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S3 E16: The Climb Begins · Nickel City Crew Podcast

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Fifteen degrees. You can see you a breath out in the lake effect,
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breaking tables like you poetry? Where else would you have to be? And
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to Ron, Elvis and the lay Panchow, remember that you need to know.
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I put you out in now your family? Where else would you happy?
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Where else would you welcome? Into the Nickel City Crew. I am
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your host, Rob Crippin. Please like us on Facebook and follow us on
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Instagram and Twitter at Nickel City Crew. This episode, along with all of
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our episodes, are presented by Crippen Legacy Entertainment here on Spreaker and stream Yard.
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We're so glad that you're joining us for some of your Buffalo Bills and
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NFL content again today, and as always, these are my Bill's thoughts are
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set out loud. It's about so ridiculous. Two story plus eighty three was
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sick the show? Collect me? Where else would you want to be?
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All right, let's get straight to it. Really excited about tonight's episode.
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We are inching closer to the season. The games are going to start mattering
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tomorrow, they'll start keeping score and keeping counting enough with the preseason, and
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I just couldn't be more excited. I mean, you know, we talked
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about it last week. I had a blast. I know DT did as
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well with the Fam appreciation episode and got a chance to sit down with some
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of our original listeners and kind of chop it up with them, and it's
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just been it's just so exciting. I think that Justice General said it perfectly.
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Just life goes by better when the football season is in full swing.
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I think he said Mondays don't suck as much. I mean, all of
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those types of things are are definitely true. So excited the Bills will get
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right to it man on the eleventh Monday Night Football Prime Time against the Jets.
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I mean, I can't wait for it. Joining me tonight as always,
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my co host Adam dump Trump Rupsick hollowed him on Instagram at Adam Rupsick,
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are you p c z y k hollow at the crew DT. I
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mean we are inching closer by man, I mean this is this is it
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man. Monday will be here before you know it, man, And obviously
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we get to enjoy Sunday's slate as well. Let's go, let's go,
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We're we're in it now, We've gone through it, we got through the
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weight. We we've talked about the weight, how we were getting excited at
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the beginning of training camp and still had the whole summer to go. Well,
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the week's upon us within seven days. Rob happy to be here as
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always what our crew, rob Let's shop this up. Man for this,
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for this season, for this jets like it brings something out in me.
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Like you said, life's just better. And you know everyone that says,
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oh, don't make your identity about a football team, or that's that's who
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we are as the Mafia, and don't get that twisted right now, so
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ready to chop it up. Ready for this season to start, Ready for
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seventeen to start dealing again. That's right, Maybe that's right. I'm down
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with it yet. No, you know, the most important thing that I
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do is be a father provider and make sure that take care of my kings
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after them. I mean, I don't I don't care, man, I
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mean the Bills are part of my identity. They are part of the fabric.
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If you didn't get a chance, please go back and listen to last
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week's episode. Some great stories from our listeners, uh the original members of
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the crew at just how they became Rabbit Bills fans and it was really cool
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to chop it up with them, because I mean, it is part of
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the fabric. I mean in Western New York, whether you've moved like I
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haven't and Big Mike habit we're down here Charlotte now, whether you're across the
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country, across the world, it just means something, and it means something
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different, mane. It's just there's something about the Mafia that is true special.
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And I know that we are excited for five days away. I mean,
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these episodes air on Thursday, so we'll be down to four days.
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Like it's it's crazy, man, So I can't wait to get to it.
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As we get ready to chop it up tonight, DT, a little
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bit of you know, house cleaning. Sean McDermott announces today on Wednesday,
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and we released on Thursdays, but on Wednesday announces three starters on for the
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Bills, and it's it's interesting because DT, you know it was. It
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was funny because the middle linebacker position was something that we watched and that we
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kept an eye on, and then all of a sudden, the competition didn't
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seem like much of a competition anymore. When to Roll Bernard went down with
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that hamstring injury. He comes back last week to practice DT and all of
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a sudden you look around and today Sean McDermott announces that he's going to be
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the starting middle linebacker come Week one against the Jets. It's interesting because I
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don't know if it's an indictment on Dotson, if it's an indictment on or
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just speak to the work ethic of Terrell Bernard. But I mean, Dotson
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had more than than one or two bites at this apple. He couldn't get
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it done. I do respect the fact that it's next man up, it's
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you know, the best guy's gonna play, And I do respect that about
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Sean McDermott. Dotson's been here well before Trerelle Bernard even got drafted, so
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he's had his legs. I mean, granted forty nine was forty nine was
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there plugging it up. He wasn't gonna get a chance in that regard.
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But you made made the team Turkey and made it happen. This was a
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chance to really earn it, and you'd like to see it. I you
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know, you'd like to have dots and still gonna get snaps and gonna be
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a pivotal player in that middle. But you'd like to see Bernard getting this
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start, being a draft being coming in filling that void with Trayman. Edmond's
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kind of easing that gap of oh man, we're losing Traymand, what are
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we gonna do? And you know, Bernard coming in. But it shows
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that he might have been the favorite the whole time, right because all you
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know, it was kind of it looked like a three man race, and
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then at the very end it he gets hurt and then he comes back and
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boom, he's the starter. So he might have been the play the whole
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time. And and good for him. We see good things from four three.
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Yeah, I mean, you know, good luck to him because you
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know, you know, like I said, Dobson had his opportunities, and
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I know that he was never gonna, you know, take over Tremaine Edmonds
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or anything like that. But you know, he's had his opportunities with the
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team, and this year was kind of his offseason to kind of prove it.
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And you know, he was giving that shot. Especially with the injury
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to Bernard, he kind of it all opened up for him. He was
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just not really in the right places and seemed like and during those preseason games,
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filling the wrong caps with not rereading his keys, and you know,
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it seems like, you know, want somebody that he can trust back there
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to call the defense, and it's gonna be Trognar. He's gonna get that
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opportunity now. One of the success stories. And you can look at this,
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you know, a couple of different ways, DT, because I know
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that it's been really interesting with the cornerback two position opposite of Tremaine Us White.
