Jets & Packers Expectations? (Hour 1)

Live from the play show 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 Thursday edition of the Zach Gelb show across all the great local CBS Sports Radio affiliates Sirius XM, Channel 158 and that free Odyssey app. 855-212-4 CBS number to jump on in 855-212-4227.

You can 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. Former NFL head coach and defensive back Herm Edwards will join us 40 minutes from now. Joe Theismann on a glorious day for commanders fans will stop by at 7 20 p.m Eastern, 4 20 p.m Pacific and tomorrow it's his final day here at CBS Sports Radio before he goes down the hall. We'll connect with our old pal Sean Marash at 8 20 p.m Eastern, 5 20 p.m Pacific. But first up producing this fine extravaganza for the next four hours is no other than Até Kiki.

Até Kiki. So we'll get to the commanders in a little bit in this hour but I got to start off the show today with expectations for the Jets and the Packers. If I ask you this simple question how would you view success this season for the Jets and the Packers, how would you define that?

And for the Packers I think it's just walking away at the end of the year thinking that Jordan Love is your guy or knowing Jordan Love is your guy. For the Jets bare minimum the Jets have to get to an AFC Championship game. It's not just good enough if you're the Jets to just make the playoffs or just win a division with Aaron Rogers. You have to make some noise in the postseason and give Jets fans a thought that even if you don't win a Super Bowl this year or get to a Super Bowl this year that the following year in the short window that you have with Aaron Rogers that you could actually go out there and accomplish that.

So let's go through the likelihood of meeting those expectations this year. I think the Jets have a really good team on paper. Their defense is phenomenal. Up front with Quinnen Williams who just got the extension and then on the back end with Soss Gardner.

Offensively I wonder where the health of that offensive line is going to be with a Makai Becton and you look at some of the other pieces as well. You also wonder with Breece Hall how long is it going to take him to get back into form from the early part of that dominant rookie season before he suffered the injury last year and from a receiving standpoint Garrett Wilson had like 1100 yards last year with no quarterback and then you bring in the Roger confidants and an Allen Lazard and also a Randall Cobb. So you look at the Jets. The Jets have enough to contend but that doesn't mean that automatically I expect them to resemble being a Super Bowl contender because if the Jets played in the NFC you would look at this team and you would say all right maybe like the Eagles a little bit more maybe like the 49ers more but without a doubt the Jets would be a top three team in the NFC but you play in an AFC or even more so in AFC East that's absolutely loaded. Like you can forget about the Patriots. I don't think the Patriots are going to be a threat but inside the AFC East you could tell me the Dolphins win the division.

Wouldn't be shocked. You could tell me the Bills win the division. That's been the norm for the last few years and you could tell me the Jets win the division and I wouldn't be shocked whatsoever but then after that if you don't win the division and right now on paper and it's by splitting hairs I have the Jets as the third best team in the AFC East. I have Miami if Tua stays healthy I think they're the best team in the AFC East then you have Buffalo followed up right after that and the Jets in at three you have to rank those teams one two and three but I don't think there's great separation between any of those three teams if we're being transparent but you look at the rest of the conference if the Jets don't win the division you're battling it out with whoever comes in second for the AFC North because Cincinnati probably wins that division so are the Jets better than the Ravens are the Jets better than the Cleveland Browns I would probably say so AFC South you don't got to worry about but then you look at the AFC West the Chargers are going to probably finish second can the Broncos have a bounce back season you know that Kansas City as long as number 15 is healthy they're going to win that division and be the team to beat in the NFL so if you want to tell me the Jets are going to miss the playoffs you could make that argument because of how strong the AFC is but in all likelihood I don't think the Jets are going to miss the playoffs because if I had to go through it right now I put the Dolphins as my AFC East winner Bengals as my AFC North winner Jaguars win the South and the Chiefs win the West so then I have three spots left Buffalo will make the playoffs I have the Jets making the playoffs and then I have the Chargers making the playoffs but if you want to say Zach take the Jets out of it and insert Baltimore I can't call you an idiot a moron and a dope so you look at it each and every year two years ago we said the NFC West is the best division in football last year we said the AFC West is the best division in football