First Things First - Daryl Morey takes shot at Lakers bubble title, BUD List, What's on the line for Justin Herbert?

Episode Date: July 31, 2025

Watch clips on YouTube! Subscribe to the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠FIRST THINGS FIRST YOUTUBE CHANNEL⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (00:00) What is on the line for Justin Herbert this season? / John Harbaugh praises Lamar Jackson’s passing ability (25:55) Daryl Morey takes shot at Lakers bubble championship (36:07) Excited for Drake Maye and Stefon Diggs togther? (42:15) BUD List (1:03:57) Buying there will be an Aaron Rodgers renaissance? / Will Vikings regret moving on from Sam Darnold? / Still have reason to be optimistic towards Anthony Richardson? (1:16:36) Did the Madden ratings disrespect Patrick Mahomes? (1:20:33) Final thoughts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

No, that you're going to do it. The show that has a take so hot, it's still reverberating through the staff. Yeah, it's, it, it is a, I think that it's not obvious that Bill Belichick is better than Doug Peterson. It's that take. It's the same thing. How many Super Bowls did Doug Pearson go there? What?

Doug Peterson went to one Super Bowl in his first two years. Well, just went to one? Yeah. That's very different than going to two is twice as many. I mean, it's just twice as many. If I had four arms, you'd be like, I got. You know, like, I the guy only has two more arms. You're like, you have twice as many.

It's a big deal. Imagine if the coach has won three times as many. This is a, this is because yesterday. Average was a thousand. Yeah, exactly. Never lost. That's a fair point. Yeah.

You can make that argument. What we're talking about. No. Brue yesterday said as an aside, obviously Andy reads better than Nick Siriani. It's like why are we even discussing? Wiles wouldn't let it stay. I said it's not obvious.

He said it's not obvious. I just raised my hand. I say, excuse me. You didn't raise your hand. I have, I have a quick clarification. I don't think it's obvious. Right. And everyone else, it's just the hottest take.

Don't run from it. Is New York a better city than Miami? I mean, through a lot of metrics, yes. But I can't say New York obviously better than Miami. I mean, like, that's a little different. That's a terrible example. Why? It's a great city.

Because there are people alive that believe Miami. Yeah. Amy's better than New York. Yeah, so, yeah, so again, two hours down. I'm not one person. Do you, does any, do you think Nick Siriani is better than Andy Reed? No, I think exactly. I just don't think it's obvious.

See this. It's just not obvious. Semantics. It's just not, I think, oh, it's obvious. It's obvious to everyone watching. It's obvious to everyone but you. It's obvious to coach. Coach hates agreeing with me.

It makes him feel bad inside me. I mean, the guy's got a better winning percentage since he's been in the league. No, you said that again yesterday. That is English. Why wasn't Andy Reid on that graphic? Let's start the show. Because you don't, because career winning percentage. Yes.

He has a better career winning percentage than Andy Reed. What do you want me to do? What do you want to judge him on? What do you want to judge him on? You guys don't like him shaved his head. That's what it was. The guy shaved his head and he yelled at some fans. I'm going full heel.

I hope we do go to Kansas City Week 2. So do I. I'm going to save up three bucks, go to a Royals game. Today, Harbaugh's historic praise for Lamar. Too much? Nothing's too much these days. Sirianni's the best coach ever. Never said it.

He can be the best. Never said it. Meanwhile, Aaron Rogers is tuning out his critics. Is anyone ready for the Rogers Renaissance as Brew gets closer and closer to becoming a Rogers guy again? I'm in the lab. I'm in the lab. And finally, it's the most motivational segment in all of the, sports. Wow. That looked cool. It's the Bud list. Who even was that? Tanner McKee and Jalen

Hurks. Oh, okay. That graph, that was a cool video. You can't have to be that cool of the backup quarterback or third string. I mean, what he? Oh, Trevor. Is he on the Bud list? The Prince? It might be. Wow. Congratulations. A Royal Budlis? Oh, my. Something was said recently that just sent fireworks off. Really? Goodness, what a show. And it led to Trevor. Wow. He should have succeeded.

You know what? In fairness, he should have succeeded more since briefly, evidently, he had the greatest coach of all time as his head coach. Never said that. The guy did. Dust just told us 20 minutes left in the block. It looks like we're not doing one of these topics. I'm sorry.

We're starting with the Hall of Fame game tonight. Chargers Lions, Chargers kick off their actual season in Brazil in 36 days. against the Andy Reid team. What's on the line for Justin Herbert this year? He just has to accomplish something. That's all. Just accomplish something. Like the, no, like to be, yeah, no, no, he has shown me things.

It's actually now I'm doing a different version of semantics. I've seen a lot of positive things from Justin Herbert. Just unfortunately, none of them have resulted in any tangible accomplishment. He doesn't, he's never led the league in any. category. He's never won a playoff game. He hasn't have even the kind of marred accomplishment of an amazing regular

season and then the playoff, like 13 and 3, but then you lose in the playoff game. There's just, if we were to rank active starting quarterbacks by accomplishment, he doesn't make the top 15. Really? Yeah.

Well, he did have that, you know, that oft-quoted stat. Most yards ever in the first five years. But if I did it, and I mean, we could, but it would be in no particular order, but I'll do as close to order as we can. The Mahomes Rogers, right, or obviously ahead of it. And then stop me if I say someone who's not. Josh, Lamar, Joe, we're at five, Russell Wilson, Joe Flacco's still a starter,

we're at seven, Jalen Hertz, were at eight, Baker Mayfield, Matt Stafford, were at 10. Brock Purdy were at 11. Jaden Daniels were at 12. Jared Gough, who I didn't even mention, he's been to his Super Bowl and has multiple good playoffs. Are you saying like winning any, like a playoff game? Well, not just winning a playoff game, have led the, and I could have, if I was just winning a playoff game,

you'd put CJ ahead of him because he's done that twice. But there's, if you haven't won any playoff games, if you've only made a Pro Bowl once, if you've never led the league in anything, and those other guys are all playing. So again, the talent is the talent and the talent is top 10 in the league. But he has to, at the end of year six,

you've got to have accomplished something. I think that's a little, like I get it. He hasn't won a playoff game. Like you said, he hasn't led to league in anything. But he did throw 38 touchdowns in the season. He's thrown over 30 twice, like with not a lot of interceptions in those years. So I get it. But we don't want to belittle the entire regular season

just because a guy hasn't won a playoff. But I'm not. But like I didn't even mention Dak. We agree, because Dak has had gaudier stats than anything Herbert's done. And he's won a couple of playoff games. Like, Dak's thrown for five,

what did he have, 5,000. I don't think he's ever thrown for 38. He threw for 37. Okay. Well, so I mean, right.

So I mean, but go ahead. Yeah. So here's what he has to do. Like you said, just accomplished something. he has to make the playoffs and he has to have a great playoff game. Sure.

Even if they lose. Because they might play Baltimore, Buffalo, or Kansas City in the first round. Sure. If you lose that. But if he's great and they lose to Kansas City in the playoffs, there's no shame. Right. So that's what he has to do. Doesn't even have to win the playoff game, but it has to be great.

Here's what's on the line for him. You might say, at first I thought, well, his status among some people, many people actually as an elite quarterback. Because a lot of people clearly think he's an elite quarterback. But then I thought, no, you know what really is on the line for him? His reputation or the belief that he is Jim Harbaugh's favorite quarterback. Because if JJ, if they don't make the playoffs or make the playoffs and Justin's bad again and they lose. And JJ McCarthy plays well.

Minnesota wins 12 games. They get to the, like, because Harbaugh has already talked about how much he loved. Yeah, he talked glowingly about Herbert too. But he's talked that. J.J. McCarthy was the best player in last year's draft. J.J. McCarthy had the greatest passing day he has ever seen in his life at Pro Day. Like, he clearly loves McCarthy who he won a national championship with. If Justin Herbert doesn't, to use your words, accomplish something.

something this year people going to be like man would Harbaugh rather have Herbert and and would Harbaugh trade Herbert to Minnesota for JJ McCarthy and honestly if I'm Minnesota I'm picking up the phone oh yeah if you're Minnesota I'm picking up the phone seriously I mean so that's what's on the line so this was the Parkin special when you were out yeah Danny Parkins came and brought his graphics this with him so this is the one that he travels with his graphics yes he's He had a little suitcase. He popped it open, like Pulp Fiction, and brought out this graphic. First five seasons, Herbert and Payton Manning.

