The Herd with Colin Cowherd - 02/19/2021 - Best of The Herd

Episode Date: February 19, 2021

Colin explains why Carson Wentz is the one who “won the trade” between the Colts and the Eagles not the teams. He also questions why the Bears and Washington aren’t taking a chance on trading for a young quarterback to try and win a Super Bowl this season. Plus, he talks to 3-time Super Bowl Champion Eric Mangini to find out what the Patriots have planned for next season as they continue to try rebuilding after Tom Brady’s departure.  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, unfiltered 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 IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok's podcast network on TikTok. Hey, what's good, y'all? You're listening to Learn the Hardway with your favorite therapist and host, Kear Games. This space is about black men's experiences, having honest conversations that it's really not safe to have anywhere, but you're having them with a licensed professional who knows what he's doing. How many men carry a suit are armored.

It signals to the world that you not to be played with. And just because you have the capability that does not mean that you need to. Listen and learn the hard way on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. Thanks for listening to the best of 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 SportsRadio.com

or stream us live every day on the IHeartRadio app. by searching herd. This is the best of the herd with Colin Cowher on Fox Sports Radio. Here we go on a Friday. Maybe we'll have breaking NFL quarterback news today as well, live in Los Angeles. This is the herd. Wherever you may be, however you may be listening, Fox Sports Radio, IHeart Radio, FS1. It's a sweater Friday, and Alex Curry is now joining me, filling in for Joy Taylor,

who was back Monday. I felt like I wanted to, it's winter. And even though we're in Los Angeles, I felt like, you know what, I feel like it's, I got a little winter thing going on now for the next two weeks. I'm going to go with it. And it's cold everywhere else, so it's kind of like you're showing a little compassion

for everywhere else in the world. By the way, our thoughts and prayers to people around the country, these stories, my wife and I last night looking at the stuff in Texas. It's heartbreaking. Oh my God, it's heartbreaking. It's heartbreaking. So we're thinking about you. It's great to have you on a Friday.

So yesterday, Carson Wentz got traded right before the show. And this morning, another story came out. God. I have never seen in my life two franchises that regularly go to the playoffs, the Eagles and the Texans capsize in two, three months. The Texans literally are taking on water and they don't have any life preservers. and Philadelphia this morning, they get worked in that trade with Carson Wentz, and the story out today, they're not going to give the quarterback job to Jalen Hertz.

He's going to have to earn it. Oh, boy. So you hire a head coach, young kid, Nick Seriani, who butchered his press conference, appeared incredibly nervous, unproven, going into a vicious, verbal, intense city with a quarterback competition. I just don't remember. I don't remember a time when two, like winning franchises, Philadelphia and Houston have capsized in the offseason.

And the off season just started two weeks ago. And I was thinking about the Carson Wentz deal. Obviously Carson Wentz wins yesterday. He gets a better O-Line. He gets a better culture. He gets a better GM. He gets a much better now coach. He gets better weapons.

He gets, Philadelphia's defense is fine, but I think he gets a little better, younger defense, obviously. But the winner in this is also the NFL. And when you're a well-run business, and I've defended Roger Goodell for years, the media doesn't like the NFL as much because the NFL has power and the NFL doesn't need the media. The baseball, baseball in the NBA, they need the media. So what you'll find with the media is they talk way more NBA than actually there is interest in the NBA. And baseball, because of the newspapers and the box scores, have always had a great relationship with baseball.

That's how I grew up. And so everybody grew up. You go to the newspaper to get your box score. Not as much now, but certainly how many of us are 40 or 50. That's how we lived. But the NFL doesn't need the media. They don't need newspapers. They don't need me.

They don't need the radio. And the media likes to feel needed. And the NFL doesn't need them. And for years and years, I always said this about Roger Goodell. I'm like, by and large, this is by far and overall. way the best run league. They don't have nearly the issues of the lack of competition in the NBA. NBA kind of feels like coastal, baseball, there's the rich, everybody else. But this Carson Wendst deal, this is why it's so great for the NFL and the Matt Stafford deal for the Rams.

