- 13 minutes ago
Jeremy White and Joe DiBiase are joined by Buffalo Bills beat reporter Sal Capaccio to get his thoughts on the Bills deciding to move on from safety CJ Gardner-Johnson. The guys look back on what went wrong, from the inconsistency on the field, the reckless decisions, and the off the field issues. Sal emphasizes the good performance on Sunday without CJGJ as the final straw. Then they move on to discussing the Bills as a whole and preview their upcoming game against the Vikings.
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00:00Hey everybody, happy Wednesday, happy hump day, Jeremy and Joe, Joe Cowley, Owen Parker
00:06here, Sal Capaccio joining us on the Western Hotline, haven't talked in a couple days,
00:09Sal, good morning.
00:10Good morning guys, how are you guys, how are you?
00:12How are you enjoying extended beautiful weather?
00:17I am loving it, I mean, I, this is, if you could give me this weather year round and
00:22say okay, we're never going to hit 80, but we're also just going to be like here, wouldn't
00:26you just say yes?
00:27Wouldn't that be perfect?
00:28In a heartbeat.
00:3055 to 77 every day for the rest of your life is what you're saying you'd take?
00:34Without humidity?
00:35I think I would, amazing, yeah, it's been great, and I was just watching our guy Patrick Hammer
00:42on Do the Weather on WGRZ, and he said it's going to be a little cooler, there's some rain
00:47coming, and then next week it's going to be nice again and warm again, not like this,
00:51like 50, 60, but I'm like okay, let's go baby.
00:54Well it's beautiful outside, so enjoy it today.
00:56There might be some rain in the week and temperatures next week dip a little bit, but a high of
01:0077
01:00today.
01:01All right, Sal, so CJ Gardner-Johnson, the big news for the Bills yesterday that they have
01:06released him.
01:07I wonder your take on it from start to finish from spitting incident to Brady's comments
01:13after the fact.
01:14There's a bye week, there's a suspension week where we see a couple different players
01:19in the mix, and then he's cut after, by the way, Jim Leonard had said there are going to
01:25be some tough conversations.
01:26Like that might have been a little bit of a warning that something was coming.
01:30So take us through how you think they ultimately arrived at this amidst the reports that this
01:36that it was inconsistent play that was the primary driver.
01:39Yeah.
01:40Yeah, that's what I was told.
01:41It was inconsistent play that was more than the spitting incident.
01:45But we all know that spitting incident happened, and if I can start from kind of more the end
01:48than the beginning there, I can say that, you know, you guys know I came on here the day
01:53after it happened and said, if you're involved in that organization, if you're a member of that
01:56organization in any way, whether you're a player, a coach, a staff member, whatever, seeing
02:00that on every highlight reel in America, when they, right after they show Josh Allen, throw
02:04the flick pass, just doesn't sit well with you, right?
02:06I mean, like you see that and you're like, I got to deal with this.
02:09That's part of me.
02:10That's part of who we are.
02:11And one of these people who represents what we're about just did something like that.
02:15That does not sit well with anybody.
02:16And the fact is he was not playing well enough.
02:18We all know that he was inconsistent.
02:21So as many people have said, you know, you, you, there's a certain amount of
02:26tolerance you can have for different actions or people, depending on how good you are,
02:31depending on how much you, how well you're playing.
02:33And that, that didn't match here.
02:35So that said, I'm going to go back even before that, Jeremy, to some of the comments that
02:39were made.
02:39I thought it was telling pretty, a couple of weeks ago when even, I think CJ was playing,
02:47maybe it was right after the Raiders game.
02:48I can't remember exactly when, when Jim Leonard said something really interesting about
02:52Damar Hamlin, he was asked about Damar and he said, I know what I'm getting on a play
02:57to play basis.
02:58I know what I'm going to get.
02:59He, he, he, he's smart.
03:01He's, he settles things down to whatever he said.
03:03Like he, I know what I'm getting.
03:04And, and that was the first time to me, I go, I wonder if he's saying, I don't know
03:08what I'm getting when CJ Gardner Johnson is on the field.
03:11You know what I mean?
03:11Like he, he didn't say it that way, but to say that meant a lot to me.
03:15And then you start to think about what are they going to do?
03:18You look at again, the whole package of the spitting and the inconsistent play.
03:23And honestly, like Tim Graham said it on the midday show, a couple of times, he called
03:26it an audition.
03:27He was saying, like, I think it's an audition.
