Sports Talk Live on Monday December, 18

[Music] [Music] hi welcome Once Again Sports Talk live Buffalo Adam any VI kuchi and everyone's favorite rinkrat is back with us off the saber beat Paul amilton not see you going there L he it's a term of endearment and he knows it um digging deep into the holiday tie collection yeah I figured I'd do instead of cartoon one I did this one today very festive I did the one last time and you know we had to get Paul back because you know the bills they write their ship the the saber ship I'm I'm hear

ing a little Gordon Lightfoot song he might have to write that yeah the old Ed just saying feels like that it feels like listing Paul okay so we'll get into the reasons why yeah the next segment we'll spend plenty of time on that as always good to have Paul off off of the road doing a great job of the Sabers broadcast back on the road uh this year but our first order of business bills 31 Cowboys 10 an emphatic statement result from the bills uh yesterday Solomon Wilcot is going to join us uh for

merly of what CBS former NFL defensive back obviously CBS NFL Network now a SiriusXM NFL R how strong takes on this team as they make their push for the playoffs but first sha McDermot on his team this afternoon Zoom they once again round into form during the stretch run of a season I feel like um schedule wise we try and make sure that the guys have a schedule that's conducive for them playing playing their best down the stretch um you know I think probably you know more than anything too it's

it's uh very doubt in this time of year not that they're not normally but I think most teams this time of year are very dialed in and and uh then just fundamentally continuing to improve every week I think that's hey you take a step you know this past week next week we need to take another step and just continuing to to make that your goal every week is to improve it's all a big you know a part of the overall plan and and uh you know trying to be a two-dimensional offense and and the threat of t

hat um I think is is important especially this time of year we'll have a lot to talk about on that front but uh on the defense of news on the injury front today Jordan Phillips who was among the defensive players that had himself quite a game yesterday injured his wrist had surgery last night McDermot says he's going to be weak to week that again broke on the zoom with Sean McDermot this afternoon that's an injury that stands to have an impact of the rotation up front but big picture here I mean

when you look you you see where they are on the periphery still at the playoff picture but I mean who was better than them in the AFC right now and that's where I am with this Adam and I'm not trying to be a prisoner of the moment yes that was an impress impressive dominant performance against the Cowboys but this is a bigger wider lens that I'm looking at here this is four games where this team has looked like the team that we thought they would be that they thought they would be and maybe eve

n a notch or two above that because of what I see offensively not just from a production standpoint but from a philosophical standpoint it seems like they've spread things out and more balance and I like that and and I like more of what I've seen from them than I've seen from Kansas City separate from what they did with the bills and even from the Baltimore Ravens yeah they've got the best record and they're already in the playoffs but in terms of the AFC top to bottom I don't see a hotter team

a better team and in the league I'm going San Francisco as the best and then if if you're looking for a number two spot in there I know again it sounds ridiculous for a team that has only eight wins but I'm going with the bills well the way they you know we we all know they've had the Firepower right the injuries on defense have been a concern and they're still going to play in as as we look down the stretch and toward the playoffs I think but there's no one that really wants to play the Buffalo

Bills right now but let's get into the offense a little bit and Paul Hamilton you you asked Sean mcder about it today when they asked about Brady and the impact or whatever he says well it's just more energy he obviously doesn't want to get in to the X's and O's but this offense has been at its best not only this year but in the past when it's really had balance and James Cook clearly as we take a look at his game yesterday gave them that and more phenomenal job up front that pH AAL of the offe

nsive line in the dynamic multi-purpose threat that he continues to develop into I saw the Kansas City game coming I did not see this game coming from a f from the fact that the bills not only won they blew them right out of the back of the stadium the offensive line and the defensive line they weren't just dominant they absolutely blew the Dallas Cowboys off the line of skirmish play after play after play and I I can't remember the last time I saw both lines play like that the offensive line Ja

mes Cook did a great job running the ball but that offensive line the way they they dominated the line of scrimmage what have they done yeah to open things up and get cooked because Brady's had something to do with this and and it is an awareness of your opponent you don't scheme and say this is the great things we do and we'll just do it against everybody cuz that really was the way uh Ken dorsy approached it that we've got this great talent and see if you can match up with it no uh with with J

