2022 NFL Season Predictions! (Hour 2)

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Rocket can. Ever since Matthew Stafford, Cooper Cupp and Aaron Donald won the Super Bowl, we've been getting ready for this moment, the start of the NFL season. We've spent February, March, April, May, June, July, August and some of September telling you what we think teams are going to do. Now it is time to give our official predictions for the 2022 NFL season. We'll go division by division. We'll start off in the AFC East. The Jets are finishing in fourth.

Zach Wilson's going to be out for at least the first three weeks of the season unless if Robert Salah is just lying to the media so he doesn't have to answer any questions about this. But you look at this Jets team, they have some young pieces, they have some young talent, they're just not going to be able for the entire season to compete with the other three teams in this division. No matter what you think of the Dolphins, no matter what you think of the Pats, the Jets are still in fourth place and in the bottom of this AFC East and that's where they will be and their first 10-11 games are horrible.

Number three, I think these two teams are going to be close, may determine on if you can take two games up against one another or if you split, how that goes down. I think the Dolphins will be underwhelming this year. They have a really good roster, defense solid.

You have Tyreke Hill, you have Jalen Waddle, but I just still don't know what to make of Mike McDaniel and Tuatunga Vailoa. Dolphins will finish in third, no playoffs for them once again. This team will finish in second just like they did a year ago except they're going to take a step back. Last year 10 and 7 made the playoffs. This year they will go 9 and 8. They'll miss the postseason. That's my New England Patriots and only one team from the AFC East will be postseason bound and that will be the Buffalo Bills who will not only win the AFC East and be postseason bound, they will have the best record in the AFC and they'll be the number one overall seed.

HTH, hot take kicky. How many teams from the AFC East do you have going to the postseason? One. Just the Buffalo Bills? Just the Bills. So I know you weren't picking the Patriots.

I was surprised. I thought you were going to say two and go with the Miami Dolphins. Why no Dolphins love for you because you've been a big fan of Tuatunga Vailoa?

I like to. I think he'll play well this year. I just don't think it's going to equate in a very very tough and loaded and deep AFC. I don't think there's going to be enough wins for them to get in. Let's get to the AFC North.

This is a very talented team. They're without their quarterback though for the first 12 games of the season, first 11 games of the season and he'll make his return in week 13 up against the Texans. That's Deshaun Watson. The Browns which Jacoby Bruce said it's going to be tough for them to weather the storm. I think they'll only have three or four wins without Deshaun Watson.

That's going to put him in too deep of a hole to climb out of. Cleveland next year, that's where the expectations are going to start. That's when the clock is going to start ticking on if that Watson move for on the field was right or wrong. But right now I think you're in the bottom of the AFC North basement. Three, don't like their starting quarterback.

I've made that abundantly clear. Mitch Trubusky, I don't get the purpose of starting him right now. I would go to Kenny Pickett. Sheila's though do have a wonderful coach in Mike Tomlin. They have some good weapons on offense.

Najee Harris, I know Deontay Johnson's hurt right now. Chase Claypool, Pat Fryermuth and their defense is dominant. That defense is going to keep them in a lot of games. I hope if I was a Steelers fan, my hope would be that it's a quick hook on Mitch Trubusky and you see Kenny Pickett at earliest week four up against the Jets. So Steelers three, no playoffs for the Steelers. Number two, I think a lot about this team and you'll hear more about this team in my predictions. Last year Baltimore was rolling with all those injuries and Lamar Jackson got hurt.

They had to go for it on two-point conversions because they knew that they didn't really have any much gas left in the tank if the game got to overtime. Baltimore for the most part is now healthy. They can't be any more hurt than what they were a year ago.

You have a really good coach in hardball. Lamar Jackson is a great player in this league. The Ravens will be double-digit wins and the Ravens will be in the playoffs as a wild card and winning the AFC North for back-to-back seasons will be the Cincinnati Bengals. Houdet, yeah that's right, I'm going with the Bengals. Burrow, Chase, Higgins, Boyd, defense played really good, made a big step in the second half of the season but most importantly they fixed that offensive line.

Karras, Kappa, Collins now on that offensive line. Joe Burrow will get some protection. So I have two teams from the AFC North going to the postseason. Bengals winning the division, Ravens getting in as a double-digit winner and a wild card team. How many teams in the AFC North, Houdet, Kiki, do you have going to the postseason? We agree. Two. Bengals, Ravens.

