The Herd with Colin Cowherd - 01/07/2021 - HOUR 1 - Lamar Jackson, Rivers-Big Ben, Brady

Episode Date: January 7, 2021

There is a ridiculous Lamar Jackson narrative that needs to endPhilip Rivers had to overcome more than Ben RoethlisbergerThe Patriots defense really misses Tom BradyGuest: Mark Schlereth Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed Human. Another podcast from some SNL, late-night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer, Streeter Seidel, help an a cappella band with their between songs banter.

Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and friends on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque.

Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win.

I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfilled conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to the Clifford show

on the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok's podcast network on TikTok. On the Look Back at it podcast.

From 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84's big to me. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a year, unpack what went down

and try to make sense of how we survived it with our friends, fellow comedians, and favorite authors. Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s. 84 was a wild year. I don't think there's a more important year for black people.

Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Thanks for listening to The Heard podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday from 12 to 3 Eastern, 9 to noon Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and FS1. Find your local station for the herd at Fox Sports Radio.com or stream us live every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching Heard. You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. Ah, here we go on a Thursday. I mean, the shows just keep getting better. The guests keep getting bigger. Joe Burrow on the show today.

Live in Los Angeles, it's the herd, wherever you may be, and however you may be listening, Fox Sports Radio, Iheart Radio, and FS1. It is Greg Kosell an hour from now, NFL meat sandwich, you bet football, you play fantasy football, you just want to get smarter at football. Also today, the radio, return, we do it on an annual basis of the quarterback face bracket.

Now, it was a disaster the first year I tried it, which is I bet I take the NFL playoff bracket and I choose only who I perceive to be the better quarterback right now today this morning. I just pick quarterbacks. That's it. I pick the game based on the quarterback who today is hot, who's playing great, who's better. and the first year it was an abject disaster. Last year, it's pretty good.

So I had the courage to go into the face of the criticism, the wind after my first year disaster. So we bring it back, the quarterback face bracket. And it's just, I just take the best quarterback in the moment. I mean, solid strategy. Coach, defense, skill, none of it matters. How was your birthday? How was the banana cream pie?

I had two giant pieces. It was great. I got a lot of potassium in me right now. Calories don't count on your birthday. They don't. That's a new rule on the show. Calories do not count. Here's what's going to count.

What happens to Lamar Jackson this weekend? I just love this. Oh, my God. The pressure, Lamar Jackson's got all the pressure this weekend. Let's see. He's won 81% of his games as a pro and has reached 30 victories faster. than any quarterback in NFL history. Yeah, yeah, if he loses this weekend, I'm sure Baltimore will bail on him.

It suddenly means he has no talent. It means he can never win a playoff game. Folks, Lamar Jackson's the only young quarterback we demand playoff excellence. Baker Mayfield, a number one pick. Lamar got drafted end of the first, almost second round. Baker Mayfield, first pick, but in the league longer. Nobody says he has to win this weekend. I mean, people are already making excuses for him.

He's missing a backup wide receiver and a guard. I mean, Josh Allen drafted much higher than Lamar Jackson, who was awful, like Shackton a fool awful, like goofy play awful in his first playoff game last year. Nobody's saying he has to win this weekend or, oh, I don't know what you're going to do with him. Tyler Murray finished the year eight and eight. By the way, they started five and two. Kyler Murray wasn't very good at the end of the year. He had a bad last two or three games.

There's no pressure on Kyler Murray. In the last three years, 12 quarterbacks have been drafted in the first round. None have won a playoff game. Sort of hard to do that and stuff, but all the pressure's on Lamar Jackson. Why? It is 24th birthday today. Happy birthday, Lamar Jackson. He's the youngest quarterback in the playoffs.

Every other quarterback in the NFL that's younger than Lamar Jackson, and there's 10 of them, oh, they're not in the playoffs. They're not good enough to get in the playoffs. Folks, NBA stars, entire careers are about flaming out in the playoffs, Westbrook and James Hardin. You still worship them. The kid's 0-2. Peyton Manning, top five quarterback ever, started his career 0-3 in the playoffs, including a 41-0-0-drobbing at the hand of the Jets.

Bill Parcells. He had a couple of playoff games in Dallas. 0-2. New England, 4, 500. It's hard to win. He's a kid. Now, let's talk about, because you know I've been defending Lamar Jackson all year, when the rest of you bailed on this stock, I doubled down on this stock.

I said, I'll take the stock you don't want Lamar. Let me give you five people who there's real pressure on in the playoffs. Let's start with Bruce Ariens. Tom Brady, 21 years, never had to go into the playoffs as a wild card. Don't screw it up, Bruce. You're facing a losing team, Bruce. You're facing the 32nd ranked offense, Bruce. Brady's never had to go in as a wild card.

