I lose, what's better?

Who's there? What's the worst thing you lose and you get embarrassed for a little bit? It takes 10 minutes. And what's the worst thing I throw up on the air? I feel sick to my stomach. That would be great. I'll be terrible. You did that for free this year. Right before the Super Bowl.

You got food poisoning out of nowhere. Yeah, exactly, yeah. If that was on the air, I would be... That'd be awesome. That'd be 30 times worse than... Yack it all over the studio.

That'd be great. ...your death experience. I wouldn't clean it up, of course.

You'd have to do that yourself. I'm not in charge of any vomit around here on CBS Sports Radio. Just no shot. All right, five questions, five answers. Let's get to a little onside, offside hot take kicky. Let's get to it.

Hit it. Zack'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 Zack Gelb on CBS Sports Radio.

All right, Hankster, what do you got? Z-Man, a woes bomb, was dropped earlier today as Adrian Wojnarowski reported that James Harden will opt in to the final year of his contract with the Sixers, but that the team and Harden will look to work out a trade. The $35.6 million option pickup means no team that trades for him can extend Harden.

He'll be an unrestricted free agent whether he's with the Sixers or any other team after next season. Onsides or offsides, this is a win for the Sixers in trading James Harden. I'm going to give you a really lame answer here.

I'm going offside. And the lame part of this, I think it's a tie. This is as if the time I really invested in watching soccer once and it was pretty cool what you were seeing and you put all this emotion into it and it's just so easy to tie in soccer. I don't think the Sixers have won because I don't think their team is better, but they haven't lost because if they would have given James Harden a four-year extension, that's a bad job. I thought they should have brought back James Harden just like a fat two-year deal, but you only have a few more years left of Joel Embiid in his prime.

I don't think you're going to find that second guy and the Sixers were good this year in the regular season. Come playoff time, there was ups and downs in the second round and they ended up losing and no showing in games five, six, and seven. So it should be game six and seven.

So the way that I look at this is I can't say the Sixers won because I don't think they're getting anything all that backgrade in return, but at least they didn't give them a four-year deal. So to me, this is a tie. I don't feel great about it and I don't hate it.

But you know me, I hate ties. So for me to say this is a tie, it shows you that this reaction, you know what this reaction is? I saw this news today and I go, eh, that's what it is.

It's a eh type of move. Damned if you do, damned if you don't. Next question. Alright, with that said, damned if you do, meaning the Sixers do trade Harden, two teams according to woes that are interested in trading for the beard are the Los Angeles Clippers and the New York Knicks. Can I ask you this real quickly?

Sure. I know Dow Amore and James Harden are as tight as tight could be, and I thought that Dow Amore would do something stupid this offseason and extend James Harden past two years and give him like a really long-term dumb extension. Does this get to a point where Dow Amore now has James Harden opt in and says, James, we didn't get a great deal offered our way. Do me a favor, play one more year in Philadelphia. You think that's on the table?

I'm not saying James will be thrilled about it, but do you think it gets to that point with Dow Amore and James Harden? I would say no, just because I think there is a trust there of, hey, if I, cause he could have opted out and controlled his destiny. I think there's a trust that, hey, I'll opt in. So you guys get something back. You get something back, but you better trade me.

Like me playing in Philly is not an option. You're probably right. This does seem though, like it's a couple where one wants to break up and the other doesn't and the one that doesn't want to break up. You see what desperate measures they're going to go to, to get the other to say before the divorce is finalized. And Dow Amore here is the one that in some degree wants James Harden back, but he, I give him credit. He wasn't dumb enough to give him a four year extension because that would have been, I would have eviscerated Dow Amore and I would have taken great pride in it because I'm not a big fan of Dow Amore. All right, so continue the question.

Sorry about that. Speaking of course, ship the New York Knicks or a team that are reportedly interested in James Harden. They did make it to the second round. Go New York, go New York, go. You want James Harden right on your Knicks?

On your New York Knicks. Absolutely not. Michael Scott meme of please no. Please God no. Absolutely.

