Browns Playoff Chances (Hour 1)

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855-212-4CBS is numbered to jump on in, 855-212-4227, you can always get at me on Instagram, where I'm straight flexing, or via the good old cesspool of Twitter, at Zach Gelb, that's Z-A-C-H-G-E-L-B. We got a whole lot cooking today, Evan Washburn, NFL on CBS, sideline reporter is going to join us 20 minutes from now, he will be on the sideline in Baltimore for Dolphins and Ravens on Sunday at 1pm Eastern. Coming up at the top of the hour, former Alabama safety, Roman Harper is going to stop by, now part of the SEC Network as we have to preview both college football playoff games, Texas and Washington, and then the Rose Bowl between Alabama and Michigan in the final hour of the show. We will have our BetMGM tonight, betting insider Ryan Horvat stopping by, we'll do college, we'll do NFL with Ryan Horvat as we do on each and every football Friday right here, but where else on the Zach Gelb show on CBS Sports Radio. We've got Manny Rodriguez and Moist Mike rocking and rolling with me, we'll take you all the way up until 6pm Eastern, 3pm Pacific.

And let me just start the show by saying this. Here we go, Brownies, here we go. How about the Cleveland Browns? How about the Cleveland Browns?

And I said, here we go again. It's the Cleveland Browns and it's first and 10. I know I don't have a great singing voice, but this Cleveland Browns team is just so frickin awesome to watch and they are a joy to see each and every week, no matter what injuries that they suffer, they just continue to win. The Cleveland Browns have 11 wins on the season. Kevin Stefanski should be the coach of the year in the NFL. And also, I guarantee you this, the Cleveland Browns, who have already defeated the Baltimore Ravens, who have already defeated the San Francisco 49ers, and they defeated the San Francisco 49ers with P.J.

Walker. I will guarantee, I don't care who the opponent is, the Cleveland Browns will win a playoff game this year. And the Cleveland Browns are going to be a team that no one is going to want to face come playoff time because this has been a squad that has been decimated with injuries. They lost their quarterback in Deshaun Watson. They lost their great running back in Nick Chubb. They lost two offensive tackles this year.

They have injuries on both sides of the ball. Amari Cooper has a career game, a legendary game, most receiving yards, an individual game for a Browns receiver, he's not even playing last night, and it doesn't matter. Joe Flacco has been the best story of the NFL this year. Who would have thought Joe Flacco would have come off the couch and would have kept on punching you in the mouth week after week after week. It's just sensational. Joe Flacco, he fell asleep in the second half because the game was over after the ass whooping that he delivered to the Jets through the first 30 minutes of football.

David Njoku, this guy nearly burnt his face off. He's having a career year. And this Cleveland Browns team just keeps on dominating.

It is surreal. They have 11 wins. They probably will have 12 after the regular season, and they have lost practically everyone. But this team just keeps on finding a way.

This team just keeps on moving along and going through opponents, and it doesn't matter. And they have a great defense. They have an offense that is galvanized by Joe Flacco.

You have a great wide receiver who's so underrated in Amari Cooper, and Njoku, as I said, having a career year. They could still run the football. This is a football team.

They're a well-rounded football team. And going into this season, there were all these questions about Kevin Stefanski. You know, Kevin Stefanski is on the hot seat, even though he won a Coach of the Year award in 2020.

Is Kevin Stefanski the guy for the Cleveland Browns? And a lot of people, including yours truly, thought Kevin Stefanski would be a scapegoat for Deshaun Watson, as Deshaun Watson still had a lot of rust to knock off. And I did not think that Deshaun Watson was ever going to justify the trade and the contract that the Browns had to go through to get him this season.

And ultimately, at the end of the year, I thought the power play would be won by Deshaun Watson, and Kevin Stefanski would be out of a job and would probably land a head coaching job somewhere else. But this year, even after losing Deshaun Watson, I don't want to hear next year, even if the Browns regress, even if Deshaun Watson doesn't play well, I don't want to hear people blame this head coach. Because this head coach, in all likelihood, by the end of this year, is going to have two Coach of the Year awards. And these are the Cleveland Browns.

