Sneaky Cincinnati (Hour 4)

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Whether you're looking to purchase a new home or refinance yours, Rocket Mortgage can help you get there for home loan solutions that fit your life. Well Rocket can. Sal Cappaccio is going to join us coming up 20 minutes from now on the day that Von Miller has been ruled out for the season and then sending Bill's Mafia into a frenzy. I still think the Bills could get to a Super Bowl. I still think they could win a Super Bowl because of one reason and one reason only. Josh Allen. As long as you keep him healthy, you will always have a shot to go all the way and hoist that Lombardi Trophy.

But it's no doubt about it. A major, major blow to the Buffalo Bills because this guy was brought in and Von Miller to deliver that championship trophy. To be that finisher. To not be that player that you saw last year. The players that you saw last year on the defensive side of the ball that looked like they didn't know what to do on a number one ranked defense when it was in the final 13 seconds as you could almost taste getting back to an AFC title game. That's what Von Miller was brought in to do.

Win those games. And you saw in a big way early on in week four against the Chiefs, he put the pressure on Mahomes. Made Patrick Mahomes, the Patrick Mahomes rush a decision and throw the football to Teron Johnson to the Bills. And that got the Buffalo Bills the victory in that game.

So I'm not going to tell you, don't worry. It's not a big deal. This is a big deal. But you could still find the way to win every team that wins a Super Bowl. There's not been a team in the history of the league that didn't lose someone in the process of in the process of winning a Super Bowl.

It's just the unfortunate, nasty, ugly nature of this sport. When you have such a high speed collision sport in football, you're bound to see people not be able to to return in the NFL because of injuries. So now you look at the AFC. I look at Buffalo, Super Bowl contender. I look at the Chiefs, Super Bowl contender. Now, Kansas City did lose to the next team I'm about to mention and they also lost to the Buffalo Bills. That's Cincinnati Bengals. And I think a lot of people went into this year looking at the Bengals and saying, I don't know if they're definitely going to win the division. Baltimore almost won it last year and Baltimore wasn't healthy and Baltimore got banged up all around. And is Zach Taylor really that good of a coach? And I know they've made improvements on the offensive line, but will they be able to block for Joe Burrow? They got timely stops in the playoffs on defense.

Can they replicate that? There were a lot of questions about Cincinnati. And Cincinnati probably isn't going to have the number one overall seed, but they're starting to feel like they're the most dangerous team because they still have that disrespect card. Going into the year, everyone said who? Kansas City, Buffalo, Kansas City, Buffalo. A little disrespect to Kansas City after the whole Tyree kill trade. But you had Patrick Mahomes. So you knew that Mahomes was going to be able to find the way. But for Cincinnati, not a lot of people were saying, Cincinnati is going to get back to the AFC title game. Cincinnati is going to get back to the Super Bowl.

Not a lot of that conversation was being had. And that team is young. They're not afraid of anyone. And you're also working with a little bit of redemption. Now it's tough to get to back-to-back Super Bowls. We know that.

Very tough. But this Bengals team, their defense makes plays. I think the biggest thing, their line looks better the last two weeks.

Maybe it's starting to gel together with all the pieces that they brought in. They're starting to find that synergy. They're able to run the ball without even Joe Mixon when you have some Ajay Piranha. Oh yeah, by the way, he got back now, Jamar Chase. And now you have Jamar Chase with T. Higgins and Tyler Boyd. I don't know if they're all three number one. I don't know if they're all number one wide receivers. But bare minimum, you put those guys outside of Chase, Higgins is really good. You put Boyd on a lot of other teams, that's a damn good number two wide receiver.

He's the third option for Cincinnati. As the weeks continue to go on, I'm just gaining more and more respect for Cincinnati. And with that quarterback, and the confidence that that dude has, and the games that he's won in his short time in the league, they are a scary team.

They really are. And they're a team that I look at, and I think they could be going back to the Super Bowl this year. And I'm just, I'm liking that team more and more and more week in and week out, Ryan. They're a fun team. They're a fun team. They're an exciting team. They still have something to prove. And most importantly, they are one dangerous football team.

Absolutely. You saw that on Sunday. They have weapons. They have Jamar Chase who somehow missed what, a month with a hip injury and came back and didn't look like he missed any time whatsoever. And they own Kansas City right now. They do.

They absolutely do. They beat him in the end of the regular season last year. They beat him in the AFC title game. They made Patrick Mahomes look human.

Do you know how tough that is? Every time we have the draft, what are people saying now? Who is the next Patrick Mahomes? Who is like 50% of Patrick Mahomes?