So he's like, all right, these are, we don't have the graphic because Parkins, as I mentioned, it's in his suit. He don't get with it. Do we really not? We don't really have it. Okay. It's in a suitcase, yeah. The record is almost identical. It's like 41 wins versus 42 wins.

It's 137 touchdowns versus 138 touchdowns. Correct. It's 0 and 2 in the playoffs versus 0.3 in the past rating. Here's the graphic we do have because then I had a counter graphic. Do we have this one dust or no? Okay. If we don't have, okay, there we go. Well, you know, first five seasons of 40 or regular season wins, no playoff wins.

It's Justin Herber, Andy Dallon, Payton Manning, my guy, Steve Grogan. So here's the thing. Parkins always talks about Payton Manning. I'm like, all right, but it's probably, if it doesn't go well, I feel like, oh, Andy Dallon, really good, the red rifle. Well, and I think he's not always All the roads don't leave to pay him. And this is why I find the

And by the way, you don't want to be Steve Grogan. Shout out. He was solid. Franchise quarterback. But if Justin Herbert ends up being Andy Dalton or Steve Grogan, it's a huge disappointment. And before I ripped Danny to shred, shout out Danny, who's right now in the midst

of doing 24 straight hours of radio on 670 to score in Chicago trying to raise money for brain cancer research. She does it every year. It's a really cool thing. So shout out to him. Now rip him to dreads. Okay, good.

So what he leaves out is that year two, Peyton Manning was all pro, second an MVP voting. They went 13 and 3. Year three, Peyton Manning, they went, he led the NFL in touchdowns and yards and was all pro again. And by the way, but he had an awful rookie year and then a bad year four, which is why the numbers over, five years equal Justin Herbert's who's just been very steady like a B plus. He hasn't had a bad no he hasn't had a bad year. He has not had a

bad year he's just been like a minus B plus every you know what I mean every step of the way. Start out gangbusters. Correct but the problem with the comp is you are setting yourself up for disappointment because this was Peyton in year six

Peyton in year six was league MVP his first two playoff games had a 1.45 passer rating, eight touchdowns, no picks, including a five touchdown perfect passer rating game against Kansas City, led the league in completion percentage, led the league in passing yards, lost in the AFC championship game,

and starting in year six, had one of the better four year runs of any quarterback ever. When he went 50 and 14, was all pro, all four years, won two MVPs and won a Super Bowl. So yeah, I agree, if just, Justin Herbert's about to go on this run. Well, this one looks crazy, but the previous graphic didn't seem out of reach.

You don't think it's out. I don't know if we can cycle back to it. 29 touchdown. He could do that. 29 and 10 and 40, 200 yards. Like, you could do that. One league MVP, first team all pro. The most passing yards in football.

The other thing is like, is Harbaugh going to throw the ball around like this? Well, that's, this is, this, the sneaky argument for Jalen Hertz in relation to this, because Hertz and Herbert couldn't have more dissimilar throwing motions, resumes, pedigree, you know, opinions, all of it, is the Chargers asked Herbert to be the player, the Eagles asked Hertz to be two years ago. You know what I mean? Take care of the football, lean on the defense, and if we need you, make some big throws. And Hertz did it to the tune of they got to the Super Bowl and then in the Super Bowl needed some big plays and he made

him and Herbert did it to the tune of one of the worst playoff games anyone's played in the last decade in round one against a Texans team that was limping to the finish line like they've asked Josh Allen to do that too by the way yes right to yeah to be to be careful with the Bruce point of like oh the JJ McCarthy style quarterback would almost fit better with Harbaugh and Justin Herbert throwing around it's better with Justin and and Herbert with With O'Connell? Oh, my. Well, I think the Vikings would be thrilled to do that, depending on what happened with James.

Let's see what happens this year. Is that out there? It's not out there. I'm just saying, let Herbert have a season even like last year, where you're fine in the regular season. They get to the playoffs and then it falls in. There's another thing that has to happen, which is McCarthy playing. Has to be well. McCarthy plays well.

Herbert does what we did last year, flops in the playoffs. It can happen. Now what's out there. And Justin Jeffrey, if I'm Justin Jefferson. Hey, it's out there now. Head down to Baltimore where Harbaugh is heaping praise on Lamar's passing. Now, Lamar threw for almost 4,200 yards last year, led the league in yards per pass attempt. So that was great.

Here's his coach. Just go to the most basic simple thing. Lamar is a passer. Yeah. He is a historically good passer. And that's really quite a statement because of the narrative that's been surrounding him ever since the beginning. Lamar Jackson can throw the football.

He can throw it every kind of way. He can make every kind of throw any kind of way you want. He's as good as any guy, any pastor that has ever been. And I think now the numbers are proven that. So I'm a bad guy. So this is where I get set up to be a hater because that's just obviously objectively not true. And we are every year we are subjected to, in the off season,

a different Harbaugh quote like this, which is, remember last year, what it was, we have big goals for Lamar Jackson. The Vision recognizes the greatest quarterback ever to play in the history of the National Football League, and this year he has won up to it, which is, because I think this is higher praise, because greatest quarterback to ever play

involves leadership and tangible toughness and is running. He's now saying, throw all that aside. Just purebler. Just purebred. passing, he's as good as anyone there's ever been. And even the biggest Lamar Jackson fans, I think, don't think he's one of the 10 greatest passers that's ever played. He had an unbelievable season.

I don't think, Brew, you think he's, again, I'll do it again. We'll see. Mahomes, Brady, Peyton, Rogers, Marino, young, Farr, Breeze, Elway Borough. Just pure passing. And I leave out Matt Stafford for 11 and Philip Rivers for an even dozen. Again, that's not quarterbacking, but he says pure passing. And last year, Lamar was unbelievable throwing the ball. It was also the first year he's ever thrown more than 3,700 yards.

It is not being a hater to say that's an outrageous statement. The one thing I'll take issue with what he says is as great. I don't know if he's as great. He's thrown it as good as any pastor there's ever been. So that's like no one's ever thrown it better. Yeah. But when he says historically great, now initially it does sound crazy because of the questions about Lamar when he entered the league. The struggles he had at points earlier in his career at points, not every single year, of course.

The fact that he's a great runner and he's known more really for his running until maybe last year as far as a quarterback and the struggles that he's had in the playoffs. Yeah. But here's the thing. The statement wasn't about Lamar being steely. It wasn't about Lamar having these winning chops. Like no one's had more winning chops than Lamar. The statement is about him throwing the football. And Harbaugh even said it, the numbers are starting to bear that out.

Like look at these numbers. This is in the Super Bowl era. This is where Lamar ranks all time. Third greatest passer rating in the Super Bowl era, highest patiti percentage, fifth in interception percentage, and fifth in yards per attempt. The two guys ahead of him in passer rating,

here they are, Air Rogers and Patrick Mahomes. Now, he's never going to throw for a ton of yards because they don't throw it. He does not throw it. He has had, and this is another reason it sounds crazy, because he doesn't throw the ball a lot. He's thrown it 500 times.

never in his crees. He's never had a season throwing 500 passes or more. Mahomes six out of his seven years has thrown it 500. The one he didn't, they only played 14 games. So that just shows you. But the reason he doesn't pass it is not because he can't throw it

early on maybe. But now it's because the dude is such a great runner. Oh, and now we got Derek Henry too. So, and here's the other thing, Nick. He put up those numbers and has never had a great wide receiver. Well, but that's a little chicken in the egg. How?

Because I don't, the, would Hollywood Brown's career have gone differently as a first round pick, a highly sought after guy, if when he was drafted Lamar was a better past. He's been elsewhere though. He's been in Arizona. Now he's, I mean, he hadn't played much in Kansas City, but I'm just saying, he's never, you

got to admit, Hollywood Brown ain't a great receiver. He's fine. He's good. It's not for lack of trying. They've spent a lot of resources at that spot. They've spent a lot of first round picks at that spot and I think some of that is some of that is Lamar related like I just brew which guy

are you standing on the Hollywood that's where you're going to stay there I think I don't know if Zay Flowers has fully reached his like you like Zay more than me I think Zay is good every year for Bateman to have this big year it is if Lamar Jackson is one of the greatest pastors ever

and the Ravens keep underachieving and they never throw the ball all the time then you know what I would do over the Ravens, I'd change it up. I'd be like, we have a guy who's evidently as good of a pastor as anyone ever. And clearly, those numbers if we believe that. Well, they did change it up in the playoffs

and they lost to Kansas City. Right. And then everyone got mad for doing it. Nick, we don't say Dan Marino wasn't a all-time great passer because his numbers plummeted in the playoffs. Everything. Completed percentage. Paster rating.

