Brady Going Back To Belichick? (Hour 1)

The listening you love is on the free Odyssey app. Your trusted local radio stations, coverage of your favorite teams, live news from your hometown, and millions of podcasts on demand. Best of all, you can completely customize your listening experience. Follow topics you care about, like leagues and teams, pause or rewind your local sports and news, and add shows to your queue to catch up later.

There's a lot to listen to, so get started and download the free Odyssey app today. Throughout the 60s and 70s, cops hunted down key figures of the Dixie Mafia, including its enigmatic ringleader, Kirksey Nix. I'm in a rush to making money.

I'm not in a rush to hurting people. Fifteen years into Kirksey's life sentence, the Dixie Mafia was practically folklore, but that would soon change. I'm Jed Lipinski. This is Gone South, a documentary podcast from C13 Originals, a Cadence 13 studio. Season 2, the Dixie Mafia, available now on the Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts. Live from the play show, yet not overly ostentatious, studios of CBS Sports Radio here in beautiful New York City, sitting on top of the tenth floor of 345 Hudson Street, welcome on in to a Wednesday edition of the Zach Gelb show across all the great local CBS Sports Radio affiliates, Sirius XM, Channel 158, and that free Odyssey app. 855-212-4CBS, I'm going to jump on in.

855-212-4227, you can always get at me on Instagram, where I'm straight flexing, or via the good old cesspool of Twitter, at Zach Gelb, that's Z-A-C-H-G-E-L-B. We are coming to you live from the Rocket Mortgage studios. Whether you're looking to purchase a new home or refinance yours, Rocket Mortgage could help you get there.

What are some of the home-owned solutions that fit your life? Well, Rocket can. Loaded, loaded, loaded, loaded, guest list today, coming up 20 minutes from now, the former head coach of the 49ers and the Detroit Lions, Steve Mariucci, then at 7.20pm Eastern, 4.20pm Pacific, from the Kansas City Chiefs, will be joined by Willie Gay on their defense, and then at 8pm Eastern, 5pm Pacific, the new head football coach of the Nebraska Cornhuskers, and Matt Ruhl, and then joining us to kick off the final hour of the show, a man that just recently took down Tennessee and followed it up with a victory against Clemson, Shane Beamer, who had a wonderful year, once again, back-to-back tremendous seasons his first two years with the South Carolina Gamecocks. So a big-time guest list today, but first up, producing the extravaganza for the next four hours, there's no other than one of your favorites, Hot Day Kiki.

Hot Day Kiki. I gotta start the show off today with something that I'm very conflicted about. Something that when I saw it today, I said, yeah, I don't hate it, but I wonder if it's the right thing. And that's the report from The Athletic and Jeff Howe of the possibility that you could see a reunion this offseason with Tom Brady and Bill Belichick at one Patriot place in Foxborough, Massachusetts.

Now, some may say, Zach, why would you love it? Brady's not having a great year. Who even knows if he's going to play next year?

All that stuff. I'm the biggest Tom Brady fan that there is. That's the guy that I watched for 20 years dominate with my football team and win Super Bowl after Super Bowl after Super Bowl. And I don't know how many more years he's going to play, but do I think he's fading and do I think he's as bad as the way the team's playing this year in Tampa?

No, I don't. I still think Tom Brady could go play another two, three years. It comes down to the offensive line. That's the only time Brady has a blemish on the resume or drops a game that you don't expect him to drop or does not play well.

It's when the offensive line is horrendous. And this year, I know there's a timing issue with him and Mike Evans, but that offensive line has been absolutely decimated with injury. So part of me would say, yeah, I'm not not down for a Tom Brady reunion.

But then I think about if that's in the best interest for the future of the Patriots. It's because if you just bring Brady back with this roster, with an offensive line that has not been great, running backs that I like in Ramondre Stevenson and when Damian Harris is healthy, OK, you got good running backs, but receivers, you don't got much. Now, Hunter Henry's fine at tight end. Jonu Smith, more bad than good so far in Foxborough. Jacoby Myers, a solid wide receiver.

You shouldn't be a number one. You got to see what Taequann Thornton develops. But there's no number one wide receiver. So if you're telling me, Zach, Brady's going to join Belichick and Brady's going to go back to New England. It can't be just Tom Brady. And in the article, it points out that the Patriots will have, I think it's one hundred million dollars in salary cap space this year. So we'll see if they're going to add more and they're going to add other players on the offensive side of the ball. But then the part of me that feels conflicted about it is I think Mac Jones can be a good quarterback in this league. I don't know yet if he could be a great quarterback in this league, but I've been pounding the drum all throughout the year that this offseason, Bill Belichick, not that you have to get Matt Patricia out of the organization and Joe Judge out of the organization, but you need to revamp the offensive side of the ball.

And I don't know. Here's just me going out on a limb and giving you what I think is a creative thought. Actually get an offensive mind in there to call the plays. That's what I want to see.

