Prime Time To Leave? (Hour 2)

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 2, The Dixie Mafia.

Available now on the Odyssey app, or wherever you get your podcasts. Is there something really absurd that skeeves you out? Getting a paper cut on my eyeball. A fear you can't shake? I'm going to leak ocular fluid down my cheeks.

It's going to go into my mouth and I will perish. Whatever scares you, I want to talk about it. Join me, Larry Mullins, on my new podcast, Your Weirdest Fears.

Listen and subscribe to Your Weirdest Fears on the Odyssey app, or wherever you get your podcasts from. Hickey, we have a great slate of games this upcoming weekend in the NFL. When you take a glance at Jets and Vikings, that has some sizzle.

Commander's Giants has sizzle. Same could be said about Tennessee and Philadelphia. You get the return of Deshaun Watson this weekend. That's just something that's going to be intriguing.

How much rust does he have to knock off after not playing for two years? Dolphins 49ers, great game on paper. Chiefs, Bengals.

The Bengals beat them twice last year and made Patrick Mahomes, for the first time in his career, really look human in the second half of that AFC title game and overtime. If you're intrigued a little bit by who's going to be on the wrong end of things, Chargers and Raiders. That's a game where, for the Raiders, we know Josh McDaniels hasn't been having a good season.

Has the last two weeks done a little bit better? The Chargers, anytime you start to buy in on them, they do let you down. So that's going to be, if that Chargers-Raiders game doesn't have to end in the story on Monday. It's more so the team that lost and probably something crazy happened at the tail end of that football game. That's what it seems like is going to happen there with the Chargers and the Raiders, just like how it ended the season last year. This feels like a field goal game, maybe a little overtime sizzle as well.

Maybe a Brandon Staley fourth and two gone wrong. I actually think the Raiders are going to win that game. Really?

Yeah. And here's why. Tell me how this makes sense. How are the Chargers only a one and a half point favorite? I'm not always a guy that lives and dies by what the betting line tells you. But isn't that Vegas begging you to lay the point and a half with the Chargers? And everyone has crapped on the Raiders and deservedly so. And not that you're popping champagne over beating the Broncos, but you come back, you beat the Broncos.

Then you follow it up with the Seattle victory. The Chargers run defense has been problematic. You know how good Josh Jacobs is and the way that he played last week over 300 total yards.

I don't know why. I'm just getting a sense that the Raiders win this weekend. I would not pick them when we do our picks on Friday in terms of my only three games. It's not a top three play for me, but if I had to gamble on the game this weekend, maybe even take the Raiders money line. I've got to check what that is, but if you just look at the point spread, I think I would go plus one and a half on the Raiders.

And I know you will disagree with that vehemently because of your hatred for Josh McDaniel. No, if you're a playoff team, you have to win this game for the Chargers. This is a team that we circled in the offseason. This is playoffs or busts for sure. This is a game when you are, what, six and five on the top of my head? You have to win.

Have to win. But how many times do we say that about the Chargers and then they lose this game? And then you also have to remember the Chargers beat the Raiders back in week one. And that was with Derek Carr throwing three interceptions.

Three. So that was that close 24 to 19 when Derek Carr threw three interceptions. If you don't have the turnovers, I think the Raiders this weekend can win the game. Where do you lean right now? Just getting a little pulse throughout the week.

I'm off tomorrow, just on a Wednesday. Chiefs and Bengals. Where do you lean on this one? Chiefs.

I agree with you. I'm going Kansas City. And I know I don't always follow the gambling line. The Chiefs only being a two point favorite. It's almost as if they're begging to take Kansas City so that could scare me a little bit.

But you lost to this team twice. We'll see if Jamar Chase is going to be back this week. That could be a big jolt for the Bengals.

We don't know the status of Joe Mixon yet. That defense may, I don't want to say it figured out Mahomes because the guy's going to throw for five touchdowns. And no one's figured out Mahomes. But they've had success in that AFC title game. Like I really haven't seen, other than Belichick and a half against Mahomes in that AFC title game. And Belichick in the first half when they met up in Foxborough. That first time Brady and Mahomes did square off against one another. There's really not been too many teams that have had a lot of success against Mahomes. The fact that Cincinnati beat them twice now, albeit by two field goals as well.

So it wasn't as if it was lopsided performances. The Bengals, they have to be taken seriously. We know they went to a Super Bowl last year, but right now I'm not betting against Patrick Mahomes. I just can't do it.

The guy is a magician. The offense is rolling. They've been the more consistent team, which has been a little frustrating. The Bengals have been a little bit up and down. I'll take right now Patrick Mahomes over anyone else.