03:29Tim would say for this group, Damar Hamlin to be on the field with let's say Gino stone
03:33in this case and how they work with Cole Bishop.
03:36And honestly, guys, it feels like that's what it was.
03:38The bills were steadfast.
03:39We are not cutting CJ Gardner Johnson after the suspension.
03:42Well, guess what?
03:43They go and play.
03:43I understand the third string quarterback in the.
03:46That, but no one can deny whether it was a Lamar Jackson, Tyler Huntley, third string
03:50quarterback, that the defense just seemed to flow better.
03:54And it's not just the production.
03:57The big thing that Joe Brady said, this is Joe Brady.
03:59The head coach is the offensive guy.
04:00Now let's remember that Joe Brady said the communication was really good on the defensive
04:06end.
04:06Again, you're making statements without making statements.
04:09If that makes sense.
04:10Right.
04:10So I think it all led to, they decided we are a better football team with this group
04:18and you're not going to have CJ Gardner Johnson as a backup.
04:20It's just, it's not going to happen.
04:21Right.
04:21He's either got to be a starter.
04:22He's got to be off the team.
04:23That's the point Joe made yesterday.
04:25Like as soon as they suggest he's on the bench, he's off the team.
04:28A hundred percent.
04:29A hundred percent.
04:29It's exactly why.
04:31And I understand there are totally different players and circumstances.
04:34I mean, Cam Newton years ago said, you can't bring me in to be the backup on your team.
04:39He said that.
04:39And he's right.
04:40Like you can't do that.
04:41He becomes the story.
04:42It becomes a disruption.
04:44And he wasn't saying I'm going to be a disruption, but in this case, you figure maybe this guy
04:48would have been a disruption if he was the backup.
04:51CJ Gardner Johnson's a really good football player.
04:54He was not rising to the level of being that really good football player in this particular
04:59defense for whatever reason.
05:00He's put, he's put a lot of great stuff on his resume.
05:03It wasn't working here.
05:05It wasn't a fit here.
05:06And the bills decided less than halfway through the year now to cut their losses and move on.
05:12And they believe in the group that they have going forward.
05:14And that's where we're landing now.
05:16How surprising is it, Sal, that he wasn't better?
05:19Like he's not old, 28 years old as a safety.
05:23And I thought he looked, Jordan Poyer on this team last year at 34 years old.
05:27I feel like you could have thought that Gardner Johnson was 34 years old at times this year.
05:32Yeah, Joe, I thought about this and like, what, let's, let's take away the, the antics.
05:37Let's take away the personality even, right?
05:39Like we all know he's a big personality.
05:41He talks a lot of stuff.
05:43I mean, I'll tell you, I love talking with a guy.
05:45He was great to talk to because he always gave you something interesting, whether that
05:50was bulletin board material or insight or whatever.
05:52He, he, he, he gave you stuff that you'd come on the radio the next day to talk about.
05:57Right.
05:57And I loved that about him and really, you know, kind of put a lot of stuff out there
06:02that kind of drew attention to him and a lot of negative ways after the Patriots game.
06:06We all know, I mean, heck, going back to training camp, when I talked about the Houston situation,
06:09remember that, like how it ended there, like the, the stuff that came out.
06:12So let's just put all that aside.
06:13Let's talk about the question you're asking is on the football field.
06:16My read of it is after kind of watching every week and digging in is I don't think he knew
06:21what he was doing in the defense.
06:22I just think he was, I don't think he was sure of himself.
06:25And I, and I think he felt, I can just go do my thing and go get the ball and
06:32be a, and
06:32be a good football player.
06:34Even if I'm confused, I can just make a play and you just can't do that.
06:36You know, we did this podcast last night with Jordan Poyer and Jordan talked a lot about
06:41that.
06:41Like you, you just, you have to work in tandem and understand what's happening.
06:45There's a, there, there is a lot of detail that goes into all of this for everybody.
06:49And guys, when I watched him, I, I often felt like, I don't know if he knows what he's
06:55doing.
06:55So he's doing his own thing and that's impacting everybody.
06:58Right.
06:58And look on defense on defense, it doesn't matter if you're a linebacker, a safety, a
07:03corner, a lot of times you can get away with that.
07:05Like you can say like, I don't know what I'm doing.
07:06So I'm just going to go to the ball.
07:07Like, I'm just going to go and run it.
07:09You can't do that on offense.
07:09You need more of like everybody doing their own thing or somebody misses a block and it gets blown
07:12up defense.