The bottom third of teams in any sport don't matter. You're never judged by that. When Michael Jordan ran the NBA, the bottom third of the league was Drek. It was awful. It didn't matter. you don't put them on television. Your network partners and you are not putting them on television. So it didn't matter that the bottom third of the NBA during Jordan's era was awful. Same with Shaq and Kobe. It doesn't matter. If the top of your sport is good, where your best players are on your best teams,

hopefully in like traditional powers, Green Bay. You want Green Bay to be good in the NFL. You want Pittsburgh to be good. You want the Celtics, Lakers, to be good. You know, Miami Heat in the NBA. These are really good well-run franchises. But Carson Wentz was wasting his talent. What you don't want is Matt Stafford for a decade wasting his talent with the dysfunctional lions.

What you don't want is Mike Trout with the Angels. You want Mike Trout with the Dodgers. I mean, Mookie Betts is an amazing story. Like, I'm a casual baseball fan. I love the postseason. I love the postseason. I'll watch a postseason baseball game over a Thursday night NFL game. I love baseball postseason.

But Mookie Betts goes to the Dodgers. It's the first time in 10 years. I can't wait for the season to start. He had so much energy and so much juice. It was nothing against being in Boston, but David kind of last couple of years rebuilding. You want your stars in the right places. So right now, Stafford to the Rams from the bottom of the league to one of the better organizations and Carson went escaping the dysfunction and going to a top six or seven roster, huge win.

Now, both of those are in the Super Bowl hunt. Right now this morning in the NFL, I looked it up. Half the NFL is 30 to 1 or better odds to win the Super Bowl. Half the league, eight NBA teams are. You want your stars to avoid dysfunction. Anthony Davis with the Pelicans did nothing for the league. Anthony Davis with LeBron, now we've got a story.

Now we've got a dynasty. Bradley Beal for the Wizards is awful for the NBA. He's an unbelievable kid and unbelievable talent, wasting away in Washington. You put him on the Celtics tomorrow. You put them on, you know, rockets. That's how leaked. Because think about the NFL.

The games that matter for the NFL is the 4 o'clock game on CBS and the 4 o'clock game on Fox. Sunday night football on NBC, Monday night football on ESPN, and Thursday night games, they stand alone, they matter. Where you can bury teams is the 1 o'clock Eastern window on Sunday. You can put the Jaguars on there for years. They disappear into the ether. There are 7-8 games.

Nobody watches them. You only put them in like 7% of the country. Leagues hide. The NFL hides its bad teams. But it makes sure it gets its stars at 4 Sunday night, Monday night, and Thursday. Get your stars. That was one of the deals. When Fox got Thursday night, Fox went to the NFL and said,

can we get better games? We'll promote the hell out of it. We're good with the NFL. You know we'll take care of it. You've got to give us better games. And so suddenly, what did the NFL and Fox do? They gave them more divisional games, Raven, Steelers, Packers, Bears. That's why Thursday night football with Fox has been better,

because they gave us better games. Remember when Thursday night football used to be on the NFL network and you get Jags Titans? And they'd wear goofy uniforms. You're like, this is bad product. NFL finally figured it out. And so this is so good. Wence goes from dysfunction and chaos to an incredible football culture.

Huge win for the NFL. Now you've got under Super Bowl team. Stafford goes super talented from the dysfunctional lions to the Rams with other stars. So when I look at these moves with all these leagues, this has been a great, when did Stafford get traded? It's been a great two weeks for the NFL. Stars in the right places. Like Zion. I hope the Pelicans get it right.

I really do. I do. I think they're well run. But if he's there seven years and makes the playoffs once, that's bad for the league. You don't want Zion buried on a 500 basketball team. I mean, think about Kevin Garnett. He was a stat monster in Minnesota for years.

