TNF’s Tony Gonzalez Talks Bills vs Lions, Chiefs & More

Tony Gonzalez went to see the new Highmark Stadium the day before it hosted its first game. His scouting report on the building was simple. It is going to be chaos, and the Lions are walking right into it.

The Pro Football Hall of Famer joined Colleen on The Rich Eisen Show ahead of Prime Video's Thursday Night Football coverage of Lions and Bills, and he covered the whole board: the stakes in Buffalo, the noise, the Chiefs, Travis Kelce chasing his records, and a very confident answer to a basketball question.

Colleen started with Dalton Kincaid, who exploded for 130 yards in Week 1, and she had exactly the right person to ask about it. Gonzalez said the biggest development is that Kincaid is finally healthy. He played 72 percent of the snaps, one of the highest shares of his career, and Gonzalez thinks health has been the biggest thing holding him back. "He's a phenomenal talent," he said, noting the blocking has improved and he is "on his way to becoming an elite tight end in this league."

The moment that convinced him came against Derek Stingley Jr., one of the best defensive backs in the NFL. Gonzalez described Josh Allen's mindset on the play: "My guy's going to be better than you. I'm going to throw it up in the air." Kincaid went up and made the catch. "To me that's when I'm like, okay, he's arrived."

For Detroit, the plan is obvious. Feed Jahmyr Gibbs, who had a career high 34 touches in Week 1. Gonzalez thinks the Lions have to keep the ball away from a Buffalo offense he ranks top three in the NFL, "clearly the best offense Josh Allen's ever had," with DJ Moore now in the mix. "Look for a big game out of Jahmyr Gibbs tonight."

He does have a caveat. Gibbs is 5-9, 200 pounds, "electric, a home run hitter," and Gonzalez worries the workload is too much. He would like to see backup Sione Vaki, who had three touches in Week 1, used more to spell him.

The noise is the part Gonzalez could describe firsthand, having toured the building the day before. "This place, you know, it's going to be rocking tonight," he said. "The Bills Mafia is going to be in full effect."

What struck him was the design. The stadium is "so tall" and the acoustics are "going to be going crazy." He thinks Buffalo nailed it and just created an even bigger home field advantage. "Coming in there as an opposing player, you're coming into a zone of just chaos."

He knows what that feels like from the inside. You practice for it, but "there's nothing like going through it when you can't hear anything." Expect hand signals. Expect teams to skip the snap count entirely and just go off the ball. Expect "a couple offsides." And expect the crowd to "definitely play a factor in this game."

It gets harder for Detroit up front. The Lions are missing their left guard and, Gonzalez believes, their right tackle, on a short week, in that environment, with Ed Oliver and Greg Rousseau waiting. "It's going to be a tough, tough go for them," he said. He also framed it as an opportunity for whoever steps in: go "make some hay" and let people know you can handle it.

Colleen noted that Travis Kelce just moved into second all time in receiving yards among tight ends, right behind Gonzalez, a little over 2,000 yards back. Will he catch him?

Gonzalez admitted he thought Kelce would be done last year, not because he was slipping, but because he has done everything. "There's nothing left to prove," he said, except that Kelce told him face to face that he loves the game and loves competing. With Kenneth Walker giving the Chiefs a real run game, Gonzalez thinks it could prolong his career. "Could he catch my records? Absolutely." And if anyone does it, "that's the guy that I would love to watch do it because he's such a good guy on and off the field."

Asked whether even a little part of him envies Kelce getting to play in Andy Reid's system, Gonzalez corrected the premise. "It's not a little part. It's a big part, okay?" Playing for "the big man in red" would be a dream for any offensive player. But he is happy for Kelce. "I'm not ever going to be that bitter guy."

Chiefs fans loved the Week 1 dismantling of the Broncos, and Colleen asked how reenergized Kansas City looked compared to how last season ended. Gonzalez started with Patrick Mahomes simply being on the field this soon after his injury. "It speaks to who that guy is."

The game plan, as he saw it, was to run the ball and find out what Walker could bring. "He delivered," Gonzalez said, calling Walker, after one game, "probably one of the best offensive additions that any team has had." If Kansas City can lean on that ground game until Mahomes feels right in that knee and gets his rhythm back, "this offense can be really, really good."

He also credited the return of offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy. "He's somebody that, discipline, accountability. He expects you to be where you're supposed to be when you're supposed to be there." Mahomes looked a little rusty in Week 1, Gonzalez acknowledged, but he believes the MVP caliber version is coming back.

As for Thursday night shenanigans, Gonzalez said the crew is taking over and under on when Ryan Fitzpatrick's shirt comes off, and he is thrilled to be back with Charissa Thompson, Fitz, Sherm and Whit, with Al Michaels and Kirk Herbstreit on the call. "This is football, baby."

TJ closed with a start, bench, cut of former college basketball players turned NFL stars: Gonzalez, Antonio Gates and Julius Peppers. Gonzalez did not hesitate. He starts himself, even though "Antonio would probably say he averaged 20 points and I only averaged what, seven or eight." Gates, his fellow tight end and Hall of Famer, goes to the bench. Peppers gets cut, on the theory that he was more of a rebounder and defender. "Me and Antonio, we could score some points when we had to."