Biggest NFL Storylines (Hour 1)

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That's Z-A-C-H-G-E-L-B. Roman Harper will join us to talk some college football coming up 20 minutes from now. But we open up the show, talking NFL as the season is upon us with the Detroit Lions going up against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Just a quick note right out of the gate. We do have some breaking news. Travis Kelce has been ruled out for tonight. So you had the knee injury a few days ago, and he avoided an ACL tear.

It's a hyperextended knee. He made a push to give it a go tonight. He wanted to play. There was a report out there that he was begging Andy Reid to play in this game tonight, but the Chiefs did the smart and safe thing. And the only thing that they should have done tonight and told Travis Kelce, go grab some bench for this evening. Also, I also read that there's a good chance that Chris Jones could be in the building tonight, where we talked about that yesterday. And Hickey's like, you think he's going to be there to see the banner get raised? And I was like, ooh, I think that'd be a bad look for Chris Jones. I think that's a major storyline tonight. If he is, in fact, in the building and reportedly the Chiefs have no problem with it.

If he's in a luxury box and let's say Kansas City's defense is not where it should be, how many times does NBC go over and kind of show Chris Jones like whenever they show Jerry Jones when things don't go his way? And he's frustrated sitting next to usually Chris Christie in that ugly orange sweater that Chris Christie wore all those years ago. And Hickey, by the way, hot take Hickey producing this extravaganza.

How could we forget? I don't know about that hot take, Hickey. Doesn't NBC tonight with Melissa Stark have to if he is in the building, Chris Jones, doesn't she have to find her way to the luxury box to do a little interview or try to attempt to do an interview with Chris Jones to add to the drama? Because if you're Chris Jones, sure, the Chiefs are OK with you being in the building.

Does it mean that you don't have to be a businessman here and take advantage of blasting out your message? You know, we talked yesterday, but is it a charity event blasting out your message when all NFL fans are watching, tuning in for the first football game of the season with this up and coming Lions team going up against the defending Super Bowl champions in the Kansas City? How about those Chiefs? Preferably in the third or fourth quarter to have to like Jared Goff lines for like 24 points marched up and down the field. Chris, hey, looks like the defense could could use your love to hear his response. I don't even know if you have to wait that long. I think if you are Chris Jones, if the Lions get the ball first and matriculate the ball down the field and get into the end zone right out of the gate, I have Melissa Starks on speed dial tonight and text or come up to the luxury box.

Let's do a little interview for everyone to see, because we know what this is about. It's all about money. Chris Jones is willing to give up all this money. It's already well over a million dollars. That just keeps on going up and up and up. And he saw the contract that Nick Bosa got the other day, and they already were not close to getting an agreement.

So now they're even further apart because the Nick Bosa thing completely resets the market after yesterday with him getting $34 million a year. So we have a whole lot to do today. Lions and Chiefs. We can't wait for it up at 8 20 p.m. Eastern later this evening. We'll be talking about it all throughout the duration of the show.

But I got to start off today with five storylines that I'm paying really close attention to entering this season. Number five, who's the third best team in the NFC? We know the Eagles and the 49ers are one and two in the NFC, and there's a lot of other teams that are thrown into that conversation starter of teams that could be the third best team in the NFC.

Whether it's the Cowboys, whether it's the Giants, if you want to throw the commanders in there and just go through the entirety of the NFC East, you could be my guest. You look at the NFC North. Is it the team that plays tonight in the Detroit Lions? Is the Minnesota Vikings who had 13 wins a year ago?

Is Jordan Love going to have a breakout season in his first true year as a starter? Whoever wins the NFC South, could they actually be a threat inside the NFC, even though I expect the winner of the NFC South to be like eight or nine wins at most? And then you look at the NFC West, the team that I've been saying all season long, who I believe will be the third best team in the NFC, is the team that's going to finish second in the NFC West, and that's the Seattle Seahawks. With the loaded names that they have on the offensive side of the ball at running back and also wide receivers. Geno Smith having this remarkable comeback story and a defense where in the secondary I like them, but what are they going to look like up front in the front seven? That's my big concern with the Seattle Seahawks.

