Chargers Next Head Coach Will Be… (Hour 3)

And away we go, hour number three of our radio program. That's right, it is the Zach Gelb Show, Coast to Coast on CBS Sports Radio.

Brandon Staley, yeah! Tom Telesco, you gone! Both fired earlier today as the Chargers got spanked, beat down, dominated, destroyed by the Las Vegas Raiders. 63 to 21. What the heck are we doing with a 63 to 21 score? I bet you Al Michaels was even excited about that game last night.

There was more touchdowns than he could have ever imagined in that contest. So, Staley gone, Telesco gone, both out as the general manager and the head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers. And this is what happens when you wait around and you hope things are going to change and you down deep know that really the only reason Brandon Staley was brought back last season. This season was because he still had at the time two years left on his contract. And they set a bar of just making the playoffs. The Chargers last year should have easily made the playoffs. They ended up being a wild card team. And then from that, you know, you have a scenario that presents itself where you look at the game up against the Jaguars in the postseason.

They're up 27 points. And when you're up 27 points and you don't win a playoff game, I don't think you recover from that. Like Dan Quinn, by the way, like who should be a coach again in the NFL? Dan Quinn was never going to recover in Atlanta when they blew that 28 to 3 lead in the Super Bowl. Like you could go back to the playoffs, you could still have somewhat of success, but you're never going to get back to that spot. You're never going to get back to that spot of where you were for Dan Quinn. And that was to get to another Super Bowl and right that wrong. Because when you blow a lead like that, a lot of times people point the finger in a different direction.

Like look at the Legion of Boom. They went to back to back Super Bowls. Pete Carroll had the ball at the 1 yard line and Darryl Bevel and company, they elected to throw it and Malcolm Butler picked it off. That was the demise of the Seahawks right there. Where you knew they were never getting back to a Super Bowl after that. So whether it was Dan Quinn and the Falcons blowing 28 to 3 lead, you knew they weren't getting back to another Super Bowl. You knew the Seahawks weren't getting back to another Super Bowl after the Malcolm Butler situation happened.

So then you take it a few notches lower than that with Brandon Staley. We probably all should have realized that this was going to be a disaster this year with the Chargers, but they had talent. They have a great young quarterback.

They got studs in the offensive and defensive side of the ball. So we all looked at them and we were like, wow, that's a good looking car, right? The Chargers on the outside are a great looking car.

They're a Ferrari, they're a Porsche, they're a Hummer, like whatever you want. And then you go on the inside of the car and it's like, uh oh, seats are all messed up. There's no steering wheel. The blinker doesn't work. And uh, oh yeah, by the way, there's no fluid for the windshield wipers.

It's like how effective of a car is that actually going to be? And there was a lack of belief in that Chargers organization this year and it didn't only fail, but it bottomed out. And you look at the two examples I gave about Dan Quinn and Pete Carroll, right? Those guys never got back to a Super Bowl with that group. Look at the Chargers now.

Brandon Staley's out and they didn't get back to the playoffs this year. So moving on into the future, there are still things to work with. Like this car is not totaled. You have some nice pieces.

You just need to get some alterations and you need to send it to a mechanic and you need the car to get some serious fixing. So not even a day removed from Brandon Staley getting let go. Let's do a little draft here. We'll do three names each. I'll make three picks. Samter will make three picks and Stu will make three picks. And we will just do a little early pool on who is going to be the next head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers. I will start.

I will go with Bill Belichick right out of the gate. I will take the hoodie, Bill Belichick. Alrighty. Sorry, Stu.

Yeah, your team got the victory. So we're going to put you third here. I'll let Samter go second here.

I don't think it's likely, but I think it's the next best option. Jim Harbaugh. Jim Harbaugh. And the Harbaugh one is interesting because he's deserving of another head coaching opportunity in the NFL if he wants one.

It feels like he wants one. Now for all this year, we've been hearing about a contract extension with Michigan and it feels as if every other week it's, oh, they're nearing towards a contract extension. And that deal has still not got done. Even two weeks ago, it was they're nearing towards a contract extension. The only issue with the contract is, will they put a clause in there that precludes him from taking an NFL head coaching job in just this hiring cycle? So until I see and hear that Jim Harbaugh has actually signed that contract and has a new deal done with Michigan, I'm not going to believe that that deal is as close as what people are saying. Alrighty, Stu. What do you got here?

Alright, I don't know if this is a likely one either, but I'll throw this one out there. Maybe it's time for a change in Pittsburgh. Maybe they part ways with Mike Tomlin. Mike Tomlin as the new coach of the Chargers. A little trade action just like Belichick. Just like Belichick would be, yes. That would actually be fascinating.