now most people say the AFC East is the best division in football and we look at it at a division that probably could get three teams in the NFL playoffs maybe even four if you really want to get crazy but when you have those expectations usually that division is underwhelming where there's a team when you group the Bills the Dolphins and let's forget about the Pats the Jets together where one of those three teams don't end up being as as effective and good as we thought would be like if the Bills missed the playoffs I'd be stunned this year Miami it all comes down to the health of Tuatunga Vailoa and for the Jets it's how quickly can this group come together and formulate really good synergy throughout the roster with expectations that the Jet fan hasn't seen in forever or ever if we're being honest like you look at the last time the Jets were good it was the back-to-back AFC Championship years it's not like they had these great regular seasons it's not like people looked at the Jets and said oh here comes the Jets they're a team to be reckoned with but now you go into a season and the way that I describe the Jets heading into this year is very polarizing where I think it's people are 50-50 when it comes to the Jets where you have the Jet fan that saw last year was 7-10 with god-awful quarterback play and now you get a top 10 top 15 quarterback of all time you expect that record bare minimum to flip around from seven and ten to ten and seven but then you could have people that aren't Jets fans that look at the Jets and go okay that's like the national flavor team this year that everyone's talking about and Aaron Rodgers the last three years had so much drama Aaron Rodgers the last few years had back-to-back MVP seasons had number one overall seeds and then didn't get the job done in the postseason so we you could make the case both ways but I do ultimately think talent is going to win out here and you have an incredibly crowded AFC and talent will rise to the top and that's why I'm going to say that the Jets will make the playoffs this year but outside of that even though if you're a Jet fan you should expect a Super Bowl and I say the way that you evaluate success for the Jets this year is can they get to an AFC Championship game I would be surprised if the Jets are in the AFC Championship game just because of what we've seen the last three years with Aaron Rodgers and I know you could say well Zach he just said he won back-to-back MVPs in two out of those three years yeah he did but in the postseason in an easier conference and an easier road to the Super Bowl and home field advantage that offense failed the offense failed up against the Bucks in the second half the offense failed up against the 49ers and last year I know Rodgers had the broken thumb but he had the ball and he kept on turning it over or trying to turn the ball over left and right to the Detroit Lions so for the Jets I think if you want to go away with this year being a success you have to get to an AFC Championship game bare minimum but my expectation for the Jets this year what I think will happen with the Jets this year is they'll be a playoff team and maybe win one game at most now for the Green Bay Packers I said if you're a Packer fan how you should judge success this year is at the end of the year do you believe in Jordan Love now I do think there's a shot I'm not saying it's a slam dunk lock but I do think there's a shot the Packers make the playoffs this year the NFC is not deep like the AFC and everyone in the NFC especially the NFC North is talking about the Lions and then you also know that the Vikings who won the division last year won 13 games are going to be in the mix in that division well if we're all expecting the Vikings to regress and the Lions haven't done it yet but they're making the right strides we got to make sure that we see Detroit win that division when they're expected to win that division and for the Vikings yeah they had 13 wins last year but a lot of us said they were a fraudulent football team I believe a lot of us believe that they're going to come back down to earth and you look at this Packers team they got to be healthy up front right with Bakhtiar and Jenkins defensively they have not played consistent but you do have some good pieces there and Jair Alexander and Kenny Clark and then offensively you have two good running backs in Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon you have a stud wide receiver who did an exceptional job in the second half of the season Christian Watson and ultimately it all comes down to the quarterback and when you look at Rodgers last year Aaron Rodgers did not have a good season Aaron Rodgers is like an average quarterback last year a lot of it probably have to do with the injury so if you could get Jordan Love to just be an average quarterback this year well the Packers were eight and nine and maybe all these distractions gets that locker room to feel a little bit at ease and maybe the team chemistry could be better so I'm not telling you that the Packers are going to go nine and eight and definitely make the playoffs but I don't think it's out of the realm