Sneaky Joe DiBiase, Owen Parker, and Joe Cali stick on the Buffalo Sabres as the topic of the day as they examine the current goaltending situation. The guys analyze the Bills offensive performance without DJ, and discuss the development of WR’s Keon Coleman and Skyler Bell. After Moore’s appearance Joe continues discussing both the Bills and Sabres seasons thus far.
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#buffalo #sabres #buffalosabres #letsgobuffalo #sabrehood #sabresnews #buffalosabresnews #nhl #hockey #nhlnews #wgr550 #wgr
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SportsTranscript
00:00It is Bills and Chiefs, just like always over the last six years, tied at the top of the AFC,
00:07both at 5-1.
00:09Bills coming off the bye, Baltimore next up. They lost yesterday to Cincinnati.
00:13Good morning, it's Jeremy and Joe. Jeremy's off today. We'll get back to your phone calls in just a moment.
00:17DJ Moore now joins the show, though, on the Western Hotline for a couple of minutes ahead of the Ravens
00:22game on Sunday.
00:23DJ, thanks for joining. Are you one to watch the league when you're not playing on a Sunday?
00:31I watched a few of the games, and they were some good games this weekend.
00:36Do you watch the sport differently, or is it impossible because when you're watching on the broadcast,
00:41you can't really see what the receivers are doing past, you know, what is it, five yards past the line
00:46of scrimmage?
00:47If I'm watching the game, I'm just looking for, like, explosive plays or, like, a fantastic play that somebody makes.
00:53That's mainly how I'm watching the game.
00:55We talked to Conor McGovern about this last week, and he said that he'll stare at the linemen, and, like,
01:01that's how he watches,
01:02but, of course, he gets to see them.
01:03Do you feel like it's hard for a fan to, like, really understand what's happening with a receiver?
01:09Not just because, you know, you're not in the film rooms and, you know, the locker room,
01:13but, like, sometimes you don't know what's down there when a quarterback releases the ball.
01:19Oh, yeah.
01:20On Sundays, if you're watching at home, you definitely can't see the whole field,
01:23and you definitely don't know what's going on with the receivers, but, I mean,
01:27it can be an advantage if that was the only copies that we had for teams to see.
01:31That would be a big advantage.
01:33Yeah.
01:33So what's a bye week like for you?
01:35Do you go away?
01:36Is it different also when you're – I don't know to what extent you are,
01:39but is it different, a bye week, when you have something that's nagging you?
01:43Uh, no.
01:44I just was getting work done and just staying at high hopes with the fam.
01:50We really couldn't go nowhere because my daughter's in school,
01:52so we was like, hey, we're just going to make the most of it out here.
01:56Well, what do you feel like the offense has looked like when you've been away?
01:59They've won a couple games here.
02:01And from your vantage point, how do you feel like the Bills offense has done?
02:05I feel like everybody's confident going forward, all the players.
02:11I mean, they have already had confidence,
02:14but I think the games that we are winning,
02:16it just breeds more confidence in the whole team.
02:19DJ Moore with us on the Western Hotline.
02:21DJ, in a couple of these games while you've been out,
02:23and even I guess when you were on the field too,
02:25the Bills are seeing – the Bills fans are seeing more from Keon Coleman this year.
02:29Last year was very turbulent.
02:31This year there just seems to be more consistency.
02:33I wonder, even though you weren't here last year,
02:36so I know you can't speak to like all the differences,
02:38but what you feel like you're seeing from him and the route running,
02:42he had dropped problems before, that seems to have gone away,
02:45and if you're really seeing a lot of work from him to kind of grow in those areas.
02:50Yeah, day in and day out, Keon comes in here.
02:53Well, first off, he's Keon every day.
02:55He's going to talk to you no matter what, but he's also coming to work.
02:59And he's been in his book and asking a million questions,
03:02and he goes out there and does his thing on Sunday, and I love to see it.
03:07What do you feel like it's been like for Skylar Bell so far, by the way,
03:11another young receiver that fans were excited about,
03:13and he wasn't active for a few games, and then he does, but doesn't get a catch.