That would be. Now, I don't think the Steelers are going to go from Noel to Cowherd to Tomlin. They don't make a lot of moves. I don't think the Steelers are going to trade Mike Tomlin, but there is some merit to it. As good of a coach as Mike Tomlin is, haven't made the playoffs since 2016 or they've made the playoffs, haven't won a playoff game since 2016. That's a long time, especially in Pittsburgh where you know what the standard is. Standard is not just to win a playoff game. It's to win multiple playoff games and have that shiny Lombardi trophy.

You know, you're right. Not up until that loss to the Patriots. Everyone throws out Belichick getting traded, Belichick getting traded.

This last week you've heard some rumors. Maybe Josh Harris calls the Steelers. Maybe David Tepper calls the Steelers. And he used to be a minority owner of the Steelers.

Maybe the Chargers go into that mix as well. Alrighty. The next name.

I go again. Is that how this works? I mean if you get the first pick, you don't get the fourth pick also. Alrighty.

I mean if Stu gets screwed, you get the third pick and the sixth pick. I mean that's ridiculous. You know, I did say yesterday that this is checks and balances, so I can't be a fraud here and then say today it's a dictatorship. Like I could if I wanted to, but I won't be a jerk. It's a Friday. It's, you know, good feelings on Fridays. I mean, you're certainly welcome to. Nah, nah, nah.

And then we'll look at your draft and we'll say that there's an asterisk next to it. Yeah. Tainted.

Nah, you know what? Let's go fair results. Okay, Stu.

Go ahead. Alright, I'll go with Ben Johnson. Probably the hottest coordinator name. It definitely feels like he is going to get a head coaching job.

It's just a matter of what. And if Harbaugh doesn't come through, Belichick doesn't come through, he's probably a likely scenario for him to be the Chargers coach. Samter, go ahead. Next pick.

So I've been kind of see-sawing back here. Now the next two best odds after Bill Belichick are Frank Smith, the OC of the Dolphins, and Kellen Moore. Let me just give a disclaimer.

Go ahead. If it is Kellen Moore, you will see my head explode on CBS Sports Radio. I will be dead and they will need to find a new host.

Alrighty? I'm not going to lie. I will no longer be hosting on CBS Sports Radio because if they hire Kellen Moore, who's maybe like one of the more overrated names that I've ever heard of, all I was told about when he was with the Cowboys. Oh, he's going to be a head coach. He's going to be a head coach. McCarthy's like, alright, we got to split. He doesn't get a head coaching job and he's the offensive coordinator of this mess. Yeah, that guy should be a head coach. That would be the Chargers being cheap and stupid. And you know what? The Chargers are cheap and stupid.

So maybe it has a chance. But you're right. The fact that he's tied for the second highest odds right now and it's Belichick 3-1 and then it's Frank Smith and Kellen Moore at 4-1 is an absolute disgrace. In October, I said, get rid of dumb and dumber. That was Brandon Staley and Kellen freaking Moore. You then get rid of Staley and hire Kellen Moore as your head coach? I'll lose it.

I'm not going to say I would quit because I'm very young and I need the money and I have a good career, but I would want to quit is the way that I would say. Yeah, there's no chance. He's not even being named the interim coach. If they were serious about hiring him, they would make him the interim coach.

Well, I wonder if he didn't want it. When usually it's like a heh is the interim head coach, then maybe he'd say, yeah, thanks, but no thanks. Yeah, but this is his chance to audition and show what he could do with his team because at the end of the day, you can't get worse than what they just did. So any improvement makes him look like, oh, maybe he's the guy, kind of like Antonio Pierce. Maybe he's not going to get a look for a certain couple of teams, but because he's actually making the Raiders look pretty good compared to McDaniels, now his name is like shot to the top of the list. So it's an opportunity that he's going to lose out. Now, I wasn't going to pick Kellen Moore. Before you give me the names, their final three games are Buffalo, Denver, and Kansas City.

Lost, lost, lost. Yeah, that's not easy to try to make a good name for yourself as an interim head coach, but go ahead. So I wasn't going to choose either of them. I thought about maybe going with Kellen Moore just to see your head explode and then take over the Stu and Sam to show over here.

I would have died. But I'm going to go with the guy who's coming in at 10 to 1 odds, Mr. Eric Bienemy. He deserves a head coaching position. Finally, Eric Bienemy is my pick in the second round.

Alrighty, the next name that I'm going to go to. I mentioned him and it's ironic that I used him as an example of someone that choked and then eventually you knew that it was over with and done within Atlanta. But Dan Quinn is an awesome defensive minded coach. And if you get the right offensive coordinator, right, and we've seen Dan Quinn be able to do that where he's defensive minded coach and then with the people that he hired on the offense side of the ball, you got Matt Ryan playing an MVP level.

There is a system where delegation could actually work there. Dan Quinn is going to be an active, should be an active name this offseason. I'm going to say Dan Quinn would be the next pick by yours truly.