Wow. Two divisions in, three postseason teams in from the AFC and we're all in agreement so far. I think the agreement will continue here as we get ready to go to the AFC South. Texans will be in fourth. Jaguars, they'll have some professionalism in that organization now since Doug Peterson's there and no longer Urban Meyer. Jags will finish in third. The difference between those two teams for me, you know I think the Texans have some better talent, it's Trevor Lawrence compared to Davis Mills.

Number two, here's my first surprise one. If you've been listening to the show you knew I was going to pick this but we have to make it official today. Tennessee was the number one overall seed last year in the AFC. Tennessee did not show urgency in this offseason. They said goodbye to AJ Brown, they're banking on Robert Woods who's a good player but he was hurt last year. They drafted Traylon Burks, they still have Ryan Tannehill as their quarterback. You got a good but not great defense. Derrick Henry's a stud. I think Tennessee is going to be it's going to be one of those teams that gets to nine, gets to 10 wins but it's not going to be good enough to make the postseason this year.

Tennessee in second place out of the playoffs and then for the first time since 2014 I believe, a team that I can't stand, a team that I actively rooted against last year at the expense of my producer, the Indianapolis Colts with Matt Ryan and Jonathan Taylor are going to the postseason and will win this division. By the way, I saw this over the weekend. When do people, I know it, I think it's his middle name maybe. When did Darius Leonard start to go as Shaquille Leonard?

First day of training camp this year. He announced it, I guess all his friends, his family call him Shaquille. I think that's his middle name? Yes and he wants to go by Shaquille. Because I saw some article he's dealing with an injury right now. Yes. Is he going to play this weekend?

Up in the air. I hope not but he might be. They said Shaquille Leonard's questionable for this weekend up against the Texans. I'm like, they have another Leonard on this team? And then I looked it up and it said Darius Shaquille Leonard. I go, I didn't know he was going by Shaquille Leonard now. I guess in college even they called him Shaquille but he didn't feel like he had the oomph I guess when he got to the NFL to correct it when they called him Darius. So he just kind of let it go, let it go, let it go and then this year he said, you know what? I'm going to put my foot down Shaquille.

So now he is Shaquille. If I would have known that maybe earlier in the summer maybe I would have gone with Tennessee. I'm taking Indy to win the division. How many teams from the AFC South get into the postseason? I've won the Colts.

Won it's Indy. This is the year, damn it. This is the year. You've been saying it for like the last five. Right and this is actually, I didn't mean it like in 2020 and actually I was not high in Phillip Rivers in 2020 but 2021 I didn't mean it. Max Kellerman, Rob Parker, hot take hickey.

You will all like to say things over and over and over again hoping one day to be right. So, so far three divisions in, we have four playoff teams in and we're all in agreement. Bills, Bengals, Ravens, Indianapolis. AFC West. That means three are getting in. Fourth place, sorry Ryan.

Incomplete. That's the Denver Broncos. I think it's going to take some time to adjust. New coach, new quarterback, quarterback better than anything they've had in, you know, since Peyton Manning did walk away. But I think there's going to be a stretch where they lose like three games in a row. We saw Tampa go on a little bit of down stretch first year with Brady. They still won a Super Ball. Rams, a little bit of down stretch for Stafford first year.

They still won a Super Ball. Their divisions weren't as great as what this AFC West is and that's what I think the difference is going to be. Third place, offensive line is a little bit concerning. Defense a little bit concerning. There's just so much offensive talent on this team with Carr Adams.

You get Renfro, Darren Waller, two Josh Jacobs. I'll put the Raiders with a better coach now in Josh McDaniels in as the third place team in the AFC West. They'll be in the postseason though.

Second place, first time in a long time. They're not going to win the division. They'll still be a heck of a team. They'll still be a tough outcome postseason time. It would not surprise me at the end of the year if they're hoisting Lombardi Trophy but for now I have them finishing in second and going to the playoffs. Kansas City, how about those cheese?

And finishing in first place. It's their time to win the division. The Los Angeles Chargers. Gold Chargers go. So I have the Raiders, Chiefs, and Chargers out of the AFC West making the postseason.

Now let me guess hot take, Kiki. You have the Chargers in the postseason. I do. You have the Chiefs in the postseason. That I do. Since you hate the Raiders, you have the Broncos in the postseason.

