Kevin Harlan, NFL On CBS Broadcaster

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That's right. It is the Zach Gelb show coast to coast on CBS Sports Radio. We do have week 10 of the NFL season that kicks off tonight. And what a doozy of a matchup we have for the Carolina Panthers going up against the Chicago Bears. But even if this Thursday Night Football game isn't something that is going to be one that's going to elicit a bunch of big national storylines there, of course, is a great weekend of football upcoming. And one of the games that we have a keen eye on and keeping a keen eye on is the Texans at the Bengals. I don't know how many people before the start of the year thought this would be a big game, but it now is with the way that C.J.

Shroud's playing and now the Bengals are back with Joe Burrow being fully healthy. So let's go out to the guest line and join a guy that's calling the game. He is the legendary CBS Westwood 1 and Turner sports announcer.

He, of course, is Kevin Harlan. Kevin, always great to hear your voice. How you been? Hey, Zach. Good to be on with you.

Thanks for having me. And you're right. Before the season, we looked at Texans and Bengals and said, what in the world is that?

How can that game even possibly elicit any kind of response? But the way the Texans are playing at four and four and certainly the Bengals turn around, uh, two good stories going into Sunday in Cincinnati. And we know the last few years the Texans didn't have this good culture. And now you bring back one of their own in D'Amico Rhines. You get the quarterback.

It looks like right. And it's wild how quickly in the NFL things could turn around. Well, they've made some nice free agent acquisitions, too. They've added to the team. They've got some nice young receivers.

They're bringing along. And if you're drafting the right way and of course, time tells every story and every success or failure for a pick. But if you're drafting the right way, if you have those lean years and they've certainly had some, it usually will catch up and you'll begin to get some get some production. And I think that's exactly what we've seen. You know, the Stroud story is so interesting because it was really between him and Bryce Young as to who would go number one.

And it was kind of a split room. Half would say, you know, go with the Alabama quarterback and half would say go with the Ohio State quarterback. The one thing that kind of piques my interest a little bit is that as great as Ohio State has been, and they have been phenomenal in football, they have never really produced in the modern age a quarterback that has had a big impact on the NFL. And when Stroud a couple weeks ago threw for over 300 yards, it was one of the first if not the first time an Ohio State quarterback had ever thrown for an NFL 300 yard game. And then he threw for over 400 last week and set yet another milestone. So he seems to be bucking the trend of what Ohio State has brought to the NFL in terms of the quarterback position. And he's really playing well. On the other hand, Bryce Young, as we know, is struggling at Carolina. Some interceptions last week, two pick sixes.

And his learning continues under Frank Reich and Charlotte. When you take a look at the Bengals, it feels like they are back. And a big reason because of that is their quarterback is healthy.

When you look at Cincinnati, how dangerous of a team do you think they'll be the rest of the way? Well, I think they've got the best receiving core from tip to tail. I mean, all their names are good and solid and all could start on any team in the NFL. Their line has been, you know, a series of plugging somebody in here, signing this free agent there.

They got Orlando Brown from Kansas City as the left tackle. Their line has not missed a single game all season, a single snap. Their defense, they've started the same defense at every position all season long. And so they've got great continuity. It's the basic core of last year's terrific team and what they've been putting together.

But clearly everything revolves around Burrow. And like last summer, when he went through the appendectomy and didn't play any preseason and got off to a real rugged start, this year hurt the calf, strained the calf muscle, did not play any preseason, was a minimal practice participant in the summer, slow start to the season. But just like last year, this year's team has gotten their traction and they're beginning to turn the corner. And they've won four straight and they're, you know, at the halfway point of the season. I think they feel good about being in the best division in football, but I think they're going to have a lot to say in the month of December and January when we begin to really nail down those final spots.

They're as good as advertised and they're every bit of what they've been over the last couple of years. Kevin Harlan here with us. I'm glad you brought up the defense because I know what we do. A lot of times it's just talk about the coach, talk about the quarterback. Luanna Rumo doesn't get enough credit for the job he's done the last few years with the Bengals. And I know that the trend is now usually young offensive coordinators to hire. Heck, D'Amico Ryan's young defensive coordinator worked out well for the Texans.

I think Anna Rumo should get a head coaching job this offseason. Well, he's paid his dues for sure, Zach. You know, he's a lifer and he's been at this trade a long time. But he was also the same defensive coordinator they had when they were not winning much, when Zach first got there to become the head coach. So he has grown with the team. Now, listen, they got Hendrickson as a free agent from the New Orleans Saints a couple of years ago.

