Lamar and Josh are still chasing Mahomes when it matters

Longtime Buffalo NFL writer Vic Carucci justifies his last two MVP votes – one each for Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen – and the significance of the season and stadium in Orchard Park as a Bills renaissance has begun but still needs a Super Bowl parade to make the fairy tale come to life in Western New York.

Nestor Aparicio and Vic Carucci discuss the upcoming NFL season, focusing on the Buffalo Bills and Baltimore Ravens. They highlight the significance of the new Highmark Stadium in Buffalo, comparing it to Camden Yards and the Ravens’ move to Toronto. Carucci explains his MVP voting process, favoring Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen in recent years. They analyze the Week 1 matchup between the Ravens and Bills, noting the importance of early-season games and the impact of players like Derrick Henry. Carucci also touches on the broader NFL landscape, including the league’s efforts to protect players and the strategic decisions of teams like the Ravens and Bills.

Buffalo Bills and NFL Season Preview with Vic Carucci

• Nestor Aparicio introduces the show, mentioning the WNST tech service and the upcoming crab cake tour.
• Nestor welcomes Vic Carucci, a long-time Buffalo Bills reporter, to discuss the upcoming NFL season.
• Vic shares his excitement about being inducted into the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame alongside Nestor’s son, Rob.
• Nestor and Vic discuss the significance of the new Highmark Stadium in Buffalo, comparing it to the old Rich Stadium.

Buffalo Bills’ New Stadium and NFL Season Outlook

• Vic describes the new Highmark Stadium as a massive, impressive structure, set to be ready by summer 2026.
• Nestor and Vic discuss the importance of the new stadium for Buffalo, comparing it to significant moments in Baltimore sports history.
• Vic explains the 30-year lease agreement for the new stadium, adding stability to the Bills’ situation.
• Nestor and Vic talk about the upcoming NFL season, focusing on the Ravens’ and Bills’ expectations and early-season challenges.

Lamar Jackson vs. Josh Allen: MVP Debate

• Nestor asks Vic to justify his MVP votes for Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen in the past two years.
• Vic explains his voting process, emphasizing the importance of each quarterback’s value to their respective teams.
• Vic mentions the close finish between Lamar and Josh last year, with Josh winning by a narrow margin.
• Nestor and Vic discuss the media’s reaction to Vic’s voting choices and his commitment to fairness in his reporting.

Week 1 Matchup: Ravens vs. Bills

• Nestor and Vic discuss the significance of the Week 1 matchup between the Ravens and Bills.
• Vic highlights the importance of the game for both teams, given their early-season schedules and playoff aspirations.
• Nestor and Vic talk about the potential impact of the game on the AFC playoff picture.
• Vic shares his thoughts on the readiness of both teams for the season opener, noting the roughness and rawness that often come with early-season games.

Derrick Henry and the Impact of Running Backs

• Nestor and Vic discuss the impact of Derrick Henry on the Ravens’ offense and his ability to dominate games.
• Vic explains how Derrick Henry’s running style can create challenges for defenses, even when the offense is not at its best.
• Nestor and Vic talk about the importance of alignment, assignment, and technique in defending against elite running backs like Henry.
• Vic shares his observations on the dynamic playmaking abilities of Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen, and other top quarterbacks.

NFL Rule Changes and Player Health

• Nestor and Vic discuss the evolution of NFL rules aimed at keeping players healthier and safer.
• Vic explains the influence of non-football factors, such as legal considerations and business elements, on rule changes.
• Nestor and Vic talk about the importance of having healthy quarterbacks for team success and the league’s efforts to protect them.
• Vic highlights the role of star quarterbacks in driving revenue and maintaining fan interest in the NFL.

Buffalo Bills’ Organizational Structure

• Nestor and Vic discuss the organizational structure of the Buffalo Bills, emphasizing the role of Terry Pegula and his trust in coaches and front office personnel.
• Vic compares the Bills’ approach to other successful NFL teams, such as the Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens.
• Nestor and Vic talk about the importance of having a strong coaching staff and front office in building a successful franchise.
• Vic shares his respect for the Ravens’ organization and its ability to attract top talent through smart decision-making and player recruitment.