And I also want to see Mac Jones with some actual number one wide receiver number like legit number two wide receiver on the roster. Like, look at what the Eagles did. Look at what the Dolphins did. They're having success.

It's not just by coincidence. When you look at the construction of both of those rosters, they brought in play colors, they brought in head coaches that are helping out the quarterback. And we know Belichick can always help out the quarterback, but he's not doing it on the offensive side of the ball this year with Matt Patricia. It took up until week 12 for Patricia to finally let Mac Jones, and I don't want to say cook because everyone now says, oh, look, this person cook, but be deep and throw the and be aggressive and throw the football deep down the field.

But you look at Tua. He got Jalen Waddle. Then he got Tyreke Hill. You look at Jalen Hurts. He got Devante Smith, then got A.J.

Brown. I want to see the Patriots this off season. If Mac Jones is the quarterback, go all in and go get legit wide receivers and go get a legit offensive minded play caller for Mac Jones. But if you tell me Brady's coming back, I'm not going to sit there, boo, cry, pout and say, oh, it's a horrible move, because maybe then it's telling. And you know how great Belichick is, but maybe it's telling that Belichick doesn't believe that Mac Jones is the guy.

Maybe he just believes that he's a guy. And for Belichick, you don't know how much longer he's going to coach. You know, he's chasing the most wins of all time that Don Shula has. Maybe Belichick looks at it as, OK, I'll get a two year commitment from Tom. Tom will come back. We'll win a lot of games. We'll go get him a bunch of weapons, something we didn't do the last year that Tom Brady was the quarterback of the Patriots.

And then after that, then I walk away. So maybe that's what Belichick is thinking. Now, I don't know where this report comes from.

Like, obviously it's from the athletic. But I wonder who was the person that put this thought in Jeff Howe's head, because Jeff is a respected longtime reporter. And he's been covering football, especially the Patriots, for a very long time. So I wonder who kind of told him, was it the Belichick side or was it the Brady side?

And that I still don't know. If I had to lean, I would probably say that it was more Brady driven, because the thought is, and I don't know if it's a foregone conclusion that Brady is leaving Tampa Bay like it was before the start of the season. But I would have to think that this is more Brady's camp driven in terms of, it may not be the worst thing in the world to go back and have a reunion with Bill Belichick. Because you look at Brady in Tampa, even though we won a Super Bowl, and even though Bruce Arians will tell you he has this great relationship with Tom Brady, there are those reports that Brady wanted Bruce Arians gone. And maybe Brady, even though from a family standpoint it's nice, where Brady got some time off and Bruce Arians was saying you don't have to be at the facility 24-7, but that's not how Brady operates. That's not how Brady's been a well-oiled machine for the last 20 plus years of his career.

He's structured or regimented. He wants the tough coaching. And even though he didn't love that at the end in New England, maybe he's missing that. And you can't look at Todd Bowles this year and think that Todd Bowles is this great coach. So maybe that it's plausible when Brady's thinking about his future, you could throw out options like Tennessee, you could throw out options like San Francisco, and maybe a reunion with Josh McDaniels with the Raiders.

Like there's a bunch of options still. But maybe it crosses Brady's mind of, I had a few years away from Belichick. I kind of showed Belichick that I could win without you, and I did win without you, and I won a Super Bowl, but now maybe you go back to your ex. And maybe also the family component of it does factor in as well.

Now that could go both ways. Brady's kids do live in Florida, so do you want to leave the state of Florida? Now he has all the resources, just get on a private jet and see his kids whenever he wants. But maybe the family side of it, when he was in New England, you heard that Giselle wasn't always happy in the Boston area, and she wanted to go somewhere warm, and she wanted Tom to retire. Maybe Brady just missed being in Boston too.

Like that could be part of it as well, and now he, I know he still has kids, but he's no longer married to Giselle Bunchen. So I really wonder what is the impetus of this thought, and I don't think it's just Jeff throwing something out there to throw something out there, maybe it is, but I'm going to guess, Hickey, and you tell me if I'm right or wrong. You think this is more Brady driven or Belichick driven in terms of why this speculation from Jeff Howe got out today from the athletic that don't be so surprised, and it would send shockwaves around the NFL if Brady and Belichick, who have been saying nice things, like it's weird.

And I thought maybe I was just being a crazy fan a few weeks ago. Brady did an interview, Belichick did an interview, and they're both very complimentary of each other. And for a split second I said, hmm, maybe they're trying to get back together.

And then they go, ah, nah, that doesn't really make sense. Why would Brady want to go back with Belichick, and why would Belichick, when he just drafted a quarterback in the first round, want to go back to Tom Brady? But here we are a few weeks later, and there is a respected journalist, a respected writer, who's throwing the thought out there, and I don't think he just came up with this idea out of nowhere and just ran with it. I think someone in the Patriot camp, and maybe it's not Belichick driven, but someone in the organization misses Tom Brady, like that's definitely possible, or maybe this is just Brady thinking to himself, I kind of miss Bell. I kind of miss the structure and the success, even though I've had success without him, that we had together three years now removed from once he left and played his final game with the Patriots.

