Lions Chances to win NFC (Hour 3)

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H-E-L-P dot com slash grow. Alrighty, hour number three of our radio program. That's right, it is the Zach Gelb show coast to coast on CBS Sports Radio. Buffalo up 7-0 against the Steelers. Man, they cut back to commercial break from commercial break real quick. And the next thing you knew, you saw the Bills look like they had the football. And it may have been a fumble, but I think they said that George Pickens was down.

That was bizarre. They returned from that commercial break just so late. And by the time you saw it, the ball was already in Pickens' hands. I don't even know if they're going to say that this is a catch. And they do not. They say it's incomplete. It's going to be second and ten.

And I think they're going to take a look at this one right now. But Buffalo is up 7-0 against the Steelers. The Steelers, they win this game, then they will be on the road anyway next week. But Buffalo wins this game, then they will have another home playoff game. And they will be going up against Kansas City in that matchup. And then when you take a look at the Pittsburgh Steelers side of thing, with them being the seventh seed just getting into the playoffs, they would then be up against the Baltimore Ravens if, if, if, if, if, if, if, if, and only if the Steelers are able to win. But I think the best Final Four here, we know the Texans are already through. We get to see the Texans next week up against the Ravens. That would be fun in a 1-4 matchup. And then you get 2-3, another edition of the Bills and the Kansas City Chiefs. But this time it would be in Buffalo.

That would be phenomenal. I do think the Bills will win this game. They're off to a good start. It's 7-0 right now. And depending on what's going to happen here, as they did, I believe they're going to challenge us and go to review, see if that was a catch and a fumble. Buffalo right now up 7-0.

Pittsburgh with the ball, second and 10 though, at their own 18-yard line. Anyway, let's get back into some of this stuff. So we spent two hours basically talking about the Dallas Cowboys.

We'll get back to them before the, before we do say goodbye at the top of the hour. But I want to circle into the Lions. That environment, that atmosphere, yesterday in Detroit, no crap, it was a long time coming. But to see what the Lions have been able to do in the last three years, and at first I think I loved the idea of Dan Campbell.

And when Dan Campbell is talking about how much coffee he drinks and how he's a maniac and how he's going to bite people's kneecaps off, like I all love that. You go out and you say that in your introductory press conference, you win fans over easily. But then eventually you have to see it translate into wins. And early on last year, really through the first half of the season, it looked like things were trending in the wrong direction for Dan Campbell and he was a likable guy, but he was someone that was going to be in the long list of Detroit Lions coaches that were not going to get the job done. And they started last year 1-6, and they finished with a 9-8 record.

They beat Green Bay the final week of the season, but they didn't qualify for the postseason. And then you head into this year, and even though I like this Lions roster and I like Dan Campbell, I was like, man, everyone, and I mean everyone, was picking the Detroit Lions to win the division and easily make the playoffs. And I was kind of looking at the Lions this year with one eyebrow raised, where once again the idea of the Lions were fun, and the concept of the Lions was something that was easy to root for, and you wish that the Lions would meet the hype, but usually in the NFL when you are the hyped-up team and you are the darling team that everyone's fallen in love with and everyone wants to see, it usually ends in disappointment. And this Lions team this year, they've just been sensational. At 12-5 in the regular season, you get that home playoff game, and of course it has to happen with the franchise of former legendary quarterback Matthew Stafford, who you guys traded.

You got a ton back for him, which I think is the thing that gets lost in this trade. Rams win the Super Bowl with Stafford first year. Obviously they win the trade. But what the Detroit Lions were able to get back, as the Bills just scored a touchdown, it's Dalton Kincaid, so they're up 13-0. They reversed the play, and they said that it was a fumble, and in the next play Josh Allen throws the ball to Dalton Kincaid to put him up 13-0. But to then see the Detroit Lions still benefit from that trade, it's rare in sports where it's a win-win trade. That trade ended up being win-win for the Lions and the Rams, and to have Stafford walk back into that building and get him banged up, but making big throw after big throw, Pukunukua playing a great game, I know the second half there weren't fireworks on the scoreboard.

I think there was a combined nine total points in the second half. But to see where that heavyweight fight started and how they were going back and forth, haymaker after haymaker, touchdown after touchdown, and then it be a long second half where Lions fans are like, wow, we just don't want this to end. We know the Cowboys already lost, right, because they were the game before them, and you know that if you win this game, you get a home playoff game next week up against either Philadelphia or Tampa Bay, and you get this environment again. Part of it was, yes, go Lions, Lions, Lions, Lions, but then when it kept on going back and forth, and it was a stalemate in the second half, it's like, ugh, how are the Lions going to be able to choke this game away and lose this game? And really, in order to win a game like that and to have a win like that to break this streak of not having a playoff victory since 1991, which was the longest drought in the sport, you need to be taken to the heights of glory where you'll think you're going to win the game, and then you've got to get dragged to the brinks of being on the edge of misery, which there were times during the game where you were like, oh, the Rams are going to win this game, and then boom, to find a way, second and nine, where everyone thinks you're going to run the football, and Dan Campbell ended up being as aggressive as aggressive could be, and Ben Johnson too.