03:18Kind of like what advice you would have for him on how to approach that
03:24when you're a depth player and a rookie and you're not really involved all that much?
03:28Yeah, me and Skylar had those conversations.
03:31Skylar is mental where it needs to be at.
03:34He's always ready for the game if he gets elevated.
03:38And these past games that he was playing, he did a good job.
03:43He really didn't have no mess-ups, and he was out there playing fast.
03:46DJ Moore with us.
03:47DJ, last thing for you.
03:48Kind of just the overall of where the team is right now,
03:51like 5-1, coming out of the bye, and being tied atop the conference.
03:55It's Joe Brady's first year as a head coach.
03:58Do you kind of feel like the overall right now, everything is on track for your team?
04:04Yeah, the only people that can take us off the track is ourselves,
04:08and that's the real message that we can't beat ourselves,
04:11and we got to do everything in our power just to stay within our wheelhouse
04:16and finish our games.
04:18The rest help the last couple of weeks for you?
04:21Yeah, it helped big time.
04:23All right.
04:24DJ Moore with us.
04:25Thanks, DJ.
04:25Appreciate the time, and good luck against Baltimore.
04:29DJ Moore with us.
04:30The Bills and Ravens on Sunday at 1 o'clock, back at Highmark Stadium
04:33before they go back on the road for a couple of games after that.
04:37A little bit of a football Monday here on WGR,
04:39despite the Bills not playing yesterday.
04:42We will get back to some hockey here.
04:45I do want to talk about the Chiefs,
04:46but thank you to Moore for calling in there and joining us as he does on rotates to Connor McGovern
04:54on Mondays there here on Football Friday.
04:58I was fine not having the Bills on Sunday.
05:01One week off.
05:02Let me watch the league.
05:03Throw Red Zone on.
05:04It was good, and everything went the way you would have hoped, too.
05:08Like, there wasn't anything.
05:09The Dolphins even beat the Jets.
05:10They got their first win.
05:11The Dolphins.
05:12I got something on the Jets.
05:13I got a stat on the Jets you won't believe.
05:15Okay.
05:16Coming up in a moment.
05:16But let's get back to George and Buffalo because we're still talking Hellebuck a little bit here
05:20and what's going to happen with the Sabres and goal going forward.
05:24Thanks for holding, George.
05:24You're up.
05:25Hey, good morning, guys.
05:26You know, I was hearing a pretty good contingent of people saying that the, you know, like they gave up.
05:33They didn't give up much.
05:34And I kind of did a little.
05:35I was like, that doesn't sound too right.
05:37I did a little research, and at least my equivalent for what they would have traded in Sabres terms would
05:42have been Quinn,
05:45Hellenus, Carrick, and Ellis.
05:48So I'm wondering if retrospective, they did pull that deal off, if that's something, if you guys would have been
05:53pro that or against that.
05:57I do not think that is what it would have cost comparably.
06:01I mean, when I saw it, oh, and I know you tweeted about this too.
06:06When I saw it, my immediate thought was you got a 40 to 50 point center in the deal going
06:15back to Winnipeg
06:15because that is what they've been on the record basically wanting since the draft.
06:20Like they want – they've had Vigo Bjork, an 18-year-old that you could be excited about,
06:25but he was the ninth, eighth overall pick.
06:28Yeah, I think eighth, eighth because they stuck and picked him there.
06:32Yeah, they've had him playing second-line center for – it reminded me of when the Sabres did that with
06:37Mikel Grigorenko
06:38because they had no other better idea.
06:40And Bjork in 10 games has no points.
06:44Yeah.
06:45So I think they wanted a center, and they got one.
06:48He got benched last night too, by the way.
06:49He got benched.
06:50They get Dawson Mercer, who I think is a Ryan McLeod equivalent.
06:53Yeah, I think that's probably right.
06:55So there's that.
06:58I don't – I think Helen Hughes is more valuable than last – this past draft's 12th overall pick
07:04because you don't have the two years of development in between.
07:08I think Morozov, who was the Sabres' 20th pick in this past draft, is the equivalent there.
07:13That's right.