Touchdown percentage. Interception percentage went up. No, but I'm saying, like, you just were talking about the playoffs. When you bring up, they've underachieved, they haven't underachieved in the regular season. What I'm saying is that, and this is where, again,

I feel like I'm arguing something everyone agrees with. Does anybody think Lamar Jackson's good of a pastor as Peyton Manning? I don't. Is that controversial? He has a higher career passer than Peyton Manning. I'm going to go ahead and say, if you remove running from the game,

which is what Harbaugh's talking about, I think you'd be better off with Peyton Manning than Lamar Jackson. If quarterbacks were not allowed to scramble. I'm going to say that. You know what? I'm going to throw Joe, I didn't include him on my list. I'm going to include Joe Montana.

I'm going to say, I'm going to say that if, if we are just talking about pure passing, I'm going to be crazy. I'm going to take Aaron Rogers over Lamar Jackson. I'm going to. So what do the numbers mean? What are those numbers mean to you? I think those numbers brew are a product of a lot of different things. I think it is noteworthy that you did TD percentage, interception percentage.

because he is a very efficient passer. I also think the fact that he has never, he's thrown for more than 3,700 yards one time. But we also know today, and you know this, yards, total yards is not like the end-all, be-all measurement of who's a great quarterback. The year James, James Winston threw for 5,000 yards and 30 touchdowns. Well, he also went to 30-picks.

Right. I know that. I mean, and a lot of guys that lead that are high in the league, in yards per game. I mean, last year, Purdy, in his worst season was like, I think top five in yards per game.

But so this is the, I guess, hold on. I don't think that's the measure. I don't want to argue something that we agree on. Does, does, so I already mentioned Montana, Manning,

Rogers, I'll throw another name out there. If you remove running from the game, I think I'd rather have Drew Breeze than Lamar. If we're just talking about passing, I'm going to go out on a limb and say Drew Breeze. Do you guys dis dis, Last year, Lamar Jackson had the fourth best passer rating ever in the season.

And only two players have done it more, Aaron Rodgers and Peyton Man. And if he threw for, and last year he threw for over 4,000 yards first time of his career. If that's who he is moving forward, then we can start talking about him on this list. Right now he's not in the top dozen of passers in the history of the league. And I think, Brew, you agree with me. Well, like I said, if you want to say, if you want to say, maybe it's a little premature, but I think he's getting better. Yeah.

And his career, those weren't numbers, those rankings from last year. They were rankings from his career. They don't throw it a lot, not just because he can't throw. They don't throw it as much because he's such a great runner. Correct. But don't you also think that part of the way he is defended and part of the way their offense works has to do with the running people? of it that because defenses are so, and this is why he's a great player.

He threw 41 touchdowns last year. And Brew, when you're saying he wasn't a good passer, he threw 36. His first year's a start, he threw 36. And you're saying he wasn't a good passer yet. And he had a passer rating that was an all-time high one there. And you're saying he wasn't a good passer yet. Like this isn't kind of, this is what happens with the media and the, and the coach and Lamar. They, they, they, Ben Solek says he's the MVP every year, writes the article.

Harbaal says he's going to be the greatest player of all time. and he's as good a pastor as anybody ever. And then somebody is like, okay, we don't, none of us actually believe any of that. Like, we don't at, nobody. But the numbers do back it up. No, the numbers don't back up that he's as good as any passer ever. No, I agree with that.

But they back up that he's historically great. Oh, he is an historically great player. But nobody actually believes he is currently the best passer in his own division. And so I, and so then if I stand up here, and be like, hey, if we took running out of the game, I think Burroughs more effective, which, again, you can't take it out of the game, except for in this conversation, then all of a sudden you're a bad guy when all of us agree with it. Like, Brew, I think you agree with that.

Last year even. I'm looking objectively at his numbers. I test people have different versions of what they like and don't like. Brew, the numbers. This speaks for itself. Right, but if we were to do the opposite of that, bro, which is over the course of this many years, how many guys have thrown for more yards. And it's...

But you know, Nick, that total yards is not the measurement anymore of who's a great passer. I got to tell you, touchdown percentage is not the go-to measurement. It's a big one? It's certainly... Percentage of your passes that are touchdowns. That's not big? Brew, the idea that passing yards is now like a passee stand?

I'm not saying it's irrelevant. I'm just saying there are a lot of guys that throw for a ton of yards, but we don't think of as great quarterbacks. They're behind. They're trying to come. That was about to throw for six thousand yards when you. But the counterfactual is you are right that throwing for a bunch of yards does not make you a great quarterback. But all of the great quarterbacks ever, except for Lamar, have a bunch of years they threw for a ton of yards.

And I think that's- They also threw a lot more interceptions. This dude hasn't thrown more than seven interceptions his last three seasons. Yeah, he's a great player. But the standard, again, if the standard is, it's a passing contest, and I can pick Peyton Manning or Patrick Mahomes or Tom Brady or Lamar, all go with those other three. That's all.

It's not controversial. Well, like I said, that's a little, as any passer there's ever been, but historically great passing the football and the numbers are starting to show it, he's building an argument. He is building an argument. Bubble championship controversy. Darry Mory weighs in. Maybe he was misquoted or misinterpreted.

Misinterpreted. Next on FS1 on the Fox Sports Channel at Sirius XM. Lamar moves the ball better than... First things first podcast. We are slowly moving up the ranks and our YouTube channels continues to grow. Please subscribe if you get a chance. Can I tell you what was in our podcast description yesterday, Wild?

Sure. The first line. Trey Hennon. Oh, well, wow. We must have flying up the charts. Parsons and Hendrickson contract updates. I'm going to have a separate spin-off podcast. Who's writing?

Only talking about Trey Hendrickson. He's riding on some of the athletics. Joe Varden looked back at the NBA bubble now that we're five years out. Varden spoke to players, media, and executives about the experience in the Lakers' championship. Here's what Sixers' GM, then Rockets' GM. Darrell Morrie is quoted as saying, had the Rockets won the title, I actually absolutely would have celebrated it as legitimate, knowing the immense effort and resilience required.

Yet, everyone I speak to around the league privately agrees that it doesn't truly hold up as a genuine championship. Your reaction to reading this. All right. So I think a lot of the audience knows. If not, I consider Daryl a dear friend. So I text him without any context, in all caps, just your worst take of all time. And he wrote back, I said the opposite of what folks are mad at. I said it was a legit title, and I have been surprised when I tell people in the league that, that they say they think it's not legit. So I think what people are getting hung up on is when he said agree.

He was trying to say, again, what he's telling is they agree with each other, not agree with me. And so just to help out my buddy, Daryl, who he at least feels like he's being not misquoted. but misconstrued what he was saying. Coming off exactly, the 180 of what he thinks. Exactly. That he thinks it's legit. The key takeaway is most people in the league. Most people in the league.

And this gets to brew one time on the air. It might have been off the air. I don't know. One time said to me, everything is not about LeBron. And he's right about that, but this, in my opinion, is. There were three teams that year that all year long were the title favorites. The Milwaukee Bucks, the Lerbts, the Leroy-Bucks, the Ler-Ler-Boss. Los Angeles Clippers and the Los Angeles Lakers.

And I think the only one that could have won the title and five years later we're still trying to disparage it is that one. Now, if somebody had won the title coming out of nowhere, if the bubble felt funny or whatever, then maybe. But of any of the favorites, that Lakers team started 24 and 3. They were the best team in the league before the season stopped. LeBron was neck and neck with Yannis four MVP. He ended up finishing second. So they had one of the best players in the league. They had the best record.

Anthony Davis was playing great. Then the bracket breaks, and some people, some very smart, very handsome folks thought they could get popped in round one by the Blazers. He even had a little suit. Yeah, Dave. Dame era. Right. And then in round two, they play the Rockets. And then in round three, they play a Denver team that we now know, oh, with healthy Jamal Murray and Joker.