Total disaster. Especially when you have Jalen Brunson coming off a really solid year number one with the Knicks again. Won a playoff series, now got to the second round this past year. And who did they lose to in the second round? The Miami Heat. The Miami Heat. Convinced the Knicks would go to the conference finals. I thought they were. I really thought they were and I was fooled. On the other end, on the other coast, the Clippers, they do have a talented duo of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, but as we know, are rarely healthy. Onsides or offsides. If you have James Harden and you have your pick of the two teams, Clippers or Knicks, James Harden should prefer getting traded to the Clippers over the Knicks.

That's a great question. Now, we don't know when Kawhi Leonard's going to be back and I'll miss some games anyway. Paul George has dealt with some injuries as well. I think the Clippers are a better team, but I would actually prefer to go to the Knicks hickey because I think there'd be more estimate where if you go to Los Angeles, I know James Harden plays a ton of games, but a lot of those players kind of blend in with the three that they have. So I would actually think more is asked of me with the Knicks. So I would go to New York where I feel like there could be, I don't want to say a little bit more limelight, but you feel as if you're more of a star than you would if you're going to the Clippers where you have Kawhi Leonard who's won two championships. And then we have Paul George who at one time no longer was viewed as a top 10 player in the league. So I would actually prefer the Knicks over the Clippers just if I was James Harden, so I would go offside.

What's your answer on that? I would say the Knicks, but actually the opposite way. I would trust that they actually be healthier so you could have a better team going to the playoffs. Like look at last year, like you were talking about being a star. For lack of a better word and lack of no other option, Russell Westbrook was the star for the Clippers in the playoffs because Paul George was hurt and Kawhi Leonard was hurt. You're James Harden, you can't count on those two guys being healthy in the playoffs.

They haven't shown it. So you'll get the ball, you'll be the star if you will. I don't think that means you're going to win any playoff games. Yeah, but if one of those guys are healthy.

Sure, if. We haven't seen it. Well you've had years where Kawhi's been hurt and Paul George has been healthy and vice versa, and last year both of them ended up getting hurt. Unfortunately for them, that's been the story of right now their time in LA, but yeah, especially right. For Steve Ballmer, a lot of money in that team, no one's on the court. You know I know you're flustered by this idea of James Harden potentially going to the Knicks? You just look right now really distraught. You look worried about the possibility of James Harden going to the Knicks.

I actually think there's no chance of it happening so I'm not that concerned. Should I text Leon? Text Leon?

Hey, what's going on with James Harden? Two letters, N-O. Make his job very easy. That'd be a weird text.

Because then if they do get him, it's basically telling him he's an idiot at his job. Well, he would be, that's for sure. He'd be quiet like that guy. Hey, you'd be nice.

Geez, same position. Alright, anyway, we'll move on. Harden, right, presumably is going to be on the move at some point, which means the Sixers will have a hole at point guard, which could be of interest to one Damian Lillard. The Blazers earlier this week did put out a statement saying they're committed to building a winner around Dame. But if you add Philly to the list of teams interested or needing a superstar along with Miami and Brooklyn, I would say three motivated buyers right now looking to acquire Damian Lillard. Onsides or offsides, Dame Lillard will be traded this offseason to either the Sixers, Heat, or Nets.

I don't think Damian Lillard is getting traded. If I was Dame though, I would be on the phone right now with the management team in Portland. I'd be demanding to go to Philadelphia and pair up with Joel Embiid. You look at Miami, that's also another great destination. I think you have a better chance to win a championship in Miami than you do Philadelphia.

But I have those two destinations. I would prefer to go to Brooklyn. You're not going to win a championship there. But if I'm the Sixers, I'm trying to approach this to go get Dame, even if you have to give up Tyrese Maxey, which I don't know if they would do. But if you're Portland, you don't take that deal if you don't get Tyrese Maxey. But to answer your question, Damian Lillard will be traded this offseason to either the Sixers, Heat, or Nets. I don't think he's getting traded because I don't think, even though he says he wants to win a championship, that he wants to leave Portland. So until I see him off Portland, I'm going to believe that he's there.

