Eagles Soaring South? (Hour 1)

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That's Z-A-C-H G-E-L-B. Coming up 20 minutes from now in his weekly spot from Beck Q-L, BetMGM tonight as he joins us in football season each and every Friday at 6 20 p.m. Eastern, 3 20 p.m. Pacific. Ryan Horvat will do some college lines. We will do some gambling spreads in the NFL for this weekend and so much more. And then at 8 20 p.m. Eastern, 5 20 p.m. Pacific, you know, you play to win the game.

Herm Edwards, the former NFL and college head football coach will join us. But first up producing the extravaganza for the next four hours is no other than hot take Kiki. I don't know about that hot take Kiki. So I'm listening to people all throughout today and in the aftermath of the Eagles Vikings game complain about the Philadelphia Eagles.

Did I miss something? The Eagles last night won a football game. The Eagles in week one won a football game.

They are to know. And I hear so many people saying, yeah, they won, but they don't look like the Super Bowl team from a year ago. When did style points matter in the NFL? This is not college football, where for years ago it was you need the style points to get you into the BCS national championship game because there's only two teams that get in and there's there was that one point no playoff system. This is the NFL just win by a point. It's hard to do.

Yes, you would love to blow people out by 2030 points. But I know the Minnesota Vikings are owing to. It's not like there's some pushover. It's not as if the Minnesota Vikings are the way that we view the Arizona Cardinals. And I know I don't think the Patriots are going to make the playoffs this year, but it's still Bill Belichick in Foxborough. And it's not as if the Philadelphia Eagles were going into Foxborough when it was 95 and sunny.

It was a rainy, crappy day in Foxborough. We've seen moments of the first two games of the season where the Eagles have looked dominant. They look dominant in the first half when they got up 16 to nothing up against the Patriots. They look dominant in the third quarter last night up against the Minnesota Vikings. And I think people forget that in this new era of football where we practically ignore training camp, we don't really value the preseason as we once did.

Teams are going to be sloppy out of the gate. And the Philadelphia Eagles really don't play their guys in the preseason. Nick Sirianni doesn't run a tough training camp.

I remember when I was on with Angelo Catoldi at Borgata, the longtime Philadelphia legendary talk show host. Last year, their first training camp, he was freaking out because Nick Sirianni practiced for like 30, 35 minutes. And it's amazing to me what people are saying about the Eagles in a year after going to the Super Bowl, where some people still don't give them the benefit of the doubt. They're 2-0. They're going to be one of the better teams, not only in the NFC, but also in the NFL. And it is Super Bowl or bust. But I can't find a way to have contrived outrage today in where, oh, the Eagles haven't looked as clean as maybe they did at times last year, so they can't get to that form. Here are the facts of the Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles have the best or one of the best offensive lines in football.

The Eagles have a quarterback who last year showed he could play at an MVP rate and outplayed Patrick Mahomes in a Super Bowl. We saw what DeAndre Swift was able to do last night, and it just shows you that Miles Sanders is overrated, and it's more so a product of the system. And behind that offensive line, you could put anyone there. DeAndre Swift last night had 28 carries for 175 yards and a rushing touchdown. Yeah, the receivers weren't awesome.

Devante Smith was, but A.J. Brown didn't have a good night. Dallas got at the tight end, didn't have a good night. And defensively, they allowed yards, but they were playing with a lead. And how many times do we see that when defenses get leads, they don't play their best, and the other team, quote unquote, gets back in the game when you really know that was never going to be a game at any point in the fourth quarter.

So, Hickey, I'm kind of mystified here, and maybe it's just a society that we live in where everyone needs to bitch and complain about everything until there's perfection, when really perfection does not exist. But it is amazing to me how I hear a lot of people today questioning or doubting the Philadelphia Eagles, and you would think they would have lost one of these games up against the Patriots or the Minnesota Vikings. They ended up winning both of those games. I'm truly jealous, honestly, because that shows you how high the standard is and how good this team is where, honestly, because not even really the chiefs of the most part have been subject to this.

This is really Patriots-esque, where it's not about the wins and losses. It's, okay, how does it look? Oh, it looks bad. It's over. It's, guys, I just think that they're not as good as everyone talked on the offseason, and everyone's ready to pounce because what we do in society is build everyone up and then can't wait to tear them right down.

They're 2-0. Sure, the past game has not looked great. The run game was elite last night, and guess what? There's plenty of games for any team where if it ain't broke, don't fix it. If Nick Sirianni got away from the run yesterday when they're running the hell out of the ball and they threw it 40 times and it wasn't working... AJ Brown was bitching on the sidelines.