of possibilities but ultimately with putting all your chips in to go draft Jordan Love and move up in the first round and then he's had to wait a few years there's going to be some good moments there's going to be some bad moments but ultimately you just need to see at the end of the year regardless of what the record is if you're six and 11 or whatever it does not matter you just need to walk away whether it's six and 11 or nine and eight thinking okay this quarterback can be the guy and this quarterback not that you need to see right automatically thinking okay he could get a hall of fame jacket and win a super bowl ring like what Favre and and what Rodgers will eventually do but you just got to think okay we got a shot next year for this guy to take that next step so Hickey I'll ask you this right out of the gate what do you think the Jets and Packers need to do nationally the way they're perceived for this year to be a success and I laid it out for Love you walk away at the end of the year thinking you have a guy for the Jets it's bare minimum get to the AFC Championship game and based off those expectations or whatever your expectations are where do you think they'll end up falling if that makes sense to you for the Jets I think it's Super Bowl or bust win the Super Bowl or anything else is a failure going all in Aaron Rodgers you're not getting Aaron Rodgers to make the playoffs or win a playoff game or get to the Super Bowl you're doing what we're trying to do with Joe Namath did win one I think anything short of that failure my expectations miss the playoffs I'm not buying them I don't think Rodgers is going to lead and have this great year number one and lead the Jets a new situation to the playoffs like you mentioned before the AFC is loaded I'm with you I think the Jets right now are the third best team in their own division behind the Bills and behind the Dolphins in the water and I just think it's too tough right now of a conference where they will make it in year one with Aaron Rodgers and the Jets so I think even with all the hype all the excitement I'm gonna go miss playoffs for the Jets and it's kind of wild Rodgers only been to one Super Bowl that was in February of 2011 when they defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers and that was the one Super Bowl clearly that he did win expecting Rodgers to win the Super Bowl it's an interesting way in saying it because a lot of Jets fans go this is the missing piece this is the savior but the guy has had a lot of playoff shortcomings in his career now here's what I'll say about that in some years you can blame the defense in some years you can blame special teams but recently even when he was playing an elite level in the regular season he was the number one person in my opinion at fault why he didn't get the job done everyone crushes the floor about that decision to take the field goal it was stupid but they had multiple opportunities to go take command of that game and Rodgers three and out three and out are stalled in the red zone and then you also go back to that game up against the 49ers one offensive drive that led to a touchdown right out of the gate on the first drive of the game and then after that they didn't get another touchdown throughout the rest of the game so the thing that I'll say is not that automatically do I look at Rodgers this guy that's definitely gonna go win a Super Bowl but there's no more excuses for Rodgers in search of that second ring because now you have a situation that you want to be in you have an organization that you're running where you don't feel like you're at odds with the GM or the head coach and you have a good defense and enough playmakers around you not that they're elite but enough playmakers around you where that should be good that should be good enough so this is a big year for Rodgers because not that it will take away right from his hall of fame legacy and all those things are already sealed signed and delivered for Rodgers but I don't want to hear any excuses being made for for Rodgers if the Jets don't get the job done this year in a way it's a compliment in a way sometimes it's almost unfair what I'm about to say but for him right now again not that his legacy is in trouble per se but one Super Bowl for his talent would feel disappointing it's an absolute disappointment and it feels like an underachievement and so if you're right which is crazy to say for a hall of famer but I can't knock you for that and it's also like partly like a nod to how great he is as one of the all-time great quarterbacks because you think oh for how good he is and how many times he's knocked on the door of the NFC title game that you would think he would get through and get through more than one time and you said especially the last two years it's been on him which is a problem look at it this way Aaron Rodgers you know forget about Brady because right Brady had three in his first four years starting and then we know what Brady ended up accomplishing but for a while what do people say about Aaron Rodgers I've never seen someone play the quarterback position that way well now we say that about Patrick