Alrighty, you don't win the Coach of the Year award two times in Cleveland and then get fired the next year. All the excuses for Deshaun Watson are out the window. And I know Watson isn't playing this year, but for next year, and I'll say this right now, five minutes into the show today, and in the final days of 2023, there is no player under more individual pressure entering next NFL season than Deshaun Watson. And remember this year, remember what Cleveland is doing this year. So when Watson doesn't play great or has stretches of bad football next year, I don't want people to be prisoners of the moment and go, oh, you got to get rid of Kevin Stefanski.

Because this year, with basically no one, Old Man Joe coming off the street, that's what, Old Man Joe Flacco coming off the street. Look what they've been able to do. They're down to their fourth quarterback. The Browns have clinched a playoff birth, for crying out loud, and they still have some crazy road, which is actually not that crazy, where they could get the number one overall seed. Now, in all likelihood, I do believe that this Cleveland Browns team is going to be on the road, come wild card weekend, and they're probably going to be going up against the three seed. No, they'll be going up against the four seed, because they already have 11 wins.

They'll get 12 wins, probably at the end of next weekend. They'll be the four seed. I mean, the five seed. So they'll be going up against the four seed. And that four seed is either going to be Kansas City, or it's going to be the AFC South champion, whether that's Jacksonville, Houston, or Indianapolis.

There's no doubt about it in my mind right now. I don't care if it's Kansas City. I don't care if it's Houston, Indianapolis, Jacksonville.

It does not matter. The Cleveland Browns will go on the road, wild card weekend, and they will beat either of those four teams. I guarantee it. And I know some people are going to say, oh, well, Kansas City, they're not going to beat Kansas City. I would guarantee you it is an absolute lock that the Cleveland Browns would go into Arrowhead and they would defeat the Kansas City Chiefs. You just got to get to 20 points to beat Kansas City. Kansas City's defense is not as great as we thought it was earlier in the season.

They're going in the wrong direction. And offensively, Travis Kelce isn't having a good year. Mahomes, we all know, is still a magician and he's great and he'll keep you in any game. But he has wide receivers that can't catch the football. And when you add it all up with Cleveland, they have a very good defense, a great defense. They have an offense, even with all the pieces that they've lost.

They are putting up mega numbers the last few weeks with Joe Flacco. There is no doubt about it. I have never been more sure about something in my life. The Cleveland Browns are going to be going to the second round of the playoffs. And it's wonderful.

It's magnificent. Like I'm not even a Browns fan. I don't even have a dog in the fight. My team stinks. My team has went from being the greatest team ever for 20 years to now a bunch of losers. So now come playoff time, just depending on who I bet on, that's who I'm going to be rooting for. But I don't bet enough money where I let it change the way that I operate my life. So like I could bet on a team, and if they don't win, so be it. If I get a good game, I'm okay with that, even though I would prefer to win my bet, obviously. But when we go into this postseason, not having a team on the AFC or the NFC, I will actively — I don't think they're going to get to the Super Bowl. Like let's not get this twisted.

But I will actively be rooting for the Cleveland Browns. Because Stefanski is likable. Joe Flacco is the most likable player right now in the NFL. Omari Cooper is so underrated. The story of David and Joku this year is crazy.

Myles Garrett is just an absolute stud. This team is a team that everyone can get behind. And also look at the fan base. Did you see those fans last night? Because back in 2020, when we were going through COVID and all that stuff, and they went to the playoffs. I know they went on the road in Pittsburgh when they clinched a spot in the postseason.

Their legendary play-by-play announcer said, the only thing that is missing are you guys. Because they had like, what, 10,000 or 11,000, 12,000 fans in the stadium. And last night, Cleveland was rocking before the games. Before the game. I saw videos of fans walking into the stadium. Here we go, Brownies. Here we go. And then doing the Ken Karman chant of Super Bowl, Super Browns.

Yeah! And they did all those chants. And it was so cool to see 60,000, 70,000 fans all flock into one destination. And they're all rooting for the Browns. They're all rooting for Cleveland. And that's a fan base that lost their team. Then got a team back. And they have been synonymous with losing.

They've been losers. Heck, Dude Wipes. This is one of the greatest promotions I've ever seen. Dude Wipes did a promotion last night. That you could exchange your old Cleveland Browns quarterback jerseys from all the crappy quarterbacks that they had. And they gave you a brand new, white, clean Cleveland Browns jersey last night. And look how many old jerseys there were. Because those fans, they always support that team. It doesn't matter who the coach is, who the quarterback is, whatever terrible coach they hire, whatever terrible quarterback they draft.