Is that a real contender? And then in the finals, ah, little fluky Miami team. except for the fact that two years later, Miami was in game seven of the conference finals, and in the year after that, they were back in the finals. And so they played a tough road. They were the best team from start to finish. They had one of the two or three very best players in the league, check, check, check, check. And the next year, Brew, at the midway point of the season, the day that Solomon Hill fell into LeBron in defending their title,

they had the best record in basketball at 28 and 13. So every benchmark of the deserving champion applies, but because that guy's holding both trophies, people want to denigrate it. But I don't think anybody's saying, I don't agree with the take that it's not legitimate, and I'll get to that in the moment. I don't think anybody is saying it's not legitimate

because of the things you just mentioned. It's not because they beat a not very good Miami team in the finals. It's not because of Denver, the Clippers, or Houston, any of those, it is because of the bubble. It is because there were no fans. It is because there were no road. You didn't have to deal with road fans. You didn't have to deal with travel.

You didn't have to deal with even family being at home games, wanting tickets and so on and so forth. Now, my baseline for whether or not something's legitimate or not to me or deserves an asterisk. As Mori did, we didn't show that quote, but he said a lot of people basically put an asterisk on that championship, is did you have an advantage and unfair advantage

over the people you competed with? And if that's not true, then it's legit. And if all that's true that I said, there were no fans, there was no travel, all that, but everybody dealt with it. The Clippers dealt with it. Denver dealt with it. Miami, Milwaukee, which went out like some chumps

in the second round, the heat. They all had the same exact circumstances as LeBron A.D., and the Lakers. And the Lakers came through and won. It's legitimate, period. There's no asterisk. Now, the reason I don't think it's about LeBron

is because remember Phil Jackson said this about the Spurs when they won the lockout or strike title in 99. Somebody else implied it about Miami's first championship. I can't remember who it was. Yeah. So I just don't think, and I also don't think

like Morrie said basically, the whole league feels this way. The whole league isn't against LeBron. There are some people that feel Jordan's better but the whole league isn't like out to get LeBron. I just don't think this is about LeBron and

I don't think to even belittling the bubble championship has anything to do with the competition. I think it has to do with the circumstances. But it's just, to me, a piece of it, the the lack of home fans and the

lack of a home court advantage, I think is a legitimate piece to bring into it, which is why, in my opinion, it's all the more impressive that the team that earned home courted, like the two teams in the bubble that got penalized the most, what you're saying is not fair, that didn't get what they earned were the two number one seats, right? The two teams that would have had home court throughout. The Lakers were one of them. Like, and so I, it is, there is to me, real revisionist history on before any of us knew what COVID was, who the title favorites were. And that's, you know, it is discussed like they, and the other piece is, well, LeBron and AD got

that four-month layoff. The Lakers had a better winning percentage pre-bubble than post-bubble. You know what I mean? They were, they had a worst record after the layoffs and within it. The, no, but if you include the playoffs, I mean. Yeah, I mean, look, I do think that break helped LeBron, an older LeBron, he feels young compared to now, but an older LeBron and AD who hardly ever gets through a full season. But again, Kauai had that same thing.

Like everybody else had the same advantage resting for three or four months. So now, I don't agree. I don't agree with the take to this illegitimate, but I also don't agree with the take that it's one of, like LeBron said, it was one of the most difficult championships ever. think you said Mori feels that way that it's one of the most difficult. I don't agree with that. I just think it's as legitimate as any other championship. And it's certainly one of like, I don't know how you discern difficulty.

The, in that regard, like what the, for all, for everybody, what that period of time was, it's just different than, you know what I mean, than anything else. And for those guys, yeah, living in Disney World and like being away from their family, I don't know that that is harder than traveling from place to place, but it is different than all of those. I understand that, but it doesn't, it seems, and I think maybe you agree with me on this, there is a cottage industry of,

actually when you think about it, like were any of LeBron's, like the Kyrie saved him in one, and Ray Allen saved him in one, and there's the bubble, and you mention, and that first one, which no one can say anybody saved him, Oh, yeah, the season was short. It was shortened season. So really, like, it's 20 years, and it's how many,

and so this to me is. But there's the same thing with Jordan. He didn't play anybody in the finals. There were no super teams. I mean, it's whoever, most people, which is one sad thing about the LeBron Jordan debate, people act like, I love LeBron. I think Jordan was better.

I got LeBron second. It doesn't mean I hate LeBron, but a lot of people take that approach. If they are on the Jordan side, they got to rip LeBron and all his accomplishments and vice versa. So I just don't think it's unique to LeBron as far as this. I think there's something too like calling it like the bubble championship. You should probably just lose that. I agree.

I think that hurts. I totally. Can I ask you this before we move on? Do you think in 15 years it will be called the bubble? championship because I don't. I think that there was, I think that there was a brief period of time when Duncan's first title

was called the strike season. And then, and now, I think a lot of people watching had no idea. That 99, you know what I mean? That was the strike year. I never think of LeBron as having three real championships and in the bubble.

I think he's got four championships. Yes. And I think most people view it that way, but yeah. Okay. Coming up next. Ooh, we'll talk about Drake May, who hasn't thrown an interception in all training. Is that true? Don't put this in the description of the podcast.

It's bad. Check in on Patriots camp where Ian Rappaport, who previously reported that Drake May has a quote, mythical reputation. You have to stop, bro. He did. I'm just trying to do the news, dude. Is noting that Stefan Diggs has, quote, exceeded expectations. Is anyone as excited about Stefan and Drake May as I am?

He's moving fast. I think that wasn't in slow motion. No. I mean, not as excited as you. I also do think if we, how many games in the NFL season? 17. Okay. So let's look at Stefan's last 17.

I think they're going to be pretty good. I mean. Well, this is when the bills decided to shut ice him out. It's with Josh Allen and C.J. Stroud throwing him past. But they iced him out. I mean, Wilde. He has 140, you think he's going to have more than 139 targets. Do you think that?

Well, they iced him out, remember. No, again, they stopped feeding him the ball. Yeah, call it iced him out. It's 17 games. It's half with the bills. Some of those games would be when he was still feature about a bill. No, to be, I don't think so. No, because he played a lot.

Is that mean he played eight? And it includes the playoffs. So it's the second half of his last year with Buffalo. He had eight before 99. Yeah. So it's his final nine games in Buffalo. But again, eight and four 96, you're going to need more than a thousand. 16, that's a thousand.

No, it's right. Right. Are you, like, that's all you. A thousand yards. We haven't had a thousand yard pass catcher. 900 yard receiver. Since 2019 Hall of Fame adjacent Julian Edelman. So, yes, I'd like to have a thousand year receiver.

And I believe in Josh McDaniels. Maybe I'm the only one. Coach, what do you think? Here's where I'm excited by this situation. And I know you showed the last 17 games, but let's show the last four years before he was hurt. Okay? So before he got hurt, this is a production. We got over 100 receptions each of the last four years.

There's 37 total touchdowns. He had almost 50 receptions in Houston prior to getting hurt. So I know his last 17 games weren't necessarily following that same trajectory, but he's obviously got that potential. And he's got more potential than anybody New England's had in a little bit here. So that's what's exciting to me from a New England perspective. What doesn't excite me is that when you have a great player and a great player has multiple addresses, there's usually a reason why that has happened. And the fact that Houston, after one season, was willing to move on from them, to me, is a little bit of a red flag.

So when you have a young quarterback who doesn't really totally have control of the huddle, and then you have a receiver that could potentially be challenging in the huddle, now you're not necessarily reading the coverages, you're not necessarily going to the right. place with the ball because this guy's demanding it. Now you hope that Josh McDaniels and Brable can control that to some degree, but that's the issue. But from a potential production standpoint, you've got to take this chance, I think, if you're New England. Well, just to piggyback on what you said, remember in Houston, he was also like, because he was a good soldier, we think, in Houston, even though they let him go. but he was the clear number two or three receiver there, right?

So he knew he had to be on his best behavior. It's not my team. I'm not the number one target and all that. Now in New England, he is like the godfather of the receiving. By far. Right. And so does that bring out some of the worst in digs? Look, those numbers you showed, Coach, that's ancient history.

