Leslie Frazier, NFL Network Analyst

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Less static, less wrinkles. It's the sheet. Alrighty, how we doing? Our number two of our radio program. That's right, it is the Zach Gelb show coast to coast on CBS Sports Radio.

Let's go out to the guest line right now. Welcome in former Minnesota Vikings head coach. Also was the DC last year with the Buffalo Bills. And that of course is Leslie Frazier who's now an NFL Network analyst. And you can see Leslie on NFL Game Day preview this Sunday at noon Eastern on the NFL Channel.

Available on the NFL app, fast streaming platforms and NFL.com slash NFL Channel. Coach, appreciate the time. Thanks so much for doing it. How are you? I'm doing good, Zach. Thanks for having me on.

Well, thanks so much for coming on. So let me start you off with the game tonight. Good one. Sometimes these Thursday night games are just dreadful. This one, a lot of big hype inside the AFC North. How do you kind of take a look at the Bengals going into Baltimore to square off against the Ravens?

Well, this is a big one. Probably more so for Cincinnati because of the way they started their season and where they are right now coming off a loss against the Texans. So this is a game that I don't know if they can afford to lose this game in the division. Whereas Baltimore, they've been playing really, really well. It's a tough loss this past weekend in Cleveland, but they're in the driver's seat. If they win this game, they pretty much control the division. So a lot riding on this game for both teams, but I think it's going to be hard for Cincinnati to get past Baltimore. Lou Annaromo is a really bright defensive mind and it gets lost in the success of the Cincinnati Bengals.

What do you think his message is? What do you think his emphasis is tonight when he goes up against Lamar Jackson, who is playing MVP ball once again this season? I think everything around the Baltimore offense, and I agree with you with Lou, he's outstanding. Everything starts with Lamar and they've done a good job of diversifying the offense this season, mixing in the run game, but not, you know, taxing Lamar so much in the run game as they have in the past, allowing him to be a little bit more of a pocket passer. I think Todd Munkin has done a really good job with that. But for Lou, it'll be about being able to control Lamar. And when he starts moving around and trying to extend plays, being able to limit the number of explosives that he can create on his own. And if they can get that done, not give up the explosives to this Baltimore offense, then they have a really good chance of slowing down this offense. You know, I'm glad that you brought up Todd Munkin, because I think this gets lost. Like we look at the Ravens record seven and three.

Oh, wow. They're playing great football. But you know, this being a new coordinator, a new coach, it takes time to learn your players.

It takes time for everyone to get on the same page. That's what I think makes Baltimore so dangerous. I don't even think we've seen the best version of their offense yet this year, coach. Yeah, I wouldn't disagree at all. You know, what you said is true for Todd.

It's a matter of learning the personnel and then finding out what guys fit best and some of the things he wanted to do. Say, going back to OTAs and even in training camp. So there's an evolution going on within their offense.

And I would venture to say it probably won't be until the last week of November, the first weekend in December, where they really hit their stride offensively because of the fact that, you know, Todd is still going through that learning phase a little bit. And so are the players. I mean, it's a new scheme for Lamar. It's a new scheme for Gus Edwards.

It's a new scheme for all the receivers. So there's there's some learning still going on as they prepare from week to week for each team. They get ready to play recently as Leslie Frazier is here with us. You were right in the thick of the AFC. Do you still think Kansas City is the best team in the AFC or do you maybe go with the Baltimore Ravens? You know, there was a point where I thought Baltimore was really gaining on Kansas City and they still are. I mean, you know what they're doing, what Mike McDonald has done with the defense of the Baltimore Ravens has been very, very impressive. I mean, what they're doing with points allowed and what they're doing in the red zone has been exceptional. You expect their offense to be pretty good just because of Lamar's ability to create on his own. But Zach, seeing the improvement of the Kansas City Chiefs defense.

I was talking to Steve Spagnola just a few days ago. They had their bye week last week. And I told him, I said, I don't know if you guys would be where you are record wise if it wasn't for your defense, because they are much, much improved. And there have been some games I don't think they would have won if it wasn't for their defense plan as well as they have. And you couldn't have said that in years past because they kind of struggle on offense, getting their receivers on the same page with Patrick and finding another special player other than Travis on offense. So because of the way Kansas City's defense is playing and they'll be tested this this Monday night versus the Eagles. I give the edge to the Chiefs because of the way their defense is playing. Yeah, it's a great point that you bring up.

And I actually I texted spags. It was after week three or week four. And I said, your defense isn't getting enough credit because usually in years past when they win, their defense doesn't start to get those timely stops until November or December.

They were playing lights out early in the season and it's continuing. And coach basically responded back and said, we like when we're not getting the attention. And you know, that's such a coach's answer because you never want your guys to start feeling themselves and then getting too big for them.