You got great weapons. there is pressure on Bruce Ariens. You get to face the losing playoff team whose coach was dealing with physical situations, Alex Smith, they got rid of the quarterback. They've been in chaos all year from the weakest division. His job, Bruce Ariens' job could be on the line if he loses. For the record, the more this offense with Tampa in the last six weeks

has been Tom's offense, the better it's gotten. And Bruce Ariens doesn't have. a reputation as, you know, a guy that grinds all night. Bruce Ariens got pressure. He loses, my guess is, he can be gone. Number two, Aaron Rogers. Folks, he is so far beyond regular season excellence. It's one of the great talents of all time.

He's got unbelievable weapons. No more excuses with a coach. He gets a buy. There's no other great team in the NFC. This is the year he's got to win. He's got to win this year. Aaron's got to win. I think he's going to win.

A lot of games in the playoffs. But come on. He's going to be a huge favorite at home, off a buy. He's got elite pieces. And again, he hasn't played enough home games at Lambo. Now he gets them in a year when kind of the NFC's top teams are all kind of shaky right now. Jared Goff has hurt. Drew Brees is old.

Seattle's offense is right now atrocious. Pressure's on Aaron. Rogers. Here's a third one. Drew Breeze. Dude, you open with Mitch Trubisky at home. You have, in my opinion, a stacked roster. I think the Saints have the best roster in the NFL. I really do. I mean, we talk about their offensive pieces, Alvin Kamara, Emmanuel Sanders, Michael Thomas, their O line. Their defense is top five and everything. He's at home. His arm, he got hurt. His arms should be fresh. This is the end of the road for him. You want to be a great broadcaster, you don't want to end your career losing to Mitch Trubisky at home.

There's real pressure on Drew Brees. I'll give you another one. Big Ben. He's got the best trio of wide receivers in the NFL. He's got the defensive player of the year on his roster. He took a week off to get refreshed. He gets to pay Cleveland. Do you know he's 24, 2 and 1 against the Browns?

He gets to go up against a rookie head coach. The Browns have COVID issues in the building. They won't have their head coach, which is overstated, but it's something. There's a lot of pressure on Big Ben who took a week off to get rested to play at home against a COVID-plagued football team. And then number five, I'll say Lamar Jackson. There is a narrative building. I would acknowledge that.

It's silly, but it's a narrative. but even with Lamar Jackson, if he just wins one playoff game, the narrative ends. And right now it's a silly narrative. He's won 81% of his games. What Lamar Jackson is is what you see with great players. He's a victim of Lamar Jackson. He's so good, so early, so explosive, so fast. We think, well, how can he not win playoff games?

because Bill Parcell struggled to, because Peyton Manning's career playoff record, 27 playoff games for Peyton Manning. He went 14 and 13. And for the record, even the last Super Bowl, he was mostly carried by defense. I want to hear about Lamar Jackson pressure.

Aaron Rogers, Bruce Ariens, Breeze, Big Ben, that's real pressure, not just a narrative. Lamar's is overwhelming. narrative and if he wins, it will thankfully go away. So excited today. Very excited. You know, it is interesting that with birthdays, the closer you are to death, you get rewarded with sugar.

It is interesting. Isn't it how it works? I feel today full of potassium and energy. There'll be a crash probably. We have Greg Kosell, the start of next hour. We have Joe Burrow on. And let me just say this about Joe Burrow. So sometimes the media, and I think we kind of laugh at this.

We push back at this a lot. There'll be these stories that aren't really stories. It is hard to fill three hours a day. It's hard to write four or five columns a week. Sometimes you make a reach. But this idea I didn't like Joe Burrell. I've been communicating with him on social media. I push back on the idea that he was LeBron, Brady, Peyton, Manning.

No, I'm not joking. He was compared to those in articles, and I kept bringing him on. I said, he's Tony Romall. going to be popular, a gamer, win a division at some point, win games, talked about successful. Plays like him, looks like him, games like him. And it's amazing how that became you don't like him. No, I just said, could we take a deep breath? He's going to the Bengals.

We all know where you land kind of matters. Don't you think Josh Allen's elevated a little by Sean McDermott? Don't you think Lamar's elevated a little by John Harbon, the great. front office of the Ravens? You don't think Big Ben's been elevated through the years by Tomlin and the Roonies? So Joe Burroughs an adult. Joe Burrow has reached out to me and I've reached out to him and I'm like, come on the show today. So I'm very excited for it. It's very exciting. And I said earlier, I'd like to be his friend. Well, I thought it was very nice that you guys talked and he said he was going to come on the show. And then he backed it up.