Right. All of a sudden, what are you saying? Well, you can't listen, AJ Brown. If you're running the ball well, run the ball, who cares how you win? Just win the game. You can't have both ways, but this shows you how great the Eagles are for if people are concerned at 2-0 that this team is not good.

And don't get me wrong. The past game can improve, but it wasn't like the past game was awful last night. I think people forget sometimes when a play gets called back. Jalen Hurts delivered a great football to AJ Brown for a touchdown. It got called back, I believe, because of holding by one of the running backs. You also had a perfect throw by Jalen Hurts. I also think again to AJ Brown, and it should have been called for defensive pass interference because the defender was all over AJ Brown. So I also think that's another big overreaction where this Eagles passing game was dreadful.

I'm not saying it was perfect. I'm not saying it's after Thanksgiving kind of football form, but it wasn't as if Jalen Hurts was this horrible football player last night. I actually, when the game ended, I thought to myself, Jalen Hurts did what a leader does. He finds a way to win games. He finds a way to continue to hand the football off. He did a good job getting into the end zone two times, running the football.

And then he also threw a touchdown. I'm not going to tell you that Jalen Hurts played an A-plus game. But Hickey, there's people today that if they're issuing report guard grades and they're doing one of those lame columns that people end up reading, you would think most people would be giving Jalen Hurts a D for his performance last night or a C. And he was much better than that. So I think we reached a point even when Jalen Hurts is just good. And I think Jalen Hurts was good last night. He wasn't very good. He wasn't great.

He wasn't sensational. It's almost as if people curve it to where now just being good, just being above average for Jalen Hurts in a game where they still win 34-28 is now perceived to be a bad performance with what he was able to do in a football field last year. Which goes to the reason why I'm jealous if that's the elite level we're holding. But it's also, look, it's week two. Because really now it's almost strange to have big-time players play in the preseason. The season really starts in October. Right. The first month for the most, or maybe the first three games, for most teams are the preseason.

So feel it out. I mean, the Vikings can't hold on to football right now. So it's like there's teams that are still trying to work out the kinks. And the fact that you can look, I mean, look, I'm not going to say this bad, but the fact that you can look not at your peak, we'll say, after two games of beat 2-0, again, is a good thing.

And also, what if it was the opposite? What if, against the Patriots and against the Vikings, the Eagles were world beaters? 50-0 both games, offensively, defensively. You know, some people be saying, peaking too early. Playing too well in the, you don't be playing this well in September. You want to play in your best football in December and January. They're going to work into it.

There's no reason to panic. And the other part of this is, if I would have told you before the year, when we transition over now to the Minnesota Vikings, that Kirk Cousins, after two games, would have 708 yards passing, would be completing 72.7% of his passes, and has six touchdowns to one interception. If I just gave you those numbers, what do you think the Vikings record would have been? Hot take, Hickey, if I told you that before the start of the season. I mean, honestly, you would think 2-0.

This guy's playing out of his mind, and he would go into Philly with those numbers and win the game. And they're 0-2. And I've been a big defender this offseason of the Minnesota Vikings, where I said they're going to regress, but people think that they're going to go from 13 wins, and then they're going to bottom out, to me, was just laughable. I picked them to win the NFC North before the season, and I had them going 10-7. But I will say this, it's not panic time in Minnesota because you're 0-2, but if you lose this game next weekend up against the Chargers, and that game is at Minnesota, so it's a home game at 1 p.m. Eastern, if you lose that game and start the year off 0-3, then it's going to be tough to find a way to get back into the postseason, even in a weak NFC. Because sure, you lose that game, you're 0-3, you'll probably beat the Panthers, then you'll be 1-3, but then after that you have Kansas City. I know we don't think much of the NFC from top to bottom, but that's also without saying that they still have the 49ers on their schedule, they still have the Packers twice on their schedule, which is always a divisional game, which is tough.