So that's a storyline to monitor all throughout the year. Right now, I would say it's the Seattle Seahawks. But who is going to be the team that will emerge as the third best team in the NFC and will we view them as a serious threat to either upset Philadelphia or the San Francisco 49ers? Number four, we talked a lot about Russell Wilson yesterday. I love the message that Sean Payton gave to Russell Wilson. Stop worrying about Russell, Inc. Worry about things on the football field, not trying to be this global icon. For Russell Wilson, he's at a crossroads in his career where forever he was beloved, forever he was this great player. And now he's playing himself out of Canton, Ohio from this pro football Hall of Fame bus status and getting one of those bus one day. Because in Seattle, that was never a doubt.

Even though there were some questions, how much is it really Russell Wilson? He was well on his way to being a Hall of Famer. Last year, though, was a disaster. Last year, though, was putrid. Last year was as bad as it could get for Russell Wilson. Now you bring in a new coach who is a well respected, great coach. I still have concerns about that offensive line.

I don't love that wide receiving court. You know that secondary is one of the best in the league and they have a really good defense. But for Russell Wilson, can you change the conversation about you this year? And I think Russ will have a solid season, but I still don't think Russell have a great season. And after this year, I do expect Russell Wilson to be the quarterback the next season. But going into year three in Denver, that's what is really going to determine how long his tenure is going to be with the Denver Broncos.

And also, where we're going to look at him down the road in the annals of NFL history when it pertains to him potentially being a Pro Football Hall of Famer. Number three, the AFC East. The AFC East is the best division in football on paper. I don't believe the Patriots have a shot to win this division.

But they could be in the mix as a wildcard team, even though I do not think they will make the postseason. But you got three top dogs in the AFC East that could not only win the division, but could go on to have a super season. We are far from the days where it would be how many games would the Patriots win the division by?

From one to two in that division. You go into this year where it's Buffalo, who has been dominant the last few years, but now getting questioned. The Jets, seven wins a year ago. Now they add Aaron Rodgers. They've been humming all offseason long, and a lot of people are drinking the Kool-Aid of the JTS Jets, Jets, Jets. And then you have the Miami Dolphins with their coach and Mike McDaniel, who creeps me out. But you have a team with a young up-and-coming defense that needs to be more consistent. They've been all in, even though I thought they should have went out there and gone out there and go acquire Dalvin Cook, but now he's with the Jets. But you look at the offense, you have speed, speed, and more speed with Tyreek Hill and Jalen Waddle, even though Tyreek Hill could be a pain in the ass from time to time.

We all know how great of a football player he is. And then it all comes down to the health of Tuatunga Vailoa. Storyline number two. We're going to see the rematch later in the year, and then hopefully we get it again in the postseason. Who's going to prevail between the Eagles and the 49ers? I think the Eagles are the better team. I think the Eagles are going back to the Super Bowl, where they'll match up against the Cincinnati Bengals. Are the Bengals winning at all? But can Brock Purdy be healthy, and can Brock Purdy lead the Niners past the Eagles, not only in the regular season, but then more importantly in the postseason? And the final storyline that I looked to before the start of the season, the next chapter of Borough Mahomes.

They have met four times, two times in the regular season, two times in the postseason, and we have seen Joe Borough win three out of those four matchups. The one team that has made Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs that time look vulnerable, it's the Cincinnati Bengals. They play late in the season, I think it's week 17, and then we all hope as football fans that we get to see them again in the postseason. Because that has been fun the last two years, where the Bengals beat them in the regular season, then the postseason, then beat them in the regular season again, then Mike Hilton and company on defense and all that yapping. And then the next thing you know, Patrick Mahomes basically on one ankle prevailed, got to the Super Bowl, had a comeback, won it two weeks later to get his second Lombardi Trophy.

So going into this season, those are the five storylines that I'm most fired up for. Who's going to be the third best team in the NFC? Russell Wilson, how are we going to be talking about him at the end of the year?

Who prevails and wins the AFC East, and how many Super Bowl contenders are there in the AFC East? What's the next chapter of Eagles 49ers, and what does the next chapter have in store between Joe Burrow and Patrick Mahomes? The new great rivalry between two quarterbacks in the NFL. It's awesome to have football back, it's awesome to have the NFL back, we can't wait for Lions and Chiefs that does kick off at 8.20 PM Eastern. We will take a break, when we come on back, we got to go to Alabama's campus, Roman Harper from the SEC Network, former Alabama safety is going to join us. As we have a whole lot cooking in college football.