It wasn't on television. Nobody taught. He was just a really good, you had to be a diehard NBA guy to follow it. Then he goes to the Celtics and he becomes one of the three faces of the NBA and everybody loves Kevin Garnett. Now he's on television. Now everybody, I mean, he's always a smart interesting guy. Nobody knew about him. He was in Minnesota. It's like Death Valley of the NBA. He was this great player just wasting away. Then he goes to the Celtics. He's a top. I mean, we talk Kevin Garnett all the time. That's what sports needs. And that's where the NFL's hit two

home runs in the last couple of weeks was Stafford and Wince. going, by the way, Deshawn Watson, just throw this out there, deserves better. Deshaun Watson needs to go to a winning organization. He's too talented now to be buried in Houston with that coach and that owner and that nonsense in the front office. So the NFL can really hit the lottery. If Deshawn Watson goes somewhere that's functional, you're going to have Stafford, Wins, and Deshawn. Chaos defunctional.

Huge win. That'd be like three Bradley Beals going to the Celtics, Lakers and Spurs. Huge wins for leagues. All right. Here's something I don't understand. So Stafford's off the market and Wentz is off the market. So there's two guys left.

There's the super talented Deshawn Watson. We all know he's great. But to get to Sean Watson, you've got to give up massive picks and players. To get Sam Darnold, who is cheap. talented, hardworking in only 23, you have to give up nothing. Because of the Wents deal, it probably makes it easier to get Darnold. Because if Wents only got what he got, Donald's probably only going to get a second round pick or a third round. You have to give up nothing to get him. And he doesn't cost anything. Meaning if you get Darnold,

you don't have to give up anything to get him. Here's two teams that if I was running the Bears or the Washington football team, I'd be on the phone this morning. Like there's a lot of teams that want to upgrade quarterback. We know San Francisco isn't in love with Garoppel. But Garoppel does win games. We know Carolina doesn't see Teddy Bridgewater as a long-term guy. But he's a pretty darn good quarterback. We know Atlanta would eventually like to move off Matt Ryan. Matt Ryan's going to get Hall of Fame votes. But there's two teams in this league. They have

winning head coaches. They have great defenses. They were playoff teams. Washington and Chicago, you don't have a quarterback. What are you doing? Are you sitting around and waiting? And there's only two guys on the market left. Nobody's going to go big, in my opinion, except maybe New England, after Garoppolo because of his injuries. That's a really dangerous space to be in to sign Jimmy for a long term.

In Chicago and Washington, winning coach, great championship level defense, playoff teams. you can get Sam Donald for almost nothing. What are you waiting for? Mariotta is a limited thrower and has injuries. Garoppolo injuries. I'm sitting here thinking to myself, Washington, this division is yours if you can be competent at quarterback. Chicago, if you're competent at quarterback with that defense

and you re-sign Allen Robinson, just upgrade your offensive line a little. you can challenge Green Bay. So I'm a little shocked. We heard the Carson Wentz rumblings and the Matt Stafford rumblings for four or five days before they had. We heard that Stafford wanted out. We heard that Carson Wentz was going to get traded. There's no new news on Sam Donald and I don't get it.

I mean, I understand if you want to go big game hunting for Deshaun Watson like Carolina. But Chicago and Washington now are winning teams. but they're not teams that can give up the farm for Deshawn because they still have too many needs. So you could get Deshawn in Washington or Chicago, but you're mortgaging your future and you're not good enough teams to give up a ton, get Deshawn and win. But they're both good enough to get Sam Darnold not give up anything. Bolster Washington could bolster their offensive weaponry. Chicago definitely needs another receiver back and maybe another tackle.

So I just look at Washington and Chicago and I'm like, you guys have winning records, playoff teams, great defense is momentum. Get on it. Stafford's off the market. Wents is off the market and neither the bears of the Washington football team, in my opinion, have the pieces or the ability to get Deshawn. They've got holes, they've got to solve so they can't be given up seven, eight, nine draft picks. By the way, yesterday, Lance Briggs, legendary bear pro bowler, his thoughts on Darnold and doing something at quarterback.