Now I get another choice here, another go around. So Bill Belichick and Dan Quinn off the board from yours truly. Sampter goes with Jim Harbaugh and Eric Bienemy. And Stu goes with Mike Tomlin and Ben Johnson.

Hmm. You know what? I'm going to go back to the well of defensive coordinators here. Sweet Lou.

Not even listed on the odds. This guy continues to get disrespected. Lou Anna Rumo, the defensive coordinator of the Cincinnati Bengals.

Sampter? That's a name you've been throwing out for weeks and weeks and weeks for every coaching position that he deserves a job. So it makes sense. I have a playbook. If you haven't realized in my Mike McCarthy diner menu binder, I have a playbook. Where's Belichick going?

Where's Jim Harbaugh going? And who am I going to throw Lou Anna Rumo on? There you go. And no, none of those three guys pay me for my services. And eventually you'll get one of them right, you know, a broken clock works twice a day.

Yeah, I'm really hoping, like, if I had to make two, to make me look like really good. And I know we're not judging this business based off right predictions because if we were, no one would have a job. But if somehow Jim Harbaugh winds up with the Bills and then Bill Belichick winds up with the Chargers, I will take a victory lap on that. Because I had Harbaugh after week one to the Bills and then Belichick in the middle of October going to the Chargers. So who's your next pick here?

I'm going way off the board. No one is talking about this name. But every now and again, it's nice to bring in a franchise legend to become your coach. There's a guy who's coaching the St. Michael Catholic High School in Alabama. Former quarterback, legend, Mr. Phillip Rivers. Forget about coming out of retirement to QB some team in the stretch run. Phillip Rivers is the next head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers. He's going to be the first head coach to have like 25 kids at the introductory press conference too.

If Jeff Saturday can coach the Colts, then Phillip Rivers can coach the Chargers. Alrighty, Stu, final pick. Alright, let's go back to the college game.

There's always a random college coach that we don't expect to make the jump. Are you going Ryan Day here? I'm not going Ryan Day. It's not Nick Saban, it's not Kirby Smart.

I'm going to go sticking in LA. He's losing Caleb Williams to the NFL. Lincoln Riley as the next head coach of the Chargers. Lincoln Riley, a guy that can't win the big game. At least he gets to the big game.

It honestly makes sense though. It's kind of like what Pete Carroll did when he knew his team was leaving. He had the allegations coming down.

He's like, you know what, let me jump ship. Lincoln Riley, yeah, there's guys coming in. He can stay in LA. He's got the history there. He knows the area. Justin Herbert's a Pac-12 guy. But does he really have the history?

He's been there for two years. Just saying. Of all the picks, that one makes the most sense to me.

Not the most sense, but that one makes a lot of sense to me. That's a tough sell. If you're the Chargers, is it easier to sell Lincoln Riley or Ben Johnson? Ben Johnson, easily. Ben Johnson right now is the hottest name in the market. To your fan base, who some hardcore football fans know Ben Johnson. But if you're not a hardcore football fan, you don't know the offensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions. Yeah, but that doesn't mean that it would be the better hire. I understand. I'm just saying from a sales standpoint, Lincoln Riley is a big splash name with a quarterback who played in the same conference that he now coaches in.

I don't know. I think it's an interesting thing. He's an LA guy.

He's in LA now. I think it's interesting. Yeah, interesting.

Sure. Now, I've been on the train for a while that Lincoln Riley is a tad overrated. Tad? Yeah, even at Oklahoma. When he was at Oklahoma, he'd always get to the big game with all these Heisman Trophy winners and then would not ever win the big game. So it's one thing, right, to at least get to the big game. But then at USC this year?

All right, so Williams gets hurt. Last year in the Pacto championship, they lose to Utah again. But this year, it's not like USC just missed out or USC got to the Pacto championship game and then threw up on themselves. They had five losses this year.

They bottomed out quickly. That would be a tough sell. It would be, especially with how few coaches go from college to the pros and end up having success.

That would not be a gamble that I would want to take there. All right, Zach Gelb shows CBS Sports Radio. So here was the draft. I go Bill Belichick, Dan Quinn, Luanna Rumo. Santer goes Jim Harbaugh, Eric Bienemey, and then Philip Rivers.

I like that one. Philip Rivers. And then Sweet Stew takes Mike Tomlin, Ben Johnson, and then Lincoln Riley.

We'll take a break. I want to ask Ryan Horvat when he comes on back where his confidence is in the betting world with the Detroit Lions this weekend. Denver is going to Detroit.

8.15 tomorrow. You got three Saturday games tomorrow. Minnesota at Cincinnati. Pittsburgh at Indianapolis, which is somehow, someway a good game now. And then Denver at Detroit.