It doesn't matter. They're there each and every week. You want to play on Monday. You want to play on Sunday.

You want to play on Thursday. They are there for a home game. And fan bases like that deserve to get rewarded. And it's pretty cool when you shape up this postseason field. Like the Bills are going to make the playoffs.

That fan base has been tortured for years. Maybe they could find a way to go on a run this year after being close to last few seasons. The Detroit Lions, who just clinched their first division championship since 1993. They're going to have a home playoff game on wild card weekend. And the Cleveland Browns, I don't know if they're going to be home, but those fans will be able to have a playoff game to watch. And it ain't just going to be one playoff game. They're going to have playoff games to watch. Because the Cleveland Browns are going to be a tough out. The Cleveland Browns, that's what they are. They are a tough football team.

They are phenomenal and they keep on just finding a way to fight through adversity and it doesn't matter who they lose. They've lost three, I had to play three other quarterbacks before Joe Flacco. And who would have thought Joe Flacco would have been doing what Joe Flacco has done this year.

It's a wonderful story. As a sports fan, this is why you watch. Because this team could have quit. This team could have packed it up.

This team could have said, we'll have better luck next year. We lost our quarterback. We lost our stud running back. We lost two tackles. We lost so many players on this team.

But no. They had an opportunity and they just keep on kicking ass and taking names. And that's a team that's such a well-rounded team and they're playing with nothing to lose. That's what's going to make them so dangerous come playoff time. Because Cleveland's not going to get blown out in a playoff game. They lose, they're going to lose by a touchdown or less. And that's going to be a dogfight for 60 minutes.

And it's spectacular. Alrighty, this is Zach Gelb's show on CBS Sports Radio. We'll take a time out.

We'll come on back in five minutes. Evan Washburn is going to join us. We'll go around the week 17 slate with him. He's going to be very busy on Sunday as he has the Baltimore Ravens and the Miami Dolphins, a big-time game for some reason getting played at 1 p.m. Eastern. You could question the scheduling department there and why that game wasn't flexed, but it's good news for Evan Washburn. Him, Ian Eagle, Charles Davis will be on the call. So we'll talk about the Browns with him.

We'll talk Ravens, Dolphins, and oh so much more with Evan when we return in five minutes. When the whole family comes together to watch the game, nobody wants to miss a second of the action to run to the grocery store. With Instacart, you can get all your weekly groceries in as fast as an hour.

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$10 minimum per order. Additional terms apply. It is Zach Gelb's show on CBS Sports Radio. Evan Washburn probably wishes he was going to Miami this weekend, but he will be in Baltimore. Dolphins at Ravens. And this is going to be a spectacular game, a lot of playoff implications in terms of seeding on the line in this one. And Evan Washburn will be on the sideline.

You'll have Ian Eagle and Charles Davis in the booth for Dolphins at the Ravens. And Evan is kind enough to join us right now. Evan, appreciate it. How are you? I'm good. I'm good. And I can one-up you, Zach. I'm actually in Miami right now.

Oh, are you? I'm going to sit down with Bradley Chubb. So I'm being able to check both boxes of some South Florida sunshine and then some good old Baltimore charm city life.

Well, you always live the good life. The only thing I get concerned about with Evan Washburn this time of the year, you have some of the best hair that I've ever seen. So when you go to Baltimore and you have one of these windy games, how do you make sure that the hair just stays so perfectly in place for all your reports? You know, this is where experience and preparation really comes into play.

This is why we put in those hours in August, September, October, November, because in December and January, this is where it counts. And it's about, again, process and protection and making sure you're ready to step up in the moment call. So I'll be ready.

Is there like a firm wax that you use or you kind of go for some of that medium wax stuff? You know, I don't much like coaches like to divulge the game plan. I'll let the I'll let the play on the field tell the story. People are just wondering if there's any performance enhancers that are used here. You know, people then start to question the Hall of Fame resume for one Evan Washburn.

Completely natural on all fronts. Alrighty, get into this game. I'll start you off with a dolphin since you're around them today. They needed to win a big game. They did so last week. Just what is kind of been the vibe around this team as I never thought when they were losing to some of these big games, it got to them, but naturally as a human you hear that noise that is being said about you. Yeah, I think they've done a proper kind of ratio of embracing the doubt, embracing the question, using it as motivation, which I feel like this year more than ever athletes are really dialing into the underdog, the doubters, all the noise, and it's really become, I think, a powerful tool for them as much as in the moment.