So I will go offside just because I don't think he's leaving. It's expected that Kyrie Irving's free agency will result in him re-signing with the Mavericks. But earlier today, Bleacher reports, Chris Haynes is reporting that Irving will meet with the Suns once free agency does start tomorrow. Now it's going to take a lot of financial gymnastics to fit in Irving alongside Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal.

Onsides or offsides? The Suns would be the best team in the NBA if they do acquire Kyrie Irving. Offside, I'm taking Denver still. Kyrie Irving is a disaster waiting to happen. If Kevin Durant teams up with Kyrie again, I would expect it to end miserably as it did in Brooklyn. If you're Durant, even though I don't love that team right now with the Suns, you have a shot with KD, Devin Booker, Bradley Beal. You have DeAndre Ayton for now. See how you fill out the rest of that roster. It would be bringing a basketball cancer into the locker room to bring in Kyrie Irving. And you already experienced that. So I don't believe Kyrie makes a team great anymore. I would not trust Kyrie to be great in terms of improving the synergy and the chemistry of that team.

So I can't say the Suns would be the best team in the NBA if they acquire Kyrie Irving because I think Kyrie ruins teams now. So I go offside. Offside! I'm not a cancel culture kind of guy, but I look at that shirt that's in my closet. I go, that was a good shirt.

The Uncle Drew shirt that I had. I enjoyed that. I got a lot of like, that's a nice shirt. Thumbs up. Good job.

Nice selection. I can't wear it anymore. He gave you plenty of reasons to not wear the shirt.

That's also the scary part. It wasn't just one. It wasn't just basketball related. That's for sure.

All right. Finally, yesterday, Yankees pitcher Domingo Hermon threw the 24th perfect game in baseball history last night against the A's in very easy fashion. Needing just 99 pitches while striking out nine.

Let's put it nicely, Zach. The A's, they stink. They are absolutely brutal. They're on pace to lose 121 games this year.

And currently right now are the worst in the league in terms of batting average, total runs, and ERA. Onsides or offsides, the A's will get at least no hit one more time this season. I'll go offside on that. I'll play shots. It's one little hit. One little hit. I know last night it was a perfect game, but twice in a season. That's tough.

That is really tough. We're halfway through the season now. It only happened once.

So we'll see if it happens again. Zach Yelp shows CBS Sports Radio. You're listening to the Zach Gelb show. All righty. Welcome back in.

It is the Zach Gelb show on CBS Sports Radio. A lot of chaos going on with the eve of NBA free agency here. James Harden opts in.

He's going to get dealt. Kyrie Irving, according to Chris Haynes, is going to meet with the Phoenix Suns. I just don't see how Kyrie Irving is going to wind up with the Suns. If that's the case, what the heck is Kevin Durant doing? The assumption is that Chris Middleton will wind back up with the Milwaukee Bucks, but we'll have to wait and see on that one.

And you're in a part now where I wouldn't say there's like names out there, but there's not a lot of names that make you say ooh and ah where you think that this is a crazy free agency class. The trades so far have been intriguing. Now, I do think Draymond is going to be back. But yeah, Jordan Poole going to the Wizards and CP3 going to the Warriors. Kristaps Porzingis going to the Celtics. Bradley Beal going to the Suns.

We'll see where James Harden does land. But you're at a point now where in the NBA, sure, the offseason is number one, postseason is number two, and then regular season is number three. It's not as if this is, on paper, this crazy, tremendous offseason as we've seen in years past, but there's definitely been some medium-sized waves so far that have crashed, and we'll see what else does happen. All right, let's get to little expectations for some teams for this upcoming season in the NFL. Hickey is going to give me the team, and I'll tell you not if I think they're capable of doing this. For example, if I give you a team and I say, oh, the expectation is for them to get to the Super Bowl, it does not mean necessarily that I'm picking them to go to the Super Bowl, but what the expectation should be if I was a fan of that team.

So let's go. The Dallas Cowboys. They've got to get to the NFC title game. The Dallas Cowboys this year, I don't believe they will, but they have to get to an NFC title game. You have the Eagles, you have the 49ers the last two years. You've had 12 wins in the regular season twice. You go up against the 49ers, your offense fails you.