And winning the division. Oh that's, come on. Let me make the predictions here. Oh sorry. That's right. You're going Broncos one. Yes.

You'll see. Chiefs two. Chiefs two. Chargers three. Chargers three. So my seven playoff teams in the AFC. Bills as the one seed. Bengals as the two seed. Chargers as the three seed. Colts as the four seed. My three wildcard teams, five, six, and seven. In that order, Ravens, Chiefs, and the Raiders. Who are your seven playoff teams in order?

Go ahead. I'll go with the Bills at number one. Oh I thought the Broncos were the best team in the NFL. Tough division. Tough division.

It's going to be tough to escape from that. Go ahead, you sick of fanfare Nathaniel Hackett. I will go Bengals number two. Broncos three.

Okay. Colts four. Wildcards in order. Chiefs, Ravens, Chargers.

You got it. To the NFC we go. Giants fourth place.

Commanders. If you had a better quarterback, I would consider picking you maybe to win the division, but you don't. So therefore you're in third place at no postseason. Cowboys. I almost picked them to miss the playoffs. I still think there's too much talent on that roster even with the offensive line concerns. I will have the Cowboys finishing in second, making the postseason as a wildcard team. And then the Eagles, the only thing that can hold them back is the quarterback.

That's the only thing. I think the quarterback is good enough. He's not great, but he is good enough. They won nine games last year. They got better this off season with AJ Brown. They bring in Jordan Davis.

They bring in Nicobe Dean, Hassan Reddick T for temple. You Eagles win the division. So from the NFC side, the Eagles and the Cowboys getting into the post-season hot ticket.

How many teams from the NFC East do you have in the playoffs? Two Eagles Cowboys. Oh, I thought you were going back to the well on Carson commanders.

He's back, baby. We go to the North bears. You suck lions.

Your coach is gritty. No playoffs. Kevin O'Connell taking the Vikings to the playoffs at nine and eight, maybe 10 and seven, and then winning the division.

I don't care if he has Hickey and Ack and Mike McCann lining up to throw the football to Aaron Rogers, win that division. They could lose week one to Minnesota, but they will not lose this division. They could lose a sprint.

They're not going to lose the marathon though. So two teams from the North going to post-season Packers and the Vikings. Just one Green Bay.

Keep the train rolling. We go to the South Falcons. Get ready for the top five in the NFL draft saints. I'm not buying the hype on the saints. I don't trust Dennis Allen. I don't trust Jamis Winston. The Panthers will be improved. Good defense. You're hoping Christian McCaffrey is going to be healthy at a shit injury today. So it was just a cut.

So that was bizarre. And I like Baker Mayfield. Don't love him. They'll be in then probably like eight wins, the Panthers, but that won't make them a post-season team and one team from the South going to the playoffs. Tom Brady, the Buccaneers, how many teams to the South NFC South you have going to the playoffs to Buccaneers. I'm back on the Panthers train. Whoa. Now hold on. Flip-flop picky. I've thought about it a lot. I have gone back and forth. Time out.

Take a 30 here. You, when the trade was made, said they were going to the playoffs as a seven seed. You also said Baker Mayfield was a time time quarterback in the NFC.

I don't agree with that, but you said it. Then I think it was a week ago. You said you're out on the Panthers. What the heck happened?

Well, here's what happened. I, I have a number in range for the Panthers. I think they're, they're not going to get who would have ever thought Hickey would be picking the Panthers to make the playoffs. And I would not be that's that's the world we're living in.

So, so Matt rule fan, you are, I don't believe what I just saw. There's another team. I, so basically what it came down to, I was between the car, the X, where are we? So the Panthers and the Cowboys, some people now may be thinking you're drunk after all this stutter. That's true. I am completely sober.

I promise I could drive a car. And I thought to myself, why am I just limiting this to the Cowboys versus the Panthers? As the final team in, I did another deep dive. There was another team like, what am I thinking?

Oh, I know who you took out then tap them out. And the Panthers along with the Cowboys are in. So you took out an NFC West team.

I did. You took out the Cardinals. Well, it could be the 49ers could be the Rams. We didn't get there yet. Well, now we will get there.

You go first. I want to hear four through one in this division. You're picking Pete cow to win the West, right? Seahawks coming in number four. I had the Seahawks at number four as well. Number three, the Cardinals.