He said, I made a commitment to come on your show and I would like to realize that. I, that commitment. I'd like, I'd like to be your friend. So, yeah, this idea that you've worked with me now, how many years, two, three years? Almost three years, yeah. Yeah, it's like, I'm not here to pick on people. By the way, even Baker Mayfield, I always say, you're welcome back. Baker came on the show. Yes. And you're welcome back. And I would bring Baker on tomorrow. I'd bring Baker Mayfield on my show tomorrow. Not today, though. I've got Joe Burrow on today. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays at noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1 and the IHard Radio app.

Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth.

Listen to Superhuman on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me, Clivert Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football,

or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated.

One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast, it's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to the Clifford Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network

on TikTok. Hey, everyone. It's Ryder Strong and Will Ferdell from PodMeets World. And now the Podmeets Twirled podcast. We're two men who were completely clueless to reality TV, who now have covered dancing with the stars, traitors, and we're gearing up for the season finale of Survivor. So yeah, now we're experts. I know we annoyed a lot of our listeners by our severe lack of survivor knowledge. That is the point of the show. I'm just going to remind you. I have watched some Survivor. I obviously haven't watched enough. Did people not like it? Like what was just because we? Yeah. We'll be recapping the big conclusion of the 50th season from the final attempts at gameplay to the desperate pleas of finalists to a bunch of ha, ooh, ha, ooh, ha, ooh, again, we are experts.

So make sure to tune at a Pod Meets Twirled for all our Survivor 50 takes. Listen to PodMeets twirled on the IHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Agency, the ability to know that we're the experts in our own body. On the podcast, cultivating her space, Dr. Dom and Terry Lomax create a space where black women can show up fully and be heard. I wholeheartedly think, you know, you hit 30, you shouldn't have to share room with anybody. Mm-hmm. From navigating friendships and healing to setting boundaries and prioritizing your mental health.

These are real honest conversations. We don't always get to have out loud. Totally unreasonable with different parts of life, right? Like, oh, we'll have all three meals and make sure you're mindful during all of them? Absolutely not. During one meal, I'm standing. I'm standing and handing my children food. Because healing, empowerment, and resilience aren't just ideas.

They're practices. And this Mental Health Awareness Month, there's no better time to pour back into yourself. Listen to cultivating her space on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Black Rifle Coffee Company, veteran-owned, serving premium coffee. Purchase at www. Black Rifle Coffee Company.com slash heard, 20% off purchases. And your first coffee club order had a cup of coffee yesterday afternoon. Black Rifle Coffee.

It was great. Nothing in it. Just the coffee. That's when I first tried coffee, I just don't put anything in it. It's the coffee good. That's smart, actually. First time. Yeah.

And I put a little oat milk in it after that. First time, though, is a good coffee? Oh, you're an oat milk guy. I am. I don't even know. I think almonds's too rich for me. Yeah, I like almond. Yeah, my son's my wife.

I can do oat, but yeah, I prefer almond. Yeah, yeah. It's a very California thing. Is it? Because they say, not to waste anybody's time. Oat milk's actually one of those, a superfood. Is it? Yeah, I just found that out about a week ago.

Yeah, Pittsburgh is not a big almond milk market. So I'm going to say something. And you're going to think it's crazy. But 2004, Big Ben, Philip Rivers, same draft. If Big Ben gets drafted by the Chargers and Philip Rivers gets drafted by Big Ben, Philip Rivers has the trophies. And Big Ben just has a nice career and occasionally some Hall of Fame votes. Now, I know you're going to push back on that.

Big Ben has been to three Super Bowls. one, two. But Big Ben is the definition of very fortunate to have landed where he landed. That is not disputing his size, armed talent, his overall talent. First of all, he was never as cool as Montana Aikman or Brady. He was never iconic like Manning Farver Elway. He is one of only 12 NFL quarterbacks to have two plus Super Bowls, but he never beat a legend like Eli beat Brady twice. He played poorly in both Super Bowl wins. Big Ben's never won an MVP. He's never even been an all-pro, first or second team. He has no national commercials. Even his safety had a shampoo deal. To me, I think we forget that 30% of his wins are against the Browns and

Bengals. He's 48, 10, and 1. Well, Brady... Oh, no, Brady. Oh, no, Brady. was great in the playoffs. Two, you put Big Ben behind worse, inferior offensive lines in San Diego with an ownership group not willing to spend that kind of money. I'm not disputing the talent, but he got two Hall of Fame head coaches, a Hall of Fame owner, a great general manager, and an unbelievable brand that attracts free agents. Just trade Philip Rivers and Big Ben. Ben. I'm going to throw something out and you didn't know this.