So where do you think this derives from, this report? Is this more leaked through the Brady, people close to Brady, or people close to Belichick and the Patriots? I would say closer to Brady for two reasons. Number one, maybe he's still open to being with the Buccaneers next year, but maybe he wants more things to go his way. I don't know, maybe he wants a different coach that's not Todd Bowles, and just like, hey, this is what I want. If not, I'll go back to New England and go back to Billie, no problem. Or maybe he's trying to drum up and kind of force the hand of the Titans, the 49ers, of hey, maybe there's thoughts that they keep their quarterbacks. You're not the only team that maybe I'm considering I could go back home to New England where I'm comfortable with, with a coach I like, and that's always in play, kind of in my back pocket. So let's backtrack here. We both are in agreement, yes, that Brady's going to be playing next year.

Yes. Do you think it's a lock that Brady's going to be leaving Tampa Bay and not be the quarterback of the Bucks next year? Because we're both in agreement that he's going to be playing football next year, especially after the divorce. I would say likely not a lock.

Okay, that's fine. It would not shock me if he's back in Tampa Bay whatsoever. Now, the 49ers, they threw that out there after the McCaffrey trade. Jimmy G keeps on winning games. Maybe they bring Jimmy G back.

They made the investment in Trey Lance. You look at the Raiders. I think it matters how they finish down the stretch, but you know Josh McDaniels looks at Tom Brady like, you know, their cousins, their family, right? The team if I'm Brady that I'm leaving to go to, I thought it's a team that he was going to go to a few years ago. That's Tennessee. You look at that division, you know it, Hickey.

That division stinks. You have a great running back in Derrick Henry. You have a coach that you played with and that you're friends with. And then you got a defense that's good. Now, could they use a more proven wide receiver because Traylon Burks is young, but he's starting to come on. I don't know what Robert Woods is going to be next year, but you bring Brady somewhere with the foundation that's really good in Tennessee and set up to be a quarterback away. People are going to want to join a Tom Brady led team and a Tom Brady new team if he does go and play with the Tennessee Titans. So I would think he takes a hard if he's leaving Tampa right now.

As much as I try to envision him back with the Patriots, if he leaves Tampa, I just go to these other teams first, because right now the Patriots don't have much. I know everyone is crapped on Belichick the last few years. What Belichick did the first year without Brady, with Cam as the quarterback and how many times Cam just ruined games for him, I still won seven games. Last year, they were 10 and seven. They made the playoffs with a rookie quarterback. And this year they have a chance to make the postseason again. And if you look at this Patriots roster objectively, it's not this top 10, top 15 roster in the NFL.

It's not. So if I'm Brady, if you're going to keep on playing, maybe it's sentimental and you want to go back to Foxborough. But you have to think Brady's always been motivated to do what? Win.

I can't say the Patriots given this great opportunity to win right now. Good defense. But if he's going to go back there, he would need at least two big moves on the offensive side of the ball. And I'm not talking about a play caller. I'm talking about like a wide receiver and maybe like another offensive lineman.

A tight end, something along those lines. So if Brady's not playing in Tampa next year, what do you think the most likely destination is, Hickey? I'm going to go Tennessee.

I will say San Francisco. OK, so now we've kind of reversed roles where I was a few weeks ago. Now, is that part of you just being fearful that Tom Brady would be in the AFC South and you just don't want to deal with that?

No. Like if you look at the Titans objectively, their division is easiest. But the AFC is tough. Like if you're talking about playoffs, like I'd rather go to the 49ers, which is... Out of the rosters we just mentioned, the 49ers would have the best roster. Absolutely. And it's like, OK, the Rams, how much better are they going to be next year? We'll see.

This is a question. The Seahawks, same thing. The Cardinals are going in the wrong direction. Like the NFC West is not as bad as it was thought like last year.

Very fair point. And the NFC as we've seen is wide open right now compared to the AFC. But, you know, sure, they'll win the division easily next year if it goes to the Tennessee. But got to go through Burrow, Mahomes, Allen.

Tough road. It is Zach Gelb's show on CBS Sports Radio. We'll take a break. When we come on back, Steve Mariucci, the former head football coach of the 49ers and Lions, will join us. Steve now does a great job with the NFL Network. It is the Zach Gelb show only on CBS Sports Radio.

So get started and download the free Odyssey app today. Throughout the 60s and 70s, cops hunted down key figures of the Dixie Mafia, including its enigmatic ringleader, Kirksey Nix. I'm in a rush to making money.

I'm not in a rush to hurting people. Fifteen years into Kirksey's life sentence, the Dixie Mafia was practically folklore, but that would soon change. I'm Jed Lipinski. This is Gone South, a documentary podcast from C-13 Originals, a Cadence 13 studio. Season 2, The Dixie Mafia. Available now on the Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts. The listening you love is on the free Odyssey app. Your trusted local radio stations. Coverage of your favorite teams. Live news from your hometown. And millions of podcasts on demand.