Alright, I'll go two more. Dolphins 49ers. I think this is a field goal game. And I think this game, it means more for the 49ers. I know the Dolphins are still trying to win that division. And it's a little bit tighter in the AFC East compared to the NFC West. But I think the 49ers are starting to show, even though the schedule, it's not the easiest down the stretch. The 49ers are starting to show you that they give you more of a reason to maybe believe than the Seahawks.

But something I'm not, who have I been more impressed by this year? It's Miami. And that's why, until they lose this game, and I know McDaniel and Shanahan, they know each other better than anyone. I'm going to side with Miami on this one, because they really haven't disappointed you yet.

Their only three losses came when Tua Tunga-Wailoa did not start and finish a game. So I will side with Miami this week, winning the game probably by a field goal. I will take the 49ers.

I think there's a little bit of on the road, cross country, don't like that. And I just think this defensive line for San Francisco just scares you too much with this offensive line that's still a work in progress for Miami. Tennessee Eagles. Eagles. Really?

Yes. You're surprised. I thought you were good at it. Well, I know you hate Tennessee. So I have to take that prediction with a grain of salt. I'm objective, especially now that the Colts' season is over. Objective? I have no hatred towards the Titans right here. Wait, wait, wait.

Rest of the regular season. You say you're objective? Objective.

Okay. Can we rewind to Monday night when you said that the Colts, this would be their easiest win of the season, they were going to win by 10 plus points. That's the guy that's objective, right? When it comes to the Titans, I'm objective. Lost a lot of talent, should not have been as good as they are. Credit to Mike Rabel.

I love you. You cannot tell me that you're objective about Tennessee. I tell you how it is for the Titans.

I tell you how it is. The Eagles' run defense is concerning. I could see Derrick Henry having a monster game. And I think Sirianni is a good coach, but I trust Mike Rabel more. I'm getting five points here.

I would take the points. I would probably, though, lean that Philadelphia just squeaks by. I trust Jalen Hurts more than Ryan Tannehill. Tannehill in a big spot, I just think he's going to throw a pick or he's going to play poorly. I know we had that really good game against the Packers, but even in that victory, when that game started to get tight, now the Packers getting capitalized, he did throw the interception, though. So, I would lean Eagles getting the win, but I would take the points with Tennessee.

All righty. Deion Sanders. Let's listen up. This is Deion Sanders and Rob Jay. They joke about Deion going to Colorado during an interview. This is courtesy of Jacksonville State Athletics. You know my favorite team is the Kansas City Chiefs, right? Yeah.

Next week they play the Denver Broncos in Colorado. I'm going with you or we're going to ride together? That's a good one. That's a good one. Now, that's a good one. That's a good one now. I got to admit, now that's a good one.

Why you going to do your boy like that? No, no, no. I never been there.

Me either. I played there. Well, I'm going next week when the Chiefs play Bronco in Colorado, Denver, Colorado.

What you trying to say? I just want to know, can we ride together? Why am I going? Why would you assume I'm going to Colorado? Because you've been to all these places. I've never been to Colorado.

Why would you assume I'm going to Colorado and put you right with me? That's good stuff though. Is the Chiefs playing out there for real?

Yes. The season will be over with. The season will be over. We go together, Coach. You got to stop, man. This is good though.

I got to admit, this is your best one ever. So, Hickey, I hear that and I know these questions are always awkward whenever you have a coach and he's speculated about maybe getting another job or being offered a job and Deion's already talked about how he's been offered the Colorado job. It's almost as if the coach is never in a position where you could say anything that you're damned if you do, you're damned if you don't. I listen to that and I hear that. It makes it seem as if Deion Sanders this weekend as they're in the SWAC title game is going to be coaching his final game at Jacksonville State. That's just the way that it sounds to me. Yeah, if you're a Jacksonville State fan, I don't think you're really sitting there feeling good about Deion staying.

I will say credit to Rob Jay. You can ask it, how do you address them? Are you interested in Colorado? Coach, I'm going to the Broncos game.

I hit your ride with you. Next week, yeah. Tremendous, but look, I think it's the move that also Deion has to make. If he wants to be a big-time head coach, clearly the interest is not there from some of the big schools that he wants to coach for. Now, just coach at Jackson State, take a leapfrog, if you will, to go to a Colorado Power Five job.

And then from there, OK. So what he's done at an HBCU in Jackson State is so important. No one is going to disagree with that. But when you look at that desire to go to another job, I thought Deion was going to be able to go from Jackson State to then a big job.