I knew it. You weren't picking the Cardinals to make the playoffs. Number two, the 49ers. Number one, the Rams Cardinals out. I flip-flopped that Seahawks for an agreement 49ers three. I think there'll be some good, some bad from Trey Lance.

I'm going to pause. I'm basically a rookie quarterback, even though it's your number two, but his first two years as a starter, I put the Cardinals in don't feel great about it. The Cardinals are Cowboys. One of those teams, they could miss the playoffs. You're going with the Cardinals. I respect it.

I still put them in. And then I have the Rams winning this division rather easily. So I have the Rams and the Cardinals in. So my seven playoff teams from the NFC, I am going with the bucks as the one seed, the Rams as the two seed, the Packers dad at Dananana go pack, go as the three seed, the Eagles for Cowboys, five Viking, six Cardinals, seven, your seven NFC playoff teams in order. Por favor Rams. Number one, Packers, two bucks, three Eagles, four and wildcards.

49ers at five Cowboys, six Panthers sneaking in at number seven. Oh, look at you going Rogers over Brady, just to put up a facade. When everyone gets into your mentions about how much you hate Aaron Rogers, you made them the two seat after all that. Hey, schedule is easy. We're going through the schedules.

I was sitting there like 13 to four. Hot take. Hickey was the guy two weeks ago. There's no way the Packers will be in the Superbowl, but now you have them as your two seat in the NFC.

I think both can be true. It is Zach Yelp show on CBS sports radio. I gave you my 14 playoff teams that could give you his 14 playoff teams. We tell you who is going to win the Superbowl or try to tell you who's going to win the Superbowl when we return.

You're listening to the Zach Gelb show. All right, we continue our NFL preview show. Let's go back to the AFC. Bills will have a buy. They'll be the one seed. Bengals will be the two seed. Chargers will be the three. Colts will be the four. And your wildcard teams, Raven as the fifth seed, the Chiefs as the six seed, and the Raiders as the seven seed. So that means in the first round, in the first round, I will have the Bengals going up against the Raiders. That would be a rematch from a year ago in the playoffs. I will have the Chargers going up against the Chiefs, divisional matchup, and then the Colts going up against the Ravens and advancing to divisional round weekend. Kansas City, even though they will not win the division, Patrick Mahomes will show Justin Herbert.

He's still got something to learn. Chiefs take down the Chargers. They advance as a six seed. And then in the other matchup, to get to our second divisional matchup, I will have the Ravens beating the Colts.

Sorry, Ryan. And I will also have the Bengals for a second year in a row taking down the Raiders. So for divisional weekend, Chiefs, Bills, again, second straight year in the divisional round, third straight year in the post season, and the Ravens will be playing the Bengals and advancing to my AFC championship weekend. Ravens going into the jungle, Lamar Jackson taking down Joe Burrow, Heisman Trophy winner up against Heisman Trophy winner. And this time around, finally at home, the Buffalo Bills will say Kansas City, don't let the door hit you on the ass on the way out. Bills will score a late touchdown, maybe with 13 seconds to go, and Sean McDermott will squib kick it, and people will be jumping through tables in Buffalo. Ravens out of the box, Ravens at the Bills in my AFC championship game.

How'd they kick you? Who's in your AFC championship game? I'm sorry, the Chiefs and the Broncos. The Chiefs and the Broncos.

That's right. Now I would ask you who's going to the Super Bowl out of the AFC, but you've made it abundantly clear. You are mushing the Broncos. Broncos country?

Let's ride. Man, that was creepy. Say that again? Well, so is Russell Wilson. Yeah, you and Russell Wilson, two creeps, Mr. Limited.

That's cringe. I don't know. You do the let's ride again. Broncos country?

Let's ride. Survey says, in my AFC title game, it's supposed to be the year of the Buffalo Bills, right? A few years ago, Lamar Jackson got knocked out of a playoff game with a concussion. He threw a bad pick six to Terron Johnson.

He goes back to Buffalo in freezing temperatures, finds a way to grind it out. Bills get close, but yet so far. Give me the Ravens with Lamar Jackson going to the Super Bowl. Now to the NFC. My seven playoff teams. Bucks, Rams, Packers, Eagles, Cowboys, Vikings, and Cardinals in that order. Now, Ryan, listen to the wild card weekend that I'm going to give you out of the NFC. Two seed Rams, seven seed Cardinals.