Mahomes Mahomes has already been to three Super Bowls and has won two you look at Rodgers you probably would have thought that was the career trajectory even though right he's gonna get the hall of fame jacket he's gonna be considered one of the all-time greats but the winning didn't follow after that and I know that you have Andy Reid in Kansas City but and you have Travis Kelce but that chief's defense isn't stellar and also he just lost Tyree Kill and found the way to win a Super Bowl practically on one ankle so I don't want to hear the excuses in search of that second Super Bowl anymore if he doesn't get it with the Jets all right how about the Packers it's a little tougher because I don't think for me wins really like I'm not going to dictate a success for the Packers based on wins I'll say Jordan if you feel good about Jordan Love going forward 2024 and beyond he's your guy I don't think the win total matters personally well yes and no because if they only get four wins this year it's going to be tough to actually believe that Jordan Love is the guy but you can win and lose multiple ways like for example I guess what I'll say is the Bears got the number one overall pick not saying Justin Fields anything you know not a short thing whatsoever but the Bears feel confident and comfortable in him at least having the chance to be the answer and this is the worst team in the league last year so it's like it is you can look at Jordan Love playing well and the wins not being there sure I think you can have both and if that happens that's what I'm not gonna say like if they get five wins let's say but you feel good enough at how kind of the games go that Jordan Love could be the answer I'm not going to say that five and eleven or five and twelve I guess I should say is I think bare minimum this roster even if Love stinks should be able to get to six wins I think there's a big difference between Fields and Love that offense had nothing last year for the Chicago Bears absolutely nothing where I'm not saying Love is being put in an ideal situation but there is enough to go contend for a playoff spot so that's why I don't think it could be a four or five win season and then you walk away feeling good about the quarterback because this team did not have good quarterback play last year I know who the quarterback was and the name but the actual quarterback didn't play well and they still found the way to go eight and nine and I think they're in a decent enough spot in a division that yeah it's it's better but it's not as if this is a division that's Murderers Rome and also a conference that is not deep where I don't think it's impossible to get both the wins and also the individual successful play from from Jordan Love this season in terms of my expectations I'm going to go seven and ten which is seven wins I feel again feel good about that if you're a Packers fan going forward here that's what I think will shake out it is the Zach Gelb show on CBS Sports Radio by the way the Packers start to the season I have to look this up and I'll read it to you but it's not as if it's the toughest schedule right out of the gate their first five weeks before the bye they have a bye week week six you're at Chicago you're at Atlanta you have the Saints you have the Lions and you have the the Raiders the Bears improve nowhere close to winning the Falcons they have some offensive talent they're better on defensive side of the ball but Desmond Ritter is a major question mark the Saints we'll see who's healthy for them Detroit young up and coming team but not a team that like you can't beat and then you have the Raiders who are supposed to be disaster there there have been a lot worse landing spots for a young quarterback than than what Jordan Love's gonna have to go through it is Zach Gelb show on CBS Sports Radio and also Hickey sorry to I know you're trying to cut me off there tell me I gotta go to a break I gotta go to a break probably but Matt Lafleur too that's a guy that we haven't really talked about this there's some pressure on him because the guy hasn't lost a lot of games in the NFL but now you don't have the safety blanket of Aaron Rodgers he's got to show me in year one that the ship just can't sink and then in year two let's see how far he'll be able to take this team coming on back you're listening to the Zach Gelb show here's the poll question today will the Jets and Packers both make the playoffs both will make it both will miss it Jets will make it Packers won't and the Jets won't make it in the Packers will are your choices 10% in last place say the Jets won't make the playoffs and the Packers will then 15% I'm actually a little bit surprised that the numbers this low is that both will make it then 30% say the Jets will and the Packers won't and then how about this Hickey in first place with 45% of the votes early returns both will miss the playoffs I actually thought that the winner of the poll so far would have been Jets will make it and the Packers won't I think that's probably the majority of the national perception around those two teams but I'm telling you I think the Jets are polarizing entering this