You play the Bengals, you still haven't seen those two games of the Detroit Lions. It's not, this team's screwed because they're 0-2, but if they get to 0-3, then it's almost as if, Hickey, that everyone, and I know you and I were in the same camp here, that doubted and said the Vikings were going to bottom out and the Vikings weren't going to make the playoffs this year, that's when you start to think, hmm, maybe those people ended up getting it right in their analysis all throughout the offseason with the Minnesota Vikings. And then if you're the Vikings, for you now, because they've kind of gone year by year with Kirk, it's your 0-3, most likely your season rate in terms of playoffs is already over, now, at least for the next few weeks of the trade deadline, you have the future of Kirk dangling. Even if he's not traded, it's still a conversation for a month until the trade deadline comes and goes, and he's on the team or not. So I'm not going to ignore a storyline, but I just have a tough time envisioning that Kirk Cousins is going to get traded, and I think the money is going to be difficult in season, where what those numbers are, I think that's difficult to find a way to move a quarterback, and then also, you're going to need a team that is desperate enough to give you something back in return, where you say to yourself, okay, I'm good with basically punting the rest of the season, and also, run the risk, remember, this is why I said, you better get that deal done before the year with Justin Jefferson, because if Justin Jefferson, even though there could be a quarterback opening in Minnesota, and he may like that at the end of this year, if Justin Jefferson does not feel comfortable and confident that this organization will get it right, I know they could still go down the franchise tag road for two years and all that, that's when you get into a tricky situation, does Justin Jefferson kind of start pulling a Stefan Diggs, where he's looking to exit Minnesota. I know he's not a free agent until 2025, so that fifth year option is for the 2024 season, but it's just something that I think you have to go through if you are the Minnesota Vikings, where even if you are 0-3, once you trade your quarterback, you then totally ruin any belief of maybe making a run in the second half of the season, because look last year, what did the Lions start, like 1-6 or something like that last year, and then they were playing the final week of the season, a game that they won, but they didn't get the other things to go their way, to maybe go get a spot in the NFL playoffs, so for me, I think that's the tricky thing, it's the money and it's finding another team that would be interested, maybe it would end up being the New York Jets, which would be really funny, because remember the Jets tried to go make a run for Kirk Cousins, Kirk Cousins years ago was basically saying, there's no way I'm going to the JTS Jets, Jets, Jets, but if you do trade Kirk Cousins, then managing that relationship for the rest of the season with Justin Jefferson, when you have not given Justin Jefferson a new contract yet, that's when I start to put all my eyes on that situation, and I think it would get, I would believe it would get very messy. Well if you're a Minnesotian, let's just say you pull the trigger on the trade, and how to kind of, we'll say calm Justin Jefferson down, I think it's twofold, either number one, you could say look, arguably this is one of the most, if not the most attractive quarterback opening, where it's wide open, where anyone can come there if they want, like that's... Okay, but if I'm Justin Jefferson, and seeing the way that superstars have done this before, I could go pick a quarterback that's already a known commodity, instead of hoping that the team gets someone that could become available, whether disgruntled or if they elect to move up in the draft this year, and select a young quarterback. That's the way that I would look at it if I'm Justin Jefferson, if I start to lose trust in this organization, I think it's a lot tougher for the organization to regain his trust and justify, compared to just seeing what's out there and saying hmm, this team could use a number one wide receiver, oh that quarterback's also really damn good, it's a known commodity, compared to the unknown of bringing in someone new, and seeing how you would mesh and how you would vibe with that player.

Good news for Minnesota is that the fact, I mean there's, off the top of my head right, there's not many great elite quarterbacks that don't have a number one weapon. Like the Kansas City Chiefs could use a number one wide receiver, obviously, but they have Travis Kelce. So you're not going to trade for Justin Jefferson and give him a big time deal, and give him a top of the market contract and be able to afford him. That's like a lot of great quarterbacks right now in part are helped by a dominant number one receiver. It's not like there's a plethora of teams out there where you can slide in right now and be the number one guy. Kyle and Jonathan Taylor are different, where you go to the team that you fit with, and also then get the top of the market contract you're looking for. Yeah, but this is also a top ten player in the sport, and someone that is a top three wide receiver, many people consider him to be the preeminent wide receiver in the sport, or it's Devontae Adams or it's Tyreek Hill. Trust me, there would be teams that would be interested adding Justin Jefferson. And here's the other thing, you could go if you're really trying to give yourself an advantage, and I know it's usually better with an older player that already has the contract than you hit in the draft at a younger player. We've seen those teams run two great wide receivers at the same time on the field, especially with how much they do throw the football now in the year of 2023 in the NFL.