Ravens’ Player Recruitment and Team Dynamics

• Nestor and Vic discuss the Ravens’ ability to recruit top talent, including Hall of Famers and other high-profile players.
• Vic explains how the Ravens’ organizational excellence and player recruitment contribute to their success.
• Nestor and Vic talk about the impact of having a strong quarterback on a team’s overall performance and fan interest.
• Vic highlights the importance of maintaining a balance between individual star power and team cohesion.

AFC Playoff Contenders and Wild Card Teams

• Nestor and Vic discuss the top contenders for the AFC playoffs, including the Ravens, Bills, and Kansas City Chiefs.
• Vic shares his thoughts on the potential impact of other AFC teams, such as the Cincinnati Bengals and Denver Broncos.
• Nestor and Vic talk about the importance of early-season performance in determining playoff seeding and matchups.
• Vic emphasizes the need for teams to start the season strong and maintain consistency throughout the year.

Buffalo Bills’ Hall of Fame and Personal Reflections

• Nestor and Vic discuss the Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame and its significance for Buffalo sports fans.
• Vic shares his personal connection to the Hall of Fame, including his own induction and the display of his memorabilia.
• Nestor and Vic talk about the emotional impact of seeing their names and achievements recognized in the Hall of Fame.
• Vic reflects on the importance of community and personal connections in the world of sports journalism and reporting.

SUMMARY KEYWORDS

Buffalo Bills, Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen, NFL season, Highmark Stadium, Derrick Henry, John Harbaugh, Sean McDermott, AFC Championship, player health, quarterback, football week, Hall of Fame, sports journalism, football expectations.

SPEAKERS

8

Nestor Aparicio, Vic Carucci

Nestor Aparicio  00:01

Welcome home. We are W N, S T, am 1570 we are Baltimore positive. We are ready for some football as football week, Luke sat and always knows if there’s any breaking news, you’ll get that first on the W n, f t tech service. It’s all brought to you by a Call Roofing and Gordian energy. And, of course, crab cake tour returns on the 16th of September. We’ll be at the Beaumont in Catonsville eating a delicious crab cake, probably a fried lobster tail that I featured on day 25 of tastiness. And we are continuing our 27th anniversary countdown of my favorite things to eat. And at some point there’s going to be something delicious, not beef on weck, not the wings from bar buffalo. Bar buffalo bar, whatever it was called up there. Bill, bar buffalo. I had some great food up there. Barb Vic Carucci is here. He is a buffalonian by choice, covering all things bills for many, many years. He’s been around the league forever. You’ve seen him on NFL films. You’ve heard him on Sirius XM, but he is Buffalo through and through, almost as Buffalo is Gronkowski, as you pointed out last time, right?

Vic Carucci  01:07

Yeah, and had the absolute pleasure back in November of 24 Rob and I were part of the class of 2024 for the greater buffalo Sports Hall of Fame, still still tingling about that honor, still a great thing, but but even more so to go full circle with this guy that I’ve that I’ve known since he was in seventh, eighth grade, going to school with my younger daughter and and watching him blossom into the mega star that he became as An athlete and future Pro Football Hall of Famer, so just a wonderful thing, yeah, well,

Nestor Aparicio  01:44

where’s the buffalo Hall of Famer? They going to move it into the new wing of that enshrinement, Jerry’s world, the Pegula house, the pit that the New Yorkers built. I mean, I tell you what, I flew in a couple months ago because we went to opening day up in Toronto. And, you know, I was flying to Buffalo and get some wings like I do, like I’ve been known to do, and drive across Peace Bridge, or go up to Niagara Falls. I love your part of the world up there, but when you fly in, you see it, and you see the old rich Stadium, which the old the time had come. And you’ll see that on Sunday night as well. But this is big, big Renaissance time that people in Baltimore might not. Maybe by kickoff they’ll know, because people like you’ll be telling them all week. But for your city, this is Camden Yards opening. This is when we got the ravens, 30 years ago. This is a whole new chapter. And as I’ve pointed out, Hey man, it might have been Bon Jovi. It might have been somebody else that came in and took that team over to Toronto, if there was a different Commissioner, if there was different ownership. I mean, a team was a little bit of peril and certainly couldn’t keep going on the way it’s been going on the last decade. That this is a great thing for Buffalo.