All three of those games. They got playoff implications on the line. And how about those quarterback matchups, baby? Nick Mullins against Jake Browning. Trubusky going up against Gardner Minshew. And then you have the Denver Broncos going up against the Detroit Lions.

Russell Wilson and Jared Goff. All righty. Here we go.

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Paid for by NHTSA. Let's go out to the guest line right now. Welcome in from BetMGM tonight via BetQL, our betting insider in Ryan Horvat as we'll make some picks for week 15 of the NFL season. Ryan, appreciate the time as always. How you been?

I've been good, Zach. Coming out for a really good week, so hopefully I could stay hot here. I'm a big fan of the Saturday play, man, to be honest with you. You know, I'll take the Thursday night blowout if we could get Saturday football every single week. A little Saturday-Sunday matchup.

Well, let me just ask you this. Is the Broncos-Lions game a part of your picks, just wondering? It is, it is. It's actually my number one pick of the weekend. Maybe of the season, to be honest. I've been waiting. I've had this spot circled here for a couple weeks now.

So then hold off, because I wanted to ask you about that, so let's cue up the music. Right now as we get to NFL picks, we'll start things off with Ryan Horvat for our week 15 picks. What do you got cooking with that Broncos-Lions game that you love? All right, so Broncos-Lions. I actually love the Lions in this spot.

Now, the numbers kind of bounced around a little bit from 4 to 4.5. I'm fine with that. I just think this is a really good spot for the Lions. Now, I've actually faded the Lions the last couple weeks, the last three weeks, because it's Jared Goff on the road in some elements.

But now he goes back home. He's going to be back in the dome in the Lions. You know, Denver, it's been a bounce back, right? They're 7-6 since they got just steamrolled by the Dolphins.

Let them hang 70 points. They've been a much better team on both sides of the ball. But I just think this is a bad matchup, because they're not great against the run. I think Jameer Gibbs is going to have a big day.

I really like him over 12.5 yards on his longest rush. I think Goff bounces back. I think the defense is going to play a little bit better for Detroit. And they pick up victory number 10 of the season. So the Lions are my favorite pick this week at minus 4. Yeah, and the Lions really need this one, because I think a lot of people are going to look at this game. They're going to say, oh, 4.5 points, that's a lot of points.

Maybe I'll just plus it and it's a field goal game. Which it could be between these two teams and going inside a dome with what these offenses are capable of. And you see the last three weeks, they've been 2-3. They've been 1-2.

I kind of do agree with you. The Lions, even though they don't need this game, because the game is more important to the Broncos in chasing to stay up pace and get one of these wildcard spots in the AFC. It's like, yeah, the Lions do need this game to get back into the good graces of people. Because if they go to 9-5, it's like, uh-oh, this team is really trending in the wrong direction.

With Minnesota twice in the final three games and then also sandwiched in between the Dallas Cowboys. Alrighty, my first pick. This is going to be chalky, but I'm okay with it. I think I'm going to have to sweat this one out, but that's okay as long as you win. I believe this will be a sloppy, low-scoring game that's close. And I don't trust their quarterback. I don't trust their head coach. But ultimately, the talent on the offensive side of the ball will win out. Drake London's playing really well.

Bijan Robinson is starting to get into form as we expected to and given the opportunity. I like the Falcons on the road, laying three points up against the Carolina Panthers. Yeah, I'm with you, man.

I like that one a lot. It kind of seems like a trap. You know, and I know Atlanta's been, for me, they've been a little bit of a letdown. I bet their win total over 8-1-2. But, I mean, that just seems like a trap. Carolina, kind of a mess this season.

I'm going to go with a dog here. This is a tough one for me to pick because, man, the Browns have made me some money the last couple weeks. I love what I've seen from Joe Flacco and Kevin Stefanski, to be quite honest with you.

I think they should extend Stefanski. He's been great this season. But, man, the Bears are hot right now. And, like, don't look now, but they have a top ten run defense. Eberflut has kind of turned that thing around on the defensive side of the ball.

The secondary's playing a little bit better since they've gotten healthy. And Justin Fields is playing for his career. I say career because I don't think he's playing for his job because if you're Chicago, if you're Ryan Polls, and Caleb Williams is there at number one, which obviously he's going to be, I think you have to take him, right? Because Ryan Pace passed on, you know, Deshaun Watson and Patrick Mahomes or Mitchell Trubisky.

Now he no longer has a job. You know, Ryan Polls doesn't really have that attachment to Justin Fields. So I think we're going to get some good ball from him the next couple weeks. D.J. Moore has an ankle injury, but he's going to play.

That concerns me a little bit. But I still like the Bears. I like them a little bit better at three and a half. But I still like them as field goal dogs on the road against the Browns plus three.