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Listen, I mean, the best guy's gonna play. And I have
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to respect that when a coaching staff is not gonna worry about draft status,
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they're not going to worry about who is supposed to be or what they you
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know, what everybody is assume is going to be based on the draft status.
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And I know that Kyer Elam is obviously disappointed. But today Sean McDermott
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announces that Christian Benford's going to start opposite of Trey White. And he earned
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it, man. I mean, he we always call a little you know,
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Lee by Wallace light Lee by Wallace Junior, like he is always in
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the right spot. I think that's why the coaching staff trusts him so much
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because they know that he's going to be right where he's supposed to be.
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He's not, you know, overly athletic. He's not gonna wil you with
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you know, four three speed or anything like that. But he does his
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job. Coming out of a small school in Villanova where he already played zone,
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he already played a defense very similar to what Sean McDermott is asking his
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boundary cornerbacks to do out there. And I'm just I'm impressed by the fact
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that two years in a row now he has gone and snatched that thing.
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I mean, even Dane Jackson, a wonderful corner that's always in the right
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spot, he went and got this thing. Man, Benford, you can't
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say that he didn't earn it because two years in a row now he went
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up against a first rounder and again Dane Jackson, a household favorite back there
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with the defense, and he took the job comfortable with the zone defense,
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opposite of the first round pick last year who only played man right. So
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and that's been an issue from the start of he just can't get it.
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He's just not ready. And uh, you know, Being, we talked
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about how Being kind of talks weird about him and everything in the garden.
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Benford back again. I mean Dan Jackson. I'll go to bat for Dan
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Jackson. You know, I I do grind with him. I like what
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he brings to us. But the dude gets cooked sometimes, right, but
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he brings, he brings the energy, he brings the fire. He does
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make great plays. In this league, you're gonna get cooked unless you're you
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know, a top tier guy, and especially when you're not against when you're
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going off the tray white thing, people are thrown to you all game on.
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It's gonna be something that Benford is up to the task. They were
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talking about, Oh he's too he's too big, he won't even play corner.
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We're gonna put him at safety. And now he's earning that cornerback two
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slot, two years in a row as a starter. So again with the
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middle, I think we'll see Dotson and Bernard in the corner. I think
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we're gonna see Dan Jackson and you know, and Kyrie Elam as well.
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But let's go forty seven. That the engine the cut, I mean,
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he really has been the little engine that couldn't. I mean, and just
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a success story. I mean it just shows you that, you know,
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football is a meritocracy, and that's really the best way to do it.
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You know, that's what the men respect in the locker room, that's what
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they see. They always talk about how they see, you know, all
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the players see who you pay when you know, baring it being the hands
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off the money. Same thing goes for the jobs that are given out.
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You know, we don't want to see somebody just get a job just because
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of the draft statist. You've got to earn it in training camp, you've
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got to earn it in practice, habits, you've got to earn it in
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the in the film room. And it just seems like, you know,
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Christian Benford has been somebody that they can rely on dt somebody that they feel
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comfortable with, and they're gonna, you know, put him out there week
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one against you know, some of the best receivers in the league, and
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he's gonna see like that, he's gonna see more action because of the fact
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that a lot of times guys are afraid to go at Trey White. So
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it'll be interesting to see because he's gonna get a baptism very early. Oh
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yeah, that rotating doorman. I mean, even the as we look into
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this week, a little bit. You know, probably won't see Garrett Wilson
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much, but you're gonna see maybe Cobb, Alan Nazard. You know,
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all these cats that Aaron Rodgers very comfortable with, very comfortable getting the ball
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too. So yeah, it's put up for shut up, and but I
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get we're gonna we're gonna see a lot of action from all three of those
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guys. I would I would thank Rob. Yeah. Now, when we
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did our offensive preview for the last starter, you know, Justice General said
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that he would be shocked if if this young man did not win the starting
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job. He said it would be an indictment if he didn't. And he
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you know, I guess he must be prophetic because uh Osyrostrrence is the starting
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right guard for your Buffalo Bills coming up this season as again as we start
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on Monday night against the Jets. And listen, the kid came in.
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I think McDermott said today that he had a workman like attitude. I know
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that they liked that lunch pale type attitude where guy just puts his head down,
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does what he's asked to do. It really doesn't have much to say.
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And and really it's interesting because this guy had an impeccable career at Florida.
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You know, no sacks given up I think last year or anything like
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that, very few pressures. He's one of those kind of guys that is
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just consistent, and I think that's what you need, especially with Ryan Bates
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able to play multiple positions. This was the guy that as long as he
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didn't throw up on himself, as long as it didn't look like the moment
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was too big for him, this was going to be the choice for the
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Bills at the right guard position. And I'm excited because he's a big guy,
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he moves his feet well, he's nasty. We talked about that during
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the offensive preview as well, DT and you know, he again he earned
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it. You know, Bates has a you know, his versatility might have
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hurt him a little bit, but the fact that Torrens came in as a
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rookie, picked up the offense, picked up the you know, protections,
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it's got to speak and put a feather in his cat. That he was
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able to pick this up throughout the training camp and the mini camp at different
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things like that. He's your right guard, starting right guard for the Buffalo
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Bills. This is my favorite one out of there. We gotta talk.
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Yeah, sidebo, let's go. We talk. Protect seventeen, Protect seventeen,
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Protect seventeen. It's got to be the number one priority. Gotta be
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the number one talked about. We maybe throw a weapon, but protecting him
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has got to be it. And to have a rookie with the promise like
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this and come in and earn the job on a you know basically never plays
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rookies, Rob. I mean, you got to earn that ship and determining
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being like actually earn it, you know, So coming in and taking through
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giving the rookie bid to protect the biggest merchandise of your life, that says
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a lot, you know, And this is this is offensive line has got
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to put up this year. I really am not gonna have patience for him
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not blocking Rob. They need to protect and if they can, they can
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build from the middle there, you know, Mitch Morris is a is a
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dominant force and government hopefully a solid on the other side, and this cat
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can come in and sidebow and start really changing that pace of protecting Josh to
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being kind of a mean offensive line and getting upset if anybody's even whipping seventeen,
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if anybody's even touching seventeen and what a better test coming up this week?