oe Brady and we'll use this Cowboy game specifically this is a smaller quicker penetrating type of Defense their their Forte is they're going to you throw on them they're going to rush you and they've got those great pass rushers obviously with Michael Parsons and Company the bills said okay you know what we're just going to run on you we're going to over overpower you you don't you have smaller quick people we are going to take our big offensive linemen and just beat you up and that's Paul was

saying it they all it's not just physically being able to do it but but strategy-wise you are keying on the smaller people smaller linebackers knocking them off it's a matchup league and that's a perfect illustration of what that expression speaks to and yeah you know Ken dorsy we've used the I've used the term static in terms of his scheme you see Brady evolve and adjust the scheme based on those matchup and I think it but but really I thought they'd have some success offensively yesterday defe

nsively I thought the injuries might catch up with them a little bit I knew the weather it was going to rain but I felt like Prescott Paul could operate but I mean defensively what they were able to do in limiting a Dallas offense that had been above 40 points a game for the last five on their win streak whatever Shawn mcder did I think he disguised it well because Prescott looked totally confused the whole game he didn't know where the rush was coming from from he didn't know who was going to b

e open he didn't have the time to get comfortable whether it was in the pocket he just seemed very very confused at what Shawn mcder was throwing at it yep and what Shawn was doing was a lot of stunting and movement up front interior pressure that is how you get a quarterback like deak Prescott Off the Mark make him move make him go lateral and that's when the problems occur and from a defensive back or secondary standpoint they were aggressive they weren't holding back and sitting back and sayi

ng okay this is what we'll do is we just won't let these guys beat us deep they were taking away routes in the second level no the coverage complemented the Russian vice versa and all of that complimentary football cliche right but you saw it play out in a big way for the Buffalo Bills and when Bill poon was on this show remember what he said about the great quarterbacks their F ability the quote was you could send two f-16s off the edge in terms of the edge rushers the great quarterbacks don't

care it's the inside pressure I mean the Giants against Brady back in the day those Super Bowls are a perfect example of that Ed Oliver I mean you saw the that's how important they were to that game yesterday that's how they got after he disrupted Prescott they did it in other ways but that was primarily what did it that was kind of the building block for that all right so those are our takes Solomon wilcott again we mentioned his resume off the top now working as a colleague with Vic at SiriusX

M NFL radio his take on this Buffalo Bills team and they understood that it was time to really stick their flag in the ground I I think they needed to really prove that uh that they were back despite all the losses and they've suffered some some losses due to injuries but despite those particularly on the defensive side of the ball um they needed to assert themselves against what was really one of the hottest offenses in the NFL the cowboys that come in averaging 40 points a game over a five-gam

e win streak and they only scored 10 so I think that made a statement I think the bills show they can dominate on both the offense and defensive line because that's exactly what they did by putting pressure and Wrecking the protection for Dak Prescott but to go in and rush for 266 yards and show that you can you can play a different style when the weather gets bad you don't have to put it all on on Josh Allen and that you can roll your sleeves up and and go toe-to-toe with one of the strongest u

m fronts in in the game I thought it was a a statement just physicality particularly in the way that the bills were able to run the football but it just seemed like sha mcder with his play calling was always a step ahead of Mike McCarthy I just thought the pass rush whether you were blitzing the Run game or the passing game they were getting penetration they were wrecking uh the Cowboys blocking scheme and after that Dak Prescott was running for his his life all night and that's what you want th

at's how you not it's about knocking an offense that's really good and clicking getting them off of their Rhythm and that's what Shawn mcder and the defense was able to do as you look at them and look at the bigger picture of the AFC how do you see it all for Buffalo because it feels like if they're not into the postseason given the way they're playing now it would be just a huge absence they're in the postseason right they're in the playoffs now the play play offs have begun for the Buffalo Bil

ls just write it down um for every single Bills fan your team you're in the playoffs right now it's single game elimination if you lose you go home however I would tell you this nobody wants to see the bills not not the team we saw play the Dallas Cowboys uh not the SE team that we've seen as of late they are I think with with Joe Brady now calling the plays it's about personality too when it comes to offense I think his personality is a better fit like Brian DS was more daring more bold um not