07:13And then a bunch of gobbledygues, just anything.
07:16Like just throw whatever.
07:17Like the second-round picks here, and ooh, a sixth-round pick.
07:19Take that.
07:20Like give him a whole draft.
07:21Like just a bunch of stuff that doesn't really mean a lot on top of that.
07:26I mean, a fourth-line center.
07:27Okay, Sam Carrick.
07:28An in-between NHL, AHL gully.
07:31That's Colton Ellis maybe.
07:32That's exactly – yeah.
07:33Ellis is very similar to Dawes.
07:35To me, they've played – Dawes has played a little more, but it's not a ton.
07:39And he's older, so you'd think maybe you got more upside with Ellis.
07:44Yeah, I tweeted out my own sort of comp trade was – Quinn was the piece going back.
07:52I thought if Winnipeg's struggling this much with scoring, that would maybe make sense for them to do that.
08:00So I liked that as the main guy.
08:02And then Morozov was the prospect piece.
08:05That's probably a little less valuable than battle.
08:08I think people like this Alexander – or Command, sorry.
08:12Alexander Command, yeah.
08:13And I think people like him a little better than people probably like Morozov right now.
08:17Morozov's got five goals in five games in college hockey right now.
08:19He's playing well.
08:21And then Ellis, Carrick, and I just – like picks, whatever.
08:24I mean, they could be firsts for all I care.
08:27I don't care about the picks right now.
08:30So I think that the deal was – it was not what they could have got is what it is.
08:36It's not deals that they were offered at some point.
08:40It's just not as valuable because they drew it out.
08:44And they, I think, missed out on a much bigger package that would have helped them more because they were
08:51stuck in it.
08:54So, Kevin Sheveldayoff.
08:56Tough.
08:57They've got to want him fired there, right?
08:59In Winnipeg?
09:00Yeah, I think so.
09:02He's generally known to be very – like, at least the owner loves him.
09:07The owner has been on record saying that he's going to be there longer than the owner is.
09:12So, you know.
09:13So he's got basically a lifetime contract at this point.
09:15It seems like that.
09:16He's do the job until whatever –
09:18Listen, he talked to Friedman and Kyle Bacoskis on 32 Thoughts right after the trade, like the day after the
09:24trade happened,
09:25and talked about a lot of it, and, you know, danced around some questions about Buffalo and what they offered
09:31and all that.
09:32And it sounded like he was defending not getting the package that he could have gotten to me.
09:39It sounded like he was on doing a little bit of damage control.
09:44Yep.
09:45So, you know, we'll see.
09:48Quantity over quality is what they ended up getting.
09:50That's right.
09:50Bunch of nothing.
09:51Let's go to Mo in New Jersey.
09:53Hey, Mo.
09:54Hey, good morning, guys.
09:55How's it going?
09:56Good.
09:58It feels like a victory Monday, even though we didn't play yesterday with the results that we got in a
10:03lot of the games yesterday.
10:04And, like you said, it felt good watching the games, no stress.
10:07I don't watch Red Zone, but I had, you know, YouTube TV on, watching all the other games.
10:13And if the Bills were on, I'd never do that.
10:15But, you know, I guess maybe the Dolphins did gain a win on us in the win column, but I'm
10:21not too concerned about that.
10:22But the reason I called is, like, I'm really eagerly awaiting to see how the Bills come out of this
10:27bye, especially against the Ravens.
10:28You know, they went up quickly, 13-0 on the Bengals yesterday.
10:30Oh, this team is dangerous.
10:31And then they proceeded to get smoked.
10:34Now, I don't know too much about the Bengals this year.
10:36I mean, their offense is always good.
10:38But they put up 35-point trades between the second half.
10:41And if that's the case, and I expect us to do something similar in terms of our offense, what can
10:46our defense do?
10:47I think, like, I've been hearing a lot of stats about our defense.
10:50You know, why they're so bad.
10:52They're one of the youngest in the league.
10:53They give up a lot of first downs on penalties on third downs.
10:56These are things that we can clean up.
10:57And maybe with, you know, I'm not too, you know, keen on Trey White being a big help to his
11:03defense.