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Grab Yeah, damn, that was always you know, I'm being part
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of the line and some parts and having a block that was the worst.
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Having that hard defensive end or you know, you go down the center and
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in that big noseguard like you never want to prepare for that dude because he
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can literally ruin your day and that's what he's gonna get first. But that's
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what I kind of like. I think he's got that swagger and playful bottom
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where he's gonna have that tanacy and mean to him and hopefully that carries out
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to the outside of that line too with you know, because Spencer Brown and
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Dion I think they got that in them. It just got to be pulled
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out. But it's that's where I'm gonna have my least patients this year.
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Is the most exciting starter. I think announced he earned it and you know,
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let's let's go protect the merchandise. Rob, Yeah, your merchandise.
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You have been talking about it literally all offseason. DT, You've been talking
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about protected Josh Allen, and I know that that's really important to you and
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it should be important to the mafia as well. Because you know, he
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is, you know, the most important asset. He is the future of
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the Buffalo Bills. That we want him upright as long as possible. I
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think that's one of the reasons and the initiatives that they've got talking about how
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they don't want him taking as many hits, and they brought it Damien Harris
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and they're gonna have you know, maybe not run the ball more, but
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they want to run it more effectively. I think all of those different types
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of things lead to Josh Allen trying to take a little bit more off of
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this plate. One of the best ways to take some stuff off of this
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plate is just to simply give him more time back there to operate, give
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him more time to go through his progressions, and then obviously when you get
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down to goal line situations, being able to push people around. To be
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honest, I mean, I'm teaching football right now, you know, for
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Bobby you know that DT and like you listen, I work with the offensive
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defensive line, and it's you know, it starts with you guys up front.
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I'm always reminding them that the game really can get out of whack if
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you guys are not on your game because it starts with the old line,
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it starts with the D line, It starts in the trenches. I know
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it sounds really shape DT, but it is so true in football, how
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facts, how facts? I mean, and somebody, when you got some
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offense with Josh Allen running it, you don't even have to put a full
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game together on the old line, Rob, you just have to initiate that
14:43
if they want to bring pressure early and you can contain that pressure. Josh
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Allen's gonna crush you when you bring extra guys. Yeah, when you bring
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extra guys, you're getting crushed. And if he can be protected when they
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bring pressure is sooner, sooner than later, that defense is gonna start backing
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off and it's gonna get a lot easier day for the offensive line. So
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you don't even have to put a full game together. You just have to
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beat set the tone, Yeah, set the tone, set the table absolutely.
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You know it'll be interesting to see. I cannot wait for Monday night,
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and I know that everybody is is also on pins and needles because it's
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gonna be interesting as we go and start to transition DT to the opponent.
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I mean, this is so interesting. You know, hard knocks you mentioned
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it. It's funny because I've watched all of them. I've got to watch
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the last episode tonight that they had on last night and listen. I've enjoyed
15:30
the series because you know, I know that it's a production. I've already
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talked about that. I know that it's it's something that they're supposed to look
15:35
good, and I know that everything doesn't come out and all the dirty stuff
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always doesn't come out. But boy, you know, they look they look
15:41
ready. The team looks ready. It'll be interesting to see because Rogers in
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Gotham City, I mean, they are eating it up like ice cream right
15:48
now. They are loving it. But boy, will that city turn on
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your ass an admit it if you don't get those wins together. And the
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Jets have been waiting so long for a quarterback to lead them that you know,
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it's all gone. You know, it's all roses right now. It's
15:58
all fun and games right now. But boy, if those losses start to
16:02
pile up starting with the Bills on September eleventh, I mean, you know,
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things can turn into big in a big way. And I'm looking hopefully
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for the Bills to start that whole narrative and kind of bring these guys down
16:11
a little bit of a peg, because everybody's crowning these guys. Everybody's saying
16:15
that they're gonna be AFC's champs. Some people even think that they could go
16:18
to the super Bowl and represent the conference. I don't believe in any of
16:21
that type of stuff right now. I think that there's a progression that needs
16:22
to be made. But that defense is fierce, and cue Ball leading that
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defense. That defense is fierce. All they needed last year DT was a
16:30
quarterback, and it seems like they've got one, obviously, with the future
16:32
Hall of Famer. Yeah, it's a huge addition for sure. Yeah,
16:37
but I looking looking through this schedule, Rob, I wouldn't have picked another
16:41
game to open open up with. You know, there's there's obviously games I'm
16:45
gonna be looking forward to this year and crazy matchups obviously, Chiefs, Spangles,
16:49
you know, name it. There's gonna be a ton of good matchups.
16:52
But to open the season with this, with this talk, with this
16:56
division rivalry, with last year the Jets in the better of the Bills,
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you know, I'm barely even beating them at home when they came back.
17:03
It's it's a story and you can bring Aaron Rodgers in the Hard Knocks is
17:07
all over it. But this team didn't make the playoffs last year, Rob,
17:11
And yes, quarterback means a ton. A quarterback means a ton with
17:19
the roster they have, for sure, but they didn't make the playoffs.
17:22
So, like you said, going from the playoffs getting a forty year old
17:26
Aaron Rodgers who probably doesn't give too much of a ship. I mean,
17:30
he's there and playing like he's doing what he what he can do, but
17:34
he you know, he's not going through training camp as hard as he did
17:37
when he was younger. He's not going through training camp as hard as Josh
17:40
Allen did this year. He's not, you know. So I'm I'm looking
17:44
forward to the hype of that nine to eleven in New York. There's gonna
17:48
be a lot of emotion, a lot of Rogers, a lot of you
17:52
know, Oh, the Jets, just because they have the good roster are
17:55
ready to go. But man, it's it's buckle up time, dude,
17:59
because these these I think seventeen and the boys are gonna be business trip esque
18:03
and they know they've been hearing all this and not even the fact that they're
18:07
gonna lose the division to them or anything like that. But the fact that
18:11
they're just gonna be this juggernaut team because they have some forty year old,
18:15
give a shit less quarterback is it's hard to really. They had the same
18:19
roster last year. You know, they had Sauce Gardner, they had Garrett
18:22
Wilson, they had Quinnin Williams. Yeah, they got Talvin Cook and Bruce
18:25
hallback. But in today's NFL, I'm not afraid of a single running back.