We need something different in Chicago because what's been doing, what we've had isn't working. Even as Sam Darnold at the right price can give some sort of new hope. And it's really going to have to come from a veteran quarterback because there's a lot that needs to be shorted up on this offense. There's guys that need to be resigned. the offensive line needs to be bolstered. You've got to be able to protect these guys if you're going to bring them in as well. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1 and the IHeart 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 I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care which I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Cliver 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 Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. What's up, fam? It's Isaiah Thomas. And I'm CJ Toledano,

and our podcast Point Game is about defying the odds. Like LeBron heading into the playoffs without Luca and Austin Reed. And finding ways to win no matter what. He's the smartest player to ever play the game. His IQ is at a level that we've never seen before. And he knows. Without Luca and Austin Reeves, I got to manipulate the game.

We get a player's perspective on the challenges of the playoffs. I think Joker's going to be exhausted this series because when they don't have Rudy in the lineup, he has to really guard guys like Nas Reid. He has to guard Julius Randall. And then he has to give us everything he gives us on the night-to-night basis on offense. And when IT's friends stop by like Quentin Richardson, we dive into some playoff history too.

Steve Nash will get that thing. That man, hell get the flying. He running up the court, licking his fingers why he got the ball, like, after you go through a training camp with that, Isa, you figure it out real quick. Get your ass up and down the court, and you're going to get the ball.

So listen to Point Game on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, I'm Deanna Maria Riva, actress, mother, lover, and a Gen X woman walking through life, one hot flash and hormonal crime. at a time. You ladies know what I mean. I'll bet you a parameda man apostle chin here you do. So let's talk about it. Join me on my new podcast. How hard can it be with the Adamalia

Arriva, where I call on my Gen X squads from Ohio to Hollywood as we navigate midlife's most fantastic BS. All of a sudden I'd had hanginess happening on my own. I was like, what the hell is that? I was married when I had her, so I didn't even consider how empty that nest was going to be. Mood swings, night sweats, fupas, sex drive. Wait, what sex? Dating at 45. How hard can it be getting naked at 50 with the new guy? That one's kind of hard.

Well, that's lighting. They say we can't polish a turd, but we're sure going to try. So let's get blunt with laughs, tears or tears of laughter, and dive into it, unfiltered and unbothered and ask, how hard can it be? I cannot believe I'm about to say this out loud in public. Listen to How Hard Can It Be with Diana Maria Riva as part of my Cultura Podcast Network available on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

I like John. I think John Gruden, when I used to work at the other place, was the single most talented former player or former coach on the air. I thought he was a great broadcaster. A lot of the media critics, and what do they know, they've never worked in TV. John Gruden's great on television. He's a home run. The NFL draft coverage for ESPN has never been as good since Gruden left.

That's not a shot at the people on it. They're very capable. Monday night football. It's never been as good since Gruden left. His quarterback camp was much watch. Gruden is a TV star. He's great. Tomorrow, if Fox came to me tomorrow and one of our big stars retired and they say,

who would you do? I'd be like Gruden. Gruden's great on television. And the media critics are idiots if they don't get it. He is juice. He is energy. He's chucky. He's goofy.

He's opinions. He's great on television. But I've always said. The coaching thing, he's likable. Like Pete Carroll. When we like somebody, we defend him. He's won 51% of his games. Mike McCarthy's won 60%.

He has five playoff wins. McCarthy's got double that. But we don't like Mike McCarthy. He looks like a cab driver from Chicago. He's a regular guy. He's not very funny behind him, Mike. He's kind of uncomfortable, and Gruden's unbelievably comfortable. So, Gruden always gets a pass with the Raiders.

I saw this story. Derek Carr, you want to know who inquired about him? Who's the best young GM in the NFL? A lot of people think it's Chris Ballard of the Colts. Story out today, Ballard wanted Derek Carr. And the Raiders said, no, no, no, not Derek Carr. And this cracks me up. Derek Carr always gets blamed for everything with the Raiders.

So Chicago and the Raiders both went 8 and 8. But Chicago's quarterbacks kept them at 8 and 8. Derek Carr got the Raiders to 8-N-8. Is anybody paying attention to Derek Carr the last two years? He's completed 70% of his throws. He got 48 touchdown 17 picks and a pass-a-rating over 100. He's the glue to the organization. What do you mean trade him?