How about this one? Philip Rivers actually has been in more Pro Bowls than Big Ben. Worst offensive line. Don't have the ownership group. Never had the receiving talent. In Ben's first Super Bowl, five pro bowlers. He wasn't as good as Jerome Bettis, Heinz Ward, Troy Polamallo, James Harrison, Joey Porter, James Ferrier, Alan Fanica. Not in the first one. He played poorly. his wide receiver in that first Super Bowl had more touchdown passes than Ben did.

His second Super Bowl, all three playoff wins, despite great receivers, he never threw more than one touchdown pass in any game. Great owner, Hall of Fame coach, lousy division, never been an MVP, never been a first or second team pro bowler. I am not disputing, disputing his talent. but I hear this a lot of times from successful people. They love to give themselves all the credit. I am just a great attorney.

I'm an amazing doctor. I am a top salesperson. Go look at the genetics. Your parents were probably pretty smart. You don't become a four-point Harvard anything, unless mom and dad probably had a little brain power as well. Probably had mostly stable life. Don't kid yourself on Big Ben.

Don't kid yourself. Philip Rivers and Big Ben swap different legacies. By the way, Ben should get into the Hall of Fame, not disputing that, not disputing his talent. And I do think he has more natural talent than Philip Rivers. Philip Rivers was a much better college quarterback. Philip Rivers had more offers. Philip Rivers from a very early age was a more mature quarterback.

And Philip Rivers had certainly more to overcome. Joy Taylor with the news. No, no, no, no, no. Turn on the news. This is the herd line news. And I talk about that today because Ben yesterday said this could be my last playoff game. That was sort of the genesis of this. And I don't think it will be because I think he's going to fight to the last drink of NFL playoff football.

But that's the start of it. Well, Deshaun Watson had career bests and completion percentage passing yards and passing touchdowns this season. Yeah. But the Texans still finished with. a 4 and 12 record. Obviously, Bill O'Brien was fired this year, and now rumors are circulating that he could once out of Houston. According to Mike Florio, Watson has quietly spoken to some teammates

about the possibility of requesting a trade from the team. It's going to depend a lot on who they hire as the next head coach. I'd be fascinated to see, first of all, they get a lot in return. I'd be fascinated to see the market because he gets hit a lot. He's expensive, two ACLs, and he is more playmaker than beautiful throw over the football. And there's a lot of coaches that have a system that like they're kind. And he's not one of those guys that plays within your system. He's just crazy.

He's just running around making amazing plays. Well, I think he's had to do that because they've been mostly terrible. And I think that fits actually who I actually think he's at his best being allowed to be that. He's really dynamic at that. I'd love to see him in a system, actually. I think that he is such a playmaker and has had to be such a playmaker for the Texans, him being in a system where he has a little bit of order and has weapons around him and has stability, he would actually thrive because we know what he can do under pressure

having to make things happen. I think the market would be massive for him if they can fit his contract. Now, if you're looking at what the trade would result in, it's a cap charge of 21.6 million. I mean, he would get a lot of picks in a trade. Yeah, so you can totally justify that because Houston, if you had to pay a cap hit for a year, you'd get like so many picks. Well, if you're losing Deshawn Watson, you're doing a complete rebuild anyway. So you'd want to get a bunch of picks.

You're likely going to be terrible, so you're going to get a top pick anyway in the draft. Let me throw a team out to you that I think he's actually perfect. New England. So they already experimented with a mobile quarterback for a year. They did the CAM thing. Deshawn's obviously way better than CAM. Secondly is Belichick's like 67.

You really want to go with a college quarterback from the Mountain West Conference? No, I don't think he's going to. Another thing is who would mask New England's lack of dynamic flaws? Deshaun Watson.

I mean, if Cam was more of a playmaker that he was five years ago, that would have masked more of their flaws despite their, you know, lack of dynamic. I mean... Yeah, Cam's clearly having trouble throwing the ball. The shoulder thing is a problem.

So to me, I look at all the teams. teams and I think, okay, New England just did the mobile quarterback thing. Belichick doesn't want to experiment with a Mountain West quarterback. At 15, that's what you're going to probably get. And the other thing is, it masks all their issues. I mean, they have no playmakers. They cannot get a pocket. Everybody's talking about Belichick getting the quarterback from Alabama.

