9/14/26 Victory Monday Full Show

0:00It's Mike Shope and the Bulldog. Bill's her truck. Allen buys time. Allen is got room to run. He's going to take it. Allen inside the bar and Allen takes it in for the touchdown. Allen ships a downfield and a tail on. Nobody there. Moore breaks away for the touchdown. Those last drives, the gap in talent between a very solid playoff quarterback CDace drought and Josh Allen, it is the Grand Canyon. Allen on 30 to 11. The head of the rush. It's rush to downfield. It's hot. Plummer touchdown. Buffalo. Josh Allen delivers. Josh Allen is something special. And if they can do that, drop 36 points on a defense like Houston's, which by the way, gave up the most points since the Miko Ryan's rookie year. I got to look at that and say, this is a statement by the Buffalo bills. It's Mike Shope and the Bulldog.

1:01We do like Reliance Stadium. Woo! Now WGR sports radio 550. Yes, Mike Shope and the Bulldog at our new time. This is the earliest I've ever been up. Everything is sideways for me right now. It really is. I mean, it's been 24 years. And it might seem ridiculous. I don't know. You and I were both fine with this. And I think maybe you were eager for it. Yes. This is something I've wanted for five years or more. I've never wanted it. But I never hated the idea. Yeah. It's just like all morning, I was an hour, an hour less time. It was like turning the clocks ahead. Right. I had an hour less time. My process, you don't even want to, you might want to know, I don't want to tell you what it is. It's so lazy and bad. It's embarrassing, right? Same, same. But cutting the grass, I won't cut the grass before 10 a.m. That's a personal rule of mine. All right. I don't like it when my neighbors cut the grass.

2:02Well, they don't cut their own grass. But when the landscape is coming and cut the grass before 10 a.m. It's annoying to you. The one house can be like eight o'clock. And maybe I'm up, usually I'm up. Yeah. Really, this is really not the earliest I've ever been up. But, you know, 10 is my personal rule. So today was like, you know, at 10, I'll do it. And then it was 10. And I was in the middle of something else, I'm like, oh, oh, I better get this done. All right. Because, you know, I want to be here by one. I had, I had, I went to see my, my barber, oral robberts from Trinidad and Tobago. I went to see him today for, I have every six weeks 11 a.m. He's nice enough just like punch that in. I get a text message in an email a few days in advance reminding me, hey, your appointment's coming up. It's always Mondays and it's always 11 a.m. And yes, as I'm leaving today, I said, can we maybe move these? No, it's fine for now, but in my head, I'm going to want to, I'm going to want to go there at 10. Now 11 because I get, I'm just like everything's all just, it's all a jar right now.

3:06I don't get my haircut at a set time, but because there is one. But when I, like Friday, I got my haircut and then at the end, like, all right, let's make your next appointment. And anything she says, like up to one, I'm like, okay, right. That's different now. Like I can't get my haircut at one. That's right. No, like that's different now. There are ways I haven't even thought of that. There are ways I haven't even thought of yet. Yeah, that are going to have to be a little bit tweaked, you know, assuming this lasts. And here's to it lasting. Oh, we just say that. I'm so with you. I'm very happy to be on an hour earlier because it means we get done an hour earlier. And that's what I was seeking. So I'm excited about that. That seems good too. I hope it all, I hope everyone else is happy with the rescheduling that's happened, especially you out there. And if you're tuning in, like, where's Brad? Brad's been on Noon to two. We already get to where's Brad? Noon to three or one to three. He's been here that long already.

4:06I don't know. So we got to where's Brad. This is, this is new for us. We're all here. Portions of Buffalo Football Monday are brought to you by Tim Hortons, the official coffee of the Jeremy and Joe Morning Show on WGR. Start your day strong with Tim Hortons and the bills. Well, the bills. I don't think you really have the right to ask for anything more than yesterday. And I know it wasn't perfect. I mean, they got pretty lucky. I think they did great. Alan's great. Pulled it out. Big plays. I mean, you got every bounce with the turnovers, right? You got all the fumbles, both sides. Alan fumbled, cook fumbled, stride twice. You recovered all of them. That's right. You have the Lassiter play at the end, which is almost a blooper that he doesn't catch. How about the, you know, Josh Allen scores his second rushing touchdown on a sneak? What was the play before meant to accomplish that quick, that quick,

5:09like snap throw to Shakir that a guy got his hand on that could have been a 99 yard. Who's that? I mean, there were three Texans right there that that was an interesting one. That was a little scary. So they got away with some stuff. But I think, you know, again, starting with Alan as always, they were good. It wasn't like they deserve to be blown out or anything like that. But you got all the little stuff, the random stuff you got. The tip passes and the fumbles and whatever else. Yeah, even even as great a play. It's a great throw. It's a great job by Moore to keep his concentration on his long touchdown. I mean, that is just a hair from being either incomplete or also maybe a pick six. Yeah, it was like a chip over there. I mean, so, you know, you, you, that's one I think where you have to give it to him. The, the margins are, they did, they did, you know, they cut it close in spots. But yeah, I don't think it would be fair to ask for any, it's court 36.

6:11Let me finish the sentence. Fair to ask for anything more. They scored 36 points in a place where I mean, going in, no, I think I probably said Thursday and Friday. I get to 24. I think I'm probably home. Like this, they're offense is not that scary. And even with a new Bill's defense, I just wouldn't expect this team to be able to race up and down the field. I knew what they kind of did. And you needed to be able to score like that. You know, you tell me Houston gets to 31 points in this game going into it. Before seeing a single snap of it, I'm like, well, we're all in one. I just don't, I don't expect the bills to be able to score 30 points on this team. And the ship, I mean, they obviously did. And the offense really did. It was a very good day if you have been in the camp of wait till you get a load of Joe Brady without having to answer to a boss above him. I'm the coaching staff way. You know, McDermott is gone.

7:12Brady's in charge. And maybe they're going to really air it out. And they really kind of aired it out. I mean, I don't know that that'll be some sort of a stamp that is there every week. I mean, different opponents, whatever. But they, their guys beat their guys, the, you know, Josh Palmer beats Lasseter at the end there. More beat like they did the thing that they have not been able to do, which is get open on sticky man-to-man coverage. And it worked. So if you've been thinking wait until you see Josh Allen and Joe Brady in this offense without the defensive minded head coach maybe standing in the way for a week. It's a very good day for that stance. And you even heard, if you paid attention to the telecast, the crew on CBS reference maybe more than once that Josh Allen thought likewise that Joe Brady was going to be kind of sort of like the cuffs are off kind of mentality.

8:14I don't remember what the exact quote used by CBS was, but they intimated that Allen was looking forward to seeing what the game plan and the play calls would be. Well, with Brady completely in charge. I'm interesting in kind of tracking that. We'll have Ross on every week again, Ross Tucker. He's the one who said it. So what? Allen says it to Ross in a meeting. I imagine that's how that happens. And so that's what you would always say. And I mean, Allen is really good at being diplomatic about whatever counts as being controversial. I think back to like when digs was here and that was sketchy at times. And he would always sort of find a way to negotiate that without completely dismissing any possibility that the player was disgruntled. But then also, you know, like I'm good. We're good. We're a good way of that of doing that. And so I wonder how authoritative he might have been on that. I think publicly he would be like, you know, he'd say both things like these guys do when they're really kind of quote good at it is.

9:22Yeah. Well, Sean was great. His record speaks for himself itself. Brady maybe certain things will always be different when you're not trying to quote an imaginary Allen. But you know, I think there's a way you would do that. I think the point I want to make is I think ultimately that is the message he would want you to believe. That's the message we all kind of wanted to believe before yesterday was that. Well, not that the bills were ever bad. I mean, they've been great on offense. Maybe, right. Maybe I'm wrong to think that everybody wanted to believe that their offense would be less shackled. Without McDermott, but I think most people probably would hope for it. You know, it's also really fun when Allen is out in the wild like yesterday kind of. So I think that would be what they would think we want to hear. And then you got a game.

10:22Well, I mean, this is really separate because that conversation was Saturday or whenever Ross meets with players. And then then you got the game that you got. And I sort of still wonder if it happened mostly or more because of this or because of just kind of like circumstances. I mean, you had you had to race with Houston maybe with cook like there was something about the matchup that they didn't like. So or maybe there was something out wide in the passing game that they did like. Yeah. So I don't know. I mean, what we're going to do this week is or at least today because there's another game on Thursday. I'm kind of happy about that because week one is when we tend to overreact to everything. And like, are they a juggernaut? I don't know. But yesterday was a great day. Every season is different with with defense. Not to sort of ramble on to another point. You know, like Houston and defense, what have we known or thought we've known for years when it comes to defense quarterback and by extension offense.

11:31If you're good, you're good. And guys like Alan don't have bad ears. I mean, they just it's like almost it's permanent. What he gives you, Baro and Jackson and the like what they give you is it's permanent. The bar is very high. If the bar doesn't move like the they're offense. I mean, you have what last year we've got the lowest average depth of target in the NFL. I mean, how many games did they win? And it wasn't because of their defense. They still killed 12 games, right? So offense is really reliable when you have it. Defense isn't. And to an extent, we've seen that with the bills even like with the same good players. It's been less consistent. All I'm saying is Houston doesn't have to be good. Like it's still a league where offense is going to dictate and maybe they'll be great again and let yesterday will seem to them like a fluke. But yeah, I don't know. I never want to assume that defense is going to be the same year to year.

12:33Well, it's not that it wasn't a great day. Right. Right. I mean, the thing about them though is that there's no there's usually there's more. And we've been pointing it out, you know, we talked a few different Houston people in the run up to this game because we had, you know, so much more time for, you know, the opener. And looking at their depth charts, there's only one change on the defensive side of the ball. And it's a guy that has tons of experience and won a Super Bowl in Philadelphia. Like it's, it's like some fly by night guy like reblinch at ships of respectable idea. Maybe even viewed as an upgrade for what they already had. So I was expecting maybe very similar to what we got last year, not eight sacks and 12 quarterback hits necessarily. But like they're going to win their share of downs. It's going to be hard. But I'll be alive at the end and I'll have a chance because that was even as bad as last year's game was there. That was still the game where, you know, they had the ball and had a chance. So I thought it would be more like that with like, you know, 10 fewer points each.

13:33Right? Like 2621 is a lot more reasonable idea for how this game would have ended. And that's very similar to last year's game. And instead we got like nobody is stopping anyone. And, you know, how much that played into what the bills did in their passing game. You know, I don't know. Like maybe once it's 2421 at half, right? It's 2421 at half time. Do you come out in the second half thing? Like, all right, we're just going to have to, we're going to have to get to 40 maybe. Like we're going to have to get to 35. We're going to have to score. So let's just keep going here and because they really did not keep at the running game in the second half. I still haven't gone and looked at night, but I will. It just felt like very early in the second half they went like, all right, that's not really working. Let's not waste our time. And it was really on the passing game to make the offense go. I mean, cook only had 13 carries on the day. And I got to guess like 10 of those are in the first half.

14:34But again, I got to go look and make it. Because they were running it effectively. Like when the game started like, okay, well, you know, I'm all about, get me DJ more established early, give them something to worry about and all that kind of stuff. And- That didn't happen. No, and when they started out running effectively, I'm like, I guess we're going to have to press pause on that for now. But boy, as soon as that dried up, they- they seemed ready to do something else. Um, and that- they know that's to their credit. And again, maybe that's a part of the loosening of the whole thing without McDermott, you know, standing atop the pyramid. Because it certainly circumcistantially, it would be easy to understand Joe Brady feeling like, my instinct here is to throw it more. But, you know, the game plan was this and I want to, you know, I have a boss to please. Now I don't. We'll see if it isn't a good question for our four o'clock guest. Like maybe he'll tell us dockens.

15:37Yep. You know, he likes to say things. But will he like to say them with us? That's the question. About yesterday's game every Monday. Will we be able to get him to like to say things to us? Yes, that's it. I don't know. Because this is a new relationship. I- the only time I've ever interacted with him was at the roast. Same. And, you know, I don't really even barely- I said something about like, don't answer our calls, dude. You're- you're- you're good. You're young. You're up and coming. People seem to like you. You don't need to be tied to us. Like, you know, being so- But now he's stiff. Now he is. Now he's not young enough and coming. But now he's tied to us. I'm a fan. I've- I've always- I've said many times on the air, dockens, whenever we have a sound bite from dockens, like, he's the most interesting guy to listen to. Alan is so, you know, safe all the time, you know, whatever, fine. It's not like it's a problem for him. But dockens will be a little bit more- he's just different. So I'm excited about that. How much of the Bill's willingness to throw the ball downfield in this game came from there either learning as the game was starting or even confidence and, you know, feeling like going into the game that this would be a good game.

16:47That this would be a good, a good thing for them is that they could block Houston. Like, for me, this game was not- I was not optimistic for what we got offensively because of the hell that Houston raises on defense up front. And that the last two years, especially last year, is why anybody would have said that is that Alan just got destroyed in that game. And so how do you game plan? How do you expect to go down there and basically try to win the same way as you went in there last year? Like, you know, they probably didn't. But they got the job done. I mean, there were a lot of these- you always need- I mean, you always need the pocket to hold up for long enough. The past of Palmer, a lot of the big plays yesterday, it's close to breaking down. I mean, Alan just gets it off in time.

17:49But you know, what I'm saying is they were able to block the Texans. And then, okay, now I can wait for DJ Moore to get open, you know, 20 yards or concave, 20 yards downfield or Palmer. Without that, those guys are moot. Like, there's no game there. If you can't hold up in the pocket. So, but that happened. You know, that was a big result for them yesterday is that they were not, you know, there was just breakdowns. They were under duress every time he dropped back. Like, really is how it felt last year. And yeah, I mean, I haven't even seen what the official count on. He was, but it had to be like half a dozen. I think it was a very calm day back there. Easy for me to say. You know, Alan did get bumped by I think one of his own guys on one play where he had, I think, Shakir breaking in the middle of the end zone. I think they ended up with a field wall on that was before Houston took, you know, took the lead late.