First of all, John Gruden's reputation as a coach is winner. His reality is, his last nine years coaching, he's got no playoff wins. He's the only coach in the NFL that's had three straight losing years, missed the playoffs, three straight years, still has a job. He's the only one in the league. That's it. Three years, no playoffs. Still employed.

He's the only one. And I like him. And I find him unbelievably likable. He walks into a room and he steals it. He sucks all the oxygen out of it. I was in a room in New York years ago. He just is chucky. He's big and he's verbal and he's funny and he's interesting and he's passionate.

And he was always underrated as a television personality. He's great. Listen, I like Bill Parcells. There are a lot of guys, Joe Montana. There are a lot of guys that are great. They're not great on television. Gruden is great on TV. But this idea that cars getting in the way of Oakland,

there's a million questions in Oakland. They have one player on the entire roster that had more than three sacks last year, Max Crosby, Vegas Raiders. They have one guy in the whole roster with more than three sacks. Their last two top picks have been busts. Henry Rugg's wide receiver is a bust. He was their fourth leading receiver. he was 21st in receptions among rookie receivers.

He's fast and can't run routes. Okay. Cleland Farrell, the Clemson kid, and I said at the day they drafted him, was a reach. He's got almost no sacks in two years. So I got questions about the GM. I got questions about the defense. I got questions about the roster. I got questions about Gruden.

Derek Carr is the only thing I don't have questions about with the Raiders. So the fact that Chris Ballard came out and was like, I like that guy. He should. By the way, pro football focus, Derek Carr, 10th highest graded quarterback. And that's, again, a guy that has to be in shootouts every week to win. The other thing about the Raiders, the last two years with Gruden, they've regressed badly after Thanksgiving. So I don't know what that's about. I'm not in the rooms.

But post- Thanksgiving, the last two years, the Raiders have been a mess. Does Gruden coach them too hard at practice? Do they work them too hard? Do they too intense early? And they just melt at the end of the year. I don't know. I don't have the answer. But it's not a good trend.

The best coaches in this league, the Belichick's teams get better after Thanksgiving. Gruden's Raiders last two years, post- Thanksgiving, die, except Derek Carr. So I love this story. Finally, one of the Sharp GMs is like, yeah, we like Derek Carr. He is the life preserver. There's a million questions for the Raiders. Carr's the only thing I don't question. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific.

In the last 20 years, the most meticulously planned, obsessive, detailed franchise, always ahead of the league, never behind it, has been New England. Suddenly, they have no plan at quarterback. According to a report, they had no interest in Carson Wentz. Okay, so Matt Stafford said no. Goff, no. went no. So we all kind of thought New England.

Brady leaves. COVID year. They're going to rebuild. They're going to get their cap space. They're going to get picks. They have no plan. So they have no quarterback. They have no tied end.

No functional number one or two receiver. No great pass rusher. Secondary deteriorating. No star running back. They have a good old line. That position they've drafted well. But they won games one way. last year. This is it. Bill confused young quarterbacks. Five of their seven wins were against

young quarterbacks that Bill confused. Darnold twice, Justin Herbert, Lamar Jackson and Kyler Murray. That's what Bill does. Is Robert Kraft at least a little concerned about a coach who has a history of being petty and holding grudges, still pissed he had to get rid of Garapolo, is he a little concerned that of the six defensive coaches for the Patriots, three are bilirous kids. They've got no plan at the most vital positions, the worst weapons in the league, in a league that's becoming more weapons-centric. You're not going to beat Kansas City with no weapons.

You're not going to beat the Colts with no weapons. You're not going to beat the Rams and the Seahawks and the Packers with no weapons. What's going on? I'm not a conspiracy theorist. I'm not. But if I'm Robert Kraft and I know a coach who was ticked off when Garoppolo got moved, that's the only time Kraft has gone over Belichick's head, just think about this.