18:29
So bring in the forty year old quarterback. That's that's that you want
18:33
to talk about, and you want to contend for the Super Bowl with.
18:36
Well, we'll see what this uh, you know, X thirteen and three
18:40
team coming into your house on a warpath has to say about it. Yeah,
18:45
I mean it'll be interesting because you know, when you talk about a
18:47
business like trip, you know, I think that the bills are about business,
18:49
and I really hope that it's a situation where they're ready to go right
18:53
off the bat, because you know, it's it's kind of put up a
18:56
shut up like they talked about last week. Big Ben Finnel said it last
18:59
week on FAM Appreciation Week. DT like it's time, you know, kind
19:02
of time to put up or shut up. And I know that they had
19:03
a couple of conversations on WGR today about what else is they're left to do,
19:07
and they were talking about at the end of the day on Tuesday,
19:10
and I was just listening to the conversation just shaking my head, like you
19:11
know, if they were asking, is it fair for super Bowl or bust?
19:15
And like this is that. I'm just like, how many how many
19:17
more? You know, what other runs do you want to go to?
19:18
I'm not even asking for the super Bowl again. You guys all know what
19:22
I want, Nickel City Crew, Bill's Mafia. I just want to wake
19:26
up on Sunday. I know that my team's getting ready to play. I
19:26
want to represent the AFC in the super Bowl. That's it. That's all
19:30
I want. And then I'll let the chips fall from there. So because
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of that, like I am just so supremely focused on this season, and
19:36
again I promised I made that oath to enjoy it. And it starts off
19:38
Week one because divisional matchup an opponent that you know really well and one that
19:44
you know quite honestly, DT the defense plays well against josh Awen. They
19:47
played well against him last year. They heard his elbow a little bit obviously
19:51
in that game, and obviously he made that crazy throw to Gave Davis at
19:52
the end of the game. But I like they play him tough, they
19:56
play him hard. So there's something about, you know, Salon, there's
19:59
something abou the defense and their scheme that they get. You know, they
20:02
get Josh rattled a little bit, and I know the offensive line is very
20:04
important. So I'm going to be looking for them to all be business like.
20:07
I'm gonna be looking for everybody to be on their on their game on
20:11
Monday, because I don't think that this is something that you want to you
20:14
know, obviously, the rest of the season is still in front of you.
20:17
You'd still have sixteen games left if you lose it. But I'd love
20:18
that feeling of one to know, as opposed to losing on the road against
20:22
a divisional opponent like all that type of stuff is not the way that I
20:25
want to start the season out with that sour taste in my mouth, for
20:27
sure. And this is gonna sound cliche, but it carries a lot of
20:32
weight in the NFL. Every game matters, right rob But the fact like
20:36
this could be a big statement from from the Bills, like okay that all
20:41
this talk everything with the Jets, the division, and you go in there
20:44
and beat this Jets team by you know, ten fourteen right, Oh,
20:48
okay, everyone get back. Yeah it is what last year? Last year
20:56
with the defending Super Bowl champs. Granted, the Rams had a tough year
20:59
and and you know, battled some injuries, didn't make the playoffs, and
21:03
we didn't know that week won though, I mean week one, we didn't
21:06
know they're the defending they're the defending super Bowl champs. And they went in
21:10
there and took care of them. And then that trains started, and that
21:12
business train started, and it's like, Okay, the bills are for real.
21:15
I'm not asking for people to say the bills are for real. I'm
21:18
just saying the the statement this could hold to the confidence in this room.
21:25
You know, oh, big bad Aaron Rodgers and the big bad Jets,
21:27
and we go in there and meet them by double digits. No, we're
21:30
we are as good as we think we are, you know, so let's
21:33
start rolling. Yeah. I think that there's more to the statement to the
21:36
room rather than the statement to the public. Yeah, No, I think
21:40
that that that should be a good way for them to look at it,
21:41
because I don't think that they're really, you know, worried about outside pressure
21:45
anymore. I think that they've been through it now a few times. I
21:47
think that, you know, they kind of understand the routine and understand what
21:49
it's like to be hunted. And I think that that's the one thing about
21:52
these Buffalo Bills is now we're going on year four of them being a prolific
21:56
offense. We're going on year four of them being, you know, a
21:57
great defense. I mean, been a great defense under McDermott and Frasier the
22:02
entire time. Now mcdermot's put more pressure on himself by taking over the play
22:04
calling duties with Leslie Flaser out. So I mean, I just feel like
22:08
we've talked about it already in the Pressure Bus Pipes episode DT. I mean,
22:11
the pressure is on, and I think that you can you can name
22:14
it in every single room, you know, the quarterback room has some things
22:17
to prove, the running back room with James Cook, and now that Motor
22:19
is out of town, like he's got to prove it. He's got to
22:22
step up, you know. Damien Harris has got to show that he could
22:25
stay healthy because he's got Murrayed behind him pushing him as well. So I
22:27
think that every room has got a little bit of a chip on their shoulder.