I really did. But we saw it last year and we're seeing it this year with how many big jobs were available. Those big schools haven't been willing to take a shot on him yet. So I would agree with you.

I would have disagreed you before the start of the season, but now I would agree with you. It seems like he has to take one of those other jobs. That's a stepping stone type of job if he really does want to be a coach at a big school inside the Power Five. Because if Deion Sanders, I've seen the stepping stone jobs multiple times before. If Deion Sanders, with the way that his personality is and the way that he could recruit and what he's done already at Jackson State. If he goes to, let's say, a Colorado. And has two years of success and then you have to be major, major success, just bring buzz and excitement back to that program. You will have an abundance of schools, big schools that will be lining up for Deion Sanders. Now, there's conflicting reports out there. So Kevin O'Donnell, who works for Fox 13, he said that Deion Sanders has been telling recruits he will be at school on Sunday.

I'd be at a school on Sunday. Decision appears to be down to Colorado, which we knew about, Cincinnati and USF. Now, USF has been kind of rumored about.

Cincinnati just opened up with Luke Fickel going to the Badgers. But on the other side, Carl Reed, who does cover college football for 24-7 and CBS Sports. He said that I just got off the phone with Deion Sanders and he said this report is not true.

So let me ask you this, Ryan. Do you believe that the first report from Kevin O'Donnell is true or is this Deion Sanders, even though he's not like every other coach? Because if any other coach was doing that exchange with Rob Jay, I think we'd be ripping the coach.

But because it's Deion Sanders and he has such a great personality and he's a Hall of Famer, he's larger than life and he's just laughing it off. I think that makes me believe that he's leaving. But at the end of the day, he's still a coach. So is this just trying to kind of put out the flames for a little bit so it doesn't take away from his team's preparation for Jackson State in the SWAC title game? And he doesn't want that to be the story, even though it's inevitably going to be the story heading into that game. And he doesn't want it to have his kids start thinking that he's already agreed to another job until he coaches that final game. Now, it's not every time, but college head coach denies rumors he's leaving school. And they go. Championship game happens hours after the game's over.

Boom, there they are already on a plane going to the next school. Willie Fritz, that was the one guy. I feel like he said he wasn't leaving and he actually didn't leave. Lane Kiffin, maybe he wanted to leave, whatever, but that was rumored he didn't go.

But like I said, it's very, you know, there was what? It was Tom Herman or is that Houston? And they didn't even face a bowl game by the time, you know, it was basically out there that he was leaving to go to Texas. So, yeah, I think he's leaving. But I also get what he's saying. Look, right now, I'm not leaving. Yeah, I still have the focus for the team beyond the championship game on Saturday. And then I would say if the game's at three o'clock, he's in our sauce. So let's just say around eight thirty, nine o'clock, I wouldn't be surprised if we get a report.

The unsanitary has accepted a job. I'll probably say Colorado, but at least one of the four schools or three schools. I would say that he will be at Colorado if he is actually able to pick between Colorado, Cincinnati and UCF, USF. I would pick Cincinnati because I think Cincinnati, if you're I think his goal is to be a coach at a at a major Power Five school. I do think he wants to do that. And I know Cincinnati is going to the Big 12, but they're in the best position, even though that could change very easily with NIL and the transfer portal, all that.

But they're in a great position with the foundation that they have with Luke Fickel, who just left them. Colorado is a lot of work. Now, can he do the work? Obviously.

Can he bring excitement? Obviously. USF, which is crazy. Ever since Willie Taggart left there.

Now, his career has gone down the drain. Willie Taggart, he just got fired from FAU. And, you know, he's at Oregon and also Florida State. But ever since Willie Taggart left USF, that program has been a disaster other than one year where Charlie Strong was benefiting off of what Willie Taggart did. But I remember they had to Quentin Flowers and Marlon Mack.

There was a lot of good games between Temple and USF. I know Florida is a hotbed for recruiting. If I'm him, though, and my goal is to be a big time coach at a big time Power Five school, I would go to Cincinnati because if you have two good years or maybe just even one year and you're Deion Sanders, that could be enough for a bigger program to say I'm going to take a chance on you just because of the reputation and everything that Deion Sanders has done in the sport of football. So I would say if I'm him and I have the Cincinnati offer, which I don't know if he does, I would take the Cincinnati job. I don't know if he has Cincinnati offer. So if I was a betting man in the way that he just talked about the Colorado job and kind of laughed right through it, I would think he he knows he has Colorado in their back pocket. And that's where I think he probably he winds up.

I'd say about like sixty five percent. I don't think it's a lot because the other schools. But I think it's the most likely destination.

