49ers A Legit Contender In NFC? (Hour 3)

Do you ever wonder about dreams or déjà vu? That feeling on a first date? Yes, yes. The spark is real. Maybe about where the aliens are, if they exist.

The universe could be infinite, so where is everybody? My name is Mike Simpson. My podcast is called I've Got Questions. How do some animals change color?

What's the best cure for the hiccups? Do you wash your denim? I usually wait four to six months. Kind of feels like a long time. Search for I've Got Questions on the Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts and new episodes on Thursdays. The week continued as the Zach Gelb Show Coast to Coast on CBS Sports Radio. Another week of football is here. I can't believe we're already in week five, so let's go out to the guest line right now and welcome in a legendary play-by-play man NFL on CBS.

You could also listen to him Monday Night Football on Westwood One, and that is the great Kevin Harlan. Kevin, always great to hear your voice. Thanks for the time. How you been? Thanks for the kind words, Zach. Great to be out with you.

Hope you're doing well. Yeah, we're in week five already in the NFL season, and that's just moving right along for us. And let's be real, the season finally got underway on Monday Night Football because we had our first Kevin Harlan call of a streaker this year, and I saw that the guy that was running on the field that got laid out by Bobby Wagner is now somehow filing a police report against Bobby Wagner.

How the heck does that make sense? Well, I think there's been a mention to the players, maybe not even a mention, maybe it's in writing and it's part of their deal where they're not supposed to interact. If anyone would run out on the field, he did.

And it's going to be kind of a curious case, actually, to see. Now, number one, none of these players know these guys don't have a weapon. These people don't have a weapon or something to harm the player.

And, you know, and the guy was running for the bench, which, you know, kind of forced me to make the call because he was headed right to the bench. Now, a lot of times we have seen, in fact, like in the last couple days for whatever reason, maybe this is spurted on, people jumping out of the stands in Europe and around the world at soccer matches and going up to a player that they admire on the field and giving that player a hug. And the player has probably looked at this person running and thinking, uh-oh, you know, what's going on? But then when they can just see it's a fan, they've returned the embrace, and they've all ended well. In the back of the minds, I'm sure, of security people is, someday it may not end well. And that has got to be first and foremost in the mind of NFL security. And it's shocking these guys were able to get out there with the people they've got on the ring of the stadium right by the stands, but yep, another one came through, and this one had a device.

They had the smoke bomb, you know, the pink smoke bomb that was going off, and then he was way late. Now he's gonna take that one more step and try to get some money out of it, I guess, for his activism and for the injuries that he incurred. Anyway, yeah, it's too bad this happens, but it has, and hopefully this is the last event like this we'll see this year. It's just easier when a black cat enters the field, is what I'll say. Well, it is. Yeah, when you got animals, animals and drunks are pretty harmless, really, but when you've got people that are gluing themselves to the basketball floor, as we saw last year in Minnesota, and, you know, going out and just doing some really bizarre things to represent their cause, you seem to think, okay, is there a better way you could get your message across than doing something like this?

So, yeah, I guess we've always got to be on guard for anything that could happen. Kevin Harlan here with us. We've seen a lot of sloppy football through the first four weeks. Let me start you off with the team that we're talking about that you got to see on Monday Night Football, the LA Rams. Stafford doesn't look great. His offensive line looks to have a whole lot of problems.

What was your read on the Rams? Well, you know, Stafford came into Camp Zach with the bad elbow. He had had some tendonitis and some issues. He had a procedure on the arm, on the shoulder, on the elbow this past offseason.

I'm not sure where it stands. His numbers are big. He's always been kind of turnover prone, and that has not changed this year. They've got a lot of turnovers.

In fact, he threw a gigantic pick-six the other night in Santa Clara against the San Francisco 49ers. So that seems to be an issue. Probably more at the heart of it is the offensive line. They've only got one guy left on the line from last year's Super Bowl starting five, and they've had the mix and match players on there.

