Dan Orlovsky, Former NFL Quarterback

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I have one tattoo that covers my entire body. Listen and subscribe on the Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts from. Alrighty, this is that Yelp show coast to coast on CBS Sports Radio. Let's head out to the guest line right now as conference championship weekend is set. And we'll welcome in a former NFL QB.

Now does a great job for ESPN and that's Dan Orlovsky. Dan, how you been my friend? I've been good bud. Good to be back with you man. I'm hoping you're well.

Yeah Dan, I'm doing fantastic and appreciate you jumping on board with us. I just want to start you off with that Bengals-Bills game. All week long we heard about the injuries up front with the three offensive linemen being out for Cincinnati.

I was just shocked though how Buffalo wasn't able to make them pay up front. What did you see happen with the Bills defense just not being able to get home against Joe Burrow and company? Yeah, I think number one when it came to the run game it was really smart by Brian Callahan.

We got to remember he's Bill Callahan, long time NFL offensive line coach's kid so he understands offensive line play really well. And with those three backups in didn't ask them to pass protect for a significant amount of time nor did they ask them to do it a lot early on. So it was like hey let's allow these guys to fire off the football mentality wise. The second thing they took advantage of Buffalo trying and want to staying in nickel defense, five defensive backs on the field. And they ran at the nickel a bunch so they got offensive linemen or tight ends on a smaller player defensively. That helped them run the football with a bunch of different kinds of runs. And then Joe, I've said this for two years now, Joe is the best guy in the NFL when it comes to understanding what he needs to do versus that defense that week. Like what are the two or three things that he's got to make sure he does and or doesn't do to beat that team and it varies week to week. And I thought Joe's understanding of coverage rotation, getting the ball out quickly, attacking zone versus them was typical Joe. And that benefits them and I also say this Zach, there are three wide receivers set, everything runs through Jamar.

And the different places that they place him really makes you challenging on a defense. Did it surprise you with the end result that we saw yesterday? No, not in Buffalo. Are you talking about the Buffalo Cincy game?

No. You know, Zach, I said this like two months ago, man. Buffalo's offense not nearly as talented as people think.

And they all like I got killed over it. Here's the reality. Right tackle is not a very good player. Left tackle, Dawkins struggles. The interior of their offensive line is getting older. That's the superstar. Dave Davis is a really good three.

OK, too. And more just of a vertical guy. They cannot run the football to save their lives out of the shotgun and their offense is a shotgun offense.

So, you know, like talent wise, they're not that as deep as people think. And I'd say this defensively, injuries caught up to them both in the back end and obviously Vaughn not being there. So I expected a 14 point win for Cincinnati.

Wow. Dan Orlovsky here with us. You also go back to the deadline. We were sitting there talking about them going and getting Josh Jacobs. Didn't happen. Them going to get Christian McCaffrey.

He gets traded to the Niners. Imagine they had run CMC yesterday. Yeah. You know what? And that's fair, Zach. I'm with that.

I just think philosophically they have to adjust as well. You know, I said this about Kansas City last year. Kansas City was so shotgunny and so RPO based. Your offense defines always catching.

You're never firing off. It's the same with Buffalo. They're always catching as an offensive line because their pass first RPO second run third. And I think, yes, a more dynamic back certainly would help.

But I would also say, like, just identity philosophically. They got to figure out a way to calm themselves down. In fact, they got to figure out a way to be built to win in January. Not September, October, which they can do with anybody. Win in January.

I also think it is, too. They put too much on the play to Josh Allen. I get it. You pay the quarterback as much as you do. And I know that he does have some turnovers, obviously, but he was their run game all throughout the year. Totally.

And you watched it. It's fair to say that Josh Allen missed Brian Dable. It's fair to say that Buffalo builds offense missed Brian Dable. And I just think, like, if you're going to ask me one thing for Josh that they've got to get him back to, they got to get him back to being settled down. That was a big thing of that two and a half year surge that he had. He played such a settled game, even though he's such an incredible physical athlete. They got to get him back to that.

And so there's a lot of parts that are connected to that. Talking to Dan Arlovski on the other side, Cincinnati. Do they still get disrespected or do you think that's an overblown storyline? No, they get disrespected still, for sure. But there's also a little bit of a caveat to that, Zach, because we have Kansas City. And it's because we have Josh Allen and Buffalo.