He's a pocket quarterback. You have to have a playmaker in New England at quarterback because you have no playmakers on the perimeter. Exactly. So, and to your point. about not getting a college quarterback, you're getting, if they're going to go in that direction, how are you going to take a college quarterback that isn't, and not that Mac Jones hasn't had a great college career. Like, it's not a knock on Mac Jones, but the style of play doesn't fit a team that

doesn't have any dynamic playmakers. Like, you'd want to get someone out of college who you know can make things happen on his own. You think I'm crazy about this, but Houston just hired a New England guy. The new, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, Casario probably would be willing to move JJ Watt. I think what New England needs is a one or two year dynamic edge rusher, J.J. Watt and a dynamic quarterback. What would New England give up? This sounds crazy to get J.J. Watt and Deshaun Watson. The whole organization in Houston is former Patriots. They have relationships. Yeah, they do. And New England's got issues. They don't have dynamic players. Houston's got dynamic players, but needs massive picks and their new

coach is going to want to start over? I actually, I like Deshawn to New England. Am I not, am I nuts on that? After the, I don't know about both of them going to New England, but I think DeShan would actually do really well in New England. Oh, of course you would. And after the final game, Deshawn said that they need a culture shift. So he's interested in going somewhere that has an established or being somewhere. That isn't crazy town? Yes, it has an established culture. It has to be exhausting to be there, especially when you

you are as dynamic of a player as Deshawn is. I literally just created the Deshawn Watson trade. This is now, you know, when you're a kid and you'd get a 90 on a test or an 80 and the key, the teacher had what the was key of the answers, I have the answer to New England. They need a dynamic edge rusher and a dynamic quarterback. Because if you think you're going to bring a college pocket quarterback in and he's going to solve that offense. Yeah, in a division now with Josh Allen and the Miami defense. And Brian Flores and Sean McDermott. And, I mean, Deshawn in New England, I think is perfect. So the Chargers are one of the six teams looking for a new head coach as well as Houston.

And GM, Tom Telesco, is not going to rush the process or give a timetable for when he expects to fill the role. He said if it's something we have to wait for, we'll wait and we'll make it work. So far, they have requested interviews with Eric B. Enamee, Chiefs offensive coordinator, Joe Brady, the Panthers offensive coordinator, Bill's offensive coordinator, Brian D.Bahill, Colts, D.C., Matt Eberflus, Giants, O.C., Jason Garrett, and the Rams, defensive coordinator. or Brandon Staley. Any of those guys ever been a head coach? I know people are not going to like it, but I think Jason Garrett is good for this job.

I, okay, Garrett to me. I know he's not cool. I know he wears buttoned down Oxford's. I know he's not lit, but I'm telling you, I see one head coach in there. Well, I just think that they need someone

who's going to take them to the next level right now. I do think someone who hasn't been a head coach before could come in and be successful there but the reason that they fired him was because he wasn't reaching the full potential of what they needed to do there This team is like an inch away Yes, the chargers are a good team

They want four straight down years Don't pay attention to their record Like sometimes you can say you are what your record says you are That's not the case with the chargers on top of the fact that they've got a stage that place They've got something weird going on and everything I mean they moved to whole city

And it's come with them. It's time. You need a healer. There's lots of them in LA. Just put some crystals up and figure that out. Finally, Chase Young has made it known that he was looking forward to facing Brady and the Bucks, yelling I want Tom after clenching their playoff spot. And when he was asked about the comments, Brady tried to be a little more diplomatic.

But Chase has doubled down. He's obviously a great young player. So, you know, we got our hands full with that D-line. Went to Ohio State. So naturally, I think, though, Ohio State, Michigan thing wears off on a little bit. I'm excited for every game. And Tom Brady, you think I'm not going to be excited to play against the goat?

That you're tripping. And that is what it is. I'm excited to play against big time. I'm not going to apologize for saying I want time. No, I want Tom Brady. I like all these. We had Terry McLaren on yesterday. He was all sorts of personality.

And now he got Chase Young. I love what they're doing in Washington. I think they're just a few pieces away from really being. They're a quarterback away. Yes. Yeah, I think they need a few more offensive pieces as well because their defense is completely solid. But this is going to be a fun game.

I mean, we're going to be paying close attention to this one just because it's Tom Brady and his first playoff game with the bucks. I think it's going to be close. I do. I wouldn't be surprised. I think it's going to, this is the one underdog I like this weekend to keep it really ugly and close. You know there's going to be an upset, right?

Of course. So who? Do you have an upset pick? I just think this is going to get uncomfortable. Now, the Rams are also an underdog to Seattle. Yeah, but the Rams Seattle game feels like it could go either way. It doesn't really like that's going to be a very competitive game, but I don't know that it's like wild to say that either one of them would win that game.

I don't know. That's a good, that's a, that tomorrow, we're going to do a segment on that. There's going to be an upset. We're going to demand you pick the upset. Okay. I'll think about it. And me too. Yeah.

I think I know which one. Okay. Joy of the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Hurd Lie News. Brought to you by Mercedes-Benz, The Best or Nothing, Fox Sports NFL analyst Mark Schlereth now joining me. Three Super Bowl rings, two-time Pro-Boulder.