8

Vic Carucci  02:50

Yeah, for sure, start with the fact that a 30 year lease is now in place. Not that leases can’t be broken, not that contracts aren’t broken all the time in sports or any walk of life, but it does add stability to the situation that didn’t exist previously. Yes, it’s called Highmark stadium now started out as rich stadium way back in 1973 when it opened. And in 73 it, you know, was a cool looking and I remember going to games in that place as a teenager, not living in Buffalo, but my dad would would drive me out. I didn’t have a license then, and watching it then, and thinking, this is amazing astroturf and all this, this stuff, oj, oj, and eventually it doesn’t and OJ, and the, you know, eventually it doesn’t hold up as well by 2025 and the, all the research that was done by engineers and metallurgy Experts said, you know, eventually this stuff erodes, and it’s not going to be the concrete and so forth. It’s just not going to hold itself together as well. It had great sight lines it, and I still think of it as a place where some of my best football memories as a journalist happened wasn’t so much that I had a rooting interest in the bills playing. I go there and went there. And of course, my career has spanned beyond buffalo, but to watch football games and to drink and all those those memories of some of the greatest comeback and that long list. So it’ll be missed there, but you’re right, the new one right across the street, whole different and it’s closer to Abbott Road, which the old, the older stadium is set back so it really comes up on you. And even when you’re exiting off the the highway to get to it, the the entry ramps, this thing just grows out of the ground as such a. Big, massive, impressive structure, and they’re still, you know, there’s still a ways from getting it done. They’re going to be pushing to get that thing ready by the summer of 2026 for preseason games.

Nestor Aparicio  05:13

Well, in the modern life, you get to see the pictures and the videos. Heck, I see them down here. I think the internet thinks I like the bills or something. Maybe just the ravens and the bills get together too much, which I don’t mind, because I get to hang out with Vic Carucci. I get to hang out with my buffalo friends here, all right, man. So who’s the MVP last year? Lamar Jackson, or Josh Allen and then, and you better have some reasoning here, because you’re a real journalist of Vic. I don’t think of you as just being a home or even if you are in the Buffalo

Vic Carucci  05:39

Hall of Fame. No. Well, I am absolutely not a homer. And yeah, there’s great pride in working here and telling the stories of the bills in the NFL to this audience. And I love it. I’m blessed to be a part of it. My kids, you know, my grandkids, everybody there’s, there are native Western New Yorkers within our family, except for my wife and I. But in terms of the MVP, I can, I can tell you how I voted the last two years and take it from there, two years ago, my vote and again, these are the way they we do the voting for the Associated Press is, it’s, it’s on a weighted system one through five. My top MVP vote went to Lamar Jackson two years ago. This past year, it went to Josh Allen. And I know it was a close finish, but I felt in each case, the respective quarterback was the most valuable to his team and more valuable to his team than any other player in the league, even though there were other candidates, and there always are other candidates, but I thought this past year, especially, it was a closer vote, and the stats would make a very strong, if not stronger, argument for Lamar if you went purely on stats. I tried to go deeper than those numbers. Other voters did just enough to make it a close margin for Josh to win that award. But I feel I would do it the same way in each of the last two years. And I I took grief a couple of years ago from those buffalo people who said, Why aren’t you voting for

Nestor Aparicio  07:18

8

our guy? They still put you in the Hall of Fame.

Vic Carucci  07:21

Yeah, that isn’t how I how I do it.