So here's the bottom line, anyone saying all the Eagles don't look that great and all the Eagles are a problem, either a 2-0, stop, you're spoiled. And then for Minnesota, it's you better win next week, and if you don't win next week, then Hickey is right, it's inevitable with this conversation, even though I don't believe he'll get moved, of what is going to happen with Kirk Cousins on the final year of his deal. It is the Zach Gelb show on CBS Sports Radio 855212 for CBS, 855212-4227. Herm Edwards will join us at 8.20 p.m. Eastern, 5.20 p.m. Pacific. You know what I'll ask him? I'm going to ask Herm. If he's the coach of the Jets, you just lost Aaron Rodgers for the season, are you going into Joe Douglas' office at some point this week or next week and saying let's go pull the trigger and get a deal done for Kirk Cousins because you have a roster that you believe you could win a Super Bowl with? So I'll ask that to the former Jets coach coming up later on in the show. When we return, we will go around the betting world with BetMGM's tonight's very own Ryan Horvat via the BeckQL Network.

We'll talk some college games and some NFL games next. Walk the dogs, school drop-off, meetings from ten to three, take kids to soccer, then no time left for a jog. When everyone else is relying on you, it's easy to put your needs last. BetterHelp connects you with a licensed therapist online so you can show up for yourself the way you do for others. Visit betterhelp.com slash positive to get 10% off your first month.

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Ask your doctor or pharmacist to learn more and schedule on the CDC's vaccines.gov. Keep it up. Sponsored by Pfizer and BioNTech. You're listening to the Zach Gelb Show. Hickey, what kind of mood are you in? What is this like sexy gambling talk right here on the Zach Gelb Show on CBS Sports Radio with this song?

Two devices in one. What more can you ask for? Alrighty. Maybe we'll get romantic with our next guest in the betting world. Ryan Horvat, the host of BetMGM tonight.

You can also check him out. Beck QL tailgating to kick off and he's kind enough to join us each and every football Friday right here at 6.20 p.m. Eastern, 3.20 p.m. Pacific. We'll do three college games, three NFL games, and then the best play that Ryan Horvat has for this weekend. Ryan, what's happening?

Well, you know, I was actually getting a little bit tired, but then Pete Diddy and the family got me back up. So getting excited for my show, getting excited for the weekend. I think this is my favorite board in the NFL, man. We get overreaction in week two, so I'm really excited to get going this weekend. Sounds great. We'll get to the NFL in just a bit.

Let me start you off with Coach Prime. We all expect Colorado to win. The question is by how many points do they end up defeating Colorado State after Jay Norvell was basically telling Deion Sanders he shouldn't speak to grown-ups with sunglasses and a hat on and made himself look like an idiot. Colorado's a 23.5 point favorite.

The over-under is 63. Is this a game where everyone's now like Colorado, Colorado, Colorado. They're going to blow them out where maybe plus 23.5 is the smart play. You know, I feel like the smart people are on Colorado State. I'm done fading.

Well, actually, let me rephrase that. I have the perfect opportunity to fade Prime in Colorado, but that comes next week. And right now that will be a 15 point spread against Oregon. I think Oregon's going to blow them off the field.

I think they're very underrated. Nonbeliever you are. You're a nonbeliever. But I am a believer that, like, you don't poke the bear and you don't poke Prime. We saw that last week.

You know, with the sun, he takes his helmet off. Honestly, I could not fade Prime in this spot. You know, I get it. Maybe a look-ahead spot because they get Oregon next week. The schedule's going to get a little bit tougher in a really loaded Pac-12. But I think, you know, they're going to be ready to go, man. Game day is going to be there for the first time in forever. We've got to remember Colorado was 5-21 in their last 26 games before this season. So there's just way too much hype for me to fade them. If I'm betting this game, I'm waiting for the right number.

Maybe waiting for a live number around like 21.5, 21. And I'm going to take Colorado. Usually when Tennessee plays Florida, there is some juice. But Florida is in a spot where we just don't know what direction they're heading in. It's not a great weekend of games in college football. Tennessee, though, is 11th in the country. The Vols are a 5.5 point favorite. Over-unders 56.5.

How do you think this will go down in the swamp? Yeah, so I actually took the points with Florida. This opens 7.5.

I still like it at 6.5. You know, I mean, Graham Mertz is not a good starting quarterback. We know that. He wasn't good in the Big Ten. He's not good in the SEC. But I don't think in this matchup he's going to need to be very good. Because I think Florida is going to be able to run the ball. I know they weren't able to do that against Utah, but Utah is very good. I think they're a Top 15 defense in the country at the end of the season.

And you look at Tennessee, I really like the system. But I don't know if I'm sold on Milton yet. I loved Hennen Hooker running that offense.

And we know Milton has the big arm. I will say this, right now he's pretty much just playing point guard. He hasn't thrown an interception. He's making all the right throws. I don't know if Tennessee is going to be able to run the ball, though.