You know, that's what people are trying to find. And Cincinnati, Trey Hendrickson coming in last year was massive for them and was very underrated and what he was able to do in his last year or two with the Saints. But you look at that defense, and they just find a way to keep them in the game and then burrow pounces on it. And you look at last year in that AFC title game, I was, I've never seen Mahomes look that bad. Right before the end of the half, he had that hesitation. They didn't score. And the second half, they were never able to recover. Like people forget in overtime.

Before he threw the pick, he almost threw another pick and they made him look human. But I look at this landscape of the AFC, those are clearly the three best teams. Bengals, Bills, and the Chiefs.

And it is discouraging that Kansas City lost to both Buffalo and then also Cincinnati. But right, as long as the Chiefs have Patrick Mahomes and also Andy Reid. Yeah, that goal is to win the Super Bowl each and every year, but just having Mahomes, you're never out of a game. And unfortunately, Bills fans, you know that better than anybody where your quarterback was Superman last year in the playoffs and you couldn't get to an AFC title game because Mahomes just bleeped you with 13 seconds left in regulation.

The ultimate eraser, right? It's why the quarterback position is so important in the first place because it can make up for mistakes around the team more than anyone else. And when you have a great one like the Chiefs do, like I said, it makes it so hard and so tough to beat him, especially when they're only playing games in their building. So the number one, the race, the number one season can be pivotal this year.

Yeah, you're not wrong. I mean, Patrick Holmes never played a road playoff game. Not that he's going to play that much worse, but that's a huge advantage. And Josh Allen's never won a road playoff game now, but that's not a concern to me for Mahomes.

I know you haven't seen it yet. And do I think Josh Allen could go into an environment and win? Yeah, he did enough last year to get the victory. His defense let him down. I'm just saying like, you know, with these three teams being close, I'd rather play at home.

I'd rather have the advantage. I'm just interested to see how Patrick Holmes plays in a road playoff game. Do you think Burrow gets the respect that he deserves? I know he went to the Super Bowl last year. We saw you number one overall pick.

We all know the story from LSU. But I feel like when we talk about the great quarterbacks right now in the NFL, it's right away. It's Mahomes and Allen.

Everyone says that. Burrow, like he has made Cincinnati the Bengals. That has been an awful franchise. And then even when they're good, they could never win a playoff game under Marvin Lewis. He's made the Bengals now for the foreseeable future as long as the Bengals don't Andrew Luck him.

He's made them a Super Bowl contender. Year in and year out, they're always going to be in that picture. And you have his college guy, his college buddy in Jamar Chase. We talk about lethal. You see all three of those teams. Mahomes, Kelsey, lethal threat. Allen, Diggs, lethal threat.

Burrow, Chase, lethal threat. Mahomes, he's in that same conversation as Burrow's in that same conversation to me as Mahomes and Josh Allen. But it feels like still when you talk about the best quarterbacks, it's just right away. Obviously, you still got Brady in that conversation and clearly, but it feels like the first two names that have everyone's mouths these days are Mahomes and Josh Allen. I would agree. I think part of it's also just time and Joe Burrow's played one full season so far now going on two.

So a lot of people are, you know, hesitant to jump aboard. So I think if you have another repeat performances last year, I think you'll see a lot of stands as the kids say nowadays coming out for Joe Burrow in full force and maybe even overtake Josh Allen. Burrow doesn't go as much as 2-9.

I was being facetious a little bit. But you said overtake Josh Allen. Could he overtake Mahomes? No, not this year. I think potentially in his career.

Well, I'm not saying right this offseason, but if this continues, like just think about it this way. Early on in their careers, Manning and Brady, a lot of people looked at Peyton Manning as the better quarterback because he was flashy. Statistically, he was better and all that. But the guy that didn't put up maybe, and Burrow doesn't put up bad numbers, but not the sexiest numbers in the world and just wins is, you know, it could be Joe Burrow. Now, Burrow doesn't have a Super Bowl and Mahomes does.

So I get that. But Burrow, early on, Manning and Brady, and I also, I don't like comparing things to Manning and Brady because of how great it is, but that's what we try to do. But early on, Manning, it wasn't really till the end of his career that he could ever beat Brady when he did have better rosters with Denver. But you look at that early, it took Manning a while to beat Brady.

A real while. And I just wonder if, like how for Peyton Manning, that kryptonite was Brady and Belichick, if that kryptonite for Mahomes is Joe Burrow. Because we've never seen Mahomes really get disrupted unless if it's going up against the Bengals or if you want to do an isolated incident, Tampa Bay and that Super Bowl, but he was missing his two offensive linemen.

I just, I'm really curious in five years from now, three things. Does Mahomes have another Super Bowl? Does Josh Allen bring one to Buffalo? And are the Bengals able to keep Joe Burrow upright? Those are my three biggest questions with those three guys. So I ask you that.

Five years from now, we're doing this show still. Does Mahomes have another ring? I will say yes.