Last year, defense played great, offense failed you again. The Cowboys haven't been to an NFC title game since 1995. I'm not going to sit here and tell you they should go to a Super Bowl, but it's time they go win multiple playoff games and get to an NFC title game. Los Angeles Chargers. The Chargers this year have to get to the divisional round to the postseason. Now, I don't think that's going to happen where they get the number one seed and they have the lone bye in the AFC because the Kansas City Chiefs are going to win that division. But last year, they were dominant in the first half up against the Jacksonville Jaguars in that wildcard round in Duval. And then in the second half, they crapped the bed. If you're the Chargers this year, you must, must, must get to the divisional round to the playoffs.

The Washington Commanders. I don't think this team will do it. It's not out of the realm of possibilities, but they need to be a wildcard team.

You have enough pieces there. You have someone in Ron Rivera that's just, it feels like ignoring the quarterback position or trying to tell you that Sam Howell is going to be tremendous when they try to tell you Carson Wentz is going to be tremendous last year. I don't want to hear that this team isn't a playoff team because you have guys like Terry McClure and Jahan Dotson, Brian Robinson Jr. You have a bunch of guys in that front seven.

If they don't make the playoffs this year, I would strongly consider getting rid of one of the good guys in the game in Ron Rivera because he's not trying to get this team at the quarterback position, the right guy in there. The New Orleans Saints. The NFC South champs, that's what they got to be. I was trying to see if I go a little bit more than that, but how could anyone in their right mind anticipate that the New Orleans Saints are going to be anything more than NFC South champs? They're playing the worst division in football.

They're always injured. I don't love their quarterback, even though they improved the quarterback position. You couldn't get worse from what you had the last few years since Drew Brees did walk away. And I don't believe in Dennis Allen, but you're in a division where Baker Mayfield is quarterbacking the Bucks. I like Bryce Young, but he is a rookie quarterback with the Carolina Panthers and Atlanta has talent on the offensive side of the ball.

But what can I expect out of Desmond Ritter? So just for the Saints, it's simply put as NFC South champs. The Jacksonville Jaguars.

I think this may be a little bit bowl ticky. AFC title game. They got to the second round last year. You have a great top ten coach who's won a Super Bowl before with less in Doug Peterson.

And now you have, if you want to call it year three or year two, depending if you count the first year when they had Urban Myers as coach of Trevor Lawrence in this league. I know everyone's going to gravitate towards the Chiefs, towards the Bengals, probably still Buffalo. Jacksonville in that bad division is going to easily win 11 or 12 games. They'll have a home playoff game. Maybe they go in more than that and get a bye and get the number one overall seed because how bad that division is. But if they're in the wildcard round, that's a team that could win two games and get to an AFC title game. The Detroit Lions. Got to win the division. This year for the Lions, I don't want to say it's a failure to make the playoffs because we're talking about the Lions. If they go win 10 games and Minnesota gets 11, they make the wildcard, it's not a failure. But the expectation is this year that they go out there and they win the NFC North. The Baltimore Ravens. Have to make the playoffs. It does feel like the expectation should be greater than that.

But let me clarify that. They have to make the playoffs with Lamar Jackson healthy. And then if Lamar Jackson is healthy, they have to go out there and win a playoff game, especially with how much money they're now paying Lamar. The Miami Dolphins. AFC's champions. I think that is something that is really possible this year.

Marco has talked about it before on this show. How everyone kind of anoints the bills. And I get it right. They deserve the respect with what they've done the last few years. But Skyler Thompson almost walked into Buffalo and won a playoff game. I know the Jets are better this year. I can't tell you I believe in the Patriots, but we'll see if they go out there and get DeAndre Hopkins. But you look at this Dolphins team.