07:13You can make a mistake and you can kind of just go do it.
07:16But I think the way this defense was designed and how he was, or wasn't fitting in, I think
07:23he was confused.
07:24Yeah.
07:24Well, part of that, I don't, I don't, I don't, I don't think he knew what he was doing.
07:27So he tried to do his own thing.
07:28Maybe right.
07:29Freelancing, maybe just kind of going on instincts.
07:31And Sal, that's, that's also maybe tough at a time when this defense as a group is trying
07:37to basically install a new defense, right?
07:40We're, we're seven games into this.
07:42And I think about, I mean, a little callback to Sean McDermott, but maybe CJ Gardner Johnson
07:48was not doing his one 11th.
07:49And that's what the bills need back there is a guy that can do their one 11th.
07:52Well, Jeremy, and here, your point is great for this.
07:57Do we all not, did we all not see Cole Bishop as a different player with CJ on the field
08:02with CJ off the field?
08:03And the reason is, and these are again, context clues.
08:07Jim Leonard said something yesterday or Monday, I'm sorry, about Cole Bishop about how he sometimes
08:15can try to do a little too much.
08:18Like he, that was a quote, like he tries to do a little too much and you have to, you
08:21know, he's such a, he's such a good, thoughtful football player.
08:24He's trying to think of everything.
08:25He's so athletic.
08:26He's trying to do too much.
08:27And I'm thinking, trying to put the pieces together.
08:29Is he also telling us there, he's trying to do too much because he's trying to cover
08:32for the guy who is not doing the right thing.
08:35You know what I mean?
08:36And, and, and now you put DeMar Hamlin or Gino Stone, whoever next to him, maybe Cole.
08:40So to your point, Jeremy, about one 11th, if you're not doing your one 11th, as you
08:44put it, and somebody else also can't do their one 11th.
08:47And it becomes a two and three and four and five 11th.
08:50And all of a sudden you're one of the worst defenses in the league.
08:53And shouldn't the, the position next to Cole Bishop, a lot of it be about who does he
08:58feel most comfortable with?
09:00And who do I get them?
09:00Who gets the most out of Cole Bishop?
09:03It's almost like a line made in hockey, right?
09:05Like it doesn't have to be your most talented guy.
09:07Peyton Krebs plays with Tage Thompson.
09:08He's not one of their three most talented forwards, but Tage likes playing with him and plays
09:13good with him.
09:13And like, I kind of feel about DeMar Hamlin.
09:16And he's got a lot of deficiencies athletically.
09:19And I don't know if we want to end up there come playoff time, but if, if he on the
09:24field
09:25gets me more out of Cole Bishop, then there's, there is a lot of value in that.
09:30I like, I like that, Joe.
09:31That's right.
09:32Like we all know Jordan and Micah were really good together.
09:37If you take one off the field, the other is still really good, but he's probably not
09:40as good, right?
09:42You had, they made each other so good because of what they could do.
09:45And we were spoiled here in Buffalo for a long time.
09:48Fans were, and you know, to watch, to watch these guys, the organization had one of the
09:52best safety tandems in, in, in over the last 20 years in the league.
09:55Right.
09:55I think we could say that.
09:57And, you know, that's not there.
09:58And I think that the standards sometimes is comparing to them, which is unfair.
10:02It's unfair to Cole Bishop.
10:03It's unfair to whoever Cole Bishop's partner is.
10:05It's unfair to whoever's on the field for the Buffalo bills, but they gave us a peek into
10:09what it can be like to have two guys that understood how to work off each other and how good
10:14you
10:15can be by doing that.
10:16Sal Capaccio.
10:17Sal, the other thing about what I'm reading, checking the, you know, going back through the
10:22Baltimore game, what we learned, what we didn't, I think everyone has a bit of a, they played
10:27a, you know, a scout team quarterback, take it for what it's worth.
10:30However, there seems to be a lot of love right now for to Corey couch.
10:34So how do you feel about that?
10:36What have, what have you seen?
10:37And you know, the, the, the people you're talking to about it in terms of how he looked,
10:41what have you seen in this, uh, this youngster that could maybe get on the field quite a
10:46bit more.
10:47You're talking to a guy here that predicted court to Corey couch to make the 53 man roster back
10:51at OTAs.
10:52I've always loved his game and I loved his versatility.
10:55Uh, he became my new, uh, for all those people who know that how much I really liked Cam Lewis
10:59over the years and Jamarcus Ingram.
11:01And I love guys like this.