If the Cincinnati offers, like I said, you have to take it. Colorado's the worst Power Five school, arguably, and one of the worst college football schools are now in Division one. It's a lot of work. It's a lot of work.

Turn around. Give yourself a head start with the recruiting that Luke Fickle has done in Cincinnati so far. And also, I know that you could get out of a school so easily now, but the Luke Fickle thing, once he didn't leave last year, it really came out of nowhere this year. So, yeah, are there some recruits that are going to decommit and go elsewhere, maybe follow Luke Fickle or or go somewhere else? Yeah, absolutely.

But it's a better foundation when you look at the resources and just the way that Cincinnati is set up right now than the other two. Zach Gilch shows CBS Sports Radio. We will come on back and talk to Willie Gay of the Chiefs.

Matt Russell to come at the top of the hour and then Shane Beamer at 9 p.m. Eastern, 6 p.m. Pacific. 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. 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. So my biggest fear is there's going to be snakes in the toilet. We're all afraid of that one strange thing. I'm Larry Mullins, the host of a new short 10-minute podcast called Your Weirdest Fears. We unpack where these fears come from. A rat climbed into my toilet.

And learn how to manage them. Listen and subscribe to Your Weirdest Fears on the Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts. You're listening to The Zach Gelb Show.

And you can think of O'Reilly Auto Parts where your car care needs get guaranteed low prices and excellent customer service from the professional parts people at O'Reilly Auto Parts. Getting you set for the Kansas City Chiefs and the Cincinnati Bengals coming up on Sunday. And right now Willie Gay in the last three games for the Kansas City Chiefs has a combined 24 tackles in those games and also has two sacks. And he's kind enough to join us right now on The Zach Gelb Show on CBS Sports Radio. Willie, first off, appreciate the time. How you been? Good, man.

Thank you for having me. Been pretty good. So, Bengals week, I know you guys lost to them twice last year. One obviously in the AFC title game. Is this just another game or is there some extra motivation trying to give them a little payback for last year?

Definitely a little payback in that, man, somewhere. But, you know, we're treating it like it's, you know, just trying to go 1-0 this week. We're not making it bigger than what it is. And treating it like every other week. But it's now, so it's the most important week.

So, we're not looking ahead, not looking behind. Just trying to take this week and do what we can to get a win. How long did it take to move on and kind of put the loss against the Bengals in the AFC title game in the rearview mirror and advance to this season for this year? Oh, man. I did think about it a while during off-season because knowing that you lose to a team twice and then the second time being in that big setting to go to the Super Bowl, you know, it's gone for a while.

But we used it as fuel to the fire and we're definitely looking for a payback, a little payback in this game. Willie Gay here with us from the Kansas City Chiefs. How do you view Joe Burrow as a quarterback? Because he's really taken the lead by storm the last three years.

Oh, yeah, man. It's nothing I feel like he can't do as a quarterback. You know, he runs his team well and runs his offense, you know, like the vet that he is. And we just have to prepare and do everything we can to slow him down. What's been the big point of emphasis this week in your preparation meetings with Steve Spagnoli, your defensive coordinator, about going up against Burrow? Definitely stopping their key guys. I mean, we know who heard us the first meeting, which is Jamar Chase, he heard us our first meeting and just trying to do whatever we can on defense to slow the offense down. So we know they are going to make plays. They will score a touchdown, hopefully just once, you know, but I mean, because they are a good team, good offense.

So our thing is just try to slow them down as much as possible and get stops and let our offense roll. Their offensive line last year was not good. They still got to a Super Bowl this year. They brought in a lot of new pieces.

It's been up and down. Last week had their best effort against Tennessee. When you watch their offensive line on film, just what are you seeing out of that unit recently?

Definitely a lot of bits that they did when it go and pick up. So it's definitely helping them a lot. I feel that definitely something that I feel like was a good move for them to, you know, to go into this season.

But we definitely got to try to do what we can to, you know, make them average, you know. So execute our calls and our plays and try not to let that be a factor in the game. Willie Gay from the Kansas City Chiefs joining us right now.

As you do have Chiefs and Bengals coming up on Sunday in Cincinnati, a rematch of the AFC title game. Where is your defense at? What type of unit do you think this defense can be this year? Oh, man, we can be as good as we want to be. We got guys all at every position, man, from the back end to the front.

And then me and Nick and all the other guys in the middle. There's nothing I feel like that we can't do. We just have to. Only thing is, man, it's just execution. And I mean, one person in the wrong gap and it's a touchdown, you know. So it's the details that we are still ironing out and just trying to be a better unit and better defense as a whole. And once we do that, man, I feel like we can stop anybody. When you get back to this offseason, Willie Gay, and you find out that Tyreek Hill got traded, how did you kind of process that?