11:03But I'm looking forward to seeing what this team does throughout the rest of the season, especially on defense.
11:09Our offense will get us consistently 25-plus points per game, right?
11:13We're averaging over 30.
11:14But I'm really looking forward to see how we change, not change, but get better, especially defensively going forward.
11:23You know, the Chiefs, I watched that whole game.
11:26It looks awesome now.
11:26We don't have a defense like Seattle, and I'm jealous.
11:29But, like, okay, they can be beat.
11:31We can do this.
11:32Like, I'm confident in our team.
11:34I'm confident who we have.
11:34I do.
11:35I would really hope we make a move or two before the deadline.
11:38But I'm confident who we have in this conference at this time.
11:41Yeah.
11:42Thanks, Mo, for the call.
11:43I feel a lot better after yesterday also.
11:47And it just goes to show that there's nobody in the AFC that is a tier above where the Bills
11:53are,
11:53even with one of the worst defenses in football.
11:56Kansas City has floss.
11:59They have – talk about that game last night.
12:02They have an elite running back.
12:05Kenneth Walker is having a season so far that is as good as anybody in the league at running back.
12:11But guess what?
12:14Getting so obvious to see this in last night's game.
12:19It is easier to dial up a game plan, and I know it helps when you have the Seahawks defense
12:24because they are the best.
12:26It's easier to take an elite running back out of a game than it is to take an elite receiver
12:31out of a game.
12:32Because guess who also has an elite defense?
12:34Kansas City.
12:34Guess what they could not do yesterday?
12:38They could not do anything to stop JSN.
12:43There was nothing they could do.
12:45That guy – I mean, and Darnold had to make some incredible throws.
12:50But Kansas City is limited.
12:53They don't have options for Mahomes when it's time to throw the ball.
12:58If you stop them from running it – and yesterday, Kenneth Walker on 14 carries averaged 2.6 yards per
13:04attempt.
13:04So now Kansas City's got to drop back to pass more than they want.
13:07And guess who doesn't – guess what?
13:09They don't got guys to get open.
13:10Nope.
13:10They do not.
13:11They are very reminiscent, I think, of the Bills' offense from the previous two seasons.
13:16100%.
13:17They can run it.
13:18They've got a short passing game.
13:20Their quarterback can create some things out of structure.
13:23This version of Mahomes, off a knee injury, and not the athlete Allen is anyway, doesn't do it as much.
13:31And they've got Xavier Worthy running down there.
13:34He's not really getting that open.
13:35Nick Emanwari covering him was insane yesterday.
13:39How is Nick Emanwari able to stay stride for stride with Xavier Worthy?
13:43Like it's nothing.
13:43I don't know.
13:44But he was.
13:45It was lockdown.
13:46He couldn't do anything.
13:47Lockdown.
13:48I did see a lot of Bills fans like, oh, we could have had that guy.
13:52There's a lot of that.
13:53Nick Emanwari, not Xavier Worthy.
13:55Even with JSN, there's some of that.
13:58Cyrus Allen and backup tight ends they're throwing to, and it's still Kelsey.
14:02Like they just don't have it.
14:06I loved watching that game last night.
14:08That game was everything, everything I could have wanted because the Seahawks have a couple of guys I love watching
14:14play football.
14:15I love watching Nick Emanwari.
14:16Like he is, he's not a unicorn because there's another guy like him in the sport, right?
14:22Like Kyle Hamilton.
14:23Kyle Hamilton's better than he is.
14:24But to be 6'3", and that big at safety, and be a 4'3 guy that can run with
14:31receivers like Xavier Worthy stride for stride, it's just insane.
14:35The Seahawks defense is so violent.
14:39When they hit you, it just looks like, it looks like it hurts a little bit more than it does
14:44with other teams.
14:45They are so violent as a defense.
14:50And that is their lifeblood.
14:52It's why they won the Super Bowl last year.
14:54Like they had a good offense, and they've got a guy on offense that is nearly unstoppable.
14:58But I like seeing them just put it to the Chiefs offense.
15:06Three points from Kansas City.