That's obviously he's now about to be 32. he is coming off the injury. I would love it. I would love it, Wilde, if he would turn back the clock. Because I think it would be great for Drake May. I really think Drake May is good. And if he had a receiver like Diggs,

Diggs could do for him what he did for Josh Allen, which was taking to the next level. I just think that there is a very small chance. It's not vacant. It's not there, but there's a small chance. Ancient history is a year removed. Isn't really ancient history. It's a year and a blown ACL.

I just don't think he's that guy. I love for him to be that guy. But if the ACL seems like it's solid, do you think there's just going to be a natural drop off from almost 1,200 yards and eight touchdowns with Josh Allen? And when he was frozen out. But again, I don't view, can we throw up coach? Do you have full screens you want to get to or something?

No, just straight off the dome. Okay. Can we throw up coach's full screen again? because I think there is a devil in the detail on when the decline began. Because we can say he was frozen out, that's fine. But in 2022 and 23, he had almost identical receptions, one less. And he goes from being a guy who's 14 yards a catch to a guy a touch over 10 yards a catch. Then last year, like that first game of the year, it was like six catches for 30 yards and two touchdowns.

Yeah. And so now he's older. He has, I'm not knocking Drake. I think Drake one day will be good. The worst quarterback he's had since he's been a star. You know what I mean? Like without a shadow of a doubt. And a huge drop from Josh Allen. And so even if Drake made one day's awesome.

So I think you have all of that. You have a new system. You have a guy who's not going to be, I think, be fed the, like wasn't he his first four years with Josh? the most targeted player in football or at least the first three years we talked about that. Again, it started to freeze him out.

But there's a reason for that. Like, you know who doesn't get iced out? Awesome players. The bills got better. But the bills got better. By icing him out, that would be a good thing more. I'm just saying, like,

I'm pulling for you. I'm pulling for Drake May. Also, Cardi B is our Taylor Swift. Oh, deal with it. I love Cardi B. Beal with it. Underreported. storyline.

From New York, it's a show that believes in Stefan Diggs. It's the second hour of first things first, and it's power back. You can't do that. You don't believe in the 7th of it? No, I just did all thing on that. I know you're one third of the show, one fourth of the show believes in Stefan Diggs. I thought you did believe in him. Your take wasn't clear enough.

Today, Mahomes, this Madden rating comes out. It's good. No, it's not. It's one of the best in the league. No, it's not. Should everyone be happy with it? One of the best. Same madden rating as Christian Gonzalez.

Nice. He does. Is that true? They're both 95. Great for Christian Gonzalez. Wow. The Mahomes of cornerbacks. Meanwhile, tonight's all fame game.

Lions Chargers, coach has one person. He's keeping an eye on. I don't even know what your take is, but I know you have a take. But right now, of course, it's time for the most motivational segment in all of Sports. Also time where we read some viewer mail. This time, Christina's work from home, so I had to go to the post office because my kids are at camp. I'm banging out a real letter a day. Every morning I get up and write a letter. And I receive them as well. Dear Wilds, love the show. Oh, thanks. But I think you dropped the ball. Now I'm like the theater. I've been watching the bear. When you discuss skinny Luca on the cover of men's health, you should have brought. brought in the one guy on the show who literally trains for bodybuilding competitions. Cheers, Dawn.

No, it's not you, Coach. It's, I assume Dawn is referring to our other analyst, Greg Jennings. Wow, wasn't a surprise. Cowboy Brew on the cover of men's health. There you go. It's accurate. No, it's not. Your head is too low on your neck.

All right, let's get to it. At number three, all QBs, by the way. All QBs. Aaron Rogers. Now, I like Aaron Rogers. Despite all his lightning ride, you know, comments and stuff like that. I'm not, well, I'm kind of indifferent toward him, really. I don't love him.

I don't dislike him. I don't pull for him. I don't pull against it. However, that said, I would love it for him. for him to turn back the clock. Not even to the MVP for him, because that's virtually impossible. But just be good this year

and make the Steelers a legitimate contender. That storyline is delicious. So that's what I want to see. I would love to see it. And here's the thing about it. Aaron Rogers, this is what's great, coach. In Pittsburgh, and Nick got mad at me, but he knows it's true.

It's really not even S Bob. Sure, they are a historically great franchise and they have six Super Bowls. They really do won a Super Bowl. Yeah, yeah. But if they would be honest, deep down inside, just one playoff win.

It's been how many years since they got one? Just one playoff win would make this season a success for Aaron Rogers. And here's the deal. They have the squad to get. get that one win. They could get 10 wins with Mike Tomlin and Kevin Wiles being quarterback.

Wow, thanks. All right. And they have the defense. They added Jalen Ramsey and Darius Slay and, you know, they got some very good defensive players. They got a running game. They got D.K. Beck-K. at receiver.

They got a hot young age of Calvin Austin that people are raving about. So they got the two tight ears now with John Hsu Smith added. So the question really is, is the quarterback up to the task? That is what it is. and we are going to find that out. Aaron Rogers, I actually am starting to believe that you can get this to the team to the playoffs.

And if you get the right draw, it has to be the AFC South. They're not going to win the division. So it has to be the AFC South, right? You don't want to play the Chiefs, the Ravens, or the Bills in the first round. So Aaron Rogers, I'm starting to believe a little bit. Right, starting to believe.

Motivational. At number two. Patrick Mahoney. Moves. This is, Nick. Good job, bro. It just is what it is. Now, Patrick, I'm flattered.

Nick might get mad at this. I'm flattered that you have adopted the light show language. Because I believe I was the first one to say that. True. On our show, I said I want to say the light show years ago. You'd be the first one to upset everything. I think, though, I was. I'm dead serious.

I think I was the first one to say the light show. Nick only started using it after Patrick used it. I don't, I mean, I really think I was. I don't want to be. Because I was looking for the, how to describe what we used to see. Light Show came to mind. I wasn't overly pleased with it. But I threw it out there.

It was all I could think of. I'm not positive, okay. But you think, you think it probably. I think he did it. More than 50. I really think. I think so. You think it was you?

It wasn't you. Dustin Padroia was at, hey, a, doing an interview after a little bit of a slump, I think. And he's like, if I get those fastballs, then what happens? And I say what? He goes, I think he might say laser show or light show. And I believe I adopted it. Laser show is what you adopted. Light show is what people have used for millennia.

Yeah. To describe the chiefs? No. I had never heard of him. Thank you, coach. To describe the cheese. I think I did it. You're trying to steal my thunder.

Anyway, here's the deal, Patrick. I want to see the light show. Okay. I want to see the light show. You've always said that. And look, I get it. Winning is most important, and that's what you do. Your play in the playoffs is great.

Your situational play is fantastic. That's what's the most important. I get it. I just think, I mean, I'm the first guy that called you Jordan Ness. true. I'm the first guy that said you were the best ever. That is not true. Checksci.com.

All right. Checksci.com. All right. And it's literally a headline. Bruce Arn says he's the greatest quarterback we've ever seen. I just think you're too good for a 93 passer rating. I think that's fair. And 4,000-ish yards and 20-something T-Ds.

I think you're too good for that. And at least if you're healthy, Nick is raving about your offensive line. Yeah. Best offensive line you've had in a while. You got the receivers, if healthy, I'll give you that. And you have the motivation. Madden making you the fourth best quarterback in the league. I mean, my, the disrespect.

So Patrick, you know I believe in you. Go out there and get it done. All right. At number one, that's right, the trumpets, the bugles, whatever they are. Trevor Lawrence, aka the Prince. And I had to throw A.K.A. the Prince in there. Look, Trevor, you can thank you. buddy Nick Wright for this one.

Okay. Because Nick, yes, was it yesterday earlier this week, put an absolute bull's eye on your chest? Yikes. It was like saying if LeBron isn't all NBA this year, I'm going to stop calling him to go. If Luca doesn't win MVP this year,

I'm going to stop calling him my large Slovenian adult son. He said if you don't outplay C.J. Stroud, this year, he will stop calling you the prince. I did. I had to put you on the bud list after that. Because here's the deal, Trevor. You haven't outplayed C.J. Strouds since you guys were going to study hall on your college campus.

But he did then. Then Nick is into the hype. Pop Warner stats and on. Look at this graphic. I think bodies between. This is the career comparison of CJ and Trevor. CJ's got him in everything. Not wins.