Where were you and how did you react to it? Oh, man, I didn't care, honestly. I just, you know, I do my job and I worry about the defense and, you know, I just move on. You know, it wasn't, it didn't hurt me at all. You know what I'm saying? Of course, it was a big piece for the team, but I didn't sit around thinking about it.

You know, that makes sense. There still had to be a great belief, though, because I find it comical. All throughout this offseason, people were saying the Chiefs won't be that good.

They lose Tyreek Hill. There was questions about Mahomes and Andy Reid. Like, did you hear any of that? And you just had to probably laugh at it, right?

Oh, yeah, definitely laughed at it, man. But whenever I did hear it, I just shut it down instantly, you know, because I don't get into all that stuff. People going to say what they think, man, and, you know, that's their opinion. But we don't want it on the field that's playing.

We don't want it putting in all the hard work, other people just outside looking in. So we don't worry about any of that. He looks like he's the MVP of the league right now. How do you describe the season that your quarterback, Patrick Mahomes, is having? There's nothing that he can't do on the field, man, and he's showing it every week. So we know that offense is going to continue to roll through him and all the key guys over there, Trev and all that are just everybody on the offense, man, and keep putting up those points.

So they're having a great year so far, and I know it will continue. Wrapping up with Willie Gay from the Kansas City Chiefs. Playing for Coach Andy Reid, being in that locker room the first three years of your NFL career so far, how would you kind of describe the experience playing with one of the all-time great coaches? Man, it's really a blessing for me coming in as a young guy and getting with a coach like Coach Andy Reid. He loves his players, man. He treats us all the same from late-round guys to undrafted to first-round guys. So he cares about us, man. He really shows us respect as players and as men.

And when you have a coach that treats us the way he does, it translates over to the field, and we play hard for him. Where do you think your game is at individually now, as year three is well underway now, 13 weeks in? Man, I feel like definitely I'll never be complacent and never feel like I'm where I want to be. But I'm definitely way better than I was last year and the year before that, obviously. And I'm just steady growing, man, taking everything day by day, week by week, and fixing what I can improve on and trying to be the best that I can be to help my team. It's such an adjustment going from college football to the NFL. But the last three weeks, now in your number three, you've had 24 tackles the last three weeks, two sacks. Does it feel like the game is starting to slow down a little bit?

Oh, yeah, man. It's slowing down a lot. Last week we played the Rams with it. It had their issues on offense without Stafford playing. So they were just playing wing-it football for us. So we had to make plays wherever we could. But this week we got offense that can do it all.

So it's going to be fun getting back to playing real football again, if that makes sense. Well, Willie Gay, good luck. We appreciate the time and best of luck against Cincinnati. Thank you, my man.

You got it. There's Willie Gay from the Kansas City Chiefs joining us on the Zach Gelb show on CBS Sports Radio as the Chiefs are looking to make it six in a row this weekend and going up against the Cincinnati Bengals, who a year ago the Bengals beat them twice. And he said, you know, there's motivation. He goes, it's not an end-all, be-all type of game. But clearly you try to take it one week at a time. But there is motivation going up against a team that only beat you once last year but beat you twice. And you look at the schedule for Kansas City the rest of the way after this weekend. Hickey, if they don't lose this weekend, I don't know if they lose another game the rest of the year. Because the only game they could lose the final game of the season if it doesn't mean anything and they could rest everyone.

You want to hear this wonderful schedule that they have down the stretch? Now we know that the Broncos game already got flexed out. So they play the Broncos in Denver. Then they're in Houston against the Texans. They play Seattle. I know Seattle's been a good story, but you would agree you're not really shaking in your boots if you're Kansas City, especially with the offense that you have and the way that your defense is starting to get better week in and week out.

Yeah, that's not the one you circle. That's a spot. Well that's their best opponent. Because other than this weekend, you play Denver after that and then the Raiders. As if it couldn't get worse for Nathaniel Hackett in this Bronco.

Oh yeah, you still... You know what, that's a great point. It can't get any worse for Nathaniel Hackett. You know you're a dead man walking.

You know you're going to lose your job. And you haven't even seen the worst of it yet on your schedule because you still have to go up against the Chiefs twice. At most, what, one loss? Maybe two more losses if the final game of the season doesn't matter, they lose this weekend. But I don't know if they're going to lose another... Maybe they lose one game down the stretch. Kansas City. I don't really see many losses on that schedule.

If that, I don't see anything. This team is humming at the right time. They're playing well.