Hubbard has developed into a terrific pass rusher, the former Buckeye. They've had two solid linebackers and they've gotten young in the secondary after going maybe through a series of big names in the last part of their careers that maybe had lost a step. But now they've got some young dynamic defensive backs and really everything is probably gone pretty much as planned. I think they knew that with Burrow not playing any in the preseason and not participating, more importantly in the practices, full bore, that they were going to be, you know, trying to find themselves kind of groping a little bit in the dark for where they were going to be and trying to live up to all the hype. I mean, even more than Buffalo and perhaps as much if not more than Kansas City, people said the Bengals are the team to watch.

And this was, of course, even with all the great revelry with Rogers in New York with the Jets. So the Bengals have not let up. Their defense has been terrific. Offense is right where they need to be.

They're a wonderful team. How concerned are you, Kevin Harlan, just wondering, because we talk about the Bengals who started slow and now are getting strong. The 49ers were as hot as hot could be, and now they've lost three straight. Is there a concern level with the 49ers?

You know, I can't. I think they need to get some defensive players healthy. That is always, I think, a key. Trent Williams has been banged up. They're left tackle. That's always a concern. He's a premier player at that position.

And I think that people have probably read the book from cover to cover about Brock Purdy. Not that he's predictable, not that he has reached the level of his progress and his quarterback powers, but I think there's a better feel for his game. And I think they overload some of the position. They've missed some wide receiver help too with Samuel.

He was with an injury. So there's a couple of things at play here. But the one thing I found about Kyle Shanahan, though, Zach, is I don't know if there's a better coach in the league at adjusting on the fly with what you've got to work with on that Sunday. And he has proven time and time again that even with the depleted lineup, losing starters to injury, and maybe teams kind of getting a little tip on how to play some of these better players, in particular the quarterback, who the book was wide open on, and they were still kind of learn about what he was doing, he always seems to make great adjustments. My feel is the 49ers are just the team we thought they were, perhaps a dry spell right now, clearly with the losses. But I still think they're one of the powers in the NFC.

I would not discount them at all. I think they also are a team that really knows when to shift gears. And they've done it in the past and worked now just past the halfway point of the season. And this seems to be when they really thrive, the last part of the season, last half of the season.

I would not take my eyes off of San Francisco. Wrap it up with Kevin Harlan, who joins us right now, the legendary broadcaster, CBS, Westwood One, and Turner Sports. So on Monday, Denver and Buffalo, I know you do the Monday games on the radio. Buffalo's just been a funky team and they just look like they're missing something this year. I know that they were everyone's pick last year, it did not go their way, but this has been two of an up and down team. Is their ceiling just being a good team this year, and they don't have a chance to be a great team when it's all said and done?

You know, that's a great question, and I don't know that we're really going to have a definitive answer until we get into December, when we can see if they can iron out some of these problems. But they've not been consistent. They have had the quarterback continue to turn the ball over. I still don't think they're all that happy with the running game. And, you know, when you're kind of in that position where you're always the team to be, you know, we've seen this before now from them.

They get the quick start and then they kind of level off, but they seem to be cooling off more than in the past. And it's kind of hard to figure out what, you know, and a lot of people this week, I've noticed it, have started to talk about their head coach McDermott. Is he more of a, you know, guy that can get a team to a certain level, but can he then push them to where they need to go? Well, they've come close. We know that. They've come close. But when you go back to that playoff loss last year in Buffalo and they hosted Cincinnati, I kind of feel like that might be the mark where we can kind of trace to where some of this is going right now. Whether that was just, you know, same cast, same group coming to camp again, have they lost that whatever it is that makes a special team a special team. Listen, Kansas City is not playing that well, too, but they're finding a way to win. And the good teams always do. We've not seen the best of the Chiefs, but maybe a handful of quarters, if that much this year.

I've seen them twice. And they got beat both times. They got beaten Denver and they got beat against Detroit. And they got a big game coming up against the Eagles in a couple of weeks. And I know that in Kansas City, there's some concern about maybe they're not what they once were. Well, they've had a loss of a lot of talent at wide receiver. The quarterback in Kansas City has never taken longer to throw.

And Mahomes has never thrown for shorter distances than he is this year. So, you know, there are a lot of these teams, you know, Cincinnati struggles. Buffalo is struggling. Kansas City has not really, they've won, but they've done it in very unimpressive fashion.

And I don't know if that's just the malaise of this time of the year. The team that actually is really kind of turning it on and playing with as much consistency as anybody is Baltimore. So while we've got all these teams that we kind of put in that that group, Zach, of here are the four teams to watch in the AFC, I still think their best football's ahead of them. And as we turn the corner here halfway through the year, I really believe that all those teams are going to show their best.

And that includes Buffalo and certainly the Bengals, who I think have begun a little bit early with their four consecutive wins. Who do you think is the best story? What team do you think is the best story so far in the NFL this year, Kevin Harlan? Best story is probably, well, Baltimore is hard to beat. I mean, they paid that quarterback Lamar, all that money.