Best of all? You can completely customize your listening experience. Follow topics you care about, like leagues and teams. Pause or rewind your local sports and news. And add shows to your queue to catch up later. There's a lot to listen to.

So get started and download the free Odyssey app today. Each and every Sunday on NFL Network's NFL Game Day morning, beginning at 9 a.m. Eastern. Coach, appreciate the time. How you been? Hi, Zach. I've been busy with a great season here.

Hi, boy. It's been a lot of fun. And what a tremendous slate of games that we have coming up for week 13.

I want to start you off. The game I'm most excited for is Dolphins and 49ers. This looks like this is going to be a heavyweight fight. Well, it sure is. And, you know, the Miami Dolphins went out and signed players and got better. And Tua has answered the bell. And they are so explosive on offense. And just a good, complete football team. And so here comes Mike McDaniel back to the Bay Area, right? Against his 49ers that he was coaching with recently. And the 49ers are, you know, they're only 7-4. But they started slow.

But, boy, have they caught fire right now. The last four wins in a row with Christian McCaffrey there. And what a great get that was midway through the season. And their defense is terrific. Number one defense in the league. This is going to be, some people are calling it a Super Bowl preview.

Are you? Right now a Super Bowl preview. Both these teams have a chance to be in the Super Bowl. But I can't say those will be my first selections from the AFC and the NFC right now.

All right. Well, you know, I picked the 49ers preseason. And I picked them midway when we did do-overs. And I'm going to pick them again to get to that Super Bowl with the NFC. I'm not sure about the AFC because, you know, I waver between the Bills and the Chiefs. But the Miami Dolphins really are a legitimate team. How much does the familiarity with Mike McDaniel and Kyle Shanahan kind of factor into this game? You know, the best four is for, like, you and I talking about it. And, you know, he knows him and he knows them and he knows.

And then you still have to play the game. And what Mike has done over there in Miami, yes, he's taken bits and pieces of that offense with the 49ers. But, you know, you do what you do best based on your personnel. And, you know, he's got a different kind of a quarterback. He's got different receivers. You know, and of course Mike knows the Niners defense and that personnel. Maybe he says, hey, we can attack this guy, this guy we can double move and this guy's not very good against the run.

Because I've been with him for a couple of years. You know, maybe they know that going in. But they still have to play the game. And once we kick it off, you know, I think you throw some of that out the window. Steve Mariucci here with us. So you like the 49ers to get to the Super Bowl. Who's the team if it's not the 49ers in the NFC that you believe in them the most? Well, I think the Eagles are a terrific team.

I think everybody believes that. I thought Jalen Hurts, you know, he got his chance with an injury over there at the Eagles when he was a youngster. And he's just been getting better each year. And right now he's an MVP candidate. So is Tua. So is Mahomes and Josh Allen. But Jalen Hurts, I remember doing a radio show before the season started.

It was in August. And we were talking about, you know, is he going to be a guy they need to replace or is he going to be good? And the jury was out.

Well, the jury's not out anymore because this kid is the budget. And he has become the leader of that team and it's a veteran team. And the Eagles can run the football.

He can throw it like crazy right now. They're playing great defense. They went out and added some more guys last week with Duncan Sue. And so the Eagles are the other team. Now, they've got to go to Dallas. You know, that's going to be a good one on Christmas Eve.

I want to say it's Christmas Eve, right? Yeah. And the big one this week with the Titans, too.

That's not an easy out. When you look at the Eagles and the Dolphins, since we were talking about the Dolphins and the Eagles right out of the gate with Steve Mariucci, both those quarterbacks the jury was out. And you're right. They're both exceeding expectations and showing they're the guys. I think it's so important, though, both those coaches just simply embrace those quarterbacks and both those GMs. There's one thing to say that this is the guy and that's going to be the guy that we trust. But they went out there and put those quarterbacks in a position to succeed with the big pieces they got them.

Exactly. And, you know, you say, you know, I like this guy. We got to make it work.

So let's surround him with the weapons that he needs. And, you know, the Eagles, you know, what do they do? Let's go get a number one receiver, that A.J. Brown kid.

He's no slouch. I mean, that was really, really important. You know, when you look at it around the league, which teams went out and were active in free agency? We're talking about the Eagles going and getting A.J.

Brown. That was huge for Jalen Hurts' development. You talk about Tua now having Tyreek Hill, a speed ball, all right?

I mean, he changes the game at any one play. You're talking about the Niners grabbing Christian McCaffrey. And we can go on and on with some of these real important acquisitions that have helped teams really take that next step and become contenders. When we continue talking about the 49ers, Jimmy G just keeps finding a way to win games. I know they invested in Trey Lance and they traded all those draft picks. Are you starting to feel that there's more and more of a chance that Jimmy G is going to be starting next year for the Niners?