Between your alma mater and Texas. Well honestly man, this is a big prove it game for both of these teams. So I say it's a great prove it opportunity for Alabama to actually let everybody in the country know, you know what, we're still Alabama.

A lot of people, this is probably the most I've seen since I've been doing this job. I'm sure that a lot of people think Alabama not to be the number one team in the SEC West, let alone the SEC, and maybe possibly a national champion. So knowing and understand that the standard that is called footballs move, and it's all constant moving target, that it was not on Alabama, it's on Georgia. So that's a prove it opportunity for Alabama, and then for Texas, how real are they? Everybody in the papers have wrote about how talented they are, how good they are.

But at some point in time, you still got to go out there and put it on tape, and go out there and show people how good you are. And so you've got ranked last year after a loss versus Alabama, still a loss, and they did not live up to the ranking and to do you to move up. And this year they've been praised, everybody's picked them to win the Big 12. And so it is a prove it game not only to be who they're supposed to be in the Big 12, but also around the nation. So I'm looking forward to it.

It's a big prove it opportunity overall. Like you said, people are finally starting to doubt Alabama, and Nick Saban for so many years had to go after people for praising his program too much. How do you think he's like in the locker room with this entire offseason of people saying Alabama's falling off and they're not that great anymore? Well, he calls it reverse rat poison. That's his thing, the reverse rat poison. He wants all of it all the time.

He loves the reverse rat poison. We'll see, though, at the end of the day, it's so tough being at Alabama right now because, you know, when I was here, you know, we lost two, three, six. You know, we lost six games, seven games, one year, two years. You know, it was only one year where we were in 10 games when I was in school.

But now if you lose two games, you lose two games. It is a disappointing year at the University of Alabama. And like Nick says all the time, you know, the fans and everybody gets all in their emotions, but nobody cares more than the players inside that locker room. So they live, they understand what the standard is at Alabama and what they have to constantly battle against, which is their own standard that has been set before them. But the best thing about it is each individual locker room at some point gets to prove why they are that individual locker room.

Everything changes even more now in the transfer reporter era. So it's just, I think, until you go out there and prove it and do it, that's probably the emotion that you really look for and seek for as a head coach, the way you get to see your team react in these moments. And in these big games, you can be proud of them. You can be not as proud of them, but you never truly, truly disappointed them because what you do is prepare the best you can, do the best you can.

And you deal with 19 to 21 year old kids, dudes, you know, so 22, it happens. That's why they go out there and play it, Zach. I think it's going to be so good to have everybody's eyes on this game, you know, outside of Colorado and Nebraska. This is going to be the game that everybody's talking about and watching on Saturday night. Roman Harper here with us.

Where's your confidence with Jalen Milro as a quarterback for Alabama? It's rising. I would say it's rising. That's the word I'll use to describe it in my best Will Bond. Impressive.

Rising. And that's because starting off, we didn't know. We knew he's athletic. We knew he was a athletic guy that could try and play quarterback. But now he's trying to be the quarterback that is athletic. And last week he showed some really good throws on some good touch.

Some technique things can be cleaned up. But it's going to come down to, you know, I think allowing him to kind of get started in the run game early sometimes allows guys to get more in a rhythm throwing the football. KJ Jefferson, quarterback, Arkansas.

Really good example of that. When he's using his legs, he's more active. He's just in the game.

You still got to learn how to protect yourself. These guys are out there. Cam Newton, another great example in college.

That was who he was as well. So I'm not I'm not putting Jalen Milro on Cam Newton's level. I'm just saying the type of game that these guys have is where we're going with that. And he's got some talented wide receivers that are now no longer true freshmen.

And so they got some speed on the outside. They got some difference makers. And really, it's going to come down to this, Zach. Is Texas going to come out and shoot their gun and their shot? Being aggressive, really blitzing and say, hey, we blitzed a lot against Bryce Young last year, who controls the protection, who does all these things.

You know how cerebrally talented that kid is. Are you going to try and push Jalen Milro to that breaking point as well? Are you going to see if he can get the corrections up front? How aggressive do you start? Are you going to be able to try and play some zero coverage, which is what they did versus Rice at times last week that gave them some success? So are they going to try and do that versus Alabama, which is if you play zero coverage and you don't sack the quarterback, watch out.