season where you know what the jet fan wants to have accomplished and there's some people that go oh the Jets have been bad for so long you know it's not the worst thing in the world to see them finally get some good luck to go their way but I think a lot of people right it's New York all the buzz about the Jets all the positivity Roger's going there and some people not liking him the last few years I think it makes the Jets a very polarizing team and whoever is usually that flavor of the offseason the other 31 teams kind of root against and I wonder how much that does factor into this conversation Hickey I think it's also I think a little bit I think it's also the classic Jets who are kind of anytime there's a reason to believe they always fumble it mess it up and find a way to embarrass themselves that's one of the examples perfectly and it's also like I think again I think before we used to just be like oh Aaron Rodgers boom it's over I think now more than ever fans are more educated and see it's not as just simple as plug and play and I think people see again what happened how Aaron Rodgers played recently his struggles in the big moment recently and really it's not as a foregone conclusion as maybe would have assumed even a decade ago I would love to live in a world that you live in where you think fans are are now more educated than ever before if you've seen my Twitter mentions over the last seven days and the things that football fans are are fighting over right now whether it's from the Deebo thing or the Kenny Clark interview or the Austin Eckler interview I have lost all hope and I consider myself right a football fan not just a talk show host but I've lost all hope for the education of our football fans there's idiots everywhere no matter what and we've seen that one every day the vocal yes I agree the vocal mind I was gonna try to make a joke of to boom right back to you and I missed the boat there don't worry and now I lost my train of thought oh sorry I got I got I got it again there's idiots everywhere no matter what walk of life we live in the vocal minority usually overshadows all the smart people but I will say I think on the whole on the aggregate I think people are smarter football wise than they were a decade ago there's more info out there give them people come on give them the benefit of the doubt here yeah you give too many people the benefit of the doubt that's the difference between you and I all righty the great news today ding dong Daniel Snyder as a football owner is dead and it's glorious news as the NFL owners did unanimously approve the 6.05 billion dollar salient not the worst day to be Daniel Snyder and now Josh Harris is going to take over that team I'm very happy and elated today for Washington commanders fans because this feeling today that you have is the closest to actually winning a Super Bowl and that feeling you could have since what 1992 when the last time that they did this this is almost on par with winning a Super Bowl because now you could have your football team back and for so many years there was apathy with the Washington commanders there's one thing when your team is a joke and you still blindly support them and you blindly show up and you still have passion and you still have that desire to want to see that team win what has happened with the last 20 or so years with the commanders has just been very sad where I attended a game at a FedEx field we know the place is a dump but there was barely any fans there and the road team ended up getting treated like the home team and this is a fan base that used to be one of the most proud fan bases in sports and it was such a passionate fan base as well and to see that disappear during Daniel Snyder's tenure is just an absolute disgrace and I hope now even though it's tough to overcome what happened those fans come back and the passion comes back and you start to see that great fan base be heard from and seen from because there's so many years that fan was just beaten down was just abused was just tortured by that SOB that pig that slob that loser in Daniel Snyder and it's nice that you get your team back today and you get that hope back and that's why this is a feel-good story today sure Daniel Snyder is going to be laughing to the bank because of all the billions that he's going to be cashing on and on and all that but I'm really happy for commanders fans and we could all boo Daniel Snyder out the board out the door we could all give him the middle finger tell him he sucks tell him he's awful tell him he's miserable but now you get to usher in a new era of football for a fan base that deserves it and I hope nothing but the best for that fan base because the amount of abuse that they have had to take from that clown in Daniel Snyder was just ridiculous and it went on way too long and now your prayers are answered the dream the vision that you had about getting this guy out today is the day that it happens and it's a wonderful day not only for fans of that football team but for all NFL fans because you want a fan base like that in your sport and it's so important I hope they make a return it is the Zach Gelb show on