You know, I live right here in the Bay Area and it's the talk of the town. I mean, they tried to get rid of them. I went over there in training camp to watch the team and do a show from there all day and blah, blah, blah. Jimmy wasn't even practicing when he was around the other field. He was by himself around the other field throwing them.

Didn't even give them a playbook. It was like he was banished. It was just a foregone conclusion that he would be playing with another team. And when I talked to him, he felt that.

We were talking about potential landing spots and everything. He had a good attitude about the whole thing. He got it. But all of a sudden, boom, he's there. Trey Lance is hurt and he's saving the day. If they don't have Jimmy G, I don't know what they do.

The pretty kid is very inexperienced. They're not the same team without Jimmy G. So it will be really interesting. Trey Lance hasn't done a darn thing in three years. His last year at North Dakota State and in the last two years in the pros haven't done anything. So in my mind, the jury's still out on Trey Lance. I love the kid as far as on film or watching him practice, but he hasn't done anything in the games. So as a coach, you want to move on from Jimmy G after this year?

You know, I think they have to. Unless he cut his salary down. He could essentially win the Super Bowl for the Niners and make about $8 million less than he was supposed to.

Or whatever that number is. It's a large number. And so I don't think they're going to try to get him back if they need to pay Nick Bosa.

They've got other needs. Plus, like you mentioned, they really committed to Trey Lance with draft choices and moving up and all the time and energy. They still believe in him. So I can't imagine that Jimmy G will be on the Niners next year. Talking to Mooch, Steve Mariucci on the Zach Geld show on CBS Sports Radio. Coach, Chiefs and Bengals, we saw it twice last year. Cincinnati won both times. Do they find a way to win again here in 2022? Do you like Kansas City with a little redemption?

That's amazing. I think the Bengals, they tried to improve. Joe Burrow got sacked 70 times last year.

Man, I can't believe he walked straight. And they went out and changed four of their offensive linemen. And still getting sacked quite a bit.

But they are improved. Offensive lines take a while. It's like synchronized swimming. They've got to be all together. They've got to work together. And so I think they're getting better as the season progresses. Man, heck, they've been without Jamar Chase and Joe Mixon. So when those guys get back and the line keeps playing, the Bengals are going to be a worry for the Chiefs.

Now the Chiefs are still the Chiefs, man. They are pretty darn good. I mean, I love watching these guys. I don't know how old you are, Zach, but have you ever watched them?

They'll call them Globetrotters. Have you ever watched a metal work lemon? Well, that's who Holmes is. He's magic, man. He is so much fun to watch. He's the human eraser. You take Tyreek Hill away. Everyone's freaking out.

It doesn't matter who you plug in. He just finds a way to make plays. He's going to win the MVP of the league this year. And you know what? I think they're going to win the Super Bowl. I think there's a lot of pressure on them because they talk dynasty after winning that Super Bowl. I know it's been two years. It doesn't happen always. But this is so open this year. It's right for the taking.

Yeah, it is. And then they added some receivers. And Juju's been hurt a little bit.

And Marcus Veldis got me. They said, well, he's going to throw the ball at Kelsey. And nobody can cover the guy. I mean, we all know he's going to get the ball.

And they tried. They'll cover him with linebackers or safeties. They're the best corner.

Ramsey or whoever. And they can't cover the guy. It's unbelievable. This year, there's been a lot of stunning stuff in the NFL. Like, you just look at the Broncos, the Rams, and the Packers. What has surprised you the most? Because the fact that all three of those teams aren't going to make the playoffs is surprising to a lot of people.

Yeah. There are stories. There are teams that are better than expected. And there are teams that you just mentioned that didn't live up to the hype and expectations. And you're talking about the Packers with a two-time MVP.

And they're just hanging on for dear life. And then the Broncos had the fifth-ranked defense last year. And so they said, all we need is a new quarterback and an offensive-minded coach. And we were right there.

Well, they're not right there. Because that offense is scoring the lowest amount of points for the Denver Broncos in, like, 56 years. It's crazy how they haven't been able to get going on offense. They changed the play color.

They got a guy in the box helping with analytics. They're just trying everything. And you guys are yelling at each other on the sidelines.

It's frustrating over there. They expect it to be better. The other team you didn't mention were the Bucks, you know? Well, that's not going to make the playoffs in the NFC South. That's their saving grace. They're saving the playoffs when maybe they're losing the Packers, you know?

That's just how it is. And we've seen that before. We've seen it before. It might happen again in the NFC South with the Bucks. But, you know, we thought they were turning the corner when they started running the ball at Nick over there against Seattle in 161 yards. And Tom was very frustrated before that game and after it seemed to calm down a little bit. But, boom, last game they were just unable to run the ball again. And then, of course, I don't think they're passing games in sync like it had been years previous.