Actually. Oh, yeah, no doubt about it. I mean, that's that's something you're always concerned about guys reading their press clippings and people talking, you know, good things about them and they forget all the hard work they put in to get to where they are.

So I can definitely relate to spags response for sure. You being a leader and now you look at Kevin's the fancy with the Browns Watson was just starting to knock off the rust potentially they were six and three that defense is playing great. And now Deshaun is out for the season when you lose your quarterback and now you're back to Dorian Thompson Robinson and PJ Walker as a coach you being a leader of men. What's the message to the guys this week in Cleveland?

Well, somehow somewhere you got to convince the guys that is the next man up mentality, even though like you said the show was really, I thought for this past weekend. That was the first time you really saw flashes of what he did in Houston, and you were really getting excited about the potential, but you have to rally the guys around DTR, or if it becomes someone else at the quarterback position. But you don't want that to become an excuse not to go out and put forth your best effort and give yourself a chance to win so I know Kevin well he's going to do a really good job of really bringing it to the guys attention the importance of every man doing his job and not feeling like I got to do more, or having that doom and gloom outlook on the rest of the season, they still have a chance to wait our defense is plan to sneak out some wins and be right in the thick of it. In late December so you know Kevin to do a good job of rallying and really emphasizing the importance of everybody doing their job and believing that they can win Leslie Frazier you know this there's one thing, what you say to your team and then there's one thing what you say to maybe like Andrew Berry the general manager as a head coach would you be in his office this week saying, Hey, let's try to get Matt Ryan out of the TV booth let's try to get one of these guys that have walked away from the game that aren't that far removed from playing in the NFL. Yeah, you know, I'm sure they look at the job, Josh Dobbs situation in Minnesota say, man, he was on our rocks and wish we had him back. Yeah, yeah, so could we do a trade back.

Yeah, exactly, exactly. But I know back in the preseason when we were watching and we did again we did their game against the Eagles and they were really high on Dorian Thompson Robinson, and then he played in that Baltimore game. And he didn't look quite the same and part of that, you know, in the preseason.

You're so vanilla on defense it's a lot different than what happens in the regular season. So I'm sure they have some angst about, you know, what could potentially be, but they're giving them another chance this weekend. And hopefully he'll play well but the guys around him have to play well also and if that's the case, like I said earlier, they have a chance to really stay in the thick of it because the way their defense is playing talking to Leslie Frazier right now you mentioned Josh Dobbs, I think it's one of the more incredible stories that we've seen if not the most incredible story of the NFL season bouncing from team to team to team and get a no time to prepare what he's done the last two weeks in Minnesota, and I know used to coach the Vikings has just been sensational. Oh yeah, when I watched their game, his first game. When the quarterback got concussed.

Yeah, and he had come in with no practice during the week. You know just being fed information by Kevin O'Connell on the headset and seeing this performance man I was like, I think that was against Atlanta they were playing just an incredible, incredible feat and. And he did the same thing I remember watching your game against Dallas the way he played when he was at Arizona. He played lights out when they upset. Yeah, was when the Cardinals played him so we three yeah, he had he has some talent and my hat goes off to him what he's been able to do bouncing around from team to team is still playing at a high level. It tells you something about his character, and obviously his intelligence as a football player as well he is.

He's one of the guys I enjoy watching for sure. Kirk Cousins, and this is no knock he's a really good player, I don't think he's a great quarterback there's a difference to me from good to great, but he's a free agent at the end of the year, he was balling out before unfortunately having the Achilles injury and the Vikings were getting right back on track. Do you think Kirk is done in Minnesota, with that free agency upcoming or is there a chance for a reunion this offseason. Boy with it with the dollars that he's going to demand. You know, I don't know if the Vikings really have much of a choice, unless Josh continues to play like he's playing I don't know if he's the long term answer, but he's sure playing well enough to make this division a lot more interesting than it was before the injury to Kirk, because Detroit seemed to be in position to run away with the division.

And that's not so much the case. But I would think, knowing what's out there at the quarterback position. They almost have to bring Kirk back. And if they choose not to, then you roll the dice a little bit about, you know, who's going to be your quarterback. He's, you know, can he take you to the Super Bowl, that question is still to be answered, but he should he's shown that he's good enough to win a division and get you into the playoffs and you.

So what what are your options. I mean, that's something that scouts will have to tell them about the draft and free agency. But when you watch what's happening this year Zach with quarterbacks and injuries.

Man, you know, Kurt looks better and better. You know, every week, even though he may not be Patrick Mahomes. He's still a guy you can win with talking to Leslie Frazier you obviously know the bill situation well. Ken Dorsey gets fired this week after losing to the Broncos on Monday Night Football.