It's criticizing those that are criticizing them. The outcome has often been a positive thing and I think that's what you've seen from the dolphins and what they did against the Dallas Cowboys and not just because I spent a lot of time with Bradley Chubb today. I think the defense for Miami's really been the story the last month.

They've been as big a reason, if not the reason, why they went 3-0 in December, 3-1 excuse me, and why they find themselves in a chance to kind of keep chasing that one seed. Why is that defense improved? Because I thought it was a big loss when they suffered the injury on Black Friday with Jalen Phillips. I thought he could kind of be what Hassan Redick was to the Eagles last year. What have you seen in this last month from this defense to get them playing a lot better as a unit?

Multiple things. I would agree Jalen Phillips' loss was huge, but Andrew VanGinkle has come in and been a revelation, and he's really honored him with his play and he's proven to be not just a good story, a grinder with great hair, a fifth rounder a few years ago. He's a legit pass rusher and game changer. Jalen Ramsey came back as well. Having him in the back end is huge for all the obvious reasons.

He's a future Hall of Fame cornerback. They lose Javon Holland, but Deshaun Elliott and some guys really stepped up. They also lost Rome Baker, their middle linebacker. Duke Riley slid in there.

So it's an example of depth that they have. Vic Fangio doing what he does best in dialing up defense. And that front to me is really where it starts with Bradley Chubb, with Andrew VanGinkle and Christian Wilkins having an incredible year in a contract season.

Talking to Evan Washburn right now. Do you think the MVP is one this weekend? Because a lot of people have been making the case for Tyree Kill and a lot of people have obviously made the case for Lamar Jackson, who right now is the front runner to win the award, I would say. Why not Tua?

That's fair as well. I would personally go Tyreek though over Tua, would you not? Well, then are we going Christian McCaffrey over Brock Purdy?

I would. I don't know how, I don't know what other people would, but yeah, it's the Heisman of the NFL. I mean, that's what it is. Yeah, quarterbacks are at the 50-yard line and then everyone else is 50 yards behind them.

We can call it what it is, but it's really, that's what it comes down to. So look, I think, and I think quarterbacks do have the highest value, even though they might not be the best player on the field. I think to answer your question, I think Lamar has put himself in a position where he can win this award with them winning out or not winning out. He just can't have a Brock Purdy event on Sunday afternoon. You know, but I also think Tua is right in the mix.

Yeah, interesting. Evan Washburn here with us. It annoys me though, and I don't know if you feel this way as well when it comes to Lamar. This guy has been doubted for so many years and I thought the coverage around him and the draft process, Bill Polian saying change in the position was absolutely laughable and all this guy has done has had success. I know he hasn't won a Super Bowl. I know he's only won one playoff game, but it's crazy to me how that's like the end-all be-all when a lot of players that are all-time greats didn't win until later on in their career. I can't really find any any flaws right now with Lamar Jackson, but it still feels like there are contingent of people that don't want to give him his credit and give him his due. Well, I think part of it is that the apparatus has changed and how we do this and we're part of it and what we're doing right now didn't exist to the degree that it does now when I'm trying to think of a quarterback who took a while to win one or to have success in the postseason.

I mean even Peyton Manning. It wasn't built in that way. There were columnists. There was no real strength in newspapers.

And yes, there was TV. This isn't the Dark Ages, but I think to this level the conversation just has so much more power and at times vitriol and negativity. But when it comes to Lamar, his greatest asset right now, in my opinion, is just how he's elevated this team and allowed them to maintain and as he likes to say stay locked in through a real challenging year. I mean, they've been dealt their injury blows just like every team. Their schedule has been hellacious when you look at not just trips to London, but you go through it and we did some of the games there and the fact that they in the games they lost they shouldn't have lost. I mean, they lost them themselves. I wouldn't say they were really beat. So I think that falls on Lamar and I trust his teammates when they say he's different this year.