I would say yes as well. Now, I think a lot of people would have thought he would have already got that another ring, but losing the Super Bowl, losing the AFC title game, I would think he gets another ring. I think the most fascinating thing from now, Kelcey doesn't also, when it comes to just talking about Mahomes, Kelcey doesn't look like he's slowing down anytime soon, but he is 33. You then wonder who's that next guy in Kansas City with Tyree Killam no longer there when Kelcey ever decides to hang it up, but that's a different conversation. Josh Allen, five years from now, does he deliver the Buffalo Bills a Super Bowl title? Here we go. Buffalo hater, hot take Kiki. They're never going to let you into bar bill, man.

Honestly, probably right now, I'm going to say no. And your reasoning is? They're a team. Honestly, I got to see it.

I'm sorry. There's a lot of hype. I got to see him come through. Remember last year, hot take Kiki said that Carson Wentz was a better quarterback than Josh Allen and that Sean McDermott was not as good as Frank Craig. Just remember, those are the takes of hot take Kiki. The takes of hot take Kiki do not reflect the views of the Zach Elp show on CBS Sports Radio.

Anyway, it comes down to this. I think the approach in Buffalo, this off season, they got to, maybe it's James Cook, I don't know. They got to get more production out of the running back position. You got to take a little bit off the plate of Josh Allen. But with how good I've seen Josh Allen be, and I know there was a little stretch this year where the old Josh Allen did come up.

I got to think he's going to deliver the Bills of Super Bowl in the next five years. And then finally, Bengals. They invested a lot at offensive line. Sloppy start. But now they're really rolling. The Bengals keep Josh, keep Joe Burr upright.

Yes, you do. They figure it out. That answer surprised me the most because you have some bad flashbacks here of what happened to your quarterback, Andrew Luck.

In reality, I'm not trying to minimize it, but it's really not that hard to do. He gets the ball out quick. He's a good decision maker. They're getting better anyway. So it's just like, at this point. And at least they tried to enhance the offensive line. Right. The coaches ignored it for five years, Andrew Luck, and thought, oh, he'll just run over everyone. Not going to work. The Bengals are at least proactive in fixing it.

I think they will be more active if more changes are needed in the year two, three years from now. I think it was Wickersham. Did you read the Wickersham piece that came out on Angela? I did. What was your reaction?

I did not read it yet. He looks very thin, by the way. Very thin, Andrew Luck. One of my biggest takeaways, I'm surprised that he's a big skier, to be honest. Really? Well, yeah. I just can't picture him skiing.

Sorry, that just popped out of me. Do you go skiing? Yeah.

I love skiing. So that's your biggest take with the guy. That article, tell all peace. Well, not the biggest take, I was surprised. But it's like, otherwise, I knew he wasn't coming back. But if anyone had any thought he was coming back, there's zero percent chance he's coming back.

That's not going to happen. His name gets thrown around sometimes. But what did he give you on the decision? I mean, the guilt, that he felt bad doing it, but he kind of was at peace at the same time.

To me, it's nothing new. It's all the kind of things we knew, but just kind of, you almost feel bad for him because he felt so guilty and was in so much pain and misery in the three-year span. I always respected Luck. I know people don't like how he did it and you wanted more, but he made a promise to himself. And I remember this when it came out right after the decision. He made a promise to himself that if he had to consistently mispractice again, that he probably knew that was a sign that his body's going to get in a bad spot again because of the injuries.

That's why you're missing practice. And he made that promise to himself that if that happens again, he would walk away. Like there's one thing to make that promise to you.

How many times you see an athlete tear at their leg and they go like, oh, if I ever tear my leg again, I'm going to retire and walk away. With how young he was and being the face of that organization, it was actually impressive through all the different injuries that he made that promise. And he was still loyal to his word because he knew internally it was the right move for him. That's always something that I know people sometimes clown Luck and the cults about that, but that's always something that impressed me with Luck because that's not easy to do with the competitive spirit and the competitive nature that that dude has.

So that's all you know. I mean, he was a quarterback. He was heralded. He was the guy. So it's not like, you know, he had plenty of other interests, but it's also now like sharp dude, when you're retiring at age 29, it's not like, oh yeah, I know exactly what I'm going to do to do it. So young too, to make that promise and stay true to that word.

Cause you could easily talk yourself into going another year or two bare minimum. Talk to Sal Cappaccio next. It is the Zach Gelb show on CBS sports radio. How much of a hit did the bill super bowl chances take today? We discussed next with bill sideline reporter ready to propose this holiday season with just a few days left blue Nile can help blue Nile offers online tools to help you build a one of a kind ring choose from thousands of diamonds and settings order now to take advantage of blue Nile site wide holiday deals and get free two day shipping just in time for that holiday proposal, go to blue Nile.com and use code radio to save $50 on purchases of $500 or more that's blue Nile.com code radio.