Well, yeah, wins. Winning percentage. Touchdown to the interception ratio. Completion percentage is the one that's close. Everything else is C.J. So look, Trevor, I do like you. I do like you a lot. I hope you can keep your nickname.

But I got to be honest, I'm not very confident that you're going to outplay C.J. Strout. But hey, go out there and prove me wrong. Okay. There's the buzzer. There's just all time. There is no, there is no preseason for you. You just, you just rolled.

First guy is Aaron Rogers is delicious. And then it's the light show. Well, that's right. And it's the story. Coach. The story line. Together on your study hall on your college campus. It's like gem after gem after gym.

And I had a little, I had a little hurt feelings last time we did the butt list because he said I mailed it in. So I don't want to mail it in today. I'm going to, I'm going with a radically different type of quarter. I'm going with Trey Lance who's playing tonight. And here's here's why. Number three overall draft.

Obviously been an extremely disappointing career. Lance Lance Revolution is funny. Oh, that's all. I was laughing at the bar. The bar is next. Go ahead. So the, so what I love about this situation right now

is that he's going to have the opportunity to start and he's going to start in Greg Roman system. And I was in San Francisco when Greg had Colin Kaepernick. I think there's some similarities between those two players' strengths. And the fact that those two guys are together now and then he's also got Jim Harbaugh. And we know how Jim is is so good about pumping up and creating confidence in his quarterback. I think that's going to help a lot too. This is a team that gave him $2 million when probably nobody else would. So there is some faith in his ability to do it.

So he's only had the opportunity to start five games in his career, which is amazing considering where he was drafted. It's been very disappointing, but now he is in a great situation, in a great system with people who I think are really going to give him the best opportunity to maximize his abilities.

So now he goes out. He has a chance to play tonight. This isn't a Super Bowl. This isn't a regular season game. But it's another step in what hopefully is him reclaiming his career. I agree, Coach. I think to try it the other day. I think the Chargers is

a great place for him with roaming there with you know harbaw wanting to run in a running quarterback here's the thing though so do you think this is a sam darnal situation obviously he's not the future with the chargers so do you think this is he learns some things he gets his reputation back yeah and then maybe he can go somewhere else i think this is is a situation where they're going to maximize his strengths he's going to they're going to have the absolute confidence in his ability to be successful. They've been successful with a player who had similar, a similar skill set. And, and, you know, it's a package for it. It could, there could definitely be a package because that's what they did with Colin before he was a starter. They'd roll him out every now

and then. And I know Nick loves to go back to college and high school and all that stuff. He was, he was, when he started in college, he was undefeated. He was 19 and O, very good running the ball. There's, there was a lot there for him to get drafted where he was. And I just hope that This pairing gives him a chance to hopefully springboard back into contention. Nick certainly wants it. Yeah, of course. Yeah, well, you know, I just, I just said that somebody that any quarterback could take the Niners to Super Bowl and then literally you did.

Um, KW. Well, we've had an excellent Bud list. Time to go and pull over on the rest area. Oh. Run to the bathroom, get yourself some snacks as we go to the sports media ombudsman. It's just sports media and budsman. We take a rest area. Get back.

I didn't even do that thing that you didn't because you didn't like it. So here's the deal, America. Sports Media Ombudsman is not a job that I covet. It's a job I do because the sports media landscape deserves it. And you know what we like? We like results. Oh, that's cool.

So something we rarely do, bro. Quick look back. Last week, Sports Media Ombudsman, we said, Hey, training camp reporters, getting carted off is not the same as hopped in the front seat to the cart and went to the locker room. DeWan Jones, Browns fans, not a lot of good news. You probably, if not for the sports media

and Buzzman, you'd have been terrified. And said, got a front cart ride. It was a road shotgun. Juan Jones got a front seat ride. That's all thanks to sports media on Budzman, 100%. Effecting change. It's like real journal. In the sports media landscape.

Thank me later. And that's what I will also say to this week's Uh-oh. Now we're going internal. Which is Kevin Wilde. When he runs out of ideas. Who I didn't know. I had plenty of options.

Well, because I kept on pitching several great sports media on Budzman topics to him. He said, I got it all taken care of. One of his best friends is being misquoted 100% wrong in Darrymorey. He's like, I'm good. Yeah, because as much as I love Darryor Morey and as much as I thought about trying to shine

a positive spotlight on what Danny's doing on the radio in Chicago charity. Oh, yeah. Danny's doing a 24-hour radio. Beopon. Want to get that a little pop. As much as I love those people, I love this show more.

And this, you are, some would say, the critical piece of it. Which is why I'm so afraid you're doomed to repeat history. Oh my. Because if people don't know, Kevin Wilde's probably, most famous take ever is

no one's beating Denver in a seven game series. You don't have to take my word for it. Brew, you don't follow him on Twitter, but he tweeted it 22 times over the courts of a series. Really? 22. They're all up there.

It did catch on. Yeah, it did catch on. Since he tweeted that, they have won two total series and they've lost two total series. And this was on the, because they were the defending champion, though. And it was on the heels of him falling in love with a different champion and bringing a reindeer out here. And then the reindeer, you know, antlers fell off in on in front of us. And then he did it again. Then he did it again with Boston and it just is what it is.

What I do in Boston? Yeah, all year long. Nobody's been Boston. slice, saddle pie, all this stuff, and now all of a sudden, Tatum's got blown Achilles, they're down 3-1, and the next old thing's disaster. And now... We're going to do. All right, we're supposed to know Porzengis is a mystery.

Storyline materialized. And now, Brew, you don't follow Wilds on Twitter, but he's got a new thing. Is it EES? Which is his new version of no one's beating Denver in a seven-game series, which is... I'm counting down... 50 days until kickoff. Today, dozens of the world's best quarterbacks, wake up early, hit the gym, study tape, and spend time away from their family so that come February, the blood, sweat, and tears all pay off,

and they can finally have a resume slightly worse than Jalen hurts. And then 40. You know what we just fly through it. And then 40 days in the same thing, and then 35 days in the same thing. Now, forget the fact that it's factually inaccurate. What's inaccurate? Well, let's just take the. We not have 35? No, no. Josh? Let's just, well, let's just, I'll explain it. The quarterback's most likely to win the Super Bowl if it's not him. Like say Josh Allen. Josh Allen wins the Super Bowl. He has a slightly worse resonant in Jalen Hart's? Of course not. Joe Burrow, of course not.

Lamar, of course not. Patrick, of course not. Stafford golf, of course not. So it's not true. But it's more important than that is you are just dug in. As evidenced by one of the most shocking moments, you know, golf will have won a Super Bowl and been to a Super Bowl just like Jalen.

Neither has won MVP. That wouldn't be a worse resume. You a Super Bowl MVP? Well, in this hypothetical world, yes. So, and it all culminated In a really shocking moment yesterday, we can run the tape when Brew said Andy reads better than Nick Siriani, obviously, and watch Wild America. This is, this is, what are you doing? This is, what are you looking at how maddie gets.

Look at all K-W. Look at it. He's just getting madder and matter and matter for no reason. We, I want what's best for you, KW. This is not a photo. I'm just telling you, we won't. This is not.

You don't need to do it. You don't need to Photoshop. I didn't. You really were that red. I was not that red. You couldn't tell, but we did. We did.

We were all. Is he about to blow up? I know. We added the fire. But the face. We didn't touch the face. What about the smoke? I'm not sure.

But that's all. I'm just. worried you're going to make the same mistake you've made in the NBA and the NFL. All I was doing, and I'm just counting down to the NFL kickoff. I think people are excited about it. And I didn't say he's going to have a better resume than every single. You said slightly worse resume. Yeah, but I didn't say, I said dozens of the leagues of the world's best quarterbacks.

Well, I have a special carve out there for Lamar Jackson. I have a special carve out there for Patrick Malmes. And Josh Allen and Joe Burrow and Jared Gough and dozens is 24 at least. Yeah, I mean, I'm good. without what I said. I don't need you to put words in my mind. Oh, okay. What Joe Burrow? Joe Burrow wins the Super Bowl this year. He has a worse resume than Jalen Hertz.