Nestor Aparicio  07:24

Vic Carucci is here. He is always great guest to talk football with, and certainly his story not just of the bills that covered the league for going on five decades. Now, I don’t want to date you too much here, because you still look like a young man. Um, man, week one, right? I mean, is it a big game? Yeah, sure, it’s big. I mean, ask the loser on Monday morning, right? Whoever doesn’t win this game, but the Ravens have Joe Flacco coming in here next week division game. Then they have Detroit, and then they go to Kansas City. So like this month here, three and one, two and two, one and three, four. No, I don’t think they’ll be oh and four, but where the Ravens level of expectation is and where the Buffalo Bills level of expectation both the same place, both converging in late January into early February in Santa, Clara, um, but this is the first part of the thing. We’re going to put a lot of weight on this to talk about it the next three days for leading up to the game until it happens, and then afterwards, we’re going to treat it like it was war and peace, and somebody’s going to lose something like Vic.

Vic Carucci  08:28

You’re absolutely right. You know, it’s, it’s fortunate and unfortunate that this game is being played when it’s being played as a season opener. Okay, not so much that it’s in prime time, of course, that that is and that is why it’s in prime time, because of of the two teams and because of the expectations that exist for those teams, whether those expectations are warranted or not. We’ve got a while to let that play out, but it certainly feels like the kind of game that you’d want to spotlight and feature for the first Sunday night football game, which generally has the biggest watching audience. I’m sure that game is going to do crazy numbers nationally, but that said the negative that I see and the unfortunate, I guess I should say more than negative. Unfortunate is neither team is going to be ready to play its best football. The fact is that a season opener is still and I know I’m basically attaching myself to the thinking of Bill Belichick, who, last I checked, knows a thing or two, maybe about football that you know the early part of the season, upwards of those first three, maybe four regulars, first four regular season games, that first quarter, quarter or quartile of the season is, is an extension of the preseason. It because not enough is done in. Terms of honing and preparing in the preseason, we know that starting with tackling, just with that right, there isn’t enough practice time, and there isn’t enough quality practice time tackling, like you mentioned, contact, it’s so restrictive and so limited in terms of on field to get football ready. And we know we I think we know what that all you know. We all know what that means. And you’re playing now, you’re playing a game. And so there will be a roughness or rawness that tackling, I think, will be an issue that could be a thing that favors the ravens, because they’ve got this guy, Derrick Henry, who, if you’re not on your point with your tackle or tackling, he’s going to be just rolling along. And we’ve seen him do that again against the bills and and didn’t necessarily have to happen in the game, in the first game, it didn’t in that instance in Baltimore. But I do think from for both teams, it’ll be true for the Ravens as well there, there will be a lack of preparedness, no matter how good those two coaches, and they’re really good ones John Harbaugh and Sean McDermott are, and their respective staffs of getting their teams ready to play.

8

Nestor Aparicio  11:14

Look, I was the guy that said all along, and you can go back and find the tweets from years ago. If they got a hold of Derek Henry, they would be unstoppable. That’s the word I used, unstoppable. Clearly, they got stopped last year, but it was Mark Andrews dropping the ball up there at the old rich stadium and, you know, and all of that. But Derek Henry creates this situation, and so does Lamar, where football, as Marvin Lewis taught me in his office back in 1996 with Jim Schwartz, another guy you know well from up there in Buffalo alignment, assignment technique, you can get the alignment right, you get the assignment right, you get the technique right, and still lose to Derek Henry or Lamar Jackson