Intriguing. Rematch of a year ago in the wild card round. Divisional game. Then I have the Vikings as the sixth seed going to legendary Lambeau Field for a third time divisional game against the Packers. And then finally, Cowboys going to Philadelphia to face the Eagles. I don't know on paper if there's a better NFC wild card weekend than those three games that I just gave you. That would be wonderful.

That would be wonderful. Now going to the divisional round. I picked the Eagles to win the division. I had very little confidence in the drama Dallas Cowboys ever doing anything positive, but I actually had the Cowboys upsetting the Eagles. Eagles will go down in the wild card round for a second year in a row. Cowboys to the divisional round.

I'll tell you they're playing in just a bit. In the other two games, Packers take care of the Vikings and the Rams once again take care of Kyler Murray. Give me the two seed Rams hosting the three seed Packers and the one seed Tampa Bay Buccaneers welcoming in the Cowboys and in the NFC title game.

Go pack, go! Traveling to Tampa to go up against Tom Brady as he tries to get to the Super Bowl. Now, I'll tell you who gets to the Super Bowl out of the NFC in just a second, but hot take Kiki, give me your NFC championship game por favor. Rams bucks. Who's going to the Super Bowl out of the NFC?

Back to back, baby. The Rams. Whose house? Rams house.

I think it was Andrew Filipponi. He predicted today a Chargers Rams Super Bowl. If that happens, would there ever be a Super Bowl that would have less fan support from either team? I have a cell at either way than Chargers and Rams in the Super Bowl. Like the Super Bowl is just in LA when the Rams won the whole thing. And that was more of a Bengals crowd than a Rams crowd. Imagine we had a Chargers Rams Super Bowl in Phoenix. There'd be a lot of different jerseys from other teams. Trying to think, you throw the Jaguars in there maybe, but otherwise that's as little fan support as you could possibly ask. I'm talking realistic options here. Okay.

I was thinking small fan bases is all. Okay, so my Super Bowl matchup, the Baltimore Ravens and the Green Bay Packers, your Super Bowl matchup, Denver going up against, give me your team one more time, LA Ravens and the LA Rams. Stafford Russ. Talk about sex appeal. I am in.

Let's go. That's not really that sexy. It's a good matchup. Yeah, but you could have better quarterbacks in the Super Bowl, both top 10 quarterbacks, but you could have better quarterbacks.

Well, sure you could. Lamar Jackson against Aaron Rodgers is sexier. I see enough Aaron. Now go ahead. Well, he's only been to one Super Bowl.

I don't know if you've seen enough of him in this game. Before I give you my Super Bowl pick, give me your Super Bowl pick and your MVP. We know where this is going. Pop the champagne, baby. It is your Lombardi trophy. Broncos. And your MVP? Russell Wilson. Not Brandon McManus?

No, although he could hit a few. Where is it? Arizona thin air. Get a few bombs there. Then a dome there.

Close the roof. Maybe a 65 yarder. Then he'll get the award.

Okay. I have the Ravens and the Packers. If Aaron Rodgers wins that game, would he walk away and leave the Packers with a dead cap hit of $96 million or whatever that is? If Rodgers wins Super Bowl, you think he rides off into the sunset hot ticket? I kind of do.

I could see it. So could I. I think he's playing two more years, though. I don't have the Packers winning at all. I'm taking the Baltimore Ravens to win it all. Lamar Jackson is going to have his Giannis Antetokounmpo moment in the NBA where he's won an MVP, had some shortcomings in the postseason.

Everyone says he has a flaw. He's not going to be able to win it all. The Ravens will be healthy this year. Ravens will get another ring. Lamar Jackson will get his first. Give me the Baltimore Ravens winning Super Bowl 57 by a score of 27 to 20. Rodgers teases you once again where he makes you think it's going to be his year. And then he's going to come up just a little bit short. And then he'll go into the postseason, psychedelics, Panchacarma cleanse, and all that stuff.

And we'll have to wait and see how he holds the Packers hostage and if he'll return for another football season. Those are the predictions on my Super Bowl MVP, by the way, Lamar Jackson. When we come on back, we've got to give out some awards. MVP, Coach of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Rookie of the Year, Offense and Defense and Coach of the Year, our Comeback Player of the Year. Did I miss any awards there? Any big time awards there?