18:52The drive that preceded that for the bills. I think he had Shakir, but he got, he got bumped into. It's not the time he looked like he heard his hand. It was another time. So, I don't know, even if that counts as a pressure, but like his line been kind of like the Dawkins play from the chief playoff game a couple years ago where Chris Jones pushes him into Alan. And that knocks him a little bit and it makes the throw Aaron. There was one of those, but yeah, man, I mean, he really he operated a lot more cleanly than I would have ever expected. Let's go to Chris here. Hi Chris. Hey, I was going guys. Thanks for having me on. Hey, listen, I just want to say great play by Greg Russo. Von Miller called it out a few years ago saying this guy's going to be the guy. I'm just hoping that this resolves a 30 year problem of having a Bruce Smith on the line that can dial one up when the games on the line. What's the problem or just the bills not having a all time great pass rusher, you mean that part?

19:55Yeah, well, no, I just mean like it seems like back in the day, Bruce Smith game on the line when we needed that play, he could dial it up. Yeah, he's the best effort. He was the best. Really? Yeah, you're not always going to have the best ever. So, but Russo came through big yesterday. I mean, the both he and Dion Walker, like what I think you really want. Look, I don't think the bills will see how this all unfurls with Jim Leonard. You know, maybe they end up with some just hair on fire, hell raising defense. Even with this personnel or maybe it takes a draft or two, whatever, but they a lot did not go right for them on that side. They gave a lot of yards, they gave up a lot of third downs, they gave up this gave up a lot. But the game is on the line and Dion Walker beats the doors off his guy to like set Houston back right away. They got to burn a time out of them. Russo wins. So, and that's not even that's really not Leonard versus McDermott passive versus aggressive.

20:59That's just the guys won. Like both of those guys' job would have been the same last year or for the case of Russo. His entire career. Go beat your guy, get to the quarterback. Murray's lining up might be different and that could impact it. But as far as Walker goes, he's in the middle of an offensive line and he just he just drummed his guy and made a play. Well, also Russo had a great start to the game. I mean, he has two tackles on running plays. I remember right, maybe one was a astride stop. But then you have a fumble on the third play too. Like the first three plays, he was bookends. Really game here. Yeah, yeah. But come on. Thank you, Chris. Like, I don't know. Don't we have a book on Russo? Like, don't we? Maybe it's different. Maybe they'll be different. Different rules. Yeah, I don't know. Different numbers. Different, you know, weights in some cases. I think probably it's because I gave myself the credit yesterday for Russo because of that blackjack tournament we played in together.

22:00Oh, I see. And I feel like he gained some confidence from that. That probably was why he's not Bruce Smith. The color didn't say he was Bruce Smith. But I mean, yeah, we haven't had the best defensive end pass rusher in history for 40 years. Correct. 30 years. Correct. But that's not a fair comp for any player, you know, all he's saying there I think was like it's not exactly what they did. And that that can write a lot of wrongs for you. You know, I mean, most of these games, you know, one guy who called us yesterday, like I just would have liked them to be in more control and more like, Oh, so you wanted them to be ahead by 15 points all game long. I mean, that happens sometimes when you play the jets. Or some other like Carolina last year, it's just like very early like wow rocking chair city, no stress at all. That's not usually how it's going to go. No, that's why I said first about this game yesterday is I just don't think we have the right to ask for anything more than that.

23:07And they easily could have lost any one of those bounces. If the last hitter, if he just makes an interception, maybe you would have made, you know, assuming you get down there. Like he was down there, right, you'd have to run all that distance. But if somehow I just get to be standing there, I catch that ball. Yeah, you're just standing there. I can catch that ball. You might, you know, yeah. If that happens, where are we today? Like, no, we're not phones are off the hook with how easily they got gashed in the air and just whatever else you want to pick at. That's not what happened. I mean, that's, I feel like they got away with one yesterday because of the turnover bounces and the drop there at the end by Houston. Yeah, no, we're, we're, if the, if last hitter picks that pass off, we're at like, oh, great. You want to be bold and you want to challenge out and like you were in position to kick a go ahead field goal and it's Drake May on Wednesday night and see how it's not, you know, it's, it's close enough anyway. You cost your team a chance in that case it was to tie the game.

24:09In this case, it would have been to go ahead. You know, you wouldn't have been in, I wouldn't have felt great about kicking a field goal there because now they can still beat you with a field goal and they easily got into field goal range. The fact that they needed to touch down is why you got the, the plays you got from Rousseau because they're not even trying to throw anymore if they're down there. They're just running the clock down to zero and just run, you know, basically kneeling. They, I mean, we don't have to go forward with this, but just like also, however, they would have been playing with the lead and what you got there from Houston on that last drive was they were aggressive and they made a couple plays through the air. Even maybe one on, no, I guess there wasn't a fourth down play. They would have had to run out the clock on the probably and that's what they couldn't do previously like they had a drive with the lead the drive before that. The bills punt down 31 30 with 545 left and Houston goes to ring out, run, run, dump off the shults, you know, you might have gotten that from Houston after the last hit or pick if they had been one.

25:15You know, conservative. That's what usually you get anyway. We don't know and it doesn't matter because none of that actually happened. Thanks again, Chris for the call 803 05 50 if you want to join us next. So yep, we're two to six now. I keep looking up there and it looks weird, but it's two. It's right. Right. So, okay, we have Dion Dawkins Mondays starting today, four o'clock, all times Eastern and Sal will join us at five. And that's it, right? That's the list that is who we've got on the show today. Okay, and it ends at six. And it ends at six. So hurry. Don't miss this opportunity. Get down to that store right now because tomorrow, well, it'll be open again, but right now you need to call to action. All right, Mike's open the bulldog here, bills over the Texans yesterday, a lot to talk about from it will be back to do more of that after this break. This is WGR.

26:17I think it was awesome to get a win, find a way to close it out. I love the way we started, obviously, creating a turnover and then finishing it out with a big turnover. There was a lot of ugly in between there, excited for the play style. The energy was there. The effort was there. The detail is, is got to get better, not up to the standards. Great to get the win, but in a lot of ways, it did feel like week one where when things started to unravel a little bit at times or just feel a little bit off. I thought guys looked around like they weren't sure what the answer should be. Jim Leonard. So I feel about my team in this league. I got roped into by Joey. Just the standard was not met. I got beat. And I think I think my players are asking each other if my hearts in it. I think that's what's already their question. I don't have faith in management slash ownership. I don't feel the commitment from up top might be fair. Fish rods from the head down, Mike.

27:17I've heard that and that might be what we're seeing here. Michael's at three. Whoa, just in. Look at that. Wow, that's weird. Right at the start of our show. I know. Wait, I read I texted him today. Sort of, I don't know if it read like it, but hey, we're on earlier. Yeah, and I texted Tyler done the same thing. And I don't know if it matters to Tyler done, but he'll be on with us on Thursday. He'll be out at the stadium for the game. So allow. That's right. I think he's got the call. Yeah, he better. I'm sure he knows that. Yeah. So put Al Michaels on the schedule for today, three o'clock. I'm so happy. I texted him too early. It was like three weeks ago. Hey, just want to see if and nothing until today. And then, you know, he's a gamer. Like this is game week. Did he respond to your text from three weeks ago?

28:21Today, or did you? I texted again. You okay? Today. Yeah. I'm like, why not? Right. Okay. Just. Yeah. This is the now. Now. Now Buffalo. Buffalo's on his mind because he's, you know, it's time. He's coming. Yeah, probably. You'll probably travel tomorrow. I would think. Yeah. You know. All right. So spread the word. Let's go to Mike here. Hi, Mike. Hi, how are you today? Good. Thank you, Mike. We just found out how Michaels is coming on the show. I'm pretty good. Yeah, that's awesome. I just wanted to say it's a great victory Monday. I thought I was a great game. It better than I expected, but I didn't expect to win. I thought that. Yeah, a couple of things I wanted to bring up. It was nice to see Josh. I kind of lose it. I'm not. He's always Josh Allen. But I mean, getting that ball down a little further down the field and players playing, making plays. It was great offense. It was great to watch. It was exciting. And I think they needed that, of course. But I wanted to ask you, in the first half, there were a couple drives that I want to say that I think our defense played well. I know that we gave up some points, but there were a couple drives. I thought that we had them third and long.

29:25And then there was a flag. I didn't see the replay to see that was a good flag or not bad. But I'm not trying to make a really big deal about that. I think our defense played well. I think the defense finished the game well. And that's that can be half more than half. I mean, it can be all of it sometimes. What happened earlier in the game, the third down conversions, especially third and longs, penalties, whatever you want, you could have all that buttoned up. But if you're still in a one score game at the end and you don't make plays at the end, you're going to lose. We saw that plenty of times with McDermott. Not that they always failed to get stops on defense. It just sort of has become sort of like that because the whiffs are so famous. And mostly in the playoffs that end up sort of that like they never stop anyone. But you know, the defense to me has got a lot of work to do.

30:29The past rush was very underwhelming. Most of the game, I would say. It's kind of weird that it started with a strip sack in Houston's first possession that set the bills up and they ended up with a I think a field blow off of that. And then the last possession again, Walker wins gets a big sack and then we're so with the final play. But in between, I thought there was not a lot of winning up front. And there was not really a lot of exotic anything. I thought that I mean, there were five guys at times, but it wasn't like there was no moment where like, Oh, I didn't look where that guy come from kind of thing. Right. We were CJ start was like, Oh, I'm so surprised that that guy came right there was really not any of that. And I don't know. It's possible that we have to an extent exaggerated how much of a part of Jim Leonard defense that will be. But I was just expecting stride to have a tougher time.

31:33And he really he operated pretty cleanly too. It's just those two big plays one at the beginning one at the end. Those are the only two turnovers of the game. Thank you, Mike. Here's Mark next to low mark. Hey, gentlemen. I feel honored. I don't get to talk to you guys that much. So I feel honored. Just real quick. It's only game one, you know. And I was waiting to see what the defense is going to do. Probably like 99.9% of the fans. I thought they played OK. I thought Dion Walker and Russo played out of their minds. They they were tremendous yesterday. I still think the big problem with this defense tonight, like I said, it's only week one third and long. You need to get off the field on third and long. And they were having a problem with that again yesterday. Luckily for the first time in a long time, the defense made a they made a statement and won the game for us. You know, I think it's they didn't have that turnover that that strict sack. Who knows.

32:40But I still think that that third and long is still a problem. Thank you guys. And that's where pass rush to me really comes into it. You know, it it's compounded when you have some confusion in the secondary. There were at least a couple of examples of that where, you know, just guys got crossed up on and both jumped on the shallow thing, leaving the deeper thing available. There was one in the middle of the field that was one of these long third down conversions where the receiver there wasn't anyone within 10 yards of the Houston receiver. I think it was no. In the middle of the field. There there was a little too much of that. But the thing that can offset even coverage confusion is if you win up front third and long. If they got 12 yards, you got that little bit more extra time to even get home and the bills weren't really threatening again. They made the timely plays. But they were not regularly hard to block up front at all really. I don't think first time. I guess that the defense made a play to win the game since two games ago.

33:45Jacksonville in the playoffs. When would a minute last. The bills were up by three points and there was a play. Tray White. I guess it's not like it's never happened. I mean, it happened in the playoffs. Right. So selective memory. Maybe a little bit. But yeah, there's there's no. For me, like there's no hiding from the fact that there were serious issues yesterday on that side. I mean, I don't know timing is everything. Right. So that play at the end and the play. You know, before it were big for them. But man, it was not a good day. Both Leonard and Joe Brady are talking today. Like they sound they both sound like they lost kind of today. You know, and that's maybe normal for coaches, but especially with a short week. I mean, you know, you got no time. You got less time than ever to like sort of, you know, sit in the cold tub and think about what you did yesterday because there's a game in three days. Yeah, right. Thanks, Mike. Here's Aaron with us. Hi, Aaron. Hi. How are you?

34:49No, don't answer that. Sorry. No, I'm just calling. I'm wondering if you think it's too early. I know last year, I always felt like it was something to do with the coaching this year. I know we're talking about the play in the field and the plays. I know we've talked about the defense a little bit. But are we. I don't remember anything glaring happening with the new head coach, other than the defensive, maybe lagging a little bit. Hopefully that's just the beginning of the year. I was wondering how you guys feel about that. You what do you mean like clock stuff, time out stuff? Yeah, like last year, just always Sean McDermott, like, oh my God, if we had a better coach, we probably would have pulled this out. It just didn't seem like that occurred. So I don't know if it was just the game flow or like we think that it's been good, you know, other than our defensive issues. It seems like we have a team where we're not focused on something that had coach did. And like fourth and two or something, you know, well, I got to say that that did not happen very often. This is another one where like do you guys watch the bills last year or the year last five years? I mean, that really did not happen very often.

35:50But maybe it just sort of stuck to McDermott with some people that there were always these, I mean, every time there seemed to be a conversation starting about fourth and two or whatever the caller's example was. Yeah, I can picture salad with charts like you realize you guys realize this is not a problem, right? He's not perfect, but he scores maybe one of the highest in the league at like, you know, should he go, should he kick whatever he's he was always he was very often on the right side of that. Whatever your perception of him was, I mean, yesterday is a home run for Brady. The whole thing was not, I mean, sure. What's going to happen on fourth downs? What's going to happen with the clock? There really wasn't anything severe. I liked that he went on the fourth down early. Right. I mean, that told me he wasn't scared of it. And I didn't expect him to be scared of it. They had 12 men on the field a couple times. One on offense that cost him a fourth and go and then.