They just need to find a way to win that division, see what happens. On the way out was Steve Mariucci. You mentioned the Bucks. There was a big article today in The Athletic talking about Tom Brady's future, free agent at the end of the year. And one of the possibilities that was floated out there by Jeff Howe of The Athletic was Brady going back to Belichick and Foxborough.

Could you see that? I thought you were going to say out to the San Francisco, where he wanted to play in the first place. He grew up right here, you know. And if they don't have Jimmy G and Trey Lance just wants us to hang out for another year and watch, maybe Tom can win a Super Bowl for them. Well, that's what I said a few weeks ago when they got McCaffrey and Peter King said there's no shot of that happening. So, I've kind of faded off that take. Yeah, well, Peter knows a lot of stuff, you know. But I haven't heard the old go back to New England, but that's a good one to start up.

Let's go with it. What's your thoughts on Mike White now taking over for the Jets? And I guess it's a week-by-week basis, but it was a totally different quarterback than the last time we saw Zach Wilson play.

Yeah, I thought Robert Sala really handled that well. You know, what he said to the media and how he talked to the quarterbacks. And, you know, he didn't get crazy and say, well, Zach, you suck. And Mike White's going to be the quarterback the rest of the season.

He didn't do that. He said, let's just take it one game at a time and see what we can do. We're not giving up on Zach. You know, he's got some things to really work on and improve on, whether you're talking about press conferences or setting his feet in the pocket. You know, and heck, they drafted him number two. So, Mike White did a heck of a job. I mean, he's played before and he's done heck of a job before.

Cincinnati last year. You know, he did it. I mean, he was like, okay. And I've said on era that Robert Sala's got to make – you get paid to make decisions, right, as a head coach. And his decision was to bench their starting quarterback and make a change. And it proved to be the good decision, right. But he's going to have to make this decision each week because, you know, Zach Wilson, they got the – at the Vikings.

That's not an easy win. And then it's at the Bills. Zach Wilson beat the Bills already this year. Now, you know, he didn't do it by himself, you know, but they got the win when Zach was playing. So, Mike White's got to keep playing well and keep winning some games or at least really look more than respectable. Otherwise, they can say, well, you know, let's see if Zach can come on back and give us a spunk.

He was five and two as a starter. You know, there's – you don't look down your nose at that. He just had a rough day or two and a bad press conference. And so he needs to sit back and, you know, he's got a little time out, right.

Yeah, it's like the kid in the corner. And eventually he's going to get to go back to the class and we'll see if he's going to be able to behave himself moving forward. Steve Mariucci, you can see him every Sunday on NFL Network, NFL's game day morning at 9 a.m. Eastern. Coach, great to hear your voice. We appreciate it. All right, thanks for having me on.

Have a great weekend, okay? Throughout the 60s and 70s, cops hunted down key figures of the Dixie Mafia, including its enigmatic ringleader, Kirksey Nix. I'm interested in making money.

I'm not interested in hurting people. Fifteen years into Kirksey's life sentence, the Dixie Mafia was practically folklore, but that would soon change. I'm Jed Lipinski. This is Gone South, a documentary podcast from C-13 Originals, a Cadence 13 studio. Season two, The Dixie Mafia.

Available now on the Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts. We'll be right back. We'll be right back. You're listening to The Zach Gelb Show. As the dust settles from last week's games, it's time to look at which teams are rising and which are falling. Zach ranks his top five NFL and college football teams on this week's edition of Take 5, only on The Zach Gelb Show. All right, Take 5 time on The Zach Gelb Show on CBS Sports Radio. Hickey, this is the last time we will do this segment for college football, right?

We don't have to do college next year. We already know who the four teams are and whatever. Frankly, will anyone care about five next week? Well, the order could change maybe. If USC, like should we do the college teams next week? Like the top four?

Maybe just chop off like five? Yeah. But then you're just going to go whoever's in the college football playoff. Yeah, it's not going to. You know what, I'm sorry. I'm overruling here.

Go for it. I know we're usually checks and balances, but today I'm in the executive branch and when I went to school you'll learn that the executive branch could overrule. I'm going to say that this is the last week we do Take 5 for college football. We'll continue to do it through the rest of the regular season for the NFL though.

All righty. Should we start with college? Because I think college is just easier right now because we're this late in the game and the most surprising part is, Hickey, how many teams have just fallen off? Like this was a really fun segment to do for college where it was tough four or five weeks ago, even three weeks ago. But any of those teams that you thought had a really good chance to make the college football playoff, Tennessee, eliminated. You take a look at Clemson. They even lost the game then got back in it this past weekend.

They're out, eliminated. LSU is trying to make a case for a two loss SEC champion if they were going to beat Georgia this weekend, but they just lost to A&M, eliminated. This has probably been, I don't know if you agree, like isn't this the easiest year for the college football playoff committee, you would think?

There's really no tough arguments so far. You know Georgia, Michigan's in. I think TCU is in. It just comes down to it feels like if USC is going to win or not this weekend, if they do, then they're in. But if they don't, then it seems as if it's going to be Ohio State. Would you agree with that?