22:32
The tight end room, you know, I got Dalton Kincaid in,
22:33
and then Knox wants to still prove that he's still Josh's guy as well,
22:37
so they have to find a way to coexist. And then you know,
22:38
on the defensive side of the ball, there's something to prove. We already
22:41
talked about the tackles on the offensive line, They've got definitely something to prove
22:45
for sure. If Spencer Brown h you know, and to a lesser degree,
22:48
Deon Dawkins, who didn't have this best year last year. So I
22:51
think that the pressure is equally sprinkled across this locker room, and they definitely
22:56
should be worried about everything internal. Don't worry about outside noise, don't worry
23:00
about the hype train, don't worry about what the pundits are predicting or anything
23:03
like that. They know what it's like to be hunted DT. They know
23:06
what it's like to for everybody to give them their best shot, so to
23:08
speak. And I think that as long as they've got that mindset, we're
23:11
starting right off the bat September eleventh, Monday Night Football. As long as
23:15
they know that everybody's gunning for them and they don't get it twisted in that
23:18
perspective, I think that we're going to be in good shape. How eerily
23:22
similar are these rosters to ROB. You know, you look at through top
23:25
to bottom. Uh let's you know, let's not talk about quarterback now,
23:27
but offensive lines both kind of their weakest link, if you will, like
23:32
unanimously, the receiving corps has a has a stud and and a pretty good
23:37
you know, second third fiddle to it. You defensive lines are probably one
23:41
of your stronger points of the team. And then you know you're in your
23:45
defensive backfield. You got some you got some All pros. So it's it's
23:49
it's gonna be it's gonna be a battle roster roster. It might come down
23:53
to you know, eight verse seventeen and that I like us, but it's,
24:00
uh, yeah, it's the rosters are similar. It's gonna be a
24:03
good game. I you know, the NFL knows what they're doing. Rob.
24:04
They're not the biggest entertainment business it's entertainment business for nothing. You know,
24:11
they know exactly what they're doing, putting these boys on September eleventh,
24:15
ready to roll Monday night when all eyes are on these guys. So well,
24:18
I'm not I can't wait. I can't I can't wait. As we
24:22
as we take a look around the league, you know, it's gonna be
24:26
interesting because some crazy dudes came out, you know, yesterday, and then
24:30
today it was confirmed that it looks like Travis Kelsey his knee is intact.
24:33
He didn't you know, actually break any ligments or anything like that, but
24:37
hyper extension. He's probably not going to be able to play, uh,
24:41
you know, tomorrow night for the you know, for the champs as they
24:44
open up against the Detroit Lions. But that should be an interesting match up.
24:47
What are your thoughts on that, because you know, you know Patrick
24:51
Mahomes, he's got that horseshoes you know, just lodged right up there,
24:53
right up his rear end. And listen, it's a situation where it seems
24:56
like you could take away anything from him, and then they still forms,
25:00
and they take away Tyreek Hill and he still performs, and and and it's
25:03
just it was crazy last year because I thought that that might have been the
25:06
straw that broke the camel's back, and it wasn't. I mean, they
25:08
just went on and marched about their business. Now they've got the Chris Jones
25:11
drama and he's coming out today saying, hey, listen, Ben, I
25:15
can play Thursday if they would just give me a raise. All I wanted
25:17
to raise. All I want is to raise. And it's crazy how they
25:19
still haven't gotten that done. But boy is it. It's interesting because I
25:23
will be very interested to see if Mahomes doesn't have Chris Jones on defensive,
25:26
that he doesn't have his main man, Travis Kelsey on offense, if they
25:30
can pull another rabbit out of the hat, because that'll be an interesting matchup.
25:34
I'm gonna be I'm gonna be locked in. I know everybody's gonna be
25:37
locked in because it's the kick off. But boy yeah, I'll be watching
25:38
that to watch Mahomes to see how he deals with that, because that's his
25:41
that's this guy. I mean, Kelsey as much as Tyreek that Cheetah was
25:44
was his guy. I mean Kelsey is that you know, tis times ten
25:47
times twenty ten times over, ten times over he said, yeah, he's
25:51
his guy. That's his guy. Yeah, yeah, I mean you're you
25:56
said it though, the horseshoe, who is it's live. Yeah, I
26:00
mean we might see we might see something like maybe he doesn't play tomorrow,
26:04
but uh, I don't think we're you know, we're definitely seeing them then
26:08
in week two. You know, I don't never wish injury on anybody,
26:11
right, Oh no, but man like, yeah, we're we're not.
26:17
We're not lucky enough to see this dude be out from multiple games. He's
26:21
yeah, I mean, but I mean just mahomes himself though, he just
26:23
pulls he pulls it out. Now they've got some other receivers, and I
26:26
know that they they lost Juju, but it's you know, it's sky More
26:29
and then it's you know, now this scantling I think, and it's a
26:32
couple other guys, like I don't, I don't know who they've all got
26:33
or it's just interesting because you know, this receiver corps has changed for for
26:38
the Chiefs over the years, and one of the main mainstays has been Kelsey.
26:42
So if you remove Kelsey from that equation, I'm just wondering what it
26:45
would look like tomorrow. I'm wondering. I'm gonna be very interested to see
26:48
if Detroit can can put up at either enough points or if their defense can
26:52
slow them down enough, because I haven't. I just it just seems like
26:56
every time you count out Mahomes, he finds a way, and unless your
26:59
name is Burrow, he finds a way. Yeah. Unbelievable, unbelievable.
27:03
But you know this is that to my point, back to my point of
27:07
back to my point of the NFL knowing what they're doing. You know,
27:11
they're not putting the Lions up against the Chiefs and Opening Night too. You
27:15
know, they didn't put the Bills against the Rams last year to to to
27:19
be a coupcake game. You know, this is an Alabama versus the Citadel,
27:22
you know, on the second like they're putting these dudes because they think
27:27
they're gonna give them, they're gonna give them a show. And and the
27:30
Lions are tough for me to really buy in and believe in them, but
27:33
they ship they almost knocked the Bills off last year, ruined everyone's Thanksgiving.
27:37
You know, Yeah, they're on the they're on the come up. So
27:42
without those weapons, without Kelsey, without this, without that, maybe it's
27:48
enough to have that horseshoe lost a little bit. Yeah, and I hope
27:52
think we're lucky enough where they'll find it. They'll they'll he'll sit on that
27:55
horseshoe again, that's for damn sure. But if you know, it's a
27:59
good opportunity for the Chiefs to get a notch off their belts. We're going
28:03
to be cheering for him to lose every game this year. It'll be nice
28:06
to get a cheap one week one. That'd be beautiful. Now that that
28:07
would be beautiful. So we'll see how it works out. You know.