15:08So, bunch of numbers about how it's like the worst Mahomes game in the Chiefs history with him as their
15:16quarterback.
15:17They didn't reach the red zone.
15:20That's insane that they did not reach the red zone.
15:24They had a field goal attempt.
15:25I mean, Butker missed two field goals, one of which, though, was on a 60-yard return on an interception
15:30in the end zone.
15:31And then another one that was 50 yards away.
15:34They just, they look, the Chiefs look a little bit vulnerable on offense, if you can stop them from running
15:45the football.
15:45Well, that's their blueprint this year.
15:48If they can run it, they're going to be amazing.
15:51And if they have to become this pass-happy team, it's not going to look as good.
15:55It will look better than it did yesterday.
15:57Like, don't get me wrong.
15:58I know they're not going to score three points week to week.
16:01And that even if the Bills stop Kenneth Walker, it won't look as good as what we saw yesterday because
16:05Seattle has everything.
16:07They're the best defense in the league, one of them.
16:10But I think what you saw is, okay, one way to get them to play worse than what they've looked
16:15like in the first five games, six games,
16:17is keep Kenneth Walker down and make them throw it.
16:21And you've got a Mahomes off an injured leg and a bunch of receivers that don't get open,
16:26and you might be able to get them that way.
16:30Is this them showing who they are, you think?
16:32I saw some discussion of Chiefs fans following the game last night of,
16:35it's just a bad game, this isn't who they are, blah, blah, blah.
16:38Is this them kind of showing that?
16:39I think it's somewhere in between.
16:41Me too.
16:42I think it's them.
16:43Seattle's defense, you're not going to play Seattle's defense every week.
16:47But you just showed every team, Seattle just showed every team how to beat the Chiefs.
16:51Yeah.
16:51And how to beat them offensively.
16:53And listen, the Bills, I mean, the one thing the Bills do good on defense right now is they stop
16:57the run.
16:58So if they stop Kenneth Walker, I'm not just going to assume Kansas City scores like 40 on the Bills.
17:04I mean, I think they'll throw the ball way better against the Bills than they did against the Seahawks.
17:09But I think Seattle just showed the blueprint, how to stop them.
17:14And the thing that it took, the foundation of the defensive game plan is something that the Bills do have.
17:20So I think there is hope that you could keep them in check to like, you know, 24, 27 points
17:26maybe when the Bills and Chiefs meet in week 12.
17:29803-0550, let's go to Frankie.
17:32Hey, Frankie.
17:33Hey, good morning.
17:34How's it going?
17:35Good.
17:35Good.
17:36No, I just wanted to touch a little bit on the whole Patrick Mahomes thing.
17:39I said before the season started, I do my own little football podcast.
17:43And I was telling my partner, and he's a huge Mahomes fan, I said, you're going to see a different
17:48Patrick Mahomes and Chiefs team this year.
17:50And if you look back going to week one up until last night, the Chiefs have had an easy schedule.
17:57They beat Denver in week one, and we know Denver has struggled for the first few weeks, and now they're
18:01kind of turning it on.
18:03But they played Miami.
18:04They played Vegas.
18:05They played Indy.
18:06They've played teams that aren't really that great.
18:10And what you saw last night was a power defense and a Pat Mahomes that's never going to move and
18:16make those little agile little twists and turns and cute little backyard football moves anymore.
18:22I think the injury is still affecting them.
18:25He came back too soon.
18:26And let's be honest, Travis Kelsey isn't what he was.
18:30He hasn't been the same for a couple years.
18:32And I just wanted to kind of vent that out because everybody's still so high on Patrick Mahomes.
18:38Yeah, they're 5-1, but does it really feel like it?
18:41And where do they go moving forward with their schedule?
18:46Is this what we're going to see for the rest of the year out of the Chiefs?
18:49Because really, I honestly don't fear them anymore as a Bills fan.
18:53That's all I really wanted to share.
18:54Thanks, Frankie.
18:57Do I fear them?
18:58I mean, I do think that the point about the schedule is correct.
19:09They played – they're only, I would say, good win on the year.
19:12I think you've got to give them the Denver win.