A couple are out for the season. They just had a myriad of issues on that line with injuries, and that has been a significant problem. They're trying to get the running backs up to speed. You know, they were both kind of injured in camp. They had soft tissue injuries, and Akers and Henderson both, and we know that Akers missed a lot of last year with an injury that he had in camp to his Achilles. So a quarterback's best friend is a running game, and right now the Rams just don't have that. And again, it goes back to the line.

There's not much room to roam because the line is not opening up much inside. And then defensively, I still think they're trying to figure out without Von Miller how do they operate. They've had some injuries in the back end and the secondary. And then above all of that is just how does a team respond to being a defending champion. When you're the biggest game on everybody's schedule the following year, how do you handle that? And then add to that that they're, you know, they've lost seven straight regular season games to the 49ers.

San Francisco's got their number. So it was a lot of things that kind of hit them, and they showed not all that well on Monday night. They're hoping you can bounce back here this weekend. I believe they take on a team from Dallas, if I'm not mistaken.

Yeah, you're right on that. And we're waiting to see if Dak is gonna be there. I'm guessing they're still gonna go with Cooper Rush, but I know that Dak Prescott is getting close to a return with the Cowboys. Yeah, it looks like it's gonna be Cooper Rush for this week. That's what Jerry Jones said in one of his 9,000 interviews that he does leading up to a game.

Kevin Harlan here with us. So you gave me your read on the Rams, the team they go up against, the 49ers. That team is an even bigger enigma. Last week they looked like they set offensive football back 2,000 years up against the Broncos, and then they bounce back against the Rams. I can't get a feel on San Francisco this year. Well in that game again, that Sunday night game against the Broncos, Denver's defense is phenomenal. They're great. They're almost as good as San Francisco's, maybe the equal of the 49ers.

Those are two great teams defensively, and so an 11 to 10 game I could kind of understand. Also in that game, Garoppolo came in and said afterwards that he's got arm fatigue. Remember he did not have any offseason because he had shoulder surgery. He had no training camp because it was all based on Trey Lance, and then he was thrown in there. So he's really kind of going through preseason-like conditioning right now, which is weird to think, you know, more than a month into the year, but that's kind of where he is.

And I thought looked pretty good. Listen, his record as a starting quarterback is incredible. It's really, really good, and especially against the Rams. He's never lost to them.

I think he's 6-0 against the Rams himself. So I think offensively they're only going to get better. They're loaded. They've had offensive issues too with line injuries, and they're still kind of working their way through. Like Trent Williams, the left tackle, he's out now for a month to two months with an injury. So they're going to kind of have to mix and match and use a patchwork offensive line. And on defense, they're without two starters, yet they look dynamite against the Rams the other night. That defense is great. Listen, San Francisco is one of those teams to really keep an eye on. Everybody in that division is 2-2. It'll be a lot different a month from now.

My prediction is San Francisco is only going to get better. They're without Elijah Mitchell. The putting in Jeff Wilson is a running back, but Wilson has been fine. And Kittle just came back last Monday.

Zach was only a second game back from injury, and second game of the season as well. So we'll give some breathing space to the Niners. I really like that team. They are every bit a contending team in the NFC.

Wow. You think contending for a Super Bowl even? I'm contending to get to where they were last year. They're definitely playoffs, and last year they made the NFC championship and led the Rams in the fourth quarter in LA after beating them twice in the regular season and had every reason to believe that they could have beaten them.

And then LA got hot at the end of the game, and Stanford is done, and they pulled one out. But San Francisco I think is a terrific team. The quarterback thing is a little bit weird because of how it's been structured by their own doing, by the Niners' own doing. But when that gets settled and Lance isn't going to come back probably until November, I don't know that it'll even play the rest of the year. And that's a problem because you know I think Garoppolo feels he's got a lot to prove. He's playing for another contract, maybe for another team. Lance has not played a lot of football. He's been injured more than he's been on the field.