That's an admirable job by the Lions. And really, in that moment where they say bleep it, we're going to throw it when I think 31 out of the other 32 teams in the league would have elected to run the football and waste the clock and make the Rams burn their last time out, it does personify what Dan Campbell is all about. And that's why two weeks ago, I know a lot of people got on Dan Campbell for his aggressiveness when they had the right two-point conversion play, then Brad Allen couldn't report which lineman was eligible correctly, and then when it got pushed back to seven, people are slamming Dan Campbell to go for two, and I didn't get that. I know you're seven yards away, but I'm okay going for the win there, especially in a pass-heavy league. Seven yards is not a lot.

And they even got Micah Parsons to jump off, and then when you get back to the two, you're not going to go for it there? So Campbell coaches one way, and sometimes aggressiveness gets praised too much, and it's stupidity. I didn't think that was a stupid spot two weeks ago by Dan Campbell.

And what made yesterday so intelligent was no one saw it coming. No one did. The Rams never thought in a million years, and that's coming from an aggressive coach in McVay, the Rams never thought in a million years that the Lions were going to throw the ball in that spot. So in one breath, it's praising Dan Campbell and his team for being aggressive. But in the other breath, you got to give it up to Jared Goff. You know, this is a dude that got to a Super Bowl. He didn't get praised when he got to the Super Bowl because everyone was so infatuated with how they got there because the Saints got screwed with the penalty that wasn't called. You know, Breeze had the ball to start that overtime, and he threw a pick, and then they had the long kick that won it for the Rams. But Goff was a quarterback on a team that got to the Super Bowl. But in the biggest moment, he scored a measly three points, and they lost to the Patriots 13-3.

Thank you very much for that championship. But after that, McVay thought to himself, I can't win a Super Bowl with Goff, and we have a roster that's close to winning a Super Bowl and been close to winning a Super Bowl. So they made the right move in trading for Stafford.

But to then see that move still be a positive for both teams, and I remember the day that deal happened. I said the Rams basically made two deals in one. One was a first-round pick for giving them Stafford.

Right? That's what the lines did. They got a first-round pick back for giving them Stafford. And the other was, we'll take another first-round pick back, but that's because you want us to take on the contract of whatever was remaining from Jared Goff. And I think if the Lions were honest with you, even having those LA connections, they never thought Jared Goff would be on this team this long. They still haven't even rewarded him with a new contract. But that team respects him. I know he hasn't always been perfect, but unless you are a fan of the Rams, it is impossible to watch that game yesterday when he delivers that big throw on second and nine when no one saw it coming and not just feel sensational for Jared Goff. It's, you know, I know he's a first overall pick. I know he's made countless amount of money.

I don't know if this video's new, but I saw some video of his wife hello. Like, this guy lives the perfect life. He really does. But that moment meant so much to him yesterday because that's a team that gave up on you. And I'm not saying the Rams are wrong to give up on him, but he continues to exceed expectations.

And I don't know how you get rid of a guy like that. I don't. You know, I bet you, you know, I know they drafted Hendon Hooker. It was in the third round, fourth round, whatever it was.

Doesn't matter. Jared Goff's gonna get a new contract. And what Jared Goff is doing right now, it's fun to watch. And also, I saw a clip. It was from training camp. I think it was two years ago where Dan Campbell apologized to his players because he was making him go, you know, like 150% in training camp, and he was doing pads. And Dan Campbell said, I'm able to pull you this audio for tomorrow. But Dan Campbell said something.

I got to find it. He said something to his players. He goes, I know you guys think I'm crazy.

I know you guys think I'm insane, but I know what it takes. And I know we need to hit this way. He goes, I never want to put anyone in harm's way, but the only way to improve tackling is to do it.

And you got to learn. And he's just, he's saying that with this team and he's on the verge of tears because he knows in probably a lot of other places they're not hitting this hard in training camp. But with the way the CBA is designed, they're not allowed to anymore. But you just saw how defiant Campbell was. He's like, I know people think I'm crazy, but it takes like a certain crazy person and someone that sees things differently to change a franchise and an organization that's just synonymous with being a bunch of losers. And those players will do anything for their coach.