You're listening to the Zach Gelb show, man. You can think of Riley auto parts for your car care needs. Get guaranteed low prices and excellent customer service from the professional parts people at O'Reilly auto parts. Von Miller. Now, unfortunately out for the season, let's head out to Buffalo and talk to the bill sideline reporter in South Capaccio is always kind enough to join us on the Zach Gelb show on CBS sports radio.

Sal appreciate the time. How you doing? Doing great. I mean, obviously not great news for Bob Miller today, but I'm a Yankee fan. Aaron judges back and I'm sitting here watching the sabers winning nine to two with Tate Thompson scoring five goals tonight already in two periods. So pretty good night tonight here in Buffalo. Wow. How about that?

All right. I'll get to the Buffalo stuff in just a second, but you said you were a Yankees fan. Just hand me through the emotions where Heyman yesterday tweets out that arson judges appeared to go to the giants. And then today he's back with the Yankees.

So, you know, things feel different, hit different when you have, um, a son or a daughter and a child that kind of goes through it. And, you know, we, we've gone through this world enough to kind of know this stuff, but my son's nine huge Aaron judge fan, huge Yankee fan. Last night, we were on our way out to a high school football event that I was a part of. And I saw that that was happening on Twitter and I didn't want to break the news to him cause I thought that he was leaving.

So I didn't know really what to do. I waited till this morning and I said, I drove him to school and I said, listen, you know, I think he might go to the giants, you know, and we kind of walked through it and said, doesn't mean we have to hate Aaron judge. We can still root for him, but we'll see what happens.

And I'm not kidding you. True story found out later in the morning that he resigned with the Yankees. I texted his principal, my son, and said, please go tell him to make his day because he's going to be upset the whole day.

If not made his day for me. I mean, I hate the contract to be honest with you is that what I love the player. And I know that's business and the Yankees print money.

It's not my money. So whatever, I'm just glad he's back. That's awesome. Saw Cappuccio here with us, the vibe around the bills organization today. Obviously it sucks losing Von Miller for the season, knowing what he was brought in for, but how would you kind of describe that vibe?

Yeah. I mean, it, it's, I think one of obviously, um, you know, people being upset, you know, disappointed in, you know, for him being sad for him more than anything. And people express that players talked about that there. They feel upset for him more than anything. Um, but I think that, you know, we're to a point now where they've played without him for a game. We have the initial shock of what happened on Thanksgiving, which made it, you know, at the time like, Oh my gosh, what's happening here.

And you've had some time to subside here. They want a couple of games in a row. And, you know, I think that the team feels that they're still in a very good position to win and contend and still win a super bowl, but they know that, you know, it's not going to be as easy, um, you know, without Von Miller, it's, um, a guy that you brought in here for this very reason. So I think the mood is one of still them doing their job, which they would normally do, whether without Von Miller or Josh Schellner, whoever it is, they take the same approach every day, but you know, certainly I think more, it's more about him personally, I think for the players and what they feel about him is this having to go through this, them, them as a team, to be honest with you. Taking now Von out of the equation, we all know last year, they had a number one defense and defense in and step up in the final 13 seconds against Kansas city against an all-time grade in Mahomes.

How is this defense, uh, this year different than the one that we saw in that divisional round game a season ago? You know, they also are missing Micah Hyde, right? I mean, that's a big loss for this team. He got hurt early in the season.

He's been out all year. Um, you know, they have a couple of great linebackers right now. I think Matt Milano is playing it at all pro level. Tremaine Edmonds is playing terrific football, but they also have, you know, a couple of youngest pass rushers that have stepped up and Greg Rousseau is one of them. And I think they're gonna have to put a little more on Greg Rousseau and Oliver's having a fantastic year in the interior of the defense. Look, those defense will always be good. We'll always be good under Sean McDermott and Leslie Frazier. They just know how to coach it.

Um, they know how to, um, you know, bring out the best in people. One way it is different though, in a positive way, they didn't have previous white last year. Now he's back, you know, he got hurt last Thanksgiving. That's a big deal to have him. Look, they, they walked off the field. Um, you know, I mean, the defense had a chance 13 seconds left. Uh, we all know what happened and that's why they got Bob Miller to maybe not even in those 13 seconds, but the drive before that maybe to get to Patrick Mahone's before he hits Tyree kill. And I think that's the big thing you're going to be missing here, which is it's not necessarily the volume of Von Miller. Um, he was playing what, 70% of the snaps. It's really those critical moments where you wish maybe you, you know, you, if you had number 40 on the field, he'd get to the quarterback before he makes that critical pass on third and six in the fourth quarter.

That's where you'll miss Von Miller. But otherwise I think they still have a lot of confidence in the defense. It's very good. It's talented and it's very, very well coached.