36:50They got a lot of time out there late. Yeah, but you know, it wasn't a perfect day, but the whole premise was, is he going to kind of be able to move the ball against Houston in the first game on the road and they did. Yeah. So I think it's a great day for him. My, my recollection is that there was only one play where you might even thought about throwing a challenge flag. And there was a Nico Collins catch over the middle. It was CJ Gardner Johnson in coverage. And Gardner Johnson got up like, you know, that was incomplete. That was incomplete. And before we got to the replays, I, you know, I thought, maybe he's right. Like the ball did come loose, but Collins managed to corral it. I don't know if it was even between his legs or whatever. It never touched the ground. And he ended up catching it. And they, and Houston went quick too. They got up and we're, you know, we didn't see a definitive replay until after. And it turned out, I mean, I don't know if the bills knew it or not or just got beat to the challenge flag.

37:52It's a good thing. You didn't throw the flag. You would have wasted a time out. I don't know how badly they would have needed it. But right. It, you know, the right thing ended up happening. I don't know how close they were to doing the wrong thing. Thanks, Aaron. L Michaels coming up in 20 minutes. Dion Dawkins joins us for the first of his Monday afternoon appearances. That'll be at four. Sal Capaccio at five. We're on from two to six now. Why are these guys on because this is the new thing. This is the new reality two to six. There. And, you know, great. I wonder if when we leave it'll be like, wow, it's still light out or something like one of those deals. We're just sitting here 24 years, you know, he sort of used to then we turned the clocks back and it's dark. So early. I mean, now that'll even be a little different. Maybe we'll have adjusted by then. Mike show up in the bulldog here. This is WGR. It's my show. Hey, I never get this line out the first time. It's not even good. Hey, put a little bit more in there, cowboy and the bulldog. What's your degree?

38:59Kick it. I said take a name. Don WGR sports radio. 550. Welcome back. I say back because now we go to six Eastern weekday afternoon. So turns out you're late. If you're just tuning in, but thank you for doing so. Nonetheless, it is our pleasure. Once again to welcome Al Michaels to the show here on the West her hotline has been seven years. Incredible to me. Since we first connected with Alan. He's been so generous with his time. He'll be in Orchard Park Thursday night for the Amazon season debut and to open another new stadium. The email really, I mean enough already with these new stadiums with Al Michaels on the call. Come on. How many is it at this point? This will make 10. 10. This is fully one third of the stadiums that exist in the NFL 32 teams. Of course, but don't fly is shared by the charges and the Rams and the med live is shared by the giants and the Jess.

40:02So this will be number 10. I'm bringing my big scissors. Provide the ribbon. And away we go. Is any one of them the most memorable for some maybe interesting reason? Well, I think there were a couple. The first one that we that I opened up and when I say opened up at the first regular season game to be played in the stadiums, even though they did host some preseason games as you guys did to try to get the stadium in tip top shape. So the first one would have been in 2001. We did giants at Denver and all I can remember about that one beside the fact that Christian McCaffrey's father Ed Broker's leg was that was September the 10th. So everything gets lost in the shuffle of what took place the next day. But the following year we opened up Gillette Stadium in Foxboro. And that was the year that the Patriots had come out of nowhere when Tom Brady had taken over. They win the Super Bowl. So not only did they open up the stadium, but they put the banner out there for everybody to acknowledge.

41:16They are the champions and also it was the first game in a seven year run for me and John Madden. So that was the first game that we did together and all we went through the 2008 season. And then the other one that would really stand out guys is so far which opened up in Los Angeles during the pandemic. So we did the Rams against the Cowboys with no fans. So that was the the artist one of all. And of course the only good thing about that. We didn't have to be in any traffic. So there you have it. Those would be the top three. The thing I remember about that game and I'm not just trying to kiss up to you by saying this is I know that I had the under and it won in that game. Dallas Dallas and the Rams. I don't remember the stands being empty, but I remember that was under the number. You know, it strikes me. Al is you're laying all that out like Denver. There's a new stadium coming there already.

42:19I know there's all kinds of ways to look at how long you've been in the game here, but that's one. I mean, you know, that was state of the art brand new. And now they're on to a new one already. I don't know me. Is that out on the horizon for you? Like I want to do this long enough to get to Denver's new place one more time. How about that? You know, you make an interesting point because you know, they build these stadiums and you think they're going to last in 40 or 50 years. But now the shelf life has become something like 30. So here we are, which less, you know, less than 30 years before they'll open up a new stadium in Denver. They had the old mile high and they then they built, you know, invest or whatever was called at that particular time. And it's kind of funny how you know, you look at stadiums like that and then you look at like arrowhead stadium in Kansas City. Now they're going to build a new stadium the way it looks right now. But think about this. The designs for that stadium were what was created in the late 60s.

43:23And arrowhead opened in 1972 and they'll still play a game in there tonight. Now there are better stadiums. There's no question about it. But I mean, who knows and hats off to the architecture that people have had that in mind and built in Kansas City also. They did something that no other city had done. They built separate baseball and football stadiums and they're both still going. So you think of it right now. It's kind of a crazy thing how you know, Kansas City got a totally right back in over a half a century ago. And you've been in both of those stadiums for very famous events, you know, many times, dinkinger, right? That was you were on that game in Kansas City. Yeah. Yeah. Game six, 1985. And the bill stadium. I've always heard and I think because we had a round of construction, obviously in the bill's new place, which you'll be there for the for the inaugural regular season game. Like we're talking. I always had heard that it shared design elements that the bills old stadium with arrowhead.

44:27And it's only like a Europe heart that it opened the bills place open in 73. So very similarly and we're just, you know, we just got out of there. So did you ever think you'd see a new stadium in Buffalo? Now I knew that I had to see one or the team would have moved. And you guys, you're on top of it. You understand the fact that, you know, when that stadium got, you know, older and older and people began to think about, you know, maybe it's time to move a franchise. Buffalo was always either at or new at the top of the list. So as you guys well know, I mean, there was a lot of talk about if any team was going to move, that would be the one. So I knew that sooner or later they would have to get a new facility. And of course, here it is. Unfortunately for Western New York and Buffalo and the bills mafia and all the rest so they can move into the new play. And up Thursday night. You were here in 2007 with John Madden, the one visit, the two of you together made to a bills home game when New England beat them 56 to 10.

45:33And that was the undefeated Patriots regular season. Bulldog brought up earlier that I would, I would say, and maybe I've mentioned this to you in our conversations in the past that, and how Michael's is never coming back. Like it just seemed the bills thing. It seemed so lonely. We talked to Peter King one day, kind of about their playing games in Toronto once a year. And where is this headed? And I don't know if this is exactly the name of the town, but he said something like, well, at some point you've got to recognize that like Castle Rock, Colorado has a bigger population than you guys. Something like that. I mean, right. He wasn't being condescending. It was just sort of like matter of facts. They got it like you basically just said you got to figure something out. At some point and they have and I think I wonder how you'll think of this when you get here. Amazingly to me, the old stadium is already dust. Like they leveled it. Yeah, it's gone. Like they played there last year and you'll go out there and you'll have memories of being in rich stadium and the other names over the years many times.

46:34And you look across the street. It's not there anymore. It's really surreal. It is and it's a good thing though because I mean, rich stadium. It served its purpose, but you guys know you've been to other stadiums around the league and they're vastly different. But I think, you know, I mean to me, it's going to be a very exciting night to see this come to fruition. I never wanted to see that team lead. Look, I remember, you know, I was a big AFL fan. It back in 1960. And so I know all about the history of the Buffalo bills. And I think you and I, you guys and I, I think me have talked about this. In a, in a visiting the last year and year before the first NFL game that I ever did ever was a point to point telecast in 1971 bills at Minnesota. And even the NBC station didn't carry the game in Buffalo because they were carrying the American league or nationally, baseball playoffs.

47:35So we got farmed out to a UHS. And I don't know how many people saw that game, but it was the bills at Minnesota. You had a, I know, but grant was the coach of Minnesota at that time. I think Norm Sheen was the quarterback and the bills and you guys and I have talked about this. The bills featured OG Simpson and Al Cowellings. That's how I broke into 1971. Crazy. OJ who you would of course come to know pretty well all over the years. Right. And Cowellings as well. They were both neighbors. Interesting. Okay. Less than anyone think I didn't know that you were less of course with with L Michaels. Well, it's no coincidence that you're going to you're getting a good team here again. Now I mean that goes hand in hand with the prime time schedule. What a start yesterday. Al for the bills a wild win in Houston and Josh Allen. I mean, I sometimes just don't have the words just continues to amaze.

48:37He's unbelievable. You know, I mean, look, he's already won what a couple of MVP awards. His resume has everything, but you know what? It's everything but the lambarty and Detroit comes off a crazy game as well. Yes. Two teams are providing great escapes, but I'm looking forward to it. You know, and Josh actually spends a good part of the offseason out here now after his marriage and along to the same golf club as I do. And on a couple of occasions this past summer, a bowl would go whizzing over my head and some other fairway T box. And of course who hit it? Our man. And you know what? He's such a great guy. He came right over and apologized. I said, what would come on, man? You know, you missed me by 10 feet. No problem. The onus is on the hitter bulldog. We just had this conversation when we were playing in a work event and got hit into like, listen, you got to you got to come over. At least you got to make sure that you do something. It doesn't surprise me that Alan Wood. You know, he seems like. Yeah, sort of good in that in that way.

49:43Yeah. How much? Well, I don't want to I don't want to ask it the way I first was going to hear about how fair do you think it is? How much or not at all do you hold the bills not making a Super Bowl against the quarterback at this point? I mean, he's maybe, you know, we want to hope maybe halfway through his career. And not much more than that, hopefully for us. And he can stay at this level, but they haven't gotten there yet. And the defense carries a lot of the blame largely for. I think one playoff game that was so egregious at 13 seconds game in the divisional round. At the end of the 21 season. But there have been, you know, he's got the ball in his hands. There's a minute and a half or two minutes to go. And they haven't been able to get it, you know, get get the touchdown they needed to get to the next round. I don't know how much of it do you think he carries? There were 32 teams in the league. So at the end of the year, one team is happy and 31 are not. So I look at it that way. You've got a 3% chance of lining up lifting the Liberty trophy.

50:50You guys and I both know there are about 500 things that go into creating the result of any particular game. And it's easy for people right now to say, well, you know, the Rams lost in Australia because of their travel situation. Maybe that maybe that gets factored in, but there were 500 things that happen in a football game that determine the outcome. The bills had been on the bad luck end of the game in Kansas. I think that's why we're going to be interested in the obvious is incredible. I am forever linked to God bless him Scott nor would right you come that close. You come that close, but that's why we love football. That's why we talk about it. That's why there's always an overreaction every Monday because people say, well, if this would happen and that would happen. Yeah, I go back to the what I call the rule of 500. I think that's why we're going to be able to do anything so or more that determine the outcome of the game. So when it comes to Josh Allen, he is blameless in terms of the fact that the bills have not won a Super Bowl. I mean, who else would you rather have at behind the center at this particular time?

51:59Al, do you regret not being picked for that Australia game? Would you have wanted to make that trip? You know, that's one of the few places that I wanted to go and we were we were in the bidding for it in the mix at Amazon. So I was hoping we would get it, but nope, save myself that 60 hour flight just have to get there on my own someday. But I know that's a place you know, I've been to much of the world. Of course, you're going back to my years at ABC wide world of sports and it truly was wide world of sports. I mean, I got to see just about everything. But that's the one spot I'm missing that in New Zealand. So yeah, I would have loved to have done it. Sure. And I mean, you were working professionally in Hawaii. So I mean, you probably logged a few miles in your your. Not don't you not don't you buy a trip to Australia, you know, like you've almost seen it all. Will you travel tomorrow? Yes, I'll be flying in tomorrow afternoon. Yep, you should be there by eight nine o'clock tomorrow night and I'm going to get really on Wednesday. Have our meetings and and off we go.

53:05What do you guys hear about the field? What what what's the interesting? Yeah, I don't know. I'm I'm I'm I think curious and apprehensive, I guess, because I mean, they had to tear it out and replace it. And I don't know. I mean, there there have been there's been some reporting on it. There are turf experts that are saying like I wouldn't let Josh Allen on that field. So I don't know. I'm I think nervous is is maybe the way I would describe myself and thinking about the field. Will it be better than one memorial? I think we can hope. I think we should expect I might have to ask you that question. But there were there were big ale they were having practices in there. You know, open practices were the first of well the first event was an open practice and like hunts of turf were coming up. Yeah, so they needed to act and they did and hopefully it took and that won't be the case. But I'm worried about it being a story. Yeah, it's for the video. Well, let's hope for the best.

54:07I mean, it goes just close here. If you don't mind, it goes back to part of our earlier conversation. But it's a grass field and it's open air, at least mostly. And you know, Cleveland's planning on a dome now and Kansas City in Nashville next year. And I mean, it won't be too long before this new place, which hasn't even officially opened yet might seem like a throwback because I don't know what Pittsburgh does someday or New England. New England. I know like or what do they don't they bring their field in and out. Whatever like to have an open air grass field and Buffalo someday may stand out. It may, you know, and I'm all four piece. I like football is played in a natural environment. Green Bay. I can never see green Bay or doming that stadium. It's just too iconic Chicago. Who knows? I mean, they're going to move to Hammond Indiana. I'm nobody has any idea. But the way it is right now, you guys know better than anybody that that these stadiums need to be available and conducive to holding concerts and other events.