Those players will do anything for Jared Goff. And Dan Campbell is like the perfect fit of what a coach needs to be in 2024. He's a player's coach, but he's not a doormat. And he's a football psycho, which is good. And I said that once to Dan Lanning when he joined us. I said, when you get on the football field, like you're in your sanctuary, you look like football overtakes you. Like you're a football psycho.

And I mean that in the most complimentary way possible, but that's what Dan Campbell is. And this guy in this video said, I don't want us to get to week eight or week nine where we start to hit stride. And it's like, oh, now we get all our tackling reps in. And how many times now do we see sloppy football, not only through the first month of the season, but the first two months of the season?

It's because even though it's dangerous, even though you inherit a lot of risk and it's a physical malicious sport, you got to have some tough practices. So good for Dan Campbell, good for the Lions. And quite frankly, it's like you look at this in the NFC moving forward, they got the best chance to throw in the Niners.

They do. Now they'll be home next week. They're not going to Santa Clara. They'll get the Eagles or the Bucks.

I have a tough time. And I say this on a Monday without seeing that game. So, you know, I'm subject to change it, but I have a tough time thinking next week when we are, you know, later in the week on a football Friday, then I'm going to be picking Philly or Tampa Bay to beat the Lions. And, you know, that Lions team, they go to San Francisco, assuming San Francisco takes care of business, which you got to think that they're going to up against the Packers, but who knows with what Green Bay did the other day. That Green Bay team has no fear.

So who knows on that front? The Lions, you're going to have to give them everything they got to knock them out. They are just ridiculous.

They're really fun. And I hope, how fun would that be? Imagine we're in Las Vegas and we get to see the Lions in the Super Bowl.

I can't even think about that yet, but it would be something. So the longest active playoff wind drought. Dolphins now are first. In 2000. And then second. Stu, it's your Raiders. That's right.

2002. Yikes. Now, I did read a report today. It's from Jonathan Jones, NFL insider for CBS. The Raiders, I guess, are potentially willing to draft J.J. McCarthy with their 13th pick if that means it sways the decision for Jim Harbaugh to sign on as head coach of the Raiders.

Now, it's clear Max Crosby has made this abundantly clear. He either requests a trade if they don't make Antonio Pierce the head coach. We've both been in the same line of thinking that Antonio Pierce should be the coach and should only be the coach if Jim Harbaugh says no. I still think that's the right thing to go make a run at Jim Harbaugh personally.

Like, I would look at it. Jim Harbaugh should take the Chargers job over the Raiders job. Would you be on board still with getting Jim Harbaugh if it means he's planning on taking J.J. McCarthy with the 13th overall pick? I'd pass at that point. I feel like McCarthy's probably...

I don't know. I don't think he's as good as the other quarterbacks and I feel like mid-round first pick. If they're taking him in the second round, maybe, but... Yeah, second round would be fine.

I feel like that's more of his range, but, like, in the teens, I feel like that's high. Now, I say this as a Michigan fan who loves, loves, loves, loves J.J. McCarthy. I think J.J. McCarthy is a rock star college quarterback. I don't look at him as a pro quarterback. Now, maybe we haven't seen the best of J.J. McCarthy yet, and let's also be real.

No one has a damn clue how to evaluate quarterbacks. Every year we hear, oh, this person's supposed to be generational. Ah, this person's gonna stink. Then whoever the guy is that's supposed to stink, he ends up being a star and the generational guy turns out to be some bum.

So who knows? But, like, I like Jonathan John's good reporter and I know Harbaugh's a different dude and he's very loyal to his guys, because that's really what's coming up. You know, you make me the coach. I need assurance that if I want to draft my guy, McCarthy, at 13, you'll let me.

I don't know. It just seems a little fugazi to me. Raiders also don't have a GM yet, so. Well, you're bringing Harbaugh. I think that you are hiring the coach and then if he's not the GM, you're bringing in someone that he is going to give the thumbs up to.

Yeah. And, hey, sometimes you hire the coach first and then the GM. Look, that's what the Patriots are now doing. They hired Jarod Mayo and there's a report that they may not even hire a general manager till after the draft.

That makes no sense to me. You have the third overall pick in the draft. You better be hiring a damn GM. And I don't think Jarod Mayo should be the GM of this football team, practically. The facto GM until the draft. But then on the other way, like, right, you see the commanders do the normal process where they hired the GM first and now the GM is gonna pick the next head coach.

So who knows what's gonna happen on that front. But congratulations to the Lions and you get another home playoff game next week. And the Detroit Lions continue to roar on. And imagine, imagine, just imagine the Packers beat the 49ers.