As long as Tuatunga Vailoa is healthy, that should be a goal, too healthy for the playoffs. But as long as he's healthy, that's a team that has so much talent, they have everything right in front of them to go win that division. The New York Jets. I don't think the Jets will win a Super Bowl this year. I don't even think they'll be in an AFC title game. But if you're a Jet fan, you just went all in by getting Aaron Rodgers. The expectation for Aaron Rodgers, even though he hasn't been there in a long time each and every year, is to go on out there and win a Super Bowl. The Green Bay Packers.

This is going to be pretty low. It's not a certain amount of wins. It's not make the playoffs. It's just at the end of the year, I need to think that Jordan Love is the guy. And at the end of the year, if I could walk away being a Packers fan saying, Jordan Love is that dude, and he showed you enough positives than negatives, that's a successful season. You're one removed from Aaron Rodgers. Denver Broncos.

I feel like we should give this one to you, Hecky, because this is your darling. This is your second favorite team. You picked them to win the Super Bowl last year. You picked Nathaniel Hackett to be a top three coach in the AFC.

You picked Russell Wilson to go win the Super Bowl MVP. And now you think they'll be back in the playoffs this year. But is that where it stops, just make the playoffs this year? I would say that's the expectation. If you lose the playoff game, obviously we'll see how it plays out, stuff like that. But I think for the most part, success in year one would be playoffs.

I agree with you. Playoffs, playoffs, you kidding me? The Cleveland Browns. Is this the last one, just wondering?

Last one. Playoffs again. I think the Broncos and Browns are both very similar. Now, the Browns don't have Sean Payton, but both of those quarterbacks, they gave up a lot to get. Watson only played the final six games of the year last year. A lot of rust that he had to knock off, didn't play in two years.

All his own fault. But I got to see him with the talented roster this year take off and make the playoffs. And it's the same for Russell Wilson. I don't think the Broncos make the playoffs this year. But you have a new head football coach, you got a really good defense, one of the best secondaries in the NFL. They both got to make the playoffs this year with how much they gave up to get both those quarterbacks, how underwhelming both of them have been so far, and also how much they're paying both of those two quarterbacks. This is Zach Gelb's show on CBS Sports Radio. Marco, let me just ask you this. In the AFC, who's the team just in the AFC, and I'll ask you this for the NFC, that you're really excited to see just in the AFC play football this year, and you're just curious to see how their season's going to play on out and how we're talking about them at the end of the year.

Mr. Jets. I'm so intrigued about what it's going to be with Aaron Rodgers. I think their defense is a little overhyped as to what they were last year. I think they got helped out by the fact that sometimes you almost play position, you know, positional type football where the other team, as much as they realize that they don't want to make the mistake because they know damn well that you can't move the football, sometimes their defense got helped out in that regard, and when they were push-comes-to-shove, teams against the Lions, they gave up big plays. So I think their defense is a bit overhyped, but they're good. They're not great, they're good, and I want to see what Aaron Rodgers has left.

I want to see what pointing has to prove. I just want to see him in the new spot and what he does for the Jets and can they take that step forward. And who's the team in the NFC? See, that's rough because there's not a lot of teams that have a whole lot of intrigue simply because there's only two or three that are really, really good. A lot of buzz in the NFC. And then you've got what the hell are the Cowboys? I think that's every year, and I realize these are... It gets old a little bit.

Yeah, and it's kind of like, you know, what's the big deal? Like, we know what they're going to do. They're going to win some games, they're going to maybe make the playoffs, and when they make the playoffs, they're going to fold.

So I would lean against that, and I'll put it in this way. There is one of two teams that obviously we think can get to the Super Bowl and win a Super Bowl. I'm intrigued to see who's actually quarterbacking for the 49ers because something tells me, and I'm getting more and more of this vibe, we're going to see a lot of Sam Darnold.

I truly believe this. We're going to see a lot of Sam Darnold. Can he just get mono so we don't have to see him? And I don't know if we're going to see the 49ers win games in spite of Sam Darnold or if he's going to do just enough to make everybody start going, hey, maybe he wasn't that bad. And I hesitate on that because I do think he's that bad. But I feel like we're going to see him, and I feel like the Niners are still going to win games, and I'm curious to see how that all unfolds.