CBS Sports Radio Herm Edwards will join us on the other side you're listening to the Zach Gelb show all righty welcome back in and it's the Zach Gelb show coast to coast on CBS Sports Radio we'll continue the football conversation now with the former NFL defensive back also coached in college and in the pros as you did see him on NFL sideline with the Jets and Kansas City Chiefs now back at ESPN and that of course is Herm Edwards Herm always appreciate the time how are you I've been well thank you for having me on everyone's getting excited again all of a sudden these teams are starting to report to training camp and there's hope there's hope and optimism out there for a lot of football teams yeah there's also some hope and optimism for commanders fans today because the big news today is that the NFL owner says unanimously approved the commander sale from Daniel Snyder to Josh Harris a good day for the folks that root for the football team near DC as they could finally be optimistic maybe about their football team moving forward yeah and Ron Revere is a good friend we're from the same hometown so you know Ron has kind of held that thing together for the last couple years and that's kind of man he is so I think with the acquisition of new offensive coordinator Eric the enemy that ought to help that offense defensively they're a pretty good football team I think offensively now Eric can bring some life to that offense you know they'll be able to compete in that division yeah I thought it was a joke that the enemy had to leave the the Chiefs and a lot of the thinking was that maybe it needs to go somewhere else to try to get a head coaching job I thought Herm he's already should have been a head coach in the league are you confident that one day we'll see the enemy get a head coaching job or do you kind of feel like that ship has already sailed well I'm hopeful I think if you can turn it around there and get that offense going um and the quarterback you know if you can get how going and playing well I mean this team last year um you know they were eight eight and one and they were two three and one in a division and uh you know if they can just get the quarterback position settled down and get some type of offense going and if they do let's just say if they could you know win 10 games um with Eric being there I mean that that's going to give him a better chance I would think because now they can't say well Andy's helping him call the plays you know it's like it's his it's his show when he needed to do that Herb Edwards here with us let me get to a team that used to coach the Jets expectations are sky high with Aaron Rodgers what are your expectations for gang green well I think they are they're they are a legitimate playoff team there's no doubt about that when you think about what they went through last year as well you know they couldn't score the ball defensively they've got a top 10 defense um but it'll be interesting now because of the expectations I mean it used to be um for the worldwide leader you know you always talk about Dallas Cowboys and now it looks to me that we're all talking about New York Jets and rightly so because they have Aaron Rodgers so that is kind of a daily a subject now are the Jets a Super Bowl team um I just hope they get in the playoffs let's just try to get in the playoffs let's just try to win that division you know they play in a pretty tough division um with the Buffalo Bills obviously and then there's a team that's kind of sneaky the Miami Dolphins are a very good football team if that quarterback can stay healthy um they're going to be hard to deal with the AFC East is loaded the AFC is loaded are you confident the Jets will make the playoffs yeah I think they're a 10 win team for sure and I think 10 gets you in I do believe that um it'll be interesting if they hit a couple hiccups how they will react to that you know it was easy last year to blame obviously the play of the offense on the quarterback okay but at the end they lost six in a row they lost six games in a row and you know you still got to learn how to win and you got to win football games Aaron gives them an excellent chance to do that because they'll put up numbers offensively he's a quarterback he's going to throw at least 30 touchdown passes so if you do the math you know he gives you 14 points just coming into the stadium and if you can kick two field goals you got 20 well that gives you a chance you know when you think about the National Football League how close it is with 272 plays were played last year 141 games were won by seven points less you know what it's like to be a coach of New York you know what it's like to deal with expectations do you think that's a concern to see how the Jets are gonna handle that or you have Rogers in there he's probably seen everything in his career so far well Rogers has and I think they're getting him in a good spot you know they're getting a guy that's 39 years old this would be his last team this is going to be his last hurrah can you imagine if he can do it in New York they'll name a street after him right so probably more than that yeah I mean so this is one of