No real challengers. It's tough for the Bills to catch them. So the Broncos right now are 3-8. How many wins do you think the Broncos get the rest of the year? They're in Baltimore this weekend. Loss.

I would agree. Kansas City. Loss. Cardinals.

Is that the battle of incompetence? We thought Hackett and McDaniels was good a few weeks ago. Wait until you get Cliff Kingsbury against Nathaniel Hackett. At least the Cardinals are going to score like 17 points. So I'll say loss to the Broncos. Then at the Rams. Stafford's not playing. They might win that game.

Yeah. So there's one win. Kansas City.

Loss. Chargers. If the Chargers need to win that game and they lose, I will, that game is in Denver.

My sister moved to Colorado about two years ago or so. I will then fly in that night. During the game, if I sense that there's actually a shot that the Chargers need to win and they're going to lose. And I will meet Nathaniel Hackett or I'll meet Brandon Staley at the airport if they lose that game.

And I will then make sure that he does not find a way to get back to Los Angeles. Now, I know Ravens, Bengals is also that last week, but I am rooting big time here for somehow NBC have no choice but to flex in Chargers, Broncos, Sunday football with the Chargers win in in situation. Oh, I just want to see on prime time one more just disaster.

And isn't that the way? Can't you just see Russell Wilson winning that game? It's a positive note to end the season. And then he gives a big ol Broncos country.

Let's rock. He's going to look around the stadium point up to like the three fans that are still there. That was for you that that would be miserable. I don't I don't want to see any more Broncos games in prime time. I want to, you know, look, I'll give you the week 18 slate Tampa, Atlanta. No shot. What happens if that's for the NFC South? Well, fair.

You know what? A shot seven and nine versus seven and nine. Pats Buffalo. Probably a one o'clock game, I would think, or probably or 425, depending on tiebreakers. Minnesota, Chicago. No.

Baltimore, Cincinnati. Definitely a player that could decide. Oh, yeah.

That decides the vision. That's a Sunday night game. Absolutely. Chargers, Broncos, please. No. Lions, Packers. No. Texans, Colts. No. Kansas City Raiders.

Nothing's really going to be the line there. Oh, you know what it could be? Jets, dolphins.

Potentially could be possibility. Panthers and Saints. No. Giants, Eagles. Would they do that to us again on a Sunday night game? You think by that point, I think for the Eagles, we showed up. Maybe the Giants are holding on or fighting for a playoff berth.

It could be a win in your end game for the Giants potentially. Cleveland, Pittsburgh. No, no.

Arizona, San Francisco. No. Rams, Seattle.

Absolutely not. Yeah. Dallas, Washington.

Well, maybe that could be it. That could be a win in your end game for one of those teams or determined seeding. And then finally, Tennessee at Jacksonville.

No, I would say probably your your likeliest outcome is Baltimore and Chargers, Broncos. I'm rooting for it. Let's go one one. No better way to finish the year. You start the year. Russell Wilson and Primetime Monday. You finish the year. The Russell Wilson primetime on Sunday night. Let's go.

You really love pain. Let's go. And see, Brian Stanley can beat Mr.

Unlimited to get to the playoffs. And this is that Gelb show on CBS Sports Radio. We'll take a time out.

Players shut down. We'll do that next. 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 hurt 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. Is there something really absurd that skeeves you out? Getting a paper cut on my eyeball. A fear you can't shake. I'm going to leak ocular fluid down my cheeks.

It's going to go into my mouth and I will perish. Whatever scares you, I want to talk about it. Join me, Larry Mullins, on my new podcast, Your Weirdest Fears.

Listen and subscribe to Your Weirdest Fears on the Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcast from. Is there something really absurd that skeeves you out? Getting a paper cut on my eyeball. A fear you can't shake. I'm going to leak ocular fluid down my cheeks.

It's going to go into my mouth and I will perish. Whatever scares you, I want to talk about it. Join me, Larry Mullins, on my new podcast, Your Weirdest Fears.

Listen and subscribe to Your Weirdest Fears on the Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcast from. Now, he's not expected to play this weekend. He is still in concussion protocol. Was in concussion protocol back to back weeks, two different times. The Rams, by the way, have already ruled out Aaron Donald this weekend for their game up against Seattle. And it's the first game that he's going to miss due to injury. I would be shocked, Hickey, at this point, especially with how serious head injuries are. And really, there is nothing to play for if you are the L.A. Rams, where this season has been so bad as possible.