55:15And so that's why here in Los Angeles, you know, or whether it's as good as there's any place in the country that so by has a roof. Grandfathers, a translucent roof, at least, you know, so it's so five you play a day game. It looks like a day game. We don't know there's a roof. That's the same thing they are doing now in Nashville. As far as I'm aware, Kansas City has that in the plans. I think Cleveland's going to be the same type of thing is that translucent roof. So you can have not just eight or 10 games a year in that stadium. That stadium's got to be available for a lot more events. So I'm happy that Buffalo is still holding its ground and providing the types of memories that we know when we watch old films of the National Football League. It's different. It's cool. And that's why people still love love love snow games. And of course, you know, you'll get to provide a few in the new stadium. Yes, I know here you say you love the elements. Well, you're coming up here in September. It's 70 and sunny today. Like you're going to have it pretty easy. I hope anyway this week.

56:23Minnesota, another one you watch Minnesota Bulldog yesterday and just how bright. Yeah, I don't know what the roof is, but there's that whole wall of windows that just are so much natural light in that stadium. Pretty cool. Yeah. For sure. Yeah, they in those stadiums. They gave night night games or they day games look like like day games. I mean, you see the sun. I think Indianapolis is one of the first, but they kind of messed it up a little bit because of the grading that it's a retractable roof. Retractable roofs are okay for me, too, but you know what the stadiums that built to retractable roofs barely use it. Right. You rarely see the roof up and up and down. You rarely see the roof opened up in use and. And to me either either it's natural or you now go to what everybody's going to is that translucent situation. So you can have concerts and all of the rest in those stadiums, but I'm happy that Buffalo is able to hold the ground. You know, games and Buffalo should look like games in Buffalo and not in some, you know, hermetically shield.

57:28You know, kind of what what would you call it? I'm actually shield tanters on all room. Yeah. I'm happy. Yeah. Right. Exactly. Exactly. It's always such a thrill to have you on. We didn't get to any hockey today, which is something we didn't know we haven't got to any. That's Sabers though. How about it last year? I don't know where it caught fire. It was so tremendous to have that back after, you know, kind of an apathetic last decade or more. No question. No question. Maybe you know, all we were missing right is just a just a little winning the US open. That would have been cool. Right. Moving into a leading into the skate. Thank you so much, Al, for this. Enjoy your trip to town here this week. Okay, guys. Always good to be with you. We're making an annual bet here. Love it. Thank you very much. Al Michaels with us. Amazon Prime Thursday night for the built-in Lions. I always like, you know, if we have a couple minutes after he hangs up to sort of like sort of basking it.

58:33Yeah. I know. I know. I know. You might say. Right. I know. Right. It feels just sort of normal now. Let's make it an annual which is, you know, which is great. Really, really, really nice. I remember the first time we did that being like, oh my God. I was so nervous talking to Al Michaels. And this time now I'm being cheeky with him. Right. Right. I mean, come on with all these stadiums. You're just showing off at this point. I like the point about Denver to be able to open a stadium in the same city more than once. Right. I hope I don't know what the time. I imagine this got to be three three years out down the down the line here. But, you know, maybe he gets there. He's 80. Be really something. Yeah. I shouldn't have referred to that World Series game just by the umpire's last name. You know, it's not really what it's famous for. The Miss Call. Don't thank her, but you know, they happen sometimes. Games are famous for the mistake.

59:40What is the mistake again? Is that is that call it first base? Is that is that her back? No, that's a different thing. Right. It's a cardinals in the Royals. Right. Okay. Right. And the Cardinals. It's game six. And the Cardinals are three outs away, like ninth inning with the lead. And he misses a call at first. The Royals win the game. And then the next game. I think the Royals won 11 to nothing. So tough one there. Like if I'm that umpire, I so hope the Cardinals win games. Can I do it? Can I sort of give one back? I guess that's not how you do it. But. All right. Let's break. We have Dion Dawkins today at four. He'll join us Mondays throughout the season. And Sel Capaccio will be with us at five. We're two to six now. Mike's open the bulldog. Hope you enjoyed. Michael's it's a great treat for us. This is WGR. Josh did a great job yesterday of taking with the defense gave him and when the opportunities were down the field to take a shot to take it. If they were playing deep and he had some intermediate throws across the middle field, you know, he took it and you know, he'll obviously want that second the last play back.

1:00:45I'm not telling you everything was perfect, but I thought he played the style of game that I wanted him to play. And I thought he went out there and he was he was aggressive and when shots were there, it was opportunities to go take it and he came out ready to rock. Joe Brady one and oh. Portions of our show are brought to you by Tim Hortons, the official coffee of the Jeremy and Joe morning show on WGR. Start your day strong with Tim Hortons and the bills. Did they move up an hour? Are they five to nine? Now regular. Where are the only well us and and Brad like Brad Brad had been one to three and he's now 10 to two so moved way up. He moved way up and yeah us Zach moves up. That's right tonight. We've got two hours now, which came to the boss to that. All right, congrats to you. 803 05 50 we've got Dion Dawkins and F and hour. Sal will join us at five or two to six now. So you know, adjust accordingly.

1:01:45Whatever that would be we did get a caller last hour who said I usually can't get get to you guys. Maybe he like works at three. Yeah, maybe. He made fine points. Well, you better change jobs then, pal. Yeah, I mean really come on. We set the tone. Cody is next. Hello Cody. Hey guys, happy victory Monday. That was so awesome to hear out Michaels. I never heard him on the station before. I got really excited when I hear you guys announce that he was going to be on, but something something he asked me yesterday. I wasn't very excited about the Joe Brady higher initially. It felt like an easy button type move very uninspired. I just wasn't in on it. I felt like to save of a move. And then he won me over yesterday during his press conference. And of course the bills went helps. I helped the person further, but he he uttered a phrase. He said going for the knockout punch. And I feel like that's a mentality that us bills fans have been craving.

1:02:52That's the essence of Josh Allen that we want to be that team. That's not playing not to lose, but going for the kill. You know, Cody, I'm sorry. We wanted to hear you, but the noise. It sounds a little bit like you're in a beehive. So we're going to have to let you go, but we can certainly take your point. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I guess I press conference is good. The win is good. The point you're making is good. The the kill shot, you know, like that's I think that's where a lot of fans are when it comes to this. And it took it's only still one game, but it had to wait until yesterday to see if like it was going to look different in some way. And that's maybe how it did. Well, I mean more down the field stuff than last year for sure. Right. Yeah. The bills have never done that. But right. But you know, we've it's been a talking point all summer occasionally. You know, someone who who favors certain metrics or this specific metric will tell you like it bites amazing.

1:03:54The bills had the lowest average air yard per target in the league with Josh and I was there quarterback was like seven, seven yards, very around seven yards, six point nine yards or whatever was really low. Yesterday was close to 13. Like, it was a very different scene. And those plays. I mean, the more touchdown is one of these. The winning touchdown is one of these. The interference penalty on more is one of these. There's maybe the first longish ball of the day is from their own end zone. It's a jump ball that can cade against stingy and he wins the battle and comes down with that ball. Like they pushed it in ways that I said that they never threw it down field. But the frequency in one game with which they did what they did yesterday. And they got numerous players whose longest reception on the day was 30 yards or more, which just that doesn't happen doesn't happen a lot in the league let alone with the bills with the way they've been operating, which aims cook leading the league in rushing last year. So you've got that piece, which is important and was good.

1:04:59You know, I don't know if that comes and goes, you know, week by week depending on your opponent, whatever. But certainly not a game going into it that you were expecting. I wasn't anyways expecting them to try to push it down the field. I thought it would be a lot of quick stuff and running backs just to try to offset the Ed rushers, but they had a plan for that. And there was, I mean, DJ Moore is chipping. Well Anderson, Jr. on the game winning touchdown. He's lined up in the slot just outside of Spencer Brown. And he holds up for just a second just to get a shot on him and then goes out. And, you know, you watch that play. And it's possible. I think Bullock is the high safety there that Josh talked about after the game. I think with Evan Washburn on the field. How he noticed the safety was sort of was frozen. And he mentioned more because more is on that side of the field. And he doesn't go out right away. So maybe that even helps them because he's waiting like where's what's DJ Moore doing.

1:06:01And but Concade is also coming across the thing there. And he might have been waiting on that to see which way he's going to go. Whatever it was, he waited. He waited just long enough for Alan to notice. And Alan helped freeze him there. It's one of the things you love about that play. It's great on multiple levels. You've got a great throw. You got a great job by Palmer who ties up one of the best corners in the league on the play. And then he's got some, you know, beats him gets open enough. Alan notices that the safety because Alan the story he tells about this play is they however anytime they've rep did in practice. The ball never goes to Palmer. He's running just to try to draw someone away for someone else doing cardio. Right. And Alan said he when he saw the safety is like, all right. I'm going here with it, even though I've never done it in a practice. Like, and of course it's perfect. And it's perfect. I mean, it's right in between the two defenders. I mean, just perfectly timed great play.

1:07:02So you're getting the shots. You got the shots, but you also had a very well developed plan as evidenced by DJ Moore, your best receiver now, waiting a beat to just get a shot on the guy just to help Spencer Brown just enough. You know, whether he would have needed it on that specific way or not, they did a lot of that Dawson knocks did a lot of that. The running backs did a lot of that. It was just really smart. And that is to Brady's credit to, you know, we sat here for months saying he's got all this time to come up with a better plan than they had last year when they went in there. And boy, did he come up with one. Thanks for the call, Cody. Sorry about the part where we had to cut you short because of the noise, but always got aside with the listeners. Justin is next. I just. Hey guys, I'll just be quick and now hang up and listen to your thoughts, but two quick things. One with the key on Coleman experiments here. Third year. I just thought if you guys were coach, how much will each you give in before maybe you replace him with the Skyler and get scholar shot to enhance this offense.

1:08:08And secondly, a little bit more concerning James Cook last year in terms of high volume running backs led to lead and fumble percentage. He followed about once every 50 times he was rushing the ball and close to that when it came to total touches. If you remember the Denver game, he followed which completely changed the trajectory of the game. Josh Allen had just rattled up a huge run. It was first intended to find Denver. They were going in to maybe make it a seven or 10 point lead. He fumbled it coughed up and it changed the whole dynamic of that game. They actually enough to any touchdown. And then yesterday on 20 touches, 17 rushes and three receptions. He wants to get fumbled. And if you're coach, maybe you guys can ask the coach like, what are they doing to, you know, get him to be more protective of the ball. If you look at the fumble, the ball wasn't even closely talked to the side. It was upper up closer to his chest when it got knocked out and it was in one hand. And I think he's a bit careless with the football. He was pretty good the year before last year, but he he's really fumbling it a lot.

1:09:10So I mean, do we got to do something like the program where he takes up, you know, that TV movie where he carries the football everywhere he goes because this is happening. It happened a lot last year and it's some really pivotal moments. I think it happened even to the Miami game. And I'm just curious, you know, when you guys have the coach on, if you can ask him, we don't have the coach on. We have we have your point. We don't talk to Brady on the air, but we got it. Yeah, fine. But we just so you know, I don't know if they're like trying to reteach him how to play the position. Like that might be a little bit what where we're headed here. And maybe it would be good if Brady got that question. I think I'd like to hear him answer the question. Like when do you decide you have a problem? You know, that's the that's the short form of that question. But you know, he had one game in and he had one. He led the league in rushing last year. He led the league in rushing touchdowns the year before. I don't want to try too hard at, well, you know, fixing or repairing James Cook.

1:10:12Coleman. I don't see that as a one to one with Bell, you know, style wise different positions really bells bells the backup to Shakira one of the backups to Shakira in the slot. And Coleman is an outside guy. And I think it's on the field largely right now in a we trust you. You're a big body. We trust you to block. I think I mean only had I think only the one target. I got a look at making one target. Yeah, the one and it was the hook and ladder play. He caught a quick little in and then lateral it to Shakira 50% of the snaps Palmer that we'll see if that is more of a thing. That's the winning score in the game. But I don't think I really have to do anything with Coleman. I still want there to be some room for him to help. And demoting him in some new way isn't isn't that. So I don't really think I have a you know a move that I need to make right now when it comes to him. But the season starts and all over the league.

1:11:13You're sort of looking for the reveal on what did teams not tell us all summer that they plan to do with their personnel. And Coleman was somebody where I might have thought he was listed on top of the depth chart like I might have thought they would have a roll cut out for him. Brady saying I being the coach is the best thing to happen to Coleman. Well, this game didn't exactly no seem to reflect that. But it's one game. I mean, and yeah, and just furthermore, I mean, you already I think already talked around it here like, yeah, Coleman is not blocking Bell. The block is now in the form of dork. Because dork is also a slot receiver, which is where Bell has been working mostly, almost exclusively. And that's backing up Shakira. So and even Shakira snap count was down from what his normal snap count was last year, because maybe concade was way up and their three tight end usage was way up. But dork is the one in the way. They they won his punt return ability. You also saw him on kick returns to that makes sense. And not that I don't I don't even know if he got an offensive snap.

1:12:21But the I think I said I'm late in the week. Like it's dork for Bell, I think if they want him to be their punt returner, then he's going in and Bell probably is not dressing. So there's where you're that that's what happened yesterday. And I think moving forward, I think until they come up with a more permanent solution than elevating dork weekend and week out, which they only can do two more times now. I think Bell's going to be kind of stuck. Yeah, thanks Justin. And and one more point, you what you went on about some of the things you saw in the winning play and just what the bills were on offense yesterday, we can't have this conversation and not mention concade at all, unless you talked about him chipping somebody like what a day for him. That was a big talking point this summer, we weren't talking so much anymore about how much weight he needed to add or strength or whatever his knee. There was like I mentioned on the post game show yesterday, there was one moment early in camp when he left and Twitter was right there as Twitter will do with here we go again on Dalton concade.