The numbers are the numbers. They're even not as good as some of his previous seasons, but he's been an absolute alpha leader and I think he's he's the reason why they are where they are right now. I don't know if one team has the advantage over the other and what I'm about to ask you Evan Washburn who will be on the sideline for Dolphins at the Ravens. So the Ravens had that huge victory last week on Monday night up against the 49ers. The Dolphins had a huge victory up against the Cowboys. If one were to have more of a letdown and maybe be a little bit hungover in that first half from the euphoria of last week. Do you think that's a challenge for either one of these teams this weekend? I mean if there was one team to have it it would be Baltimore and it's less mental but just more physical. I mean they played a Monday night game across the country against a rugged opponent.

And yeah, they blew them out by all intents and purposes, but that game left an impact physically on that team. Kyle Hamilton, for example, you know, he has his injury. They've had guys banged up this week. Zay Flowers kind of working through a calf. So those are just specific but across the board you talk to the guys in Baltimore and they're sore.

They're a day behind in recovery and that will matter when you have to re-prime the engine if you will Sunday at one Eastern against a Ferrari in the Miami Dolphins. What's your take on Joe Flacco and what he's been able to do with the Cleveland Browns Evan Washburn? My favorite story in the last, I don't know, maybe 10 years of doing this and look I'm biased. I went to schools that Delaware with Joe and then got a chance to cover him all those years in Baltimore when I was coming up in Baltimore. He's a great guy. I'm so happy for him. The best part about it. Zach is all the things that people have fallen in love with this year.

It's the same guy. He was for 11 years in Baltimore and everybody was questioning whether he was elite and all those things. It's a great example of packaging and story building and when he's a first-round pick and the Super Bowl MVP expectations completely go through the roof.

And when you're coming off your mom's couch and you jump in and whatever it was week 10 or 11 and then you start playing well, it's completely different. So I'm just happy for him because he's also embracing it and enjoying it which is what you want any of these guys to do and it's great to see elite Joe Flacco back and I'll take it a step further in all likelihood. They'll probably be the five seed. I think it's a lot that they're going to be playing in the second round of the playoffs like whoever wins the AFC South even if it ends up being Kansas City falling down to the four seed. I think the Browns are winning on wild card weekend, which means a potential divisional round game in Baltimore and those NFL script writers deserve. I don't know if they're getting Emmys or Golden Globes.

I don't think they get Oscars, but that'd be a great that'd be a great episode for the 2023 season. The Flacco returned to Baltimore as the Shining King of Cleveland and we also could get potentially, you know, not looking too far ahead. How about the Rams with Stafford maybe having to go into Detroit? Imagine we get both of those on divisional round weekend. I don't know for that. What are we that worthy that I'm not sure. Wrap it up with Evan Washburn, Kansas City. Where's your level of concern? I compared them earlier in the week to Brady's final season in New England where the record may say one thing but when you actually watch that team play, it just feels like they're missing it and they don't have a lot of weapons.

Yeah, I've heard that I think that's a decent comp. It has Brady vibes. I would know if I'd go as negative or as drastic as that final season. What there was a season there before the knee injury. Maybe with oh sick.

I can't remember exactly. I don't have my my Patriots season by season in front of me, but there was a season where he was it was before they brought in Randy and all those guys with Doug Gabriel and reshape Caldwell. They got to the AFC Championship game. Yeah, so that to me is a more apt comp more so because I just think that where my homes is in his career that there's not the external drama that existed with the New England team that was Brady's last year.

It might end up in terms of result being more in line with what you're saying. They maybe they lose in the wild card or the divisional, but I just it to me. It's a transition year in Kansas City. It feels that way it feels like the shift from the first era of my homes and read much like with Bill and Tom and now those those transitional hopefully for them. It's only this season or a season or two before they're able to influx it with with new talent offensively, but it's still hard as we sit here Zach and week 17 as bad as it looks to completely fail on Kansas City. It's just it's a scary proposition when you think about who my homes is and I know Travis Kelsey has looked like it recently, but I just I'm slower to bail these days than I probably was as a younger man.

Two more for Evan Washburn. I remember sitting next to you last year during the playoffs for one of the Eagles victories that team had great team chemistry. It seems totally different this year. Is this just because they got into a bad losing streak before getting away from that after taking care of the Giants last week, or do you think there's some legitimate team chemistry problems with the Eagles this year?

