Bills Have Decisions to Make on Defense w/ Sal Capaccio | Buffalo Bills Gameday

All right, let’s go to Sale Kapacio who uh now joins us here on the Western Hotline. Um Sale, good morning to you. >> Good morning. Yeah. No, I I believe that sack that Favre took a dive, that was the record-breaking sack because that was late in the final game of the year. >> Okay. And that’s kind of why he took he laid it down. >> There is a I forget the name of who had the record before, but there was a very a Okay, thank you. Yes, there’s a very awkward clip of him approaching Brett Favre like recently. And he’s still very he’s very upset still that that happened that he took a dive for straight >> man. That was at a memorabilia show and Gastau has always been very bitter about it. Yeah. >> And Favre was there and Yeah. And there was a there was a documentary being made and a film crew was with him >> and he approached Favre and it was your eyes very awkward and Favre had no idea what was kind of what was going on. >> That’s right. Favre he was not ready like he thought he was kidding I think at at first. >> Yeah. Yeah. And but anyway, I don’t think, you know, people have asked like, “Oh, Josh Allen never do something like that.” Like, first of all, I don’t think so. Secondly, he’s got two games after. >> Yeah. He he doesn’t need the charity. I I I don’t think so. Um you are uh up at Huntington Bank Stadium. Um Cleveland’s getting a new stadium, an indoor stadium. Um I have never been in at a game at that stadium sale, but like Buffalo uh or like a lot of people talked about Buffalo’s new stadium being on the waterfront. Uh, Huntington Bank Stadium right in the waterfront. Have they’ve had some interesting weather games between these two teams as well. Um, you know, that’s a natural grass surface field, right? >> Yep. I’m standing on it right now. Actually, I’m standing just off it as I I will walk onto the grass. I’m in the end zone now. >> It is. >> And it is grass. >> It’s a great complex down there. >> It is. And it’s got a um it’s got the turf on the side. It’s got the uh grass on the field. I mean, it’s a Here’s the thing. It’s crazy, though. Browns came back in the league in 99. So this stadium guys is only 27 years old, right? >> Right. I mean, think about it. 26, 27, and you know, they’re getting a new one. It was kind of like, we got to build one if we want to get a team back, >> right? >> And they did. And >> you know, it’s a I I don’t want to I guess cookie cutter kind of thing. Like it’s just it looks very similar to Pittsburgh. >> Baltimore is kind of similar. Tennessee. >> Tennessee reminds me of a lot. Yeah. Same same era. >> It’s not a But the new one is not going to be down here. I don’t know. Is it Brook Park? Maybe. I can’t remember if they decided exactly there, but >> it does. It It is going to be indoors, but >> it’s going to be beautiful. It also kind of looks like a convention center from the outside when you look at the renderings. >> Yeah, a little bit. Right. Like if you pass by it, you might not know that there’s a football stadium in there. It’s also right by the airport, right? Like very close to the airport. I think >> I I think that’s the case. Yeah. In fact, it’s funny you say that. like you know we came in and you know fly in with the team and this is one of the stadiums where and you could always have a different hotel you stay at but like literally we were right across the street from the stadium. It was the shortest bus ride I’ve ever had from a hotel to a stadium is always the case here basically you get in you so it’s right on I love it. I love the fact that it’s downtown. I love the fact it’s on the water like near maybe not on the water but downtown near everything because honestly like last night it’s just you have the stadium you have the hard rock uh I’m sorry Rockall Hall of Fame the baseball stadium with the basketball arena everything is right here it’s pretty cool >> so s we’ll we’ll dive into the game a little bit um looking at the injury report we’ll start there um you know Christian Benford both Terrell Bernard and Christian Benford uh full participants on Friday uh both have uh looks like clear game statuses for this game I I want to start with Benford sale I I I was really impressed, especially watching that game back last week about Maxwell Haristen’s game uh in and specifically what they did with Haristston kind of leaving him on an island backside and man coverage. Um knowing now that I think not that I think that one game alone has given this defense and this coaching staff confidence that Haristen when they’re in a pickle can go out there and they feel very confident with him. But I’m wondering now just how maybe they’re going to use Benford and and Haristston and Trey White who listen Trey White’s not coming out of the starting lineup here at Field Sale. I I wonder how they might start using them all in some dime looks um you know on and on and clear passing downs. I this is I would say maybe the best problem they’ve had at corner in a few years. >> Yeah, I wouldn’t expect um I wouldn’t expect Max Harist to necessarily end up like as a dime safety or in the box. I think there’s just so much that’s on the plate of a player there. Like to me it’s just you have three corners and yeah I wouldn’t be surprised to see a rotation. It’s their boundary corners and you know it’s Christian Benford coming off the injury. Maybe you get to a point today where you can back off him a little bit. Maybe he becomes a part of a rotation today. I’m not sure but you know maybe that’s something and obviously you don’t want to necessarily take the Browns lightly or assume anything for sure. >> But the but the ideal scenario would be hey you know what the Bills could get up in this game and as the game goes on you have it you know where you feel comfortable. Maybe maybe Benford takes a little time. Well, you start load managing, but in the meantime, if this game is a game and you got to keep playing and you’re in the fourth quarter, I am interested to see who’s on the field opposite Christian Benford. Is it Trey White? Is it Max Harrison? Because um I