You know what I'm doing right now? I am going on the 49ers website, and I'm trying to see how many primetime games the 49ers have. Just so I hope there's a lot.

I would imagine a lot. There's a lot on Sunday Night Football and Monday Night Football, so when I'm doing eight hours of ION football in the fall, I don't need to be talking a lot about, even though the 49ers are a good team, Sam Darnold because I talk a lot about Sam Darnold. Now, do I see them winning games 16 to 10 and Sam Darnold is 16 of 31? Possible.

Possible. I just feel like he's going to be there. He's going to be the guy that's going to be healthy because I think Brock Purdy is going to take time with that elbow.

I don't think that they believe in Trey Lance, and I feel like they are doing everything they can to avoid having to use Trey Lance, and I think Kyle Shanahan has it in his mind. No matter who it is, it's my system, and I think he looks at Sam Darnold and says, You know what? You've learned enough. Don't make the mistake. Just do what I tell you to do. We'll run the ball. So you know what?

Maybe I should pull back a little. Maybe 11 out of 19 because they'll run the ball, and I feel like they'll still win with Darnold there. Five games that start in the 8 o'clock window.

That's a win for me. You're talking about in the NFC title game? Every year. With no quarterback, every year they get to the NFC title game.

Yeah, they didn't put it in there. The Niners are good. They're expected to win. We didn't look at who's their quarterback, and I think that's why you're going to see them a lot. You're going to see a lot of ugly-ass games, and I've got a feeling you're going to see Sam Darnold after it's over holding the football, walking around on the field.

Wouldn't it be so jet-like? Aaron Rodgers and the Jets get to the Super Bowl. And there is Sam Darnold with the 49ers taking down Aaron Rodgers. That is a Jets fan's worst nightmare.

And you know what? That would be the epitome of Aaron Rodgers probably throwing two picks but throwing for 400 yards, and Sam Darnold throwing for $1.20 and winning that game anyway. No, that's the Sam Darnold game where he wins the Super Bowl MVP.

Super Bowl Sammy! Wow. I don't even know if I can go there. Look what you started, Marco. You're listening to the Zach Gelb Show. Alrighty, we continue. It is the Zach Gelb Show on CBS Sports Radio.

Real quickly, Hickey. So I'm looking at the list right now. Odds for James Harden next year.

What team he's going to be on for the 2023-2024 season. I think you could name the top five highest odds right now on the favorites to land James Harden. Well, I can tell you a guaranteed two of them.

I don't know where. I'll say number one Clippers? Yep. They're number one at plus 350.

Number... They're in the top five. The New York Knicks.

Are they two? The New York Knicks are in the top five, but they are fourth. Okay.

Promising. So you have one and four right here. I will go with the Miami Heat. Are they in the top five? They are not in the top five.

And I thought that was a good guess. You would think the Miami Heat potentially would be. But if I'm them, I'd wait out for Damon instead of go get James Harden. And also, James Harden in Miami at 11. That dude would never get out of this strip club.

Yeah, he may forget what time it is and miss the game completely. So you're right about that. Good call. So you got the Clippers and you got the Knicks.

You got the Houston Rockets, his old stomping grounds. They are third at plus 600. So you got two more. I will tell you this.

One, you got to be creative, but you should get it. Because almost every player is linked to this team. The other, there is no chance that you will ever get this team. Is it the Phoenix Suns as one of them? The Suns are not in the top five.

They're plus 1400. You said everyone was linked to them. The Suns have been in on everyone. Right ballpark, right ballpark. Come on. Former super team here. And I say super team in air quotes here. Right ballpark, former super team.

Come on, this is obvious. What does everything go back to in the NBA? Is it the Nets? What does everything go back to in the NBA? The Warriors? Oh, what does everything go back to in the NBA? The Celtics? No, for the last 20 years. The Lakers? Thank you, LeBron. They're second at plus 450. Really?

And I'm not going to waste your time because I want to get to Shep here too. Which I don't think anyone's ever said that on CBS Sports Radio. By the way, in fairness to Hickey, it seems like every other team is trying to implement a super team. There's a lot of those these days.