He can hurt you. He has shown he can take it 80 yards. And also they have the ability on the outside to run by guys as well, like Isaiah Bond and some of these other Prentiss, Kobe Prentiss, another wide receiver who has shown the ability. Hey, these guys are downfield threats, 45, 50, 60 yards down the field. What would your approach be Roman Harper defensively up against Quinn Ewers, who was having success last year up against Alabama before the injury in that game? It's not so much about just Quinn Ewers. I think Quinn Ewers is a good quarterback, but it's all about covering Sarkeesian's defense and understanding what they're trying to do at all times in which situations. It's all about situational football, Zach. I'm sorry if I'm going to go on a heavy football jargon, but you're asking these questions. I'm like, bro, I can give you the fluff. That's why we bring you on Roman.

Give us the SEC network analysis here. Let's go. All right. All right.

So so what it is, it's like, all right. What is the situation is first down or earned first down, not just start of possession, which is, you know, possession, which is, you know, possession means we kicked it off. What are we just punting?

Different situation. Earn first down. You get past the 40, past the 50, or really it's the 45 to the other 40 versus Texas shot zone.

First down, just play coverage. Understand they want to go fast. That's when they want to try and quick strike you. That is an attitude of this offense and under Sarkeesian.

That's in his DNA. So understanding those things and then also where they move around Xavier worthy when he's out there on alone in the field, understanding how you want to press this guy when he motions in. There's no reason to press him from inside out. He just wants to run right back outside and get open and use the field. So also then when they move him down to slot. So understanding where Xavier worthy is because when they want to take these shots and be aggressive, that's what Texas is. And if your guy is blocking, go hit the quarterback.

There's no reason to stand back and covered air because they do a lot more Max protect. They use a tight end. They put in an offensive lineman. We call him a pig or slug.

And so because they're not going out, they're not releasing. So instead of covering this guy, just go hit the quarterback because he's in there to block. So the more pressure you can add and hug rush as quick as we can. Understanding the situations that other former tight end. He's going to go across the line of scrimmage to help with waggle protection.

That guy. Go get your man. Go get the quarterback when they block. Go get the quarterback. It speeds up the timing.

It makes when you are uncomfortable. He's not shown that he's a quarterback under pressure that handles it well. And if it's Peter moving and you knock him off the spot, he's not that good at quarterback. So that is when you got to understand those things and how to be aggressive and how to play against his defense.

At least that's what I would tell him to do that. Roman Harper here with us. We're getting a Ph.D. in football right here on CBS Sports Radio. LSU, I think the world of them heading into the season, same with Florida State. I thought that was going to be a great close game. It was looking that way in the first half and then Florida State just took it to them in the second half. How shocked were you by LSU not getting up for the moment in that second half last week? LSU had the opportunities to really take over the game and do what they needed to do to win it. And I always say this, it's usually five plays in every game that kind of win a game, lose a game.

Everything else is kind of hogwash, right? And so you go in, you know, LSU really shouldn't have scored that last field goal. Florida State, that was a dumb defense call. Anyways, they got down there. They're up 17-14.

They could have been up more, understandably so. But I'll say this, Zach, that whole first half was hogwash when it's all said and done because it was even. And you look up and three things can't happen if you want to win a big game. Number one, you can't get out coach. LSU was out coach.

Number two, and I just don't flat thread it out there. It was like, you know, certain defense that they're trying to execute. Florida State out execute them and run the same type of defense. You got to understand both of these quarterbacks are very similar.

So you got to have a spy. You got to be able to do the little things on defense to be successful versus these type of quarterbacks in teams. Right.

And they're very similar in those ways. So LSU lost that battle. They were out coached.

I also saw them out hustle. You know, there's a couple of tip balls in that game. Florida State's defenders are running by LSU's offensive players trying to go catch an interception. I'm like, dude, are we playing their game?

What are we doing here? Also, Malik Nabors and Jayden Daniels, they got to get better in the red zone in their connection. You can't, you got one on one on the backside. At some point, you got to score those.

The odds have to be in your favor if that's your star player. Right. Those connections have to be better.