Could you imagine that? Two things. Love would do something that Aaron Rodgers could like barely do and that was beat the 49ers in a big game. And then that would also mean an NFC title game of the Lions and the Packers. Lions and the Packers.

Just that. NFC North rivalry. But it would be at Fort Field in Detroit. You thought the scene yesterday was nuts with the who's who's of Lions fans popping out of the woodworks there. I thought it was awesome when they brought in the 89-year-old fan who was like not famous but just an 89-year-old fan.

How they brought him in was so cool and they were giving the hype on TV. But imagine that atmosphere for an NFC championship game. I think the Niners are gonna get to the NFC title game so that would negate the point of the thought of the Lions getting to the NFC championship game and having a home NFC championship game and Lions and 49ers would be a heck of a matchup. But imagine, just imagine for a second. Lions, Packers, NFC title game. That would be glorious. Where's my faith in the Kansas City Chiefs after their playoff went up against the Dolphins?

We'll discuss when we return. It is the Zach Gelb show right here on CBS Sports Radio. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.

State Farm, Bloomington, Illinois. Around New Year's, we get a little obsessed with changing ourselves and forgetting the things we're already doing right. Like taking our supplements every morning or scheduling me time into our day. Therapy helps you recognize those victories and keep up the good work in the New Year without changing everything. BetterHelp offers affordable online therapy so you can try New Year's same you with BetterHelp. Visit betterhelp.com slash grow today to get 10% off your first month.

That's BetterHelp H-E-L-P dot com slash grow. Alrighty, this is the Zach Gelb show on CBS Sports Radio. We'll get to the Kansas City Chiefs in just a second. That was the voice of Emmitt Smith when he joined us a few months ago in studio. But Drew Pearson, the original 88th, the Pro Football Hall of Famer, joined us just about an hour ago and he was saying that Mike McCarthy should be back next year as the coach of the Cowboys and he thinks that Dak Prescott should be the quarterback as well. Now his argument for Dak Prescott is who else are you going to bring in? Sure, you're gonna have to go pay him 45, 50 million dollars a year, but who's the name that you go after?

Like I know Trey Lance is on the roster but he's not gonna be the guy. You wanna say trade for Justin Fields? Well the Bears first have to be willing to trade Justin Fields and then also you have to go get him. And I guess you could make a case like let's say Kirk Cousins wants to take a two year deal, maybe you go get Kirk Cousins just cause you don't have to give him that many years and pay him more total money, but I think it's more likely that the Dolphins would pursue Kirk Cousins than it would be the Dallas Cowboys. So in all likelihood, I think it's just a dilemma that you have when you are a team that has a good quarterback, but not a very good quarterback, not a great quarterback, you're eventually gonna have to pay that quarterback great money even though I think most of us will look at that deal and say well Dak's never gonna live up to the hype of that contract, Dak's never going to win a Super Bowl, Dak is never gonna be consistently viewed as a top five quarterback in the league.

But I thought what Drew said with McCarthy is fascinating. Cause Sam, let me just ask you this, out of 100%, I'm willing to say there's, and I think this could be a benevolent number, there's a 10% chance McCarthy is back and I'm not even someone that is very anti-Mike McCarthy, but when you lose this game in embarrassing fashion as you did yesterday and these decisions are usually made rather quickly, even if Jerry Jones says I'll wait until Wednesday to finalize this and he likes McCarthy and McCarthy's had three double digit win seasons all three in the playoffs, but this is the loss that just is so inexcusable. Like two years ago, all right, Kellen Moore was a scapegoat, eventually a year later, you couldn't snap the ball at the end, you ran a stupid play with Dak where you put you in that spot where everything had to go, just fall in line and be perfect, you lost to the 49ers. Then the year after that, all right, you beat the Bucks, but you lose to the 49ers again in a game where I know the 49ers are so great and so awesome, but their offense didn't do much in that game and your quarterback failed you. So you let McCarthy call the plays this year, you let McCarthy be the offensive guru, Dak, even though I never thought he was gonna win the MVP, ends up playing like an MVP candidate, I guess you could say, where he was in the conversation for a little bit before he crapped the bed down the stretch and then this team goes up against the Packers where no one, and I'm not saying this, you know, as hyperbole, I didn't hear a soul last week pick the Green Bay Packers to win this game. And everyone had the feeling going into the playoffs, or most of us did. All right, the most the Cowboys could go was to the NFC title game.

That's the farthest they could go. But to get eliminated in the first round by essentially a rookie quarterback, I know he's been in the league for a few years, but this is the first two years as a starter, and your team wasn't ready for the jump, I don't see how this coach is gonna come back. And I know that Jerry is patient. He was patient until the end with Jason Garrett.