I don't know if he's going to win final Super Bowl MVP. Probably. Quarterbacks usually do. Is the league getting together having meetings saying, hey, this guy is so good. Do you remember what we did, what the NCAA did to at that point Lou Alcindor tried to ban dunking? Let's do that. Let's do that. We can't stop them. I've got an idea. Let's change the rules to limit his greatness. Good point. Good. And guess what? That's why Lou Elsinder develops the hook shot and he made him even better. So I don't know what Jalen Hertz is going to do once they be on the push push. Now I am what, no that's my other thing. That's upset alert. Sorry. I'm just adding I'm just adding Cam Ward. Oh yeah. Oh yeah. This is pure motivation. Okay. This is pure motivation. And I know you look at

me if you don't know me. You say, oh, that's like a guy who's pushing 50, a white guy from Connecticut. He probably doesn't seem like the guy who just says bars all the time. It's not really in my vernacular. Problem is, every time Cam Ward talks, I just want to say bars. Take a listen. I've grown up, watched my dad, wake up at 4.30 doing a job he didn't like. So, you know, if I can't wake up early and do what I need to do for a job, I do like, I shouldn't be playing football.

Bars. Every single thing he says. That's definitely bars. Here's Cam Warren on the Titans offense. I just think we're very mid right now. Hubs love this one. And it's like, oh, you're pointing the finger? No.

From my position to up front to the receiver's position. At the end of the day, it all starts with me. Everything this guy says is franchise changing force multiplying. Here's the thing, Cam, because I'm all motivational. Now, mid? Not, last three years. 29th and points, 30th and total yards,

past year or 20th. Mid, pretty solid. That's major improved. You know who was mid last year? 16th? Steelers, 15th most points? The Chiefs. You get to the Super Bowl being a slightly event.

Better than mid, but he does have high expectations. Coach, I know you love reviewing tape of just like solid, you know, gameplays and schemes. When you listen to Cam Ward, I'd like to give you an assignment. Listen to Cam Ward. The guy is saying everything,

like he's a motivational speaker, but it's not fake. He's not even trying to, like, pump people up. It's just who he is. It's why I'm a Cam Ward guy, bars. I'm excited to see him. Well, we've heard about his character,

his leadership. I got mid, coach. I really like that comment by him. At first I thought, about his dad or about the mid. him saying like I thought he was well that that was great too of course but at first I thought

a rookie saying they're mid I don't know how that but then the way he like he the fact that he had the guts to say of course himself but other positions like as a rookie to me that shows a guy that's a real leader would you would you agree with that? Yeah it's

it's him pointing at himself and him also acknowledging like we need to collectively get better and he's willing to assert himself in that role after being there for such a short amount of time that takes a little bit of frank the character true story as we were prepping this segment there were so many good cam word quotes dusty and i didn't know what to do so we just picked that one about waking up early they also produced to spend a lot of time making this is weird wow i do need to calm it out

i'm loyal to that can't be the real color he really was that but we don't huddle. Pat McAfee live in Pittsburgh with Aaron Rogers. Now Pat asked the four-time MVP, how much do you love people saying that Rogers has, quote, lost it after that interception to Patrick Queen? And Roger said he doesn't give a blank about it. Okay. Are you buying a Rogers Renaissance, bro? Not a Rogers Renaissance. Like, I don't expect them to be an MVP form, but I do think he can play well enough to get them to the playoffs. You know, and I, I, I haven't, you know, it's not prediction time yet. But, yeah, I mean, the team is good around him.

Last year, I get it. He wasn't great, obviously. But 28 touchdowns, 11 picks. Almost 4,000 yards. I mean, the numbers are the numbers. There's a lot of times when the numbers look better than they are, but those aren't horrible. But isn't that other numbers that weren't good?

What the Steelers quarterbacks did last year, 27 total touchdowns? Yeah, and I, yeah, that's a good point. And I think, look, Justin Fields, obviously they were essentially limited to just him running the ball. When Russell Wilson was there, the only way they moved the ball was his moon balls. Like they didn't have consistent drives for the most. That's what Rogers can bring.

I think he can just bring more versatility at the position. You're not as predictable. And he can obviously just move the ball with a variety of passes. So I, like I said, I'm not expecting pro bowl, anything like that. But I do think he can play well enough for them to get 11 wins. Yeah, I believe what's on the bar that he doesn't give a blank. And I would take about that. I'd just say in general he doesn't.

And I would imagine that his attitude right now is a good attitude in the sense that it seems like he wants to go play this year. He wants to have a great experience. He wants to finish the right way. All those things are good. Sounds like he wants to be a good teammate. My question is when it starts getting a little bit noisy or they start winning, losing a couple of games, or what's the personality mesh going to be between him and Arthur Smith? Because I think one of the issues with Arthur Smith is that Russell wanted to do things that Russell had done well,

and Arthur wanted to run his system. So now when that happens with Aaron, what's that going to look like too? So at this point, at this moment, I believe him that all those things he's saying are true. When it gets noisy, let's see whether it can remain true. So here's what I'm most interested in kind of in general. Are we in an era where athletes are just going to play markedly longer than they had in any sport across the board, or did we just happen to see Tom Brady and LeBron play around the same time? Like the 40 for a quarterback was the end forever.

And then Brady almost wins league MVP at 44. And it's like, okay. And, you know, for an NBA guy, we've seen guys upper 30s, but not year 21, 22, and then LeBron's second team all NBA. And so does that mean that now, Durant, in a few years, is going to be, you know, at 40 going to be awesome. And does that – he's already old – I mean, Durant is already older than a lot of guys have been. And Rogers is about to do this.

Or are we going to be like, oh, yeah, those two guys were just different. Brady and LeBron in very different ways, you know, but different. Because Rogers, the list of quarterbacks other than Tom Brady that have had average seasons at age 41 is zero people long. It's just Tom. Like Warren Moon got a year in where he, you know, started part of the season. And I think Testa Verdi and George Blanda, and Blanda was, you know, 100 years ago and was a kick or two. And that's not incorporating in the new system.

It's not incorporating the quirkiness of Aaron, and it's not incorporating into the torn Achilles. So I think that we were seeing Aaron age in Green Bay, and then we saw him go to the Jets and immediately suffer a traumatic injury and then play a year with the Jets. And I think those were as close to irrelevant numbers as there are because we saw him. him when the season was in the balance. We saw how he played. And then we saw at the end when it was clear everyone's getting fired and it's clear he's moving on and what it was. And so no.

My answer is a hard and fast no. And I think the Steelers are going to get less production from the quarterback position this year than they got last year with the Russ Justin Fields combo. J.J. McCarthy at Vikings Camp. Not perfect, but

learning. Through trial and error. Like life. This guy. Telling Andrew Kramer of the Minneapolis Star Tribune, got to find that touch again because, you know, he didn't play. A lot of throws in OTAs where I felt like could have had a better outcome if I had that touch, just learning from failures and trying to get better. Brew, you, earlier in the show, you tried to trade him for Justin Herbert.

Will the Vikings regret moving on from Sam Darnold with JJ? No, no. I mean, everything I'm hearing out of Minnesota just from reports, it seems like they just are overjoyed, with J.J. McCarthy. And beyond that, Sam, darn, I know he's your guy, wow. He's had one good season in seven years.

I'm not ready to say he's a franchise quarterback. I'm just not. I have to see him go do it without a QB whisper at head coach and without the best, arguably, the best receiver in the league, which he had last year. So I'm, no, I, even if J.J. McCarthy isn't all that, I don't think they messed up by moving on from Donald because we saw Darnold when

the lights got bright. The last game of the season against Detroit with things on the line, the playoff game. Basically, it's two worst games of the year. And so I just, I don't think they were going to go become like a Super Bowl team with Sam Darnel anyway. So, no, I don't think they'll regret it. But to your point, Brew, the fact that Sam Darnold played so well makes it that much harder for J.J. McCarthy because everybody's expectation.

is if San Darnell can come in and do that, then obviously J.J. McCarthy should be able to do that because that's who they traded Darnel for, essentially. The other thing is he's had the year of where he was there, but he really didn't get any experience. That's a learning curve. Coming off the injury, that's a learning curve. And this division is not easy. They're going to have a lot of challenges from that perspective as well. So they should hope that they can get to the bright lights and see whether or not J.J. McCarthy can manage that situation. I'm not sold that he can. Even if Jay-J. McCarthy's not the guy, I think, moving on to the right decision.

Because you have to give yourself a chance to have the guy. And where Wilds, where you and I get, you know, look at this differently is you feel like they were kind of turning their nose up at 4,000 yards and 14 wets. Is that fair? I don't want to turn it. I think it's 4,300 yards. Okay. Yeah. And I think that they did not look at that as duplicable.