So give me Chicago. Yeah, I had the Bears as well. They're going to be my second pick.

I'm going to piggyback you on this one. I love the Bears this week plus three. I think they're actually winning the game outright. You know, everyone's loving this Browns team. And whenever you start to love a team in the NFL this year, they usually stumble.

The following week, it was a heck of a win for Joe Flacco and company. But with the way that Fields is playing as of late, I think that late season momentum is going to continue. And then it's going to be a fascinating scenario if, let's assume, Ryan Polls is still the general manager, like you were alluding to, what is he actually going to do when you're probably going to have the number one overall pick via Carolina, another pick in the top ten, top five, depending on how many more games you win the rest of the season. And it's do you keep Justin Fields and maybe go draft Marvin Harrison Jr. and have Fields Marvin Harrison Jr. and then also DJ Moore and then another first round pick? Or do you maybe keep Fields, trade that number one pick and get like three more first round picks? Or like you said, take Caleb Williams and then trade Justin Fields and get some stuff back. But I like the Bears plus three as well. What's your final pick here?

Alright, so I don't know if we're going to be on the same side here. I think it's obviously the game of the weekend. And man, I would love to see this as a Super Bowl matchup, but obviously Buffalo would have to get hot here. Buffalo's just a different team at home, right, and the Cowboys are a different team, a much better team at home. The Cowboys, man, I mean the offense, really since that Arizona game, the San Francisco game has been on absolute fire, but now they step up in class a little bit against the Bills. The Bills are at home. In Dallas this season, three and three on the road. You know, their losses all have come on the road this season, and Buffalo's desperate.

They're seven and six. I really like what I saw in the first quarter against the Chiefs, right? Like the offense, they scored on their first two drives, then it kind of like hit a lull, but they're averaging 32 points per game since Ken Dorsey's been fired. I like the Bills in this spot. I think they're going to go on a little bit of a run here, so give me Buffalo on the money line or minus two, anything under a field goal against Dallas.

That was my number one point earlier in the week. I said, you want to look at a future in how this AFC has not really been top-heavy this year? Like the Ravens are the one great team in the AFC, and people even still question them. And then you look at Kansas City, they're struggling too. This could be the year, and you know this as a Packers fan in the NFC, when the Packers won the Super Bowl, they were a six seed and got hot at the right time.

Maybe a team that's been down in the dumps elevates themselves in December and they get hot. I took a future earlier this week on the Bills at plus a thousand to get to the Super Bowl out of the AFC, so I love that pick of the Bills laying two and a half and all the reasons you just said. Cowboys are that sexy team. Cowboys right now are the pick. They're three and three on the road this year, and the Bills are five and two at home. You get Dak out of the dome, not that he's not capable of winning a game, but with a roof, I should say.

And now you go to a little chilly weather in Buffalo. I like the Bills to just outlast the Cowboys this week, led by their quarterback in Josh Allen. My final pick, I'm going with the Eagles. I'm taking the Eagles laying three points. The criticism is deserved the last two weeks when you get blown out by the 49ers, and then you follow it up and just get absolutely dominated and demolished by the Dallas Cowboys, but I think you have a similar game to what we saw a few weeks ago between the Seahawks and the Cowboys, where it's close, it's high scoring, but ultimately the better offense does win out. I like the Eagles on the road going to Seattle, the 12th man, in a high scoring affair, where Jalen Hurts is going to out-duel, assuming he plays Geno Smith, but I like the Eagles this week laying three points.

They'll find a way to get back into the win column. So I have the Falcons laying three, the Bears plus three, and the Eagles laying three points, and Ryan Horvat has the Lions laying four, four and a half, the Bears plus three, and then the Bills minus two and a half points. Ryan Horvat, host of BetMGM tonight via BeckQL.

We appreciate it. Oh, real quickly Horvat, as I have you here, as it's only December 15th right now, and we inch closer and closer to the first day of January with the college football playoff. Right now, and you could change this when we ask you about it in a few weeks, Michigan is a point favorite against Alabama, and Texas is a four point favorite against Washington. What would be your two picks right now for the college football playoff semifinals?

Alright, really quick, some early Christmas presents, because you also brought something up that I have to hit on. So I like Michigan against Bama, but I do have the Bama 14 to 1 future that we talked about before the LSU game, so that's kind of like a hedge, and I actually like Washington, man. I'm done fading Washington.

Michael Pennix is the real deal. They have three NFL wide receivers, and they proved against Oregon. They're a little bit tougher in the trenches than we thought. And then you brought up the Bills future.