So that's another thing. And lastly, Florida State out hit LSU. They out hit them. When the collision points were made, LSU players were going back. Florida State's players were stunning those guys. Even on the sideline runs, LSU was going to get that guy out of bounds. If you weren't going to run out of bounds, we're going to hit you on the way out of bounds. Seeing those little things, you know, Jayden Daniels getting body slammed, planted on the floor. LSU on the fourth down, great fourth down, red zone defense.

Stuff in the run, first, second down. Like, LSU tried to run there. They couldn't. It wasn't like they didn't try. They couldn't.

So seeing those things and those little elements happen. And then the second half, Zach, let me tell you what happened. As a former player, they got in at halftime and they said, you know what?

We don't need all this stuff we came in here and thought we were going to do. We're going to play straight man to man defense. You call the cat out and that's what they did. In LSU, they lined up right in front of LSU and said come beat me. And they couldn't. And they lined up. I looked at the plays. At the top of the drop, Jayden Daniels, there's no space.

Nobody's open. So that is what they did. And then they got after the quarterback with a great spy technique. And so, and once LSU had that happen, they got hit in the mouth and they couldn't respond. And that is how the game kind of got away from LSU. Roman Harper wrapping up with the SEC Network analyst, former safety for Alabama, the Saints and also the Carolina Panthers. Does Jimbo get it done this week up against Miami in your opinion? Oh, so that man, that was the game I've been studying lately, man.

And it's just so weird because, you know, in college you just don't get to carry over the success of last year and or sometimes the warts of last year. And maybe Texas A&M is better. I think it's going to come. This is what it's going to come down to. I don't know who's going to win the game yet.

I'm not ready to put a pick on it yet. But my where I'm looking at this game where it be won and lost at is going to be Texas A&M's wide receivers. The best part of their offense. And versus Miami secondary, specifically the slot position, I'm looking at the slot. They run a lot of man do some dance, different man, different things.

And they trust that one on one. But if you got Evan Stewart in the slot eating and Texas A&M has three wide receivers, they got to know a kid that came out of nowhere last week. My man, shout out to my man to kill spikes.

He said he's going to be a breakout player. So I didn't say nowhere, but to kill spikes. I didn't know. Then you got a little moose Mohammed. Well, I don't say a little bit. The second little moose. I know big moose.

So sorry. And Evan Stewart, the number one wide receiver out of last year's freshman class, who really came on and did his thing. So those three guys at Texas A&M are going to be a tough matchup for Miami. And that's what I'm looking at on that side of the ball. And who wins that match up will win the game. And then on Miami side, it's going to be on Miami's offenses. I don't know if Miami can just run the ball on Texas A&M like that. And last week they had to just run the ball. They weren't like the past game wasn't as threatening. I don't know if their past game was threatening enough to put Texas A&M in fear to maybe they have to put more guys back away from the line of scrimmage.

Maybe less. At some point in time, you've got to strike fear in somebody. And Miami's offense didn't strike fear in the past game. Two more for Roman Harper before we let you run. What was your reaction to what Coach Prime and his squad did, which was awesome, up against TCU? Proud. You know, proud. Really happy. It's something to be said when you're an underdog and you go out there and shock the world.

Muhammad Ali said it first, you know? And so when those things happen, you root for them. You always root for the underdog. Look, man, I'm a Deion Sanders fan. I'm a Coach Prime fan. Like, he's been on my wall since I was a little kid, you know, with the Atlanta Braves poster.

You know what I mean? I'm growing up in Alabama. I didn't like the Falcons as much, but I love the Atlanta Braves. And so he was on my wall since then. And then I've got him.

He's still in my man cave room right now on my wall from an autographed picture that I have. So, like, he's always been that guy for me. So I've always been a huge fan of him. He's the GOAT. So when you take those type of qualities and attributes, and he's been successful at every level of his life.

So if anybody should dare doubt him, they're dumb. But for him, and not only that, but, like, his son, Shidoor, had a great game. Like, all the stars showed up in the biggest moment. And, like, those things don't happen that often.

And when they do, big monumental shifts and things happen. And that's what I saw for Colorado. It was great. I was proud. It was, you know, I don't want to say this on your show, Zach, but, like, man, it was almost like the Montgomery boat incident. Like, it gives you a little sense of proudness sometimes when somebody gets the correct reckoning at the end of a bad behavior.