If Belichick tomorrow, they don't even have their GM anymore, Sario left. If Belichick left tomorrow, the defensive staff gone, Flores gone, Belichick con, kids gone. No quarterback, no weapons. I'm not going to go X-Files here, maybe a little, but it is weird. I'm not going to say sabotage. I'm not saying that. I'm just saying, somebody give me an answer here. They have no planet quarterback in a quarterback league. They have the worst weapons in the league. Belichick now has more power. It's he and his kids on the defensive staff. They've got no plan. Something is just off. And I don't know what it is. And I'm not claiming to know. But I just want it known if something crazy happens and

Belichick retires, Uncle Colin, who hates conspiracy theories, at least through a little something out there. I don't know what's going on, but it doesn't feel right. The temperature in the room is off. Something is not right. Hour 2 next. One more herd? The herd streams 24 hours a day, seven days a week within the IHeart radio app. Search Herd to listen live or on demand whenever you'd like. 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, 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 I-Hard 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, 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, I'm Deanna Maria Riva, actress, mother, lover, and a Gen X woman walking through life one hot flash and hormonal crying jag at a time. You ladies know what I mean. I'll bet you a perimenopausal chin here you do. So let's talk about it. Join me on my new podcast. How hard can it be with Deanna Maria Riva, where I call on my Gen X squads from Ohio to Hollywood as we navigate midlife's most fantastic BS. All of a sudden, I'd had hanginess happening on my own.

I was like, what the hell is that? I was married when I had her, so I didn't even consider how empty that Ness was going to be. Mood swings, night sweats, fupas, sex drive. Wait, what sex? Dating at 45. How hard can it be? How hard can it be? Getting naked at 50 with the new guy. That one's kind of hard. Well, that's lighting. They say we can't polish a turd, but we're sure going to try. So let's get blunt with laughs, tears or tears of laughter, and dive into it, unfiltered and unbothered and ask, how hard can it be?

I cannot believe I'm about to say this out loud in public. Listen to How Hard Can It Be with Diana Maria Riva as part of My Cultura Podcast Network available on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. What's up, fam? It's Isaiah Thomas. And I'm C.J. Toledano, and our podcast Point Game is about defining the odds. Like LeBron heading into the playoffs without Luca and Austin Reed. And finding ways to win no matter what. He's the smartest player to ever play the game.

His IQ is at a level that we've never seen before. And he knows without Luca and Austin Reeves, I got to manipulate. the game. We get a player's perspective on the challenges of the playoffs. I think Joker's going to be exhausted this series because when they don't have Rudy in the lineup, he has to really guard guys like Nas Reed. He has to guard Julius Randall. And then he has to give us everything he gives us on the night-to-night basis on offense.

And when IT's friends stop by, like Quentin Richardson, we dive into some playoff history too. Steve Nash would get that thing. That man, hell get to fly. He run up the court, licking his fingers, why he got the ball, like, I think. You go through a training camp with that Isaiah, you figure it out real quick. Get your ass up and down the court, and you're going to get the ball. So listen to Point Game on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Eric Mangini and I, I just got the notes.

I get little notes before the interview. I think we disagree on everything today, which is exactly the way I like it. I can teach him a thing or two about football, which is really what I'm his mentor. He's joining us lying now. I'm sure he loves that. I'm sure he's giggling over. that. So let's start with this. Let's start with this. So I'm a believer. If you show me success, three or four or five times doing something. It doesn't matter if you're a tax attorney. It doesn't

matter if you're a landscaper. I think you're smart. So Frank Wright got the most efficient year ever out of Andrew Locke, the most efficient year ever out of Carson Wentz. And Philip Rivers had on his last leg had one of his top three most efficient seasons. And I look at Wentz and Reich and I think, I know he's broken, but I got a track record of Frank Reich working everywhere he goes. I think he figures out Wentz somehow and I think there are coaches, you know them. There are these coaches that are just better. They just solve stuff.

So I think Wentzen and Indy's going to work, you are more of a skeptic. I look at this situation and I think how broken Philadelphia must think he is. they're going to take the largest seller gap in the history of the NFL. They trade them away for what's very small compensation for a guy who was your starting quarterback and who you paid that much money. You paid so much money and so many draft picks to acquire them in the first place. You fire your head coach. That's usually the fix for a young quarterback.