And, you know, sometimes these quarterbacks have a hard time adjusting to everything that that encompasses. But boy, I think Baltimore has been a terrific story and Jackson has been great. Certainly Miami got off to an incredible start, but they've had a hard time beating the teams that have winning records. And until they cross that threshold, I think people are going to wonder about, are the dolphins legit?

Absolutely. Or are they just a team that can really get at some of these teams that are 500 and below? And how far do you think the Lions could take it this year, just wondering?

Well, I just saw them a couple of weeks ago, Zach, and I think they're terrific. I think they've got all the components on defense. I think offensively, they continue to show depth at running back when Montgomery is healthy and back there with Jamar.

I think they're really going to be even more potent than they are right now. They've got the receivers. They've got the offensive line. The quarterback is right in stride with everything that is going right with that team. His beliefs and his confidence are off the charts. We saw him, like I said, a couple of weeks ago, and they were terrific.

I have no reason to think that Detroit won't be a prominent team in January. Everyone gets a crappy game here and there as an announcer. Al Michaels tonight, Panthers and Bears. What do you think is going through his mind?

And I'm sure you've been in that spot where it's like, wow, there's not really much to look at with these two teams, but you've still got a job to do. Well, he's such a pro and the idol of everybody that does what he does, play-by-play. My respect for him is boundless. I would tell you that he'll handle it tonight like a pro, like he always does. He'll look forward to next week because I think next Thursday, they've got a good game.

I don't know what it is, but I remember thinking, ah, next Thursday, he's going to hit the jackpot. I think it's a good game on Thursday. But he'll get through this. And you know what, for a team like the Colts, they're coming off a win at Carolina. And I think that, I take that back, Carolina is coming off the loss to the Colts.

They have got a lot going on right now. They got to resurrect that quarterback, and they've got to make sure that he is thinking the right way. And I think that with everything that's happening to Stroud down in Houston, he's probably facing as important a game as he's ever going to face in his pro career. Now, it's young and he's just beginning, but you know what, he's got to be feeling the pressure of what Stroud's doing with the Houston Texans. So I think he'll play well tonight. And Chicago has gone to a no-name quarterback.

Yeah, Tyson Bajan, right. He's out again. Yeah, so I mean, they're definitely going to be up. And it's the big national game for these two teams for the only time this year. Yeah, and you're right, Cincinnati and Baltimore is your Thursday night game next week. So Al Michaels is a good game on the horizon. Before we let you run, Kevin Harlan, just going to the NBA, the biggest story in the regular season is Wen Binyama. When you get ready for one of his games, just what goes through your mind as everyone's curious what he could be in year one? Well, we saw him in preseason against Miami. We did a game down there for TNT, Zach, and he has an incredible handle for a guy that size. His footwork is terrific for a 19-year-old and a man with that length. He seems to be fearless. I think he's got great confidence in his physical stature and a physical lead. He may look thin, but what he does with his workouts and his yoga and his stretching and everything else has given him great mental confidence, and that's carried over to the way that I think he feels he is thriving in the lane. Now, he struggled against the Knicks, and I get that, and he's a rookie. He's 19. It's going to happen.

I mean, it's going to happen, absolutely. But I love his game. He's got the right voice in his head. He's got the nice compatible parts around him. They're not playing him a ton of minutes, but just the right amount that he gets acclimated to the NBA game. He is a joy to watch, and him and Holmgren now coming in both kind of the same size, same style. It's an interesting dynamic for that position to see if we're going to see maybe a bit of a change and not have every big shooting threes.

Now, those two can, but they can certainly do most of the damage with their great length inside, and watching coaches use them against other defenses with a hard time to defend is going to be one of the more interesting things to see develop this season. Last thing I'll ask you, Kevin Harlan, we know how important the Packers are to you. Long-term, where's your confidence at with the combination of Matt Leflore and also the quarterback Jordan Love?

Well, Leflore I have less question about. I think he's the right guy, and but the quarterback I think is a gigantic question mark. I don't think there's any doubt. What we saw in preseason and what we start to start the regular year, he really was I think down the road we're thinking, this just might be the answer. But since that, since game two or three, it has really regressed, and he has been incredibly up and down. They did get the win against the Rams this past weekend, and they needed that badly. But I think individually on him, it's going to take most of this season to figure out, and I do not think that is an organization that will sit and say, let's give it one more year.

I think they'll see enough this year with full-time starting and him being in the organization for the three previous years, that this in his fourth, that he needs to show things that they can really hang their head on and right now, there's not, I don't think the things they see that they can hang their head on and say definitively Jordan Love is our guy. Kevin Harlan always appreciate the time. Thanks so much. Always a pleasure, Zach. Thank you.