11:02I do.
11:02I, I have an affinity for guys who just do their job every day, show up and they can
11:06help the team in a lot of different ways.
11:08And to Corey couch was that guy over the last two years for me, when he was drafted guys,
11:11it was thought, but he was strictly because of his size, a slot corner.
11:14Like he's a nickel corner.
11:15He's a slot corner.
11:16Lo and behold, his first training camp a couple of years ago, I remember seeing him on the outside.
11:20I'm like, well, it's a Corey couch on the outside.
11:22And then I was talking with, um, somebody in the, uh, in, in the personnel side.
11:26I was like, yeah, you know, he actually can, he has a pretty good skillset.
11:29He can do a lot of different things.
11:30What was he doing this year?
11:31He played safety at an interception against Cleveland, right?
11:34I mean, like, this is a guy that you could put on the field and trust to know all these
11:38different spots.
11:39And again, a lot like Cam Lewis was a lot like Jamarcus Ingram was different skillsets
11:42for all of them.
11:43There's no doubt about that.
11:44But to me, these are the kinds of guys that every defense needs.
11:47Now you could say, I don't know if I, that's a guy that I want starting for 17 games, but
11:52in this case, the way D Alfred has been inconsistent and the way that Corey couch played, I would
11:56give that some space and say, maybe that's what you want.
12:00I still think because D Alfred is also in this new system with CJ Gardner, Johnson situation,
12:06Cole Bishop, I'd like to see D Alfred.
12:08I'd like to see that still work out, right?
12:09I'm not calling for it to Corey couch to be the starter.
12:11But I will tell you to Corey couch deserves to be on this football team to me as one
12:16of the 53 players and to Corey couch deserves time as a nickel, a backup safety, a backup
12:23dime guy, whatever it is.
12:24Like I, I like, I like what I've seen from him, but I've liked what I've seen from him
12:28for three years to be quite honest with you.
12:30And I'm glad and good for him.
12:31Good for him.
12:32He's just shows up to work every day, does his job, knows that he's got a lot of work
12:36to do to be on the 53.
12:38And it feels like that's where it's going now.
12:39Right.
12:39Three years with the team, you know, practice squad mostly.
12:42Um, yeah, and I was reading yesterday that you're right.
12:44So like college too, in Miami, he played safety nickel outside corner.
12:48Like he did everything.
12:50Isn't a, maybe the best result here.
12:52I mean, I'm sure they would like Alfred to play better and to be good enough to start
12:57and not have that be a question.
12:58I mean, they paid him a multi-year contract, but we've been asking kind of what the backup
13:03plan is at nickel corner.
13:04Every time it's come up beginning of the year, Hamlin has done it.
13:07And I wonder if now Hamlin probably sliding more into a full-time starting role at safety,
13:14if the best result here, isn't just, well, couch is your, like, this doesn't have to
13:18be a question the rest of the season.
13:20Like we kind of know, well, if Alfred's not available to you, we, we know who the next
13:23guy up is going to be.
13:25It's a great point that maybe you don't have to shuffle the deck as much, right, Joe?
13:29Like you have, you have your guys, like somebody goes down to Alfred, something happens.
13:32I got to Corey couch.
13:33I'll plug him in.
13:33I don't have to move to Mar Hamlin.
13:35There's an X factor here though, Jordan Hancock still on IR and he's eligible to come off.
13:39Oh, right.
13:40Right.
13:41And, and I don't know what the, now they could decide, Hey, we like what we have and we're
13:45not going to bring Jordan Hancock back, but at some point they might want to do that.
13:49Now you have another reinforcement and look, Gino stone for as much as he was criticized
13:54in the off season and preseason.
13:57And I get it.
13:57Like, I didn't think he had a great preseason either.
13:59I understand that he played well last week.
14:01He's a veteran that you can put on the field and he's on the practice squad.
14:05You could still elevate him a couple more times.
14:07Like suddenly, suddenly coming out of all this, the classic addition by subtraction looks
14:15like people are feeling that way, right?
14:17Like you remove CJ Gardner Johnson and it feels like what you saw on Sunday granted against
14:23the quarterbacks they played, you suddenly have more options and a better stable group
14:30that you can turn to.
14:31And I just look the next few, few weeks.
14:34I don't know who's going to play quarterback for the Vikings.
14:36It's going to be Murray.
14:37Is it going to be Wentz?
14:38Jordan Poyer said last night, I'd rather face Kyler Murray.
14:40That's what he said.