And there's a lot of glamour to those teams. And we've seen them play incredible games and have amazing moments. Cincinnati, as well coached as anybody on the defensive side of the football, as anybody.

That's including New England and Bill Belichick. And then offensively, they've got the quarterback, and I said this this morning and people are losing their minds. Joe Burrow is the best quarterback in the NFL. Now, Patrick Holmes is the best player.

He's the most talented player. And if I had to pick one or the other, I'd take Patrick. But when it comes to the quarterbacking of timing and rhythm, anticipation, listening to your feet, throwing into windows, those things, Joe's the best at right now. When you look back at the previous years, and I know each game is different, but the Bengals have just shut them down in the second half and they've won three straight. What does Cincinnati need to continue to do up against Kansas City, and what do you think Kansas City will change and alter their approach this time around in their fourth matchup? Yeah, well, one, what's the health of Patrick and his legs, right?

So that's the great unknown right now. I think that this is a different Kansas City offense than last year, though, and we saw it a little bit when they met in the regular season. Kansas City is way more comfortable putting two and three tight ends on the field. They're way more comfortable getting into condensed splits and running the football.

They're way more comfortable putting Patrick underneath center and being a little bit more committed to being disciplined on second downs. So I think for Cincinnati, you want to continue to challenge Kansas City to do that, and will they be in that mindset? Because I've said this, is Kansas City going to do that in a win or go home game, fourth quarter, nine minutes to go down five? Or are they going to go, well, Patrick, it's second and eight, we've got to throw the football. And that's Kansas City's bread and butter, is getting you into the mindset.

So that's going to be the fascinating kind of test match between these two staffs. I really think, and it's so bizarre because you're saying this about Mahomes, but with that uncertainty of the ankle, if this gets into a shootout, I love Cincinnati this weekend. Well, and just because Steve Vagnola, who's a phenomenal defensive mind, and I love getting the opportunity to talk with him a couple weeks back, they really are two-aught defenses. They're the defense that wants to play in their zone concepts and allow their rush to get home a little bit. And then they're the defense that wants to play pressure and play man. And the reality is that's the one offense in the NFL you don't want to do that to. And it'll be really, I'll be fascinated to watch to see if Staggs is going to line up and just play man coverage. Because if he does, it tries to light him up because of those three backup offensive linemen. Joe is so equipped to handle that and make sure that the talent on the perimeter is a big part of the game. Dan Orlovsky on the Zach Gelb show on CBS Sports Radio got into Dallas, and let me preface this by saying I thought Dallas was going to win yesterday up against San Francisco.

Clearly that did not happen. I look at Dak, and I always say this about Dak, he's a good quarterback, but there's a difference from a good quarterback to a great quarterback. And I just don't see him ever winning a Super Bowl in this league, Dan. Yeah, I thought Dallas would get beat worse than they did yesterday. I thought that would be a 10-point win for San Francisco.

I'm such a fan of what they do. Dallas' defense deserved to win that football game. Dallas' defense deserved to win last year.

Twice, two years in a row. They've given up 23 points, and they've given up 19 points and lost. Here's the truth about Dallas and Dak Prescott. Number one, they needed him to outplay Brock Purdy, and he couldn't. And if we had to pinpoint it to one single thing, both him and Brock Purdy dropped back 13 times yesterday on third down, Zach, okay? Brock Purdy and those 13 dropbacks had seven first downs in a QBR of 71.

Dak Prescott and those 13 dropbacks had two first downs in a QBR of 5. That's a tough pill to swallow if you're Dallas. And I think that everybody, the Cowboys Nation, the Cowboys organization, fans, even some analysts, myself probably included, we want Dak the person to become Dak the player. Meaning we all know as a person, he's a superstar. We root for him. He's a great human being. He's not a great player. He's a good player.

And that's good, but the expectation is we want you to be great. And the downside for them yesterday, Zach, is they didn't need him to be great. They needed him to be good, and he wasn't that. And he couldn't elevate the team. Once Pollard went out, and I picked Dallas, like I told you, I got extremely nervous because Pollard's been their most valuable player on the offensive side of the ball this year.

Yeah, and here's the thing. I wasn't surprised by the performance by Dak. I've seen it all year.