28:11
Obviously we'll be monitored the situation. I know, I've just joined a fantasy
28:15
league with you, so everybody was you know, man that with the guys
28:17
that picked up right before the injury and stuff like that. So's it'll be
28:22
interesting because I know that, you know, he's such a key player for
28:25
that offense. It'll just be interesting tomorrow to watch and see how it works.
28:27
Now again, NFL kicks off tomorrow, Thursday, September seventh, again
28:32
the day that we release these episodes. Hwenty one NBC the kickoff of the
28:36
season. I mean that to the victor goes to spoils. So you'll see
28:38
Ksey and they'll be at home and she's Kingdom and they'll raise the banner and
28:42
and everything that we want one day here in Buffalo, everything that we want.
28:47
We you know, we'll get a chance to look at tomorrow in respects
28:49
to how they do it. I mean, it's just it's one of those
28:52
culminations where the champs should get that that honor, and I'm you know,
28:55
I was so happy last year when the Bills were picked to play in that
28:57
game. It isn't honor. So hope the Lions will come out and give
29:00
a good show because I'm so excited for the NFL to be back. Now.
29:03
Sunday, September tenth, the slick kicks off and it's wonderful, DT,
29:07
because those days are the best when your TV that plays at nighttime,
29:12
Sunday Night football where they play on Monday night, because you really do get
29:15
a chance to become a fan. You get a chance to be that couch
29:18
potato put on the red zone and and you know you've got eight different screens
29:22
going up on the game mixed channel. So it'll be interesting to see as
29:25
we kind of go around the league. DT I'll be watching some games for
29:29
sure, because there's some matchups and there's some different things in some storylines and
29:32
I'm really interested in. And we'll just kind of go down the market if
29:34
you don't mind, before we wrap up tonight. I mean, listen,
29:37
you've got one o'clock games on Sunday. We've got the Texans going against the
29:41
Ravens. I now, obviously the Texans one of the worst teams in the
29:44
league, but the Ravens, you know, I'm interested to see what it's
29:47
all gonna look like with Jackson and he's got that new offensive coordinator and you
29:51
know, and he's got Odell Beckham now, and there's just a lot of
29:55
different changes around the Ravens and maybe they might finally commit to to you know,
29:59
to throw in the ball and getting away from that Greg Roman where he
30:00
just wants to pound it all game long. It's gonna be interesting to see,
30:04
regardless of the opponent. Week one, I'm interested to see just the
30:08
Ravens in respects to how Lamar looks with that new offense d T because it's
30:12
it's it's been talked about all offseason. I like it. I like the
30:17
uh. I mean, it's gonna be a tough look for Houston going in
30:21
there, and who they have c J. Stroud study. Yeah, so
30:26
they got a rookie, so it's gonna be tough Slen for sure. And
30:32
you know, Lamar got the bag, he's ready to roll. And a
30:33
lot of talk about Zay Flowers coming out of camp, but in this defense
30:37
too. Not a lot of talk about this defense. They got playmakers everywhere,
30:41
Rob you know. Yeah, And I said it when with our conference
30:47
breakdown, I would much rather be in the East than the North. There's
30:49
a lot of teams waiting in the weeds here, a lot of teams that
30:52
can get things done. And uh, you know this, this Ravens team
30:56
kind of was. It was their off year last year and Hardbod doesn't want
31:00
anything to do with that coming back, coming back around. I think it's
31:03
a ten point spread for a reason. Yeah you double digits, Yeah,
31:07
double digits, and the foul is pretty so Yeah, it'll be be interesting.
31:15
But I'm looking forward to that game. There's a there's a few decent
31:18
games, a few games speaking of the AFC. Yeah, speaking of the
31:22
North, the Bankers going to the Browns. The Bankers will go on the
31:26
road there's been, you know, so much secrecy around Joe Burrow and the
31:29
hamstring or whatever it was that he was hurting with, and then nobody wants
31:32
to let him talk to the media really too much, and everybody's doing the
31:34
speaking for him. Zach Taylor doesn't want to say anything, and the OLC
31:37
says he he looks great and all this other stuff. So it'll be interesting
31:41
to see how Burrow handles it because a lot of people are on the Browns.
31:45
The Browns have some talent, to be honest, some offensive talent for
31:48
sure, and then obviously they have Miles Garrett on defense. So it'll be
31:51
interesting to see how they work Can Deshaun Watson, you know, Watson fix
31:53
himself. Can he get back to you know, the Houston Deshaun Watson,
31:56
who was one of the best quarterbacks in the league at the time a few
32:00
years back before all of his drama. I mean, it'll be interesting.
32:01
They do have talent, I mean, Mark Cooper, They've got talent on
32:05
that side of the ball down if people's jones like, it'll be interesting to
32:07
see how they work out with Cincinnati because Cincinnati, listen, again, they
32:12
kind of caught lightning in the bottle at the perfect time a couple of years
32:15
ago and wrote it all the way to the Super Bowl, and you know,
32:16
you can't you can't get mad at it, you know what I mean.
32:19
It is what it is. Sometimes you have to get lucky to get
32:22
to the championship, and they short enough did because they didn't really have the
32:24
best line. Joe Burrow was getting beat up. They were just coming off
32:28
a thretey win season and all of a sudden they're in the Super Bowl.
32:30
So it'll be interesting to see if they can sustain the success because obviously they've
32:32
got some studs on the outside with Chason Higgins and I mean Burrow, his
32:37
health is going to be paramounts to anything that they want to do. I'm
32:40
also, that's a nice game to lock into in this one o'clock slot.
32:45
Yeah, forty nine ers Steelers. Yeah, that's a big one a lot.
32:51
Yeah. And Mostly got his bag today. Mostly got the bag and
32:55
the highest paid defensive player in the league five five years, one hundred and
32:59
seven million, one hundred and twenty two guaranteed. Both are records for defensive
33:04
players. I know, man, that's the bag right there, just over
33:06
his brother who had just received a deal last year from the Chargers, So
33:09
that's that's a lot of money, man, It's a lot of dough Rayman.