do like what Max Harrison’s done. But I’ll say this guys, Trey White’s played well. I think they really like uh the way he’s played, especially since, you know, early in the season, the by-week. And um I think they have every confidence in the world in him. It is, as you said, a good problem to have because it’s not a problem. It’s just they have three players they feel very confident in right now. S, do you feel like this matchup, the Bills defensive line has not necessarily performed all that well in the last month or so that today could be a day for them to look good? It’s a combo, it feels like, of Cleveland missing linemen and Sanders holds the ball longer than any quarterback in the NFL. >> Yeah, I mean, you would hope that they would be able to have a little bit of a improvement on some of those kind of numbers, the pass rush numbers, getting to the quarterback. You’re right. Sanders holds on to the ball. And think about the fact that, you know, rookie quarterback Shawn McDermit, Bobby Babage, they’re going to try to confuse him a lot, right? So, he might have to hold on the ball even longer in this game, which that could spell, you know, the Bills getting to him a little bit. I would love to see that. I think the biggest area for me for the defensive line, though, is not that they need to tackle today. Uh Quinn Sean Judkins is one of the best at breaking tackles, yards after contact. This kid has over 800 yards rushing, over 700 after contact, guys. I mean like you got to get him down to the ground. So to me the biggest thing with the front with the front seven and the D line is is tackling. I think that’s where you really have to be a lot better. >> And how much how much of the Bills struggles run gamewise do you think this year have been has been that like I guess scheme and gap integrity versus oh you were there you just didn’t really bring him down. >> A lot of it I think a lot has come down to that. You go back to some of the games earlier in the year. I think the New England game was one of these games in Sunday Night Football. Um they just they missed tackles. Uh Atlanta Falcons, they missed tackles. And you miss a tackle and against a guy like Judkins, you can miss a tackle against a Bejian Robinson or Tayvon Henderson, you know, and not that they missed to the heckles last week on those two long runs, but they were out of out of their assignments there, but tackling has been an issue. So I do think that that has been a big issue at times this year. They seem like they were getting better. Last few weeks they’ve been better at it. And then last week it it popped up again uh in New England. And even though they did win the game and obviously made big plays, I didn’t think the tackling was was very good last week. And one of the guys last week I thought that wasn’t as best as he had been was Shaq Thompson. And you bring up Trell Bernard being back. That’s something I’m really interested today to see what happens. I you know I a corner they could go rotation whatever. We can understand that. I think the bigger question to me is what happens at middle linebacker today. >> Yeah. And I wonder too s because obviously the concern with Bernard has been the elbow since he had the injury. But going into the game that he gets the elbow injury, the talk was him still fighting through some sort of lower body, ankle, foot, knee, whatever it was. And I I think when you look at Terrell Bernard, he’s not the biggest linebacker, but that’s not why he had been successful to start his career. It wasn’t his size or wasn’t his ability to be really a physical player. He is a read and react and gets there before the blockers get there kind of linebacker. and he just wasn’t getting there and getting to the spot quick enough with the injury to his lower body or his leg. Do do we feel like that has been figured out? And is he maybe closer to 100% in that area? Because I think if not that that’s where I just I’m leaning on Shaq loss uh Shaq uh Shaq Thompson until I feel Terrell Bernard’s got the foot speed that he plays with that gives him an advantage and why he’s out there in the first place. >> I don’t believe ankle’s listed anymore in the injury report. Right. It’s just >> Yeah, it’s just elbow. Yeah. So, I think that’s an indication that they probably feel like he’s in a much better spot. I mean, when he got hurt, that was one of the things that I thought about, which was, you know, you don’t want to see him hurt. You don’t want to see him off the field, but at least maybe this gives him time also to rehab the ankle a little bit, get a little bit better there. So, yeah, I think that could be a very big um benefit for him. And we’ll see. Uh this might be a team today where you don’t, again, you don’t necessarily need the sideline to sideline coverage for the linebacker. You might need a guy like Cha Thompson to plug up and make sure you’re tackling Quinn Sean Judkins. Again, this could be an issue where in a situation where the Bills mix and match Thompson and Bernard, you know, going out through now and through the playoffs and every team they’re playing. >> The other thing, too, we were talking about this last segment, Sale, is last week Matt Milano’s uh ability on the Blitz, I gets two sacks last week. That’s also, I think, a big strength of Terrell Bernard. And I I think too if this defense is going to become a little bit I think out of necessity a blitzheavy zone blitz man blitz and kind of mix things up on that end getting a healthy Terrell Bernard I think is a huge advantage for them. That’s really what he was best at at Baylor. I mean that was kind of what he he’s like I think he led Baylor his last year Baylor in sacks. Like he’s the type of player that I think really fits what they’re out of necessity doing defensively right now. S >> Yeah, you’re right. Um they need to go and it feels like lately they need to blitz a little more. They don’t want to do it necessarily. They did it more in the second half last week. Matt Milano was blitzing. Milano’s a good blitzer. You just don’t love using them in that in that regard. Um and Bernard can do that as well. Uh I don’t think