this sort of passive asking for permission type of offense but one that's gonna go out take what we want that's why they're a different team now and I think if you look across the landscape of the NFL the rest of the NFL has been put on notice they they will be the most dangerous team Vic in the playoffs and in fact I think they're one of the most dangerous teams playing right now all right well we've seen it before our thanks to Solomon wilcott there and yesterday to the extreme you give Josh A

llen the balance of a more traditional running game and a dual threat like James Cook not to mention how well the defense played like we talked about the bills are an extremely difficult team for anyone in the National Football League to beat at this point when we come back the Sabres will continue continue with their inconsistent season but could some help be on the way in form of that guy you see right there Paul's takes on that in the latest update but first key to the game sponsored by tro c

are College got to go with James Cook here right and the numbers more than back that up 179 yards rushing uh that's second most in 221 yards from scrimmage that's third most of any player across the League this season the former second round pick really starting to come into his own we're back after this here on Sports Talk live I got goosebumps that was special unbelievable naed you are destined for startom The Voice live tonight on NBC and peacock password is back toys join Jimmy Fallon Kiki P

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ew the ball just 15 times and Stefon Diggs caught just four of them that was a big one right third and N for fourth quarter the one-handed grab lighting up the passing game with a first down and route to the James Cook touchdown run part of a dominating 31-10 win over the Dallas Cowboys and so now it's back to LA Sofi Stadium for the second straight year Saturday night a matchup with the Chargers weather really isn't a factor with the canopy out there except when it comes to the Heat last year f

or the opener against the Rams it was 105 degrees and trust me it felted all of that on the field in the pregame that was September of course it's a different story in December Patrick Hammer says temps in the 60s conditions pretty much perfect for the oper offense to operate at a high level we're going to have that game for you Saturday night right here on channel two over the air streaming on peacock but it's over the air here on channel 2 what did you say can I be a reporter I want to go see

that Stadium can I want to be a reporter for the game Jonathan aosta is going to be out there it's Vic and I I'll have the postgame coverage here but I'll tell you this I mean Vic and I were getting ready to do we did Sports Talk live before the Rams opener last year and between hits so there were some fans in those Dugout Suites that were really really cuz it was so hot I was like you know right through my sport jacket I'm like running to get like napkins and paper towels to wipe down and then

go out and kind of like the Stanley Cup finals in Dallas right it kind of when you'd go outside remember that when you guys were standups remember that all right speaking of hockey let's shift gears to the uh Sabers and Paul Sabers back off the three-game Western trip one and two when it didn't have to be that way yeah it's a shame because yeah the Colorado game sure that was going to be a loss with the way they played but they played very well in the next two games the the Arizona game they did

n't start off well it was maybe a few minutes but uko peka Lucan was great in that game and made some great saves to hold them into it and they only gave up two goals to me they wasted a great performance we'll see him we'll see him coming up here in a second I mean an impressive an impressive win over Vegas right and then it's back to that that the kind of the inconsistent Jackel and Hyde nature of this team is frustrating for so many but they played well but they let a backup goalie without wh

o doesn't have good numbers shut them out here this here's the play it doesn't reflect the game that Lucan had no this is just a mistake behind the N this isn't the way he played goal he made some great saves playing goal he was back to being the way he was playing earlier in the year in that game and uh if you only give up two goals in a game you should win the hockey game absolutely especially if you play well and they did play well but they were shooting wide they were shooting high they were

centering up on the bolender but they had plenty of chances to score goals in that game and they couldn't all right to what extent though and you're saying they they played well but to what extent because I've also heard this analysis uh from those close to the team that you know is there a harder look that needs to be made overall that that perhaps from the from the top from the GM down that they have to do some things to shake things up Personnel wise or is is the possible return I know you'r

e going to talk about Jack Quinn but does that've we've seen it before under Darcy regar where management you know kind of falls in love with a group of players right almost well not almost to their detriment right are we approaching that I thought the I felt that the way the team was built was flawed from the fact that they didn't have a line that was hard to play against I think having Eric Robinson helped address that partially you know he's a fast guy he gets in on the four check he's big an

d you have Greenway so to me you're two-thirds of the way there to having that type of a line and I think it's very important to have that moving forward if you just have nine guys with huge Talent that's great I think your top six needs to be very good talent they've drafted good talent I think but I think you need that line who not only is hard to play against but can contribute Eric Robinson last year 12 goals and 12 assists I'm fine with that out of a bottom six forward if that's the kind of