It took him for years. People thought he should have got fired two, three years before he actually did, but I would be stunned. And that number may be high on my end, 10% that he's back, but I think it's at least a 90% chance that McCarthy's gonna get fired. I think your number's way too low. Yeah, way too low. I think that the odds of him coming back, 40%? I think that it's very easy to be very emotional today, especially as a Cowboy fan, and just say McCarthy's gotta go. Wait, oh, you think my number of 10% him come back is too low? Yeah, gotcha, gotcha, gotcha. So I think like 40 to 50%.

I think it's a 50-50, maybe 40-60. I mean, you forget how many times did we say Jason Garrett has to go, and Jerry kept him. Jerry's a loyal guy. He's loyal to people who he trusts, and all throughout the year, he continually said that McCarthy's not the reason for any of our issues.

He's been the reason for our success. I think Jerry Jones has faith in McCarthy. I think Jerry Jones also, kind of to what Drew Pearson was saying, we get rid of McCarthy, now we're putting Dak in his 27,000th offensive system.

You pay Dak enough money, and there's better coaches out there right now. Bill Belichick, better than Mike McCarthy. Pete Carroll, better than Mike McCarthy. Jim Harbaugh, better than Mike McCarthy. And I know Mike Vrabel doesn't have a Super Bowl, but what Mike Vrabel did with Tennessee, with the roster that is not nearly as talented as the one that they currently have in Dallas, he in one year took him as a one seed, and then in another year, took him to an AFC title game. Like I think those four options would be good options for the Cowboys. I'm not saying that they're not better options out there than Mike McCarthy. What I'm saying though, that is, if you're Jerry Jones, who's a loyal guy, who doesn't seem to act on emotion, he's very emotional about his Cowboys, but he doesn't act on emotion.

You are right on that. That is a misconception about him. He's very calculated, and he makes very logical, well thought out decisions, whether they're flawed because of his loyalty or not, that's up to you to determine, but the reality is he doesn't make snap decisions. He doesn't make a decision after a bad loss because he's upset or pissed off or whatever.

He thinks about it, and he has a basis to go on also. Now, we talk about Bill Belichick. Wait, wait, wait, but hold on.

Before you do that, because I want to get into these names in just a second, but just to counter one thing. Jerry though, all throughout the year said, I don't see why this can't be our year. He was very confident with this team. Now, you could say, well, what the heck is he supposed to say? But Jerry Jones is rather honest in these interviews, and he doesn't tiptoe around answers, even though sometimes it may be tough to understand what he's saying because he talks about 45 minutes before he puts a bow on the end of the answer.

He gives you an answer. So like to say that they would have lost next week or the week after that, I think there's a way to justify or provide an excuse for a losing. In terms of holding people accountable, we usually look at the coach or the quarterback, and I don't think the quarterback's going to get shown the door. So then I think you have to get rid of the coach because there's no other justification. Like, what do you say if you are Jerry Jones and you bring back Mike McCarthy next year?

This is now two times twice in the postseason. You lose a game, you lose a game. But Mike McCarthy even admitted it two years ago that his team wasn't ready to go, and he doesn't know why, and it didn't seem like they were ready at the jump.

That's on the coach. And then this year, a team with the younger head coach, and it's been a league the last few years, and a team with the first-year starting quarterback were more ready to go, where they don't have nearly as much talent as what you do. They were more ready to go. They were ready to fight.

They were like bowls getting released out of the pen, and they were ready to just conquer. And your team that has had some playoff experience, albeit, you know, they lose a bunch of games, they weren't ready to go. That falls on the coach.

You know, I know there's other areas to play. I'm not putting this all on McCarthy. I just don't see how they justify bringing back McCarthy.

It's a very tough sell. And, you know, Jerry likes to speak. Jerry spoke after the game yesterday. Give him credit for that. You bring back McCarthy, he's going to speak about it.

He'll do multiple interviews about it. And I don't think he'll sound good on justifying bringing back Mike McCarthy. And I'm not someone that just says, whenever a team loses, fire the coach, fire the coach, fire the coach.

I don't always operate that way. I happen to like Mike McCarthy. I've defended Mike McCarthy a lot the last three years.

I don't think he got enough credit for a guy that's won a Super Bowl. But I don't see how you make an answer on what the justification is to bringing back Mike McCarthy. Now, on to your point about Belichick. Sorry to cut you off. Go ahead.

Sam, sir. Your point about Belichick? Oh, no, I was just going to, you were mentioning the other coaches.