14:41I'd rather face Kyler Murray.
14:42We're talking to him and, and, and maybe they would, but I will tell you, you got Wentz,
14:46you got Gino Smith.
14:47And I know he can play pretty well at times, but that offense doesn't seem to get off the
14:51mat at times.
14:52And, you know, then after that you have the Miami Dolphins.
14:55I mean, over the next few weeks, there is opportunity for me, for this defense to really
15:02kind of get not right necessarily.
15:05I'm not going to use that word, but maybe get together the way they need to, to kind
15:10of figure it out as the year goes on.
15:11You know, Sal, like the deadline coming up and all of this, like couch playing well against
15:17Baltimore Stone as well.
15:18Hamlin, things look sharper when he's out there.
15:22It doesn't, for me personally, really decrease the desire to see them do something, even if
15:27it is on the back end.
15:28Like, I think it might be a better option than what you had before, but at the same time,
15:34like maybe Hamlin is the right name to look at for this.
15:37Like there is going to be value in him with Bishop and also like the defense is running
15:42smoother.
15:42But at the same time, can't you foresee like come playoff time, like this happened against
15:47the Chiefs, right?
15:48Like, oh, he's on the field and the other coach knows that that's an advantage for them and
15:53they're going to pick on him.
15:54You know, like I'm not to say that they have to trade for a safety, but I still feel like
15:59that idea should be possible for them because I think a good coach in offense is going to
16:05go after guys like that in the playoffs.
16:07Agreed.
16:07Agreed.
16:07I mean, I've said many times here that as much as I think the Mar Hamlin offers you
16:12a certain floor, there's also a ceiling there.
16:15And I don't know if that's the guy that you want on the field in critical situations against
16:19really good offenses as, as you go forward.
16:21I agree with that, Joe.
16:22And I think some decisions still have to be made.
16:25There are two different conversations here.
16:27One is what do you do with CJ Gardner Johnson?
16:29They've made that decision.
16:31The next decision is what do you do at safety?
16:33That does not have to be the guys they have on the roster right now.
16:36It can be, and maybe you can get away with that, but you should be striving for better.
16:42And we did the always game day Buffalo podcast yesterday before the CJ Gardner Johnson announcement.
16:49And I said on there, as you guys have, you've talked about it.
16:52I'm sure I said, I think Imani Hooker should be on the bills radar.
16:54Like you, you should try to trade for that guy.
16:56Like that is a player that you could bring in.
16:58Now.
16:58I don't understand.
16:59I don't know the translation for him from the defenses he's been in.
17:02And I do think there's a catch-up speed that you always have to think about with things
17:05like this, but he's out there.
17:07What about Buda Baker?
17:08There's a lot of talk about him.
17:09I don't know.
17:09Are the Cardinals even wanting to trade right now?
17:11They're, they just want a game against the Cowboys.
17:12Who knows what they're thinking right now?
17:14Derwin James is on IR.
17:15I mean, is that a pie in the sky type of, you know, trade?
17:19But I mean, that team's going nowhere and he's a really good football player that you
17:23could probably put in any defense.
17:24And, you know, he's the kind of guy that you could put in all different situations.
17:28So just some names, maybe there's somebody out there that we're not thinking of.
17:31I agree though, Joe, I still think you need to add to this safety room and I would not
17:37be opposed and think that they can definitely add to go over the top even of what they have
17:41in DeMar Hamlin right now.
17:43And that's not disrespect to him because again, offers you a floor.
17:46You can put him on the field.
17:48He understands exactly what he's supposed to do, but in critical moments, is he going
17:51to make that big play that you need?
17:54Sal Capaccio joining us on the Western Hotline.
17:57Monday night football this week.
17:58So everything's moved a day, right?
17:59Sal, here it's Wednesday.
18:01So Wednesday is now Thursday in Bill's world and on and on and on and on.
18:05Yeah.
18:06So nothing today, no practice, no media today.
18:08So we'll get more of that tomorrow.
18:09We'll get our maybe injury updates tomorrow, like Spencer Brown, stuff like that.
18:13Yes.
18:13Okay.
18:14Yeah.
18:14So the first injury report won't come out till tomorrow either for either team.
18:18And I mean, obviously on the Bill's side, DJ Moore, Spencer Brown, you know, you're
18:23looking at, you know, different guys on the Bill's side, obviously Joshua Palmer, Kyler
18:28Murray, though, is the big one for the Vikings.