And let's also be real. As long as you keep number 17 healthy, you'll have a shot to win any game that you play. Yeah. A hundred percent. Um, I was asked today, like, would you consider a couple of people said, is Bob Miller the second most important player of the team behind Josh Allen?

I'd say, I don't think so. It's Josh Allen number one. And that's probably Stefan Diggs. We throws too much so much.

Right. And Jordan Poirier is incredibly valuable and he plays a hundred percent of the snaps and Matt Milano, but it is all about number one, all those other guys are behind him. And look, Zach, the reality is we live in such a betting world. The odds of the bills winning the super bowl did not change today based on Bob Miller's injury. Now, do we all think that it's a loss? Of course we know that we're not naive, but there's still the super bowl favorites before today. And then after today, if you lose Josh Allen, that changes, you lose a pass rusher.

That doesn't change. Regardless of the fact that he's going to the hall of fame five years after his career is over. Sal Capaccio here with us. You mentioned your Davis white.

It's an excellent point that you bring up. And we all remember the injury from last year. Uh, he came back against the Patriots.

Just what were the impressions and where do you think he's at right now? Yeah. You know, what's funny is he actually, he's been on the active roster for about six games now.

Yeah. I was so surprised when they said that was his first game back. Cause I feel like he's been back for several weeks, you know? Well, well, here's what happened.

Let's I'll read it in because I think that there's been a lot of kind of people who haven't been paying attention locally or to really what's going on. So he came back, he was put off, taken off the public and he started practicing back after maybe week five or six. Then they activate them to the active roster or maybe after week like eight or whatever it was. And he didn't play, he just didn't play. He was a healthy scratch. He did play then in Detroit against the Cleveland Browns, two series. That was it play two series came off the field.

Wasn't hurt. They just gave him two series. I think they were just trying to get him some work, which everybody thought was kind of weird. And then he played Thanksgiving against Detroit. Again, he played just a little bit more and then he played against the, um, in fact it wasn't against the browser. It was Thanksgiving.

In fact, that's what it was. It was 364 days after the injury. Zach was when he came back for the first time. He played two series.

That was it. And then he played a whole bunch against the Patriots, which was that you could say was his first real action back. Now, I think he looked really good. He made a couple of really nice plays.

This was not the greatest offense, obviously they went against and it certainly didn't have a number one elite receiver. What do they do against the jets? Garrett Wilson, the way he's playing, do they have them shadow them?

Do they have them travel around? You know, those are the things I want to see which are Davis white going forward, but so far from what I've seen, the way he looks, the way he runs, the way he cuts, the way he moves. I think he looks terrific. What is your view on, on the jets? I know they beat him last time, but Zach Wilson actually had his best game of the year, but now it's the, the Mike white era with the New York jets.

I like Mike white. I really, I think, uh, you know, through a couple of games I've watched him play and I'll tell you, he's poised. He's very good in the buddy pocket. He's able to kind of navigate the pocket.

He's very accurate. He threw progress over 300 yards in that, that rainstorm they had a couple of weeks ago against the bears. I think Mike white is good enough where maybe the jets don't even have to consider drafting a quarterback early next year and can just roll with him and say, let's put some more pieces around this really talented team we have. They probably had the offensive rookie of the year. If Breece Hall didn't get hurt, they have another one in Garrett Wilson.

Who's going to be a contender for that award. They have an excellent defense and probably the defensive rookie of the year, maybe and sauce Gardner. Right.

That's that. I mean, that's some great drafting. They had all those draft picks.

They finally, they hit on them. They are a different team than the first time the bills played them. And they did beat the bills.

I will say Josh Allen threw two horrible interceptions that game. That's basically why it opened the door, but give the jets credit. They did everything they could to stay in that game and ultimately win it at the end. Um, I think Mike white makes them a much more dangerous team and they beat the bills with Zach Wilson, but I also say the bills are a bit different. Um, let's go back to, they now do have, they didn't have Matt Milano that game. They didn't have Jordan employer that game.

They didn't have Tredavious white that game. So I think it's going to be, it's almost like playing a team for the first time, even though they're a division team, you're playing for the second time. What are your expectations outside of Allen running the football and just being a battering ram for this Bill's run game the rest of the year with Devin Singletary and James Cook? Well, they've done a great job lately.

They really have. Um, I think Devin Singletary has had a very good season. I don't think he gets kind of the recognition he deserves for having the kind of season he's having because the bills don't just hand them the ball so much because they do obviously like to use gosh in the run game. But if you look back, um, you know, Devin is just so incredibly consistent and he was averaging four and a half yards of carry this year.

There's been multiple games. He's had over five yards of carry. He just only gets a handful of carries, 13, 14, 15 a game, which isn't a ton, but I really love the way James Cook has looked lately. Um, you go back to last week against the Patriots, 14 carries for 64 yards. And on top of that, he had over 40 yards receiving in over a hundred yards.