You fire the head coach. You see if the new guy can come in and change things. you hire the offensive coordinator, Frank Wright's offensive coordinator. So I think he's saying, you know, because of that reason. And then you're still willing to trade him. So they just must feel like he can't be successful there. Okay. Now, that being said, maybe a change of scenery will work.

But this is a guy who's at an injury history, who gets sacked at a very high rate, who's had problems in the locker room, and who's coming off a, a really difficult year. There's a lot of things that he's going to have to do differently and do right to have a different outcome in Indy. So I want to throw this, you used to coach the Jets, I want to throw this at you. So in the, in the AFC East right now, you have Belichick, who's probably the best defensive coach in the history of the league. Sean McDermott, excellent defensive coach. Brian Flores appears to be doing a really nice job. And the Jets are going to get rid of Donald and go with a rookie quarterback and say to myself, I would rather just keep.

Darnold, trade that pick, and give Sam more weapons, because I think Sam's got a market. Chris Ballard was interested. I just look at the division and I think to myself, you're going to go with a rookie quarterback with those three defensive coaches? You're trying to climb a mountain. That's my perception. Or are you in the camp of, listen, you've got to start over. It's not working with Darnold.

Well, I don't know if we agree or disagree on this point because I heard you talking about Sam, Sam Darnold being, being traded, and whether it's Chicago or Washington, and my thought process is if you really feel like this young quarterback can, can actually improve and you have the asset in place at the most important position, there's no, it makes no sense for the Jets to trade them. And, and like I said, with the Philly situation, usually you change head coaches and you think that's going to help the quarterback that that's there and that it's not a quarterback issue. It's a coaching issue. So yeah, you're absolutely right. If you can keep him and you believe that he has the potential to improve on what he's done, you've got incredible draft capital.

You've got incredible money for free agency. You can trade that pick and get even more draft capital. I think if you can possibly maintain him and feel like you can win, it's the best. best decision they can make. All right. Here's the disagreement part. So I was a lot of those, Colin. We have a lot of those. Okay. So I said before is that there's, you know, they always go on the internet or you read these in magazines. Like they say, the three or four signs somebody's having an affair. And it's always when they change their habits. Like people, we're all kind of creatures of habit. People start, they won't let you look at their phone. They're coming home later. They work out a lot. And it's like, oh, they're changing habits.

So I'm supposed to believe the most detailed, precise, planned organization in the NFL for 20 years, New England. They don't have a quarterback. They have the worst skill people in the league. Their secondary is deteriorating. They don't have an elite pass rusher. Half of the defensive coaches are either Bill Belichick or his kids. I look at this organization. I'm like, okay, you have all the answers here.

If I'm Robert Kraft this morning, they just lost their GM, so Bill has more personnel power. and I don't love them as a drafter. At some point if I'm Robert Kraft, I'm like, I know you were successful and I love you, Bill. You tell me what the plan is because I don't understand. Apparently they weren't interested in Wentz. Stafford said no thanks. At some point, the market's drying up, isn't it, for a quarterback?

Well, what you said is habits and changing habits. And I don't think you can look at a lack of activity as a lack of a plan. And what's New England always done? They've never been first week free agency, pay big money guys. That's not what they've done. They've never rushed to be the first in any place. If anything, Bill's strength, his greatest strength is in that free agency world, is in that acquiring pro-talent world.

And so much is going to change. We've seen who would have thought Carson Wentz would be traded or Jared Goff would be traded? You see the things that have changed already in this. this small window of time. Over the course of the draft, they could potentially get a quarterback there. You could see maybe Garoppolo moves. A lot of guys could still move. They're going to assess what comes available as opposed to rushing to make a decision just

to make a decision. It's just, it's not how they're wired. And unless they believe it's a significant upgrade, why would they ever go get a guy just to get a guy? So you think, I mean, Garapolo has not only been hurt. three of the last four years, but he's been hurt in week two, week three and week two, which tells you, it's one thing if Mahomes gets banged up after 15 weeks of play. If you're hurt by week two, three of the last four years, you're brittle.