And if they're one-dimensional, that secondary is good enough to at least keep this game close. Maybe win it outright. So I took the points with Florida. Is UNC on upset alert this weekend? 2-0 Minnesota with P.J.

Fleck row the boat. Going up against Drake May and Mac Brown over in Chapel Hill. The Tar Heels are a 7-point favorite.

So, I would take the points here with Minnesota. Only because if you look at the way defenses are playing Drake May now, we're seeing a lot of two-high shell. They're playing a lot of two safeties against them.

And I'm disappointed that I think a lot of college football fans are disappointed, especially North Carolina fans. Because we're most likely not going to get to see Tez Walker, who comes over from Kent State, had 11 receiving touchdowns. They don't really have that downfield threat. So I think Carolina is going to look to run the ball. And we know Minnesota is going to do the same thing. Last week they finally found their back.

They can't really push the ball down the field. Very underrated defensive team, even with only five starters coming back. So I lean Minnesota in the under in that game.

Ryan Horvath here with us from BetQL, BetMGM tonight. Seahawks and Lions, I love the over in this game of 47.5 points. Detroit is a 4.5 favorite.

Give me your thoughts on this one. All the sharp people like Seattle. I actually like Detroit in the spot.

I think Detroit is for real. And I bought into the Seahawks coming into the season, but I have some concerns about Geno. I have some concerns about even the defensive side of the ball. I like all the giraffe picks.

I really like Weatherstone, but I might take them a year. And right now, I didn't want to believe in Detroit because they haven't won the division since 1993. But the defense has been really good since week nine of last season. And offensively, yeah, we know Jared Goff is probably not going to push the ball down the field.

Doesn't have the strongest arm. But Ben Johnson calls all the right plays. They have the best offensive line in the NFC.

Or at least second best. And they can run the ball. So I actually like Detroit. Were you surprised that this Dolphins-Patriot game, the Dolphins are a 2.5, 3-point favorite? I actually thought this spread should have been a little bit higher in favor of the Dolphins.

You know what's funny? I think a lot of people think that. And that's coming from a Patriot fan. You know that, too.

Yeah. You know, I like the Pats, and I think they might even win this game outright. So, okay, rough start against Philadelphia. I mean, that pick six kind of sets them back.

But then Philadelphia didn't really do a whole lot in the second half. I was shocked because mobile quarterbacks have actually killed Bill Belichick the last couple years. But I just think this is a good buy-low spot on the Patriots. The offense is going to look much better this year. Like Matt Patricia is finally gone. I don't love Bill O'Brien, the head coach, but I like him as a play caller.

We saw what him and Matt Jones did together. So I actually like the Patriots at least to keep this game close. And I actually like the over. I think we're going to get some points scored in this game. Like I said, I think they're going to be a little bit better offensively than a lot of people expect. Going to Chiefs and Jaguars, Ryan Horvat. That's the one game that I circle where it's just screaming at me to take the points with the Jaguars.

I'll probably even sprinkle some of the money line at plus 150. Do you like the Jags to pull off the upset this week, and would you take the points? I like the revenge game angle, and I really like the Jags this season.

Played the win total, played them to win the division like most did. I mean, Calvin Ridley looks like a true number one. And you still have all those guys from last year. Christian Kirk, Evan Ingram, obviously.

Yes, Zay Jones. So love them on the offensive side of the ball. Not completely sold on the defense. And you saw what Travis Kelce did against them in those two matchups last year. Over 20 receptions. So I know he's just a tight end, but that's why he's worth half of a point in the market.

But I'm with you. I mean, Josh Allen said this is a playoff game. Trayvon Walker actually looked a lot better week one than he did all of last season. Actually got pressure on the quarterback. So I'm going to take the points with the Jags, but I'm going to take the over.

I think the over is my favorite bet. And I think Kansas City does get right offensively. You know, I know that the wide receivers had a bunch of drops. They're saying all the right things. They still have faith in Kadarius Toney, but their team total is only 27 and a half.

I'm going to play that. I think we get some points in this game, but I do think the Jags at least keep this within a field goal. So I know you said you love this NFL board this weekend.

What else jumps out to you? All right, so my favorite play is actually the Bengals. And I love the Ravens coming into the season, but we're already seeing the same issues with the Ravens that we've seen the last couple of years. Lamar is healthy, and I was all excited for the Todd Monk in offense. But you thought last week, Lamar was only pushing the ball five yards per attempt. The offense didn't look very good. This week already on Wednesday, they worked out four offensive linemen. They lose Dobbins now for the season again. And on the defensive side of the ball, they have a bunch of injuries, especially in the secondary. But we're getting a perfect buy low spot on the Bengals.