That's a problem. So they're lucky they had Garoppolo in the corner to bring on in, and they kind of pick up where they left off last year. Garoppolo will only get better as he stays healthy, only get better as the season goes, but I really like the 49ers. Talking to Kevin Harlan right now, you also got to see last week Denver and Las Vegas. I know Denver plays tonight as they're hosting the Colts. That offense has a lot of problems with Hackett and Wilson. How concerned should Broncos fans be? Because their record is 2-2 after the first four games, but it seems like they're a worse football team than what their record indicates. Well they just lost their running back, Javonte Williams. It was kind of, even though he and Melvin Gordon had the same number of carries basically, Williams in that game, he came out as kind of the lead guy and was carrying the ball most of the time, and then he blew any, and so he's out for the season.

I think they just signed Latavius Murray. I think he got him off of somebody's practice squad, and so now Gordon becomes the guy, but Gordon has fumbled four times. Once inside the five at the goal line, and the other day in Vegas he fumbled, and they returned at 69 the other way.

So he's got an issue, and that's a concern. And again, Russ needs a running game to be a good quarterback. I've always felt that about him. He was at his best in Seattle when he had good running backs back there, including Marshawn Lynch. That's when Russ was at his best, and that's when the offense was at its best. Because of his play action, his ability to run, the way he uses running backs, the way he reads the defense to use that running game and change at the line, he's just very adept at that. He's got great receivers. They're tied in situations so-so, and I like the line, especially the left side.

And like I said before, as you kind of talked about, defensively Denver's terrific. So they're a team to keep an eye on. I think they're more than anything just trying to kind of smooth things out.

You mentioned the communication issues, the game management issues. They've hired a longtime 18-year assistant, Jerry Rosberg. He is up out of retirement in the press box talking with Hackett, and the other day when we were in Vegas calling that game, you could see that Hackett was giving full lift of doing whatever he wanted to do, as much leeway as he wanted in managing the game from the press box.

When to take timeouts, when not to, when to accept penalties, when to decline, everything. So I think that is now in the rearview mirror. I think they've figured that out. Hackett was smart to admit it. Hackett was smart to hire this guy, along with George Payton, a brand new GM from last year, but he's relatively new, and he's the one who pulled off the Wilson trade with Seattle.

So I think they've checked that box. I keep my eye on Denver as well. Raiders are a team that's dealing with a bunch of line problems where all these teams have offensive line issues, and that really is causing it. Then that's trickling down to problems with time for the quarterback, getting the running game unlatched, but last week the Raiders did get Josh Jacobs off and running. He looked the best he's looked, I think, in a couple years.

He looked fabulous. So the Raiders, I don't think overall they're as strong as Denver. I can't tell you what I think about the Chargers and the Chiefs, even though they've lost a game, I still think Kansas City might be the class of the AFC, certainly of that good division, them and Buffalo probably right at the top in the AFC, certainly. Yeah, it seems like it's Buffalo and then also Kansas City and then everyone else. We're still trying to figure out in the AFC, wrapping up with Kevin Harlan. So this weekend on CBS, you will have the Jets and the Dolphins. The biggest storyline going into this game is to a won't be playing and what happened the last two weeks. How will you guys handle it on Sunday?

Well, I just I think I think it's gonna speak for itself. I think the Players Association and the NFL are on the same page. I don't think there's the media, as they always do, has made this to be a confrontation.

There's no confrontation. The health of these players, especially concussion, where the the NFL has spent tens of millions of dollars in helmet development, in putting layers of caution on the sideline and in the press box to evaluate players. One area that was a little bit murky was motor skill. I think they're all in agreement.

What is the next step? They knew this was a work in progress. They don't have all the answers. Both sides have admitted it. They only want the safety of the players.

I think they have blown this into a position that they're adversarial and I don't sense that live talk to you at all. I think they're all going for the same goal and I think the approach is the same. I just think there was probably, whether it was a lapse or the gray area took effect very optically in that game that we did with Buffalo and Miami with a staggering tongue of Bailoa, that it brought this particular issue more to a head, that it needed more definition. I think they're going to get definition and I think it's going to be an enhancement, a much better way to approach it from this point on. That you would never see a player who optically looks like he's woozy on rubber legs, is struggling, finding out where he is and that made just the optics alone without even the testing or just what we're seeing on TV and with their own eyes at the game, would say he's done for the day. Like it's not going to happen.

