Bills CONFIDENCE CHECK: Josh ALLEN vs Joe BURROW, Darius Slay DRAMA & NOBODY out PIZZAS Jenna

Summary

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Buffalo Plus: Bills CONFIDENCE CHECK – Josh ALLEN vs Joe BURROW, Darius Slay Drama & NOBODY out PIZZAS Jenna

Date: December 5, 2025
Hosts: Mike Catalana, Jenna Cottrell, Dan Fates

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Episode Overview

This episode dives deep into a pivotal week for the Buffalo Bills, discussing roster drama (notably Darius Slay), injury updates, the upcoming showdown with the Bengals (and the Allen vs. Burrow narrative), offensive identity questions, plus some lighter moments about pizza and podcast life. The panel blends their signature snappy banter with sharp football analysis, giving fans a clear-eyed look at where the Bills stand and what challenges (and opportunities) lie ahead.

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Main Topics and Insights

1. Darius Slay Saga & Roster Moves

Timestamps: 01:49–08:46

• Darius Slay Drama: The Bills claimed veteran CB Darius Slay, who is reportedly deciding between joining the Bills or retirement. This led to cutting Jamarcus Ingram to make room, only to lose both players—Slay remains undecided, and Ingram was claimed by the Texans.
  • Mike Catalana (02:46): “Not great if you think about it, right?”
  • Main concern: Bills tried to shore up CB depth but ended up down a special teams contributor and still without veteran help.
• Elam Discussion: Callbacks to Kair Elam—reminder from chat that Elam is with the Titans, ending speculation on his return.
  • Dan Fates (07:27): “Hey, breaking news. Nine days ago, Kair Elam signed with the Titans.”
• Special Teams Value: Ingram’s contributions as a core special teamer are highlighted, and loss is considered a real depth blow.

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2. Bills’ Offensive Identity: Ground Game, Predictability, & Trust in the Passing Attack

Timestamps: 08:40–31:41

• Confidence After the Steelers Win: The panel agrees that last week's victory felt good but doesn't necessarily translate schematically vs. the Bengals.
  • Mike Catalana (09:10): “They are very, very, very different teams.”
  • Players looked relaxed and happy, but Bills have been "consistently inconsistent."
• Offensive Balance Issues: The running game (esp. James Cook) is now the Bills’ ‘fastball’ due to WR weakness.
  • Dan Fates (12:23): “Josh has a bottom five wide receiver room... but he's got depth at O-line and they can run smashmouth football.”
  • Mike Catalana: Points out that with injuries to WRs and tight ends, and Cook’s emergence, being run-first "makes sense," but limits adaptability.
• Passing Game Predictability & Struggles:
  • The Bills offense is often described as “painful to watch” when forced into must-pass, obvious passing situations.
    • Dan Fates (24:32): “3rd and 7 is a death sentence for this team.”
    • Lack of deep threats and innovative concepts; most passing routes stay within 10 yards of LOS.
  • Noted lack of explosive, creative play-calling in the passing game compared to teams like the 49ers or Patriots.
    • Dan Fates (26:56): “Watch the Niners, watch these good offenses… why not copy the good plays?”
  • Heavy use of stats vs. 'eye test' comes up, with consensus that big-moment failures aren’t masked by overall metrics.
    • Mike Catalana (24:09): “When you need to throw it, they can’t throw it. Can we just be blunt?”

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3. Injuries, Roster Updates & What to Expect vs. Bengals

Timestamps: 40:49–48:16

• Injury Rundown:
  • Dion Dawkins (LT): Back at practice (limited), expected to play.
  • Dalton Kincaid (TE): Uncertain; hamstring and now knee concerns—likely OUT.
  • Spencer Brown (RT): Limited, pushing to play.
  • Christian Benford (CB): Highlighted for strong play and clutch turnovers.
  • A.J. Epenesa (DE): Foot injury, status unclear.
  • Ed Oliver (DT): Progressing—no knee brace, possible return.
• Depth Stretched: Defensive depth extremely strained; the staff is praised for keeping the D afloat.

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4. Bills vs. Bengals: The Allen-Burrow Showdown & Big Game Preview

Timestamps: 48:16–51:59

• Burrow Update: Now back, still limited by toe injury (special plate in shoe), but given extra time off to recover. Bengals’ red-zone struggles noted, but weapons are a matchup nightmare.
  • Mike Catalana (48:16): “I think...the best thing is keeping him off the field...what he brings out on that field with him compared to what Josh Allen does offensively is night and day.”
• Allen vs. Burrow Narrative:
  • Allen has never beaten Burrow in a completed game (one game was the Damar Hamlin MNF incident).
  • Jenna Cottrell (49:24): “How much do you think it sticks in Josh's mind that he has not beaten Joe Burrow?”
  • Mike Catalana: Downplays “rivalry” narrative but acknowledges it would be meaningful.
• Bengals’ Late Surge Warnings:
  • Dan Fates (51:37): “Don’t let the Bengals get hot and get in the postseason. Nobody want[s] to see them.”

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5. Trust in Coaching: McDermott & The Locker Room

Timestamps: 34:17–47:26

• Debates among listeners about Sean McDermott’s future and competence.
  • Mike Catalana (34:59): “Sean McDermott is doing one of his best jobs coaching this year...this is not an ultra talented offense and the defense, they have had to mix and match.”
• Locker room buy-in remains high; Shaq Thompson comments on McDermott's growth and leadership.
  • Dan Fates (36:17): “He (McDermott) wants the players to lead...the team will only go as far as the players take them.”
  • Coaches put players in position, but execution is on field. No evidence McDermott’s lost the locker room.

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6. Notable Moments, Listener Banter, and Meme-able Quotes

Humorous Highlights

• Jenna as “passenger princess”: Gets endless (good-natured) ribbing for not driving on road trips.
• Pizza Drama:
  • Inside joke: “NOBODY out pizzas Jenna.” The crew discusses Picasso’s, Pizza Hut, and “cup and char” at length.
  • Listener Quip (26:06): “Stats are like bikinis. They show you some things. They don't show you everything.”
• Laundry & Life:
  • Dan Fates: Celebrates return to Tide Pods at home—“Laundry, the whole basement smells better.”

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7. Picks, Predictions & Awards

Timestamps: 52:58–62:17

• Picasso’s Player of the Game Picks:
  • Mike: Greg Rousseau (“He needs to step up. There’s nobody around him now.” – 55:00)
  • Dan: Cole Bishop (“You draft him in the second round to make a difference in games like this.” – 58:33)
  • Jenna: James Cook (“I think the Bills are going to need him to have a really big game.” – 58:15)
• Score Predictions:
  • Jenna: Bills 24, Bengals 20
  • Mike: Bills 29, Bengals 26 (foresees an “ugly score” game)
  • Dan: Bills 27, Bengals 20
  • All hosts: Bills’ December dominance is key; acknowledge Bengals’ strengths but feel Bills’ defense and home field tip the balance.
• White Claw Grab of the Week: Christian Benford, for big, game-changing turnovers.
• Listener Engagement: Lots of love for the chat’s corrections and banter, plus coloring book shoutouts and family vibes.

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Notable Quotes (with Timestamps)

• On Offensive Struggles:

  • “When you need to throw it, they can’t throw it. Can we just be blunt?” – Mike Catalana (24:09)
  • “Every offensive drive is a slog.” – Listener Kendrick Buffalo (25:38)

• On Defensive Scrappiness:

  • “This is not the year where you think Sean McDermott isn’t doing his job...I think he’s doing one of his best jobs coaching this year.” – Mike Catalana (34:59)

• On Josh Allen’s Power vs. Offensive Constraints:

  • “You have Josh freakin’ Allen and we run first—can’t make this stuff up.” – Listener Tori (32:21)

• On Copycat League:

  • “I don’t know why it’s a copycat league...copy the good plays.” – Dan Fates (27:35)

• On Laundry Realities:

  • “We are back to using chemicals. It’s what I was raised on. We’re all fine. No free ads. But our laundry smells great.” – Dan Fates (67:18)

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Timestamps for Key Moments

• Darius Slay/CB Depth Drama: 01:49–08:46
• Offensive Predictability & Pain: 08:40–31:41
• Bengals Matchup/Allen vs. Burrow: 48:16–51:59
• Injuries & Depth Updates: 40:49–48:16
• Picasso’s Player Picks: 52:58–62:17
• Humor & Listener Banter: Throughout, esp. 25:56 (bikinis/statistics analogy), 66:41 (Tide Pods anecdote)

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Tone and Style

The Buffalo Plus crew blends inside beat-reporter knowledge with relatable, sometimes irreverent, Buffalo humor. They interact heavily with chat comments, sometimes letting playful tangents (and pizza debates) give listeners the feel of hanging out with friends. Analysis is often blunt and spiced up with self-aware asides and running jokes.

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For New Listeners

This episode offers a clear snapshot of where the Bills stand amid adversity: they’re tough, flawed, but dangerous if the game script plays to their strengths. The coaching staff is earning respect for keeping the season alive under challenge. The Allen-vs.-Burrow clash is big—but so is the test of the Bills’ offensive adaptability and defensive depth. And yes—nobody out pizzas Jenna.

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Follow the Buffalo Plus team on YouTube and check their Linktree for extra coverage.

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Transcript

[Jenna Cottrell]

You could like, multiple what? I also like Picasso's. We had it at Buffalo two weeks ago.

[Mike Catalana]

Yes, it was great.

[Jenna Cottrell]

They have the.

[Mike Catalana]

What an idiot.

[Jenna Cottrell]

James Cook. I think the Bills are gonna need him to have a really big game. He's coming off a great game.

So hard.

[Dan Fates]

Now, from the Connors and Ferris podcast studio, this is Buffalo plus, your interactive look at the week in football.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Hello, and welcome into the Buffalo plus podcast. Mike Catalana, Dan Fates. I am Jenna Cottrell. Please be sure to, like, comment, subscribe, as well as share. We're here in the Connors and Varys podcast studio, talking the Bills Bengals matchup. For later on this week, we're going to get into some Darius Slay news, where the Bills are at talking injuries. We'll also talk about the Cincinnati team and who we can expect to see coming into Orchard park later on this week. All right.

[Dan Fates]

Hey, Rusty, is her camera, Jenna's camera really low?

[Jenna Cottrell]

I think so.

So Dan's gonna fix the camera.

[Mike Catalana]

There we go.

[Jenna Cottrell]

You know, we're all learning here.

[Mike Catalana]

She got taller. I think that's what it was.

[Jenna Cottrell]

I'm already tall. There we go. I say slouch. Sorry, everyone.

[Mike Catalana]

There we go.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Also, I, I, I'm gonna disappoint you all. I'm not wearing my glasses, apparently, so.

[Mike Catalana]

I'm wearing my glasses. Hey, come on.

[Jenna Cottrell]

I say Mike looks exactly. Yeah, I mean, Mike's really showing out today.

[Mike Catalana]

I think.

[Dan Fates]

We had 160 comments on the recap video from practice yesterday.

[Mike Catalana]

80% were about getting her glasses.

[Dan Fates]

I know.

[Jenna Cottrell]

I had an allergic reaction. I was wearing them. Don't often wear them, so, yeah, there's that. Okay, let's actually talk about the Bills because that's why people want to know. Oh, this is funny, though. Andrew's saying the camera isn't low. Jenna is just high. Andrew, that's pretty good. That's a good way. It's pretty good. All right, let's talk kind of the news of the day. So the Bill's claiming Darius Slay off of waivers, and he's gone. And he makes the choice or is figuring out if he wants to make the choice. If he wants to retire, that would mean, obviously, he would not join the Bills. And in the process, yesterday, the Bills cut Jamarcus Ingram and a corresponding move, he gets claimed off of waivers by the Houston Texans. So now it looks like currently the Bills are without a veteran corner in Darius Slay and without a special teamer and corner in Jamarcus Ingram.

[Mike Catalana]

Not great if you think about it, right? Yeah.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah, that's fair.

[Mike Catalana]

I don't know the logistics of this. Darius Slay is a veteran who has said, this is my last year in the NFL. When I say I don't know the logistics, like, I would think I'd want to know before I claimed him from somebody in his camp. Maybe you're not allowed to do that. I don't know. I try to find out, like, does this dude want to play somewhere else?

[Dan Fates]

Yeah.

[Mike Catalana]

Otherwise I. I wouldn't have claimed him.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah.

[Mike Catalana]

He played for the Eagles for. It's either four or five years. Whatever it was with the Eagles, they let him go at the end of the year. His contract was how he signs with Pittsburgh. I think he wanted to go back there. Pittsburgh didn't want to play him. I don't trust any. I think he can still play, and I think he would have helped the Bills.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah.

[Mike Catalana]

But the Bills claim him, and then they have to give up a spot on the 53 and it's Jamarcus Ingram, and then they lose Jamarcus Inam. So for a guy who, at least potentially you would have thought might not want. And listen, I don't want to hear he didn't want to come to Buffalo. I don't think he wanted to go anywhere.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah.

[Mike Catalana]

Either Philly or Detroit, I think would have been the two places.

[Dan Fates]

Yeah. He was in the gorgeous landscape of Pittsburgh, like. Like, we're gonna sit there and be like, it was Buffalo.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah.

[Dan Fates]

He chose to be on Lake Erie and he's just going to Little East.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah. I thought that was a little, like, grasping at straws, like Vonte Davis and now Darius. I'm like, no, no. These are. That's completely different stories.

[Mike Catalana]

I don't think he would have wanted to go to the LA Chargers or the Denver Broncos. I think he's like, I'm about done. He knew the system in Philly because he was just there.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah.

[Mike Catalana]

And I think that's what he was hoping for. I just. The reason I say this about the Bills, you put the claim in, you get them, and then you have to give up a player. And I don't. I'm not sitting here pretending Jamarcus Ingram is. But Jamarcus Ingram plays teams, and he's good at it.

[Dan Fates]

He's a good, special team, and he.

[Mike Catalana]

Can play if you need him at corner.

[Dan Fates]

Yeah, he has this year.

[Mike Catalana]

And now you lost him.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah. So now you're without anyone.

[Mike Catalana]

You didn't get the guy and you didn't keep the guy.

[Jenna Cottrell]

And I think one of the things is they made this move to address probably the depth at the corner position and now you're down a player.

[Mike Catalana]

You need another corner, right?

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Mike Catalana]

Don't. You need another. Don't say it.

[Dan Fates]

You know who's out there.

[Mike Catalana]

Do not say it. Daniel.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Wait, who's out there?

[Dan Fates]

Former first round pick. Oh.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Oh, don't do that.

[Dan Fates]

Honey, honey.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Rusty, take the one shot.

Honey. No, it's just. It's a. No.

[Dan Fates]

He's coming back.

[Mike Catalana]

It's coming back.

[Jenna Cottrell]

No, I feel like you.

[Mike Catalana]

Let me ask you this though. Elam wasn't really a special teamer.

[Jenna Cottrell]

No. He did play.

[Dan Fates]

Gonna learn today.

[Mike Catalana]

Yeah.

[Dan Fates]

That's a big. Like I said, that was one of the things that I remember, like even during training camp. But everybody was like, oh, I. I don't think Jamar Singer was going to make this team. And I was like, you're looking at it from the wrong perspective.

[Mike Catalana]

You're looking at from the corner.

[Dan Fates]

The teams. Like. Like there are. There are guys that play both and then there are guys that are core special teams guy. Who's the guy from Carolina that's been killing it this year?

[Mike Catalana]

Sam? Oh, Franklin.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Franklin, yes. Sorry, I thought you meant on the Panthers. Oh, yeah. Sam Franklin.

[Dan Fates]

He's a monster on special teams.

[Mike Catalana]

Wild, man.

[Jenna Cottrell]

He is wild.

[Dan Fates]

Oh, my God.

[Mike Catalana]

Pregame, everything. Yeah. So. So got a lot of energy.

[Dan Fates]

I always thought Ingram was one of those guys. Like it was. Obviously you could have him inactive if needed, but I thought he was a pretty good core special teamer. I guess it's Dane for the short time.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah. Which he's been.

[Dan Fates]

He's been in that role before. The fourth corner teams guy.

[Mike Catalana]

Yeah.

[Jenna Cottrell]

But I do think that says a lot about them wanting to make an upgrade and then. But he. Let me make sure I'm getting this right. He hasn't decided he wants to retire though, correct? No.

[Mike Catalana]

But here's the thing. If you are slay, your only option now, well, you have two options is to join the Bills or retire or retire.

Or a third option is wait for the Bills to release you and then go to Philly. Yeah. And the Eagles cannot make a trade with the Bills. Can't send him a draft pick. I don't think you can even. Wink, wink a draft pick and we'll do it next year. I don't think you can get away with that. I mean, maybe if the Bills in the. And the Eagles did a deal.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah.

[Dan Fates]

Hey, breaking news. Nine days ago, Kyrie limed with the Titans.

[Mike Catalana]

Oh, he did.

[Dan Fates]

Somebody mentioned that in the comments.

I Thought you were gonna say hand up. Hand up.

[Mike Catalana]

I.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Good for Kair. Will it last?

[Dan Fates]

This is why our chat.

[Mike Catalana]

Sorry, this is. Means it says good for the Bills too.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah.

[Dan Fates]

Anyone back, shout out to Kelly. She goes, isn't Elam with the Titans right now? This is why our chat is the best.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah, I would agree.

[Dan Fates]

So appreciate it as always.

[Mike Catalana]

Yeah.

[Jenna Cottrell]

And if you haven't already subscribed, be sure to do so. Ooh, there's some couple of comments about.

[Mike Catalana]

Yeah.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Stuff.

[Mike Catalana]

So it's funny, I like the aggressiveness at the time. Just because I'm like, all right, we saw Elam played in the championship game when Benford got hurt. Elam had to play. Yeah. I take Darius. Darius Slay started in the super bowl for the Eagles. He played a ton of games, championships, couple of Super Bowls, playoff games, all that stuff. So he may not be as fast as he was, as quick as he was. He's smart, he can play, he's competent. Yeah. And I think he would have been certainly a good option if you needed one.

[Jenna Cottrell]

But at Josh in the chat says, so it's time to bring back Nikel, Roby Coleman.

[Mike Catalana]

Oh, yeah, yeah.

[Jenna Cottrell]

That's a throwback name.

[Dan Fates]

Gilmore out there.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Oh, my gosh.

[Mike Catalana]

I mean, is he somebody now?

[Jenna Cottrell]

Oh, Phil says, love the kickstand. All right, we talked about the sleigh stuff. Let's get more into this game, this matchup. First, let's start with the Bills coming off a big win over the Steelers. Where do you make of their confidence level of where they're at? And also how much can you bring into this matchup against the Bengals?

[Mike Catalana]

I. It's funny, it's almost like you can't bring anything game plan wise into the Bengals.

[Dan Fates]

Agreed.

[Mike Catalana]

Right.

[Dan Fates]

Yeah.

[Mike Catalana]

They are very, very, very different teams. What I think that game was for the Bills was, honestly, you saw Jenna, you were down on the field. They had fun in that second half.

[Jenna Cottrell]

They did.

[Mike Catalana]

They enjoyed themselves a little bit. Took a little of the heat off. That post game celebration was as much fun as we've seen them have since the Baltimore game. Even more than the Chiefs because, you know, they like to celebrate a little when they beat the Chiefs, but not too much. Correct. They know the amount.

[Jenna Cottrell]

They're so reserved.

[Mike Catalana]

Right.

[Dan Fates]

They're not stupid.

[Mike Catalana]

Yes.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah.

[Mike Catalana]

But this was like fun. It was like a little pressure off. They won the game. They did it with a running game and defense, which was good. But in terms of what that means for Sunday, I think they feel a little. Just in general, you would feel a Little better. But Dan, you know, they've gone too much. Win, lose, win, lose. So they felt good before in games and then turned around and had a bad one.

[Dan Fates]

Yeah, they have been consistently inconsistent. You know they started out 4 0, they're 4 and 4 in their last eight games. But the calendar may be turning over at the right time. I know it's well been, you know, put out there that The Bills are 18 and 3 since 2020 in the month of December. They've won 12 other last 13 games. Their only loss coming in that wild one to the Rams. And that was, it was fun. I was just talking to my dad about it today because he's like really? That stat. He's like. I remember they lost some, some games at the end of the season. They were January.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah.

[Dan Fates]

Like it was a lot of those.

[Jenna Cottrell]

January Patriots game last year.

[Mike Catalana]

Yeah.

[Dan Fates]

And I think they lost to a Jets or a Jets. I think one of the times nothing mattered. I don't think Josh played the final game.

[Mike Catalana]

I'm trying to think over these few years they haven't lost a game at the, in the last week of the season that mattered.

[Dan Fates]

That mad.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah.

[Dan Fates]

No Josh the one game I know because we're looking at stats for like the, how he's played against the jets and I, I think the Bills lost but he only played a half or something like that. But anyway, like this is a team that has found ways to win in this month. And I think that the one thing that I will take away that I know it feels like every week the pendulum swings massively. The Bills stink. Blow the whole team up, fire the coach, fire the gm. They win and the national media is like you know what? Bills wide open afc, why can't they win the Super Bowl? And it's like okay, yeah, I will say that game felt like a January playoff game. Physical teams that you found a way to win and Joe Brady did it by just running the ball down the Steelers throat and Andrew did it with two backup tackles. That's, that's a really cool feather in your cap to as Josh says, find a way to win. They found a way. That's awesome. But what can you take from it? Offensively I don't feel any different. I don't feel any better about this offense because to talk about the pendulum again, the. Sean always talks about wanting to be a two dimensional offense. That's his whole thing. Right. And in years past it goes back to the day ball years when Josh was throwing the ball 45, 50 times a game and Sean was pissed and it was kind of like Dable's like I got Stefan Diggs, Gabe Davis, Manuel Sanders, all these guys. And I got Devin Singletary in a thin offensive line that isn't great at run blocking. So I'm going to throw the ball because that's what we do.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Well, yeah.

[Dan Fates]

Now it's. Josh has a bottom five wide receiver room in the NFL but he's got an awesome offensive line depth at the offensive line. They can run the ball down your throat. They can play physical smash mouth football. But James Cook leads the league in rushing attempts. That's not balanced. They're not a balanced offense. Their fastball now is on the ground. Sean joked this week that his favorite play is a fullback dive. Yes, he was, he was kidding. But it was just that sense of hey, like this is, this is how we're finding ways to win.

[Mike Catalana]

Also I think he was playing into a little that people think he. All he wants to do is run the ball.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah.

[Mike Catalana]

Let me tell you, when you have your best player on the team not named. Josh Allen is your running back. Strength of the team is the offensive line and you are weak at wide receiver. Yeah, it makes sense. And I don't know how much stronger they're getting at wide receiver this week. I don't know if Joshua Palmer is going to play. That doesn't look great. Dalton King.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Sean McDermott said this week he's not in a good place.

[Mike Catalana]

Yeah. With the injuries, with the injuries.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah.

[Mike Catalana]

Dalton Kincaid's got a pretty bulky knee brace on now. That could have been some precaution. I don't know. He's already dealing with the, the hamstring.

[Jenna Cottrell]

I think that's kind of what's concerning is he pops up on the injury report and it had been a hamstring he hasn't played.

[Mike Catalana]

And it'll be three. There would. This will be a month. This will be four games he hasn't.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Played in three weeks. And then to see him have the knee injury, it looks like it was on the knee of last year and you're wearing a huge knee brace. That's obviously reason for concern.

[Dan Fates]

David Frazier says, do you think we could win a Super bowl when the offense is so predictable?

[Jenna Cottrell]

I think, I think, I think that's a great question. I do think for this Bill's team, when you have Josh Allen, he's the type of guy that in any given moment can we talked about it on our other show, like if you need him to, he's like a basketball player that could put up 40 any given night. That being said, the Bills offense, in terms of the pass catchers or really the wide receivers has been a negative for this team. You would like to think that in a big moment those guys could step up, but obviously there's concerns. My one thing is though, and I look at this playoff picture where the Bills are at. The Bills have a ton of playoff experience and in terms of what that would mean in that next stage, I think that would bode well for them. But also you have to be able to execute. And we've seen the Bills offense in the passing game struggle to execute throughout the season.

[Mike Catalana]

I think part of it is you say about the predictability. I mean, you do need to put teams in conflict defensively.

[Dan Fates]

Correct.

[Mike Catalana]

What are they going to do? What are you going to do? Right.

[Dan Fates]

What are we doing? What are we doing?

[Mike Catalana]

When we start out looking at the Bill's offense and you're not concerned with somebody getting behind you down the field.

[Dan Fates]

Correct.

[Mike Catalana]

You see the way they tend to run the pass game which is close to the line of scrimmage.

[Dan Fates]

Yeah.

[Mike Catalana]

It just greatly increases the chances that they can minimize your offense now and minimize big plays. Yes. Now that doesn't mean we've seen it pop like when the Tampa. Tampa game and the Bills executed well. Josh got the ball out of his hands. Guys did the run after catch. I mean you had the. What was it? The Shakir touch? No, it was a. Who caught the screen?

[Jenna Cottrell]

What game?

[Mike Catalana]

In the Tampa game, Screen was that.

Ty Johnson who took the screen and went for a touchdown?

[Dan Fates]

Shakir.

[Mike Catalana]

Shakir. Right, was the Shakir touchdown.

[Dan Fates]

But it's.

[Mike Catalana]

Guess the run after catch is one thing.

[Dan Fates]

It wasn't Shakir, was it Ty?

[Mike Catalana]

It was Ty Johnson.

[Dan Fates]

Yes. Went down the sidelines.

[Mike Catalana]

Yes.

[Dan Fates]

Yes.

[Mike Catalana]

The old man was right. I thought that's what it was. I. I guess the reason I was saying is the play itself was the play. The player made it, it got good blocks and they executed it and it turned into, I think 52 yard touchdown, if I remember.

[Dan Fates]

Grape. Yes.

[Mike Catalana]

Pulled that one out.

[Jenna Cottrell]

You're right.

[Mike Catalana]

How many yards was 52 yards?

[Dan Fates]

Whoa, old man.

[Jenna Cottrell]

How long was the Tyrell Shavers pass?

[Mike Catalana]

That was 40. No, 54.

[Jenna Cottrell]

No, no. He got in your head. What was it?

[Mike Catalana]

It was.

[Jenna Cottrell]

44, 43. That was pretty dang close, old man.

[Dan Fates]

Still got it.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah, yeah.

[Mike Catalana]

That was a deep. But that was a pass down the field.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah, that was.

[Mike Catalana]

But I guess what I'm saying is we've seen it come out, but it's not. This is not Even like, God, even like last year, that Rams game you talked about. It's not even like that.

[Dan Fates]

Correct.

[Mike Catalana]

Where he's chucking it down the field.

[Dan Fates]

Yeah.

[Mike Catalana]

To, you know. Well, actually. Well, actually in that game. Shakira.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Shakir.

[Dan Fates]

Yeah.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah.

[Dan Fates]

And so that's. That's where my thought is again with Joe Brady. And we've talked about him a bunch over these last few weeks and he deserves his flowers for what he was able to do in Pittsburgh. Like, I've always loved and respected how even from, like I always said that Joe learned from, like the failures with the Saints and that he was not too proud to be like, I messed up. I'm going to change things. And the one thing he seemed to say was like, I'm going to keep it simple. Like when plays work, I'm going to keep running the plays. That's kind of been the MO of the Bills. When things have been working over the last few years, they're like, yeah, they ran this place seven times, eight times in Pittsburgh, whatever. It was two or one or two of the same, similar type of plays, and they ran it like 30 times.

[Mike Catalana]

It's an NBA mentality. If it's working, they just keep doing it. If you can't cover that guy in the post, they're going to keep throwing them ball. Yeah. If you don't close out on the.

[Dan Fates]

Guy in the NBA Finals when they just picked on Curry, they just will.

[Mike Catalana]

Do it until the other team changes. Steelers. I don't know if the Steelers had anybody up in the box watching the plays.

[Dan Fates]

Yeah.

[Mike Catalana]

I don't know what they were covering.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Their eyes, but they didn't change.

[Dan Fates]

That's where it's. That's the positive of Joe Brady.

[Mike Catalana]

Yes.

[Dan Fates]

My fear is. And why I don't have all that much of a different outlook on the offense. Even after that game where they run for 249 yards, the most by an opponent in Pittsburgh since 75 is okay. What happens when that play that you really like doesn't work?

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah.

[Dan Fates]

Then you have to adjust in game. The Bills have been really good on opening drives, scripted drives coming out of halftime and to start games. They've been pretty good. It's that in game Adjustment where Brady has struggled to make those changes on the fly. That's my concern. Is that. Okay, this is what we're going to do. I'm Mike Tyson. I'm going to punch you in the face. Okay. What if that punch doesn't land?

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah.

[Dan Fates]

What. What do you got now? You don't have the Endurance now to go seven, eight, nine rounds. So that's where my. My fear is and that good teams are able to adjust off of it.

[Mike Catalana]

Buffalo Green says tight ends versus Cincy have had big gains.

[Dan Fates]

Everybody's had big games also.

[Mike Catalana]

Who's taking advantage in this game? I don't know. We're just saying is. I don't know if Kincaid.

[Jenna Cottrell]

I don't know if Kincaid is.

[Mike Catalana]

You know, we'll see.

[Jenna Cottrell]

That was a huge knee brace.

[Mike Catalana]

Yes.

[Jenna Cottrell]

And he's also been out. Do you want to put him back out there?

[Dan Fates]

Dan has a speaking spell, not a laptop. I don't get it.

[Jenna Cottrell]

I don't get that.

[Dan Fates]

Is that a spelling shot at me?

[Mike Catalana]

I think that was.

[Jenna Cottrell]

People were very complimentary of your outfit.

[Mike Catalana]

Was.

[Dan Fates]

Oh, they like the shoes.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah. They like the outfit, though. They like the coordination.

[Dan Fates]

I was wearing something earlier. My kids got dinner all over. The last one. I went home for dinner.

[Mike Catalana]

I. I don't. I. I knew what a CN say was. What's it? Was that a speak and say? Did they say it was.

[Jenna Cottrell]

It was a speaking spell.

[Mike Catalana]

Speak and spell. Okay.

[Dan Fates]

Wasn't a speak and say the thing you pulled and it would go around the animal.

[Mike Catalana]

Yeah.

[Dan Fates]

Be like tiger.

[Mike Catalana]

Yes. Rawr. Do you think if Josh was in charge of calling the plays, it would make a difference? He does have some flexibility in this plays. Usually there's a double call and he can change out of it. You'll see it go to the line. Sometimes they'll call out, kill, kill. Or they'll make a signal and go to the second play. I mean, he knows the series of plays that they would likely call in those spots. I think it's not.

1987, like.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah, correct.

[Mike Catalana]

It's hard for.

[Dan Fates]

It's also concepts. It's Joe Brady's concepts. And that's where the passing game has struggled. When we've joked around that they're a mesh, that they. They have struggled. And again, the Shavers play big play. Probably the biggest passing play of the season was off of a broken play.

[Mike Catalana]

Right.

[Dan Fates]

It was not drawn up to be like.

[Jenna Cottrell]

No, it was a scramble.

[Dan Fates]

And I was talking to my dad about it tonight, and he was kind of saying, well, you know, they're running. They're running the ball so well and all these things, but you don't have to be a great defense to sell out to stop the run and find success.

[Mike Catalana]

Miami did it, right.

[Dan Fates]

They put eight, nine guys in the box. If they're saying, screw it, we'll live and die by this. If Josh throws It over our head.

[Mike Catalana]

Tip of the cap.

[Dan Fates]

But that's where it does worry me a little bit. The Bengals defense is playing a little bit better of late. It's hard to be worse. They were historic. They are a historically bad defense. But if they say after watching the Steelers game when Josh threw for 123 hours, saying, we're just not worried about any of these guys, we're only worried about James Cook, we're going to put nine guys in the box and see what they can do. That is, we've seen. That's a recipe to slow down the Bills. It has worked. It's a blueprint.

[Jenna Cottrell]

And there's been times where the Bills get behind and they can't rely on running the ball that much. And then you have to rely more on the passing game. And we've seen how terribly that has turned out for Buffalo.

[Dan Fates]

The Bills are great with the lead.

[Jenna Cottrell]

They are.

[Mike Catalana]

They're fantastic because they can play their game.

[Dan Fates]

Yes.

[Mike Catalana]

And what is Sean say when they lose like New England did? They made us play the game they wanted us to play and that's how they've lost games. Miami did that to them.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah.

[Mike Catalana]

Miami of all people.

[Dan Fates]

That.

[Mike Catalana]

So.

[Jenna Cottrell]

No, I. I definitely think there is frustration. Where is your confidence level, Dan? In. In Joe Brady, Coming off of a great week, how do you feel?

[Dan Fates]

Really? My. My thought hasn't changed coming off of the Houston game. I. I needed to see the pass protection improve, especially with Alec Anderson and Ryan Vandermark in. And I didn't think that the Steelers. Although you can. It's the. The Steelers are more named than game at this point. Yeah, they are. Just. You think of the Steelers in their defense. That's not them. They're the highest paid defense and they stink. They flat out stink. So I was like, hey, don't be.

[Mike Catalana]

Mean to Cam Hayward.

[Dan Fates]

Oh, that's right.

[Mike Catalana]

You don't want to hurt his feelings.

[Dan Fates]

That's right. We're on to Cincinnati, Mike. We're on to Cincinnati. But I looked at that game and.

[Jenna Cottrell]

I said, but Josh was so complimentary.

[Mike Catalana]

He was.

[Dan Fates]

He was very complimentary. And I just looked at it and I said, this is still kind of the end.

[Mike Catalana]

Dismissing our nonsense.

[Dan Fates]

Yeah, I get. I get the nonsense. I looked at this and I thought you had 10 days to make sure Josh didn't get hit a dozen times. Yeah, and they did. And they refused to chip early in the first half.

[Mike Catalana]

Right.

[Dan Fates]

They just let these guys run wild again. Second half, they made adjustments. Spencer Hawes showed off how good of a blocker he is Dawson, Knox chip. Like they had Shakir and Shavers chipping. Like they showed a lot more of that. They did a great job in the running game. I still just don't think that you can be. You guys always used to tell me you can't pass the ball. You need to be able to run the ball effectively. That's what you guys would tell me.

[Jenna Cottrell]

There are multiple ways to win in the NFL.

[Dan Fates]

The Bills really don't have multiple ways to win. It is. I guess they have two. It's James Cook or Josh.

[Mike Catalana]

Yes.

[Dan Fates]

Josh goes nuclear. Josh goes mvp.

[Mike Catalana]

Having the lead and I don't want to hear.

[Dan Fates]

I don't want to hear. Well, look at their epa. Look at their total offense. Look at all this stuff. Use your eyes. This offense is painful to watch through throwing the football. Don't tell me that. Actually Josh's numbers are actually, you know, comparative like ESPN and all these people will go on there and say, well, actually this metric tells me. Tells you that he's having another similar MVP season. He's not. It's not the same. It doesn't look like it is.

[Mike Catalana]

I'm so proud of him.

[Jenna Cottrell]

That was really good.

[Mike Catalana]

It is.

[Jenna Cottrell]

That was great TV kind of thing.

[Mike Catalana]

That usually would come from me. It would be considered an old man take. I am agreeing with you, but it's considered that because Here we go, old man, he's done it. No, the reason I say that is because you can make the numbers. I do believe in numbers, but I also do sometimes I go, okay, when you need to throw it, they can't throw it. Can we just be blunt?

[Dan Fates]

Third in seven is a death sentence for this team.

[Mike Catalana]

So you can say all the numbers because in a game like Tampa, everything gets inflated. You have to take out certain games to say in big moments. In big games, they do not throw the ball effectively. They don't have a go to pass play. Yeah, I mean, we talk about like deep balls down the field. I'm talking about slants on like you're saying third and six, third and seven, third and eight. Yeah, comeback routes where you just know that receiver is going to get that defender off of him. Turn around, make the catch. First down, let's move on.

[Dan Fates]

Sorry, go ahead.

[Jenna Cottrell]

No, well, even like Khalil Shakir last year really felt like a safety blanket for Josh. And this season there hasn't been that consistency, that continuity. There's been more.

[Mike Catalana]

The wide receiver screen to Shakir, though.

[Jenna Cottrell]

We, we apparently will always have that.

[Dan Fates]

I saw stats somewhere today that said that Shakir has the lowest depth of route out of any wide receiver in the NFL.

[Jenna Cottrell]

That honestly does not show up.

[Dan Fates]

And last year he caught some balls 15, 20 yards down the field.

[Mike Catalana]

Yeah. We're not asking him to be Jerry Rice.

[Dan Fates]

Yeah.

[Mike Catalana]

Just let the man run.

[Dan Fates]

There's some good comments. Kendrick Buffalo says every offensive drive is a slog.

[Mike Catalana]

Yes.

[Dan Fates]

Somebody said Eric Emi says stop running on 80 of first downs.

[Mike Catalana]

Yeah.

[Dan Fates]

And Kel says Dan is 99 less wrong than normal.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Reed Williams thing.

[Dan Fates]

Williams. I'm a statistician and I will tell you the way the NFL does stats is so archaic. Stats are like bikinis.

[Mike Catalana]

Oh, here we go.

[Dan Fates]

Stats like bikinis. They show you some things. They don't show you everything.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Not the ones nowadays.

[Dan Fates]

Oh, that's a good one.

[Mike Catalana]

Another old person take these girls today. You tell them.

[Jenna Cottrell]

I don't know how we move off of that. Yeah, I mean, I do think that's fair.

I just think for me, it's. You talk about watching, you talk about the epa, all that stuff and looking at the numbers, but then when you're actually watching the games. But how do you fix that?

[Mike Catalana]

You really better wide receivers. Yes.

[Jenna Cottrell]

I'm saying in season, how do you lose your back? Are you just praying that Brandon Cooks gives you something else?

[Dan Fates]

Also? What you do is you watch the good offenses like we all do. We watch around the rest of the NFL and you say, that was a cool play.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah, do that. Yeah.

[Dan Fates]

I don't understand. I watch New England and I go, man, that guy is designed open because this guy cleared out that guy. This guy goes here, Drake May is getting freebies.

[Jenna Cottrell]

There's a couple times he's playing.

[Dan Fates]

He's playing awful schedule like Mac or it's Drake. The schedule may and like all of these things. But there are concepts that I go, man, Joe Brady should just play their tape in the offensive room and go, we're going to run this play this week because this is going to clear that out. That's going to clear this. Watch the Niners watch these good offenses. I don't know why it's a cup. Don't we always say it's a copycat league? Yeah, copy the good place.

[Mike Catalana]

I. It's so funny. I go back in my time doing this job for the TV station, and when we would go other places, I would watch other TV stations.

[Dan Fates]

I still do.

[Mike Catalana]

And I would go, that was a really good idea. We're gonna copy that. Let's just steal the idea. Yeah, let's do that. And sometimes I would even get in touch with the person, ask them what they did. Like you're not doing that in the NFL. You don't need to, but you have tape of everything they're doing. I agree with you. Sometimes it's concepts that just make life easier. There is no rule against making life easier for Josh Allen.

[Dan Fates]

We've checked with the league.

[Mike Catalana]

Yes. You are allowed to have players who can run down the field, catch the ball and make it easier. Where Josh just throws it and the guy makes a play.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah. And there's just been moments this season where it just feels so painful to watch this offense.

[Dan Fates]

The first half of Pittsburgh.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Well, I was. And then the turnovers and that compounds how awful it is.

[Mike Catalana]

So what do you think? Like Lindsay says, I think it's five it. Right, Lindsay? I would like to see at least one deep throat of Shavers or Brandon Cooks. I don't disagree with that. I think there is something of. How about the game in Atlanta? They started out Josh Palmer, deep shot down the field. Yeah, right.

[Jenna Cottrell]

And then he gets injured.

[Mike Catalana]

He did get hurt. But I'm saying is it was an idea of like we're going to tell you right from the start. I don't even know if this game would be the one.

[Jenna Cottrell]

It's almost like Joe Brady will get paid more money if he keeps it 15 yards in. It's like, what is the incentive here?

[Dan Fates]

Yeah, because that's the other thing that like I do think that, like whether we joke around about like the salary cap and we joke around like, oh, GMs use it as propaganda to fans to be like, we can't pay all these people. I feel like the Bills have kind of said a little bit of you just can't throw the ball down the field. Defenses just aren't allowing it. I watch other games. Yeah, there's deep throws all the time.

[Mike Catalana]

Okay. So he is this guy that you will see Sunday is the epitome of what you want in an outside receiver in Jamar Chase.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah.

[Mike Catalana]

And Chase is everything. But Chase alone is the. I think he's the best receiver in the NFL. He also draws penalties, makes contested catches, runs by people. Not everybody is going to be that guy, but I see a lot of mediocre to good wide receivers drawing penalties nonstop in this league. Throw the ball down the field tonight. Tonight Detroit's playing Dallas. I'm going to say right now, off the top of my head, there's going to be four pass interference calls in that game. Down the field.

[Dan Fates]

Refs want to throw one.

[Mike Catalana]

They can't wait Especially when you're the home team. You guys know you're down there and there's a play, and everybody yells and the player yells, and then all of a sudden, that flag comes flying in like this, and then everybody goes crazy, and then everybody reacts. They love to call it. How often do the Bills get those calls? How often do they push to pen those calls?

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah.

[Dan Fates]

Put themselves in position to do that.

[Mike Catalana]

Mack was good at drawing penalties. He actually was. He still does it now for the New England Patriots, who we see a week from Sunday. Yeah, yeah. Air it out. The hell with the dink dunk crap. I. I'm with you, Gregory, but honestly.

[Jenna Cottrell]

I also think, though, they don't really have the talent on the outside for that.

[Mike Catalana]

I think this is the way they can. Can they win that way? Yes. You're gonna have to play very good defense, Long, sustained drives and get the lead, I think.

[Dan Fates]

I mean.

[Mike Catalana]

Or stay within a score. You're going to have to stay that way.

[Dan Fates]

Well, you have to stay in second and five. Like, that's. And that's tough to do.

[Mike Catalana]

This feels like. This feels like if for some reason an injury or whatever, the Bills were playing without Josh Allen and you were saying, okay, this is what we have to do on offense. We got to run it. We got to go short passes.

[Dan Fates]

We got Iowa football.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Oh, my gosh.

[Dan Fates]

It's Iowa football.

[Mike Catalana]

Yeah.

[Dan Fates]

We're going to run the ball. Well, we're not going to turn it over. You have Josh freaking out.

[Mike Catalana]

No, but my. That was. My point is it feels like, okay, they. This is why they got to do it this way, because they don't have the guys.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah.

[Mike Catalana]

They have the guy. They have the hardest one to get.

[Dan Fates]

Yes.

[Jenna Cottrell]

So it really is pretty incredible when you think about it.

[Mike Catalana]

Yeah.

[Jenna Cottrell]

But again, I think that just is a testament to who they have outside and not having the faith. But that. But that being said, I do think you can use that option just to keep defenses honest as well. And that has been an issue, obviously.

[Mike Catalana]

All right, there, Dan.

[Dan Fates]

Bills go. Dan, please stop with the 100 stuff. 100%.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Why did you say 100?

[Dan Fates]

I guess when I agree with Mike, I say 100. Oh, it's like our crutch words. We're gonna start putting pennies in the jar again.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Oh, gosh. That's a throwback.

That used to bother me, like, put in a thousand percent effort today. Hey, no, you didn't.

[Dan Fates]

110.

[Mike Catalana]

That's it. Give the effort. Stop. Tori says, we have Josh freaking Allen and we run first can't make this stuff up. You are right.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah, that's totally fair.

[Mike Catalana]

Imagine, just imagine this running game with a passing game.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Well, who would be catching it?

[Mike Catalana]

No, I'm saying is if you, if you had that, if you.

[Dan Fates]

I want a wide receiver in the second round. I want a wide receiver in free agency.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Hey, Dan. Bitch in about wide receiver. I know. What do you think Brandon Cooks could add?

[Mike Catalana]

Mike, I think he's. You know what it is? It's. I think he is a player. I think he still has his physical ability.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Sorry, just remind there are players on this roster.

[Dan Fates]

He is a player.

[Mike Catalana]

He is a player.

[Dan Fates]

Here's a guy I, he's got two arms, two legs.

[Mike Catalana]

I just want it on the record that they've interrupted me multiple times.

[Jenna Cottrell]

That's fair.

[Mike Catalana]

I think he still has his physical ability. Is he as fast as he was? No, he had some room to give up, some speed. I think he wants to play too. I think he's excited about playing. And I know that sounds simple, but it's like he came in here, learned the offense. I talked to Shakir the other day. I talked to the players and Shakir was great. And he's. He lit up. When talking about playing with Brandon Cooks, he's like, I watch that guy. I watch what he does. I try to copy. Somebody asked him if he watches the other receivers like Jamar Chase and he's like, yeah, like on a tick tock reel. He goes, I got a little baby. Like, I stare at the baby like I'm not, I'm not watching there, done that. But at practice or when he's not there, he's watching Cooks. I think he has that ability. He's only been there a couple of weeks now, so let's see, this might not be a bad game to get him incorporated against that defense.

[Jenna Cottrell]

So let's say, well, like last week he was just really getting into town, all that stuff. And I'm not saying you can learn the entire playbook in two weeks, but you would imagine, Dan, that he would feel a little bit more comfortable.

[Dan Fates]

Yeah. And they went to him on the first or second, third down, like, that's a nice comeback route.

[Mike Catalana]

I got a. I go. So, Michael Giordano, you're certainly entitled to your opinion, but he says, Bills don't make the playoffs and it's time to show the GM and simple minded Sean McDerm at the door in Buffalo. Time for a new voice in the locker room. Sean's way isn't working. I would tell you this if you're disappointed that this team hasn't made it to the Super Bowl. You have every right to be disappointed. We think they should have made it at one point. If you think for one second that Sean McDermott has lost this locker room, I'm sorry, I will say you can have your opinion, but you are wrong. Sean McDermott, I think is doing one of his best jobs coaching this year. There is no doubt in my mind. This is not an ultra talented offense and.

[Dan Fates]

Or roster.

[Mike Catalana]

Roster. And the defense, they have had to mix and match. He has had to work with Bobby Babbage. Shout out to Bobby Babbage too. He has done a good job, whatever has been the case.

[Dan Fates]

And Bob Senior.

[Mike Catalana]

Yes, shout out to our guy, Bob Senior. But the idea of them making this work with a bunch of veterans and other guys. This is not the year where you think Sean McDermott isn't doing his job. You may still be disappointed that they don't go to the Super Bowl. And I get it. But I, I'm sticking up for Sean this season. I think you guys do too, with what this year has been. And look, they got to still win, they got to make the playoffs, they got to fight with the Patriots. It has been a tough year, but this is not a. Sean's way isn't working and they're not paying attention to him.

[Dan Fates]

Yeah, I always think about when you lose the locker room. You can see it.

[Jenna Cottrell]

It's evident. Yep, it's very evident.

[Mike Catalana]

Talk about what Shaq said. You talked to Shaq?

[Dan Fates]

I did talk to Shaq after we missed him at the podium because do.

[Jenna Cottrell]

You know how long he talked to the podium for?

[Dan Fates]

How long?

[Jenna Cottrell]

1 minute, 26 seconds.

[Dan Fates]

Because we weren't there.

[Mike Catalana]

You know our friend Scotty. Channel 4. I think Scotty was left to see only goddamn.

[Dan Fates]

Was he really?

[Mike Catalana]

Yeah, I think he has.

[Dan Fates]

He has like theory, God bless him, Scotty.

[Mike Catalana]

But then you got to.

[Jenna Cottrell]

You got a way better interview. One on we got to talk to shit I don't want to hear.

[Mike Catalana]

It was great when he talked about Sean.

[Dan Fates]

Well, he talks. I asked him that because Sean has just been so complimentary of Shaq. And he's. He goes, he's a dog. You feel him on the field, all these kind of things. He's making a difference when he's out there. And the stats back that up. The defense in rushing yards allowed per play is way down compared to when trail Bernard's on the field, things like that. And I asked him, I go, you, you saw defensive coordinator Sean and now you're seeing nine year veteran head coach Sean and he said he's less intense and he said like that's a. He more relaxed. He goes. He wants the players to lead and Jax goes. The team. The team will only go as far as the players take them. Like it is so easy. And I always. But I think this point is worth repeating. It's so easy to point the blame at Joe Brady and Sean McDermott and Bobby Babbage because none of you have a Sean McDermott jersey. None of you hold a sign up at High Mark Stadium saying, go, Sean, go. So you don't want to blame the players. And at times, guess what? The players aren't executing. They're not doing it. But Sean has done a phenomenal job. I feel, especially this year of putting guys in positions to be successful. Sean doesn't miss tackles. Bobby Babbage doesn't miss tackles.

[Jenna Cottrell]

No, I hear you.

[Dan Fates]

And if anything, he's putting the guys in position to miss the tackle.

[Mike Catalana]

Like so. So we got in some comments. Like Walter says, every year since 23 supposedly been Sean McDermott's best coaching year yet. It's not what I said. I said this year because of all that has happened in the roster. I didn't say that every year has been. Dutch flat says McDermott wants to have a bunch of yes men on his staff. That is not the case. That is not the case at all. Yes men. I don't think that's the way they operate.

[Jenna Cottrell]

No.

[Mike Catalana]

And I don't think it's ever been the way they've operated.

[Dan Fates]

No. But I think you all have to be on the same page.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah, I agree.

[Mike Catalana]

But I told yes men, meaning it's all top down. Yeah. It's all him.

[Jenna Cottrell]

And you know what I think about, like, I think about the pros in golf who have swing coaches and they take a bad swing. They're not blaming their swing coach. They're saying, what did I do wrong? The swing coach is not. They're giving you the tips and the tricks to do it, but it's the actual player in that moment taking the swing. And sometimes I just feel like, how did this player not know how to take this hand off or whatever. It's like you don't think that they drill that in practice.

[Mike Catalana]

Well, you know, because you see it how many times.

[Jenna Cottrell]

It is all technique all over and over and over again. But it's up to the players to go out there and execute.

[Dan Fates]

That was phenomenal.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Thank you.

[Mike Catalana]

Very good.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Thank you.

[Mike Catalana]

Somebody said keeping Samuel. I think I meant Sam Samuel is in is insane. They kept Samuel, put him on the ir, because I think it's going to help them when they release him at the end of the year, which I think is the case, because then I think they.

[Jenna Cottrell]

And that has been another. That's been a bust.

[Mike Catalana]

He's on the ir. I don't think he's coming back to play.

[Dan Fates]

Who is the best player offensively that Brandon Bean has brought in in his time in Buffalo?

[Jenna Cottrell]

Like a free agent?

[Dan Fates]

Outside. I'll say this. Outside of James Cook.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Are you talking about draft? Yeah.

[Mike Catalana]

I would say Stefan Diggs was the best player.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah.

[Mike Catalana]

It was the best trade.

[Dan Fates]

It was his best first round pick he's ever had.

[Mike Catalana]

Outside of Josh Allen.

[Dan Fates]

Outside of Josh Allen, yeah.

[Mike Catalana]

Yeah. No, Diggs was really good. Until it wasn't.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah.

[Dan Fates]

And now he's really good again.

[Mike Catalana]

Until it won't be. But that may be a couple of years.

[Dan Fates]

Yeah.

[Mike Catalana]

Yeah. I think it's less offensively, like, it's. It's tough to find guys like I, you know, you.

[Dan Fates]

Do you want to know why? Do you want to know why it's hard to find wide receivers on the open market? Because the good ones sign extensions.

[Mike Catalana]

Yeah.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Or crazy money.

[Mike Catalana]

You gotta draft them.

[Dan Fates]

Well, that's what I'm saying is that, like, there's a reason when these guys go to free agency and you're like, I can't believe this guy's a free agent. It's like, oh, well, it's because that team doesn't like him.

[Mike Catalana]

Ryan Kennedy, hot take. Mike Tomlin comes to Buffalo in 27. Oh, come on, Ryan.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Are you trying to punt it?

[Mike Catalana]

Oh, geez. The mando. Oh, I do like Todd. Just talking about offensive line. Spencer Brown, McGovern and the big Irish guy.

[Jenna Cottrell]

That's phenomenal.

[Mike Catalana]

Yes. O line. They've done a really O line.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah, you heard it right. O line.

[Mike Catalana]

Oh, did I throw a little Philly?

[Jenna Cottrell]

There's a little Philly O line. The O line.

[Dan Fates]

It's a. It's a Torrens joke.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yes.

[Mike Catalana]

Yes.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Very good, Daniel.

[Mike Catalana]

Pretty good.

[Dan Fates]

Hey, that's a great comment.

[Mike Catalana]

Hey, can we talk a little bit about the injuries? We didn't really talk about it.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yes.

[Mike Catalana]

Dion, back on the practice field. Still considered limited.

[Jenna Cottrell]

That's very incur.

[Mike Catalana]

He's gonna play. I think he's gonna be out of protocol. We'll see when they officially say that he's gonna play. Kincaid, like we mentioned, knee brace, hamstring.

I don't know. I don't think he's. I don't in this. You are right. They've given up a lot to tight ends a lot in the middle of the field. But I don't think we're going to see Kincade. Maybe we'll be surprised. We'll see what happens. Game time.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Joey Bosa did not practice again.

[Mike Catalana]

Bosa's. I say Bosa probably doesn't play next week either.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah.

[Dan Fates]

Yeah. I don't know if we see him in the right.

[Mike Catalana]

Like it depends. It depends on how it goes.

[Dan Fates]

Yeah.

[Jenna Cottrell]

And Spencer Brown was limited again.

[Mike Catalana]

Spencer Brown. I think Spencer Brown's pushing to be back out there.

[Jenna Cottrell]

I agree.

[Mike Catalana]

And he's tough, dude. Like, you know, they want to be back out. I'm not saying the other guys aren't tough, but some injuries are pain. Some injuries are just. You can't play with them or they don't want you to play with them. So.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah, that's very fair.

[Dan Fates]

Should we get to some ads?

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah. You know what? It's time for White Claw.

White Claw grab of the week. So we're talking last week.

[Mike Catalana]

Yes.

[Jenna Cottrell]

It's got to be Christian Benford, right?

[Mike Catalana]

Mike Benford made a great back to back plays that Benford made.

Well. Joey Bosa. Credit to Joey. Huge play in that game. And the Bills were losing. Ball came loose. Benford made the grab there. Minute and a half later, balls in the air. Mason Rudolph chucked it up.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Oh my gosh.

[Dan Fates]

I think when I read the highlight, I was like, mace. Rudolph had to come in because Rogers was bloody and he threw a perfect spiral right to Christian Bedford.

[Mike Catalana]

It was really. Yeah.

[Dan Fates]

Like it was right.

[Mike Catalana]

I was very happy for Benford too because he's played really well. It's nice for guys to get numbers.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah.

[Mike Catalana]

He's not a guy that gets. He hasn't had to pick six. He hasn't made those plays. So he scored a touchdown.

[Jenna Cottrell]

The AFC defensive player of the week. Grab a crew, grab a pack. Grab life by the claw. White Claw grab of the week. This week we're giving it to Christian Benford.

[Mike Catalana]

Cheers.

[Jenna Cottrell]

What you got? Black cherry.

[Dan Fates]

Black cherry.

[Jenna Cottrell]

These are mango.

[Mike Catalana]

Massive mango.

[Dan Fates]

I know mine is not the size of this can.

[Mike Catalana]

Yeah, it's not.

[Jenna Cottrell]

That's not quite the same.

I can't.

[Mike Catalana]

Next week. Next week. Next week. A week from professional here.

[Dan Fates]

Cottrell.

[Mike Catalana]

So.

Yes. Anyhow, I was going to say something in a couple of weeks but we will worry about that later. But no Christian Benford. I just like seeing the numbers because sometimes people judge players, even pro bowl votes and stuff and I'd like to see guys like Benford get recognition. That way we can talk all about it, but numbers help. And getting player of the week. Getting touchdown, getting the interception.

[Jenna Cottrell]

I think getting away. Claw grab of the week.

[Mike Catalana]

That's huge.

[Jenna Cottrell]

That is huge.

[Dan Fates]

Grabbing life by the claw grab.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Life by the cloth. Yeah. All right. I do think that he has played a lot better in these last couple weeks. Christian Benford, and especially like DK Metcalf shadowing him throughout the game. I think that's a. A step in the progress of what he can do. We've seen him do it before, but I know it's going to be a big test this week for the entire secondary, just with the talent that the Bengals have out there.

[Dan Fates]

Thank you to scumbag Brad.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Oh.

[Dan Fates]

Personally hiring a voodoo witch doctor to stop all the injuries and spiritually heal everyone. Also, shout out white Claw. Appreciate it. Scumbag Brad. Also, he's not my brother.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yes. I'm not Dan's brother.

[Dan Fates]

Still not. Still not convinced.

[Jenna Cottrell]

I was to say. That's something your brother would say.

[Dan Fates]

Yes, 100%.

[Mike Catalana]

Did we. Did we mention A.J.

[Jenna Cottrell]

So we did not.

[Mike Catalana]

All of a sudden, there's A.J.

[Jenna Cottrell]

That'S not good.

[Mike Catalana]

Getting close with a foot injury. Did not practice in a game when you have no Bosa, you're expecting no bosa.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah.

[Mike Catalana]

Just another funny comment.

[Jenna Cottrell]

What?

[Dan Fates]

My friend Ian Gallagher says, dan, don't drink that entire White Claw because I told you to. That's a shout out to an old college thing. When back in the day.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Oh, yeah.

[Dan Fates]

You'd be like, hey, oh, that was crazy. And then, yeah, it would be like, hey, grab a beer. Grab beer because I told you to. And then you'd be like, oh, I can't do it now.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Dan Fates]

Inside joke.

[Mike Catalana]

You guys must have been crazy.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Dan absolutely was.

[Dan Fates]

Godfather to Ian's son. So shout out, Graham.

[Jenna Cottrell]

That's nice.

[Mike Catalana]

Yeah.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Okay. What else? What else? What else should we talk? Bengals?

[Mike Catalana]

Oh, Jim asked, is Ed Oliver coming back?

[Jenna Cottrell]

So he was not wearing the brace. He was at practice, not participating at all. But he was at the Bills facility not wearing the brace. He's had videos on social media of him, like, lifting up one of his kids. That seems to be a good sign. But Sean McDermott really shied away from saying whether or not he would be back this season. Understandably so. I don't think you want to set expectations out of it at all. But that would be massive for this Bill's defense to get him back.

[Mike Catalana]

Yes.

[Dan Fates]

Think about where this Bill's defense is. If I would have told you even back in training camp this defense would be without ed Oliver for 90 of the season. And I tell you after he got dribbled like a basketball that I would tell you that 10 weeks later, Cole Bishop will probably be one of your best players on defense. I think you were crazy.

[Mike Catalana]

You get a glimpse of what Michael Hoyt could do for the defense, and then he's gone. He's gone in a game. And you've gotten. You are also playing Shaq Thompson.

[Jenna Cottrell]

I was about to say Jordan Poyer. Yeah.

[Mike Catalana]

And Trey White.

[Dan Fates]

And they're playing well.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah, they are. Yeah.

[Dan Fates]

That's where Sean, like, has. I feel, like, much more of an impact. I feel like when the offense is stale. We did a. A live show the one time and a guy commented in after the. Was it the New England game? And he said that the Bill's offense was all Sean McDermott's fault. And I said, well, Joe Brady calls the plays and he's like, well, Sean's gotta be that guy that coaches up the offense and has an impact. He's the head coach. And I said, do you give Sean McDermott credit when the offense is really good? Well, no, that's Joe Brady. I go, so you can't have it both ways, man.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah.

[Dan Fates]

When the team is. When the team's good, does Sean get the credit?

[Jenna Cottrell]

But that's what I'm saying. He's the first one to blame and gets none of the credit. That's how this works.

[Mike Catalana]

Todd just said, I'm worried about Poyer this week. The Bengals are going to get him in some bad spots. I hope he keeps everything in front of him. This is a tough matchup.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah.

[Mike Catalana]

And look, Jordan Hancock has played some.

[Dan Fates]

But this is why you drafted Cole Bishop.

[Mike Catalana]

Yeah.

[Dan Fates]

It's for. To be these. This athletic and to be able to show multiple looks on the back end.

[Mike Catalana]

And let's see how Max holds up in this one. He didn't get a ton of snaps. They kept the way out there, just.

[Dan Fates]

The way the game dictated it.

[Mike Catalana]

What? But I think we'll see a lot of Max in this game.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Where do you think Burrow is at? Obviously had the toe surgery, now is back out on the field. He has a specialized, like, plate in his cleat, which seems to be very uncomfortable. He takes off his shoe after every drive. Seemingly he did play. He now had 10 days off. But where do you think he is at?

[Mike Catalana]

I think him getting to play in that game and then getting the time off was really good. Very advantageous. For the Bengals because they were not great in the red zone. They were not great in those things that take rep after rep. Yeah. And that team should be really good in the red zone. Yeah.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah.

[Mike Catalana]

With the weapons they have. They still handled Baltimore. Burrow is great arm. He wins with his mind anyhow. He's very smart. Sean said he kind of knows what you're doing before you do it. Yeah. But you need reps. He's got to be out there. That is the. You know, again, I don't know how much that one game impacts him, but he's pretty smart. Now, that being said.

I think. I think the best thing is keeping him off the field. Field. Right. I think for the Bills to keep him off the field. And just if you think about what he brings out on that field with him compared to what Josh Allen does offensively night and day. Yeah. And. And keep in mind, the Bengals are near the top in terms of two certain one and two pass catches.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah.

[Dan Fates]

Absolutely.

[Mike Catalana]

Have those two together.

[Jenna Cottrell]

How much do you think it sticks in Josh's mind that he is not beaten Joe Burrow?

[Mike Catalana]

Not much at all, really.

[Jenna Cottrell]

I actually disagree with that. I think that would piss me.

[Mike Catalana]

They've only played. They've played three games, but obviously the one was the demar game. They've played two other games. He lost to him in the playoffs. Crushing game.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Joe Burrow said this week that that's one of his favorite games.

[Mike Catalana]

Yeah, they were. Yeah.

[Dan Fates]

The Bengals were pissed that the Bills were selling tickets.

[Mike Catalana]

Yeah. But, you know, we can only make fun of them so much because they ended up winning the game.

[Dan Fates]

I know.

[Mike Catalana]

So they did. Yeah. But. And then they beat them in Cincinnati in another regular season game. Close games like 2418, something like that. That it was.

But they've only played and finished two games. So that way.

[Jenna Cottrell]

But I. I get that. But that would bother me if I think it does.

[Mike Catalana]

I mean, when you look at the guys, he's beaten Lamar multiple times. He certainly has. Beaten Mahomes, we know. Beaten Lamar in the playoffs. Beaten Mahomes in the regular season. Beat Lamar in the regular season, too, though. Against the best quarterbacks, you know.

[Dan Fates]

So somebody just commented in Nathan Hoover saying Joe is no Pat. I feel like the beef is less real. I don't know if it's beef. It's. It's that rivalry. And there just hasn't been enough.

[Mike Catalana]

Josh and Joe really hasn't.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah.

[Dan Fates]

Like, even for being individual, like that's why we talked about.

[Jenna Cottrell]

But I feel like they get compared so much in Terms of, like, the top quarterbacks.

[Dan Fates]

Well, Jenna, I don't know if you know this, but the opposing quarterbacks don't play one another.

[Jenna Cottrell]

That. And they also get paid, too.

[Mike Catalana]

Yes, they do. A lot at the end of the.

[Dan Fates]

Day, and they want to win. Those guys wanted to.

[Mike Catalana]

You talk about the difference when they walk in and you were there.

[Dan Fates]

The walking in.

[Mike Catalana]

The walking in. Josh is going to walk in in.

[Dan Fates]

A sweatshirt, a T shirt, a hat from Oshai's Children's Hospital.

[Mike Catalana]

Right.

[Dan Fates]

And.

[Mike Catalana]

And maybe.

[Dan Fates]

Maybe some joggers.

[Mike Catalana]

Burrow's going to be wearing a fur, isn't he?

[Jenna Cottrell]

I could see that. And, like, tiny sunglasses.

[Mike Catalana]

Yeah. Yes.

[Jenna Cottrell]

You know what's funny, though? The. The tunnel is so short.

[Dan Fates]

It's not much.

[Jenna Cottrell]

It's like.

[Mike Catalana]

This is not a big Runway walk here.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah, no, not at all.

[Mike Catalana]

Just very different.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah.

[Mike Catalana]

But Burrow is a very smart player. Good player. But it would be nice for Josh to have a win against Burrow, especially in this game, because it would. It basically doesn't eliminate the Bengals. It's pretty close to eliminating them.

[Dan Fates]

Don't let the Bengals get hot and get in the postseason. Nobody want to see them.

[Mike Catalana]

Yeah.

[Dan Fates]

Hey, Rusty, one shot, please.

Hey, don't. Hey. Don't let the Bengals get in the postseason. Don't worry. They won't, so don't worry about it. This is the same team that for three years running has been this team that has been so bad early in the year. And then everybody says, oh, you wouldn't want to face the Bengals in the postseason. And nobody's had to worry about it because you've never had to face the Bengals in the postseason because of how bad they have been early. That's the one thing I do kind of push back on a little bit. When they say, like, oh, you know, these games. Calendar. Shaq Thompson said it. Brandon Cook said it this week that, like, the real players know that the real season starts after Thanksgiving. The games in September are worth just as many points in the standings as these ones are here. And then if you win more early on in the year, these ones are also important, too.

[Mike Catalana]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Dan Fates]

It just puts you in better position.

[Jenna Cottrell]

I agree.

[Dan Fates]

Like, it's just one of those things.

[Mike Catalana]

I think when the players say it, they just mean the game intensity ramps up.

[Dan Fates]

I agree.

[Mike Catalana]

But to the other point, yes. If you win those games, you should be more intense.

[Dan Fates]

Week two, in week four and five.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Well, yeah, you. You don't have to have such intense games if you win earlier in the season. Yeah, I get it. I hear you. All right, let's do our Picasso. Player of the game. Picasso. Treat your team to the most flavorful pizza on game day. Picasso. We are Buffalo pizza ships, both local and nationwide.

[Mike Catalana]

I'm going first.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Greg Rousseau.

[Mike Catalana]

I have to say.

[Dan Fates]

No, no.

[Mike Catalana]

I have to say Greg. He needs to step up. Greg.

[Dan Fates]

Has he played the last two weeks?

[Mike Catalana]

Greg. By the way, his BFF numbers are off the charts.

[Jenna Cottrell]

He's just like Miles Garrett, except without the sex. Yeah.

[Dan Fates]

Hey, Sacks are. You know, they're not a defensive end stat.

[Mike Catalana]

I say this all the time. I see Greg and I'm thinking, if he knew how much we talk about him.

[Jenna Cottrell]

I think about that all.

[Mike Catalana]

I think, no Joey Bosa, maybe no AJ Epanessa.

[Jenna Cottrell]

How many sex does Groot have? Robbie asks four.

[Mike Catalana]

Four. I think he has four.

[Jenna Cottrell]

What did we say before the year?

[Dan Fates]

You said eight and a half.

[Mike Catalana]

I said four.

So listen.

[Dan Fates]

But he's paid like, a top guy.

[Mike Catalana]

He's good against the run. He is good against the run. I will say this.

[Dan Fates]

He is.

[Mike Catalana]

I just want to see him the other. In the game the other day, the. I think it was a. The ball was snapped over Roger's head. Yeah. And I was so hoping that Greg.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Would get a sack.

[Mike Catalana]

They called it a. A fumble.

[Jenna Cottrell]

So Kendrick said, mike, you've been saying Greg needs to show up all season. I don't think he's got it yet.

[Mike Catalana]

He's not hearing me.

[Dan Fates]

Greg, Jenna, next year.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah, it's the seven year.

[Dan Fates]

We're not even going to ask. We're not even going to ask. Mike, next year. Like, who do you think the breakout player is going to be? We're just going to show clips from the past few years of Mike being like, this is the guy.

[Jenna Cottrell]

We need to replace the Roma Dun framed photo with a Greg Russo frame photo.

[Mike Catalana]

Come through. He's gonna come through. It's happen. Christmas gift.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah.

[Dan Fates]

Greg, can you sign this? He's a big fan of yours. It's a jersey. Can he.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Can you sign this for our friend Michael?

[Dan Fates]

And then we're just gonna turn around after he signs it and be like. They go, mike.

[Mike Catalana]

So it's real.

[Jenna Cottrell]

He has no idea how much we do.

[Mike Catalana]

I would also say this as I told you.

Are you kids done?

[Jenna Cottrell]

Sorry.

[Mike Catalana]

Do I have to turn this car around? Here's what I'm gonna tell you. He does need to step up in this game. Like, he. There's nobody around him now. I mean, seriously, if they're playing without Bosa and. And I know I said he would Be better with guys around him. But now he's got nobody around him. Who's playing D end in the game? Who is playing? Morgan Fox. Who's playing the other spot?

[Dan Fates]

Shaq Lawson.

[Mike Catalana]

Yeah.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah.

[Mike Catalana]

Shaq Lawson.

[Dan Fates]

So Mike said before.

[Mike Catalana]

I know it.

[Jenna Cottrell]

The other people would make better. Yeah.

[Dan Fates]

Now they're not there. He's like, now Greg's gonna step out.

It's because Ed's been out.

[Mike Catalana]

Absolutely.

[Dan Fates]

That's it.

[Mike Catalana]

Absolutely.

[Dan Fates]

You're welcome.

[Mike Catalana]

Yes.

[Jenna Cottrell]

He says, I'm calling it. Mike, who gets four sacks on Sunday versus Burrow?

[Mike Catalana]

Let's go. Can you imagine that?

[Jenna Cottrell]

Oh, my gosh.

[Mike Catalana]

No. I mean, just. I will take some. Get the ball out of his hands.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah, yeah.

[Mike Catalana]

Like the field goal. That's got to be worth five sacks. Let's go. Sure.

[Dan Fates]

Whatever you say.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yes.

[Mike Catalana]

Recovered. Made a fourth down stop last week.

[Dan Fates]

Fourth down stop. When the game didn't matter. Well done.

[Mike Catalana]

What? They weren't playing. Score didn't count.

[Dan Fates]

It was.

[Jenna Cottrell]

It was already put away. Yeah.

[Dan Fates]

My Picasso's player of the game, Cole Bishop.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Oh, okay.

[Dan Fates]

We gotta mention, by the way, did.

[Mike Catalana]

You say what Nicholas wrote?

[Jenna Cottrell]

No.

[Mike Catalana]

Russo visited my mom in the hospital after heart surgery. Which we very much appreciate.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Oh, my God. Yeah.

[Dan Fates]

Greg Rousseau. Great, great human being.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Daniel, I knew you.

[Mike Catalana]

You couldn't even give him that. I just talked about.

[Dan Fates]

Great guy, average footballer.

[Jenna Cottrell]

You don't need to say the other part.

[Dan Fates]

Great guy.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Just say that, man.

[Dan Fates]

Average football player.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Stop saying the other boy.

[Dan Fates]

Great guy.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Well, Nicholas, that's really nice.

We hope your mom is doing.

[Dan Fates]

I just thought Pops mafia was in here, too. It was really cool.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah.

[Mike Catalana]

I wanted to know when our next live appearances. It's next week in Vic. In Webster.

[Dan Fates]

Webster. Yes. Next Thursday at Hooligans. And then it's. So that's the 11th, right?

[Mike Catalana]

That's right before the Patriots game. And then the week after that, we are at Riverworks in Buffalo.

[Dan Fates]

That's a white claw event.

[Mike Catalana]

Yes.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Eric's comment. I'm not gonna read it, but it's funny.

I'm not gonna read it.

Andy says friend of mine recently, Doordash Oliver, he got Pizza Hut. Said he left a nice tip, though. Yo, I love Pizza Hut. Crush some Pizza Hut.

[Dan Fates]

So Picasso's pizza as well as Picasso's pizza. So Picasso's player of the game.

[Jenna Cottrell]

You could like multiple what? I also like Picasso's. We had it at Buffalo two weeks ago.

[Mike Catalana]

Yes, it was great.

[Jenna Cottrell]

They have the.

No, they have the cup and char.

[Dan Fates]

My Picasso's player of the game game. Shout out Picasso.

[Mike Catalana]

Awesome.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Rusty, take the one shot, please.

[Dan Fates]

Cole Bishop.

[Jenna Cottrell]

My Picasso player of the week is James.

[Mike Catalana]

What an idiot.

[Jenna Cottrell]

James Cook. I think the Bills are going to need him to have a really big game. He's coming off a great game. Fight so, so hard.

So there's that James Cook. Go back to Cole Bishop. Dan, say more about col Bishop.

[Dan Fates]

Yeah, I think that. I think the corner is going to need some help. Make sure nobody gets behind him. This is the type of game where you have Cole Bishop and you draft him in the second round to make a difference in games like this against high powered passing attacks.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah.

All right, let's talk more about other stuff. Let's do our picks.

[Dan Fates]

Jenna, why don't you go first?

[Jenna Cottrell]

My pick is Picassos.

[Mike Catalana]

There we go.

[Jenna Cottrell]

We love you, Picassos. Picassos. Treat your team through the most flavorful pizza on game day. All right, My pick is the Bills in this game. I think it will be a challenging game for Buffalo. I think Joe Burrow being back, the talent that the Bengals have, I think that they are a very hungry team because of the situation and knowing they want to get into the playoffs. But I just think where the Bills are at, they're coming off that big win against the Steelers. I think they have a lot of confidence in running the ball. I think for this Bills team, they're playing at home, which is obviously in a strong suit for Buffalo. And I just think for them, I have them winning 24:20. A close game. But just the Bills in December are usually excellent. And I expect that to be the case on Sunday.

[Mike Catalana]

When I first started looking at this game, I was thinking, like, man, the Bills, you know, messed up with wide receiver. The guys are hurt. And I still feel that way. I think if you just look at fantasy football, you look at names, you know, I'm not talking about Bills fans, obviously, you know, your team, you know, the Bengals feel better and Burrow is back and there's a lot of excitement and all that still applies to the game. But you guys were talking about it too, and I was thinking there's something about when they come home. I know they lost a New England game, but they kind of find a way. And I. I don't know how this defense is going to do it on Sunday, but I think the thought around the league is this game is going to be 44, 40. I don't think so. I'm with you. I think it's. I think the Bills score keeps it right around 30 or below. So I came up with an ugly score that fits the game. 29, 26.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Mike, how do you get 29 still?

[Mike Catalana]

It is. That's over. Yeah.

[Dan Fates]

53 is the.

[Mike Catalana]

Is the under. How do you get to 29? You play like you're gonna get to 30. And then Matt Prater does me a.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Solid which would be three straight.

[Mike Catalana]

Straight games.

[Dan Fates]

Just another comment from Adam in Scala. He doesn't have Picassos in Rochester. I think they ship everywhere. Shout out Picasso's. They will deliver and we Buffalo.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Picasso's pizza dot net.

[Dan Fates]

Yeah, Picasso's pizza. Great.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Just do me a favor.

[Dan Fates]

Just.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Just do me a favor. Tell Buffalo I even got a text.

[Dan Fates]

Message from Ian there. That was so good. My pick to the game is there are reasons that I am slightly concerned about this game. The Bengals. It's funny, Mike always talks about it, that it's not who you play, it's when you play them. The Patriots got to play the Bengals. With Joe Flacco, no Jamar Chase and injured T. Higgins. The Bills are now going to face all three of them plus 10 days off to prepare. They will have a high powered offense, but I think this Bill's defense is in a pretty good spot right now. I actually more confident in the defense than I am in the offense. But the Bengals defense, also for as good as they played the last few games. I don't really buy it. I know they're playing a little bit better. I still like the Bills at home in December because of the stats we've talked about 18 and 3 since the month. Since 2020. In the month of December, I got The Bills winning 27 to 20.

[Jenna Cottrell]

The Bangles.

[Mike Catalana]

Bangles.

[Jenna Cottrell]

The Bangles. All right.

[Dan Fates]

Oh. Shout out. Jake 20 super chat.

[Mike Catalana]

Wow.

[Jenna Cottrell]

We appreciate you. That's very kind. I also dropped in the chat. Picasso pizza.net if you're interested. And I put parentheses, please be interested.

[Mike Catalana]

Jenna, this might be a time for you to put your glasses on.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Damn it. I didn't bring them into the studio. Okay, let's do credit to me.

[Mike Catalana]

All right, I'm gonna do a credit to me. First I'm gonna do it and then I'm gonna tell you why I'm saying this. So December 7th coming up is my 38th anniversary doing television in Rochester and covering the Bills. So that should tell you how long I've been doing this. And I love doing it. And part of the reason I like doing it is working with these two knuckleheads. And the reason I say that is because every once in a while I do something stupid and I did something stupid driving To Pittsburgh. Jenna and I are driving. Dan is back in Rochester. We leave, we're cruising down the road. Next thing you know, Dan is texting Jenna while we're an hour and 15 minutes away from Rochester. Hey, did Mike forget his backpack?

[Dan Fates]

And, Mike, what is in your backpack?

[Mike Catalana]

Nothing important, other than all that I use to edit the camera we use for the locker room and our credentials to go to the game.

[Dan Fates]

You need those?

[Mike Catalana]

We needed them. So Dan, being the good guy that he is, got in his car, drove to Batavia. If you know the area, you know, it's about halfway the distance from where we were going. And then Jenna and I drove back, and these guys have given me a hard time about it, but in a good way. And then we just drove to Pittsburgh. So it's been rare that I've forgotten anything in the thousands of times I have driven. Yeah, Certainly to Orchard Park. I've rarely have ever had to turn around and come back. But credit to me, I survived that. I drove because the passenger princess.

[Dan Fates]

Yeah. It's funny when you say we drove.

[Mike Catalana]

It'S at least because we're in the car.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm not driving.

[Mike Catalana]

Not driving.

[Jenna Cottrell]

No. You did say when we were leaving, though, you're like, I think I. I'm forgetting something.

[Mike Catalana]

Yeah.

[Dan Fates]

I was like, oh, Mike.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Which happened. We've all felt that way.

[Dan Fates]

Yeah, it happens. Oh, Mike got a new backpack and changed all of his other stuff out of his old backpack. And I was like, there's everything in this backpack that he needs.

[Mike Catalana]

By the way, speaking of the 38 years that I've done this. So I started, and it was the end of a season. But then the next year, I covered my first Bills game, and I told you, it was against the Vikings. 1988. I went to this game. I remember it as being this awesome, crazy game. The highlights were on YouTube the other day. I watched them. The game was as boring as it was so bad. It was punts and field goals.

[Jenna Cottrell]

That was Thurman's first game, right?

[Mike Catalana]

Thurman's first game. The Bills won. The crowd loved it because that team was just starting to get good. But I'm watching. I'm like. I'm waiting for, like, what I thought was so great. I think I was just so excited to cover an NFL game like that, and. But the game itself was 38 years.

[Jenna Cottrell]

That is wild. Yeah, you should.

[Dan Fates]

You should be very proud of 73.

[Mike Catalana]

No kidding. I keep going up. I keep going up in years.

[Dan Fates]

Also credit to Mike. He did two podcasts on Monday.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah.

[Dan Fates]

Or on Tuesday.

[Mike Catalana]

Yeah, he did maybe a little minor error.

[Dan Fates]

Yeah.

[Mike Catalana]

But you know, they care about the.

[Dan Fates]

Bills and what they're saying in Nashville.

[Mike Catalana]

I think they don't want to shout.

[Dan Fates]

Out to the chat again letting us.

[Mike Catalana]

Know they don't want to talk.

[Dan Fates]

Mike's in the car. We're driving to Buffalo. Mike's in the car. He's like, do you see my canvas, Dan? They're pretty good. Then all of a sudden we're like reading the comments. Like, Nashville.

[Mike Catalana]

Hold on. It wasn't on the Canva. The Canva was right.

[Dan Fates]

Oh, the Canva was right.

[Jenna Cottrell]

The title was wrong.

[Mike Catalana]

The title was wrong.

[Jenna Cottrell]

We're on Josh saying, we're on the Nashville.

[Mike Catalana]

We're on the Nashville. Yeah. A minor error, but oh my gosh.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Sometimes that is really funny. You should be very proud though. 38 years is impressive. Okay. Do you want to go?

[Dan Fates]

Sure. My credit, I've had this one kind of waiting for a while. We haven't been able to do a, an in studio podcast because of Thanksgiving and things like that. So it's nice to do this.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Been a minute.

[Dan Fates]

Yeah. My credit is to my wife and I will take some credit because of it. Now. I think a lot of guys out here will understand where I'm coming from here. My wife is. She is the person my wife, the person who is influenced the most. My wife's like, I would love to be like an Instagram influencer. Things like that. And like, you're the person they're influencing more than anything else. Things arrive at our house and she's like, oh, well, this family has this. So I had to get it for us. I didn't even know this thing existed. She's like, oh, I love them. This family is so great. All like, they're her friends. Love that, all those things. But she has tried to get the cleanest, healthiest product products to clean the house. Everything has to be no dyes, no chemicals, pretty much nothing that actually cleans something.

So for years we have been doing this battle with our laundry. We've had kids. Oh, we want to get this. We don't want to use this product. We don't want to use this product. No free ads. We're back to Tide Pods and I've never been happier. Laundry, the whole basement smells better. And there was a time when even our daughter went to our 5 year old daughter, put on clothes and she's like, mom, this stinks. And it's like, yeah, because there's nothing that cleans the clothes. We're just washing it in water. So shout out to my wife. It was a three and a half year battle. We are back to using chemicals. It's what I was raised on. We're all fine. No free ads. But it was awesome that our laundry smells great.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Once again, more of a Don fan.

[Dan Fates]

No free ads.

[Mike Catalana]

Tide pods. But if you want to join.

[Dan Fates]

It was just unbelievable. And my wife's like, yeah, this is. This is a lot better.

[Mike Catalana]

Yeah.

[Dan Fates]

I was like, yeah, hey, we're good.

[Jenna Cottrell]

I've tried before.

[Dan Fates]

Yeah.

[Jenna Cottrell]

And you can't. Yeah. There's a reason.

[Dan Fates]

But it's like everything around our house.

[Mike Catalana]

Is like organic fake deodorant. What's that? Stone?

[Dan Fates]

Yeah.

[Mike Catalana]

Like it don't work.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah, no, no, that's very true. I've tried that too.

[Dan Fates]

So. Yes. Very cool. That's very, very happy.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Love that for you. Well, I honestly love that.

[Dan Fates]

Like, for the longest time she's like, I can't get these stains out of the clothes. Like, you need chemicals. You need chemicals to get our clothes to keep. To get cleaned.

[Jenna Cottrell]

So.

[Dan Fates]

Yeah.

[Jenna Cottrell]

All right. My credit to me is. Credit to me. I've been really trying to. Actually, David just said credit to Jenna for being a passenger princess. Yes. I stay a passenger princess. No credit to me. I made French onion soup over the weekend. I made the base. I made everything. I chopped up like 15 onions and was crying in my kitchen. The soup came out banging. I've been trying more recipes.

[Mike Catalana]

Who loves French onion soup?

[Jenna Cottrell]

My husband Zach loves French onion soup.

[Dan Fates]

You need a sharper knife. That helps with the.

[Jenna Cottrell]

I actually have heard that. Yeah, it. We didn't have a sharper knife.

[Dan Fates]

Yeah.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah.

[Dan Fates]

But I was like on Thanksgiving, I was sharpening my in laws knives. We have a knife sharpener.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Oh, that's nice.

[Mike Catalana]

It was so maybe you could sharpen. Bring them over to have him sharpen the knives and then you can.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Truly though, I was like, no, it's okay, honey. Crying the entire time.

[Mike Catalana]

I thought you were just crying because you were watching the bill's passing game.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Oh, gosh. That was too easy, Michael. Oh, also, we want to give a quick shout out. This was really cool. Jacqueline sent us this. It's a little coloring sheet for Dan's girls. We're also printing it out for Mike's granddaughters. Very cool. Show.

[Mike Catalana]

Picture show. That's.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Can we zoom in? No, no.

[Dan Fates]

Rusty Mike's camera.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Isn't that so cute?

[Mike Catalana]

That's the. That is. I was saying that is us at the top.

[Jenna Cottrell]

I know.

[Mike Catalana]

And then the kids and Then the.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Kiddos and Buffalo plus Jacqueline. We love it. She has a coloring book on Amazon. Jungle girl. The Jungle Girls. But thought that was very sweet to say. I can't. I want to see the girls color.

[Mike Catalana]

That I will bring them to Blake.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Oh, adorable. A little.

[Dan Fates]

You're not wearing glasses though.

[Mike Catalana]

In it. Yes.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Am I gonna have to wear these all the time?

Guys are so annoying. Okay. Anything else, gentlemen?

[Mike Catalana]

I don't think so.

[Dan Fates]

Picasso's pizza.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah. Jay says credit to Jenna for being Jenna. Thank you. Appreciate that.

[Dan Fates]

Credit to our sponsors. We love them so much.

[Mike Catalana]

So today our sponsors would be. Well, we're in the Connors and Ferris podcast studio, White Claw. We thank them very much. Pizza.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah.

[Mike Catalana]

So there we go.

[Jenna Cottrell]

I might need a white cloth after today.

Oh, I wonder what you're doing. All right. For Mike and Dan, I'm Jenna. Please be sure to like, comment, subscribe and share. Reminder, we'll be at Hooligans and Webster coming up a week from tonight. Also, we'll be back in Buffalo December 18th at Riverworks. Riverworks, Yep. Yep. We're gonna have a lot of fun there. We'll be at the game on Sunday. We'll have plenty of post game coverage up on the Buffalo Plus YouTube channel. We really appreciate it. For Mike and Dan, I'm Jenna. Thank you for watching the Buffalo plus podcast.

[Dan Fates]

Now from the Connors and Ferris podcast studio, this is Buffalo Buffalo plus, your interactive look at the week in football.