1:13:34At the end of the practice, he referred to his family jewels and getting hit and the next day he was on the field doing stuff like that was sort of a bluff. And man yesterday and those were tough catches to not only was he down the field and Alan had time to use him, but he had to win those those catches, you know, maybe all of them five for one 30. Did you have anything easy? He out jumped a couple guys. That was a great game for him. And he was on the field for 73 close to 73% of the snaps, which is I mean he was in the 40s regularly last year, like I think his final season total even was in the 40s. I don't think he even got to 50. So very encouraging usage like that that really points to him being healthy and them being able to and they didn't even, obviously they you know he played that much. They didn't last year the splits were egregious. They're throwing with him on the field. It was like all it was a tell almost or almost really exactly is what a tell is what it was.

1:14:43They're throwing this guy's on the field. He's got limited snaps. They're going to do what he does best when he's out here. And when you're playing 70 72 73% of the snaps that's not going to be the case. And that gives you more of an advantage on your opponent. If you can establish that you will run it with this guy on the field, that's a that's a trend breaker off of what they were doing last year and that's very valuable for them. 69% of the routes to for concade who was most in the league yesterday among tight ends according to fantasy analyst Jacob Gibbs at 90% of the routes. It's hilarious. If you saw the if you saw the you know if you play fantasy football and saw box scores yesterday. It's hilarious 90% of the routes most among any tight end yesterday in the NFL. Colston, Loveland. His team scored 59 points. No targets. They scored five rushing touchdowns. They everybody literally everybody else on the team scored twice.

1:15:49Colston, Loveland tight end three, even sometimes tight end two in fantasy 90% of the routes 59 37 bears. No targets. No correction two targets. No catching no catches. Okay. Well, they tried two targets. Yeah, they tried. Everybody else was catching touchdown passes blindfolded. This guy everybody's favorite tight end. I mean, I'm I'm not saying he's not good. Two targets. No catches 59 to 37. How about that game? How about the bears in the Panthers yesterday? Really? The Panthers might be the better story on offense or the bears on defense. I don't know. I mean, Bryce Young 361 and three. Did you think he would ever do that in a game again? Maybe I pretty much you're giving up. Jalen Koker, the Coke heads are excited. Eight for one 38 and two. Chuba. Lot happened there. Just didn't happen for Colston, Loveland.

1:16:56Despite running 90% of the routes for the bears. Okay. Deon Dawkins at four Mike show up in the Bulldog. This is WGR. So for joining us Mike show up in the Bulldog here. For our inaugural visit with Bill's left tackle Deon Dawkins who joins us now on the West her hotline. Deon Chris said the same thing. He and yourself you and I have only met one time that we can remember it was at the Eric Wood roast. Which was a fun night. But it's a few years ago now and I think I also speak for Bulldog when I say that we're excited that you're joining us on Mondays here. Who put you up to this? Was this something that they had to talk you into? You don't want to name the person that's fine. Oh man, they they help me hostage. They tied me down. They tickle my feet and they said sign the paper.

1:17:56Well, thank you to whoever that was. We're glad to have you Mike mentioned is Eric Wood and that being where we met you. That was I think right before COVID so like February of 20 I guess that probably is. And this and this spot we did this with him for back even when he was still playing. So you know no pressure but you know for reasonably size shoes Deon like you know we're good this a long time with us. Yeah, you know I think I could hold my weight. Well, I'm not worried. I'm just saying like you know it's a fun. I'm excited for this. Thank you. Great. So let's talk let's talk about yesterday here which was a wild game to watch 3631 in Houston. Josh Allen made a comment that I thought was pretty revealing and Ross Tucker talked about it on the broadcast that like he really wanted to win in Houston. And I think maybe he spoke for most of the team when when he said that I don't know it's interesting that this game was first for you guys this year for it to be a team.

1:19:02I mean there one of only I mean how many teams in the league have kind of had the bills number for the last few years but Houston I think I would have to say that. So it's a great win. It's got to feel really wonderful. Yeah, I mean any any time that a team can prepare camp you have the long camp and then you have preseason and then you get into the work week of Houston when you're finally allowed to and then you know like we understand what happened last year right and you know like they got after us and that's just what happened like they got after us they got the best of us they gain plan better and they got the victory. And for us to understand that like are cool guys our first game of the season we have to go back down and enemy territory where the water is definitely boiling we need to go and go down there and show why we're different and why this is a different year and I think when you have a quarter back and the and a head coach that are both offensive driven you know like you get the results.

1:20:09What of what and we got and when you have a align that and protect. Josh the way that we did and. Schemed up the way that we did you know the good things happen so I'm thankful for it I'm actually very very very excited for the season and it was a good outcome for the boys and blue down in Houston. Do you know going into that game that the ball is going to be pushed there's so much that we don't know watching even if we're watching in the stadium but certainly watching on TV which is very different than watching in the stadium like what each play what the primary target the primary goal of each play is. But did you guys go into this game expecting you guys end up I think the average depth of target in this game was close enough to double what it was on average for the season last year against that team did you know you'd be pushing the ball down the field or just unfold that way when Josh drop back and took a look at what's going on. You know I wish I could say that I do exactly what was going to happen but I do know that if people did what they were supposed to do the right way this would open up or this would open up or this would be available so like for example right like there's so many things that don't show up on a statue right like from an offensive tackle set right I can speak on that first like if I have a wide split and I have to go and get my hands on a guy quicker than.

1:21:37And usual because the ball is coming out quick right where the guy can't bat the ball down right like yes like I would know that if I do my job fast efficient then the ball can potentially go over my head quick and then for example as a receiver that's also not ending up on a statue right like if a receiver has to run full speed straight down the field to open up the rest of the offense. If that player is doing that then cool Dalton should get open or Josh Palmer should get open or there should be available availability for cook to get the ball or whatever or call it yes like we do know that part but we do know that as an offense all of our stuff is based off of everybody doing their job right and the guys really need to do their job all of the time just for us to have a chance but yeah I would say yes. And a small way yeah that's really interesting and good insight I think you know another form of this is like you get you get into a game no doubt you're confident you're talking about if we do our jobs will be fine kind of talk but you know the difference between what last year's game in Houston looked like in this one was pretty stark was there possibly a moment either for in your own mind or talking on the sidelines between possessions are like all right we can handle this team today this is this is going to be fine.

1:23:06I mean was there sort of a realization of that sort yesterday. Yeah I mean like it was never it was never really a time where it was like yo like we can't hang with these guys but it was just more so like who wants to play harder who wants to over work and who wants to out work who wants to finish who wants to chase the ball down and and what really matters us right like when we put all all of our focus on us. You know that's the result like when you go in the games and you're worried about all well you got the Kansas City chiefs this week and they have 20 Super Bowls and how do you feel about Patrick my homes and how do you feel about. Andy read like when you're thinking about so many other things right and when you go in the games like it it pulls your focus away but when you go into a game and you literally just focused on doing your job do your job. Simply do your job and do your job when you're one on one and you know that's kind of what that outcome gives you know Dion as you're talking about all the little dominoes that maybe will fall to make a play you know properly executed.

1:24:22One thing I noticed I saw Josh talking on the field after the game I think the Evan Washburn would CBS about the game winning touchdown to Palmer in how he said in practice that ball has never gone to Palmer on that he's doing what you were talking about some version of what you were talking about a guy running down the field to clear space right and just get attention away from other guys. One little thing I noticed on that plays that DJ more after having left with an injury was back on the field for that final play and chips I think it's will Anderson on his side I'm not positive at that you you would know better than me but chip chips the edge guy and so he's a little delayed get into his route and I wonder if that helped freeze the safety just for a second for Josh to notice that Bullock is like he's kind of flat footed he's just like that. He's kind of flat footed he's just there he's waiting maybe waiting for more could have been waiting for somebody else what do I know I'm just a dude watching a replay on Twitter but it looks to me like maybe Bullock is focused on more and his delay because of the chip keeps him frozen long enough for Alan to notice that and then therefore throw the ball where he's never thrown it in practice.

1:25:36Yeah I don't see now if I'm correct like I don't think that there was a chip like I had I had a no it's not on your side it's on brown side it's it's on the it's on the other side and he chips that guy just about to say I was I was definitely one on one yeah yeah will and I think the slide was away from me but yeah so all that stuff does matter yes so like when a chip and and. Basically the simple answer is yes all of that definitely did affect it which gave more space and gave more opportunity for that play to develop and happen the way that it did because there's so many little nuances that go in a play where somebody faints at a guy or or somebody just throws a handout where it just it's a game of inches and a game of little milliseconds right that everything that you do cause a reaction and it causes the.

1:26:36Actual flow of the wave of of a play so yeah you are correct yeah believe me man our first time together I would not be trying to take a one on one win rep away from you. At all just just I don't believe you just to be clear yeah right now it's the other side right right now it's not that but it's just me knowing that look that was yesterday and we have seen that. Play over and over and over and we just got done and we film I'm like well if he's talking about Josh Palmer play I was one on one the slide was away and Josh drop back and chuck the ball down the middle of the football field will defer will defer to you and that you just watched it so you lived it and you just watched it with the on Dawkins on the western hotline apologies for asking a question that you've probably been asked many times over the last several months but from my perspective hosting post game and talking about this. Team every day fans just kind of wanted to find out what might be different about the bills under Joe Brady versus Sean McDermott are there a couple things for you that you know probably go back through camp and the whole off season in an India yesterday that standout.

1:27:45I'm going to tell you the honest truth right and I love make D make Dermott is is is our guy but make Dermott was a defensive driven coach. Joe Brady is an offensive driven coach and you can drastically feel it like it's basically. And the most simplest form. You it's like that's like and this is for the listeners to understand it's basically saying like if you're watching a Marvel movie and you favor the villains over you favor the heroes. Simple as that if you're a hero cool your favoring the offense if you're villain your favoring more of the defense and that's simply how my brain you know understand it but and Joe Brady is this more for the offense so he's more of like you know the Superman the the like you know the.

1:28:49The good guys the good guys the good guys you know the good guy I said it right right right right well it was it was noticeable to me I mean obviously you're playing in the game we're watching on TV and our buddy Ross Tucker who does a regular hit with us weekly during football season was on the call and mentioned more than once I think how Alan was excited to. So I think it's going to go into a game with Joe as the head coach obviously has been his play caller for a while now but that there's now a you know there's not a defensive minded head coach at the top of the food chain anymore that Joe Brady might have felt like okay I got a boss that I got to make happy now I'm the boss and I was I don't want to say I was I guess I was a little surprised to hear that because that feels like something we've been hearing a lot from fans but you know and hope may.

1:29:49Hoping it was going to be like you're saying like the good side of the Marvel movie we're going to unleash this offense and unleash the passing game and I always wondered if that was a little bit of a I don't know just circumstantially just convenient and whether it would actually be true but to hear Josh telling the broadcast crew that he's expecting it I think validated any fan that has spent the last six months expecting to see a more explosive passing game. No, yeah exactly that and you know like like all that tree falls from Brady you know coming from where he came from and then from his history at LSU and and to what like he did like he is a more explosive. I think that's a lot of people. Let the quarterback shine type of you know O.C. At that moment and out he's the hey coach and you know and when you have a guy who can draw up different things and be creative with different routes and with different schemes and with different.

1:30:57It puts Josh in a better head space of I can just be free yes let me go and be the best player in the world let me go and just be Josh Allen let me go and just be the quarterback with all these special tools that I can go and you know if we're talking about. Avengers all the special tools I can go and catch the bad guys. So far so good in 2026 for this with Dion Dawkins Dion how is Monday on Monday different for you when you're playing Thursday night. So I think that's a good thing to do. I think Monday's are usually quick man and Monday's are usually chill but this Monday is a little bit different my fiance she's walking in one of her. I think Monday's are a little bit different for a fashion week so I had to come to New York City to support her and watch her.

1:31:57Big and debut for a fashion week but usually Monday's are you get in workout chill and maybe get a nice dinner and keep a push in and then Tuesday right back at it practice fast and then Wednesday is a day and before any game and you're wanting down to explode on. You know on Thursday and so it's Detroit Thursday night the stadium is the big story or a big story the first regular season game there people have talked about the field conditions the turf being replaced. Yeah will you you'll be out there I assume but like Wednesday or even sooner to sort of. Yeah I'm just really going to go and test the field out yeah how have you been feeling about it so far. You know I honestly like I hate that there's even negativity or that there's anything bad about it because it's a grass field right and it's a grass field and how I see it like it's just more so like it's a brand new grass field the field doesn't really have it's overall routes yet right like the field needs to be

1:33:05down and played on and and beat up for it to be molded for what the field is going to be but honestly me like that's out of my big right like I don't know I just I just want to just make sure that it's safe if it's safe cool and let's go out there and let's play some good old Buffalo those ball does Amazon have the thing like NBC where the starters introduce themselves and say like college or whatever else they want to say yeah yeah yeah I think so well we well we we film like all that in a door like OTA so long long ago and then and then a chop it up and broadcast it so that's already you're already snow university snow university already in the banking you know last night George Pickens went with drip university and I yeah I believe that's what I heard drip university I went to my son who is 16 like what do you think of that he said he knows he I play a lot of fantasy football he immediately said back to me you got you know draft George Pickens if he's going to rip university but also Dion you had a couple of drops yeah I mean you could easily just change one letter yeah wow talk it drop talk it talk into Eric Wood over the years because with those intros would come to pf f rankings like you know both fans don't know the offensive line to well and then you see a guy 120 second out of 120

1:34:3225 like out this year they got rid of that I don't know exactly why but you think so I'm a I'm a I'm a tell you why right and it's no and it's no you know hatred towards pf but pf doesn't really do the job that they're supposed to right like like I've seen like like pf give grades to guys that have played maybe five reps on the field and they have the best score the best score that a offensive lineman has ever had but it's because the the guy has been in a game for five reps right so so like it's like a computer glitch right and realistically to really grade out guys the right way you really have to have somebody who is a is a film junky that can really fit and dissect everything because like for an example right like a pf grade for some players like could be bad right like but you have a player that might have and I'm talking about for an offensive lineman right like you can have a player that has a quarterback like Josh Allen where we're dropping back

1:35:4455 plays in a game and we're only running 20 plays in a game right so yes our percentage of holding calls our percentage of of of sacks or something should be higher because we're in more past situations than not when pf doesn't really care about that they're just like oh a pass is a pass if somebody has 20 passes and somebody has 60 passes well you should block them all well all right well then take 60 and free throws on a basketball court and grade yourself against somebody who shot 20 right like it just doesn't make sense so yes I'm glad that that that is not there because honestly like it could give guys a bad rep but you know I've been blessed that mine has always been fairly great you know because I'm a great player and as well as my other guys but you know it should be a great player but you know it's just something that I'm glad you know and we're starting to push away from I mentioned Eric because I remember Eric being feeling likewise about those just you know so too many things that they don't know what the what my assignment actually is and you don't really know that I mean you can gasp and you're still guessing there's no definitive way to know real quick before we part ways how to go first time in a real game with a new left guard next to you.