Now in retrospect, out of the Buffalo game, it was probably more back-back spasms and ankle than it was the hit, but the optics told you it probably could have been something different with the motor skills. That will all be addressed now, I think sooner than later, by the Players Association and the league. They're lucky because they've got one of the best backups they could possibly want in Teddy Bridgewater.

So I think the story is going to handle itself. I think that Bridgewater will be an incredible bridge between what Tua was, where the offense was headed, and what Bridgewater can bring. I don't know if his long ball is as good as tongue of Bailoa, but I know that all the things that Tua did, and then you get the veteran leadership of a Bridgewater who is a class act.

We talked to him in fact this afternoon. He is a wonderful person, let alone football player. I think that the Dolphins are full steam ahead and they feel like they are, what their record says, they are three and one and they're going to take it in.

I think against a very, very much improved New York Jetball Club. You can watch him each and every Sunday. NFL on CBS, of course. This weekend he has that Dolphins-Jets game and then you could catch him each and every Monday night on Westwood One.

He is the legendary Kevin Harlan. Kevin, always appreciate when you carve out some time for us. Thank you. Love listening to you, Zach, and like it better when we visit. Thank you. Call again. Great to be on with you. Take care.

That's very kind. The great Kevin Harlan with us. We're coming to you live, as always, from the Rocket Mortgage Studios. Whether you're looking to purchase a new home or refinance yours, Rocket Mortgage can help you get there for home-owned solutions that fit your life.

Well, Rocket can. Real quickly, Colts have the ball. First and ten right out of the gate. First play from Linus Scrimmage at the 25-yard line and, oh, not a good start. A little swing pass down him.

Hines, drop! And Hickey just took his glasses off and he's taking part of the glasses and stabbing himself in the eye. Be careful there. I need your eyes to be okay.

It's an easy swing pass. Catch the ball. I need two things to happen tonight. Or just one of two.

But if we get both, that would then make me more money. Michael Pittman, anytime touchdown. Molly Cox, anytime touchdown. Who's winning this game tonight? You're taking the Colts, right? Because you're a Colts homer? 20 to 13, Colts shocked the world tonight because no other reason other than everyone's on the Broncos.

Timeout. Shocked the world? What do you mean shocked the world?

I haven't seen one person pick the Colts today. Stop. Shocked the world. You're going up against a team that's 2-2 that feels like they're 0-4. Pipe down with shocked the world. You should be a boxing promoter.

That's what you should be. Because you just hyped up the Broncos like they're Muhammad Ali. This would be a big-time upset when you look nationally everyone everyone's talking Broncos this. Broncos that. Easy win.

Shut up. I'm big-time upset. No one's on the Colts. With that being said I will take the Broncos to win this game tonight.

I don't feel great about it but I will give these slight edge to the Denver Broncos. Who do you think Peyton Manning's rooting for? I saw he was at the game. Before the game he was taking some time to talk to Frank Reich. Maybe give him a few pointers on how to coach.

Is Frank asking him? Help me out here. Oh wow. Oh that's not good.

You're already without Jonathan Taylor. Nahim Hines just went down and he tried to stand up and right away there's four people around him trying to help him now. Oh he was real wobbly. That that was scary.

But anyway like I know it's tough. Let's just see the hit here. Oh you got a little helmet to helmet there while he was spinning around. Oh yeah that's scary. Yeah he oh my god his legs went.

He could not walk. I'd be. No he's done. You would think so. What they implemented from the NFLPA is that already implemented? Yes.

Okay. That's the definition of what they implemented. Exactly what they said. That looked like Tua up against the Bills trying to stand up. Even worse. Stumble wobble. Like I said he was getting, Tua was by himself when he stumbled. Yeah. There was what at least one or two guys already like kind of helping him before he even stumbled the first time. Very scary.

Now now quickly just moving away for that to go back to what I said before that and not the best transition in the world. Who do you think paid a manager for that? He's rooting for the Colts. No he's not. Deep down. You know you know he's rooting for the Broncos. I don't think so.

People want to you know. You don't want to think that. Blow up his Broncos love because he loves the city of Denver.