So I was saying this, Big Ben said yesterday, this could be my last playoff game. And I started saying, I said, where you land matters? He's never been an MVP. He's never been a first or second team Pro-Boulder. In fact, Philip River's been a Pro-Bolder. He didn't have the owner. He didn't have the GM. He didn't have the coach.

He didn't have the offensive line. I'd argue he didn't have the weapons. and I just said, Philip Rivers is going to get Hall of Fame votes. Ben's going to get in. And I think if they had a traded places, the careers could look different. I mean, how do you look at Big Ben? Well, one, I mean, the whole, you know, I'm like, this may be my last playoff game. There is a certain amount of drama that comes with Big Ben, you know, like, if we're watching, like, he can twist his ankle.

And the next week he comes out and he's got like a size 22. two clown shoe on. Like, look how bad my ankle is. Oh, it's terrible. And he's going to go out there and play because that's just how Ben operates. But I will say this about Big Ben. I think early in his career, Colin, you know, he was groomed, if you will. You know, they had a great running game that was the Pittsburgh Steelers and they had a

great defense and all those different things. I think here in the last eight, ten years, offensively, they have just put it on his shoulders and say, go out and win games for us. And he's been able to do that, albeit in a bad, you know, in a bad division that had Cleveland and Cincinnati that were competitive during those times. But he has asked to do a ton. And when you watch them on film, they are so, like, they are so far removed from the way you think of the Pittsburgh Steelers. You know, I think of the Pittsburgh Steelers back in, you know, the Frank O'Harras, Terry Bradshaw days and even early days in Ben Rothesburg's career with Jerome Bettis. And they're going to run the ball.

They're going to control the line of scrimmage. this is a four-wides, five-wides, spread offensive football team, throw it underneath, let your quarterback do all the work. I just think they're a little bit different. I think he's been asked to do those things, and I think he's been exceptional in doing those things, even without an all-pro. I mean, the problem is, you know,

you're comparing Ben Rothesburg and say, hey, he's never been all-pro. Well, during that time, Peyton Manning was in the AFC, Tom Brady was in the AFC. It's hard to get all-pro when you've got two goats in the same division as you. I said to start my show today is there is a narrative about Lamar, and I do think if he wins just a playoff game, it'll subside. I think there's bigger pressure on Aaron, Bruce Ariens, Big Ben, I mean, now that Cleveland's facing some COVID issues. I think sometimes it happens, Mark, that you become a victim of yourself.

Of the 12 quarterbacks last three years that have been drafted in the first round, none of want a playoff game, but it feels like it's all on Lamar to win a playoff game. I think some of that is he's just so dynamic that we're like, am I got to win playoff games? Like, I don't think if he loses a playoff game. I mean, if it's 31.30 and Tannahill throws a bomb to end it, I don't think less of Lamar Jackson. Your thoughts on him going into the weekend. Yeah, I think there's a couple things to go.

And I agree with you on that. He's kind of a victim of his own greatness. And part of the issue, Colin, is that John Harbaugh made a decision. when they decided to go full-time with Lamar Jackson. And that decision was, we're going to completely scrap pile anything traditional about what our offense is, and we're going to put it all on Lamar Jackson's shoulders. He is going to run the ball. I mean, think about this.

He's a top five running back in the league right now and a top five quarterback. Statistically, that's what he is. And so they have put it all on him, and they built a system around him. So they got together as a coaching staff with Greg Roman as the offense coordinator, Wink Martindell as a defense coordinator and they built a team that's complimentary based upon what they want to do as an offense. And they completely turn the league on its head

because nobody knows how to defend this kind of offense. But it all is predicated on, hey, Lamar, we're going to run the ball. We're going to get 11 on 11 football, true football with you being a ball carrier. We've got all kinds of different offense that we're going to do. We're still creating plays that defenses have never seen that they don't know how to defend.

And, oh, by the way, defensively, what we're going to do is we're going to be a high pressure, high blitz football team, because we know ultimately when you play us as an offense and we run the ball, we're eliminating the other offenses possessions down to about eight or nine. So we get up by seven. It feels like we're up by 21. Yeah. And so now we can be aggressive. Now we make you one dimensional. So I think one of the reasons that there is so much pressure and so much just on Lamar Jackson's shoulders is because that's a lot. how they built this football team. So that's how we look at it. Hey, if Marr doesn't play well,

they don't win. Yeah. You can overcome inconsistencies from your quarterback position on other teams occasionally because, hey, we've got a great defense and we've got a great running game and we've got a receiver that's big time and stuff. Here it's Lamar, you're going to lead us wherever we go. And if you don't play well or the defense, you know, that you're playing puts a couple turnovers together, then you're going to get the lion's share of the blame and that's just the way this team has been built. Do you, do you trust, I don't. I don't think Kansas City's offense played particularly well in December. I don't know if I trust them right now this morning. Do you? I trust them simply because of their quarterback. I'm with you on a lack

of trust, like the difference between rest and rust. And, you know, you took off a lot in December that you didn't play exceptionally well. And then you took week 17 off, as a lot. in offense and then you get the buy week. Like that is a recipe for disaster. How long and how many more games can Patrick Mahomes come down to the end and say, let me hoist the rest of this offense on my shoulders. Let me hoist this football team on my shoulders that's drive down here and win a football game. Like eventually, that's, eventually you've got to think of the law of averages.