18:31The other thing about the Vikings I'm monitoring this week, guys, is there's a lot of talk about
18:34them adding a running back, Jonathan Taylor, Brees Hall, every day that goes by, even if
18:39they add one, I don't know how much he'd play.
18:40You know what I mean?
18:41Like if you get to Thursday and Friday and they haven't traded for a running back, I don't
18:45know, maybe they, if they do by Saturday, he's actually playing Monday night and understanding
18:48what to do.
18:49I'm not sure.
18:49So I just think that that's something that that's been out there about them.
18:52And I even heard, you know, Schefter again today talking about them peeking in or Jonathan
18:57Taylor's name and where they can go.
18:59So I think that that could be a possibility.
19:01It doesn't feel like it's going to happen before Monday night, but it could.
19:04Oh, quickly, Sal, we were talking about this the other day.
19:07Here are the Ravens with, you know, they're down to like, you know, they're bringing in
19:10fifth string quarterbacks at this point.
19:12Yeah.
19:14They dressed, they didn't dress Fignano on Sunday, but he was an active emergency third
19:19quarterback.
19:20I know like a little more than half the teams in the league do that.
19:23The bills are not one of them, right?
19:25Like, do you know who you have to, you have to carry a third quarterback on the active
19:29roster to do on the active roster, make him inactive and say he's the emergency guy.
19:34So the bills don't do that.
19:35Do you know who is their emergency quarterback?
19:38Do they have one?
19:41So, uh, I would, uh, who, who's, uh, who's producing right now, Joe, Joe Callie, right?
19:46Yeah.
19:46I would want Joe, Joe, this is what you do.
19:48All right, Joe, I need you to go find the very end of Pete Carmichael Jr.'s press conference
19:53yesterday.
19:54Okay.
19:54Okay.
19:55This was asked to Pete Carmichael Jr., Joe.
19:57Okay.
19:57Okay.
19:57So I want you to play it and you can hear his response.
20:00And all I'm going to tell you is it was actually a funny, and the reason I bring it up,
20:03you could
20:04tell Pete Carmichael Jr. was very uncomfortable because he didn't want to answer and he couldn't
20:08answer.
20:09Okay.
20:09And so he said, we got a guy, but he didn't tell you what the guy, who the guy is
20:13now.
20:14So we, you know what?
20:14It makes it really fun to kind of guess who the guy is.
20:17Right.
20:17Yeah.
20:18I don't know.
20:18And I'm thinking it's gotta be somebody who you can snap it to and he can run the ball
20:22because that Greg Dortch.
20:23But at the same time, you got a Dawson Knox who literally went to Ole Miss to play quarterback.
20:28Right.
20:29Right.
20:29Yeah.
20:29Like, I don't know.
20:30Maybe it's him.
20:30So if you guys have that, you should play.
20:32It is kind of funny because he, and I say it in a very, like, fun way, he was uncomfortable.
20:38He was laughing.
20:38Like, he's like, I don't know.
20:39He's like, Joe, that's for Joe to answer.
20:41I love it.
20:41Not for me to answer.
20:42I love it.
20:42I don't know who it is.
20:43You don't want to say.
20:44We could speculate.
20:44You don't want the other team to scout who it is.
20:46You know?
20:48You can't give that information.
20:49Dawson Knox.
20:50I remember, though, that we knew at a time that it was, it used to be Micah Hyde.
20:54I remember that we all knew that, but maybe Micah just said that at some point.
20:57I think Micah's like, yeah, well, I could play quarterback.
20:59Right.
21:00That's exactly why.
21:01I don't really know.
21:01I think Micah was like the emergency everything on this team.
21:03He did everything.
21:04Emergency long snapper.
21:05Emergency field goal kicker.
21:06Right.
21:07That's Ray Davis, I think.
21:08Right.
21:09Yeah.
21:09Anyway, try and play that.
21:10It was actually a funny, funny moment.
21:13Joe, I'm watching on the video stream, and I am stunned you are not wearing.
21:15Did you wear one of the new Sabres jerseys that you have on yet?
21:19Hometown Remix?
21:19Don't have it yet, but.
21:20You getting it tonight?
21:21Might get it tonight.
21:22Are they sold out?
21:23I don't know.
21:24And I think the player I want might be sold out.
21:26Hey, guys, I got one for Max.
21:29I got one.
21:29Nice.
21:30And they only had, but the youth at the time, when I went there, they only had the, they
21:34had Darlene and Doan.
21:38Okay.