And with them being three and eight, even if you thought they were going to take a step back, you could not have imagined it being this poorly. But I would be stunned if Matthew Stafford's playing any game for the rest of this season. And quite frankly, I said this a few weeks ago when you had the back or two weeks ago in the back to back concussions. I wondered if maybe he contemplates retirement this offseason. I'm not saying he's going to retire.

But I think it has to be on the table, like the guy has won a ring. I think it's a long shot that he's going to the Hall of Fame. He probably still has the desire to play. But I wonder with having concussions back to back weeks, Hickey, if maybe he's played his last game.

I'm not saying that's going to be the case, but I do think that probably has to be a thought. If at a bare minimum, his wife, who has talked about player safety extensively and has a podcast, Kelly, I wonder if that's a conversation that could be driven by Matthew, but maybe Kelly says what else is there for you to really prove? I'll be shocked if he does retire and does not play again. I will also be shocked if he actually plays another game this season. Yeah, he's not playing another game this season. What's the point? I would lean with you that he's going to be back.

I just think it's on the table that you're at least going to contemplate, have a discussion about your future and how many more years or if you're maybe going to walk away after this year. When we go to Aaron Rodgers, so he wants to play Sunday. He has a rib injury. He's supposedly got a good report on that.

When he was on the Pat McAfee show, he shared that. And we know he has a broken thumb. For Aaron Rodgers at this point, I think he will play this weekend against the Chicago Bears. He owns the Bears.

He loves just absolutely toying and destroying the Bears. But I do think eventually there has to be a point. And if you go on IR, you're out for four weeks. So the way that I think this could play out is he plays this weekend against the Bears.

They probably do win that game. Then it's a bye week. Coming out of the bye, we know that they could be eliminated from winning the division this weekend. But a playoff spot, that could also be off the table or it's already a small chance right now, but it would be even smaller two weeks from now. So I would think for Aaron Rodgers, he plays this week, probably his final game of the season, bye week and then coming out of the bye, they put him on IR. He's out a bare minimum four games. There's only four games left in the season at that point. And then you get to see Jordan Love on Monday night, December 19th against the Rams, the Dolphins, the Vikings and the Lions to finish out the season.

Where are you at on that timeline? Why even do that? I just pull the trigger now. The season's over, you're four and eight. One game is not going to do anything for your hopes. Play the kid.

It's not. And again, it's not just also seeing what you got in Jordan Love. But if you are the Packers, you expect Aaron Rodgers back. I think at this point it's malpractice to put him out there because now you are just risking him getting hurt for next year.

Like you got all your next year, right? Like where his thumb gets worse or, you know, his rib injury gets even worse or he suffers another injury. Like, you know, he's getting beat up.

His outfits line is beat up. I know it's the Bears, but this like there's literally no point to play him. Your season's over and you got to get a look at Jordan Love, but also protect Aaron Rodgers from himself.

So I am not saying you're wrong when you just so eloquently said what you said. But with that being said, do you think he's going to play this weekend? Oh, he's going to play.

OK, so we're on the same page. He's absolutely going to play. And then Justin Fields. Does he play another game this year?

Yes. I would agree with you, but can't you just make a case? And I know it's only his second year and I know he's going to want to play. And he still has to put in the work and he still needs to improve in certain areas of his game, especially in the passing game. But you already got so far with that three or four week stretch that he did go on before getting hurt. A lot of positive reviews about Justin Fields.

Is there part of you where you look at and you go, we don't really have much around him. Let's not risk further injuries right now when the guy is dealing with a separate separated left shoulder. And let's just shut him down. Like I personally, since he is a guy that's showing he could be your future. And you want to see this offseason that they actually surround him with more talent or they traded for Chase Claypool and all that. But there's a lot of work they have to do this offseason and refixing this roster and giving him a better shot. Is it even worth it when you're three and nine?

And you have Green Bay, bye week, the Eagles, Buffalo, Detroit and Minnesota. Is it even worth it to play him in these final five games? I would probably say no.

I would say yes. I think you should play him. Develop him. Because his game running wise is good. But he still needs work throwing the ball. So it's not like he's far from a finished product whatsoever. I think if he's physically able to play into left shoulder separation so it's not his right one.

Yes. I'd put him out there. Maybe give him this week off and, you know, give him an extra week, go into the bind and bring him out the last four games. Can you really make an evaluation and expect him to improve that drastically in the final five games throwing the football when you look at the pieces or the lack of them? Around him? I think you see some strides.

I'm not saying this big overhaul, but just continue to develop, continue to get comfortable and just almost like test it out. Do you think he plays this weekend? I don't think so. You don't?