Like, I never feel as if we have to do an Offensive Player of the Year because it should be whoever's the MVP because the MVP most of the times is an offensive player. Is there any awards that I missed there, Hotte Kiki, that are big? I don't think so. Assistant Coach of the Year? GM of the Year? You want to do GM of the Year? Nah. I'd agree.

Nah. We're good. MVP Coach of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Rookie of the Year, Comeback Player of the Year.

And you know what? Let's do a Hot Take of the Year just for you. I want your hottest take, Hotte Kiki, when we come on back for this NFL season. Zach Gelb shows CBS Sports Radio. You're listening to the Zach Gelb Show. The NFL season is about to get underway, and this NFL season, every Westwood One NFL broadcast streams live for free.

Mondays, Thursdays, Sunday nights, Thanksgiving and Christmas triple headers, the international series and every postseason game. The free AutoZone fix finder service can help troubleshoot the likely cause of your pesky. Check engine light for free and get you back on the road. Restrictions apply. Get in the zone, AutoZone. So my seven playoff teams in the AFC, Bills, Bengals, Chargers, Colts, Ravens, Chiefs and the Raiders, with the Ravens going to the Super Bowl. In the NFC, I do have the Bucks, Rams, Packers, Eagles, Cowboys, Vikings and Cardinals going to the postseason, with the Green Bay Packers going to the Super Bowl. And as I predicted in the last segment, Ravens 27, with Lamar Jackson being the Super Bowl MVP, Packers 20.

Now for some awards. MVP in the NFL for the year of 2022. This team's going to be dominant. This team could win it all. I did not pick them to win it all, but I did pick them to get to the AFC title game.

That's going to be Buffalo. I think Josh Allen takes home his first NFL MVP. 40-plus touchdowns this year. Going to throw for over 5,000 yards. Stefan Diggs going to have a monster season. Gabe Davis could have 10 touchdown catches this year. That's how much I like Gabriel Davis at a UCF than what he did last year.

Dawson Knox is going to be a stud. This Bills offense is going to be humming all year long in the regular season. Give me Josh Allen as the MVP, who last year was not too kicky trying to say Carson Wentz was a better quarterback than Josh Allen.

And look where we are now. You can't bash Carson Wentz enough, and you can't praise Josh Allen any more than you've been doing. What do you got for me MVP? Russell Wilson letting him cook in Denver. He is free from the handcuffs that Pete Carroll put on last few years.

He's going to have a big year. Big year coming in Denver for us. You're making the Broncos so unlikable.

Why? Because it's too much Broncos. The Broncos haven't done anything yet, and it's already Broncos fatigue. You have them winning the Super Bowl and winning the MVP when the guy's never even got an MVP vote in his career. Right. Well, wouldn't you agree that the Broncos win the Super Bowl? It's going to be a large part on Russell Wilson's back and right shoulder. Yeah, sure.

But there's a difference from the regular season MVP award and then what happens in the postseason. So you're now doubling down. I am. Hold on.

Are you tripling down here? Coach of the year. There was some jackass on the radio about, I think it was last week we got into this fight. You said Brandon Staley, who's my pick to win coach of the year, was not going to win coach of the year. You had Nathaniel Hackett.

I'll explain my Staley explanation in just a second, but you had Nathaniel Hackett winning coach of the year last week. Now you flip flop at all your predictions. You told me when the Panthers got Baker Mayfield, they were going to make the playoffs. Then last week you told me they're gonna miss the playoffs.

Now you have the Panthers making the playoffs. Who are you going with coach of the year? Let's see if he's going to do it. So I would like to ask for a pause because I think when you ask for a hot take of the year, this will fall into the same category.

Okay. So I'd like to temporarily put a hold on my coach of the year reveal and kind of do two in one hot take of the year coach of the year in one because I think that this coach falls under a hot take category. So let me ask you this. Is the hot take of the year that coach winning the award? Yes.

So it's not a coach getting fired? No. Okay. Let's just get to the hot take of the year now then. Okay.

Coach of the year and the hot take of the year by hot take Kiki. Go ahead. Remember, I'm believing these takes. It's not just throwing it out there. I think it's going to happen.

Okay. Skip your boy, Matt rule coach of the year coach of the year. Part of the award. Part of the award has to go to, I think expectations.