Congratulations. You don't want to think that. Deep down Peyton Manning knows where his hay was made. He knows where his heart is.

Yeah with the second championship that he won in Denver. With the team that basically he helped save. Okay if that's how if that's how you want to sleep at night and that makes it easier for you to sleep at night I will give you that. You know what I care about Zach? Care about a win tonight.

Paying a roof for whoever you want. That's what I like to hear. Letting the Colts leave Denver. I'm happy. Stop trying to suck up to people that don't love you.

Peyton Manning doesn't love you anymore. Okay. It's just the truth. That is definitely not the case.

It is. You have no valid retort. He hates the Colts now. There's no reason to think that. He's upset with the way it ended. Where'd he find out about his Hall of Fame? He lives in Denver.

Where'd he find out about it? In Denver. On the field at Mile High. And all like the highlights were like Denver highlights. No highlights of the Colts.

I mean that's propaganda. Zach Guilt Show CBS Sports Radio coming on back. Do you ever wonder about dreams or deja vu? That feeling on a first date? Yes. Yes. The spark is real. Maybe about where the aliens are if they exist.

The universe could be infinite. So where is everybody? My name is Mike Simpson. My podcast is called I've Got Questions. How do some animals change color?

What's the best cure for the hiccups? Do you wash your denim? I usually wait four to six months.

Kind of feels like a long time. Search for I've Got Questions on the Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes on Thursdays. You're listening to the Zach Guilt Show. This is Zach Guilt Show on CBS Sports Radio.

So one point of clarification. So this was earlier in the week. NFL PA and NFL soon are expected to agree to new protocols in which anytime any player demonstrates any instability he's not allowed to return to the game. The rule could go into effect as early as week five.

So that was on October 1st from Adam Schefter. Now Mike Garofalo from the NFL Network just tweeted this out as Nahim Hines did leave the game and he was very wobbly. Could not walk.