That would be potential. And yeah, like, yes, Pete Carroll in a vacuum is a better coach than Mike McCarthy. Mike Vrabel is probably a better coach than Mike McCarthy. Bill Belichick clearly is a better coach than Mike McCarthy. But to coach the Dallas Cowboys, there's a certain dynamic that needs to be in play. There's a Jerry Jones factor and there's America's team factor. Bill Belichick is not going to coach the Cowboys because he's not going to want to deal with all the drama that comes with being the Cowboys coach and having that star on your jacket or your helmet or whatever.

Yeah, but Bill loves history. He's not going to deal with Jerry Jones. Like, it might be the best opportunity for him. I think he's winning for the Eagles. I think the Falcons might work better for him. I think the Raiders would be better for him. I just don't see Bill Belichick knowing what we know about his personality and the way he likes to control culture that he'll be able to go into Dallas and have that power struggle inside the locker room with Jerry Jones.

I don't think that he's a part of this. Yeah, but you'd be bringing Bill in to win. And Jerry has to know that there's going to be things if you hire Bill Belichick that you're going to have to get out of the way for and let Bill do what Bill wants to do. Sure, but there are inherent things that come with being the Cowboys coach that there's nothing that Jerry can do to stop him. I get it, but Bill has seen everything that this game has ever seen and has dealt with more drama that, quite frankly, is bigger than the Dallas Cowboys. He has.

The Flakgate, Spygate, the drama that that stuff brought. As much as we all love the Cowboy brand, when you were getting ready to coach a Super Bowl and the Flakgate stuff was unfolding, that's more drama than anything that happens and more intense than anything that happens in the Cowboy world, even knowing what the Cowboys are. But Drew said he doesn't want a Band-Aid. And he thinks that's what Belichick or Carroll would be, the guys that you're going to build. But this team does have a core that's ready to win. So even if they're only planning on coaching three years and then hanging them up, you could win a Super Bowl with one of those guys as the head coach. But I do understand the younger side of it where he's like, you get the best of both worlds. Like, let's say you have to move on from McCarthy. Well, Harbaugh knows how to win all across.

All across. So Harbaugh knows how to win, and he's also younger. Now, I don't know if Harbaugh's going to go coach for another 10, 15 years, but I can understand why Drew was saying, even though I think you should go bring in a Belichick or a Carroll, if that makes sense, get in Jim Harbaugh.

You know how much I love Jim Harbaugh. So let's say if you're looking at all the coaches that are out there, it feels like Jim Harbaugh is like the number one option. If any team had their one pick of guy, it feels like all the teams would want to go with Harbaugh, right? Maybe I'm wrong, but it feels like Harbaugh is the guy right now. I do think Harbaugh is the hottest name in the market. If you're Jim Harbaugh and you can pick whatever team you want to coach of all the teams that are out there, and let's say the Cowboys become one of them, would you rather coach Dak and the Cowboys, or would you rather coach Justin Herbert and the Chargers? If I'm Jim Harbaugh, I think I'm going to go to LA. Yeah, I'd rather coach Justin Herbert. So again, Jim Harbaugh, if he has his choice, he's going to the Chargers, not the Cowboys.

We keep whittling down all these options that might be out there for the Cowboys, and at the end of the day, it really comes down to me. For me, Rabel or McCarthy, that's your choice. It's Rabel or McCarthy. Belichick's not going to fit there. He's not going to want to be there.

Harbaugh's not going to be there because he's going to go to the Chargers. At the end of the day, it feels like it's going to be either Rabel or McCarthy. And I love Rabel, but what has he really done? He had one nice playoff run. Whoa, hold on. He had one nice playoff run when he was the 16th. They got to an AFC Championship game. When he was the 16th and they just got a run for two years. Wait, wait, wait. Hold on. He had a roster that never suggested they should have been a one seed.

Sure. He still got them to a one seed. He's a good coach. Listen, he's a very good coach.

Never had a league quarterback. Sure, he's a good coach. Josh Allen just scored, by the way.

I'm not knocking Rabel. I'm just saying, are you really going to blow up the entire Cowboys system that you have in place that's won 12 games three years in a row? And when you fall flat, yes, a lot of it's on the coach, but players play. Coaches coach, players play. Yeah.

Right? But what does this mean if you win a bunch of double-digit games, beating up a bunch of crappy teams, you can't beat anyone that actually has a pulse? Did that defense suck in yesterday? Yeah, I'm sure a lot of it's on McCarthy, but a lot of it's on Micah Parsons and Lawrence.

Oh, absolutely. And the defensive backs and no one being able to tackle. But you know this and I know this. That's the players.