I think right now expectations are unknown slash low for the Panthers. I think if you are able to get them to the playoffs with Baker Mayfield as your quarterback, who was an unknown and traded for a month before the season or two weeks of the training camp started, I mean, it's a good kind of way for Matt rule to garner some votes. Wow. Matt rule coach of the year. I'm stunned.

How do you think about it? I'm the biggest supporter of Matt rule on national radio because I was there when he was at temple. We've had him on a bunch of times. He was at Baylor and a bunch of times at Carolina, but I am shocked that you just picked him to win coach of the year. I think narrative has a lot to do with it. Like what can realistically Sean McDermott do to win coach of the year bills have to go what? I mean, he won't win coach of the right.

Like Sean McVeigh, same thing. Like you look around, I don't see a lot of candidates just because it's the bar is high for so many elite teams that can Matt little floor really when coach of the year, let's say like 16 and one, maybe, I don't know. Floor can this year because people are doubting them because of the wide receiver position.

Most of the credit will go to Rogers. I'll give you the coach of the year candidates. I, I don't believe in Belicheck or McDaniel, but they're candidates. If they make the playoffs agreed and the north, the fans, ski, if they make the play on and the AFC north, I will say your candidates are Tomlin, Harbaugh, and I'll go Zach Taylor. I don't think the fan skis going to make the playoffs, but if he coaches his ass off with Jacoby Brissette, then maybe in the south because of that division, if Frank Reich wins a division, and I think he's a little bit overrated, but if he wins a division and go secure a two seed, then potentially in the west, I think all the coaches are candidates and whoever wins that division is may win the award. And that's why I picked Brandon Staley because there's been a lot of negativity around Brandon Staley first half.

He was awesome. Second half, not so much. And I think the charge is going to win that division. That's why I went with Brandon Staley. Now in the NFC, Sirianni's a candidate. If the Cowboys win the division, I guess McCarthy's a candidate. If Ron Rivera makes the playoffs, I guess he's a candidate. And the north, Kevin O'Connell could win the award if they make the postseason. Lafleur, it probably won't win it.

You're probably right. South, it's tough to see them giving it to Todd Bowles because of Tom Brady. All right, if you want to tell me Dennis Allen or Matt Ruhle makes the playoffs, then sure. And in the AFC West, I wouldn't even put McVeigh or Cliff Kingsbury in there, but you know who's a candidate? Kyle Shanahan. If with a guy that you're now starting in Trey Lance and his first two years as a starter, you go win double digit games with him, you could win the award. But I'm going with Brandon Staley.

And it's not many times I'm speechless on this show. I'm surprised your hot take of the year is that Matt Ruhle's going to win coach of the year. I really am. I think the Panthers are an eight win team this year.

I think they'll be improved. You know me, there's no bigger support of Matt Ruhle than yours truly. But wow, look at you. We're taking a swing. I think narrative has a big swing.

Narrative has a lot to do with it. Defensive player of the year. Who are you going with? Going with my guy, Micah Parsons. Flying around the field, picks, sacks, tackles for a loss, does it all, he'll beat it. He has to do even more this year than last year. I'm in on kind of the jackknife of a defense.

I'm taking Dr. Teals. Not worried about him being distracted. Missing games for swinging helmets again, not learning his lesson. Even if he does it again, he won't answer any questions about that. I can't pick against Aaron Donald.

He'll win his fourth defensive player of the year, and then he'll be at the at the award ceremony. I'd like to thank Dr. Teals. Dr. Teals did it. That's why I won this award. Can I ask you a very quick question? I guess the answer is no, but I'll ask it anyway. Any pause or concern with the note from me in Rapport today that he basically was ready to retire, then was talked into returning with contract?

No, no, no. You know why he came back? Because of Dr. Teals. That's why he came back. That's what a source told me. Well, he was pretty open with us. That's what got lost in our interview just because it was so bizarre when the PR person stepped in. But he said the only reason he came back was... Now, I didn't know he wrote the retirement note, and then they sat on it for 24 hours and then it just didn't go down. But he was pretty transparent with us that the only reason he came back was to win another Super Bowl. That's the only thing that he came back. And he said if he didn't win a Super Bowl, maybe he would not have returned.

But no, no, no pause. That dude's a force to be reckoned with. The only one that's able to somewhat contain him was me.