Had to get held up by four people and then eventually was able to walk off with people around him. He said the new NFL, NFL PA protocols have not been finalized but the message in the joint statement last week regarding gross motor instability was clear and then Mike Garofalo says Nahim Hines won't be back tonight. Just hope he's okay. I did see that he was questionable to return was the official designation already by the Indianapolis Colts. So we'll see what happens there as he's now heading back to the locker room for a concussion test after exhibiting gross motor instability on the field. That is from Ian Rappaport. So I would be Ryan shocked if Nahim Hines does return to the game. Now if he can't clear a concussion protocol there's no chance he returns but with this new rule kind of pending I guess there's an opportunity for him to return but because of optics especially what happened with the Bill's Dolphins game when we all watch the Bill's Dolphins game and go oh two is out for the game and then somehow he finds a way back into the game in the second half with how fresh that is I would think Roger Goodell I don't know I don't think he's at the game I don't know if he is or isn't is already on the phone with Jim Iresay saying yes Nahim Hines is not coming back to this game especially with how he just walked off the field like that right like you said the keyword optics there is zero chance to come back I don't maybe he could be cleared maybe it's another to a back situation either that's the case there's no way he's gonna be allowed back in hold on you say the to a back situation does anyone still buy that was a back injury I'm not saying they didn't have a bad back but when you are getting evaluated for a concussion and you were cleared by the independent doctor and the team doctor either he passed the test and the test isn't sufficient enough or the doctors messed up the test and their evaluation of the test I still think that was a concussion now I'm not a doctor I don't know easy it is to pass the concussion test and you've had players say it's not that hard to pass a concussion test and some of them knew they had a concussion and still pass it and got back in the game who was it Andrew Whitworth said that on Amazon Prime after that the Thursday night game but I'm not saying to his back didn't hurt but that looked like a concussion to me going back to that Bill's Dolphins game and considering the doctor got fired I'm gonna guess that yeah he probably did not do the the right protocol and like you said it probably was not a back injury but even in the 1% of 1% chance and I am high and somehow to back spasm that's why he you know stumbled he's not gonna eat there's no you just can't after seeing that on national TV you can't do it after what the last week and half of discussions been like there's nobody also totally different conversation here but revolving this game as well I don't think anyone brought this up leading up to it I just saw a video of where it was before the game as Denver's up three nothing against the Indianapolis Colts as the Colts are driving already on Denver side of the field Richard Sherman's on Amazon Prime broadcast Richard Sherman who has pretty much been rooting against Russell Wilson I think that's a fair thing to say especially with some of the tweets that he sent out during that Seattle Seahawks Denver Broncos game Richard Sherman had a conversation with Russell Wilson before the game and they look like they were chatted it up having a good time and they were like two old pals reunited once again I just saw this video from Barstool Sports is Richard Sherman one of those guys in the media that he used to probably always attack as maybe someone that is real tough behind the the keyboard a keyboard warrior and then tough behind the microphone but then when he sees Russ he acts like he's Russell Wilson's best friend that's what it looks like to me from the excerpt that I saw the six seven clip second clip that I saw I had not seen the clip so I hope it's not the case what I will say is this I would not be surprised or I would think actually this is the case Russell Wilson seems very passive-aggressive I think if Richard Sherman came over there I could see Russ being very welcoming very warm and almost pretending like he didn't hear everything Richard Sherman was saying and kind of the glee he was taken in that week one loss of the Seahawks now I did not see this in the video and all it is it's literally five seconds Russell Wilson I don't it looks as if it's because of the the Sun that's setting in Denver he's glowing when he when he looks at Richard Sherman it's almost as if Russell Wilson's on on a stage and it's one of those moments that is how glowing one Russell Wilson is in the short excerpt between these two could Ross maybe have some ill intentions here with this new partnership with subway giving him a little subway sandwich and I don't know maybe maybe put in something that's gonna upset Richard Sherman's stomach in that subway sandwich get a little revenge that way upset stomach indigestion diarrhea for Richard Sherman tonight when he's on the postgame show because Russ gave him one of those subway sandwiches I get to that much more likely than Russ confronting him and trying to get in his face and say what is wrong with you etc yeah Colts head to punt by the way man your offense all looking good you know what act just said again who you hurt Brooks all the sudden I hear act out of nowhere just guy go Colts I had to punt and act mumbles again I'm actually doing good so far reshuffled line three nothing little little life we're seven minutes in the game down three don't you do burn burn the TVs turn them off yeah you see some life support I would like you to stop being so optimistic and stop being a sucker for this team and keep on saying they're gonna win they're a good team blah blah blah blah blah blah blah and show some anger break something in this studio you know make me go to spike tomorrow and say hey we got an issue hickey broke something in the studio he had a little rage moment yeah I used to have when I was in Philadelphia the Flyers for one season they had this rage