I'll get to you in just a second. Don't defend Hickey. The Timberwolves, out of nowhere. The Timberwolves? No. Thunder? No. Alright, I don't know. The Portland Trail Blazers at plus 850. That's what I would have, you gave me 20 more guesses, I'm not guessing them.

I said you were never going to get it. Alright Shep, I wanted to bring you in. You missed the Sirius XM NBA radio. You fill it in for JR tonight. You're JR's sidekick here as his executive producer on CBS Sports Radio. The show that comes right after us. 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. Monday through Friday on these many of these same CBS Sports Radio affiliates.

Sirius XM Channel 158 and that free Odyssey app. Your reaction today? Hardened opting in and then expected to get traded. See, to me, Hickey knows this, Gelb, you know this, you guys have been doing this for a long time. There is a very common thought about James Harden and no one's off on this. You know this being so tied into Philly. James Harden is a terrific regular season NBA scorer. He has underrated assist numbers because he actually does see the court better than people give him credit for. With all that being said, when the game slows down in the postseason, with the exception of Game 1 in the Eastern Conference semifinals and Game 4, we're going to remember for 40 plus both games and both times he hit the Game 1 in shots. Most of the time he's a big fat zero in the postseason. Up until this year, his most memorable playoff moment was the block up against the Thunder when CP3 was there and that should have never got to a Game 7. 1000% agree, especially when you were still playing with Russell Westbrook who wasn't too far removed from his prime at that particular time. But when you have James Harden, first of all, he never developed anything of a mid-range game.

He is either take it 30 feet out or drive to the basket and hope to get the benefit of a whistle. And that doesn't happen in the postseason. And so because of that, we can talk about the Rockets. We can talk about when he played against Kawhi. I love, Shep is at 1,000 miles per hour right now. I absolutely love this.

Go ahead. No, because the reality is like James Harden never developed the fundamentals even when he was playing as an Aztec. He never got that part of his game. Excuse me, Sun Devil, sorry. San Diego State's Aztec.

My apologies. You forget about Arizona State basketball even though he's the only guy that ever went there that's significant. But James Harden, every single time he plays on the bright lights in the postseason, he completely shrinks and he shrivels. Jason Tatum was, remember this, he was 1 of 14 in that game 6 to start that game. And he showed up in the fourth.

Whoa, showed up in the last four minutes. That was such a winnable game for James Harden. He had that on a silver platter. And indeed did nothing to him.

Yeah, just like he had the silver platter game in 2018 in the Western Conference Finals Game 7. Right? Can you just answer the question here?

I thought I did. What's your reaction to today? No, my reaction is it doesn't matter where he goes.

He's going to do the same thing every single time in the postseason. It doesn't matter. So here's the thing. I don't say this is a win for the Sixers today.

Don't get me wrong. It's not a loss. But if you're the Sixers, how are you going to get better? Tobias Harris has to stop worrying about winning over the fans. Well, he's gone. He stinks.

Okay, fair enough. But he really regressed this season. Yes, inconsistent. And speaking of awful in Game 6, now we did have a decent Game 7, but he was awful in that Game 6. And I keep going back to that because this was the Eastern Conference for the taking for the Philadelphia 76ers. Yeah, and they blew it.

They completely blew it. Now, I only got a minute left. Yes, sir. I've noticed something here and I'm laughing throughout this entire thing because Shep is going a million miles per hour with a basketball taste that I absolutely love. And you're so passionate. Well, you're talking to my second love. This is a serious beard you got going on right now.

Oh, thank you, sir. You're really growing out the beard. I've never seen you with this much facial hair. I appreciate that. Are you the new beard?

Move over, James Harden. Shep has developed. This is for the lady that I love, Gil. Oh, what did I tell you? I said Shep is dating someone. Yes.

And the reason I know this is it was in the studio last night. You left your email up. I go to sign you out. 15 resi reservations.

And I go, he has to be dating someone with 15 reservations. Talk to you next week, everybody. We out. Bye bye. Peace. These are only $3.50. Do the Do It quality mark.