Sal Capaccio on Bills Health and Team Captains Before Texans Matchup

0:00So Capaccio joining us in the Western hotline as we gear up for bills Texans. Sal kind of have to pass long John Harris's number. I know you and John talk every year. Sal. Yeah. As our sideline buds. He's the Texans sideline reporter. Great guest. So good to talk to him about what they expect there in Houston. He said to start hydrating. It's in the nine years there. And that, you know, even though the game's indoors, if you're outside in Houston, it's going to be a hot one comes Sunday. Yeah, for sure. I've been monitoring that too, just to kind of see what the weekends like, but yes, it will be indoors and funny story. How John and I met each other. My first year on the sidelines was 2014. It was the EJ manual pick six TJ watt game. Remember that one, right? Oh, of course. Oh, yeah. That's another bad day in Houston. There have been some. Yes. Yes. So the way that the Houston Stadium, I think it's reliant again, right? Or is it reliant energy? It's to be energy. I don't know. They've gone back and forth. I'm sorry. But anyway, the way

1:01that that stadium is, it's really kind of high up. It's boxy. And the press box is really high. And the antenna to get down to the wireless mic for the sideline reporter for us is higher than normal. And it's also on the other side of the field because the bills sideline is the opposite side of the press box. That makes sense. Right? So I was on the bill sideline that game. And we couldn't get a great signal because it's just too much interference that the antenna and Greg Harvey, our producer said, you might have to go to the Texans sideline to do reports today. I'm like, Oh, okay. Well, so I walked over there and I'm trying to kind of not be in a way his way. And I'm on the Texans sideline basically standing kind of near the end zone. And then the balls over there in this guy, he's wearing his Texans gear and he's got his microphone. He's looking at me like, what the hell is this guy doing over here on my sideline? And I looked and I pointed up and he goes, Oh, yeah, I get it. That's what happens here. And John and I struck up a conversation. And we've been very good friends for the last 12 years. Nice 12, 12 years. All right. Well, he had good things to say about the Texans telling you know, we had a good conversation

2:05about the preview. How about the bills here going into this game into the season, but into this game. Like I made the point yesterday about what is available to them that was not available to them in the previous two matchups. Josh Allen's had struggles in terms of his target potential. Dalton could cade missing a game in Houston collie will secure missing a game in Houston. They go in week one fairly healthy, right? Checking the injury report from an offensive standpoint, the offense looks healthy. We get we're going to get updates today. Ty Johnson among others. Yeah, I actually think Jeremy, like I think like I don't really know what is Ty Johnson situation in Kalo Shakira will get both of them today. I think they're both massive for this game to be honest with you. Like the bills, the last couple of games, as you know, the Josh Allen's been beaten up and he hasn't had much to throw to right where guys aren't getting separation. But it was a talking point two years ago. Keon Coleman leading receiver, Josh Lincoln, police nine passes, ones along pass and run to Keon last year. Tough to throw and he's under pressure and under siege a lot. Well,

3:09look, I mean, how do you combat that two things? Number one, you have availability from receivers early in the down as soon as the ball snapped. You can find an outlet pass band. That's co-lil Shakira, especially with DJ more on the outside. Kalo becomes much more of your main slot guy as opposed to being really kind of your number one target. Maybe he's been you know, the last couple of years. And then Ty Johnson, I think is a really big component for this game. He is a third down back that the bills can use out of the back field. He's a very good pass blocking back when he's on the field on third down. The Texans don't they don't know necessarily he's going to stay in the block. He's going to go out for a pass. Kind of put some on a little bit of a can't just pin your ears back necessarily. So I think that these are really important players that we're going to find out a little bit about today. Now last year they did not have Dalton, Concade available for the game. And he's going to be really interesting. You talk with John. I talked Matt Bobe and I talked with Mark Van Damier, John's partner. He's the play by play guy for the Texans. He was on always game day this week. And we asked him like, where can you attack the Texans defense? And we

4:12know that they're really good at all levels. He said sometimes though they do rotate linebackers. And if you can get a match up that you like on one of the linebackers, maybe that's an area. So I think Kalo should care. I think Ty Johnson, I think Dalton, Concade, I think all those kind of middle of the field kind of guys really matter. Yeah. So we'll see a healthy bills offense defensively sell the injuries to keep an eye on. How do they look? Jordan Hancock, Jalen Kilgore. I think those are the two guys you're kind of looking at here as far as, you know, are they going to be available? It's kind of running through the guys that Javan Solomon was on the exercise bike last week. So it doesn't seem like there's anything that's really going to keep anybody that's really notable necessarily out. But I do think that Jordan Hancock and even Jalen Kilgore injuries, especially Hancock right now are things a monitor today. So on the offensive side, Kalo should care and Ty Johnson to me very important. We'll see what happens. We can't save their health here now. We'll wait till that we see that today. Then I think Jordan Hancock, because Jeremy, let's remember what's the conversation last week. They only kept three boundary corners. And

5:12the reason is because the Alfred can slide outside. And if you have Jordan Hancock available to be your nickel, if that's the case. So it's more of a ripple effect in case of injuries. I'm not saying Jordan Hancock is massively important player like maybe Kalo Shakira or Ty Johnson would be, but I think for depth purposes, he certainly matters in this game. If he can be available. So I'll kapaccio on bills, Texans for this game. Sell since we last spoke, we also learned of the bills captains. They decided to go with six captains this year, two on each side of the ball and special teams as well. So what did you make of the decisions and who they decided to pick as their team captains? I'm always just thinking about the process, how teams do it, who they pick, whether it's from the players voting or the organization. I mean, Todd Munkin said they're not going to have team captains for the year. They're going to rotate team captains. Seattle team. Yeah, Rex Ryan did that. I think in Buffalo, there's no one right way, right? But obviously, you know, Josh Allen is going to be a captain of the offense. And he is, they chose, and the bills have had the only three captains