It's funny. I was talking to a player last week and we were talking about chemistry in the locker room and the bond and if the guy's been in the league for 10 years, he's a pro bowler and he's like look chemistry is good when you're winning. And yes, if that's not to say there aren't strong bonds that obviously need to exist and at times thrive during hardship. So I don't know if and I'm not living that beat every day in Philly and it's a different piece as we know on so many fronts. Similar to Kansas City. Like I still think there is a team in there that can get right and go on a run. It almost feels like sometimes these Super Bowl teams and teams that do find themselves in that final game or final couple weeks have that that bump in the road and maybe it's a three game stretch. Maybe it's a four game stretch. That's why I thought San Francisco's lost some Monday nights Baltimore while disappointing for them.

Maybe the best thing that happens to them. I still have so much invested in terms of what I believe that team can be. So similarly probably not to the level of San Francisco. That's how I feel about Philly. And then finally Evan Washburn Lions and Cowboys coming up tomorrow evening at 8 15 p.m. Eastern this Cowboys team, we know Lions have already won division championship. When you look at Dallas how earlier in the year, I some people thought maybe they were going to be a little bit different. They found the way to get a big victory up against the Eagles and then last week even when Dak gets the ball in the end zone, then their defense crumbles at the end up against Miami. What do you make of the Cowboys as they enter their final two weeks of the regular season?

Look until they in it starts Saturday to some degree, but that that will put it to bed. It's it's about kind of creating that edge and hard thing much like what Baltimore's done and how they've navigated their schedule. You have to kind of win those hard games and those grimy games and against Miami. They fell short and they now are gifted in a lot of ways an opportunity to to reset that whether you call it narrative or just belief from the outside of what this team really is because they're goods really good, but you've got to be able to go into challenging environments. And now that's pretty much a given for them in the postseason and and be able to come out with a win. So it's it's it's a tough game for them, but I think it's a really important game to show themselves and then for whatever it's worth show everybody else that yeah, I know we failed to do it a number of times during the season, but we're figuring out how to do it at the most important time. Now in week 17 and then one final one for you actually Evan Washburn, then we'll let you run Russell Wilson get in bench this week and basically lining up for an eventual release this offseason. How'd you process that one?

I can't say it's shocking. It felt like it was heading in that direction really before the season even started. I know the contract was the albatross that had to be figured out and probably still will have to be figured out. We had Denver at one point and things were positive.

It was ahead of the loss to Houston. And I think that it's just it's so it's a reminder that in I know Russell had put words to this at one point. No matter how high you get that inevitably there's going to be a fall and Russ has been going through that the last two years. Thankfully his bank account doesn't for the same up and ups and downs. And to me what's more interesting at this point is what does he? Because much like guys like Kim Newton or I mean, Tim Tebow is a tough comp player status by any means, but like I just don't see Russ's up anywhere.

So it makes your options limited. So it'll be fast thing to see how that all plays out once the season ends. Yeah, I thought maybe Pittsburgh or Atlanta. Those are the first two teams that came to mind for me for Russ's next stop.

Joe Flacco in my opinion for that next great bridge quarterback opportunity is my man played himself into into a spot. How about that? I've been Washburn enjoyed the game this weekend. You guys have a great one. Thanks so much for doing this. You got about it.

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Get in the zone AutoZone AutoZone free battery testing and charging is available for free at your local AutoZone. Get in the zone AutoZone restrictions apply here is Dexter Henry. 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 onsides offsides with Zach Gelb on CBS Sports Radio. It's time to ask the pros for you the listener gets asked us the question is brought to you by Riley auto parts. Simply tweet your question at CBS Sports Radio at Zach Gelb using the hashtag. Ask the pros be listening later in the show when we might answer your question. You can think of rally auto parts for all your car care needs get guaranteed low prices and excellent customer service from the professional parts people at a rally auto parts. Oh rightly auto parts.

Alrighty moist Mike. What do we got cooking today on onside offside? Well, I mean three straight weekends. We get a Saturday game and this is another huge one with the Lions against the Cowboys in Dallas the possible number one seed in the NFC at stake. I mean, it could be a long shot but both teams are still in the mix. The Cowboys are six point favorites just by coming off that loss against the Dolphins onside offside. The Cowboys need this win more than the Lions.

Yeah, this is onsides. I know that the Lions still have an argument to be made to getting the number one overall seed but Dallas where they got praise after the Philadelphia game and then they got obliterated by the Buffalo Bills and then they thought they were going to get a victory up against Miami. Dak makes the big clutch touchdown pass and then their defense crumbled. Now we're back on this momentum kind of with the Cowboys in the wave with the Cowboys that the drama Dallas choking Cowboys are back. So they need this win more than the Detroit Lions and quite frankly this spread makes absolutely zero cents five and a half points. The Cowboys are a favorite over the Detroit Lions.