Okay. Keep him, rest him, go into the bind, give him like an extra two weeks to fully heal and then the last four games, let him go. Against Philly, Buffalo and then Detroit and Minnesota. You think you'll see him for the final four games?

That's what I would do if I was Maddie briefly. I think he'll play. I do think he'll play because what you're saying, young quarterback that want to get in the reps, a regime that's also not attached to him. But I think this regime has to know by now they believe that he has a chance to be a guy. Not even, you know, not even saying that he's definitely is the guy, but he's a chance to be the guy in some of the signs and flashes that he showed this year. I personally would shut him down, but I do think that young regime, since they don't have that emotional attachment to him yet, they're going to play him the final four games and they're going to want to see what he can do with some of these guys.

And where the Bears are, they currently hold the number two overall pick. Certainly playing just to see, like, I mean, maybe it's, you know. You would think about drafting a quarterback? I'm just throwing out there. I don't know.

No. I'm asking. If you can't get Bryce Young. If Bryce Young falls or maybe you fall in love with CJ Stroud. If Bryce Young falls, he's the number one overall pick. I'm just throwing it out there.

I'm just throwing out possibilities. That's all. If you're the Bears, you're right there at number two. I'll guarantee you this. The Texans are going to have the number one overall pick.

Yes, without a doubt. They're 1-9-1. They stink. I know their record indicates they're really damn bad.

No crapsack. They're 1-9-1. That team, when I watch them, when I have to sit here in the studio and see them on Iown Football, it is painful when I have to watch those games. They are horrible in the Houston Texans. Imagine being John McLean.

Seen that every week. Didn't he retire? But he still covers the team. Yeah, he's still, he's always, those guys, he retired from the newspaper. He does 9,000 radio hits and he's at every game.

900 jobs, now he's at 899. Yeah. But if you're Chicago, I'm not, with how many holes they have on that team and the fact that Justin Fields gave you a positive review this year so far. The only way you even think about taking a quarterback if Bryce Young is there and Bryce Young is going to be the number one overall pick. Bryce Young is the best quarterback in this draft class. I'm not saying they should draft a quarterback or that they will draft a quarterback or that they like someone else other than Bryce Young. I'm just saying, like you mentioned, new GM, new head coach, this is year one for Justin Fields.

I would play him the next four games just to make sure either way. If you have any doubts and whether, again, who knows? Can I let the listening audience in on a little secret? I'm going to say this on the air right now.

Sure. This is why I love my producer Hot Take Hickey because this is all Colts oriented where he's talking about maybe Bryce Young falling. That's why he's thrown that thought out there of Bryce Young maybe not going number one overall to the Texans because we saw what happened on Monday night where Hickey came on this show and guaranteed, guaranteed that the Steelers were going to lose the game to the Colts by at least 10 points.

And I told him he was crazy. His team can't beat any team by 10 points right now the way they're playing. Then the next day he walks in on Tuesday and he goes, maybe Bryce Young is going to fall and the Colts could get Bryce Young.

So that's where Hickey is at right now. The Colts by the way. Do you trust the Texans to do the right thing?

Like it's common sense. But as you know, these organizations come draft time. You know what?

Yes. Bryce Young is going to get knocked down. Here's why I'm Bryce Young. Who's the general manager of the Houston Texans? Nick Caserio. Where did he used to work?

Who was he closest with? Bill Belichick. Who's Bill Belichick closest with? Nick Saban. Nick Caserio was vital on the on the on the scouting front in New England. He's going to talk to Nick Saban. Nick Saban is going to give him a big review and you will have the first overall pick be Bryce Young.

You know how these things, I would agree, but you know how these things go. Well, Levis, Anthony Richardson, you look at the tool, CJ Stroud. There is no way the Colts this year, this draft are getting Bryce Young. I'm not talking about the Colts. I'm talking about the Bears. No, you brought it up there a few days ago.

You brought it up. Well, selfishly, I want the Colts. You're always motivated. I want the Bears to trade down.

You're always motivated. Trade down to the Colts. Number two, let's go. We taped an interview earlier today with Matt Ruhl.

He's going to join us next. Throughout the 60s and 70s, cops hunted down key figures of the Dixie Mafia, including its enigmatic ringleader, Kirksey Nicks. 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. What makes your skin crawl, no matter how absurd? I want to know. Tales without fur on them, such as rats or opossums. I'm Larry Mullins, the host of a new podcast called Your Weirdest Fears. You send me your fear.

I'm just so weirded out about the texture and how they can just move around and flop. And then I go to the experts to learn how to overcome them. Listen and subscribe to Your Weirdest Fears on the Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts from. 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 2, The Dixie Mafia, available now on the Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts.