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Buffalo Plus: A Buffalo Bills podcast
Josh vs Lamar MVP RACE, the BILLS Matt Milano 'DILEMMA' and potential PLAYOFF matchups in BUFFALO
00:39:44
Mike, Jenna and Dan give their thoughts on the MVP race, what the Bills should do at linebacker on the latest episode of the Buffalo Plus Podcast.
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- [00:00]
A
Gentlemen, let's talk about it, because Bills, in terms of the games on Christmas Day.
- [00:08]
B
We'Ve seen Shane on the pod. This is now Ryan's debut.
- [00:14]
C
Yeah. Not a merry Christmas for the Bills. Just sitting home watching. Right. The Bills are in great shape.
- [00:19]
A
Right.
- [00:20]
C
There's the Bills in the background.
- [00:22]
B
Perfect timing.
- [00:23]
C
If only Josh Allen would have played well in one of those, say, 425 games against, I don't know, say, like the Chiefs of the Lions or the Rams. You know, one of those games.
- [00:36]
A
That was too long ago, Mike, because there was another shiny object.
- [00:40]
C
Yes.
- [00:40]
A
And we all. And people get distracted.
- [00:51]
C
This is the Buffalo plus podcast brought to you by Connors and Ferris.
- [00:56]
A
All right, welcome back to the Buffalo plus podcast, presented by Connors and Ferris, Mike Catalana, Dan Fates, I am Jenna Cotrell. Please be sure to, like, comment, subscribe and share. Hope everyone had a lovely Christmas. Happy holidays. Happy Kwanzaa. We hope you are getting some great quality time with some loved ones in your life. Gentlemen, let's talk about it, because Bills, in terms of the games on Christmas Day. Oh.
- [01:22]
B
We'Ve seen Shane on the pod. This is now Ryan's debut. Can you say hi?
- [01:28]
C
Right, right. Oh, look, knows how to put the mic in the right spot. Here we go. Nope, she's like.
- [01:40]
B
There it is.
- [01:41]
C
She's like, I'm not getting paid. I'm not talking. That's what she said.
- [01:45]
B
Yeah. All right, back to content.
- [01:48]
A
Okay. Do you want me to start over?
- [01:51]
B
No.
- [01:51]
A
Oh, okay. Yeah. Back to content. All right. Christmas Day Chiefs lock up the one seed and the Ravens win. Mike, let's get into it.
- [02:00]
C
Yeah. Not a Merry Christmas for the Bills. Just sitting home watching. Right. The Bills are in great shape.
- [02:06]
A
Right.
- [02:06]
C
There's Bills in the background. The perfect timing shape in terms of the division. You know, the playoffs are going to be the two seed, all that. But I'm listening on Christmas because I was driving down here to my daughter's house and, you know, from what I listened to and then what I eventually saw, Chiefs locked it up, obviously, and look good doing it. And then the Ravens looked very good against an overmatched Texans team. Oh, and Lamar jumped right head first back into the MVP race. So in total, it could have been a much better Christmas if any of those things would have changed.
- [02:45]
B
Yeah. And I guess, I mean, we wanted to talk about the MVP race because everybody goes, oh, here comes Lamar. You know, Schefter tweeting out, oh, Lamar's running back in the MVP race. He was never not in it. I think is part of it. I also think some context needs to be put into what we're seeing and what we saw. Yes. Did the Ravens play three games in 11 days? That is a buzzsaw. Okay. They did play the Giants. They did play the Steelers at home without George Pickens. And the Steelers may be a currently, if you did power rankings, a bottom 10 team in the league and then you played a Houston Texans team that I guess they can't give up because they will be in the playoffs, but they had no intention of playing in that game. And I love that Christmas game. Mike and John, to your point too, if that game, this was my big takeaway, if that Texans Ravens game was played at one o' clock on a Sunday, we wouldn't really be talking about it all that much. Like, Lamar completed 10 passes. Like we're, we're going to sit there and act like he torched them because of what you saw. He had a great run. He is obviously playing at a extremely high level. Like nobody's ever taken that away from it. But to sit there and say that was an MVP caliber performance to me is a little bit like Mike, like you were saying before we got on here, a prisoner of the moment.
- [04:14]
A
Yeah, I think that's exactly what it is, though. It is. Let's just react to whatever we saw last because again, we all have the attention of a gnat and it's like, ooh, shiny object. Ooh, shiny object. Ooh, shiny object over here. Look, Lamar, he did have a nice day and that was one of the things that I think stood out about, like looking at the schedule at the end of the season. Lamar, like playing on Christmas Day, they're two standalone games. You're gonna get a lot of attention. And for the Ravens to win in the way in which they did, it's understandable to me why some people would say, oh, he's got to be the mvp, because you're again, a prisoner of the moment, of what is happening. But I think we can all admit we are very close to the situation. We watch Josh Allen week in and week out. We've seen the way he's conducted himself since being drafted back in 2018. I think when I look at this season and I look at this Bills team, to me it's abundantly clear that Josh is the MVP because of the weapons around and what was expected of this team heading into the season. Josh just, we didn't think he would have the help. We didn't think he would have the receiving core. We didn't think this team would be good enough to lock up the division and so early make the playoffs when they did. But it's all about narratives in the NFL, especially for the overarching awards and for Lamar right now. He, he has played well and I don't want to take that away from him either. Mike.
- [05:37]
C
No, I don't either and I, I don't like the idea of the only way to vote or to think about a vote is to tear down the other player because it's a one, two Allen. It is. Right.
- [05:50]
B
Josh isn't great because Mahomes is better. Yes. Two things can be true. There are two guys that are head and shoulders above everybody else playing at an MVP caliber level this year.
- [06:02]
C
Yes. Now you want to add in the valuable part of it because I say that because we know the way it, it doesn't always go to the most valuable player. It goes to the best player on the best team or the perception of the best team. If you're going to take points away from Lamar in any way, it's because he has Derrick Henry as his teammate. Right. I mean Derrick Henry's top five for MVP.
- [06:30]
B
Yeah.
- [06:30]
C
You would say there's Barkley and Henry. 1A, 1B. Whatever you want to say for running backs. And I don't think any other quarterback is really in the race. I mean you could say Jared Goff, but really it's, it's Lamar and Josh. So to sit here and go, you said you're right. Standalone games. If only Josh Allen would have played well in one of those, say 425 games against, I don't know, say like the Chiefs at all, Lions or the Rams. You know, one of those games.
- [07:01]
A
That was too long ago, Mike. Because there was another shiny object.
- [07:05]
C
Yes.
- [07:05]
A
And we all. And people get distracted.
- [07:08]
B
Well, Mike, you say like the only knock is that he's got Derek Henry. How about the knock of his record? Like why, why can't we sit there and also say Josh had better stats last year than Lamar? He did.
- [07:20]
C
Right.
- [07:21]
B
So. But Lamar was the number one seed. So everybody said that's where it goes to. He's the better team. So how come this year stats matter more than record and where your seat is. That's where I don't get like there's, there's no clear cut way of sitting there and saying these are the criteria. This is what we value is more important we when it comes to this award.
- [07:41]
C
I also want to be fair in this case. At one point last year The Bills were 6 and 6 and Lamar at that time, 12 games and I think they were 10 and 2 or maybe. Yeah, whatever. They ended up with 13 wins, I think. And so that does play into it a little bit also. What, are they a game behind the Bills now? Are they too behind? No, game behind. And they beat the Bills head to head. Yeah, substantially. Now that was way back in the year. And so if you're making the case for Lamar, you're like, they're going to be the three seed instead of the two. They're beat them head to head. So I think all of that is true. I just feel like, hey, if Lamar wins again, I think it's tremendous for his career. But it's also an anvil on his back. Like it's three MVPs and then not advancing in the playoffs and Josh hasn't as in one at once yet. But the question I have for you guys is, does it play into the minds of the Bills in any way over these last two games?
- [08:50]
B
Yes. Jenna, you go first.
- [08:52]
A
No, I, I'm still formulating how I feel. It feels like, you know, what you're, you're, what you're thinking.
- [08:58]
B
Do you guys see Dion's story?
- [09:01]
A
No.
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B
On Instagram.
- [09:02]
C
Is it about the. The 17 chain they gave him with.
- [09:06]
B
An MVP on it, so they wanted to win it.
- [09:09]
C
Yeah.
- [09:09]
B
The offensive, like, again, we all know what Josh said. And Jenna, I think you were there when Ty Johnson was asked last week about like, hey, what would it mean to have Josh win the mvp? And he's like, well, you know, we're not really talking about it all that much. We're just trying to go out there. Josh doesn't care. He, you know, and, and Josh is saying all the right things because he has team goals, but for the offensive lineman, which is a cool gift because that's a, that's a special bond between the offensive lineman and quarterback. They're the ones that always do the big gifts. But to get them a diamond crusted necklace that says MVP17, like, you don't think that plays into their hands? You don't think that they feel. Like I said, it is interesting. Penny in the jar, but the fact that like Lamar feels disrespected because how come he wasn't mentioned in the MVP talk? And then, and then it's. This person feels disrespective. And again, Jen, it's your point. It's the, the attention of the net of like, what's the flavor of this day? Not even this week. And I guess I also look at it too is when you're talking about stats. Like, I wish the mvp. Honestly, like, yes, I. I understand the bias towards Lamar. If you're a Ravens fan, I understand the bias towards Allen in Western New York and our job also covering the media. It.
- [10:25]
A
In.
- [10:25]
B
In the media, like, it makes our job more interesting. But, like, you look at stats and they. They have those three pictures, right, of what their stats are. Passing, touchdowns, yards, all these things. Like, you want to talk about that? Throw Joe Burrows numbers in there.
- [10:38]
A
Yeah.
- [10:38]
B
What that guy has meant to this team, if he didn't have you, if his defense wasn't Buffalo. Plus, they'd probably have 10 or 11 wins. And. And we'd be sitting there talking about Burrows. So, like, it. This whole debate sucks.
- [10:52]
A
It's just stupid.
- [10:54]
B
Okay. That's what I've taken off. And Mike's screen has frozen at the perfect time because he just had a face of just like. But that's. I guess that. That. That's my. Where I take away from this, where it's like, people. When. When Josh had the receiving touchdown against the Niners, just an unbelievable play, and I said, like, oh, the MVP's over. And now people are responding like, where's the update? Where's the update?
- [11:16]
A
Oh, my God. Well, Twitter is a cesspool. Yeah.
- [11:19]
C
Like, this is.
- [11:20]
B
This sucks because two guys are played at an extremely high level. And just because you say this guy gets it, it doesn't mean that the other guy isn't deserving, because Josh probably should have won it last year and Lamar did.
- [11:31]
C
Jenna, what I was asking was. And Dan gave a very passionate answer about the team.
- [11:39]
A
You met more from management, like, Sean McDermott and what. Yeah, I figured that's what you meant. I agree with what Dan is saying of, like, his teammates will be playing hard for him because, a. They just always play hard for Josh.
- [11:52]
C
Right.
- [11:52]
A
We know how universally he is loved in that locker room, but I do think it adds a twist for, like, Sean McDermott. If they win this week and the Bills lock up the two seed, like, I would say, for that game against the Patriots, like, maybe treat it, you know, like a. Like a preseason game. Have him play for a series or a little bit of time and then have him rest.
- [12:15]
C
Or not at all.
- [12:16]
A
Or not at all. That's fine, too. I mean, look, we. We talk about the preseason and how tricky it is, and it. It's only okay. And then it's not. It gets to a certain point of where is the line? But, yeah, like, if. If I'm Sean McDermott and it's, you know, a dead heat between Lamar and Josh coming into the last game in the season. And you have to decide what to do. I'm gonna, I'm gonna rest Josh because. Going to say, and I think, I genuinely think Josh would say, eff it, mvp, whatever. I want to win a Super bowl. And that's how I feel like he would handle it.
- [12:52]
C
It would be great if he put up big numbers this week or very good numbers. And then it's like that's the case because I don't know if the Browns Ravens game is going to matter at all.
- [13:07]
A
I don't know.
- [13:08]
C
We'll see. I mean, they have the advantage of now, by the way. Everybody says three games in 11 days. There's a lot of times when teams play three games in 12 days. I mean, you play Thursday night.
- [13:19]
B
Mike. Mike, context. I don't want to hear any of that.
- [13:22]
C
Also, I don't like you disparaging the Texans. They have a top five quarterback.
- [13:27]
A
Oh. Oh, man. Do you think C.J. stroud just wishes he put his foot directly in his mouth?
- [13:35]
C
He did a lot saying the word.
- [13:37]
A
He did a lot this off season.
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C
That video, I was watching it. Yeah. When he's. He's going through, he's talking about Dak. Dak.
- [13:47]
B
Dak is ass.
- [13:48]
C
Attack his ass. I know he likes that. That's fine. But like, if you made your top five and included Dak because you love Dak but didn't include yourself, I'm cool with that. Include yourself there. And he has lost players.
- [14:04]
A
They are hard to watch.
- [14:06]
B
Line is atrocious and their defense was making business decisions out there. Not even. Yeah, trying. Yeah. Like finishing up. I'm with you guys. I. What I'm saying is that I think that if there's a chance.
- [14:22]
A
So you're saying.
- [14:23]
B
I think the Bills. I think the Bills blow out the Jets. I think that was a, a win last week against New England. That was. Hey, we can't just coast through these last few games. They have something to play for at home, all these things. But like when Lamar, when they got to that, like two yard line and Henry got stopped, I was like, Lamar's throwing this. Like, there will be play calls. I feel that will be decided to pad some stats of Josh in the second half of this game against the Jets. Whether it's QB sneaks to get him touchdowns, things like that. Like, that's just my thought of, hey, we're going to get Josh some numbers here on Sunday.
- [15:02]
C
Yeah. You know, it's funny you talk about QB sneaks, there's the stat about Patrick Mahomes total touchdowns in his first eight years of playing, and it's now more than right. And he didn't play the first year. Or it's passing touchdowns. And I looked at it, it's like, wow, it's an impressive number. It's like 255, whatever it is. But if you add passing touchdowns and rushing touchdowns, Josh has played one last year in the league. Mahomes is one ahead of him. I think it's 287 to 288. So it's context. It's like Mahomes or Lamar and Josh are the guys who are, in a different way, elite runners and very productive passers. Right. They do that the same way. I mean, Lamar is an incredible runner. Josh is, too, in his own way, and he finds the end zone more than Lamar running the ball. But I. Sean McDermott, I think, is going to play it the way is best for the team. I think Josh will, too. I say, puts up his numbers this week and then let the voters have their thought. And then.
- [16:13]
B
Agreed.
- [16:13]
C
Well, that adds to it because when they play the second week in the playoffs, whoever wins the MVP better win that game, even though it doesn't matter, because in terms of the voting, because the voting will be over. But it's almost like you wish before that game, if it is Lamar that Josh knows, Lamar won the MVP coming into it.
- [16:37]
A
Oh, could you imagine?
- [16:38]
C
Yeah. Breaking news.
- [16:41]
A
All right, let's. Let's talk a little bit about this game on Sunday, because we have to. I'm kidding. No, just. What do you see out of this matchup, Dan? Because obviously the jets do have talent, but they just don't have culture. We've talked about that.
- [17:02]
B
Yeah, they don't have. I mean, it's a circus there. It's been a circus, but this is like a different level of circus because of Aaron Rodgers and his aura, if you want to call it that. Mike, I thought your conversation with Janae Coakley from sny, it's up on the channel right now, was. Was fascinating. And just the sense of Roger's thinking that he can change the way things are in New York and he can change things by doing it his way. And the. How unlikable somebody can be is just. He continues to top himself in that rankings because of. Of the going back forth. And it's. It's the. We're professionals and we got to figure out a way to be professional. And. And, you know, we gotta. You gotta Love practice and all this stuff. Like, he's a walking hypocrisy. It's. It is. I'm going to. Like I said, these two teams have, like, fought every single time they played. There have been a lot of close matchups.
- [18:00]
A
They hate each other.
- [18:01]
B
Yeah. Dion specifically hates, like, everybody on the jets defensive line. So I expect there to be that level of intensity. I just think, as I was talking about with the Texans making business decisions, I think the jets will make a bunch of those, and I just think the Bills will blow them out.
- [18:17]
C
Yeah. Jenna, I think Rogers can get his 500th touchdown pass this week. Isn't he at 499? Yeah, I think it is. So I'm sure they would love to see that be prevented or let it be in garbage time when it looks just like the numbers. But, you know, the thing about Rogers is I think he can say all that he wants in the building with the jets players. They know. I mean, they know what this has been, and that's why I don't think he has anybody going with him now. He did say he can change New York. Give him credit for this. They have twice the wins that the New York Giants have this year, and I think that is impressive for the jets, you know, to carry those four wins into the off season. That is. That is something. They are the kings of Jersey this year with their four wins.
- [19:13]
A
You thought. You think this game is going to be close, though?
- [19:16]
C
Yeah, because I still think the Bills aren't totally healthy and we'll see how it plays out for Sunday. And I also think they're going to try to be smart. Josh talked about it last week about not showing everything in a game. They need the game, but they aren't desperate like last year where every game mattered that much. So do they want to win? Absolutely. Finish undefeated at home in the regular season? Absolutely. But I just think sometimes that can happen where you don't blow a team out because you're just sort of riding it and hoping, just like last week, you don't want to be down 14, nothing. Because that wasn't great. But, yeah, finding a way to win the game.
- [20:05]
A
Yeah.
- [20:06]
B
But Jenna was. I thought when Sean was kind of asked about Josh's comments about toeing the line on that, I think it was asked on the Monday zoom. Sean's like, I. I see where Josh is coming from. It also comes down to executing. So, like, you can keep plays pretty simple and not. Not show your whole hand, but you can execute better than what the Bills did against New England. And I think that's what I expect to see against a Jets team. That. Again, Mike, you always talked about it like the last two weeks of the year, guys are, that are out. Teams that are out of contention, they have nothing to play for, they don't want to get injured. You're thinking about your vacation, you don't want to have surgery, you're thinking about what you're doing, like this is the time. And, and maybe that's what Rogers is trying to do. He's just the exact wrong person to be saying it, but like, hey guys, like we got to be in the moment. Like that is. There will still be guys that are on the bottom end of roster that like are unrestricted free agents that are going to put that stuff on tape. Right. That's what you always hear. There will be a lot of other guys that are like, I don't want to have surgery and rehab this off season because I, I got, you know, Punta Cana I'm heading to and I don't want to have to be in the building doing that.
- [21:15]
A
Yeah, no, I, I get it. I think sometimes with divisional games it can be tough just because the other teams, you know, they hate each other, they know each other so well. But it does make sense to me that at this point in the season, with where the jets are at 4 and 11 going into this game, that I. The business decision piece, I think is a very real thing and something that we will see on Sunday and something I think that's encouraging, at least for the Bills in terms of the injury report is Rasul Douglas. Now this was a projected for Wednesday because the Bills did not have practice due to Christmas. They were back on the practice field today on Thursday. But Rasul Douglas would have been a full participant. Obviously he's missed some time, but other than that, like some of the injuries are something that does concern me, Mike, because not against the Jets, I mean more down the line playoff type situations of. What is your level of concern when it comes to stuff like that?
- [22:11]
C
Yeah, I mean, you want to see demar and Rap back on the field. I guess it could be this week and then we'll see what they do beyond that. And like I said, it's not. It's. It's about trying to get this defense back where it needs to be for the playoffs. I don't think it's going to be a dominant defense. I think we know that. But it would be good to get the starters back out there. This might be the only game where all the Starters are playing again. But if the injuries keep Hamlin or Rap off the field, yet another next week may very well be sit some of those guys. Look, if you haven't played, let's just pick Taylor Rapp. If he hasn't played this run of games and now it's your last game against New England and there doesn't mean anything. He's probably not playing in that one either. So it would have been nice to see them out there and maybe we will see that Sunday against an offense that does have talent. You know, Devonte Adams, Garrett Wilson, even though he's probably got a better chance of Josh Allen throwing him the ball than. Than Aaron Rodgers. But how about that? He's talking about leaks. That wasn't a leak, dude. That was your teammate in the locker room saying, I don't know what some people are seeing. So yes, but that offense does have some ability and let's see how the defense in whatever form plays.
- [23:34]
B
Jenna, what did you take away? I thought the most interesting thing from McDermott. There's another penny in the jar from McDermott on Monday. Matt Perino of SNY syracuse.com.
- [23:47]
A
Yeah, yeah. Syracuse Post Standard.
- [23:49]
B
Yeah, okay. Yeah, he. He had a great question. He asked Sean McDermott about obviously Matt Milano has been such a dominant, most impactful player on this organization, but with the injuries, the recovery, when is he going to get up to Matt Milano standard, if ever? And how do you toe that line again between playing Milano because he's Matt Milano or playing somebody like Dorian Williams who's maybe playing better in this current moment? Yeah, I thought he answered it as perfectly as you could, Jenna. I, I think that was something that I was. Did tough question. Like hats at the Perino. I texted him right after. Like that was a great question.
- [24:29]
A
Yeah.
- [24:30]
B
Because it's a tricky spot to kind of walk.
- [24:33]
A
Yeah, no, it definitely is. And I thought what was something that was. I'm trying not to say the word. I know, but it was interesting to me was just how he said, like we owe that to Matt. Like we owe that to him of. Of letting him be out on the field. And I did. I did think we owe him that. And there is certainly a team element to this bigger picture. That's the end. I can tell you he's been going to be given every opportunity to get back and to perform. It is going to take some time. Absolutely. Like it would for anyone who's been out the number of months he's been out. So I think we owe him that. And there is certainly a Team element to this bigger picture.
- [25:09]
C
But we're running out of time to get ready. Right, because that's the thing. And by the way, interesting was my fine word. And you two have picked up.
- [25:19]
B
Yeah, we're all getting it.
- [25:20]
C
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, I know, but listen, Milano's got to play better if he wants to get the snaps he'll play, but it's the amount of snaps he hasn't been. Great. Maybe there's that moment where it clicks in and he's. Maybe it's Sunday and he's flying around the field. I don't know. But. And they'll see it. But I know they trust his instincts. They trust what he knows.
- [25:46]
B
Sure.
- [25:47]
C
But you got to be able to play and.
- [25:50]
A
Thousand percent.
- [25:51]
C
Yeah.
- [25:54]
B
Yeah. There was a drop off.
- [25:56]
A
But I use that word yesterday at Christmas and everyone was like, wow, it's a great word. It's like, yeah.
- [26:01]
C
And you just took full credit for it.
- [26:03]
A
I literally said, I, I learned it from Mike. And they all started laughing.
- [26:08]
B
There was a drop off between Milano to Dorian Williams, you know, young player. And then there's a drop off from them to balance Spector and whoever is behind them. So you're kind of walking that, walking the line because again, Dorian Williams has played well. Like, I guess there was a time when we, I was worried, you know, when Milano went down and I'm in Pittsburgh covering the joint practices, like, hey, Doran, you're the next guy up. He has shown he's been able to put the. His athleticism with his fit and understanding of the system, which has been very impressive. Like he led the team in tackles until Milano came back and demar Hamlin was second. Like, you can't overlook that. So to see, like, to get those guys back on the field in some form or fashion would be huge. And then if you can add in a Matt Milano, that would be what, 75, 85% of what he was. I think you take that in a heartbeat and run to the playoffs.
- [27:11]
A
Yeah, I just, it's so hard because obviously it's going to take time for Milano to get fully ramped up. And we've talked about the ramp up process, but now that he's injured, you know, with the bicep slash, groin has been limited at practice. It's like yet another hindrance to him becoming who he was. And, and guys, we've seen a lot of times, like a player gets hurt and a. It either takes a long time to get back where they were or they never quite get back to where they were. And that's, that's the scary thing. And when Sean McDermott said at the end of his question to Matt Perino of like, there's obviously a bigger team element in this as well. There is. Because you have to make decisions that are challenging, but also what is best for the team. And will that be having Milano be on the sidelines? Because in a moment you need the playmaker as opposed to the guy that's, that's been there. So I don't know. That's, that is something that's. That definitely big decisions will have to be made. And that also depends on where Milano is at, given the fact that he's been on the injury report this last stretch.
- [28:13]
C
Yep. And you get in these games, it's one thing to say go play and let's see how it looks. And then the next thing is when it's a playoff game, if it's not happening, the other guy's in. And then when we get to this off season.
- [28:30]
B
Yep.
- [28:30]
C
I got a feeling that's the transition that's happening anyhow. You feel it that that would make sense for this team. They've done it before and players have been great players, but injuries change things. Money and injuries combine and they move on. So you know, that's, that's where it, it meets the road there, the playoffs, playing time. And then after that it's that place going forward which is where they make roster decisions.
- [29:02]
A
I'm looking at the playoff predictor. Bills currently obviously two seed is expected. Projected. Broncos being the seven seed. Chargers being the six feet seed, facing off against the third seeded Ravens. Fifth seed being Baltimore. Baltimore fifth seed being Pittsburgh against four seeded Houston.
- [29:21]
B
Woof.
- [29:22]
A
Right. And then the Chiefs essentially would just, you know, play the Steelers and then be walking back into the AFC championship.
- [29:31]
B
Well.
- [29:33]
A
Huh.
- [29:34]
C
The Chiefs would. So the way that would work out, is it the Bills, if the Bills were to, you know, if the, if the top seeds win. Well, let's say the Ravens win over the Chargers.
- [29:46]
B
Texans.
- [29:48]
C
No, I'm saying they would play. I mean, not the rape. Yeah. Wait a minute. You said it's. Oh, it's Raven Steelers. Oh, that's right. That game.
- [29:54]
A
No, no, no. It'd be Texans Steelers. So I'm saying yes, if the Bills are the two seed, if they beat Denver, if the Ravens are the three seed, they beat Los Angeles. Technically the Texans are the four seed but I would expect Baltimore, that's the fifth seed to beat them because the Texans are struggling right now. Yeah, yeah.
- [30:12]
B
Pittsburgh's the fifth seed.
- [30:13]
C
Yeah.
- [30:14]
A
Yes. What did I say?
- [30:15]
C
So you're right. You said Baltimore, but Pitts. So then you're right. Because the Steel that the two always plays the three. If they win, it's whoever comes out of it. Yes. Yes. And that means for Kansas City, well, they're likely. Well, they're likely getting either. They're either getting a bad Steelers team or a bad Texans team right now in round two. That's what was at stake for the one seed.
- [30:42]
A
Oh, all right. The bill's just announcing their injury report. Sorry, I don't mean to interrupt. So, Josh Allen once again full in terms of things that were kind of interesting. Demar Hamlin was once again listed as limited. Cam Lewis is still limited, and Matt Milano was limited on Wednesday. He's full on Thursday. I'm trying to see who else. And then Taylor Rap is still limited, and Curtis Samuel is still, still limited. So Milano did practice in full today, so that's encouraging that he was limited earlier in the week.
- [31:18]
B
It's. It's funny. I think the six and seven seeds are more dangerous than the four and five seeds. I think the Broncos and Chargers are way better right now than the Texans or the Steelers. So if you want to sit there and say what would happen, I. The Chiefs could face a Wednesday, sneaky good team, but you could face a. A Broncos team that can put up points and has played them tough or a Chargers team that they've seen twice here as well. Speed. Interesting. For the 90th time in this podcast, it would be interesting.
- [31:57]
A
I just. I'm annoyed. Just. I'm not. Whatever. There's still more football to be played, but yes. All right. Anything else on this?
- [32:11]
B
No. Do I do next real quick or scores?
- [32:14]
A
Yeah, Michael.
- [32:18]
C
I have the Bills in a closer game. I got 27, 23, bill's 33, 13.
- [32:25]
A
Blowout bills 27, 17.
- [32:32]
B
All right. That would still cover the nine and a half point spread.
- [32:34]
A
Yeah, nine and a half point spread. Supposed to be 50 degrees on Sunday. Balmy and rain. Yeah. Which maybe that. Do you think that would have any effect?
- [32:46]
B
I mean, Bills have shown the ability. Hey, I'll tip my cap. They've shown the ability to have an effective run game, so good for them.
- [32:53]
C
Wow.
- [32:55]
A
Christmas miracle. Okay. All right, That'll do it.
- [33:01]
B
Credit to me.
- [33:02]
A
Oh, my God. I keep forgetting that this is the podcast. Yes. Yeah, sorry. I'm still in holiday brain. I ate way too many cookies. All right, you want to start, Dan?
- [33:12]
B
Yeah, I got two. One is my oldest daughter, Shane. She has become like a third Parent to this household as we are dealing with three kids. The other night, my wife was by herself. I think was the Sunday when we were at the game. And she's going to put our, you know, one and a half year old to bed. The newborn baby, Taylor is sit sleeping on the couch in her little snuggle.
- [33:35]
A
Me.
- [33:36]
B
And she pretty much just told, hey, Shane, if Taylor starts crying, come up and get me. But I gotta go put Ryan to bed. And my wife came down and she was like rubbing Taylor's forehead, had the passy in her mouth. It was like, mommy, she didn't even cry. Like she, I, I did it. I, I was taking care of her. So that was just a really cool moment to see that. To see your, your kids take care of one another was pretty cool. I'm sure if there are any parents out there that can relate to that. And then second Mike, maybe you know this more. I don't know about Jenna, but credit to the American Girl Doll Company. I was not familiar with your game. Yeah, they are. They're killing it. Like, as a, as a growing up, it was action figures and toys and sports cards. Our basement is now 90American Girl Doll, which to a Shane who's obsessed with it, calls it her American doll Girl. She has three of them, one being my wife's former doll when she was growing up. She has a camper that has lights. It has a mini uno deck in there. She is just in heaven. The clothes, it's so. Yeah. For any girl dads out there, the American Girl Doll company is just printing money.
- [34:55]
A
They're. It's so expensive too.
- [34:58]
B
Absurdly expensive. They were a lot of gift from the grandparents. It was a lot of gift from the grandparents.
- [35:05]
A
All right, Michael, go ahead.
- [35:08]
C
Quickly. I had both my daughters had American girls. You know, my daughters. Courtney saved everything. Carly sold hers. So that tells you the way they handled things as they grew up. Credit to me. I don't get to drive that often with the Buffalo plus team unless I'm just with Jenna because Dan commands the wheel. But I drove down here to Long island and I have changed my approach on driving. I used to feel like I got to be there. What kind of good time can I make? I don't mean speeding. I just mean go, go, go, go, go. Ben Cottrell kind of way of driving, am I right?
- [35:49]
A
Yeah. We used to have an ass in seat. Time. You had to have your ass in the seat or the car was leaving.
- [35:55]
C
And I. And I find myself going. I only stop a couple of times. But I just. If I feel like it, I do. I take a couple minutes. I'm not in a crazy rush. And the truth is the time ends up about the same anyhow. And I feel much less stressed. I'm not sitting there going, what difference does it make if I. And this is a long drive. So I have learned to kind of, you know, I learned from my driving in Los Angeles. Jenna, calm down. Don't hit the curb. Don't you be in the middle of the road and you want to see someone had a moment.
- [36:32]
A
Hysterical.
- [36:36]
C
LA was. LA had its moments.
- [36:38]
B
But yeah. Does this mean you use a blinker now?
- [36:46]
C
It's a turn signal indicator lamp, Dan. Yes, I use it all the time because in my car now it's got the little camera that comes up so then I can see the guy I'm cutting off.
- [36:56]
B
So I believe your. Your, your description of it before was using your turn signal is a suggestion. It is not required.
- [37:06]
C
It's not the law. As far as I know, it's not the law.
- [37:09]
A
But Mike also makes left on reds, so.
- [37:14]
C
Listen, it depends on where we are.
- [37:16]
A
In some places it's always illegal.
- [37:20]
B
Yeah.
- [37:20]
C
But for the record, you know, they should allow it.
- [37:27]
A
They do for you because you're my Catalana. No, my credit to me. I honestly forgot even to have one. But I did not have to set up anything I did not have to do. You know when you get like a gift for someone and it's 87 parts. Dan, I'm probably looking right at you.
- [37:48]
B
Built a four wheeler.
- [37:49]
A
Yeah.
- [37:49]
B
An auto body shop in my living room.
- [37:51]
A
That's pretty cool. But escaped having to do anything like that. And then I'm excited because we're due to do Christmas with my grandpa next week. So that's what I'm really looking forward to. Oh, hi, Ryan.
- [38:05]
C
Nice.
- [38:10]
B
What does Santa say.
- [38:15]
A
More?
- [38:16]
B
This is why we have a studio, guys. Sometimes this is why we have built a studio.
- [38:20]
A
The studio looks great. Or like your. Your setup looks great.
- [38:24]
C
Yeah, yeah, it looks great. Oh, right, Ryan.
- [38:29]
B
Yeah. Ryan just got her first haircut, so she's showing it off.
- [38:32]
A
Oh, I love it. You always feel better.
- [38:34]
C
Nice.
- [38:35]
A
All right, that'll do it for us and Ryan from Mike Catalana and Dan Fates. I'm Jenna Cotrell. Please be sure to, like, comment, subscribe and share again. We hope everyone had a lovely holiday. Thank you so much. Oh, hi, honey. Oh, that was so cute. Yes, thank you all. And we'll catch you next time here on the Buffalo plus podcast, presented by Connors and Ferris. Thank you. Bye, honey.
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D
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D
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D
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