1:37:08Oh man I'm gonna tell you the truth I was I was nervous I was nervous I was very very nervous man and and to have a new guard in year 10 you know it's just always regular jitters of a pro but Alec Alec is Alec is my dog that is my that and that is my bro he's low bro that is my that is my little little Tasmanian devil man and and me and Alec we mirror that same energy and I'm blessed to have him you know any play well I played it very very well and I'm blessed I'm blessed to have him and this is going to be a fun fun fun season and if everything ends out right on the back end this will be a great season we'll get the credit some give us the credit if it actually turns out some we get to the top I'm excited about this I'm sure bulldog is the station is I'm excited about your connection to fashion week by the way which I did not know about until I'm happy with the game.

1:38:08Today that's kind of cool so yeah lovely lady man congrats on all of that we'll talk to you next Monday unless you want to go Friday because the game is Thursday night that'll be your call. I saw all right thanks Dion. There you go that is bills left tackle Dion Dawkins his appearance here on WGR is brought to you by triple a score your exclusive triple a bills MVP membership today at a a a dot com slash bills by treasure cave the official cheese of the Buffalo bills by Catholic health the right way to care and by Northtown Kia West New York's number one Kia dealer. I don't believe I had the authority to offer him a change in the schedule. We're just here planting flags on football Monday and like I want to do Friday instead with Eric we would always sort of move around I don't I don't believe I had the authority to do that so. I'll rescind yeah our people are people will get to his people will figure out we'll do exactly okay good good plan let's just do it Monday okay candidate for best interview the day.

1:39:16So I sell coming up I mean this in such a certain way he is just lovely Dawkins isn't he. So many years I've enjoyed listening to his little clips and you know a lot of guys hate doing those but Dawkins has the way where he I don't know what would sell say I'm not sure he always enjoys it but there's always interesting he presents as though he always enjoys it that's the yeah that's the ball game right there yeah. All right very cool Sal Capaccio will join us at five bills win in Houston your thoughts 803 05 50 like show in the bulldog WGR. I love make D make Dermot is our guy but make Dermot was a defensive driven coach Joe Brady is an author and driven coach and you can drastically feel it. Deon Dawkins well we waited until yesterday to see what it would look like all the bills did was go to Houston which has been a terror on them defensively and whip him.

1:40:26So so far so good to put it mildly Dawkins was pretty blunt not that he said anything critical of McDermott but you know wheels up basically to paraphrase on. The bills offense and he's not the first by far to make a superhero metaphor when it comes to Alan. I don't I can't talk or speak no I know I was hoping he wasn't going to leave us in a place where we needed to like fill in some blanks I got a better chance talking about the be gap I got I got nothing I got nothing nothing off I could name a few sure there's a door. This guy with the hammer I got that guy yeah I'm out who was just talking about for me I got a lot of my fantasy colleagues are like Pokemon superheroes Marvel Avengers like there you know 20 years younger than I am and maybe that's the biggest reason why although I was never into those kind of movies but.

1:41:28Scott Barrett on a draft I did with him was talking about flash you know flash. Yes I know flash and how what did he say is like actually his superhero was terrible because. You'd have to eat like 50,000 calories a day or 5 million calories a day and like time would slow down for him or something like somehow if you really someone someone else could actually explain this. Scott Barrett but we don't have Scott Barrett just for you because you're the one talking. It's just like some analysis of flash being kind of lame is a kind of a superhero is unfortunate yeah it's actually worse than not having it. Maybe I mean how many times do you really need to be that fast right yeah you might rather have some other superpower and no one's going to race you. Right so you're not going to be you're not going to win anything you know yeah if you're flash right getting getting there before everyone else even can be bad. It's like you're there by yourself you need like all there are other superpowers like if you're flash and you get there first like maybe you're getting rolled.

1:42:35Maybe nobody wants that maybe. Well what do you think about his comments you know in terms of Brady and yesterday. I think it's really interesting I will I was not I mean when we talked about this at the outset of the show today. And it came up yesterday on post game two but we talked about the outset of the show you said well that's what they would want you to hear right and I hadn't really thought of it that way. I guess I thought they would want to downplay because in a way if they're talking like that and expecting that it ratchets the pressure excuse me up on Brady I think I think more. Because it says internally there is an expectation that we're going to be better than we've been and all they've been is one of the best offenses in the league year over year. So I was not really expect as much as it makes sense that they'd want to you know compliment because I think it is a compliment to like talk about his impact Brady's impact you know pushing the offense further.

1:43:46That's a compliment but it also is I think drawing attention to like oh look out for the new high flying bills they're going to come there just going to throw it all over you. And I guess I didn't think that they'd want to internally right you know push that temperature north I guess if that's what that's doing I mean it has to be doing that at least a little maybe subtly because I think fans hear that on TV yesterday when it said that Alan is expecting that and excited by that that it confirms a prior for a fan they were maybe hoping for that expecting that they got groutired of making it. Groutired of McDermott's style and the playoff letdowns. I just I guess I just wasn't expecting to hear it directly quoted to Josh I think it was something I was anticipating us all speculating about for a while but instead we've got two of the most vested important veteran leaders on the team here Alan telling the broadcast crew at some point over the weekend and it comes out on the air during the game yesterday.

1:44:57I think that's how dockens with us basically saying the same thing but it just feels different and I guess I was expecting maybe a blanket to be thrown over that not that they wouldn't be thinking it but that they wouldn't be so eager to tell you that that's what's happening. Yeah I agree with that so I do think it's really notable well you know you have you have Ross who he's really smart and he's got this great opera. He's got this great opportunity moving all the way up on the depth chart at CBS and you know he's going to have good instincts and wants to say things that are going to be interesting and so that you know considering the sources they say like that sort of works. I think these guys get complacent and don't tell you anything they talk about whether Tom Brady is going to go to meetings what what does he care what do I care if Tom Brady goes to meetings or Drake but now because like they never say anything interesting anyway. So what am I missing if they don't go to the coaches meeting I mean especially ackman Brady really hasn't even been in it long enough for me to fairly say that but you know Ross is different he's colorful and he's opinionated and he's moving up and dockens is nothing if he's not colorful and opinionated.

1:46:14Like so you know there might be a point in time in each case or anybody else's where you get told all right you know you burn a bridge without meaning to or something and like sale tweeted is comments right away and it if we always say if you really mean it you'll tweet it. So I mean sales reporting on what Dawkins said but I wonder if a lot of those guys my attitude is you know I rather just sort of say it sometimes it hopes to you know skate by. Did you yes I think you know you're you're coming off of that performance against that defense and you know the lion ended up I mean they ended up getting by they may have gotten the benefit of a horrendous call that went against the saints that overturned. Defensive touchdown that probably objectively I think should have stood but anyway. They threw for a lot of yards they ran for a lot of yards they scored a bunch of points and that's who you got coming in again and I would expect them to be able to do a lot on offense Detroit so you're probably in.

1:47:25And this is a game I think you would have been expecting that like this game yesterday that the bills won and did so with such an explosion downfield passing just big plays multiple times was a surprise. They are probably going to need every bit of that I would think on Thursday goes both ways I mean the lions defensively right people like the Saints yesterday goes 31 30 the Saints ran by far the most plays in the league. Yesterday 86 plays and shrugged through for over 400 yards really yes yes he had himself a day well so I didn't know was that good yeah yeah for 10 was the number did you see the reversal of the Saints defensive touchdown on the only. Just mentioning yeah the golf golf like the ball comes out of his hand backwards and I saw Sam monston on this right away last night while I think the four o'clock games where he may be even still going on I felt bad for him.

1:48:27He's trying to fight the fight like this is just like this play from last year like what how are we you know what are we doing here and that's very much where I end up is you know if that's our game and that goes against us I think we're really trying to figure out like why again did that not like no talk slower I need the explanation I'd like it to make sense I save unbelievable for only certain situations this one even for the NFL. Is incredible that that was reversed like I don't even understand how he is throwing starting a throwing motion golf but the ball goes backwards right that's not good enough the guy hitting him changes the trajectory of his arm and his hand and so it just and he did not mean to throw it when he threw it just came out of his hand due to the contact and that too yeah I don't know it's it's I didn't think I needed to care about that part.

1:49:27No right the ball goes backwards and he's not down is that it yeah what are we doing here yeah I thought it was really bad and in a game that ends up going to overtime like it did I mean holy cow intent right I meant to throw it over there. Oh man great another another amazing Pandora's Box has just been open intent wait a minute can I have that excuse me Mr. official. You what you didn't know there when you threw that flag is what I meant to do. Oh you know let's let's let's meet let's get space ref involved and yeah I was trying to bat the ball not hit the player in the face mask. What the kick is up and it's no good excuse me I meant to kick to I meant to kick it through the goalposts all right. I mean I'm not going to throw it in the face. That's a that's a watch that highlight that is and tell me how that's not a fun.

1:50:30What we're in the I don't I don't really early in the game. Second quarter and the game got off to a slow start it was seven nothing to Troy like middle the second quarter. Okay then what about the same. Also up like 21 nothing at 1.2 where they I think the I think the lines got way out and then the Saints had to claw back if I if I read the box correctly. In overtime to give them a chance no offense. That's my body. Okay. Yeah right. Yes. 21 21 nothing was the score that game into the third quarter. I had that on in here that overtime at least the end of it and the Saints scored and I went who is that I pride myself. I know I'm a lot of these even New Orleans but I could not figure out who it wasn't Joanne Johnson. I couldn't figure out Oscar Delp was in active bulldog. So it wasn't going to be Oscar Delp. Moro is on Houston now. Foster Moro. We saw him yesterday. Who is no a fan is on the Saints. I did not have that. Sal Capaccio coming up in 20 minutes already today.

1:51:30Al Michaels and Dion Dawkins anything you missed. Check it out on demand on the Odyssey app. This is WGR. It's Sal Capaccio. Sal Capaccio. Sal Capaccio. Sal Capaccio. Sal Capaccio. Sal Capaccio. Sal Capaccio. None WGR. Well, Sal's won the award many times. The show's best guests guest. Hmm rather guest on a given day. And some of those have even been on days where there were more than one guest. Yes. Yes. He has really been the most dominant champion in this category for a long time. No one comes close to his pile of awards. But today's a tough one. You heard Dion Dawkins. I know, Sal. And Al Michaels was Al Michaels. So, you know, I won't sabotage. You know, I'll give you every opportunity I can muster to allow for you to win the award.

1:52:35But you're in tough competition today. I'm going to be in tough competition every Monday with Dion coming on. I mean, he was great. I think it's going to be musless in radio. You guys, you know, you did a great job with him and Dion's always honest. And we appreciate that in the media talking to him. I thought he was really good on the game yesterday. And I thought, you know, a couple of really interesting quotes there. The one about McDermott and Brady. And then the one about PFF. Really interesting stuff. Yeah, he is one of those guys. And you know him very well. I'm sure he's one of those guys that. Seems to have a compunction to tell you the truth. And, you know, I want all of our guests to be like that. You know, because sometimes it's just so vanilla or benign. And understandable as we all know for athletes and coaches to be like that. But maybe we'll see if there is adversity this year. And I'm about to ask you if you think there will be any. But if there is, are they going to want to model Sal? We'll see what Dawkins brings on those occasions. But yesterday so far so good.

1:53:37You heard the Dawkins comments about Brady and offense and, you know, superheroes. And yesterday looked a lot like that would make sense. Yeah, I think you guys know I have come on with you many times over the last few months. And I have said I believe this bill's team is going to be much more high event. We use that term in hockey a lot, but it's in football this year. And it's going to be a wild ride. And we just said it a couple of weeks ago. Listen, I think you're going to get a lot more aggressive risk reward defense because Jim Lenders going to play that way. And they might not have necessarily all the parts that you know he wants to have in the next couple of years. And they're going to go after teams and they're going to give up bigger plays than you've seen them give up. But they're going to make bigger plays. And we saw that yesterday. And I believe that the same thing would happen on offense. And I think, you know, I've said a couple of times that I predict Josh Allen's numbers will spike in positive and negative ways. Well, good thing that didn't spike in a negative way yesterday. But what I mean by that is they're going to attack.

1:54:37They're going to be aggressive. And I'm just going to tell you everybody right now. We're going to be living life like this this year. Like this is what it's going to be all year. And now, granted, if you play a team like, I don't know when they play the Raiders or the play the dolphins and maybe the teams that can't hang with them, you know, life isn't going to be as on the edge of your seat, while back and forth for the second half maybe. But when they play good teams, when they play better offenses, this is what I'm going to say. This is what we're in for this year. Did it surprise you at all? Dion said similar. And I know you were at the game so you weren't sitting there taking notes on what I and Eagle and Ross Tucker were saying on the CBS broadcast of the game sale. But Ross mentioned at least once maybe twice that like Josh intimated to him that he's excited to see what Brady can do basically without, you know, without Sean McDermott above him. And as much as I feel like fans had been sort of taught when we've been talking like that all year long, and then you just made the point about high event.