Yes, which means you know what's going to happen. TCU is losing, USC is losing, and bring on the chaos because you're right, it does feel too easy, too straightforward. Well that's the, on Monday I thought it was a lock of TCU getting in, and I know you did as well. If TCU loses this weekend, is there legitimately fear that Ohio State, in your mind, since they'll have one loss, no championship, and TCU will have one loss, no championship, even though TCU has a better resume in terms of how many top 25 teams they've beaten, do you think the committee would just take Ohio State and give you the eye test and they just want the bigger brand in there? I can only give you the answer I know, and that's I would say no TCU is in. But I can't predict this committee. I'm not trying to have a cop out.

But hold on, but hold on. Each week they change their criteria. I love you, but sometimes with the committee, you can't separate what will happen and what should happen. And I said this to you early on, I think there's some times that you're naive in terms of the brands and the money side of it and all that. And I just, TCU should be in over Ohio State.

We are in agreement there. And I thought they were a lock. But really Cole Cubic yesterday when he joined us, he made me kind of rethink it that this committee, and you're saying pretty much the same thing, I have no clue what to expect for them other than Georgia and Michigan are going to get in regardless of the outcome this weekend.

How can you honestly know what to expect when each week literally changes? Like what they care about, how they rank teams. Let's go, just rip the committee. You hate the committee. There's only the second one here on the stomach that hates the committee more than you. And why is Tennessee ranked behind Alabama?

Makes no sense. Head to head matters last week, but this week doesn't matter. So next week, honestly, next week you'll be like, oh well TCU lost and Ohio State didn't, so that's all that matters. Ohio State didn't.

I have no idea. I have no clue what they're going to base their decision on. But TCU should be a lock to be in no matter what. Let's go to my five teams real quickly. Ohio State got blown out. They were inferior to Michigan.

But because of the way that this year has just fallen out, they're in at number five. Number four, USC. Caleb Williams right now may be the best player in the country. I would be surprised after this weekend if he doesn't win the Heisman.

Like that's the other part. If Caleb Williams plays well, let's say he played the way that he did up against Utah, where he was really good and they lost the game 43 to 42. Will he then lose the Heisman?

I would still probably say no, because I feel like he has such a big lead over Max Duggan, but if Max Duggan lights it up and wins, closer, I still think Caleb Williams, this is his. Three TCU, they're still undefeated. All they do is beat top 25 teams. Two Michigan, they just destroyed Ohio State without their best player in Blake Corman. Then number one, the Bulldogs of Georgia. By the way, the Georgia fans a little sensitive.

Killing Cole Kublick today. Now I'm putting George in at one for saying that it's the field instead of Georgia. He is getting dragged on social media today when he said that on our show. And there's some talk show host that played our clip. And Cole sent this to me, which I thought was funny. He goes, someone sent this to me, this talk show host destroying me. And he goes, oh, Cole Kublick was on some show on the Internet.

Like, what? You found the clip on the Internet? We're on CBS Sports Radio. We're here at 200 affiliates. Serious. And the Odyssey app, not just some show on the Internet, made it seem as if I was broadcasting out of my parents' basement, for crying out loud. Cole Kublick did a kid a favor. A guy does show in his basement. He said, all right, come on, let's get some clicks here.

And that's where Cole did an act of charity. It's the host trying to wave around his you-know-what and try to make himself feel more important, or the host is just lazy. I don't even know who the host is, to be fair. I'm trashing him for not knowing who I am.

Or the host was just lazy and didn't know what show it was on. So, anyway. Ohio State 5, USC 4, TCU 3, Michigan 2, Georgia 1. Hot take hickey. Speak down, grab a hold of your piece. Why do you have Ohio State over Alabama? Okay. What's the great win for Alabama this year?

That's my question. What is the win for – not that Ohio State is filled with great wins, but they dominated Notre Dame in the second half. They also beat Penn State, who, you know me, I don't love to give compliments to Penn State, but they're ranked top ten in the country right now. For Alabama, their best wins are what, Texas?

And that wasn't a great performance. They almost lost the game when Quinn Ewers got hurt. They beat A&M, and that was more so just terrible play calling at the end by Jimbo Fisher. You're going to tell me their best win is Ole Miss, Mississippi State? It's not better than Penn State?

I'll tell you that this year. And then their two biggest games of the year, they lost to LSU and they lost to Tennessee. And I love Alabama, but I can't put them in the top five right now. Another thing is, why not Michigan number one? Why Georgia? They just have not had a flaw or a bad performance really other than the Missouri game.

And winning the national championship last year, coming back and still looking like the team to beat, the way that that defense has been playing, and it's also the back of my mind, even though I think Michigan can beat Georgia, they lost to them last year, so that's just how I kind of went down with the tiebreaker. Should we go to the NFL? Let's do it. Why? What would your rankings be one through five?

I have the same order. Okay. I'm just curious, you know, because Michigan does have two top ten wins. Yeah? Interesting.