Um, he had a, uh, he had a great move, a 28 yard run where you could see his vision, um, cutting at full speed, how good he is. I think we're going to see a lot more of James Cook going down the road and that's going to really help them alleviate what they have to have from Josh Allen. And I will also say, well, Josh Allen's a really good runner. Yeah. Why wouldn't you use them when you can use them, but you don't have to, it's up to Josh to not put himself in that situation sometimes to be that battering ram, as you say, or hurtling people.

He's got to be smarter than that, but at the same time, he's a great weapon. I would say Josh Allen's the best goal line back in the league, to be quite honest with you. That's how good of a runner he is inside the five yard line when they want to do that.

So, you know, I think the bills can really, um, you know, use all of these things to their strengths, but with the way James Cook looked, the way that Devin Singletary has been all week, all year and going back the last several weeks, the run game is really starting to come around now, I think. How about the timeline of the Von Miller injury? Because I feel like it was last week we were playing audio of him saying, yeah, I'm going to be back for that Jets game, then you see him going IR, and now today he's done for the season.

Yeah, it was a little weird. You know, I think what happened here, just so everybody knows, Brandon Bean, the general manager, did talk to us today, and he said they went in to have the surgery for the meniscus that we knew that was injured. While they were in there, they checked on the ACL, and it was torn, and they just, it didn't show up on the imaging, and that can happen with swelling, I guess, and things like that, and so when they were in there, they basically said we're going to do it now, so he did have his surgery already for the ACL.

He's not going to have to have another one. They did it when they saw it. They discovered it.

They did it. You know, Von says, hey, he's ready. We know he's going to come back to Buffalo, be a part of the team, rehab in Buffalo. He's going to be here all offseason, and he's going to be hopefully ready to roll in 2023, and Brandon Bean said for most of 2023, they think that, you know, he'll be ready to roll, and we know we just had the Tredavious White situation, how long it took him, so we'll see how that happens, usually about a nine-month injury, and it just kind of stinks for the team, but the timeline of it, you know, I think what people said, well, what the heck's going on? You said he didn't have an ACL. Well, this is what happens in medicine and medical field sometimes.

Sometimes the imaging doesn't show exactly what's in there, and you have to go in and figure it out, and that's what happened here. Wrap it up for Sal Capaccio. I look at their schedule the rest of the way, and they control their own destiny and getting the number one seed. I think they'll beat the Jets. I think they'll beat the Dolphins, the Bears, the Patriots, that Bengals game on that Monday night. That's gonna be a good one because Cincinnati just keeps on looking better and better.

Yeah, I agree with you. I think Cincinnati's gonna be really tough out. You know, you go to Cincinnati on a Monday night. I think what you hope for is that Cincinnati and Kansas City both drop a game before the end of the year, and that's not unrealistic. I know the Kansas City schedule doesn't look too daunting, but look, it's the NFL, right? I mean, what are the chances all three of these teams run the table except for that game between those two teams? So, they do have a tough schedule when it comes to playing their division teams that already beat them, the Jets and the Dolphins, but they are getting them in Buffalo. We know that. And then the Bengals game really looms large.

So, that's gonna be tough. And I'll tell you, if the Chiefs do drop one game, that game against Cincinnati is gonna basically, could be for the number one seed in the AFC. Yeah. Who concerns you more, Cincinnati or the Chiefs? I think it's the Chiefs. There's a lot of scar tissue, Zach. I mean, it's the last few years, right? I mean, we know what Mahomes can do. I think Bill's fans, you know, you know that Burrow is really great and Jamar Chase is great.

You know that. I mean, that's in your back of your mind, but this team lost to the Chiefs the last two years on the road. I think mission A is getting home field and forcing Patrick Mahomes to come to your place if you have to play him. I think that's really where it stands for the Buffalo Bills. Don't go back to Kansas City for the playoffs and, you know, see what Mahomes can do on the road in the playoffs, which he's never had to play a road playoff game.

As we talked about earlier, Sal Cappaccio, you still got 17. You'll still got a chance to obviously go all the way this year and win the Super Bowl in Glendale, Arizona. But what's the pulse of the Bills fan today? You just being on the ground there? Disappointment in what happened with Von today.

I think everybody was riding high. Matt Milano also mis-practiced today. He's got a knee injury. We don't know the extent of it. Hopefully it's okay.

We'll see. Sean McDermott called him day to day, but I think it's a little anxiety now because of all this, right? Where this team got back into the driver's seat, back in the number one seat after not having it and having everything fall their way this week. And then suddenly all these injuries and Von out for the year. So look, I mean, it's like I said, it's scar tissue.