I liked it better at three at the three and a half. I would wait, maybe see if we bounce back to three. I know how good the Ravens have been as underdogs, and Harbaugh's been great against the spread. But, you know, everybody's talking about what's wrong with Cincinnati. I think they'll be just fine.

You know, Burrow didn't practice all summer. I think that offense bounces back. So I really like Cincinnati against Baltimore at home. I may ask you this question each and every week, but last week you liked the Bears to beat your Packers. On a scale of one to ten, and maybe this could change week to week, Packers are going up against the Falcons. Just where is your confidence in the direction that the Packers are heading in for this season being 1-0?

So, I do think that they go over their win total. But I also really like Atlanta, and I think this is a bad matchup for Green Bay. So, I had to see it to believe it really with the defensive side of the ball for Green Bay, because they're going to struggle against the run. The problem was for Chicago, they couldn't establish anything on the run, and they hadn't... Like, Luke Getze is just not a creative play caller. But this week, now we get to finally see what that run defense looks like. Last year, 28th against the run DVOA, 31st according to Football Outsiders. And now you have Bijan Robinson, Tyler Algier. It looks like Patterson is going to be active for this game. So, I know Desmond Ritter is not pushing the ball down the field.

I think you got to get Drake London more than one touch. So, I think Atlanta wins this game at home. I think they're a little undervalued here. But as far as the Packers, I think they win eight, nine games.

I don't know that they win the NFC North, but because it really looks like Detroit's for real. Ryan Horvat from BetMGM tonight via BetQL. You can also listen to his show tomorrow.

BetQL tailgate to kickoff. Does a great job inside the Odyssey family. Horvat, enjoy doing this each and every week. Thanks so much.

Thanks so much for having me. There you go. Ryan Horvat joining us right here on the Zach Gelb show on CBS Sports Radio. We will take a time out. When we come on back, what happens if Zach Wilson plays really well for next year?

And then, also what happens if he plays how we all expect him to play? Which is like eh, I've seen enough and not so great. We'll get into that on the other side. We'll get into that on the other side. You're listening to the Zach Gelb show.

Get in the zone, auto zone, restrictions apply. You know what's weird? I'm kind of excited now, each and every Monday, how we're going to be talking about Zach Wilson. Where Zach Wilson was an afterthought a week ago and now Zach Wilson becomes, for the interim, one of the more compelling storylines in the NFL. Everyone can acknowledge the Jets have a heck of a roster. Defensively, with Quinnen Williams up front with Big Q.

You have Sauce Gardner on the back end. This defense is sensational. They lost Aaron Rodgers and they still found a way with their offense, not even giving them a ton in that game until late, for that defense to just shut down and dominate Josh Allen and make him look like a bad quarterback. And we know Josh Allen isn't a bad quarterback. And then you look at the special teams, they won because of an Xavier Gibson punt return touchdown. And on offense, the line is shaky.

It is questionable. You knew that going in. But if you could find the way to just be an average offensive line, you have two dominant running backs still. Embryis Hall, who is young, up and coming. We know that he was rushing his way to the Rookie of the Year award. And then he tears his ACL and Garrett Wilson, who's on your team, who's a legit number one wide receiver in this league, ends up winning the Offensive Rookie of the Year. But not only do you have Breece Hall back and there's still a different gear he could take it to, and you saw how explosive he was still on Monday night to open up the season, you also have Dalvin Cook. So if Zach Wilson could just be a game manager, the Jets can be a team that could still make the postseason. But if Zach Wilson is the Zach Wilson of last year, where he takes no accountability, the offense isn't putting up any points, whenever he throws the football, is making mistake after mistake, then the Jets are going to be like a seven or eight win team. They'll be able to win some games because of how great their defense is and because of who the running backs are.

But to expect them to definitely make the playoffs and just believe that the quarterback could be bad week in and week out is not realistic. But really, Hickey, I'm curious on Monday how we're talking about Zach Wilson because as much as we like to praise the Jets defense, the Cowboys defense is also ridiculous. And even though I have my questions and I have my doubts about Dak Prescott in the postseason, doing it week in and week out. Hello, Cowboys fans.