those deals and you know you're wishing them you're wishing them success there's no doubt about that um solace is a fine football coach but now you make a point they got pressure on them because when you pick up Aaron Rodgers you know it's not just well we want to win a couple games though you want to be in contention talking to her med birds what would you say as a coach to Jordan Love who now has to try to replace Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay well when you think about that poor guy it's not only Aaron Rodgers but before Aaron Rodgers it was Brett Favre yeah so if you're a Green Bay fan that's all you've seen for 30 years right you saw Brett Favre means Aaron Rodgers I think he just needs to be who he is you can't be Aaron Rodgers that's not gonna happen just be who you are they drafted you they drafted you for a reason they think you're a good football player you're the European uh to replace Aaron Rodgers now it's your turn you know just don't try to do too much and I think you'll be fine her med words we all saw what happened a few weeks back with the Buffalo Bills right Josh Allen Stefan Diggs and Sean McDermott had some issue but not a lot of clarity on what actually happened is that cause for concern or is it better that happened the off season than during the regular season look um you're talking about competitive people right and you know we always say when the season's over with uh there's always business don't let the business get in the way of football and that's why you have it on the off season uh those things will be talked about it'll be ironed out and you have no worries about that organization or those folks so that's more so like we see that and we go okay that is not normal from like what we see from afar so all of a sudden we make it a bigger deal than what it is is what you're saying well yeah there's a lot of things that we always say you know what we say here what we do here stays here when we leave here and so there's a lot of things that happen that a lot of people don't understand and that's not their business because they're not a part of the team so I just think when stuff like that happens and people see it then they want to throw up red flags look it's a very competitive world that that NFL that locker room coaches are competitive players are competitive um you know and you're sensitive you know players are sensitive as well as coaches sometimes especially when you have a good team and you can't see you can't seem to crack you know you can't seem to crack the code right um you know all of a sudden this buffalo team uh we talk about them every year but all of a sudden you know they keep getting there but they just can't find a way to win a game right that that game that gets them over to the next one you know it's kind of like the buffalo bills in the past what the four super bowls just could never finish it her member is here with us I know earlier you said we used to always talk about the cowboys now all we do is talk about the jets don't worry her we still talk about the cowboys at time here's the thing with the cowboys their defense last two years has been good enough offensively in the big game they haven't found the way to get the job done where's the belief level in McCarthy and Dak and that offense entering this season it's funny how people want to always throw it on the quarterback and the coach um and I've said this numerous times and I'll say it again the Dallas cowboys are playing against the Dallas cowboys and it doesn't matter who the head coach is it doesn't matter who the quarterbacks been since 1995 I'll say it again since 1995 that team has not won a divisional game a lot of head coaches there a lot of quarterbacks there a lot of good players there so first round of playoffs fine divisional round since 1995 that's the last time they won a game that's what they're dealing with so it doesn't matter all that other stuff people talk about they got to get over that hump are they a playoff team they are a playoff team can they win the division they'll have a chance to win the division they have the same division record they were both four and two but when they get in the playoffs can they get out of the first round and win the second playoff round can they do that they had done this since 1995 is that a jerry jones problem in your opinion that's that's just that's just everyone's problem the jerry don't play he's the owner but I'm saying since 1995 if I knew if I could tell him hey you need to do this to get over that hump those guys got to look theirself in the mirror and say you know what we're getting the playoffs this we're getting the playoffs this year it doesn't matter who we play or where we play we got to win the second round in the divisional round and if we can do that it goes away but until they do that 1995 I remember it's here with us what do you make of the 49ers quarterback situation because we downloaded that team is but the quarterback's a major question mark every year it's amazing well it's only a question mark because they get hurt and it doesn't matter who the quarterback is right you think about all three of them got