Vic Carucci  11:53

right, or Josh Allen. The extraordinary athlete. Can transcend those fundamentals, those principles, even though they make perfect sense, and I’ve had the same kinds of conversations, not only with the menu reference, but others who who have and what do we do in this business? We observe, we absorb, we try to learn as best we can from those who do this for a living, in terms of coaching or personnel evaluation and and then you can see a player just be like this downhill freight train that a Derrick Henry is, or the dynamic running improvization That Lamar and Josh are always capable of doing. And it’s those Extended plays that generally, if you if you look at it, I don’t have a hard, analytical breakdown of this. I know, I’m sure there’s one that exists. But my eyes tell me, my brain tells me. How many times have we seen the defining plays of games involving those two quarterbacks, you know, be the ones where they’re on the move. It’s it. The script is gone. The script is burned up, and they’re just, you know, improvising, moving, buying time, directing, and a receiver separates, because coverage just can’t be held that long. It’s impossible. And boom, they’ve got the arm and the accuracy and the vision and the anticipation to make that completion, or their legs, you know, do it, do the job, because, again, separation and the defense is all discombobulated.

Nestor Aparicio  13:35

Well, I saw Roethlisberger do it here for 20 years, also, Brett Favre, you know, doing it for years as well, but they didn’t have four two speed that, when it’s all broken down and he’s got everybody scrambling and everybody’s out of breath, he takes off, and then it becomes a punt return, and for the guys, are the only guys on the field that can catch him, you know? So I, you know, I’ve seen it. Vic Carucci is here. This is why we love football, right? I mean, we love football because it’s evolving. It’s changing. I mean, I’m not big on the new kickoffs, but I understand and more than anything, keeping players healthy, because I get older, and the players are my age that won the Super Bowl here 25 years ago, and I see how devastating this game can be, physically, mentally, CTE, all of that, just anything keeps the players healthier. But we had such a great year here last year as Ravens fans playing into January because the team was healthy and because the quarterback was healthy and they didn’t have so much fun in other places where their quarterbacks not healthy, the game has been legislated in your Time, My Time of covering the game for three decades. For me, lot longer. For you, that the quarterbacks have the ability to stay a little more healthy. They’re a little more protected. I’m for all of that. It certainly made the game better. It’s a better game in January, when the quarterbacks that we know to be the mark, key quarterbacks, are available and healthy enough to play.

Vic Carucci  15:00

8

Yeah, right. And, but, and here’s the but on that. It’s a great point, but you can’t legislate health. It just doesn’t happen. And, and that was the the thought process. Remember, the rules, the legislation, aren’t all this just in they aren’t all football oriented. They’re not all made by the people whose full dedication and focus is football. Lawyers get involved. Suits get involved. Business elements get involved. Because it is the mega, multi billion dollar industry, that it is considerations beyond football come into play in the biggest way. And, you know, I can go far enough back to where that was not a prevalent thought, to where the mindset of the league, and by League, I mean ownership of teams and and those who ran it from the league office, thought very differently. And the the the ability to make, to generate the revenue, it was defined very in a very limited way. Then, I mean, it felt like, Okay, this is the right thing to do. You charge for tickets. You, yeah, you sell some merch, but, but basically, it’s the it’s, it was very basic, fundamental, and not all that big. And in, in many ways, there were teams that lost money. That’s impossible. Now you own a team, you print money, and to to keep it strong, you have to have those stars, those quarterbacks who are the stars always, and in some cases, there are teams that have that, and little else star little else in the way of star power. And when you look at the Buffalo Bills, it’s Josh Allen and a bunch of guys around him. You don’t really, you don’t find yourself thinking about who else are, you have to push yourself to say, well, he’s Yeah, maybe no. And you know, it’s not like they fill up the Pro Bowl or all pro rosters. The Ravens have a few more of those recognizable names, at least again, two that are in that upper premier level in Lamar and Derek. But generally speaking, can City Chiefs Cincinnati, Bengals, you know, go down the list. It’s if you’ve got that franchise guy, that’s your focal point. It doesn’t mean that that guy carries himself necessarily is more important than the rest. If he does, that’s a problem. He has to, he has to remember he’s part of a team. Tom Brady did that as well as anybody. Peyton Manning did that as well as anybody. And they’re iconic. We know what they are, but keeping the stress or emphasis, I should say, of the people who run the league, and again, they start that conversation with ownership, they are the league understanding that we better do what we can to make sure those guys are available all the time, or else who wants to watch and when they stop watching or watch at a lower rate, the revenue, the ability to sell those Marketing partnerships and and all the sponsorship money that pours in, that floods in like a tsunami, tsunami every year, will be affected. So this is always a league that’s trying to develop those stars. They they pray that, you know that Jaden Daniels and CJ Stroud and other and now, you know, from last year, Drake may Beau next, you know, go through the list of those younger incoming guys that they do blossom as well. Are they going to we still don’t know, Nestor, we’re, you know, we’ll, we’re thinking about it. But the hope is that that cycle continues.