21:38And he, in his hockey, he wears number 20, and he's a Yuriko League fan.
21:42It kind of matches up.
21:43Yeah.
21:43And that's not the Y.
21:44And so, so we got, I got one where he's going to get it, like, personalized.
21:47They were sweet, though.
21:48I'm like, I got to get this now.
21:49So, yeah.
21:50Yeah.
21:50I was surprised you didn't have one on yet.
21:51Not yet.
21:52Maybe I might even need to go down there before the game tonight, because they're probably,
21:58especially, like, the player I would want, I think, is probably the first player that
22:02would have sold out.
22:03Page?
22:04No.
22:05Benson?
22:06Oh, okay.
22:06Do you think he would have been the first player that sold out?
22:08Yeah.
22:09I don't know.
22:09Is he not the most popular player on the team?
22:12Hmm, that's a good question.
22:15We chanted his name in the arena during the playoff game.
22:18That's right.
22:19But he's, there's most popular because, you know, he, people admire the way that he plays.
22:25Right.
22:26And then there's the guy that scores all the goals.
22:28Yeah.
22:29There's a star.
22:30I'm not saying he's the best player.
22:31No, no, I know.
22:32I know.
22:32There's, don't underestimate just, you know, that.
22:35The top-selling jersey is the guy that scores the goals.
22:37And the guy who scores all the goals, the guy who scores a lot of the goals, also just
22:40won gold medal for USA.
22:41Like, he's like, he, to me, like, that, yeah, I'm going to go with Tage would be the guy
22:46that probably sells them.
22:47I feel like I'm too short to wear a Tage jersey.
22:49Maybe.
22:50But, like, maybe when the Sabres are doing this, like, all right, how many do we need
22:53to order for each guy?
22:54Right.
22:54It might be Tage, Darlene, and Benson are the top three.
22:57I would think so.
22:58Yeah.
22:58I think you're right about that.
22:59Thanks, Sal.
23:00You got it, guys.
23:01Have a good one.
23:01Joe Kelly's going to find that answer from Pete Carmichael.
23:04We've got a new feature to introduce to the show, also, as we're going to do Belknap's
23:09Hot and Cold coming up, a segment that's led by Mr. Joe Kelly, and as a show that always
23:16likes a good graphic for our YouTube, how about the Kelly Counter?
23:21We have a graphic.
23:23It's the Kelly Counter.
23:25How many days, how many shows left for Joe Kelly?
23:28What are we at?
23:28The Kelly Countdown, really.
23:29Sure, the Kelly Countdown.
23:30The Kelly Countdown.
23:31How many shows left?
23:31Ooh, that's a good question.
23:33Eight?
23:33One, two, seven, not counting today.
23:36Seven, not counting today.
23:37Yeah.
23:40Crazy.
23:41The Kelly Countdown.
23:41Only one more Bills game, then.
23:43I had to ask Joe earlier, do you count the day that we're on right now?
23:48No, because I was trying to figure out whether it was seven or eight days left when I was
23:52making the graphic, and he didn't know I was asking for this.
23:55Played a trick on you.
23:56Oh, you did?
23:56I played a trick.
23:57You asked me if you were, you said you were going to take time off for Grand Theft Auto's
24:00release.
24:00That's exactly what I said.
24:01You trickster.
24:02I saw, who was it?
24:04Was it, who's the big guy in basketball?
24:07Steven Adams, Steven, former Oklahoma City.
24:09Steven Adams.
24:10Yeah, Steven Adams.
24:11He said the entire league, I should see if this is a real cut, a real clip, about Grand Theft
24:17Auto
24:176, that the entire sports world, you should expect performance to go down.
24:21Very true, especially.
24:23Because all the players are just going to get GTA 6.
24:25Yes.
24:25There it is.
24:26In September, he said it.
24:27So this clip is resurfacing.
24:29All right.
24:29In September, he predicted that performances across sports leagues would drop when GTA 6
24:33comes out.
24:33No wonder Kyler Murray's not going to play on Monday night.
24:36Listen, it's good that you're getting.
24:37Oh, wow.
24:37That was easy to get.
24:39It comes out in two weeks.
24:40You're getting a pre-GTA 6 Kyler Murray.
24:43Yes.
24:44Very important.
24:45You probably can get it early.
24:46The new Call of Duty did come out a couple weeks ago.
24:48It did.
24:48You're not getting that game early.
24:50Oh, that's behind the line.
24:51You don't think Kyler Murray could get the game early?