And I meant the bad behavior in the fact of just all the doubters. People were like, man, they ain't going to win three games. I looked at the schedule and I'm like, bro, they can win four easily.

You know, and that's just, like, four. But, like, man, any more than that, man, give this man credit. Give this team this program credit, man, of what, you know, Deion has been able to build. I mean, he's in talk of college football right now. Last thing I'll ask you, Roman Harper, Ole Miss, Tulane.

I can't wait for this one. Ole Miss, his offense is going to be humming. And then Tulane, we saw what they did up against USC with that crazy comeback last year. And they're one of those, well, I guess you'll say group of five teams that could really make some noise this year. You know, remember what I said earlier about you don't get to take the successes of last year into this year? Remember what I said?

Yes. That is a true statement. Now, Tulane has talent. They bring back the same quarterback. They bring back a lot of some of the offensive linemen, some D linemen.

Like, they got some players. But you also got to understand, their bell cow down the stretch was the Taiji with the running back. He rushed over 200 yards versus USC. He rushed, like, 190-something, 180, 150 or more in the AAC championship game. So he was the guy down the stretch, right? Like, he got drafted in the NFL for that. Like, you losing these players, sometimes you don't always get better.

And so that is real and true. I watched him versus South Alabama. I think the biggest thing is this. I'll give you the secret sauce to this matchup. Number one, it's in New Orleans. And Ole Miss connections to New Orleans, that's the whole deal and the whole vibe. The Mannings, that whole little mysterious little thing, those connections, some of the same type of people in both places.

That's one thing. And then also is that Tulane wins in certain ways. They create turnovers.

All right. They're not a lot, but when they do, they score off of them. And so then when all of a sudden you're down and, you know, that makes the other team's offense press a little bit more. Sometimes that creates more opportunities for more turnovers. And so if Ole Miss can protect the ball, they should win this game. Ole Miss is better. But if you turn the football over, you're a little sloppy here. You know, you don't, you have penalties, which Ole Miss has never really been that highly penalized team under Lane Kiffin. I give him credit for that.

But if those things start to creep up, then you give somebody that's probably not as talented to you a chance to beat you. I just saw that last Sunday when Clemson lost to Duke. And man, man, I know we talked about Brian Kelly and I thought it was laugh, but he's on the hot seat. How about Dabo Sweeney?

Is there anyone more stubborn in college football than him with the way that he doesn't embrace the transfer portal and all the arrogant things that he says? Hey, man. You know, they say that about that, man. Hard head got a soft, you know what, you know, at some point it happens. You know what I mean?

Like all that stuff. Look, I'm a big Dabo fan personally. You know, look, I've been a Dabo fan since he coached Alabama wide receivers. And then he really won me over when he was the BYOG coach.

You know, bring your own gut. Like that's when he really won me over. And I don't know if that Dabo is still the same Dabo. It's really hard when you've been at the top for so long. And you don't want to, I guess, call it evolve or whatever it is, you know, whatever the correct term is. I would say evolve. You know, you got to be in this game, Zach. In the last five years, bro, in college football, this space, since I've been in it the last four years, you got to be the crocodile. You can't be the dinosaur.

You're getting passed up. Things are changing. It's changing rapidly. You're not willing to adjust, evolve, try and grow with it.

And if you just want to be against it, and I'm not saying Dabo's against any type of brain, then like it's going to be tough. And it's just funny because like people have, college players, a lot of them have gotten money underneath the table from different programs forever, Zach. And now it's no longer like that. And things are more above board. Things are at least, and I don't even think it's even better.

I don't. But at times, but it has better, it has more opportunity. And that's the thing that I don't want to take from these young men because I didn't have that opportunity. It's not even about the money. It is about the money.

It's always about the money. But at the same time, we root for it as former players because it's about the opportunity. You know, and so don't ever lose that because opportunity creates hope. Hope creates love. You know, it creates all these other great things. So, and so that's all I want. But at the same time, I mean, everybody has to adjust at some point.

And it'd be different if like, so Clemson's never paid anybody on the table. Like, not, but you just want to be out loud and in front of the camera saying it. It's just like, it's like, why at this point? It's simple.