Nestor Aparicio  18:59

Vic Carucci is my guest. You know you mentioned this. All I can think about is the baseball team here. You don’t have baseball up there. Collected a buffalo Braves belt buckle in recent times from the NBA. So you wonderful. You had an NBA team there, but our baseball team, all the arms fell off and then in their last place team. No pictures, you know, no October for you, certainly no Lamar, no January for the Ravens here, and that’s to be said around the league. I will say this victim ravens, and there’s so much respect from guys like you that vote on the Hall of Fame as you do as I go around and visit with guys like you almost on a weekly basis to the league. When we talk about Lamar, we talk about Eric the cost and John Harbaugh on what they do here. Almost every off season, they get a Hall of Famer to sign up here, whether it’s Steve Smith, whether it’s jadavion Clowney, who’s in the Hall of pretty decent, or lat you know, Hopkins this year decides to come in, Derek Henry last year. To be able to recruit those kinds of players is just different level. Yeah, Jim, what you can add to what you already have, and Lamar becomes a straw that serves drink. Hey, when Ray Lewis and Ed Reed were here, they’re recruiting Dion to come play, right? They’re recruiting Steve McNair to come play at the end and have good seasons. That is really some magic, that not a lot of franchises have that ability.

Vic Carucci  20:18

No and but it speaks to Sure, the recruiting that that the that the players are able to do with other players. But what you’re also talking about Nestor is the structure of the organization, the excellence that’s there. You know, Ozzie Smith, Eric Decosta, coaching, from Brian Billick to obviously, to John Harbaugh. And, you know, seeing those, those iterations of tradition and the defensive, the rich defensive tradition that was there, and I still, you know, I my, my mind takes me back some of my, my favorite, go back to favorite memories, working for nfl.com and spending a lot of time around that Super Bowl, Brian Billick, Super Bowl, Ray Lewis, ravens team and that defense and and being in awe of how they could dominate when they didn’t have that quarterback, when they didn’t have them, they literally did it. You know, had their defense carry the load. Had a running game, figured it out, and it speaks volumes about how you how smart your organization is those that thinking and that mindset. Is there a bit of luck involved? Sure, good fortune, but it has much more to do with being able to see the right picture and figuring out, you know, game in and game out, and then into the postseason and then in to the Super Bowl. How you get that done? It isn’t an accident that teams that have found that success at the very you know, to the very best. I mean, we’re again, we’re talking about the dynastic Kansas City Chiefs right now. They’re the ones okay from the AFC until someone says differently. And why do they get there? You know, we know why we and it’s the people that are running the show. How smart those decision makers are. And obviously, Andy Reid and the front office, the in the GM and ownership, of course, has to be supportive. And back back to Baltimore, I have the utmost respect for Steve bashati For how it’s it’s run, how he sees it, to keep his team as strong as it is, to make those investments, to figure out those very difficult contract situations. Yes, Eric Decosta and others do the negotiating. But some point someone’s got to put that, that John Hancock on the check and in Buffalo, while Terry pagula A different kind of owner. But the thing he has done, right so far, so well, is is entrusting Sean McDermott Brandon bean to do what they do so well, leaving it to them. And it’s pretty much carte blanche. He can sign off on some things he does in getting himself involved, but not metal. And we see where that goes sometimes and how, you know again, the Dallas Cowboys situation. Can you picture anybody that you cover on a regular basis in Baltimore, or that I see on a regular basis in Buffalo as being part of that? No, and Brian Schottenheimer has had no chance. I mean, at one point he said, I’m confident Michael Parsons is going to be on the field for our opening game. Lo and behold, he’s going to be wearing a green bay packers uniform for the opening game. So it’s that kind of structure and thing. It’s not, of course, from a business standpoint, no one does it better than Jerry Jones. We know that. But from, as you said, a team that is relevant pretty much all the time, the one you know and cover the one you know, I’ve been around for the longest time, but that they’ve been relevant since, since Sean McDermott and Brandon bean walked in the door in 2017 so that’s a pretty good run.