I don't, I think that if they thought, we run it, if we keep JJ on ice one more year and run it back with Sam, franchise tag him, you know, whatever, take the salary cap hit. We, you know, we're getting a carbon copy of last season and just hope the end is different. I think they would have done it. I think they having all the information they had said that was like a top three, percent outcome and that you know it is likely that if we ran it back with Sam you know we have a higher floor than if we run it back with then if we go to JJ but we're not we just got the best year imaginable yeah and we got clocked in round one anyway and so and it's not like we got

clocked in round one by a juggernaut you know what I mean and so I I think for that reason they had to it made sense to turn the page just like it made sense for them to turn the page from Kirk Cousins. I know he was coming off the major injury, so it's different, but I think they were ready to turn the page anyway when they made that draft pick. All right, head to Indy, where Colts Jam, Chris Ballard is optimistic about Anthony Richardson and is reportedly willing to play the long game, telling Zach Kiefer of the athletic. I just think eventually Anthony is going to be who we think he can be.

I still believe that, whether that's this year or next. Do you share this optimism? and long-term views. Listen, I think the cults talk out of both sides of their mouth with their actions and their words about Anthony Richardson. I also think Anthony Richardson obviously has done himself no favors in a lot of things. But here's what I believe when you draft a player who is as young as he was coming out of college, as raw as he was coming out of college, as limited experiences he had coming out of college,

and then you, at every first chance you've had, you put them on the bench, and then at this point, I think they made it very clear. Like, Chris Ballard is the one who went out and signed Daniel Jones that they didn't want to fully hand the car keys to him. You are telling everyone you don't really believe in him. And maybe you shouldn't. But I, and this might sound outrageous,

this one play alone would make me say, I'd rather see if he can one day be comfortable. the guy that has that talent rather than Daniel Jones. Like that, that, that, I know what I'm getting in Daniel Jones, unequivocally. And I, that, the fact that that exists inside of him somewhere is to me worth the lottery ticket. And so I, I mean, what, coach? Throwing the ball far? Yeah, I mean, that, that, I think arm strength matters.

And I think that arm strength does matter, but, but to me, I don't think Chris Ballard is going to have a chance to see his long career if they keep playing him. I mean, what is indicating that this is getting better? Take a look at the last two years in terms of just his numbers. And I know we can pull one play. But in every statistical category, it got worse as he played more, not better. But the difference between he and Justin Fields is you see Justin Fields making progress in areas each year. It's not perfect, but it's getting better.

So you would have liked to see one area that got a little bit better from year one to year two. And to me, bringing Daniel Jones, it's not like that's some dramatic challenge to Anthony. Anthony should be able to beat him out. If anything, they probably should have brought in more quarterbacks to see if they could figure out, you know, who's the best option to start. Yeah, I'm not that optimistic about him. And again, we've talked, joked about these training. camp numbers, but the reports are he's completing

54% of his passes in training camp. Now he does have five touchdowns, one pick. I just read it in, I think, the Indianapolis are, Indianaapolis news. Yeah, 54%. Five touchdowns, one pick. The point is that, that's about what he threw, looking at the number.

Yeah, yeah, his accuracy is way off. 54%. The thing is, again, according to the reports, he is, now maybe they're just writing glowing stuff about it, but he's working. harder. He worked harder in the off season. His attitude's

been better. I think that's a positive by bringing in Daniel Jones and showing him, look, you may not even start this year. You're the face of the challenge. And a high draft pick and everybody's got to get excited because you decide to work a little harder. No, listen. I get it. I'm just saying that hopefully

that sparked him to do something. When you draft the youngest guy in the draft class, and who has very little experience, who everybody understands is being drafted because he is this athletic marvel who is incredibly raw and was not that accurate in college. And then you act shocked that when he has less than a season's worth of starts in him, he's

still raw and inaccurate. Why didn't you jump on Trey Lance's bandwagon like that? I did. These guys have killed. I agree. I agree. I did. Coach, you're years late on that.

You're years late on that. All right, man. Madden ratings for quarterbacks are out. Let's just say they are not fans of QB wins, which I am. Josh Allen, 99. That's good. Lamar 99. Joe Burrow, 97.

And then Patrick Mahomes, largely considered the best quarterback in the league, coming in at 4th in the 95. And then a huge drop to the NFC. Yeah, that's rough. Nick, are you happy with this ranking? He's top four on Mount Rushmore. I mean, listen, there's only been one time. since he became the starter that he wasn't the highest rated quarterback in the game.

And he responded to that disrespect by arguably the greatest season any quarterbacks ever had. More yards than any quarterbacks ever had. First player to win regular season and Super Bowl MVP in the same year since Kurt Warner. And it started, you know, a back-to-back championships in three straight Super Bowl. So in that regard, it's positive. In regards to the credibility of the greatest game that's ever existed, it's really tragic. And there is so much to kind of parse with this, but the guy that no one actually believes is the fourth best quarterback in football being rated as the fourth best quarterback in football.

It's just wrong. And even people arguing why it's okay are going to preface it by saying, listen, I think he's the best, but here's why it's okay. It's just dumb. Is it a huge deal? No, but it's dumb. Yeah, as I looked at this, because I don't play Madden, but I was thinking, okay, do they just go by, like, the raw numbers

and not what you think subjectively? And then obviously that's not true, because last year, darn old or golf would be, you know, high 90s and stuff. So the fact that they're just saying that they think Mahomes is the fourth best quarterback in the league is kind of crazy. Yeah, there is a good gap. You're right. So I, you know. I've played Madden a few times.

And, you know, I run, I have terrible. So I run coverage beaters that I know should work against the coverage. And I throw the ball that receiver. Well, that's used or error. Yeah. So I like this ringing because I know if I got Josh Allen or Lamar, I can always just run with them. And I'm going to pick up 12 to 15 yards, which I don't think Patrick has. But then how does it explain Burrow?

I don't get the Burrow part. I don't get the borough part. But the 99 for those two guys for a hack like me on, Madden makes a lot of sense because as a runner, he's so much more valuable. Yeah, I just also think that, and I've said this for it, I will say it again, Patrick is in a place where Patrick is judged against himself at his best, and every other player in the league is judged against him at his worst. Like we are met, we are not saying Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson are 99s because

they're better than Pete Patrick Mahomes because neither one of them has had a season anywhere close to Pete Patrick Mahomes. We are saying they're 99s because they were better than Patrick Mahomes had his worst. But the flip side is when Jalen Hertz two years ago had the

quarterback winsy season but not gaudy numbers, his Madden rating skyrocketed. And he was the NFL top 100 number number three player in the entire league. Do you think this is Madden also predicting that next season we're going to get Patrick Mahomes closer

to his worst. We're going to get Patrick Mahomes closest to his best. I don't know. Because they do, the ratings can be fluid during the year. They can move during the year, but you don't get the 99 chain if you're not in the initial 99 club. And so, all right, that's fine. As Bobby Stroop could say, no.

It's basically mad and insane. Smart people make it fluid. That's right. Exactly right. You could be one of the podcast has been going great. The YouTube channel is flying off the shelves. It is. You better go there. You go to subscribe tomorrow.

Nothing. Hall of Fame game tonight. Chargers versus Lions. Trey Lance under center. When coach is talking about Trey Lance during the Budlis bro. Some of these highlights, I know they're practiced, but it made me say you liked them. Oh my.

This one right here. This one right here. You liked it a lot. You get a little back shoulder. Yeah. Something. Can he prove anything tonight? to you.

I mean, I have given up on Tray Lance. I'm not going to lie. But if he goes out there and plays well, obviously you don't want to see any mistakes because the last time he threw for 400-something yards but had all the interceptions. Yeah. So you just want a, look, these are not the high-level NFL competition

that he would face as a starter. So he should go out there and look great. That's what he has to do. Go out there and look great and not make mistakes. Yeah. I mean, listen, I think because he's still, young because he was young when he was drafted and he had so little experience in college. And the 40 time and the size, I think there are teams that would like to be able to believe in him.

You know what I mean? And so what he does need, though, is he's not going to get any opportunity during the regular season. They hope. So what he needs is take advantage of. So yeah, you can prove something. More first things first at 3 o'clock tomorrow and, coincidentally.