I've just been called a hater. He hasn't seen the field well. He hasn't listened to his feet. He's forced the football. He hasn't gotten through progressions two, three, and four when they're down the field. Any quarterback can get through two or three or four progressions when it's a check down.

Two, three, four down the field. That was the case again yesterday. Now everyone goes, well, why, Dan? I don't know that answer.

I'm not there every day. Do I think he's forcing the football? Yes. Do I think he's getting stuck on C.D. Lamb? Yes. Do I think he's feeling the pressure of the expectation and the burden of it?

Yes, I do. And they've got to figure out a way this offseason to get him back to being a much more consistent player. For you, Dan, and you've been around the league a long time, whether it's playing or covering it, I know everyone talks about Shanahan first, but what individually stands out to you about what Brock Purdy has been able to do? That dude trusts his eyes. He is convicted about what his eyes tell him. Like, you watch him on those third downs. You watch him on some of those throws late. He doesn't hesitate. He doesn't waver. My eyes are telling me this window is popping open.

Rip it. Like, to see it, trust it, and rip it part of quarterbacking, that kid has. And there's something to be said about it.

Like, I always say this. Just look at a quarterback's back leg, man. When they put that back leg in the ground, what's it look like?

Does it look like a Roger Clemens fastball off a bump? You know what I'm saying? And that kid has it. He knows where his eyes are supposed to be and he trusts what they tell him.

And that gives you a lot of confidence. They could have two games left and they're in the NFC title game. Is that enough so far with what he's done to make you think he's going to be the starter week one next year?

He would have to absolutely implode next week for that to not be the case. You know, San Francisco's in a situation, I don't know if we're calling it good, bad, sticky, whatever, but what he's done is very impressive. I don't know how great he can be. I don't know how great Kyle Shanahan needs him to be. Kyle wants one thing out of this quarterback process. Think quickly. Be a point guard.

Distribute. He's done that to an A-plus level in many situations. So unless he implodes on the road in Philadelphia, yeah, I think it's hard to dispute. On the other side, Jalen Hurts, we all know what he did last year, but it ended in not the best way where it looked really bad up against the Buccaneers.

I know they have to put him in the right situation. They did that going on out there and getting AJ Brown, but I was at that game in Philly and I know he's had a remarkable season. Everyone's talking about the shoulder injury. It didn't even look like it affected him one bit up against the Giants. Every time I talk about Jalen, I think it's important for me to do this, Jack. I was wrong on Jalen Hurts.

I was wrong on the whole handling of the Wentz situation with him. He's blown me away, man. I think I took him for granted even this year. That six-week stretch where he doesn't play, I took for granted how good he actually is. And not only that, Zach, how much he impacts everybody else on their offense.

And that's why Nick Sirianni's crazy for calling him Michael Jordan, but I get it. I get it because how much easier everybody else's job is because of Jalen Hurts being there and all the different stuff he does in their zone read and RPO game. The angles that he creates for their offensive line, the holes that he holds onto with backside defenders for their backs, man, the butterfly effect of him being there. And he's the only guy in the NFL that can do it. Right now in that offense, he's the only guy in the NFL.

He's been remarkable. And I know that there's probably other answers here, but I don't know if there's two better leaders in the NFL right now talking players-wise than Jalen Hurts and Joe Burrow, Dan. You know, it's funny, Zach, because we were in the green room today at ESPN right before NFL Live, and I kind of made the comment to Marcus Spears, Ryan Clark, and Lauren Brothers that they're kind of the same dudes. They're both of these guys that probably put in more hours of work than we could even comprehend. Because their style of play is representative growth and development in work. It's not this jaw-dropping, God-given, I-can't-understand-that talent. Jalen physically, yes, a little bit, but just the growth and development of all the things of quarterbacking that matter when it comes to their specific skill sets, they're kind of the same guy.

And the unwavering confidence and the mission, the Terminator-type mission, yeah, I agree. All right, who wins? Who's going to the Super Bowl, Dan? Yeah, I think it's Kansas City and Philly. I've got to dive in a little bit more on Kansas City's defense. It's hard for me to comprehend Patrick Holmes losing to the same person four times in a row.

And as great as San Francisco is, I think the quarterback run game is a great denominator in that game. Dan Orlowski, we appreciate the time as always. Thanks so much.

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