I also played the same thing. I'm going to do the same thing with Dallas and the NFC. They're four to one. They've played San Francisco tough both years in the playoffs. I know they got blown out earlier in the regular season, but I'm kind of out on Philly. I'm a little bit higher on Dallas, and if we get that matchup in the NFC championship game or in the playoffs and it all works out, you have the perfect hedging opportunity, because San Francisco will only be like minus 165 on the money line. You'll never get a four to one price on Dallas ever again. If they get hot, who knows, man. Maybe they get the two seed.

Maybe they end up with the one. San Francisco seems like the perfect team, but if anybody's going to beat them, I think it's Dallas. But college football playoffs, I'm going to go with Washington, and I'm going to go with Michigan. I think that's our national championship. And anything you like right now for tomorrow with bowl season starting? You know, tomorrow is a little bit tricky just because some of the numbers are gone.

I'm going to fade boys these days. I actually like UCLA. I like UCLA a little bit now.

There's no distraction. Dante Moore is going to transfer. He was the five star true freshman. They were kind of forced to play him. There were some rumors that he was threatening maybe to transfer.

Now he's gone anyway. And boys these days, they don't have their quarterback in this game. They've got a new coaching staff. Guys are sitting out in this game. And I just think UCLA is the better team.

They were one of the better scoring defenses in the Pac-12, so we'll have UCLA tomorrow. Ryan Horvat, appreciate the time as always. Thank you.

Thanks, Zach. There you go, Ryan Horvat, the host of BET-MGM tonight via BECQL. We'll take a break. We'll wrap up the show and the week with a few questions, a few answers.

We call that segment Onside, Offside, and we get to it every Monday and Friday on CBS Sports Radio. Before I get to the latest CBS Sports Radio update, I haven't asked this guy his thoughts yet on maybe the greatest sensation in the NFL right now. And he is a proud Italian man in the great Marco Belletti as well. What are your thoughts on Tommy DeVito here with the Giants? It's a hell of a story.

It's been a lot of fun. Take the ride for as long as you can take the ride. So you think that this has an expiration date, rather a quick expiration date?

We'll find out what the expiration date is, but yes, at some point this will end because I don't... I want to believe, but the only thing I can be sold on between now and the end of the season would be is if Tommy DeVito can be a legitimate NFL backup quarterback. Because I think the jury's out on that. The fact that we're talking be a legitimate franchise quarterback, I think is silliness. When I asked that to Phil Simms yesterday, Phil was on with us, and I'm like, do you think there's a chance that you could have Tommy DeVito usurp Daniel Jones? I have to ask that question to Phil Simms, but I don't even believe in Daniel Jones to begin with. But I don't think Tommy DeVito is starting week one for the Giants next year unless Daniel Jones is hurt. Not back from the ACL? That's a possibility. Maybe they draft someone with their first round pick.

We'll also have to wait and see how that shakes out. But I would be very surprised if Tommy DeVito is starting for the Giants week one next year. But I do think with what he's done the last three weeks and how bad the backup quarterback position we think that time is, even though this year you get a bunch of different stories and people back it up with how many injuries, I do believe Tommy DeVito has played himself these last three weeks in finding and carving out a nice career for him as a backup quarterback.

I would say possibly. Because watching all the games, people seem to gloss over the fact of his first start against his first start. But the game in Dallas was ugly. The game that he came in in relief against the Raiders was ugly. The game against the Patriots, he made one hell of a throw down the sideline to Jalen Hyatt. Other than that, the offense did absolutely nothing. The game against Washington, they blitzed the hell out of him and he made them pay with a couple plays. He played well against the Packers. It was the first time I was like, you know what? He looks like a legitimate NFL quarterback in this game.

That's impressive. You need to see him build off that. He turns around and gets the Saints and goes 9 of 34 for 86 yards and 3 picks. All of a sudden, you're not thinking that he's the backup quarterback for anybody. So, like I said, I think everybody's just got to pump the brakes. Enjoy the story. Enjoy the moment for what it is because he's an undrafted free agent coming from nowhere. And no one thought he had a chance to do anything, even get on the practice squad.

So, what he's done and the movement that he's made from the offseason is incredible. We'll pump the brakes on everything else. Also, you know why we need the story to end? It's because I have a big problem right now. You know, I'm eating healthier and when I see his father and his mother and his cousin serving out 300 chicken cutlets, sausage and peppers, baked ziti, rigatoni ala vodka, and I see all of that right in front of me on social media, each and every day I'm like, oh, I could go for some cutlets. Oh, I could go for some ziti.

I could go for some pasta. It's tough. You know, cutlets, if you bake them the right way, are actually not that bad for you. So, you know, depends on how you do it. Yeah, they're still fattening. Eh, don't fry them. I'm serious.

You're not wrong. Put them in the oven. Bake them. I make them like two, three times a week. They're not as bad for you when you bake them.

You didn't bring any in? Well, I don't make them for you. I make them for my children and for me.