Sometimes the win money you got to be uncomfortable and I think Vegas is begging you to plus the five and a half points here with Detroit. I actually like Dallas in the game and I think this game to answer your question means more to the Cowboys than it does the Lions. So onsides. Now while the Lions and Cowboys battling the NFC the Dolphins and Ravens meet up in Baltimore for the AFC's top seed. The Ravens are three and a half point favorites though Miami's only loss in their last six games came by just one point. Onside offside this Dolphins Ravens match will be an AFC Championship game preview. I'm going to take the field here.

Now. I think one of those teams will definitely get there and I would lean more Baltimore over Miami. Miami could be getting hot at the right time. You maybe don't need to be a great team to get to the Super Bowl this year.

We'll see what the health will be of Jalen Waddell when he comes back for the postseason, but they still have enough there with Tua and Tyreek and Raheem Mostert and Devon Achan as well, but I trust Baltimore more than I do Miami and I've been telling you for the last four weeks. I like Buffalo to go on a run and I had a future four weeks ago with the Buffalo Bills that plus a thousand. So I'm not going to move the other way on that. They're actually asking offering me a cash out where I could win $20 off my initial investment. Now.

I am not cashing out right now. I am rocking and rolling with the Buffalo Bills. So I think it will be Buffalo going up against Baltimore is what I would say right now. So you say to me dolphins and Ravens will be a preview of an AFC Championship game in a few weeks.

I will go off the side. Now the Saints travel to Tampa for a huge NFC South matchup and the Bucks will actually clinch the division with the win. Now Baker was left for dead after bad seasons with the Panthers and the Rams, but he's been rejuvenated with 26 touchdowns to just eight picks.

Now. I know you've been very down on Derek Carr. Yeah, I can't stand but he's not pays for his fifth straight season with 20 more touchdown passes and his entire career. He's only had one season under 20 touchdowns. Okay, 20 touchdown ain't that tough this these days consistent and he's been good over a consistently long period of time these stats.

Okay. Well onside offside you have more faith in Baker long-term than Derek Carr. Yeah, Derek Carr is on the downside of his career. Derek Carr is starting to get exposed people are starting to realize that even though the Raiders were a train wreck when Derek Carr was there and Derek Carr was a great leader for the Raiders.

He's just not that good now with all that being said, you know, I was actually thinking about this game today. I kind of think the Saints are going to win I do I don't want to see the Saints win because I don't like their quarterback in Derek Carr. And I think now people are starting to get on that Bucks train and whenever this year in the NFL you start to like fall in love with the team.

They go down the next week. So I think the sexy pick in the popular pick is going to be Tampa Bay part of me does think that the Saints are going to win and I will pick the Saints to win this game. Now with all that being said you have more faith in Baker long-term than car.

Absolutely. I have more faith in Baker Mayfield. I think he's younger. He hasn't taken that many hits hasn't suffered as many injuries as Derek Carr has and also he's going to be back in Tampa Bay next year and I hope that they find a way to get the job done with Mike Evans. You have Chris Godwin there.

You got a good defense and with the Saints they're just never healthy and when you're asking Derek Carr to be a great player, he's not going to be that so I will take the longer gamble and I think the odds will be better in Derek Carr's favor, but I'll take the longer shot here with Baker over Derek Carr. I'll go on sides on that. Now the Packers and Vikings face off in Minnesota on Sunday night with both teams sharing a 7-8 record and both sitting just one game back of the final playoff spot. What an ugly matchup too. I know it's very interesting. Well, it's not that ugly.

Yeah, it is. I mean Jaron Hall started a game up against Jordan Love. You have two 7-8 football teams.

You're taking my next line away. The Vikings send Nick Mullins to the bench and will turn to BYU rookie quarterback Jaron Hall in this crucial game. So onside, offside, neither the Packers nor the Vikings will make the playoffs. Oh, that is a good, good, good, good question.

I know. Because barring a tie, one of these teams are going to win this game. So it sets themselves up for probably one of them to get in. I know right now the Packers would be the 10 and the Vikings would be the 8 so they'd be on the outside looking in. I'd rather see Seattle get in. I'd rather see the Rams get in as well. And you know, the loser of the NFC East is going to get in.