It's ego control and stubbornness. That's really all I could chalk it up to. Anyway, Roman Harper, we got to bounce. Always appreciate the time. Thanks so much for doing this. Appreciate it, bro. Be good.

Later. You're listening to the Zach Gelb Show. It is the Zach Gelb Show on CBS Sports Radio. So I'll ask a simple question. Who's the quarterback this year that needs to win the Super Bowl the most?

855-212-4CBS, 855-212-4227. Two names come to mind immediately. And also, when you answer this question, like, don't call it and say, Justin Fields, it's got to be Justin Fields. First off, that's way too premature. And you have to actually be able to make an argument for why that team could win a Super Bowl.

I don't even think you could make an argument for the Chicago Bears to make the playoffs this year. So be fair here in your responses. You could also tweet at me at Zach Gelb, Z-A-C-H-G-E-L-B. Hickey, I'm between two. So I'll let you try to eliminate one of them, and then I'll just go to who the other person is. Who's the first name that you think of needs to win the Super Bowl this year? First name has to be Josh Allen.

They've knocked on the door, they've come close a few times. Josh Allen's play, you could question now is starting it passed up by Joe Burrow, maybe other quarterbacks, like Trevor Lawrence or knock on the door Justin Herbert. This feels like a year where Josh Allen has a lot of pressure, and I think he would benefit the most from winning.

And very rarely do we praise a quarterback for losing. But two years ago, in the two games that Josh Allen played in the playoffs, up against the Patriots and then also up against the Kansas City Chiefs, it was almost as if he won the Super Bowl, even though he didn't win the Super Bowl, with how just efficient and automatic and sensational he was in those two games. And then last year, the Bills just didn't have it. It was almost as if their season peaked when Von Miller came off the edge and forced that Patrick Mahomes interception where they defeated Kansas City in the regular season.

And then unfortunately, it was all downhill from there. But this is like the real compelling part about the Bills this year, is now after being the team that everyone was all in on a year ago, now a lot of people are out on Buffalo, where people think Buffalo will be good, but there's a lot of people and the majority of people are not picking them to win the Super Bowl this year. So I would say you're right, just because of also how turbulent this offseason was.

Well, it's really just the start of mandatory minicamp with the whole Staphon Diggs situation. And there could be major changes coming to Buffalo after this year, and I like Sean McDermott a lot, but if they are disappointing at the end of the year, I'm not even saying they are a team that are Super Bowl or bust, but he could still be back next year if they don't win the Super Bowl. But if it's embarrassing how they lose, then it's okay, you may have to tip your cap and give a standing ovation to Sean McDermott for the way that he billed the Bills and got them in this spot, but then you're going to need someone potentially to take over to get them over the goal line to secure that Lombardi Trophy for the Bills franchise. And the other part, too, is, and I'll give credit to Leche Dusaball who said this to us like months ago, people think the Bills are still in a Super Bowl window, right, when you have a quarterback like Josh Allen. That window may not be as open as you think because you've built a team that we perceive to be ready to win now, and then when you don't win, eventually you have to tinker with the roster, especially with the Josh Allen contract kicking on in and how much you have to pay Josh Allen at the quarterback position. The other quarterback that I would throw out there, Hickey, and I know I said you have to have a belief in this team to win the Super Bowl, be able to make the case, I don't think the Dallas Cowboys are winning the Super Bowl this year, but in a NFC that's really two teams right now, the Eagles and the 49ers, I'm not saying it's easy, but it's as open as ever in the NFC for a third team to emerge and go be a dominant threat.

And the last two years, the Dallas Cowboys, 12 wins and 12 wins back to back years, but come postseason time, their quarterback has let them down while their defense has excelled. And I think we look at Dak, most of us is a good quarterback, not a great quarterback, most of the times great quarterbacks win Super Bowls, but you could be a good quarterback and win a Super Bowl. Like Joe Flacco, he played great in the postseason.

I know people like to have fun with the elite stuff. He was never an elite quarterback for a long stretch. He was a good quarterback.