Alrighty. NFL. Bills in at five. I know their resume may not be great than some of the teams that I left out, but I just still trust how well-rounded that football team is and their quarterback in Josh Allen. They did not play a perfect game against Cleveland. They did not play a perfect game against Detroit, but they got back to their winning ways, so I put them in at number five. Four, it's the Dallas Cowboys. I thought they had a really good effort up against the Giants.

That's what you need to do. You need to beat a team like that and not really leave a doubt. The score was a lot closer, really, than what the game kind of felt like. You had a late backdoor cover by the Giants, but what they did against Minnesota two weeks ago, it did make me move on a little bit from that tough loss against Green Bay where they choked the game away. I just look at this Dallas team.

They're good. We'll find out if they're great, but last year we said this was a wonderful football team and then they collapsed in the playoffs, but for now, with what I've seen so far, I put them in at number four. Three, I never thought we'd be talking about this team this high up on a list before the season started, but at this point, and I was skeptical going into the year about Miami, and they started off with a bang, beating New England, beating Baltimore, beating Buffalo, then Tua got hurt, and they lost three games. If Tua doesn't get hurt, I don't know if they lose Cincinnati. I know they got blown out by the Jets, but that's a totally different game of Tua's playing. They lose to Minnesota, and it was a sloppy game. They maybe only have one loss if Tua doesn't go down. I can see them taking two out of those three.

Maybe they take all of them. And last week, after the first half, they didn't need to play the second half. That game was a blowout at halftime, albeit against the Texans, and now you have a mega game this weekend against the 49ers. Just when Tua starts, there really has not been a flaw with this team.

The arm set injury is a little bit concerning. We'll see when he comes back, but right now, I have the Dolphins in at three. The Chiefs, I put them at two, and you could make the case that they're one. You know, I've been saying I think they're gonna win the Super Bowl, but Philadelphia, 10 and one is 10 and one, and their only loss was in division. I know they had the sloppy game against the Colts, but they won, and they had a really good effort, even after overcoming some turnovers and some sloppy play up against the Packers. So I'll put the Eagles at one.

So Bill's five, Cowboys four, Dolphins three, Chiefs two, Eagles one, hot take, if you speak now, forever hold your peace. How about the Minnesota Vikings? Record wise, they should be in, and they beat Buffalo. I'm just a little bit concerned with how crazy that Buffalo game was and how unlikely it was with the turnover by Josh Allen just dropping the ball at the goal line. Those performances against the Cowboys and the Eagles and how ugly it was, that bottom, and how low it could get for that team, even though I think that is a really good team, I thought they were going to be a playoff team before the start of the year.

I didn't think they were going to win the North, but here we are, they're going to. Just those performances against the Cowboys and Eagles are concerning a little bit to me. And what about the San Francisco 49ers? One of those teams that you trust, one of those teams that you look at and you give them the benefit of the doubt, but I got to see what they do this weekend against the Dolphins, because their wins this year, the Saints doesn't move the needle for me. The Cardinals, all right, they did fine after going down three-nothing, or beating them three-nothing game. The Chargers, they really had no one healthy. The Rams have been bad, and the Seahawks, we didn't know how good the Seahawks are going to be when they beat them back in week two. They beat Carolina, too. I just got to see them against a really good team, and that's what they had this weekend in Miami. They have a great roster, they have everything right in front of them, but I just got to see them play more consistent and the resume be better. Take a time-out on the Zach Gelb show on CBS Sports Radio.

Where is Deion Sanders off to? We'll try to take a stab at that next. The listening you love is on the free Odyssey app. Your trusted local radio stations, coverage of your favorite teams, live news from your hometown, and millions of podcasts on demand. Best of all, you can completely customize your listening experience. Follow topics you care about, like leagues and teams, pause or rewind your local sports and news, and add shows to your queue to catch up later.

There's a lot to listen to, so get started and download the free Odyssey app today. Throughout the 60s and 70s, cops hunted down key figures of the Dixie Mafia, including its enigmatic ringleader, Kirksey Nix. I'm in a rush to making money.

I'm not in a rush to hurting people. Fifteen years into Kirksey's life sentence, the Dixie Mafia was practically folklore, but that would soon change. I'm Jed Lipinski. This is Gone South, a documentary podcast from C13 Originals, a Cadence 13 studio. Season two, The Dixie Mafia.

Available now on the Odyssey app, or wherever you get your podcasts. Throughout the 60s and 70s, cops hunted down key figures of the Dixie Mafia, including its enigmatic ringleader, Kirksey Nix. I'm in a rush to making money.

I'm not in a rush to hurting people. Fifteen years into Kirksey's life sentence, the Dixie Mafia was practically folklore, but that would soon change. I'm Jed Lipinski. This is Gone South, a documentary podcast from C13 Originals, a Cadence 13 studio. Season two, The Dixie Mafia. Available now on the Odyssey app, or wherever you get your podcasts.