It's everybody always expecting the worst to happen in Buffalo like it's happened for so many years. Sal Capaccio does a great job as a Bill Siler reporter, but covering the team for a very long time. We appreciate it as always, Sal. Thank you. Anytime, man. Thank you.

There you go. Sal Capaccio on the day that Von Miller was announced that he is out for the season with a torn ACL. Marco Bolletti is here. A little different feel from yesterday, Marco. Look at Marco wearing the Yankees cap today because his guy Aaron Judge is coming on back. First time I had to dust it off in the back of the closet.

I barely could find it. Marco has been wearing the same hat I think since for the last 20 years. I think I started wearing the Yankees in high school. I don't think I've taken it off.

I've gotten different ones over the years, but same style. So Arson Judge going to the Giants, Aaron Judge staying with the Yankees. Correct.

When you got the news today, your reaction was? Great. Now let's finish it.

I mean, because it's still the idea of winning, right? Like I want Judge here. I'm glad he's here.

That's their biggest bat is their most important player. Yada, yada, yada. Title. That's what you want as a fan. You want to see them win. It's not just about, you know, 62 is great and all.

That doesn't mean anything. It's about winning. So what were the next steps that they move on? Do they get another bat? Do they figure out something to help out this lineup? I was a little annoyed when then I found out that Masataka Yoshida went to the Red Sox because that was the guy that I really wanted the Yankees to go get. So now they got to pivot and see where they're going to go from here. By the way, Hickey, I don't even know if you know this. Did you hear about the little on-air kerfuffle that supposedly happened at 345 Hudson Street a few days ago?

Did you hear about this? Between who and whom? Guy sitting to the left of me. And do you know who it was? You got in a fight with someone, Marco? Not that I remember. He just put him, he put the talk show host slash producer in their place about an argument that they were making.

He was very convincing. Well, was it me? I don't think. Was it Jack Stern? No.

Was it Pap Boyle? No. Sean Marash? No. No. Dave Sheppard?

Yep. What'd you say to Sheff? You tell me if I'm right or wrong here, but I was just listening to the clip that they played so I could only gather. I don't know what context it was. Was Sheff like making a case that Belichick's like no longer this great coach? And that kind of just set you off. Not only that he wasn't a great coach, that he was never, that it was all Tom Brady and Belichick was along for the ride. Are you serious? I love Sheff.

Here comes the butt. Did he watch the, I know you're going to tell me the Giants and I'm just talking for the Patriots. What? Did he watch the first few championships of the Patriots?

I mean, you got me. Again, Belichick was along for the ride. It was all Tom Brady. Yeah. And he was also along for the ride with Parcells. He had nothing to do with those teams either.

Who kept Brady on the roster when he was the fourth string quarterback? Yeah. Yeah. Bill. Okay. Yeah.

Again, and also too, we get revisionist. So like even in the AFC championship game in 2001 against the Steelers on the road when Brady was awful and then got hurt and then Bledsoe bailed him out and actually got him to the Super Bowl. Who was the guy that instead of going with the veteran and the former number one overall pick in his own right, that decided, you know what?

Had the stones to say, I'm going with the rookie and playing him in the Super Bowl. A hundred percent. You're right on that.

But not only that. He was, Bledsoe's a hundred million. People forget Bledsoe was paid a hundred million dollars.

The richest contract, the NFL. Imagine if that happened now. That's with Twitter and everything.

People have been losing their money. And also too, I mean, we all separate conversation, but we also had an argument back then. Cause he called Bledsoe just another quarterback.

And I was like, you obviously it's fine. If you think that Bledsoe was really good. He was really good. I mean, he, he took them to a Super Bowl in 96. It's not like this was not just a guy. This was a really good quarterback who wasn't an all time hall of fame elite.

He was really good though. So like that's different arguments that we had. So they said it on the DA show. Cause that's what I heard it with Mraz and they were playing and I guess someone told Mraz about it.

And then Mraz played it in soundcheck for DA. They made a point, which I think is very true about you. Like you're a New Yorker. You're a loud person by nature, but like you're not like crazy.

Like you don't yell just to yell. You just loud, you're boisterous and, and you're stern, but you were really animated in this clip. Like you were, it seems as if you were offended and you wanted to just pop Shep as if he was a pimple. I don't remember. I don't, I don't remember my feelings during the whole thing.

I look, I get, it sounds like you want it to like, just grab him by his shirt and just like, like take a shirt and put it over his head. You guys know me well enough. And I think everybody kind of knows me. Like you're going to get what you get. I'm going to tell you how I think. So there is the idea that if I feel like what you're saying is just to be said, and there's no real, real thought behind it. And it's not genuine. You will hear me. And that's just the way I am.

That's an entering walk. If you're just trying to get basically get a rise out of me. Congratulations. You got the rise.