I've known you long enough, Marco. I can't get some millet-y cutlets. Come on, now. One, I'm not a chef. I know how to make about four things. One of them's cutlets, which is why I bake them like three times a week. That's why kids eat them. Mac and cheese. Oh, no.

And heating up chicken nuggets. Oh, well. No, not really. Nah. Nah. Nah. Not my thing.

The cutlets, yeah, like three times a week. Alrighty, this is that Gelb show on CBS Sports Radio on-site, off-site. Next update time for our series El Capitan.

Marco Milletti. Alright, it's time to answer Ask the Pros question of the day, and it's brought to you by O'Reilly Auto Parts. Michael in Baltimore says, Zach, which team in the NFL needs a win the most this weekend?

You can submit a question by tweeting at CBS Sports Radio or at Zach Gelb using the hashtag Ask the Pros. Think O'Reilly Auto Parts for all your car care needs. Get guaranteed low prices and excellent customer service from the professional parts people at O'Reilly Auto Parts.

O'Reilly Auto Parts. I think my answer will surprise some people, but things could change so quickly in the NFL, and I know their quarterback is listed as doubtful for this weekend with a concussion, and probably Davis Mills will be starting in place of CJ Stroud, but I actually think it's the Texans where even though how close these teams are all piled up in the AFC, you lose CJ Stroud, and then you don't get a victory this weekend, right? It's not the end of the world, and you're going up against Tennessee, but then you're 7-7. You've got three games to go. You've got a quarterback coming back maybe then after a concussion, and you have a young team, and you don't have Tank Dell anymore, and then you lost two. It would be a big question on what that team is going to be able to do and how they'll be able to perform down the stretch, even though they already have exceeded expectations. So I think you need a win to make you breathe a little bit, take some of the pressure off, even though you've still got to go win some more games down the stretch, but you get to eight wins. You get one step closer to making the postseason, and their final three games of the season, they don't have an easy opponent because you'll then see Cleveland, Tennessee again, and then you do have Indianapolis.

So my answer to that would be the Texans this weekend. Alrighty, let's get to a little on-side off-side. Stu, hit it! Zach's taking on the most polarizing issues in sports. Which side of the line of scrimmage will he end up on? Offside, defense number 69. It's on-sides, offsides with Zach Gelb on CBS Sports Radio.

Alrighty, Big Mike CBS, what do we got cooking? Alright, so the Jaguars have lost two straight in three of the last five and host the AFC's best team in the Ravens on Sunday Night Football. Over that five-game stretch, Trevor Lawrence has thrown six picks. On-side, off-side, despite their record, 2023 has been a disappointing season for the Jaguars.

I'm actually going to say on-side, and there's different levels of disappointment. Like, just because I say disappointing and it's a disappointing season, it doesn't mean like it's a disaster, it doesn't mean that it's a failure, but it is mildly disappointing because I really did believe that the Jaguars were ready to take that next step. And they could still accomplish everything right in front of them, but now they lost back-to-back weeks. I know Trevor Lawrence got hurt, and then last week he clearly wasn't 100% playing with the high ankle sprain, but in that game up against Kansas City, you know, in Jacksonville, they only scored nine points. Then against San Francisco, they only scored three points. This was a team last year that got to the divisional round and lost to Kansas City, and you thought, okay, maybe they get to a conference title game this year. You know, maybe they could get hot with Doug Peterson and Trevor Lawrence and be a Super Bowl contending team. I just don't trust this team this year in a big game, and that's why, so far, with those two big games against Kansas City and then also up against San Francisco, the offense was so bad where I go, hmm, it is mildly disappointing because I thought they were ready to take that next step, and so far I don't think they're going to get past that divisional round. So I would say onsides on that one.

It's a good question. Now, mediocrity is the word in the NFL this year. There are six teams that are six and seven in the NFC, the most since the merger in 1970, and seven and six teams in the AFC, also the most since the merger in 70. So onside, offside, parity like this in the NFL is actually a bad thing. It is sloppy football this year, but I think that is more so of a product of two things. Number one, the injuries, but you can't do anything about that. But also the lack of competitiveness and intensity in training camp where it's now pretty much like a game of patty cake in the offseason training program, and there's like no more two-a-days, things like that. And we usually say, oh, in just September that's an extension of the preseason, this has carried over for a while now, and there's a ton of sloppy football. But the reason why I'll go offside here when you say parity like this in the NFL is a bad thing is I don't think this will continue in terms of this many quarterbacks getting hurt and then it's like, oh, we got a lot of backup quarterbacks playing and teams are being solid. But right now as we head into week 15, number one game into week 15, we truly don't know who's going to go to the Super Bowl. And I think as a fan that doesn't have a dog in the fight, that makes it fun as a viewer that tunes in each and every week. So you say parity like this in the NFL is a bad thing, I would go offside.