That's not going to work at some point. But he is exceptional. They are an exceptionally talented football team. There's no question. part of the whole thing in December, Colin, is I think one of the big issues, and I've been on really good teams. You know, I've been on 11 and 0 team to start the season.

I've been on a 13-0 team to start the season. One of the biggest things you have to guard against is boredom. And I think one of the things that Andy Reid has done an exceptional job of, you see all these trick formations and these trick plays and this, it's to keep guys engaged because they know, I mean, they're like global, Jim, we're better than you, and we know it. They walk into a game just knowing they're better. They're more talented.

And so keeping guys engaged over the course of a season in which you know you're better than everybody else is a tough task. So we'll see exactly how they operate coming down the stretch. And when they get into this playoff as the number one seed, if they can be on all cylinders or if that takes some time. Because if it takes some time, you know, ultimately you play a team like Buffalo. If you get to that point, Buffalo is a damn good football team. And they've got a chance to beat you. There's no question in my mind. A seven point spread or more in the NFL.

You're a big favorite. Saints are a big favorite. Tampa Bay is a big favorite. Buffalo is a big favorite. If I said to you, there's going to be an upset this weekend, which there almost always is, where is it going to come from? Well, I think Pittsburgh right now is a six-point favorite, and I know you don't have your head coach calling plays, and that could be a disaster. But when you can run the ball and you can control the clock, and all of a sudden, you put your opponent in a position where you're eliminating possessions, that's a scary thing, right? And so that's a team that scares me a little bit.

I think Cleveland is built in a way where they can compete with anybody. It scares me that they don't have their main play caller. I think that's a, like I think that's a real issue, Kevin Stavansky being out. But that would be the one to me that would be the biggest upset. Because they just haven't. I mean, Pittsburgh has played poorly down the stretch. They've actually, in the last four or five weeks, they've had one half of football where they've actually played well. Yeah, no, that's a very good point.

That second half, they got some. In Indianapolis. And they got some pass interference breaks. They got three calls, two were shaky. So even then, a little bit of a break. Mark Schler, three rings from Super Bowls, multiple time pro bowl. We're good seeing you, Mark. Likewise, Colin.

Take care, buddy. Top of the hour, like football, fantasy football. football, bet football, Greg Co-Seller, NFL meat sandwich. Joe Burrow of the Bingles, great young quarterback talent will be joining us today. Coming up next, just how big the Brady departure from New England was. Wait till you hear this. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged.

It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts,

or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. Yep, that's me. Clever Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skisks. The reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined.

And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast. It's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to The Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Hey everyone, it's Ryder Strong and Will Ferdell from PodMeets World. And now the Pod Meets Twirled podcast. We're two men who were completely clueless to reality TV, who now have covered Dancing with the Stars, traitors, and we're gearing up for the season finale of Survivor. So yeah, now we're experts. I know we annoyed a lot of our listeners by our severe lack of survivor knowledge.

That is the point of the show. I'm just going to remind you. I have watched some Survivor. I obviously haven't watched enough. Did people not like it? Like, what was... Yeah. Just because we...

Yeah. We'll be recapping the big conclusion in the 50th season, from the final attempts at gameplay, to the desperate plea as a finalist to a bunch of ha, ooh, ha, ooh, ha, ooh, again, we are experts. So make sure to tune into PodMeets Twirled for all our Survivor 50 takes. Listen to PodMeets Twirled on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Agency, the ability to know that we're the experts in our own body. On the podcast, cultivating her space, Dr. Dom and. and Terry Lomax create a space where black women can show up fully and be heard.

I wholeheartedly think, you know, you hit 30, you shouldn't have to share room with anybody. Mm-hmm. From navigating friendships and healing to setting boundaries and prioritizing your mental health. These are real honest conversations. We don't always get to have out loud. Totally unreasonable with different parts of life, right? Like, oh, have all three meals and make sure you're mindful during all of them? Absolutely not.