Nestor Aparicio  24:15

He’s Vic Carucci. We’re on a pretty good run here to start the season on Sunday night. We’re doing a lot of buffalo coverage here this week, looks out at the castle and Owings Mills, any breaking news you’ll get first in the W, N, S, T, tech service, as always, and I’m doing the Maryland crab cake tour next week. I don’t know if it’s going to be a cry in our beer crab cake or not. Certainly, as we begin the season with these really, really tough games, you’re a believer in the ravens, right? Vic. I mean, you believe that you and I’m going to bother you again about second, third week of January, we’re gonna, I mean, you believe this will happen again, right? I mean, you’re in that camp,

8

Vic Carucci  24:45

right? Yeah, I do. I feel it’s going to be, you know, very similar to the conversation that happened between Josh Allen and Patrick mahomes After buffalo beat the Chiefs right in Buffalo in the regular season. And the mics, you know, hot mics, caught them in the hug and basically saying, we’re going to see you, the expectation that they’re going to see each other again. And they did in the AFC Championship game. So I would think when this one’s over, whoever wins it, there will likely be that discussion again. Yes, I’m a believer that the list of teams that I expect to be the movers and shakers of the AFC at the very top of that list. Besides, I still have put Kansas City up there, and I put the bills up there. I put the Ravens up there. We’ll see about Cincinnati. I mean, they’re they’re going to be interesting. I put them in the interesting category. I don’t know yet what to make of them, until they show me they can actually start a season and win some games, you know, from the jump, and be sustainable in the early part of the season, whatever else, whatever they’ve been doing, whatever Zach Taylor and his staff are doing not to get that right, you know, I got to see how that gets corrected. Yeah, they got their, you know, they got Trey Hendrickson done. Did they get it done in enough time to bring him in, get his head right and everything else and his his contribution, but he was on the field for him last year, early on, and they were, they were all that defense was pathetic, and is it going to still be? And then I don’t know. Elsewhere in the AFC, I know the conversation about Denver is interesting, interesting. I’m not sure how hard I buy into it. I would believe Bo Nix is a better quarterback in year two, and certainly a better one that the bills befuddled Absolutely. You saw that in the playoffs. Just made had him talking to himself, and we’ll see how much he’s learned from that. But he’s got a great coach, and Sean Payton to kind of turn that around. And then the CJ Stroud, who, through a combination of some of the some of his own challenges of defense is picking up what he did in that historic rookie year. Does he? Does he bounce back from that and from have the healthier receiving cord that he didn’t have? The Joe Mixon injury makes that interesting too, or whatever, his situation is kind of shrouded in some mystery that he won’t be available at the start. So there’s Houston to look out for. And then that’s that’s about where I want to stop the conversation. I know that. I know that AFC West has the other fascinating point of coach, iconic coach Central, right from top to bottom. Every team, every team in that division, has a coach you can believe is capable of getting his team somewhere, somewhere, and making it, making their team impactful. But it takes more than coach to do that too

Nestor Aparicio  27:57

well. We got a good one on Sunday night, so at least we start the season in Buffalo I would say I will see you in January at some point, or see you later at some point in the season. Here fit Carucci. You can listen to him at a serious XM, follow him up in the Buffalo area, doing all sorts of stuff with the league, as well as the Hall of Fame vote and everything that’s happened to Canada, Ohio, it’s always good to get back to football. I’ve had a lot of fun here this summer talking music and politics and local this, and business that, and crab cake this, and my favorite things to eat. But I still like football as much as I like anything. So it’s a happy football season to Vic. Thanks for kicking the season off with

Vic Carucci  28:33

this pal. Same to you, my friend. Always a pleasure. Buffalo Sports Hall

Nestor Aparicio  28:37

8

of Famer, where is the buffalo Sports Hall of Fame? I need to know that before let you go. Yeah.