You know what? I'm going to say both of these teams end up making the playoffs. And I don't know if it logically makes a whole lot of sense, but I don't, I don't really need to see either of these teams in the playoffs. So I'll go onside too. All right, another big game because there's a lot of them this weekend.

Yeah, we do. Every single game this weekend has at least one team that is still in the playoff picture. It's the first time in I think ever, but I have to double check the stat that that's happened this late in the season. The Steelers and the Seahawks, both are 8 and 7, although the Steelers are 9th in the AFC while the Seahawks are 7th and actually in the playoffs. So onside, offside, the Steelers are a better team than Seattle.

No, I would go offside there. I think the Steelers have a better defense, but that's only one side of the ball. Offensively, I trust Seattle more than I do Pittsburgh and I trust Pete Carroll a little bit more than I do, than Mike Tomlin. I think the Seahawks are a better team than Seattle. I mean, than the Steelers and then you look at Pittsburgh.

I just can't trust it. Like now we're all going to get excited after one good game with Mason Rudolph and George Pickens decided to actually play one week where the last week he refused to block. I'll go Seattle over Pittsburgh. So the Steelers are better than Seattle. I'll go offside.

Offside. Now everyone believes Caleb Williams will be the first quarterback off the board. Followed by UNC's Drake May. However, ESPN draft room Mel Kiper just threw a third name into the mix for the number one overall pick. Jayden Daniels is red hot. And for people to think that Caleb Williams is the only quarterback that could be QB1 in this draft, they're wrong. Now that doesn't mean he won't pick. But there's by no means everybody in the league is Caleb Williams is the guy and nobody else can touch him. Uh-uh.

That's completely false. Let's eliminate that right now. I'm hearing Jayden Daniels a lot. It's actually a shame.

Sorry. I was trying to cut Mel Kiper off because the moment he started to talk, I can only think of one thing. It's a shame they got rid of Todd McShay at ESPN because every time I hear Mel Kiper, all I remember is him screaming Todd, Todd, Todd, Todd, Todd, Todd, Todd. That's all I hear now whenever he speaks. You could have stopped playing that clip 20 seconds ago.

I didn't even listen to it because I was just thinking Todd, Todd, Todd, Todd, Todd. Well, if you didn't hear it, what he was saying was that Jayden McDaniel's is making the round as the hot name that could potentially be the number one overall pick, the Heisman winner from LSU. So onside, offside, you believe Jayden Daniels will be a better NFL quarterback than Caleb Williams. I actually do like Jayden Daniels and I think he has a lot of potential and I think he's fit to play football in the year of what would be next year 2024. And I do think he's getting slept on but I would still say that Caleb Williams is better. So I would go offside.

But it could end up working out better for Jayden Daniels because he could maybe fall down that draft board a little bit and go to a better destination and then you're set up for better success. Alrighty, that is onside, offside. This is Zach Gelb's show on CBS Sports Radio. By the way, I thought I had a good parlay last night that I gave out on the show at like plus three forty something. It was Kareem Hunt, anytime touchdown, Brown's money line, and then it was Breece Hall over three and a half receptions. I also, right before the game started, took the Detroit Pistons last night on the money line.

It was at like plus 800 or plus 850. And then by like the end of the, I think it was by like, like the three minutes into the game, it went down to plus 650 and the game went into overtime. The Pistons almost won. They were up by 21 at one point. Yeah, no, I was watching, I was at a sports bar last night.

I was, I had them put on the game because I was betting on it. But I think I'm going to bet the Pistons, I made this declaration last night on the money line until they win a game. Like they've now lost what, 27, 28 games?

28 games in a row? I think I'm going to take them on the money line until they end up winning. I'll probably lose a bunch of money, but hey, when it hits it will be good. Let's face it, most people aren't making massive turkey feasts on the regular. And after 364 days of not thinking about it, it can be hard to get that bird just right. That's where Instacart, the holiday rescue app, comes in. From getting all the ingredients to prep a full seasonal spread, to getting last minute swaps in a turkey emergency, Instacart has everything a holiday host needs to save face and save dinner. And right now, if you download Instacart, you'll get free delivery on your first three orders and delivery in as fast as one hour. Offer valid for a limited time, $10 minimum per order, additional term supply.