I will let you know. And then quickly move on. Have you always been this unfiltered? Probably. Yeah. I can't remember a time where I didn't. Yeah.

Just never afraid to voice your, your opinion. I don't know. I kind of like this new market. I don't feel like there's a new market. I don't know.

I don't, like I said, I don't think it's new. I think you're just seeing me a lot more. I think you're, you're around me more. So you're getting more of the real functioning when I'm seeing you. Yeah. I mean, like I said, like you're going to get, if you I'm, I think I'm more quiet than I am loud.

I do. But if you're around me long, you get some saying, if you're around me long enough, you're going to get me. When you get me, you're going to get what I am, which is usually emphatic in you.

There's a lot of energy behind it, but it's almost like in quick spurts because then I'm going to retreat into my closet and I'm just going to do what I got to do. You know, you know, they always say, you never forget how to ride a bike. I think that's what it was like.

We haven't had our dose of Marco for awhile. So I got on the bike and then I fell. And then I got back up and I'm like, Oh, I don't know if I know how to ride this. And then once I figured out the bike again, I'm like, Oh yeah, this is the market that we all once loved. Now he's just back and better than ever. Well, like I said, you, you definitely, you're around me more in life when they get taken away from you. And now we have Marco Valletti here every day. And keep in mind too, that was what, two years?

You didn't have to, nobody had to see my fat ass. So it's a little bit different now, all of a sudden it's like, Oh yeah, he is really a pain in the ass. Yeah, I am.

All right. Let's get to a Capitan and someone that he said he's a pain in the ass, but I don't think he's a pain in the ass. Marco may be my favorite person here after that take down that he had, which is funny because when I used to work at the weekend, I'm like, Oh, who's this jerk Marco Valletti just yelling at everyone. Exactly. See, there it is. I was, I was afraid of Marco when I first got here. Let's not get nuts, but yes, you see the jerk that comes out. Yeah. You talk to me long enough.

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That's blue Nile.com blue Nile.com. You're listening to the Zach Gelb show. Another day is in the books and we're taking stock of the sports world. It's time to find out who's up and who's down. Let's end the day right and hit the closing bell.

Only on the Zach Gelb show. The Yankees got Aaron Judge back. Give a stock up to the New York Yankees. Von Miller, unfortunately out for the season.

You still got number 17. Bill should be fine, but a terrible blow to the Buffalo Bills for this season. Just unfortunate news.

Hate to see it. So I give a stock down to unfortunately the Buffalo Bills. John Heyman yesterday it was Orson Judge appears to be going to the Giants. He ends up going to the Yankees. And then today Cole Hamels hasn't pitched in like two years, I think. And now it's Coke Hamels maybe making a return to major league baseball.

Yeah. He called him Coke Hamels. Stock down to John Heyman. Stock down to hot take Hickey saying the oatmeal raisin cookie is the worst cookie around. Give me the you idiot sound effect. No, the other one.

Come on Hickey. You don't got to be kidding me. And this transfer portal, whenever somebody transfers, they have to release a statement. So a running back from Mississippi State, Dylan Johnson, part of the reason why he's transferring is he wrote in this letter, with all you together, you guys have helped me build my character and skills tremendously. With that being said, since I'm not very tough and Leach talking about Mike Leach is glad I'm leaving. I'll be entering my name into the transfer portal with hopes of finding a more fit playing environment for me.

Thank you. So I guess Hickey, Mike Leach told the player that he was soft. Wouldn't be the first time, won't be the last time. Isn't that a soft move then to say that's why I'm transferring the program because the coach said I'm not tough.

It's a little soft if you ask me. Not a bad point. Now there's what over 800 people that have entered the transfer portal.

Yeah, it's a huge number. Do I need a statement when every Tom, Dick and Harry enters the transfer portal? Yes, you have to respect my decision. How was we supposed to know the third string linebacker on a Navy? We got to know he's in the transfer portal. Just tell me who's not transferring at this point. Okay.

That's easier. So I'm giving a stock down to this running back. That's I guess soft and no longer part of the Mississippi State program. I got to chuckle at that one. I've never seen a state like you're taking a shot, but I don't think that makes you look good. I like the honest more here, but it doesn't make you look good. You left this show and you're like, Oh, Zach said I wasn't tough enough for this job. Makes you look a little bit soft. If you ask me.

All right. That's the Zach Yelp show on CBS sports radio. Big thanks to Sal Capaccio for joining us.

And also James Palmer from the NFL network. We will be back tomorrow at 6 PM Eastern three Pacific on good old CBS sports radio for another edition of the Zach Gelb show on a big Thursday edition. I'm going to regret what I'm about to say. Hickey week's gone by very quickly. That means Thursday go be slow and, and Friday is going to be very slow as well. Alrighty. Talk to you tomorrow, everybody. We out. Bye-bye.