1:55:37And that certainly is a part of that. I guess I would surprise to hear that Alan publicly would be that blunt about it because I feel like it turns the pressure up on Brady to deliver on exactly that. And I mean, they did yesterday, but you can't know going into the game that it's going to turn out the way you wanted to turn out, especially against that opponent. I just, I liked hearing it. It confirms a lot of fans priors about what Brady could do without a head coach above him, you know, telling him or even, you know, just creating a vibe where it's like, OK, I got to be more conservative. I got to stay with the run. I got to about to their credit. The bills really got away from James Cook when it stopped working. And I think that that sometimes they stay too long at that dance sometimes or have. Yeah, let's start with Ross and anything he said and I did not hear this being in the press box watching, but, you know, that's him telling what Josh said to him. I don't know the exact quote that Josh said, right? I don't know exactly how he phrased it to him or the context and obviously Ross is relaying that.

1:56:42I'd like to know that a little bit more before speaking on it because I don't know how he said it to him necessarily. You know, because it obviously we know, you know, Josh is very buttoned up and safe kind of when you say things and he is aware of the gravity of his words when he says things. And for Ross to say that and it kind of comes off as an again, I don't know how he said it to him of, you know, it comes off a certain way, I guess, talking about the changing coach, you know, and you could take it that way. I mean, if you're not being said, you guys know, I've said this to where Sharmacher was philosophy was always don't you can't you don't lose the game before you can win it. Right, don't make a mistake that's going to put you in a position where you you're not going to be able to win the game because you lost it first by doing something dumb. And that's been his philosophy and if you want to call that conservative, you want to call that safe, that's fine. They also have the one, two or third highest scoring offense in a league over the last several years, mostly because they've Josh Allen, but it's not like he just, you know, it wasn't three yards and a cloud of dust.

1:57:44I think that's right. I think I think people get a little bit too carried away with that stuff. You know what I mean? Like, but, but yeah, for sure. I think Brady clued us in on this a little bit when he was hired. If you really listen to him talk through the press conferences through the podcasts that we've done the interviews that he's done and things like that. There was a time where he mentioned something about playing against the tougher quarterbacks, the highest octane offenses, the teams that can score on you and making sure that you don't give the game away to them. Don't give them extra opportunities. And I think I think that's right. That's how Sean McDermott come up a kind of approach again against Kansas City, a game against Stafford and the Rams. It gets into a shootout or the Detroit and gets to shoot out whatever all those kinds of things Lamar. And I think Joe is we've seen here and we've talked about and I've said kind of doesn't care about that. It's I have Josh Allen and you don't. And I'm going to outscore you and I'm going to let Jim Leonard do his thing and you know what we might get into a shootout. I'm not going to worry about that because I'm going to win the shootout because I have Josh Allen.

1:58:47And yesterday, yes, the defense made a couple critical plays late. But a lot of people yesterday from what I heard at the end of the game talking about the game. The bottom line of them was that was a difference between one team me having Josh Allen and one team having CJ Strub. Yeah, Colin coward said that. Yeah, like the, the, the, there you go. The gap between the two. I think the brain equal you might want here is they got to play us. That's right. There you go. Something like that. And yet's right. And that's that that's right there with it. And I just think that that's the philosophy he's going to have. And you know, that can wind up biting them at some point this year. There's no doubt. I mean, look, it'd be great if they went, you know, 20 and oh and hoist the Lombardi trophy. But there could be, there's going to be a couple games this year. Maybe where there's a loss along the way. And we're like, man, if he just would have been a little bit safer. And maybe they should have stuck with the run a little bit more with James Cook in this situation. And didn't put themselves in a position where they had to defend with a minute and a half left because they scored. They were attacking and all these kinds of things.

1:59:47Like those things could come up this year. There's no doubt about it. To your point about yesterday, which James Cook, I give the Texans credit. One thing I noticed right away. And I tweeted this out. I think in the early second half was give the Texans credit. They've done a nice job to make an adjustment against the Bill's run game. James Cook was often run in the first couple series. It looked like the best back in the league again, the 1600 yards leading the league. Texans did a nice job. And the Bill said, OK, well, that's fine. You want to do that? We're going to throw the ball downfield. And you're not going to be able to stop us. And that's what they did. You want to think about something a little bit funny. I have to I have to preface this with. I'm not really saying. I think I'm not really saying what I'm about to say. The crucible of the first five games of their schedule. So they've checked off the Houston box. Detroit. One play away from losing at home to the Saints. The chargers. Beaton kind of soundly at home by Arizona, New England, Owen one, the Rams, Owen one. I mean, that's one week in the NFL right there. I'm not saying what I'm not saying here. Those teams are probably mostly all still good.

2:00:55But Rams looked horrible. They won't have miles Garrett. Right for that game. The Patriots won't have AJ Brown. The chargers maybe won't have the chargers will not have led Maconkey probably the chargers. Why not have their offensive coordinator of Jim Harbob. I mean, I'm kidding. Right. I mean, but like that was disastrous yesterday. Detroit's entire secondary is down. And they survived, but Shuck went for four 10. Yes. In Detroit 86 plays on offense. And the bill should shred everything is coming up bills. Sorry, I'm just mad. I took the chargers in my survivor. But you know, I mean, yeah, right? I mean, but seriously, like they, they're right. Though Mike, look at look at. And this was the Patriots last year. A lot of it when we talked about it. And you know, how things were breaking their way. And there's no doubt about it. I mean, the next few weeks. What we kept saying was boy, if they can go three and two in their first five, I think we'll take that right. Right now you're like, no, you need to get me to four and one at least.

2:01:59They really just the way it looks on the surface. Let's just bottom line that they won't play a good team until they go to Vegas in week six. There. I mean, that's a team was right and high after yesterday. Gen T. Sal Capaccio on the Western hotline. Rousseau's day. Sal. Great first series. I mean, three plays. Stripsack. And then the play at the end. Yeah, Jim Leonard spoke today and called him phenomenal. That's the word that he used. He said he was phenomenal. He said he was consistently winning his matchups. And this is what the bills need from Greg Rousseau. He has always been a very good football player. He has always been a three down player really good against the run. And he offers you some pass rush. What the bills have been missing as we all know over the last several years is that kind of kingpin pass rusher, a guy that people know. He where you know where he's got to be and I'm sorry. Know where he is in every play and they have to account for him. Look, I'm not. Some of the locker room was joking yesterday. I had one of the media members. I have a hey 15. If he changes number 15, maybe gets 15 sacks. I mean, that's lofty expectations. But this guy can get to double digit sacks. You get to like 12 or something. I think that's. It's a really good.

2:03:09That's what you want from Greg Rousseau. You want him to be a guy doing that and look, his length causes problems. He the strip sacks two of them on cj shroud. That's his length coming into play. And then he drops into coverage. And he knocks a ballway that ball. That play goes unnoticed on the box score because of what he did elsewhere. And otherwise. And I just think that you know, that's that's what you need from Greg Rousseau. That's unlocking him a little bit. And you know, let's see where this goes with him. That was a really, really nice game. He turned there was at least one. I'm sure there were. Many more than that. But one run play where I noticed him on a replay doing a great job of just just you know not trying to do too much. Right. Just sort of occupying his guy and setting the edge like they say and just allowing his teammates to sort of funnel in and backfill and make the tackle. So yeah, it was really good. Sal. What's so weird about this game on defense is outside of those bookends where you've got both stripsacks by Rousseau. On the first series and the last series Houston has in the game. Boy in between there was just not a lot of pressure.

2:04:16The child I felt like was not really there was maybe one time he got close. And you know, Dion Walker had of course the big play on that last possession as well that you know, maybe they maybe they don't end up winning the game without that play that preceded the Rousseau play. But I was a little worried about them generating past pressure. It didn't look to me like there was a lot of you know anything all that interesting about what they did up front trying to confuse Houston. It looked pretty straight to me. Yeah, I think Houston did a good job and the bills didn't do a good enough job of you know getting pressure consistently throughout the game. When they needed it at a couple of times late in the game. They got it. We'll see how things evolve. Interesting comment. Jim Leonard's really good by the way on the mic like he gives you good insight. He made a comment today. It was really interesting. He said like he took accountability and responsibility for him and his players and his staff and said basically we we should have gotten to a judge.

2:05:16I should have and we should have recognized and made adjustments quicker like he he thought that they could have got to some things quicker. He also said that secondary wise I'll get back to the front. He said secondary wise there were a couple times where he said guys were kind of looking around wondering where the answers were going to come from. I just like when guys are talking like that like okay. Now you're telling us here like that things weren't going there where he said but we got to it in the second half and they did. They did a great job to adjust in the second half mostly on the run but what happened because they were able to and I think this is the answer to your question bulldog a lot of it which was. Because they were able to stop the runs so much more effectively in the second half. The Texans that put them in a few more third and long situations and that's when you saw the pass rush start to come alive a little bit. I mean there was also a pass rush where and I talk with Robert and I about this you guys saw the CJ Stroud leak up when CJ Stroud ran for that long run. I mean, Robert are blitzes and he doesn't get home and now the now the middle of the field is vacated. Hey, look you're going to you're going to live in live by the blitz. That's what you're going to do. This is I event football just talked about it but I'm going to give you these numbers. I went through it today in the second half.

2:06:21They allowed one 10 yard run other than that. 5 0 negative 2 0 2 3 0 negative 2 3 negative 2 and 6 like they did a great job to stop the run less than for like 3 1 1 2 carry and that's what you have to do if you want to get that pass rush going a little bit and they were able to they'll have to do a better job more consistently though to kind of answer what you're saying what you're right. Enter Jamir Gibbs Thursday. Knuckles and Sonic right Montgomery with three touchdowns yesterday was Knuckles and they get one another the other Gibbs had 29 rushes yesterday for Detroit. I've catches two really. Yeah, what a start and they again one by one point at home against New Orleans. Greg Dorch Sal so he gets the call up and couple of nice kick returns. Yeah, guys, I think going on notice because this game was so high of animal sides special teams were great yesterday. They did a really good job. I gave him an arrow up in my arrow up arrow down. I just gave special teams and Jeff Rogers on arrow up because kind of went on notice here.

2:07:29Think about this Tyler Bass makes all six of his kicks Tommy Domen now look at I've tried I have actually gone Mike maybe you can help me out here. I have gone to profile reference and stat head and I've actually tried to do this. I think Tommy Domen might have had the longest kick ever first first punt ever in the NFL. He had 63 yard punt is first ever punt. Okay, and I went back to look the I did find a guy who did have one in 1947. I'm talking Super Bowl era right the common era. I think it might have been the longest punt of anybody who in his first debut. Yeah, and it's first ever punt, but it didn't come off the foot great, but it wound up great. He had a 54 and a half yard average. It's great for a rookie debut. His first punt. And then Greg Dorch had some nice kick returns. You're right about that. He did a good job on punt returns. And the kick coverage was great. The average starting field position of the Texans was the 26 yard line. They executed very well. Almost every kickoff went right to the one yard line. And only one time did I notice them get to like the 35 is the new breaking point right because if you kick a touchback that's where it's coming out to.

2:08:36And only one time did one of those returns get close even to the 35 they were they were really the great job. I'm glad they did. Yeah, Houston, he did. He did. Yeah, he did too. The punters were both these punters getting so good right now. Do you guys see the tornado punt they called it in the Florida state game or no? Yes, I did. I did not. Yeah, low, wibby thing. Yeah. So he, yeah, so Mike, what happened was you can look it up and online. But he the punter for Florida state punched the ball and it's low. And you could tell that the announcers on the game had talked to the special teams or head coach about this. They had like they were ready to go on it. Like they got the information. Hey, we're going to do this. It's called tornado pun. So he punts it in the announcer goes whoever was doing play by play maybe test it's where I can't remember says this is on purpose. They call it a tornado pun. It was a low line driver was spinning like crazy. Not at an over end like spinning like a spiral and sure enough what happened it bounced twice the kid muffed it and they got it back. My point is like these punters are so good now at doing what they

2:09:39need to do. And both punters had a good day yesterday. Those special teams are good. What's going to be interesting about dorkes. They only get the only get three elevations. That's one. I'm assuming he's going to be elevated for Detroit for sure. There's a night. Like at some point, do they put him on the active roster and sign him. You're going to have to do that. And then how what's the what's the roster move there that happens is you know, so I'm just kind of curious about that over the next couple weeks. You might wait for an injury first. Correct. Yeah. If the spot opens up, speaking of that, was there any news today was a pretty light day as we turn our attention to the Barnes firm injury report brought to you by the Barnes firm. You've been injured in a crash call the Barnes firm 1 800 8 million. Yeah, actually the bills had to put out an injury report today. They did not practice. So it's an estimation of what would have happened. They have six names listed the three that were already on the list from the game on Sunday. Jordan Hancock who played Thai Johnson and TJ Sanders who did not all Hancock was would have been a full today Johnson and Sanders would have been limited today. And then new names on the list to Robert

2:10:40Bernard limited today estimation with a calf. We saw him leave the game. He did come back in and play Cole Bishop knee and growing full participant. He left the game. He came back and Bradley Chubb is listed with a thumb injury. He did not leave the game to my knowledge. Good news. Josh Allen not on it. I know there was some concern. Maybe about his hand and some respect. And DJ Moore who got rolled up on and he was on the field as you guys noted for the very last play. But he was not on the injury report today. I love an estimated injury report. Like how many people are in the room to decide what to do. The guys who left the game sure. Okay, let's put them on there. I mean. For as for as mysterious as injury reporting can be what. You're not even on the field. And yet there's, you know, there's a report on who would have done what maybe had they. You know, it's not only the real thing. This is just a very, very true. And you've got something on the top of the list but you're not on the list of the ones that, you know, the most important on the list, the most important thing is to do is to cause an injury report. And that's what it's like. I'm going to say, how many people are in the room to decide what to do? The guys who left the game sure. Okay, let You have to do something, so that's what you do. And it's just, to me, I love it. One more point on the kickers. The punters you mentioned, the kickers are all kicking the ball exactly to the one-yard line in the corner.