6:12last year. Now if I remember right, maybe. And then one year they had like eight or something. They've gone with six. They've gone with two on offense, two on defense, two on special teams essentially offensively. You know, Josh Allen and Dawson Knox, I think absolutely. Like they're just, you're going to make Josh Allen a captain in Dawson Knox. We know what he means of the organization. He has been here since 2018. That makes a lot of sense. And then, you know, you could pick a couple guys or could be a Deon Dawkins or someone like that. But Dawson just checks all the boxes does everything right defensively. I think Bradley Chubb and his first year being named a team captain is interesting. And all we've heard about about him, not always heard about, but one of the main things we've heard since he was signed his leadership. It just every single person talks about his leadership. Even Marcel Luiz-Jach who covered him in Miami for ESPN when he's come on, you know, the radio here in Buffalo has said like, you know, that guy, he was surprised that they didn't keep around to help the young guys because he's such a good leader. So that makes a lot of sense. And then obviously, Taurabra Nard, middle linebacker, green dot, that kind of thing. That makes sense. He's been a captain. And then you have Reed Ferguson, a longest tenured

7:13bill, by the way, he's the only bill now that will have played for the last three head coaches. He was on the team when Rex Ryan was the head coaches, the only one on the team that was currently and Sean McDermott and now Joe Brady. And then same Franklin, Jr. is just a kind of a nod to how important that particular player in position is on this roster. Do you think that we'll see it'll be D. Alfred that is returning kicks or returning points by the way? So really good question. I think some of this will come down. He's on the deaf chart listed as that, but it feels like it's still a bit of a long shot for that for me. So you don't think they'll elevate Greg Dorch? No, I think they will. That's what I'm saying. Like that D. Alfred would be returning. I got you. Yeah, you think that Greg, yeah, I think it's a very, very strong possibility. This is what it comes down to though, Jeremy. I think it really comes down to what these injuries look like. Who is healthy? Who's available and what they might need. Otherwise, you only get three elevations. But yes, I think the minute Greg Dorch was signed, I'm thinking he's going to be the main punt returner. D. Alfred has 20 punt returns in his career. They all happened back in 2023 with the Atlanta Falcons.

8:16If Colossia Kier is banged up, if Colossia Kier can't go, I think it's a no brainer. You elevate Greg Dorch because that's his position anyway. He has an extra receiver you're putting on the field, right? If Colossia Kier is healthy though, you can elevate Greg Dorch. Now you have six receivers unless you don't dress Skyler Bell. What if Ty Johnson isn't healthy? You're going to have to elevate Frank Gore. That is one on the offensive side. These things are going to matter. If Jordan Hancock and Jill and Kilgore are bolt unavailable, you're probably elevating to Cory Couch. I just think a lot of this is going to matter based on the injuries this week. But let's just say everybody's healthy. I think Greg Dorch is a very strong possibility to get elevated and be the punt returner. If he's not this week, I think he certainly is a week from Thursday night when they play his team. He was only there for a few months, but it didn't go well and he was not happy about getting released by the Lions. That would kind of be of a Greg Dorch revenge game, so to speak. If it's not Sunday, I think it is Thursday, but it's a good question. I do wonder. I think Greg Dorch probably gets elevated for this game, but you only get three of those.

9:18Well, we'll find out. Today we get injury designations in a little bit of a clearer picture or at least I asked you, who are we keeping an eye on? We'll have a better idea of who to keep an eye on once we get injury designations game designations today. Yeah, no game designations. They don't have until Friday, but injuries. Yes, injury reports, game designations won't come out until Friday afternoon when we know guys are declared out or questionable injuries. Yes. And here's the other important part is we'll know exactly what injuries people are dealing with. Right. So now you have to let's foot correct, a limited full correct. Yeah, limited full and all that, but you'll well, now we'll know because the bills, you know, remember when Joe Brady was using like hockey terms upper body or lower body, which is fine. He could do that during the, during the preseason. You can't do that in the regular season. We have to know, you know, what each player is dealing with. Yeah. All right, so thank you. All right, you got it. All right, so Capacho get some designations on who's practicing limited full, what the injuries are. No more games. No more games about who's heard, who's not heard, all that stuff closer

10:22and closer. We get to this game bills and Texans on Sunday, one o'clock tonight. What time is kickoff? I should know this. I should, I don't know what time kickoff is exactly because I have a fantasy draft that starts at seven. So we'll just be drafting the game. We'll start. It's got to be what eight 20 says eight 20, but they have to do the banner raising and all of that. So I saw eight thirty five somewhere. So okay. They're also having sound garden play at halftime. The remaining members of sound garden. Okay. And the guitarist from Pearl Jam is going to be joining them as well. Yes. Yeah. That's so there's that Seattle. All right. Yeah. I'm in Seattle like that. Is there a fan based at hate Seattle? Probably we don't right? You're happy, happy enough for them. It's a good question. Who hates Seattle? Forty Niners. Probably. Ram. That's the division rival. Yeah. Division rivals. But yeah. It's not exactly a sports sound. I think of people hating like Philly. Right. Dallas. Boston. Maybe these are just hours. That might be right.

11:27No, it's just hours. All right. 803 05 50. If you want to pop in Jeremy and Joe Joe's out this week on WGR.