19:14Denver is 5-2.
19:16I know Denver doesn't look good on offense, but they scored a 31 on that Denver defense.
19:22Like, that's the impressive part.
19:23Yeah, Colts in overtime, no.
19:25Miami, the Raiders, the Chargers, these are not impressive wins.
19:29But they're going to play some easier teams again.
19:35They played the Jets in two weeks.
19:37They played the Cardinals before they played the Bills.
19:39So, I think they're going to get a few of those.
19:42And then they'll play the Niners.
19:43They'll play the Bills.
19:44They'll play the Rams, the Patriots, like the Bengals.
19:47They've got a tough middle.
19:50Week 12 to week 16.
19:53Like, that's what I feel like we're really going to know.
19:55Okay, what level are the Chiefs here?
19:57Are these the Chiefs of, you know, two years ago – and I know they went 15-1 that year
20:02–
20:02where they're pretty good, their defense is great, the offense is a little eh,
20:06or are they going to be the best team in the conference?
20:11I think it's possible they will be the best team in the conference.
20:14They have a great defense.
20:15They have a great run game.
20:16And they – I know what you said about Mahomes,
20:18and I do think the knee injury is affecting him.
20:21And it's affecting the offense.
20:22Like, why they became a power run offense is to protect his knee.
20:29He's run a lot this season, though, hasn't he?
20:31That's the thing.
20:32I still am seeing him scramble.
20:34He might not be scrambling to run as much,
20:36but he's still scrambling around and trying to make plays.
20:40Maybe the play you saw the speed not be there is he either misjudged his own speed
20:46or he misjudged Nick Emanwari's speed.
20:48Maybe it was Nick Emanwari.
20:49Because there was a play in the first half.
20:51It was the pick play, right?
20:53It was the play that he threw an interception where Emanwari is coming off the edge
20:58and Mahomes escaped.
21:00And he acted like he thought he had time.
21:03And Emanwari closed on him so quick, like a Bengal tiger just chasing its prey from behind.
21:09Like, oh, wow, this thing is way faster than I thought it was.
21:12And he got caught so fast and then had to throw the ball and it got picked
21:18and he wasn't, you know, wasn't a very smart play from him.
21:21I think it was because he didn't realize how fast the dude was behind him.
21:24Or maybe he thought, I'll beat this guy to the spot because I have such a head start.
21:30And then maybe like, oh, wait, my knee isn't letting me run as fast as I was running a year
21:35ago.
21:35I don't know.
21:35It could have been both of the two.
21:37It could have been either of the two.
21:39But I felt great.
21:40Felt so good watching the Chiefs lose that game the way they did yesterday.
21:44They played Denver next at 425 next Sunday.
21:46Bo Nix had a 62-yard rushing touchdown yesterday.
21:49Yeah, I played that in fantasy.
21:50What a joke.
21:51Where are all the Cardinals on that play?
21:53Bo Nix just not on the screen.
21:56Remember the Mac Jones Pro Bowl touchdown run?
21:58That's what it looked like.
21:59That's what it felt like.
22:00Yes.
22:00There's no one else on the TV screen except for Bo Nix and he's just trotting 60 yards of the
22:05end zone.
22:06He didn't even look like he was moving all that fast.
22:08All of a sudden the end zone pops up and he's free and clear.
22:10Yeah.
22:11More on what we saw out of the AFC.
22:14John, we'll get to your call as well.
22:17Baltimore lost, but Cincinnati won.
22:20The Patriots lost on Thursday night.
22:22It's setting up to be another opportunity for the Bills to be the one seed.
22:29And you got to do it at some point.
22:31You got to do it at some point.
22:33803-0550 is the phone number.
22:35We'll talk to Paul along the way as well.
22:37Sal's coming up at 8 o'clock.
22:38We'll survey the landscape a little bit more.
22:41And I've got a crazy, crazy Jets stat.
22:44The Jets do not have an NFL head coach.
22:46And I've got a stat to really show that out.
22:50803-0550.
22:52It's Jeremy and Joe.
22:52Jeremy off through Wednesday.
22:54This is WGR.