I know you're listening after our Shannon Crowder interview, which we'll revisit later on in the show. We know in the regular season, the Cowboys offense finds a way to get the job done. And the Cowboys, they are a well-rounded football team where even though their quarterback is not great, you have a really good run game with Tony Pollard. You have an offensive line that's not great, but is still fine and good. And then you have weapons for Dak Prescott to throw the ball to, whether it's Brandon Cook, who they brought in this offseason, or C.D.

Lamb, who's another really good wide receiver in this league. So I don't expect the Jets to win the game, don't get me wrong, but a win for the Jets this week is Zach Wilson plays fine and you're able to put up points and you can keep the game close. I think it's a tough ask, even though the Jets just lost Rogers and they beat the Bills, to be able to replicate that again this week and lead the Jets to another victory and see them start off the year 2-0, basically without our Rogers, Hickey.

I'm glad you're excited because honestly I'm not. I expect nothing from Zach Wilson, especially now going against a Cowboys defense. We just saw have seven sacks, two interceptions, and two touchdowns.

I know if you want to count special teams as well, two touchdowns. I guess the Giants, I think he's going to be running for his life. I don't think he's going to be... We know how this works. We know how this works. If Hickey's saying Zach Wilson has no shot, reserve the Hall of Fame bust in Canton, Ohio if you are a friend of Zach Wilson's mother, and this could be some good news, the real Zach Wilson, the old Zach Wilson is back and he's new and improved if Hickey is really doubting him.

See that's part of the problem. What is the old Zach Wilson? BYU Zach Wilson.

BYU 2020. Wasn't he sleeping with a Dax Milne girl or something like that? No, no, other way around. Oh, Dax Milne was sleeping with his girl and then he ended up sleeping with a few of Zach Wilson's mother's friends, allegedly. No, so apparently Zach Wilson has been sleeping around with his friend's mom and that led to the girlfriend breaking up with him and then she started dating Dax Milne. That's what I just said. Yeah, he didn't take his girl and sleep with her when they were still dating.

No, no, no, no, no. She got mad because she found out allegedly that Zach was sleeping with Zach Wilson's mother's friends. Allegedly, of course. Allegedly, of course. We got to add that in there.

I don't want to get sued. And then the girl got revenge by going and sleeping with Dax Milne. I don't know if they're still dating or whatnot. I don't know what the relationship status is, but at one point Zach Wilson and Dax Milne, I think they were college roommates, right? And had a tremendous rapport on the field as quarterback wide receiver.

Yeah, I thought he was going to be a good receiver in the NFL. I know he was with the Commanders last year. I remember him getting released at some point and I think he signed, what I want to say with the Chargers was maybe the team that he signed with. I don't exactly remember where Dax Milne ended up signing with. Oh no, he's still on the Commanders right now, according to the always reliable Wikipedia. Oh, you know what?

This is kind of, it's not funny, but it's kind of funny. He was placed on injury reserve this year, Dax Milne. What injury do you think he had? A foot?

The Kellys? The topic that we're talking about here, Hickey. Use your brain a little bit. Groin? Yep, he had a groin injury.

Hmm. So maybe a little too much nookie time going on for Dax Milne and maybe that's how he had the groin injury. But anyway, back to the conversation on Zach Wilson. I'm just fascinated to see how it plays out because I look at Zach Wilson right now as milk. Eventually it's going to expire and I know that there is an expiration date usually on the milk carton, but that's not always that accurate. And I wonder how long the milk start starts to really taste sour here is what I'm going to say, Hickey.

Wait, wait a second. Do you drink milk after the expiration date? I don't usually drink a lot of milk, but there are some times where like today, for example, I knew I wanted a cookie. I had a little sweet craving after the show. So I said, I'll pick up a small container of milk and it said it was going to expire on September 19th. I bet you the milk will be fine on September 20th. It wouldn't shock me. Oh boy. Okay.

And it wouldn't shock me. Your choice, your body. I would dump that puppy down the drain and I would not take a chance. So you've never had a container of milk.

And even if it's past the like one day past the expiration date, you smell it, you go, oh, it's more than fine. You've never done that? No. Okay. Never. I don't mess around with milk. All right, Mr. GQ.

I drink milk every day. All I'm saying is there's been two people on this show, me and you, one of us have had food poisoning. That's right. It wasn't me. It was you.

So I'm going to trust my philosophy and my way in life. No, it wasn't with milk. I'll tell you that. Something else. You know what? Just shut up for a second.