33:12
But he's great. He really is. Steelers, Home Dogs. You're
33:16
all coming in and I had a wonderful preseason. Let's not look too far
33:21
into it. But I'm the come up playmakers everywhere. T J. Watt,
33:25
you know, I'm the come up with this with this offense and and
33:29
bring him pick it into it. So Steelers forty nine ers that might be,
33:32
you know, not as much look like AFC wise to the standings.
33:38
I don't think as the Ravens and the Bengals game is gonna be. But
33:43
uh, you know, I'm definitely in my eyes on this one. And
33:45
whether it's split screen or you know, another in living room Junior, Yeah,
33:50
yeah, yeah, yeah, he's in the Steelers forty nine ers.
33:52
I absolutely like it's a lot in the one o'clock slot. Yeah, finish
33:57
up the one o'clock games, D team. We've got the Bucks going on
34:00
the road to play the Vikings, the Titans will go on the road to
34:02
play the Saints, the Panthers on the road to play the Falcons, and
34:06
then the Jaguars going on the road to play the Colts one more one o'clock
34:09
gag Arizona and in Washington, which nobody cares about either team. All right,
34:14
four o'clock slate before the nightcap. We've got, you know, some
34:17
some good matchups. To be honest with you. You know, the Raiders
34:20
are going against the Broncos. It'll be interesting to see how Sean Payton his
34:22
debut it and look too well in the preseason. People like to say,
34:25
you know, it's it's it's funny how you can flip it either way.
34:29
DT. If you play shitty, you're like, oh, don't worry about
34:30
it, you know, it's just preseason. If you play great, you're
34:32
like, hey man, we look pretty good, you know what I mean
34:35
the other day. So that type of thing. So it's funny how football
34:37
fans will kind of pick a choose which way they want to go with it.
34:39
Raiders will go on the road to play the Broncos. It will be
34:44
interesting, like I said, to see Sean Payton and Russell Wilson to see
34:45
if that marriage can work. The Dolphins will go on the road, a
34:49
huge game for AFC implications, just right off the bat, just like our
34:52
game. They go on the road to play the Chargers. That I have
34:54
my eyes fixed on that game. Eagles will go on the road to play
34:58
the Patriots, the Packers on the road to go play the Bears, and
35:00
then the Rams on the road to play the Seahawks. I'm interested in that
35:04
Miami Chargers game, man, Like, that's a that's perfect, Like we
35:07
can't let you see what you got, like, you know, all all
35:10
eyes on you, you're in the four o'clock slot. It will be perfect,
35:13
you know, to kind of see those two teams go up against each
35:15
other. The Cheetah can too a stay healthy, jiu jitsu, learning how
35:19
to fall properly, all that other type of stuff. And then obviously Herbert
35:22
got his back out there in La Yeah, I mean in the both teams
35:27
really trying to prove themselves in that division of they they're trying to be the
35:30
top dog. They're overshadowed by you know, the Kings, the Kings,
35:35
Yeah, yeah, with the Bills and the Chiefs and and trying to prove
35:37
themselves. And then this is a this is a good way to do it.
35:40
Chargers at home too, so they got a couple of nice home looks
35:45
against the East this year, but just got the bag. I mean,
35:49
you know there's another team like not you know, enough excuses. Can we
35:52
get some playoff success? You know, high power offense. So I don't
35:55
think the Dolphins are gonna be high power. They're gonna be around, but
35:59
are they gonna be high power? I don't know. So the like I
36:04
mean, Wattle and Hill can run. They're fast, They're fast and likely
36:08
so so we'll see James back there. Nothing's getting behind her when James.
36:13
Yeah, man, those are it'll be a good matchup. I'll be locked
36:15
in on that one. I'll be locked on the Raiders and Broncos. I
36:17
want to see. We'll see these teams go against it. Yeah, they
36:21
have the Pats and the Eagles will be playing again, the Eagles on the
36:23
road to play the Patriots. Obviously, the Patriots are a little bit rep
36:27
of you know, some weapons, but their defense is always going to be
36:30
around anytime you have Belichick. Now as we close out the night right before
36:32
the last game before the Bills game close out Week one, it'll be the
36:36
Cowboys on the road against the Giants. I will get a chance to see
36:38
our old friend Brian Table at home against the America's team, so to speak.
36:44
And it'll be fun to watch that game. It's always fun to watch
36:45
the Sunday night game and then again the Bills we rounded out DT Monday Night
36:52
football. I mean, what are the plans DT? What are the players?
36:54
That somebody was asking me the other day, like, man, we
36:57
gonna cook cryp what you do? And I think my niece is gonna be
37:00
in town, so her and her daughters are gonna stop buying and watch the
37:02
game. I'll have my kings and they'll hang out with their cousins. But
37:06
I mean, I'm gonna cook some wings man and just kind of keep a
37:07
simple week one, not gonna do anything too crazy, just kind of get
37:10
back in the blow. DT. What you got playing for for week?
37:14
No, you're trying to get out of work as soon as you can't sure
37:17
sure? And the new new developments. I'll break it here on Nickel City
37:21
Crew. I'm gonna be heading down to Jersey. I'm gonna be heading down
37:23
to the game, Rob, what are you serious? Nickel City Crew gonna
37:29
be on site, so no way, No, that's what's up. That's
37:31
what we're doing live. I have some really good friends down there and I'm
37:37
you know, been on me to come down visit them all summer and just
37:39
hadn't been around to it. And they kind of, are you going to
37:43
met life where you're just gonna go hang out with you? Yep? Met
37:46
yep, because they kind of We're like, hey, we've been wanting you
37:49
to come down all summer. You've been busy. We get it, but
37:52
now we gotta tickets. You gotta come with us to the game. So
37:54
wow, look at them breaking news on Nickel City will be built. They
38:00
knew how to hit my heart strings. They knew how to wait for the
38:02
last minute where I couldn't. I couldn't make another plan. So it's,
38:07
uh, I'm going down. I'm driving down Saturday morning and I'll be down
38:10
in New Jersey for a few days and then watch watch the games on Sunday
38:15
hang out. I was yep. I was honored. They hit me with
38:20
the you know, they were taking a little party bust the game, and
38:22
they were like, we're thinking of leaving around three, and I was like,
38:27
let's bump that up to one, you know, So yeah, I
38:32
like, you bring me in as a professional mafia consultant. You know,
38:37
I need to I need to love to give you the Yeah, I need
38:40
to give you the real, the real talk here. So I did.