Offside. Now speaking of seven and six teams, five of them play tomorrow on a Saturday, which is great. Bengals host the Vikings, both seven and six. Steelers travel to Indy to face the Colts, both seven and six. And then of course the seven and six Broncos take on the Lions.

So onside, offside. Of those five, seven and six teams playing tomorrow, the Bengals are the most dangerous this year. So the Bengals, the Vikings, the Steelers, the Colts and the Broncos are the five.

Yeah, I'm actually going to say onside to this. And the Vikings, I don't trust their offense. Steelers, I don't trust their offense.

Indianapolis, they've been a good story with Gardner Minshew and Shane Steichen. I think the debate is really the Bengals or the Broncos. I trust the skill position players more with the Bengals. Both teams have good defenses. Yes, quarterback-wise, no doubt about it, the Broncos do have the advantage. Coaching-wise, the Broncos do have the advantage. But I just think the Bengals are playing with no pressure right now. Once Joe Burrow goes down, everyone's like, up their seasons over.

And that's not a wrong thought to have. But there's a lot of experience of guys that have gone on deep playoff runs the last two years. And Jake Browning is doing a heck of a job. We can actually go with the Bengals being the most dangerous out of those five teams that we just mentioned onsides. There are four teams with four or fewer wins this year, but 12 others with either five or six wins. We know Caleb Williams, Drake May, Marvin Harrison, and a few other quarterbacks will be highly sought after in this year's draft. So onside, offside, we will see multiple teams try to tank the rest of the year to land high picks.

So I just need clarity on this question. In terms of tanking, where do I start with multiple teams? Where is their record right now, is what I'm asking? The teams that are in the running for those top five, ten picks. So I guess any team that has... So like the Pats? No, definitely those first four teams. We're going to see the Pats, the Panthers, the Commanders. They have four wins and the Bears.

Cardinals, do you throw in there? I'm talking about the Cardinals. I'm talking about the teams with five wins.

Oh, okay. Maybe even some of the teams with six wins that have no hope. But definitely the teams with five wins are in there.

Gotcha. Because I was going to say, if you're outside the Panthers because they don't have their number one overall pick, but if you're a team like the Patriots, you should be tanking. I don't think the Cardinals will be because they have Kyler Murray back like the Commanders should be tanking. But if it's about five, six wins or in that capacity, I'm going to say offside because in somehow, some way, usually this time of the year, five, six wins, you don't have any shot in the playoffs. But going into week 15, you still have a shot to make the postseason with all the injuries that have occurred and all the sloppy football that we've seen. So we will see multiple teams try to tank the rest of the year to land high picks with the way that you laid it out. I'll go offside.

Offside. Now, while the focus is on Brandon Staley being fired by the Chargers, longtime GM Tom Tolesco is out as well. Tolesco is responsible for drafting guys like Justin Herbert, Derwin James, Mike Williams, Joey Bosa, and Keenan Allen, while bringing in undrafted rookie Austin Eckler, who's become a star and obviously the trade for Khalil Mack, who leads the NFL in sacks. So onside, offside, Tolesco is not to blame for the Chargers' struggles. So that's easy to say, no, he isn't because he gave them enough talent, but he's also responsible for hiring the head coach in Brandon Staley. Now, maybe he didn't get to pick the guy that he actually wanted because of some of the financial restrictions by the Spandos family, but still, he did pick Brandon Staley to be the head coach.

So when you say Tolesco is not to blame for the Chargers' struggles, I can't go there. I will go offside because ultimately he did pick the coach. Offside. Now, last one, despite back-to-back seasons with drama around star players like Ben Simmons and James Harden, the Sixers have given GM Daryl Morey an extension through 2028. Onside, offside, Daryl Morey is a vastly overrated general manager. Oh, you're speaking my love language, onsides. I think that ever since Daryl Morey celebrated losing to the Warriors when he was the GM of the Rockets and tried to justify him losing and how they beat the Warriors more in series even though they don't win the series, just how many games in the series than any other team in the NBA, I was out on Daryl Morey. And I get it, right? He's well respected, he's an analytically driven guy, but this dude, I just don't trust him to build a championship winner.

That's the problem. Alrighty, this is that Gelb show on CBS Sports Radio, so onside, Daryl Morey is a vastly overrated GM. Fun show today, big thanks to each and every one of you for listening and participating with the show. Also, I'd like to thank Joe Thomas for joining us, Lorenzo Neal, Ryan Horvat as well.

Big thanks to Stu, big thanks to Mike. I'll be an eye on football Sunday starting at noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific, for eight hours. Take you around the NFL and the entire league, and then we'll be back on Monday at 3 p.m. Eastern, noon Pacific. Have a great weekend, everybody. We'll be right back out. Bye-bye. We'll be right back.