it’s the preferred option, but if they have to, they will, you know, and I we’ll see today if uh they mix and match a little bit here. You know, Harold Fannon is a really nice tight end. That’s a guy to be aware of, too. And you know, you wonder about again Bernard Milano linebackers th those that’s how are you going to match up against him? Jerry Judy’s nice. They have nice pieces at pass catch as pass catchers. So we’ll see what they decide to do in that regard. >> Sal Kapacio with us on the other side of the matchup. S it’s a lot of pub about Miles Garrett because he’s closing in on the sack record. And listen, the Bills have they’ve lost a couple games this year because they couldn’t handle pass rush at least in part lost those games. Houston, Atlanta come to mind. Um, Cleveland’s got some other pieces though. Like Garrett’s definitely the headliner, but like Carson Schweitzinger I think is the the betting favorite for defensive rookie of the year. Like if if there’s one side of the ball that’s more threatening for Cleveland, I feel like it’s definitely their defense. >> No doubt. They’re they’re really good on defense. Their numbers are really good. If they had a competent offense in any regard, they have a different season going on. I think what’s happening is their offense just so poor on a week- toeek basis that they just can’t overcome uh the defense can’t overcome the positions that they’re put in. Um but yeah, you’re right. If if if the Bills aren’t on, you know, have their game going today on offense. This could be a defense that could make a couple of plays and suddenly things get interesting. You don’t want that to happen. So, no doubt you need to be very very aware of where Miles Garrett is. people talk about and of course the headline is how great he is uh getting to the quarterback guys but he’s also a really good run defender you know and and the Bills are going to want to run the ball today and they have a very good run defense their pass defense Cleveland’s pass defense is number one in the NFL number two is the Bills which is crazy right >> they’re number one in success rate in EPA per play I mean they are they’re legitimate defense >> they they will be without Denzel Ward today though so that’s a big loss for them obviously um I think one of their Dlinemen is also down they had to elevate uh somebody. So, um, you know, maybe the Bills have an opportunity here. I think the Bills are going to want to run the ball with James Cook. Obviously, he’s near the rushing lead this year, but they are a very good defense. Jim Schwarz, a very good coordinator, and the Bills cannot allow them to make a play or two here or there to stay in this game and get into a situation like they’ve been the last few weeks getting down. >> You have Do you have a thought as what happens with Stfansky after this year in Cleveland? I’ve talked with different people in Cleveland media this week who’ve really kind of we we’ve been kind of going back and forth about this subject and it feels to me like he’s got a lot of support from fans and media who think he’s doing a really good job. Uh and he doesn’t really have the tools necessarily and he’s twotime coach of the year. >> Um I feel like this is an organization that doesn’t have the greatest structure all the time. They kind of don’t really know and have a great plan and what they want to do at this point after three wins. I wouldn’t be surprised if they move on from Kevin Stfansky, but this is an organization that always seems like they just kind of get in their own way a little bit more too often. So, it’s a tough It’s tough call, I guess. No. No. Is the answer. The answer to your question is no. I don’t have a feel because I just don’t >> know. You never know what a team like this, a organization like the Browns is thinking because they always seem to kind of get in their own way, if you will. >> Yeah. Right. And I I wonder I mean I don’t know if he can do anything about it because he’s under contract, but I feel like he’s always mentioned in these well if he could get out of Cleveland, you know, maybe this team or this team would be interesting to him. Almost kind of setting it up like maybe he could get out of Cleveland if he wanted to. But again, like if he’s got a contract, I I don’t think that could get ugly if you try to do that. >> Yeah. And and that was another that was actually asked to me by one of the Cleveland media was well what if things fell badly for the Bills and the Bills moved on for McDermott would and Stfansky was available and I’m like my answer was I’ve never heard a Bills fan think that Kevin Stfansky would be an option to you know that they would want because like no because there’s no success there you know what I mean it’s coach of the year but that would be what you’re looking for and and I mean obviously that’s just way down the rabbit hole but it is interesting that you bring that up because >> I don’t know I mean yeah I’m sure that he would be a commodity to somebody who would think, hey, young quarterback, offensive head coach, no doubt about it. But I don’t know. I He doesn’t scream to me to be a guy that as soon as he’s out of his job, everybody’s clamoring for him, >> right? All right, S. Uh, we will talk to you. We’ll hear from you in about an hourish time on the round table. >> All right, you got a guy. >> All right, thanks S. Let’s hear us. Heating, air conditioning, and electrical excellence intercept your heating bills. Enter now at wgr550.com for a chance to win $1,200 toward your home heating cost. Don’t fall of this opportunity. Contest ends January 4th, 2026.

Nate Geary and Joe DiBiase are joined by Buffalo Bills sideline reporter Sal Capaccio for his Buffalo Bills gameday appearance ahead of Bills-Browns. The guys start off with a weather discussion, analyzing how the cold could impact the play in the game. They then transition to discussing how the injuries both teams are facing could change how they approach the matchup. Sal also touches on the keys to the defense finding success, the Browns most dangerous players, and more!

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