38:44
I did vet the crew. Uh, it's it's originally a crew out of
38:47
Rochester for the most part. So it's gonna be a lot of bills fans.
38:51
So I'm not gonna be swimming with okay, yeah, because because I'm
38:57
gonna be different that day. Rob. You know how it is when seasons
39:00
he gets going like, people are gonna be looking looking at the true Mafia
39:04
members, a little funny, looking at the true Mafia members, a little
39:07
weird on Monday. So I can't. So that's why progress. That's what
39:10
it's gonna be. Never been down to MetLife and am I mean on nine
39:15
to eleven am, it's gonna be something in there. Oh man, it's
39:19
gonna be. It's gonna be a crazy atmosphere. You know. One of
39:22
the things that I love about, you know, those primetime games. I
39:23
think you already alluded to it earlier in the episode. It's just like all
39:25
eyes are on you. And then one of the things I really love is
39:29
that the players are also so amped up because they know that their peers are
39:32
watching them. That everybody knows what's going on. Everybody knows that you are
39:36
right at the top of the list. There's nothing else going on that night.
39:38
You're the primetime event. And it's just really fun to watch those games
39:43
because you do get the best of the best kind of going at it.
39:45
So I love it. Everybody's jacked up for those games. Like I said,
39:49
I will be at the crib. I'll figure out some wings. Like
39:52
I said, my niece might come through and hang out. I've got that
39:54
cool spotlight DT that I can finally get a chance. I get a chance
39:58
week one that's got the zoomo the house. Yeah, man, So I
40:00
can't wait to get ready to use that and put the spotlight on and and
40:04
just uh and just enjoy the game. Man. I'll have the Monday Night
40:07
theme music playing on the speaker outside and just have it on a continuous loop
40:12
before the game and we're just we'ld just get right, we'll get ready to
40:15
go. Man. So have a last DT. That is that is really
40:16
dope. Man. I haven't last out there for sure. Man represent represent
40:21
Nickel City Crew. Weell man, because I wish I could be ready that
40:23
that is going to be really speak really though. Man. Yeah, for
40:25
sure, it'll be a nice little, you know, warm up for when
40:28
we do see each other in the next week for the for the opener,
40:30
and and you know, so I'll get I'll get loose, and you know,
40:35
we'll see, we'll see what we can do. And yeah, it's
40:37
I can't wait, man, it's it's it's kickoff. It's close. It's
40:42
close. D T. The NFL kicks off tomorrow again Sunday. You got
40:45
the full slated games as we just went over, and then obviously we closed
40:49
the show on Monday Night Football. Now. Tonight's episode is presented by twenty
40:52
six Shirts right here on Buffalo fan based podcast network that we sign molcast on.
40:55
Head on over to twenty six shirts dot com for all the latest Buffalo
40:59
theme T shirts. They all again support at great Cause with each and every
41:02
purchase. Speaking of twenty six Shirts, one of the founders of twenty six
41:06
Shirts again, the co founder, the Don corleone of the Mafia himself,
41:09
Dell Read, will be on next week Wednesday. Cannot wait hard to confirm
41:14
with him. So I really can't wait for that. It's really an honor
41:16
for us to have him on the show, just because I mean, it's
41:20
just it just shows that Listen, the crew is getting out there. We're
41:22
getting our name out there and we're getting a little bit of recognition, and
41:25
we like that because we want to build the audience, we want to build
41:29
the brand. We love working with Buffalo fan base. And what better way
41:31
than to have one of the founders of the Bills Mafia right on the show
41:35
with us. So we can't wait to chop up this Jets game with Dell
41:37
read next Wednesday. Man, DT, be safe out there in Jersey.
41:42
Man, show them, show all about how we get down, show them
41:45
how we do from back in the tailgate lots man. Just make sure that
41:47
you represent Man. I can't wait. Man, you have a blast out
41:50
there. Man, d that's gonna be dope. Man, that's pretty tough.
41:52
I can't believe because you yeah, hey, hey, and let's you
41:55
know, Nickel City. Let's buckle in, let's buckle in, let's have
42:00
good year. Let's let's grime, let's buckle click clack, and let's hit
42:04
some people. Man, we're the we gotta do it. We gotta do
42:07
it, we gotta feel it. It's gonna be like no no other you
42:09
know, every like every year when you get pumped up and get hype,
42:13
you get ready to go. But I just gotta feel them. We're gonna
42:15
see, you know, a little bit of a little bit of bite on
42:17
the lip this year, a little bit of a little bit of meanness,
42:20
a little bit of all right, fuck y'all. Let's yeah, this is
42:22
a trip. This is like the chip is on the shoulder. It's it's
42:25
it's firmly placed. Like I said before, there's a little bit of pressure
42:29
to be sprinkled around everybody, including the coaching staffs as well. Sean McDermott
42:34
put this square right on his chest, you know. Ken Dorsey's got a
42:36
square and the bull's eye right on his chest as well, you know,
42:38
because of the fact that he last year was kind of up and down,
42:42
started out well, then it kind of petered out at the end of the
42:44
season. So everybody's got something to play for, everybody's got something to coach
42:46
for. And it'll be really interesting to see because I know that I'm ready
42:50
and the players better be ready to because I mean I'm ready to get through.
42:53
I'm ready to get through. It never starts, it's got to start
42:55
somewhere. It starts Week one. Deals at Jets Monday Night Football. We
43:00
really hope everybody enjoys the game, enjoy the opener tomorrow, enjoy Sunday Slate
43:04
as well as always spread love not hate. These were my bills thoughts,
43:09
set out loud. Hit them with a Gold Mills DT with old Nicholas location.
43:14
I love it, next time we talked, next time we talked for
43:17
one and oh, I love it. It's sound good to be