2:11:43Like, you rarely even see one that's not that. It's that they've perfected it. And I guess that's okay. I mean, there's your return that you want. That's what the league wanted. But even Bass, who wasn't even in the league last year, injured, shows up. I mean, of course, they practiced. Even they don't just pretend practice. They practice practice. And he's just like first ball of the year, right in the corner. Like, it's just, it's nothing. It's nothing, apparently, to do that. You miss by a yard thing. Pretty amazing. If it's a touchback and it's a 15-yard difference or whatever it is. Yeah. Potentially. Pretty good. OK. I think I'm good. You see, Lil Jordan Humphrey was just released by the Broncos like, right before they kick off. Like, they're going to play tonight. I did not. No, I did not see that. Yeah, he just said, I'm just reading that now. He's just released by the Broncos just before the game tonight. Maybe they're calling someone up or they would have had to do that already. They would have had to do that already. I'm too busy watching, and I apologize for how I am like this. I'm too busy watching cam ward highlights. There's one. Oh, dear. Do you see the one where he flips the ball to himself

2:12:45and then runs up the middle? I just saw it in his head. It's got to be so in the head. I've seen any of the highlights. I'm just so sad about it because I've been backing him since he got in the league. And it's not off to a very good start. There's a little bit, I don't mean to be mean. There's a little bit of EJ manual. There would be sort of an easy throw, and it would just be way off. There's a pass he throws to the left flat on a screen, and there's nobody in the picture, but the running back. And the running back can't even touch it. It's so far over his head to the side. He just has no play on it. And this other way, it looks like there might have thought it was a trick player or something, and a receiver is coming behind him in motion across the formation. At the snap, and he flips the ball like you would do to flip it to the guy on a reverse or something, but then he just catches it and runs up the middle and gets tackled. I mean, they need some more, they need a tornado punt right there on that. Doesn't sound right. Listen, I believe that I've said that I think Brian

2:13:47Dave will be very good for him. And maybe he still will, but I mean, what you're describing is not a great start. I thought Dave will be good. I guess, no less. Yeah. But they still couldn't pick him off. Jetser, Jetser, Sneaky, okay team this year. I've been holding to this. I've kind of predicted them to be in the mix here, like a 500 type of team heading into maybe December. I don't think they'll necessarily make the playoffs, but I think they're gonna maybe give you a little bit of a spoil this year. They have some talent on that team. I like it. I heard Geno was great in that game, like almost, almost perfect for them. So not great, the Browns, not maybe a Sneaky. Well, long shot. I mean, you listen, people in that building, no Robert Salas defense, and they have eight, they've like four months to prepare for it as well. So, you know, week one is a little different, you know what I mean? Like you just kind of, let's see what happens as things go on here. Yeah. Well, we see the one clip of Watson yesterday in the shotgun and then taking so many steps backwards. He ended up, he's like 13 yards behind the line of scrimmage. By the time he settles and the pass rush

2:14:49just gets there and annihilates him. Like dude, what are you doing? That's somebody playing Madden for the first time. You're in the shotgun and then you're taking seven steps back, basically. That's when you're playing Madden for the first time and the pass rush is coming, you just run backwards as far as you, as far as you can to get the pass off. Which button is it? Which button is it? I forgot. That's right. All right. Thank you, Sal. Are we talking tomorrow? Are they practicing? Or? Yes, actually they do practice tomorrow. So I'll be available for you guys. It's a, it's a shortened week. You know, we'll figure out Wednesday. They'll probably just have a walk through a no media. But my entertaining is they are practicing tomorrow. I just don't have the schedule yet. So yes, tomorrow will be, tomorrow will be like a normal Wednesday for a Sunday game. Okay. Thanks for today. You got it. It's our sale. Compatio on the west. Her hotline, his appearances are brought to you by New York's only outlet liquor. When you need to stock up, it's the place to buy a case. What's your outlet? Jets, Titans, Browns are dash around the league. It's brought to you by Dash's market serving Western New York for more than 100 years.

2:15:50Shopped the family of finer foods. 803-0550 for your take on yesterday's pretty wild. Bill's win in Houston and very possibly a really important win. Mike's open the bulldog. Well, if you're calls after sports, this is WGR. I left watching the tape going, all right, we're closer than it looked. I'm excited for where we're going. There's going to be some bumps in the road and to go into a place like that and find a way to close it out and get a win. Take that for what it's worth. We have to improve. The standards are higher for what we want this defense to be. And it's our job to get there. There's a lot of things I want back myself is I'm sure some players want some snaps back. And that's the one part of this game, man. We get a chance to go do it again on Thursday. Jim Leonard. I guess I would say the word is selfishly. I like that he's on the sideline. Every game you get shots of that booth and everybody's in a headset and they're buried into their tablets and there's got their glasses down to the red glare. You can't really see in the hair.

2:16:52Who's who's what? I don't even know. What am I looking at here? You can't really get reaction shots from the booth too often. I think a dorsi like slamming his iPad or whatever the one time, but really pretty rare. On the other hand, my preference and this is what matters when it comes to how a coach should behave. My preference is that they, you know, of course they could and should show enthusiasm. You know, good or bad reacting to whatever happens on the field. But I watched a couple of college games this weekend and both times both teams had coordinators like the defensive coordinator, Alabama, for example, the defensive coordinator, the special teams coach. It's like it's just an automatic when there's a turnover that the camera goes to that coach, the position coach or the coordinator. And the Alabama guys are just like you think they were auditioning for some big part somewhere

2:17:57where you just have to be out of control. You think they'd be auditioning for an ad about the Bill's tailgate, these guys. Like they're just, you know, all the way out out of the field. Like it is all about me right now. They got one camera on me. One year off the headphones and they're yelling and they do the yeah, yeah, yeah. I totally can see this. It is all about me right now. I am the coach of this special teams unit. They fumbled come to me. And I mean, that's obnoxious. So like a little, you know, a little heavy medium there. It's how I want to be. I don't deserve all the credit. If CJ Stroud fumbles and I recover it, I mean, okay, I really didn't do anything. Now the fumbles yesterday were both forced. Punched it out. Yeah, right. But, you know, in some cases, it's not like that. You know, we had a caller in the first hour of the show today. I think that was taking cook to task for his free. And he was quoting like fumbles per carries and all this. And I like, you know, I don't even check the math.

2:18:59But like, okay, you know, there's that sounds like a lot. I mean, I don't know what you want to do with cook on that play. He, it's a bug. I punched out like he's in the open field. And I know like be careful, right? Like that's the idea. But I don't know that I want James cook wrapping both his arms around the ball for a moment there. I thought that might be a house call. He's got a guy to beat there that he goes to Duke. And that's why he slows up. And somebody from behind is just there to punt. Yes, stingy. Thank you. Punch that ball out. That's a hat tip to the, you want to give Russo credit for the fumbles that he generated. Okay, maybe you also want to, you know, take Stroud to task for not being more careful or whatever to me, like, I don't know, most running backs in the league. I think on that play are going to fumble. Like I just had a clear shot of the ball and he got it. So I just one of those things. I mean, I think the guy's an explosive, I think the pros fire out way to cons.

2:20:00And I know that, of course, that turnover could have cost him the game. That's the play. But I would say probably would have. Because now I've got, oh right, they're right down in my 245 and they're in my kitchen. They're kicking their piece of walking in other field goal. Yeah. And, you know, maybe I can still come back. They couldn't have run the clock out from there. Right. But they could have scored a touchdown. And then maybe they would have gone for two. I guess, I guess I just don't think much like, remember the, the, the cook fumble that got him benched in the Denver game that proceeded to dorsi firing was a play where he was, I think, as I remember it, I'm, maybe I'm shading and exaggerating here almost parallel to the ground. Like, oh, you know, he's, he's getting up ended. He's in the air and somebody comes in and punches the ball out while he's parallel to the ground. Okay. You're benching him for that. Like, what are we doing? They did. They did. It was absurd. So I feel similar.

2:21:01I know the stakes were enormous there. If he loses that ball, like the, the outcome is maybe drastically different. So it would have hurt. I think I still would be like, I think a guy just made a great play on you. Well, this is why I would say the bills were pretty lucky yesterday, which is not exclusive from mutually exclusive from being good. I mean, there was a lot of good, but there were four fumbles in the game and they recovered all of them, two of their own and two of Houston's. You have the play to Lasseter in the end zone, which he just drops. It sort of looked like a blooper reel kind of play that pick. Then you had before Alan's quarterback sneak touchdown, somehow they decided to throw to a covered colliell Shakir, just a quick pass to the right. They think it's bad. It into the air. And like, there's Houston guys like all on the scene, but the ball drops. Like those plays, every one of those went used when Buffalo's way. It was very fortunate in the game. And you know, it was a very close game. So, you know, that's football.

2:22:03One of those doesn't this cook play doesn't. And what are we talking about today? Yes, Brady, everything is still true. Right. Everything that we like about how they played and can Kate and DJ more. Everything and I don't know if Palmer happens to going back a series, right? Or to the beginning of that drive, actually, still like all those good things are still good things, but so that's how it goes. Always going to be luck in it. Unless you're like the Browns. There's no luck in it. There's only bad luck. No, there's only bad. Just bad. It's not even luck. It's just bad by design. You get serious design flaws. It's almost like it's worse than ever. Yeah. And it's that windless seasons. I mean, it's almost like it's maybe at a low point for Cleveland. Sorry, Cleveland. I wonder how I wonder how long they will stick with Watson. Like the coach already today is like, you know, I guys are entitled to their opinions,

2:23:04but I don't really need to hear it. The guy made a decision. He's our quarterback. He put on game. He looks unplayable. Yeah. Yeah. Well, they have another road game. I think Tampa this week and then they come home and like it was predicted when they made the announcement that he would start. Like it's going to be two games. You're asking when do they do it? They do it next week. Wow. Yeah. Unless they win in Tampa. Mayfield fumbled three times yesterday. In a loss. John with us. I John. Hi guys. Listen, I just want to say, can we just keep it simple from the two yard line? Apparently Brady never saw the Seattle Patriot Super Bowl with Malcolm Butler intercepting that ball. And that ball could have been easily intercepted. You got the guy got a hand on it. But what's wrong with running Josh and Cook and trying to be cute from the two yard line? That's all I wanted to comment on. Just keep it simple, guys, when you're when you're there close. No, no, nothing tricks. No tricks. OK.

2:24:04I mean, that passes our tricks now. But I agree. Like I love tricks. I love passes and I will go to my grave defending Pete Carroll for that play call in the Super Bowl for the Seawawks. You would. I will and I would I will. I will do it with pride. Another one that like you're completely on your own on that one. But Lynch, what Lynch didn't had. Didn't have like a terrible success rate on goal to go and. I believe that's right. It's only first down. You know, anyway, it's kind of like this. I yes. I was out. Alan. No, no, no, no. Alan though does not have a terrible success rate on quarterbacks. Needs from inside the three. That's right. And clearly, the strategy should be to run him four times if necessary on first and goal at the one. Like it's no other. There's no conversation needed. That's what you should do. You will score a touchdown almost every time forever.

2:25:1090 rushing touchdowns now for Josh Allen, including playoffs. It's it's an amazing list. 81 in the regular season, nine in the playoffs. 90 is 13 more than the second, most prolific quarterback in this category, which is who's Cam Newton. Jalen Hertz will probably pass Cam Newton. He's got 73. But even he is way behind Alan. Yeah. And just the names of the running backs are just it's the greatest running backs of all time. Is who he is running down on that list. Yesterday in the regular season list, he, what was it? The past Edger and James with two rushing touchdowns moved him ahead of Edger and James and tied with Frank Gore. I mean, Frank Gore was a compiler, but still and another guy I tweeted it. I forget now at 81 rushing touchdowns, 90, including the playoffs.

2:26:11I think I like that more. Yeah. And yesterday, I think was his boy, forgive me if I botched this. I think his ninth game in his career with at least two rushing and two passing touchdowns, which is more than double. I think Steve Young, it was the leader in that step before Josh Allen showed up. He had four such games in his career. Two and two. Yeah. Alan has got nine and he's, you know, again, about halfway through his career. Nice. Steve Young didn't start until he was older, but whatever. Still good. Still really, really good. Emmett Smith. I think so Alan is 90, I said, including playoffs. I think Emmett Smith is 183 19 postseason rushing touchdowns for Emmett. Six and one year, six and one year. I mean, it's not it. Obviously, it's not a pop. Is that only maybe in three games? Yes. That's 95.

2:27:11The year they beat Pittsburgh. OK, super bowl 30. So one or two seed because there were two buys then, but the divisional round championship game Super Bowl. Yeah, Green Bay San Francisco. And then Pittsburgh. They couldn't do anything with them. Yeah, just amazing. What an amazing career Alan has had already. He is also, I don't want to say it. It's a victory Monday. That thing like they are historically like closing in on the winningest team without a championship. Yesterday, you can feel really good. It probably already did, but you know, winning in Houston like that, you can feel really good about where this season might be headed with a win like that. Mike Schopen, the Bulldog here, we are two to six now. So we will wrap things up next. This is WGR.