hurt at one point guy uh purty is the guy it'll be interesting now because of what he did last year you know winning all those games in a row now he's a projected starter the expectations how do they deal with that how will he handle that I think you'll handle it fine on the 49ers will be right there in the hunt you got an outstanding defense um got a great play call on head coach coach shanahan he makes it work with that offense so you can look for the 49ers being back in it again you know there's no doubt about that I'll tell you Herb a team I like a lot are the Seattle Seahawks their offense is absolutely loaded with weapons Geno had a great comeback story that defense is getting better but I'm wondering you know how much regression will occur from Geno Smith do you think that was a one-hit wonder can he replicate and get even better from what he did last year I hope not I hope that is the Geno that we thought he was going to be when he first came out right and he's gone through a lot in his career and he found a way to resurrect his career last year he was outstanding football player what was puzzling to me about Seattle um and this is and this is coach you know this is and this is this is coach I mean he you know that defense it was it it wasn't the defense of old now yeah and that's not who Seattle is and they've always played defense if that defense improves they're going to be hard to handle and I think they will improve um because generally they're a defensive driven team similar to San Francisco you know they're a defensive driven team and coach has always been that way last year it wasn't wasn't the deal and Geno boy I may not do he was he was terrific last year wrap it up with Herm Edwards right now it's the Bengals division to lose in the AFC North who do you think is the second best team in the North which is a very intriguing division yeah well I'm gonna say the pressure for me is on the Ravens because of Lamar um he ended up getting what he wanted I think a new offensive coordinator they're gonna ask him to play from the pocket more I want to see him do that so now he becomes the complete quarterback not that not the athletic guy they can mark but a guy that can play inside the pocket make plays they went out got some receivers um and so that's going to be a interesting team to watch defensively you know they're going to be in it but offensively now this is all Lamar this is all Lamar I mean let's just call like it is he's the quarterback he's gotten everything he's wanted and so now they got to put it together you talk about throwing the football more that's been a big talking point you know that they're going to throw the ball more the question just is how much more and I'm curious how much of a difference it is from what we seen a year ago more explosive plays right from the wide receivers we knew we loved the tight end tight end was good they went and got three but this reason they got Beckham and these other guys they went out got some guys to surround him with some guys that can get the ball it doesn't mean you got throw the ball down the field 50 yards but you got to throw the ball a little bit more inside those numbers you know on those deep over routes and those seam routes down the middle you got to be more explosive and take a lot of pressure off Lamar's legs because Lamar can make plays with his legs there's no doubt about that but he's going to cut his career short with all that running you know because eventually they get you I don't care how fast you are you can't run away from it those guys eventually hit you and you get the hit the wrong way then you're sitting on the sideline last thing I'll ask you coach Herm Edwards big year for the Broncos we know last year was a disaster now you're bringing Sean Payton what are realistic expectations in your mind for the Broncos this year defensively they're a playoff team can Russell Wilson resurrect his career with Sean Payton with Sean Payton I think he can I think he'll he'll play on offense now where he'll have to he'll have to get the ball out of his hand he'll move the pocket for him some he won't hold the ball for long periods of time and I think he has something to prove too because this is his career now because let me tell you something if it doesn't work out this year Russell Wilson will be gone Sean Payton's gonna draft quarterback I mean that's the bottom line we all know that I mean Sean Payton's not going anywhere he's coached and not only that if it doesn't work out in Denver he may have played himself out of the Hall of Fame too well and you're hoping that's not the case you know and he's got one of the best teachers that you could have right now to try to resurrect his career and it but he's got to go do it now he's got to do it on the field and I'm pulling for him look I I pull for players I don't want that's his me that's his my nature I was a former player I want players to play well and when they struggle um you know I want them to learn from that and get better and I'm hoping Russell Wilson will do that. Coach always great to catch up with you appreciate the time Herm Edwards. My pleasure my friend thank you.