cage where they let fans just go into a room in the stadium and break things you would pay to just break things and get all your rage out maybe to get those numbers up on the podcast which I'm sure is doing great and the ratings are probably enormous anyway cuz it's the hot take hickey podcast maybe we get a live stream of a rage cage of hickey during a Colts game you're just throwing things around breaking things in the studio baseball bat getting taken to the to the board maybe that's what we need you to do hot take hickey be good for the podcast because I mean hot I will get very upset last week I was very close to throwing things my apartment how upset were you actually though you lost and now you you think that they're gonna win tonight so it's the opponent and you still think they're a good team they beat themselves which is even more they do it's even more man when do you put the blame that they're just not a good team and that the other teams are better than them you know they start just getting when they start playing good games and get beat you tied to the Texans you didn't get off the bus against the jaguars they did it I get credit we're down 14 up and you won't give Tennessee an ounce of credit for last week Derek Henry ran through you like a hot knife through butter in the first half so what is it they're not 60 minutes no it is but I'm saying coach over the first half the goalposts and just extend the goalposts for the Colts it's laughable no I'm like I'm very fair no you're not no you're not you said they were gonna win the division last year and Tennessee sucks they're not a good team Tennessee's never a good football team to you and I got that wrong I admit I got it wrong what do you want to say this should be the class last year they did it this year sure I mean everyone is on the Colts band not just me sure well I mean not that that means anything in terms of being them a great team no one said this is a contending team they're an AFC South division winning kind of team take that for what you will that's what they are they're the tallest you-know-what that's what they're trying to be this year everyone's the AFC South is the tallest you-know-what that's I'm not saying you're wrong I've never said that all I'm trying to do just get to the playoffs that's all I want to do why do you but why why do you want to go to the playoffs and get blown out by 40 in the wild-card round still not have a franchise quarterback and still have that bozo of a head coach on the sideline you should want a new coach and a new quarterback that's what you should want yeah be in the top ten don't have to trade up all future assets just be bad this year and draft a quarterback in the top ten and get a competent NFL head coach this is that kelp show on CBS Sports Radio this season for the first time you can hear every Westwood one NFL broadcast stream live for free Monday Thursday Sunday nights international series holiday triple headers and every postseason game catch all the action on the Odyssey app on Westwood one sports calm via Westwood one station streams are asking Alexa to open Westwood one sports all sponsored by AutoZone free battery testing free battery charging replacement batteries that fit your needs that is what makes AutoZone America's number one battery destination get in the zone AutoZone when we return Kevin Harlan believes that the 49ers are a dangerous team and that they're a contender well circle back on that when we return do you ever wonder about dreams or deja vu that feeling on a first date yes yes the spark is real maybe about where the aliens are if they exist the universe could be infinite so where is everybody my name is Mike Simpson my podcast is called I've got questions how do some animals change color what's the best cure for the hiccups do you wash your denim I usually wait four to six months kind of feels like a long time search for I've got questions on the Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts and new episodes on Thursdays you're listening to the Zach Gelb show it is the Zach Gelb show on CBS Sports Radio so Kevin Harlan joined us to kick off the hour and he said that the 49ers are a team that you got to keep an eye on and he thinks they're a contending team in the NFC you think that's a fair statement hot take Kiki when you look at the play of the 49ers through the first four weeks it's been up and down at first it was okay trail ants is gonna be their guy then trail ants gets hurt they lose the game to Chicago that game was in a monsoon in the Windy City then you see week two and they beat Seattle you get the injury to Trey Lance Jimmy G comes off the bench they win the game and they do so going away by 20 points then in week three Jimmy G forgot to play the quarterback position defense played well but they lose 10 and 11 and then a team that Jimmy G I believe is 7 and all in the regular season up against the Rams they dominate the Rams and it was 24 to 9 in that contest where the defense played great once again Debo Samuel broke like 9,000 tackles told Jalen Ramsey to sit down and Jimmy G was efficient was the best way to say but Trent Williams gonna be out for several weeks is that fair to with the up-and-down play to call the Niners a contending team in the NFC right now no I'm not go there like you said inconsistent up and down mean we just saw him a week ago score 10 points against the Broncos and just look awful on offense the tricky part here is they looked really good on Monday night football everyone was watching but they always play good against the Rams no matter if this team wins three games or 13 games it's one of those things the 49ers own the Rams let's see how they look five weeks from now but that's when I you know halfway through the year if this team is beating some better teams outside the Rams let's not even go then let's have a conversation they look Sunday that's a team in Carolina you should smack Carolina's good defense that's about it and that defense has been inconsistent they only show up for 30 minutes but offensively Baker Mayfield looks horrible right now so that should be a team in the Panthers this weekend in Charlotte North Carolina that you