During one meal, I'm standing. I'm standing and handing my children food. Because healing, empowerment, and resilience aren't just ideas. They're practices. And this Mental Health Awareness Month, there's no better time to pour back into yourself. Listen to cultivating her space on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. You know, Joy Taylor said something to me about four or five months ago. we were in a radio studio and COVID, and we were, I think it might have been six months ago.

And you said between our president and our COVID that you really saw so many people unraveling, a lot of politicians. And it was like, you know, I think I'm smarter than I ever gave myself credit for. And you said, and I thought that, and I took that home. Oh, I said that. Yeah. And I thought, I told Dan, I said, you watch all these people unraveling. Folks, yesterday, of course that's how Donald Trump's presidency ended.

chaos. Of course it ended that way. Have you paid attention for four years? I've met a lot of smart people. Never have I met a politician and thought, who, that is a brainiac. We've got so many dumb politicians, supported Trump. Now they're all running from him. You couldn't see it coming. You thought it was going to end smoothly. Really? I mean, I don't think that many people thought they were going to try and overthrow the government. No, but I mean, of you thought of, you thought it was just going to end just elegantly. And no, of course it was utter mayhem. We haven't had an elegant

day in four years. We haven't had a refined elegant. It's all been agitation and rib poking and ugh. Oh, by the way, so here's a stat. So the Patriots miss Tom Brady a lot, right? But a story came out today, actually,

their defense, more than any NFL unit in the NFL, offense, defense, special teams. the biggest decline in the NFL was New England's defense. Forget that it's more than their offense. It was the number one decline in the NFL was New England's defense. To that, I would say, oh, no, that's Brady too. New England's time of possession with Brady was fourth in the league.

This year it was 28th. They didn't have the ball. So the defense was asked to do more. And also, I believe, defenses, you see this with the Bears and Trebisky. Defenses perform worse when they, feel the offense is more futile. You give up earlier in games. Like you just can't, you just know you're not. Michael Vic came into Atlanta and there was a stat like when Michael played, the defense played better because they always thought he'll save us. We just give Michael one more possession.

People forget what you lose with Brady. He's so far above, you lose his IQ, you lose his will, you lose his work ethic, you lose his, it's like Tim Duncan. The spurs didn't lose a player. He was the hardest working spur. He was the most selfless. He took pay cuts. You walked into that organization with Tim Duncan and San Antonio. Well, it's not about money because Tim Duncan is not about money. When Brett Farrve left Green Bay, they were fine. He was their most talented player, but he wasn't their North Star. He wasn't a workaholic. He was loose, talented a gunslinger. But he wasn't a grinder. He wasn't all in until the season started. Tom Brady. Tom Brady, Brady is losing your phone.

Brett Fav is losing your phone charger. There's another one out there. Aaron Rogers, I think intellectually, is better than Fav. I think he's more coachable than Fav. I think he's more amenable to change than Farr. There is no other Brady. There's never been another Brady. You get the IQ, the coachability.

I'll take a pay cut. It's very Tim Duncan. We just didn't talk Duncan as much because we don't, you know, He was quiet and never in the news. People just, you can lose your phone charger and it stinks, but you can find one in the house. New England's defense is bad. Belichick looks small. The team's uninteresting.

They're not even now really a television product. Do you want to watch New England? I mean, that's why I think they have to go out and get a Deshaun Watson. If I'm the owner, I want us to be watchable again because in that division now, You get the two of controversy. You get Josh Allen. You may get Justin Fields. New England's boring.

They're boring now. So it is a, it is, and I like Farrve. But Brett Fav didn't define the culture of Green Bay. In fact, I could argue he was the opposite of their culture. Green Bay has always sort of been, we wear khakis. It's very, we don't spend the money. We save for a rainy day. we max our 401k.

Farve's a Maverg. Farve like owns his own business. Farves go to Vegas, put all the chips in the middle of the table. That's the opposite of Green Bay. Farv was just a wildly stupid, talented, crazy town

arm gunslinger. He wasn't the Packer brand. Brady was everything. Now the defense stinks. He was the work ethic. He was the academic. the willfulness, the take a pay cut, the resourcefulness, the coachability. You looked at Tom and Tim Duncan, you're like, I should probably take a pay cut. I mean, that's how that's the, and by the way, we haven't talked Spurs for a minute since Duncan left.

Greg CoSell next. Another podcast from some SNL late night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman helped make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL, Mikey Day and head writer Streeter Seidel help an a cappella band with their between songs banter.

Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and friends on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games.

Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's superhuman. Human documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. On the Look Back at it podcast.

From 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84 was big to me. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived. with our friends, fellow comedians, and favorite authors. Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s. 84 was a wild year.

I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me. Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media.

Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfills of conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to The Clifford Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok podcast network on TikTok. This is an IHeart podcast, guaranteed human.