Just how did you react to that when it came on down on Tuesday? Man, I was really, you know, hurt him for for Kenny. I mean, he's a good friend of mine, obviously. And, you know, we've worked together for years and, you know, it hurt me Zach because, you know, I hate to see coaches get fired, especially during the season.

I mean, that's, that's a hard thing. And, you know, I actually spoke to Kenny this morning and just tried to encourage him and, and he was in good spirits, man, you really lift my spirits just and talking with me. You know, he's not down and dejected like I thought he would be.

He felt like, you know, I did everything I could Leslie to put the guys in position and we just came up short and so he'll he'll he'll land on his feet. And it's not a situation anybody would want to be put in and but he'll he'll learn from this experience and I think he'll be a better coordinator down the line. You guys are moving so close in Buffalo, and then this year it's starting to move the other way, and I don't even know if they're going to make the playoffs. What do you think needs to change with the bills for them to get back on track and right this ship. Yeah, I mean there's a lot going on right now and they're in foreign territory after, you know, changing coordinators and putting Joe Joe Brady was in that position now. It's almost like starting over again in some ways but I'm sure Sean was looking at ways to energize the entire team and interject some some confidence but I'm not sure what that what the answer is that I mean they've got a tough road ahead of them. I know for a fact you know we we were able to put together some strings and years past when we win five in a row six in a row seven in a row. They've got the talent, they're capable of doing it. I picked them to go to the Super Bowl on NFL network I thought thought they had the pieces to do it. And it's just a matter of how the guys respond to this change. Is it one where it could divide the locker room or is it one where guys are going to rally and come together and play above the circumstances and nobody knows that. Well, welcome to the analyst world welcome to the hosting world usually our predictions are more wrong than, than being right so welcome.

You know that's your rookie moment. With the bills the Super Bowl prediction. What is the truth with your departure from Buffalo because so much has been said I read so many different things. Why are you no longer with the Buffalo Bills. Yeah, I just got to a point for me that where I just felt like this was something I needed to do at this stage in my career know that 2022 season was. It was a challenging year with some of the things that happened with our some of the things that happened with our team having to go to cities and stay in cities and not get back and forth and we're getting ready to go back to the combine. And I was at home, and just thinking about it man about that I want to go back for another year and I just made the decision I was going to take the year off and just see what happens from there. And I don't regret the decision. I do miss the guys to Davis white was here in Los Angeles, where I am.

Awesome. Doing his rehab he had a surgery here. And I went down and spent some time with him. And we were just reminiscing. He's coming off that Achilles surgery.

And we were just reminiscing and talking about our time together, man, some of the things he said kind of inspired me and made me think about you know getting back into it and when he talked about, you know what I meant to him and his teammates and moments like that make me think about getting back, but we'll see. We'll see. We'll see what happens. And last thing that I'll just ask you when it comes to the bills. Sean McDermott job gets called into question, you know what that's like. People are wondering, is it time for a change. Do you still believe Sean could find a way to fix this thing in Buffalo.

Yeah, absolutely. You know, he's got a strong staff with Eric Washington his assistant head coach there and there's some other guys, Kelly Skipper, Joe Brady, I mean there's some other guys on the staff that will support Sean and help him get the ship turned in the right direction. Even though they're on the outside looking in right now.

You look at all the teams with four and five losses. They're still right there, but making something happen so you know he's he's proven in the past that he can lead a team to success, and I think he can again, you know, just wondering when you look at Josh with Josh Allen, using your defensive coordinating mind, where you were in the same locker room as him even though you're on a different side of the ball. If you were going up against him as defensive coordinator, what would you try to do to Josh Allen with what you've been seeing on tape recently. Yeah, you know, in the past, people always concerned with his mobility. And now he's running a whole lot less and becoming more of a pocket pass that may change on the job rate they may let him get back to some of the things he's really done to put a lot of pressure on defenses. But if you don't have to worry about him running and making those splash plays with his legs. And you're just going to play coverage like teams are doing, and, and they've, you know, gotten some big plays, just playing coverage without bringing pressure, send back and plan zones and he's not going to run and it's worked out well for teams. So you just copy and that's what everybody's doing they're just copying what what they started just doing the first game of the season. What New England did what Cincinnati did and then what we saw last week with Cincinnati just sit back plays on, he's not running, but we don't have to worry about it and they're having success. Leslie Frazier is an NFL Network analyst, you can see him on NFL game day preview this Sunday at noon Eastern on the NFL Channel available on the NFL app fast streaming platforms and nfl.com slash NFL Channel coach really appreciate the time. Thanks so much for doing it. We'll take a break. It is that Gelb show right here on CBS Sports Radio.