win but would any would anyone be surprised if the 49ers lose to the Panthers this weekend and I don't even think the Panthers are a good team but I wouldn't be surprised because it would fit very much into their season of don't have a pulse up against Denver offensively then show a ton of life and dominate the Rams and then you lose to the Panthers if I had to make a play on that game I would lay the points with the 49ers but I wouldn't feel good about it I would not put a big bet on that game if I had to but even at your point shouldn't it just be more than a win like shouldn't they handle this game where it's not even in doubt let's say midway through the third quarter or going to the fourth quarter this should be a win where they breeze through their next two games Carolina and Atlanta I know Atlanta has been better than what people thought they have two wins you should know Cordell Patterson too because he's on IR designated return so he's had a minimum four weeks Kyle Pitt's not gonna play this week most likely or he's not trending that direction and playing this week we'll see if he's able to play next week there's no if ands or buts about it like there are no excuses here if the 49ers don't win these next two games they're concerning but I will say this I do agree a little bit with Kevin Harlan now to be fair when I did follow up I said you'd think they'll get to a Super Bowl and he goes I could just see them being contending into a spot where they're in last year where they could have a lead in a fourth quarter of an NFC title game so then he thinks they can get to a Super Bowl here's why even though I don't love this San Francisco team why you got to throw them into the contending conversation they're probably a top five team in the NFC even with all their problems so if you're a top five team in the NFC you're in that hopper of contending teams Eagles no doubt about a contending team Packers contending team Bucks still a contending team and those teams have warts other than Philly right now Green Bay does not look like they're three and one and they are Tampa's two and two so then if you tell me the Rams the Packers the Bucks and the Eagles are like contending teams well 49ers just boo the doors off the Rams Cowboys have been better than what we expected especially the Cooper Russia injury I'm not ready to say that Dallas is going to Super Bowl though and Minnesota's three and one but Minnesota's kind of been streaky they needed a field goal to miss from 61 yards out in a game where the Saints did not have Jamis Winston did not have Alvin Kamara did I have Michael Thomas just to win the game 28 to 25 so because the pool isn't deep in the NFC that's why the 49ers will have a shot because remember last year there were stretches last year where they look like they were gonna miss the playoffs and Kyle Shanahan would be in danger of losing his job then they have a lead in the fourth quarter of an NFC title game so if you want to give the benefit of a doubt to a team even though I don't love Jimmy Garoppolo even though it concerns me Trent Williams isn't there and I don't like their offense with what they've done the last two three four years they deserve the benefit of the doubt when I pit them up against teams like Dallas Minnesota those Arizona even 49ers right hey they get the benefit of the doubt and their roster is legit like I like their roster a lot I know they're a little bit banged up right now very good roster to me especially when you look at in an NFC like you're looking around like I don't call it great right now because it's tough for me to call that roster great with the quarterback play being questionable well it's at the quarterback obviously yes that's a big question but you look around like the Eagles have a loaded roster okay they're probably ahead but the Buccaneers are banged up especially on the offensive line the Rams right now don't have an offense line whatsoever and no receiving corps outside or running game outside of Cooper Cup they may call me morass McMonaco and anyone else that's large that walks around to play offensive line so it's like you look around really quickly outside of the Eagles maybe the Packers there's not like the NFC there's not many teams like if you take the quarterback out of it two roster spots two to 52 is how many teams had better than 49ers it's kind of crazy how the Eagles are the best team in that in this conference right now and it's not any close time right now doesn't mean they're going to Super Bowl but right now they have the best roster in the NFC and there's not a there's not a weakness on Philadelphia name name me a weakness on Philadelphia you can't miles Sanders playing well this year you got the Vontae Smith and AJ Brown Dallas Goddard is a really damn good tight end you have maybe the best offensive line in football you have a quarterback that's shown you bare minimum he's a very good quarterback defensive line there's dogs all over the place Fletcher Cox Brandon Graham Hassan Riddick secondary various slay James Bradbury I have to pause there every time I say James Bradbury now I want to go Merrill Reese and call him James Blackberry and also I heard morass in this and I do the same thing now Kirk Herb Street because Jack Stern said Kurt Herb straight I want to call him Kurt Herb straight too but this Eagles team as long as they stay healthy there's not a blemish I mean they're going to Super Bowl but there's not a blemish on this roster right now only day it's give you Jake Elliott's hurt so you have the kicker from Texas Cameron Dicker yeah he's he's now the kicker this week for the birds Gus Johnson shout out do you ever wonder about dreams or deja vu that feeling on a first date yes yes the spark is real maybe about where the aliens are if they exist the universe could be infinite so where is everybody my name is Mike Simpson my podcast is called I've got questions how does some animals change color what's the best cure for the hiccups do you wash your denim I usually wait four to six months kind of feels like a long time search for I've got questions on the Odyssey app or wherever you get 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