You know this and I know this. Rarely do the players get held accountable. And you have to hold someone accountable here. It's good to be the coach.

Right. So, but my point is, we might just say the easy thing is to blame McCarthy. Jerry Jones might say, yeah, the easy thing is to blame McCarthy, but I know better that this wasn't McCarthy's fault yesterday.

That this was someone else's fault. Maybe he blames Dan Quinn and gets rid of Dan Quinn and Quinn goes back to Seattle. I actually think, by the way, that's something we're overlooking here. I think Jerry Jones and this idea of the power structure and all that would actually be more of a deterrent for Jim Harbaugh than it would be for Bill Belichick. I think Belichick and Jerry Jones have a respect for one another and Bill knows what he's getting into.

Jerry knows what he's getting into. Jim Harbaugh is a different dude. And you saw what happened with him and Trent Baalke. And now you have Jim Harbaugh who just won a national championship, also when he's in the NFL, three NFC title games and a Super Bowl appearance. And he doesn't have to take this job. Like Bill needs to take a job.

Jim doesn't need to leave Michigan and he'll only leave for the right situation. I think that power dynamic, Jones against Harbaugh, and that would cause more contention than it would be Bill Belichick and Jerry Jones. I agree, actually.

I do agree with that. So that's just something that I think we shouldn't overlook here when everyone's saying, Bill this, Bill that, Bill this, Jerry Jones that. You say Jim Harbaugh. And you go, you can't hire Bill because they'll fight too much.

I think Jim Harbaugh would actually fight more with Jerry Jones than Bill Belichick. All right. Zach Gelb shows CBS Sports Radio. Take a time out. Update time first.

Here's the act man, Rich Ackerman. The route is on in Buffalo, 21 to nothing, under six minutes to go in the first half. Bills have the ball back as they'll try to put up one more final score before the first 30 minutes of football are done. The last touchdown by Josh Allen was a heck of a play by Josh Allen. So Dawson Knox got a touchdown right out of the gate. Then there was a turnover, you know, went the Bills way after a review. Kincaid, the next play, gets a 29-yard touchdown catch from Josh Allen.

Bills are up 14 to nothing. But Josh Allen just had a 52-yard rushing touchdown. And it looked like he was about to slide. And I think it was on a third and eight. And he looked like he was about to slide because there was like an open area which was giving him room to slide.

And he faked the slide like slowing down and then just accelerated and went right through the Steelers' defense for the touchdown. So Buffalo up 21 to nothing. You know, nothing against the Steelers. We knew the highlight of their season would be just simply making the playoffs. I don't think anyone thought they had a shot in this game.

Especially, I know Mason Rudolph has played well down the stretch, but who's expecting Mason Rudolph to out-duel Josh Allen in a playoff game when also you don't have T.J. Watt? But I will say I saw this over the weekend and I wonder where it's at now. I made a future right after the future bet right after the Kansas City game going into the Dallas game for the Bills, for the Bills to win the AFC. It was at plus a thousand. I put $50 down and it would win $550. They're offering me $140 on a cashout right now.

Now, even if I was going to cash out, which I'm not, I would wait until the end of this game because it's going to go up. And then next week they do play your Chiefs center, assuming the Bills hold on here. And I actually, I don't know if I'm definitely going to go to that game, but I'm thinking about going to Buffalo. You know, maybe I'll drive up early Sunday morning from the city.

It's about six hours. Game starts at 6.30. I'm thinking about going to that game next weekend. Bills and Chiefs could be, you know, definitely going to be a fun one as you have the Bills off and running here.

They're already down to the Steelers 32-yard line with 352 to go. But how about your Chiefs? I know you're like kind of a Chiefs fan. You grew up rooting for the Jets, then you gave up on the Jets, and then you jumped on the Chiefs bandwagon. But I'll let you speak for a moment or two about your Kansas City Chiefs after I was thinking they were going to lose the Miami Dolphins. Where's your confidence at with Kansas City?

It's exactly where it was five weeks ago, four weeks ago, three weeks ago. I told you all along, sleep on the Chiefs all you want. Just keep sleeping on my boys. They're the defending champions for a reason. You know, just like the Cowboys or the drama Dallas Choking Cowboys who fall flat in the playoffs every year and two can't win big games, there are teams that come up and win big games every time. No matter how bad they're playing, the Yankees in the 90s were like this too. Just when you counted the Yankees out, maybe they missed the playoffs, maybe they're going to go down to this team looks better, this team is... No. When you're a great team with a championship caliber and championship DNA, championship coaching and a great quarterback like Patrick Mahomes, things just always turn around when they need to.

Let's just be real though. Bills, they can beat the pants off of Mason Rudolph all they want. Bills are going to beat you this year though.