production you get out of him using his size and the way he for checks so I think that was a positive what did you have to lose it's a seventh round pick if it doesn't work it doesn't work so I think that was a good move but I think they need another guy where they can put a complete line like that together and have them where the other team says to themselves I don't want to play against those guys tonight got to dump and chase you don't want to go into the corner and face that four check all

right let's talk about today's news and when Vic and I were at training camp this summer we had a brief conversation with Terry Pula and the subject quickly changed from the bills of the Sabers and the first thing Pula said was that Jack Quinn injury is going to hurt us there's a chance Achilles we're talking about here there's a chance Quinn is back tomorrow night against Columbus right yeah he's been doing very well he filled in for tuck who didn't practice today for a maintenance day tuck Gra

nado thought probably will play tomorrow but they're going to see uh in the in the pregame morning skate uh but he said if Quinn doesn't come back tomorrow probably probably be Thursday and it sounds like he's ready to go tomorrow and what Granado talked about he is such a a smart player right and he of course has skill and everything but I want to caution people this is an Achilles injury right who what version of Jack Quinn you going exactly the Jack Quinn you saw finish up last year so I don'

t want people to put too much pressure on thinking well he's really regress or whatever you may not see the Jack Quinn of last year till next year but still you want him back in your line unless unless he talks to Aaron Rogers I me I'm just saying you know the Mr still think he's going to help definitely right I was just going to say I mean you see the skill in the loop of these highlights that we're showing right here how much of a spark can a guy like this light an elite shot I mean that you'r

e seeing in these highlights too he's phenomenal when it comes to the shootout they don't get into too many shootouts other team Adam Adam mentioned uh when we were talking to Terry pagola as a say at camp and his face right I mean he was like down this whole idea of Quinn's injury just soured his it was a beautiful sunny day in Pittsford and he's talking about Quinn like you know it it was really right praying on him big time yeah no it was like the first thing he mentioned yeah well PKA has a

chance maybe to get to 30 goals this year but Quinn was before the injury he was the one I was thinking of that could wind up at 30 goals that's the type of score he can be with that Elite shop that he has all right well let's hope he gets back on track and healthy and regains form as quickly as possible Sabres at home against Columbus 7:00 faceof Key Bank Center tomorrow night Paul of course will be on the call and the inter pregame and intermission with wgr sports radio uh 550 in the sabers uh

radio network when we come back the bills headed west they going to take on the Chargers on Saturday night a preview and the picks but first take it to the bank sponsored by MNT Bank we will go go with Josh Allen here a name again in the record books the 10th game this season he's had both a passing and rushing touchdown Bill's p with this that's an NFL record we're back after this here on Sports Talk live those in the know go Leno Anderson's 400 series windows and doors offer The Perfect Blend

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liday yet from all of us at Reeds Jens injured by a semi to check the insurance company offers might seem okay at first but it really isn't enough right Tim nope that looks pretty small especially when you consider all the bills you got to pay imagine if you weren't working so call selino because when you're hurt by a big truck you deserve a big check Selena law we get you paid truck crash call selino now back to Sports Talk live Buffalo sponsored by seleno law this is your Rhymer Home Services

hot take right well Sha mcder of the bills continue to be hot when the weather cools down and the games matter even more coming off the window over the Cowboys now 16 and two in the months of December and January since 2020 and they're on the road to face the Chargers Saturday night rosolino starts us off with the picks the bills are looking like one of the hottest teams in football as they head down towards the playoff stretch but we got to keep the pedal to the metal against the Chargers as we

take them on this Christmas week as Josh Allen says let's let James keep B cooking Buffalo 35 LA 10 all right Ross thank you very much considering this past Thursday look at the Raiders hung 63 points on the Chargers that's a franchise record for them they fired their coach and GM quarterback Justin Herbert is done for the year and they're five and nine the bills are 11o favorites uh in this game yeah you have to they move as fast as those guys speed 30 seconds left V what all right I'm going t

o say 3410 so I'm I'm agreeing with Ross once again on one side of the score uh I had even a bigger score in mind but I toned it down a bit because it's a weak a day short to prepare uh and that Jordan Phillips injury bugged me a little bit all right I'm going to say buffalo 4213 I think they'll in any case the game Saturday night right here on Channel 2 live postgame coverage