There's no other way to get around it. One time he got hurt without getting hit. So Garoppolo doesn't feel like a legitimate. I mean, Bill's not going to sign Garoppolo to a long contract. Look, I was just using Garoppolo as an example because of their relationship. And you remember when Garapolo was, they're making that decision. you were in the New England should keep Garoppolo camp back in the day. And that's actually worked, you know, worked out when they kept Tom.

I didn't think Cam Newton would work. And they got Cam in, what, June for basically nothing. And there's a fumble against Buffalo and there's a goal line play against Seattle. Otherwise, that's a nine and seven decision. And, you know, this is a team coming off eight players opting out. they've now got salary cap room. They have assessed, you know, you're a year removed from the Tom Brady legacy. I think that things will look dramatically different, you know, at the start of the season this year versus where they were last year.

All right. Here's another disagreement bomb. I think, first of all, Pittsburgh sold their soul a little with Ben. They knew, they've known for years he doesn't commit in the offseason. They know he's not great with film study. They know he's not always a great teammate with offensive stars. They know he can be dramatic when you draft a quarterback fourth round. They know, I've been told by people who I trust,

that their audible system is incredibly remedial. And they've known this for years. And now they're trapped because they placated Ben time and time again, which is fine when he's in his athletic prime because he was such a unique and special player. Down the stretch, Eric, he was old. and his lack of physical commitment was pretty obvious. He had eight picks in the four games. He was terrible.

I'm done. Like I think they're trapped. You still like him. We're talking about young quarterbacks that haven't done anything and them being traded to teams. And if they get traded to those teams, those teams are suddenly going to go to the playoffs. The Steelers won the division last year. They were 12 and 4. He threw 33 touchdowns.

They were dead last in running the football. In the final game of the season, you can kill Ben, but they asked them to throw the ball 68 times. When you think of a Steelers football, you think of a really good defense, a really physical and effective running game, and then Ben Rothesberger. Why don't they commit to fixing the running game and see what Ben can do at that point? And the guys, what's it, 16, 18 seasons, whatever it is, he's had two losing seasons. Two. Two. So we're talking about guys that have barely had any winning seasons going somewhere else,

as opposed to keeping Ben. You could extend his contract out a year to get the salary cap number down without giving him any new money. And you still have a chance to win. I think they're putting the blame in the wrong spot here. All right. We just don't, we're just going to have to agree to disagree on that. I think he's an old man and he looks. I am so old.

Look, a lot of people thought Tom Brady was an old man when he had a poor game, you know, at the end of his last, you know, run in New England. By the way, what did you make of that? Isn't that just amazing? How, I swear to God, coach in week eight, there were so, I had Bruce Ariens on yesterday, and I said at week eight, there was so much turbulence. I'm like, this is a mess. And I asked him, I said, when did you guys kind of say to yourself privately?

okay, this is working. And he said the buy week, like week 12, like it took a lot. I am shocked by how good they were. You know what I'm shocked, Eric, how good the offensive line was in the last month. That always been a middling offensive line. I thought they were a dominant unit at the end. What surprised you? My greatest takeaway from that is they started to run the ball more,

and they started to do things more in line with what Tom's always done over the last 20 years. They work the tight ends more. they worked the inside part of the offense more. It looked like they were running things that I've always seen Tom run. And you heard the message from Bruce. They gave him more control. They gave him more leeway. And what do you do?

You take advantage of the greatest asset you have is Tom's mind. And when he understands exactly what's taking place and the other guys understand it as well, I mean, he's going to go to the right place with the ball. that to me was the biggest difference is allowing him to just almost take over the offense and then suddenly things transformed it is amazing though it is and great i love the story you know where i watch that game coach in a hospital bed that's that's not good i'm just unlike a picture of american courage coach you're looking at it right here your bravery is inspiring it's like tom brady Colin Coward, those, I'm going to point those out to my boys for bravery and arose. Enough of you.

All right, man, Jeannie. Enjoy Cleveland and snowing again today. Good talking to you. Great to see you, Colin. All right, good stuff. 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.

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A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care which I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Cliver 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 Clifers Show. This is a place for raw, unfurred 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. Hey, what's good, y'all?

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