24:52No.
24:52No.
24:53Could Josh Allen get the game early?
24:54No.
24:55You don't think anybody can get the game early?
24:55I don't think anybody can get that game.
24:57Nobody.
24:58Unless you are.
24:59Josh Allen makes a phone call.
25:00You don't think he could get it?
25:01No.
25:01No.
25:02No way.
25:02No.
25:03Why is everyone so, like, somebody doesn't have a copy somewhere?
25:07You have no idea what they're doing to keep this game under wraps.
25:10They had ransoms taken.
25:12I guess I know all of that.
25:12No, it's absurd what people are doing to try to hack into this game to see previews.
25:18No.
25:19Nobody gets this game.
25:22Tyler Huntley season-ending turf toe.
25:24I was going to say that.
25:25He's done.
25:25Oh, dang.
25:26The Ravens.
25:27They are going to get somebody.
25:29What they should.
25:30They're going to trade.
25:31They're going to trade for somebody.
25:33I don't know if there's anybody that could sign this.
25:34Philip Rivers want to come play football again?
25:36Like, they got it.
25:37They're going to do something.
25:39That isn't Slovis, whoever they signed yesterday.
25:41The real, real big question, I think, about the Ravens is a question about the Dolphins, too.
25:47Nick Wright said this yesterday.
25:48He thinks that Lamar's next snap is Miami.
25:50What happens when Lamar wants to go to Miami?
25:56Let's talk trade, right?
25:58Is it a trade?
25:59It's not a UFA.
25:59Or is he?
26:00Trade.
26:00No, he is one more year.
26:01One more year.
26:02So, all right.
26:03Let's talk trade.
26:04Baltimore, if they're smart right here, what are you going to try to do?
26:07Save a season with Jacoby Brissett?
26:10Or, if Lamar's going to leave anyway, you just go to the bottom, folks.
26:15Let's go to the bottom.
26:16We'll get near the top of the draft.
26:17We'll get some of Miami's picks as well.
26:19We'll spin Lamar off because he wants to leave anyway.
26:22We've got a first-year coach who can kind of get away with that.
26:24You might lose Declan Doyle in the process.
26:26But what are you saving?
26:28Really, what are you saving?
26:29You might not lose Declan Doyle if you get really bad on offense
26:32and no one saw him actually do the job.
26:34This might be a let's get stupid.
26:36But, like, if the Bills were to lose Allen for the year, wouldn't we –
26:42I don't know.
26:42They're 6-1, so it's different.
26:43But if they're 5-4, would we want them to save it?
26:48Or would we want them to, hey, listen, you've got an opportunity here.
26:52When Allen comes back, let's make sure the new guy that comes in
26:56is the best possible player he is.
26:59What am I saving here?
27:00Is this Allen's out-out no matter what, no playoffs, no nothing?
27:04That's Lamar, right?
27:05Lamar's season is over.
27:07Well, they're talking about late December.
27:08If you stay in the fight, he's maybe back by playoffs.
27:11That's what makes it tough.
27:13Maybe is the big word there for me.
27:14And I think that's a big difference to me.
27:16If you know for sure he's not coming back, then I'm with you.
27:20Like, I'll go to the bottom.
27:21Let me see if I can get Jeremiah Smith.
27:22Like, let me do the best I can.
27:24But if I think I'm 5-4 and he's probably – especially Josh.
27:29Like, this guy's going to battle to come back by the end of December.
27:32Maybe with Lamar you wouldn't have that same confidence.
27:34But if it was with Josh, like, this dude is going to get back by playoff time.
27:38I've got to stay in it.
27:39And the AFC being what it is, that's the other part, right?
27:43Like, I've got to beat out Cleveland.
27:44That's – well.
27:45Like, go get me Jacoby Brissett.
27:47500 the rest of the way.
27:48Allen's back by playoff time.
27:50Like, I would want to do that.
27:51Yeah.
27:52But with Lamar, I would not have the same confidence.
27:54Well, not only that, because Lamar would –
27:56That's earned that I would have the same confidence.
27:57Lamar would come back and get hurt in three plays.
27:59Right.
27:59So maybe Baltimore shouldn't care whether he could come back or not.
28:04803-0550, Joe Kelly's bell nap, hot and cold on some takes.
28:08We'll do that.
28:09Reed Ferguson at 815.
28:11Brad at 830 on UB's big win last night.
28:14And Joe Marino, the Lockdown Bills podcast at 9 here on WGR.