And with the right defense and the quarterback playing better than what he should be, they won a Super Bowl. So I look at Dak Prescott, you got to take advantage of this moment now, Hickey, because you never know when it's going to be this good again. When you have Micah Parsons, Trevon Diggs on the defensive side of the ball, you got the Marcus Lawrence too, an offensive line that is getting older. You still have Tony Pollard and you got two good wide receivers, actually three good wide receivers. And you can't say I don't have enough weapons, which sometimes an excuse the Cowboys fans use for Dak Prescott, but you have three good weapons at the wide receiving position in C.D.

Lamb, Brandon Cooks, and then Michael Gallup. So they have the pieces there, but it's can the quarterback show up in the big moment and he would shut a lot of people up because I'm someone that I don't believe Dak Prescott wins a Super Bowl in this league, but he has an opportunity to do so this year and we'll see if he can take advantage of it. Especially when you add in the contract feature where this is not a contract year for him. Obviously he has this year, next year. But the contract's in the conversation. Right, and you've had Jerry Jones, I think right at the beginning of the offseason, I think it was at the Senior Bowl, basically saying, oh yeah, we're going to get an extension done with Dak this year, no doubt about it.

He's talked about it, talked about it, talked about it. Then trade for Trey Lance. We are now right, three days away from the season starting, no real legit contract talks have been at least reported on. Trade for, again, a third string guy, but still you make waves at the quarter position unnecessarily, and you have a quarterback next year that has a $60 million cap hit. And I know that they were patient the first time and they waited and waited and waited and waited and waited when you knew the deal was going to get done, but most times you don't see a franchise quarterback go in, kind of like a coach. You don't see a coach or a franchise coach or a franchise quarterback go into the final year of their deal without getting taken care of.

And at the end of this year, you then go into 2024, which would be the final year of his deal before he hits free agency in 2025. If the Cowboys win the Super Bowl this year, Dak Prescott, I think we get a lifetime contract. Jerry Jones would do whatever, like, he'd be so happy outside of owning the team, Dak would do whatever he, like, could do whatever he wants. What, he's been watching Winning Time when Dr. Buss gives Magic Johnson that 20, 25 year lifetime pretty much contract? I mean, if Dak delivers the one thing Jerry actually wants, or was it two off seasons ago, he's at training camp with, like, a fake trophy.

I'm practicing. Practicing lifting the Lombardi Trophy, if they do it this year and Dak plays well in the postseason for the first time in his career, again, Jerry will, again, outside, and you know, maybe he'll put him in the will to where if Jerry dies, Dak's now going to be the next owner of the team. Move over, Steven.

I think he would get anything he wants if he delivers this year. Anyone else that we need to throw in this conversation? Because I do think the first two names are Josh Allen and Dak Prescott. Like, I could throw in two more names here, I think.

And let me just see how you react to them. Justin Herbert. Is it too early is my question? I would say too early still, yeah. When a playoff game is what I would start with, maybe get to the AFC title game, I would not put him in the same pressure, let's say, category as right now, Dak and Josh Allen. Lamar Jackson just got paid. He, I think, is definitely higher on the list.

I think he's right there. I would agree with that one. Because he's got paid, he's been in the playoffs, he's won a playoff game, now it's, well, let's go to the Super Bowl. Now, two guys that have been to Super Bowls but haven't won it yet, young in their career, and we all believe in both of them, Joe Burrow and Jalen Hurts, or do they get a pass because they've both been to a Super Bowl before, and both played well in the Super Bowl, and the Bengals offensive line stunk, and the Eagles, the defense just couldn't make a stop. I would say both get a pass this year.

I agree. What about, now he's won one already. What about Aaron Rodgers? When it comes to separating your legacy, we always talk about guys that win multiple rings.

Obviously won one early on, not gotten back since. In terms of this year, would you put him top five, you think? Is he a top five guy? So it's funny, I didn't consider guys that won a ring, but it's just who needs to win a ring this year. Rodgers doesn't need to win a ring in New York because he already is a top ten quarterback of all time, and is already guaranteed first ballot hall of fame, but I think his legacy in the tie-breaking conversation, especially in a market like New York and a franchise that hasn't won since Joe Willy named it in 1969, yeah, it would help his legacy significantly. Because if Rodgers walks away with only one ring, people say, all-time great quarterback, wonderful, but how the heck did this guy only get to one Super Bowl? So that's a good one too. What about Russell Wilson? Oh wait, the Broncos can't win a Super Bowl because Hickey picked them. That could help show CBS Sports Radio.