In that interview, he needed a PR person to hold his hand on that one. Rookie of the year. If Kayvon Thibodeau was healthy to start the season, I would have picked him. I just don't know when he's going to come back. So defensive rookie of the year, I'm going to Aiden Hutchinson with the Lions.

Same position, different player. I'm going to go George Karloff, that's Purdue. We're out of Purdue, but on the Chiefs now.

Get a lot of attention and play a lot. Yeah, I think you get a few sacks. You'll be on national TV.

The Chiefs are going to be a good team in the playoffs. That's going to help your stock. Pronounce that last name one more time. Karlofftus.

God bless you. George Karlofftus. No Trayvon Walker for you? No Trayvon Walker. Hopefully the Colts can push him around. My offensive rookie of the year.

I think this is going to surprise some people. Going Chris Olave out of Ohio State, the Ohio State, their all-time leading touchdown receiver. I'm going to say he goes to Jamis Winston. I don't think the Saints are going to make the playoffs, but I think Olave will have success in year number one. Especially, I just don't know what to expect out of Michael Thomas. And Jarvis Landry is still good, but he's not a great wide receiver in this league.

Give me Olave. Damian Pierce, running back for the Texans. Already won the starting job. His name has been the only name coming out of Texas Tampa that's been buzzing. I'll go the youngster from Florida. What round was he?

Fourth. And that's a good call because if Davis Mills, if you don't have a lot of faith in him, that means they're going to run the football a lot. He runs hard. Call him a bowling ball.

Not a lot of burn at Florida, so those legs should be fresh. Damian Pierce. Comeback player of the year. Go ahead. Baker Mayfield.

Wow. Rejuvenating his career in Carolina. You've tripled down here on the Panthers.

This is hot take hickey, not me. You picked the Panthers to make the playoffs. Matt Ruhle to be your coach of the year.

And then Baker Mayfield to win your comeback player of the year. That's right. On a side note, remember that photo was an unflattering photo of Matt Ruhle at the coaching meeting that they had. Remember that it went viral on Barstool in the- No. Oh. Was it the Hawaiian- No, no, no, no.

With Andy Reid, but the same things where he was the- Yeah, where they do the photo all together of all the coaches that Belichick never goes to. He was wearing a college shirt. It was not a college shirt.

It was not a college shirt. It was not a good looking photo. Matt must have lost 50 pounds since that photo. He's looking slim and trim. I think he was fat shaped. I wouldn't consider Matt Ruhle fat, but he's now like really skinny. If you look good, you feel good. Maybe you're onto something with these Panthers.

Maybe he's thinking clearly now. Comeback player of the year. I'm going with the Panthers. Not going with Baker Mayfield. The most important person on that team is Run CMC and Christian McCaffrey. That offense is going to run through Run CMC. When Baker Mayfield had success two years ago, they were a run first team.

Nick Chubb, Kareem Hunt, and you just had Baker Mayfield manage the game. That's what's going to be needed this year out of Run CMC. He's going to need to be the best player in the Panthers. He's going to need to be healthy.

And if so, I think he'll win comeback player of the year, even though I don't have the Panthers making the playoffs. So my MVP, Josh Allen, my coach of the year, Brandon Staley, my defensive player of the year, Dr. Teals, rookie of the year, Aiden Hutchinson, and Chris Olave, and my comeback player of the year, Run CMC. It is the Zach Gelb show on CBS Sports Radio. We are about 30 minutes away from the start of the NFL season.

When we come on back, we're talking Bills. We're talking Rams. I'm watching live footage right now of Josh Allen warming up at SoFi Stadium. You have Maria Taylor, Chris Simms, Tony Dungy, Rodney Harrison, and maybe the best stadium in the NFL. I'm talking about the way that it's built.

And I know there's not a lot of history there. It's only been open for a few years, but SoFi Stadium is unbelievable to be in. I got to go to the Raiders Stadium because I heard that's unbelievable. When we come on back, we got a game.

We'll talk about it. Bills, Rams to kick off the season. Fosse Whitaker will join us at 8 20 p.m. Eastern, 5 20 p.m. Pacific from the Longhorn Radio Network to preview that game this weekend. Horns up, horns down. We'll talk some Texas and Alabama as well. An hour number three of the Zach Gelb show that will kick off in five minutes.