I'm just saying, I'm just saying. The analogy was working where there is an expiration date on Zach Wilson. I'm looking out for you. If you want to drink expired milk, I was trying to make sure you're okay. If you don't do it Sunday night, all of a sudden now you got a stomach ache and Monday morning you can't come in. But if you're telling me that the date is September 19th of when the milk expires and then let's say you wake up in the morning, you go, oh, I want some milk with my coffee, which I don't do because I drink black coffee only, and you smell the milk and it's more than fine, you're not going to die.

You're not. If the milk is fine, I'm sure a few hours after the expiration date, that's okay. But the point is here, before you turn into a jackass here and question everything I do and you become so judgmental and make me feel so insecure about myself, is that there's going to be an expiration date on Zach Wilson. We don't know when he's going to expire.

But you know what really the first big test is? It's not this week. It's really the next week because the next week was the game where he basically just shot himself in the foot up against the Patriots a year ago. When the offense was putrid, he took no accountability.

And then that's when the team started to turn on him. If you lose to Dallas this week, I think most people chalk it up to Cowboys are just a better team. And there's only so much you could do without having Aaron Rodgers on the Jets. But then the next week you're going up against a Patriot team where that's where we're really going to be able to determine how much Zach Wilson has actually changed as a quarterback in this short time that he's had away from being QB1 for the New York Jets and the NFL. That if you want to even expand it a week or two against the Chiefs, or I should say a week later against the Chiefs because that's a weaker defense than you're going to face on Sunday. And even next week with Bill Belichick and the ability he's able to confuse young quarterbacks. And first time on a team that's 1-4 with an offense that's anemic. Well, you know what the good news is?

Break glass. You know what the good news is? You got Denver right after Kansas City. But say what you want about their offense, their defense. Their secondary is good. Their secondary is ball-hawking and for the most part unless it's a Kobe Myers lockdown.

You know what sucks? The Nathaniel Hackett revenge game and the whole Nathaniel Hackett Sean Payton situation goes right out the window without having the backing of Aaron Rodgers. But I will say this, the only one that could lose that week is now Sean Payton. Because if Sean loses to Zach Wilson and Zach Wilson outduels Russell Wilson, Sean took a big swing and that would be a big miss.

Because we all agree that the expiration date on the milk of one Zach Wilson is going to be sooner, probably rather than later. And if that offense run by and called by Nathaniel Hackett is better than the offense run and called by Sean Payton, you're right. The Jets are probably not going to win that game and probably not going to have a good offensive output. But if they do... I can't say they probably won't win that game. Denver's not a good team. You're the only one that thinks they're a good team. I'm a believer. You're the only one that thinks they're a good team. That's fine.

I'll be on an island and have no problem with being alone. That's for sure. Okay, but you can't call them a good team on this show until they start to earn that title. Because you said they were great last year. They sucked last year. You told me how great they were going to be this year. And so far they're 0-1 and they lost to a team in the Las Vegas Raiders who you think is like one of the worst football teams in the NFL.

So you are not allowed on this show. I'm making a rule here. I'm putting my foot down. Rex Ryan, don't be anywhere close. You cannot call the Broncos good until they start to show that they're actually a good team. All I'm saying is objectively, right now, I think most people would project that game, Broncos-Jets, to be a win for Denver. I can't say that though. If you're Denver at home, with Russell, with Zach Wilson, and Nathaniel Hackett coming to town, you expect to win that game.

Okay. And so I'm saying if you lose, if anything, Nathaniel Hackett actually can have his star even brighter than if Aaron Rodgers was a quarterback. Because he'll get more credit now if Zach Wilson goes in and wins compared to even Aaron Rodgers. Because Aaron Rodgers will get the credit.

The right way to say that about that game is there's two really good defenses and on offense, both teams have a questionable result of what you could expect on the offensive side of the ball. I do believe, though, the Jets, even with Zach Wilson as their quarterback, you look at the skill position players, I'd much rather have the skill position players for the Jets than I would what the Denver Broncos have to offer. But anyway, the last thing I'll say about this, if Zach Wilson plays poorly this year and he's not the answer, I know we could all get into that Kirk Cousins trade.

I don't think that's going to happen. But then what do the Jets do if they have a good draft pick in the first round? Do you take a quarterback knowing Rodgers is coming back and maybe that annoys Aaron Rodgers? Because not only are you moving away from his guy in Zach Wilson that he loves to mentor and it's another Jordan Love situation? Or do you say, we got to go draft the best offense alignment available to protect that Achilles of Aaron Rodgers? Because our shaky offensive line was going to be a problem this year anyway, and we've already seen Rodgers is now out for the season.