Vic Carucci  28:41

So it’s, it’s at a place called, and this guy’s very interesting, very interesting. The name of Dave, of Dave and Adams. It’s a memorabilia mega store, okay, okay, in, in Williams, Williamsville, New York, and so northern part, northern suburb. And it’s, it’s awesome. We they have the annual the press conference there each year after the class is announced in June and the display the person who was in charge of these massive display cases that are lighted beautifully, that have pieces of of the memorabilia, and, of course, from the athletes, it’s jerseys, Rob Gronkowski jersey. Ron Jaworski, a western New Yorker. You know, his Eagles jersey is in there, and helmet or football. And then Don Crick, who is a great NBC announcer, his his NBC blazer, is hanging in there, memorabilia from Marv Levy and others. Jim Kelly, so with me, my photo, and also one of my 11 books that I’ve authored about pro football is is also on display there. So it’s very cool. And maybe, I mean, it’s it gets emotional every time I see it, but I on my phone, I’ve got these pictures my daughters have. Taken like there, even though we’ve gone all together. But they’re they live nearby, but they’ve taken their their children over to pose with pops picture and display and take pictures of that. And then when they send that to me, of course, you know the sap that I am, I get all choked up when I see that. Well,

Nestor Aparicio  30:19

I tell you what, man I it is like four blocks from bar Bill north, where I had the best wings and beef on weck with the potato clan, who did the big mark Andrews fundraiser last year after he dropped the ball. So I’m having those kids on I might be coming up the buffalo enough for the game next week. I’m laying low next week for that, but I might be coming up in the next couple of weeks, if I come through, I would love to go to the buffalo Hall. I mean, I’m hoping that we’re seeing has some piece of artwork in there, being a buffalo guy. Because when I think of the buffalo Hall of Fame, I think of Frank and Teresa’s anchor bear. And I see, you know, and I go in there, that is a little bit like a buffalo Hall of Fame. I would think there’s something of yours in there. Victor, they’re out there is,

Vic Carucci  31:02

there might be, I have there have been, I’m fortunate to have some really great friends in this town, because it’s that kind of town, as I’m sure Baltimore is with you, where you get to know people well. And yeah, we take some photos with owners of different restaurants that, you know the nice part, the nice part about doing this stuff is sometimes not all the time, sometimes it gets you a table on those busy nights, as long as you don’t come in with a with a massive party. But if my wife and I have last minute dinner decisions, and I can shoot a text to one of my my great friends who own some of these wonderful places, oh, we’ll have a table for you. Okay? And you don’t have to wait like all night.

8

Nestor Aparicio  31:41

Well, you tell the bar Bill North people, this is a free plug for them. And this is in the middle of my tastiness journey, the best chicken wings I’ve ever had in my life, and the best beef on weck. I mean, it was out, it was out. It was outrageously good. As I got invited there after opening day, Luke was with me. You know, pro football Writers Association, Luke Jones, he’s our chapter president here in Baltimore, and, you know, we went there, and I was just blown away by how good it was. So like, you know, football’s gonna get me ready for some food on buffalo. Vic Carucci, thanks for coming on, man. I appreciate you as always, always the best Nestor, talk to you. I can walk right there around the corner in Williamsville. I am Nestor. We are wnst. Am 1570 Towson, Baltimore, been too long without football and avenging all that was not right in Buffalo last January, on Sunday night. Long season ahead. Stay with us.