Yeah, the Chiefs are going to crush them next week. Well, not crush, nine points. Let's say nine points. Let's go nine. Okay. 27, no not 27, 28. I need a score prediction from you right now.

Here's the thing. 30-21. I heard the appetizers, a little prematurely last week, predicting that the Chiefs were going to lose. The main course is coming, baby.

And you're going to be fed like a fat pig after this one. You've said that every single week. Bills are going to beat the Chiefs.

No, I haven't. You've said it every week. The Chiefs are done. You know what?

Rashid Rice playing. Just like Hickey and J.J. McCarthy, it's like boy who cried wolf. Oh, what you're saying with Hickey, just always crap it on J.J. McCarthy? Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's like the boy who cried wolf. If you say it every week that the Chiefs are going to lose, the Chiefs are done, the Chiefs are done, and the Chiefs keep winning and the Chiefs keep doing it.

You know what? We'll see what happens next week. I've never said the Chiefs are done in terms of building a dynasty. I just don't think the Chiefs are going to win the Super Bowl this year. Ooh, Josh Allen was almost picked off.

That's going to bring a fourth down here with 2-23 to go. It's time to answer Ask the Pros question of the day brought to you by O'Reilly. Auto Parts. CJ in Philly says, Zach, if the Eagles lose tonight to Tampa Bay, do you think that's it for Sirianni? 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.

Guaranteed low prices and excellent customer service from the professional parts people at O'Reilly Auto Parts. I think I'll answer this two ways. What should happen and what will happen. Eagles lose tonight. I think they should fire Nick Sirianni. You start the year 10-1 after going to the Super Bowl, and you have one win down the stretch with this team having too much talent to only have one win down the stretch. That would be embarrassing.

It really would be. As the Steelers just blocked a field goal here, and that's going to give them the ball in good position, trying to get a score to make this 21-7 right before the end of the half still in front of the 2-11 mark. So I'll get you down in distance in just a second.

But let me finish answering the question here. I think the Eagles should move on from Sirianni if they lose tonight, especially with the options available. Once again, Harbaugh, Belichick, Carroll, Mike Vrabel. But I think the Eagles will not get rid of Sirianni regardless of the outcome tonight because Howie Roseman and Jeffrey Lurie like a puppet that they can control. And they like a coach that doesn't have the clout or the power some of these other coaches do have in the NFL.

And I do believe they'll bring back Sirianni because say what you want about Sirianni. Three years in the NFL, three playoff appearances, and was just coaching the Super Bowl last year. I think there's a chemistry problem in Philly. More and more ugly articles keep on coming out about a disconnect with Jalen Hurts, Nick Sirianni, the offensive coordinator and the team. It's been ugly.

I think more will come out this offseason. A lot of people were right, even though I disagree with that at the time. When they were 10-1, people were like, oh, there's flaws with this team. Oh, there's problems with this team. But ultimately, I think he should get fired if they lose tonight, but I don't think he will. Cecile is going to take the ball over first and 10 at the Bills 32-33 yard line. 8-5-5, 2-1-2 for CBS. 8-5-5, 2-1-2, 42-27. Let's end the show with Michael in Vegas who was holding patiently.

Michael, go ahead. Zach, two fumbles for Pittsburgh. The first one was blatant. They showed the ref's face, and he's like 70 years old, and he had this look like, I don't know, and he's all incomplete. It was a complete fumble, so they changed it.

On the review, yeah. The next one never went out of bounds, never hit a Friar Moose helmet. Mike, unfortunately, your cell phone connection is as bad as the Steelers are right now, okay? We've got to learn how to talk into the phone here in the year of 2024.

I appreciate the phone call, but you're calling to bitch and complain about the Steelers. My dad does this all the time. I don't know how old Michael is.

I don't want to assume here. But for some reason, when my dad gets older, he just does not know how to speak into the cell phone. I could hear what he's saying, but he's so far away. But when you're doing a radio show and you sound like you're 10 feet away from the phone, I just can't continue the phone call, because if I could barely hear you, I know the listening audience could barely hear you as well. But anyway, what a wonderful way to wrap up the program.

Awesome. With a bad phone call about the Steelers and a bad cell phone connection. We did have a lot of good phone calls today. A lot of people just loving to pile on in and jump on the drama Dallas-choking Cowboys. Oh, man, Cowboys fans, you did it again.

You talked up your team, and even when everyone thought you were going to win the game and at least get to next week before you choke it up, you guys just got steamrolled by the Green Bay Packers. Da-na, da-na-na-na-na. Go, Pack, go! When something happens to your car, you might say, No!

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