The Herd with Colin Cowherd - 08/24/2021 - HOUR 2 - NFL predictions, Packers

Episode Date: August 24, 2021

Colin gives his new NFL predictionsThe Packers were voted as having the most disappointing offseasonGuest: Channing Crowder Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. Oh, here we go. Hour 2. It's a Tuesday. I feel between this pink shirt and Joy's orange outfit, this looks like... We look like we should be going to having peanut coladas after the show. No kidding. It's the herd wherever you may be and however you may be listening. IHeart Radio Fox Sports Radio FS-WON. Now, that's what we should get. What's that? A virgin peanut-calada machine here? Boom. Hey, coffee machine was a start. Virgin Pinacolata machine.

You know what I had in Italy that was life-changing? Wine? Lots of wine, yes. Do you like limoncello? Sweet drinks, I can have one. Can't go to a second. Yeah, well, you just get like a little bit of limoncello. Well, in Capri, they have frozen limoncellos.

Next level. It's the, like, it's limoncello with Prosecco, and they have it in one of those machines that keeps the slushy going. So you called a cup. Capri. Capri, yes. I was corrected many times. Capri. Yeah, it's not Capri.

It's Capri. Capri is a pant that you should never wear if you're a guy. Capri. Okay. So I come out with my NFL predictions. I take a lot of time on these. Hey, I'm a nerd. Everybody's got their nerdy thing.

I'm into this stuff. And so then I get two amendments. That means two days I'm going to make changes. They're generally, unless there's like an injury a quarterback. They're not radical changes, but I watch, you know, some coaching. I watch for injuries. I just, I'm seeing backups now. What do I think? So drum roll, please. All right, this is my old AFC. And for the radio audience, I'll try to keep you as informed as I can. my old AFC basically in the A, I got Bills, Miami, New England Jets,

AFC North Ravens, Brown, Steelers, Bengals, AFC South Colts, Titans, Jags, Texans, AFC West, Chiefs, Chargers, Denver, and the Raiders. Now, let's go to my, here's my old NFC predictions. You know, NFC East, Washington, Dallas, Giants, Philly. NFC North, Green Bay, Minnesota, Chicago, Detroit. NFC, South, Tampa, Easley, Saints, Panthers, Atlanta. All kind of feel like rebuilds. NFC West, Rams, Seahawks, both 11 and 6, San Francisco, and Arizona.

So let's go to our amendment. Let's go to our AFC amendment. For our television audience, the Greens mean I've added a win or wins red means I've subtracted wins or a win. AFC East. I have the Patriots from 9 and 8. I've added a win to 10 and 7. Why?

I think Mack Jones is capable. I think they have a very, they don't have a lot of symmetry at quarterback, but I think it's the best offensive line I've seen so far in the entire league in the preseason, the best I've seen. I also think they have the best running back depth they've had in. years. We're not seeing their new receivers and we're not seeing their new tight ends much. We're also not seeing Cam Newton run. That will be a component. So I have New England. I'm adding a win. I think they look like a ball control team with a great coach, a great coordinator, and a great

defense. AFC North. I'm going to give Cleveland another win. Now, they're playing a lot of backups. But I just think they look better coached. I do worry. They've got a rookie. linebacker out of Notre Dame that's going to have to play and be a little bit of a playmaker. That's their weakest unit. But I think they're going to ground control people and take the ball away from quarterbacks. And in the AFC, that's really important because there's like seven great young quarterbacks. I'm going to give Cleveland another win, both the Ravens and Browns at 11 and 6. AFC South 2 moves.

I'm taking a win away from Jacksonville. I don't think this offensive coaching staff works with Trevor Lawrence. battle line and between Schottenheimer and Darren Bevel, I've seen no synergy, no creativity. And Houston, I think I'm going to take a win away. I think it could be the worst team in the league, three and 14. I don't even know where they're going to get three wins. I may amendment them down to one win. AFC West, I've seen the Chargers play every snap.

Boy, that's a good roster. I do worry about the chemistry of their offensive line in September, early October. They got a bunch of new parts, much. like the Brown secondary. So the Brown secondary and the Chargers O line, I both gave them wins, but I have a concern. A bunch of new pieces. How does it work? So that is my AFC now. The only real change, because we'll see what I do in a second with Baltimore and Cleveland, both at 10 and 6. So here's my new NFC predictions. Again, red means I'm taking stuff away. Green means I'm adding stuff. NFC east. I'm going to take a win away from Philadelphia.

They look poorly coached. Don't love their quarterback situation. They're a mess. They're going to win three games, probably all in division, because it's not a great division. NFC North, nothing changes. NFC South, two changes. Michael Thomas is not playing for six weeks. I don't worry about James Winston.

They have a bad receiving core if Michael Thomas doesn't play. And I do believe both Carolina, Atlanta are going to be wildly improved offenses. So I'm going to give Atlanta a win because between Ridley Kyle Pitts and an offensive mind head coaching, I think Atlanta is going to be a very dynamic offense. I think Atlanta is going to feel a lot like the Cowboys. They're going to get in a lot of shootouts. They're going to go about 50, 50 in those shootouts. But the Cowboys in Atlanta are going to score points.

So I'm going to give Atlanta a win, take one from the Saints. NFC West, the Camakers injury. I've been talking about this three weeks. I can't get over it. You cannot win this division without a running game. It's the best division in football. San Francisco, go and run the ball. Seattle, no injuries at running back.

I'm going to take a win from the Rams, subtract it and give it to Seattle. A Seahawks sweep the Rams this year. Seattle's got three running backs who can carry the ball. In fact, if I was the Rams, I'd call the Seahawks and start talking. I don't know if Seattle would do that. You cannot win this division, in my opinion, without a dependable running game. And Sean McVeigh's offense may look flashy, but it's built on power. So when I look at these new predictions, what does it mean for the playoffs?

So let's look at that. And the NFC just flipped the Seahawks and Rams. NFC will go Bucks 1 seed, Seahawks 2, Packers 3, Washington 4, Rams now a 5, Cowboys 6, believe it or not, if Dax Healthy, San Francisco, a very good 7. AFC, even though I added wins for Cleveland and I add wins for New England, I don't have New England making the playoffs. I think Miami and the Buffalo Bills do in that division. I have the Ravens beating the Browns twice.

I don't know if I'm right. Cleveland matches up well. But that's why I have the Ravens over the Browns because I think they'll tie it 11 and 6, but Baltimore will have their way with Cleveland. Not many people will have their way with Cleveland. I think Cleveland has a chance to sweep Cincinnati and Pittsburgh. But I think Baltimore is a little tougher matchup.

So nothing really changes. You know, we added a playoff spot the NFL did last year. In mine, I have San Francisco as a seven and Cleveland is a five. Those are really good playoff teams that aren't top four seats. All right. There you go. It's my First Amendment. It's very exciting for me.

I spent all night on that. I very much agree about the Seahawks. Listen, that division, I know it's the West Coast and finesse. That is a physical division. Well, I also think continuity matters. Like, what have we been talking about with the 49ers going into the season, the whole offseason? Who's going to be the quarterback? Matthew Stafford is new in L.A.

And he's not playing in the preseason. So he'll be healthy, but I think they might have a few bumps and bruises along the way. And now he doesn't have a running back. Seattle's in the most solid situation going into the season. All right. Channing Crowder is a former NFL linebacker, played all six years with the Miami Dolphins. And has a podcast, I Am Athlete Podcast, along. side my buddy Brandon Marshall and Chad Johnson and Fred Taylor.

He's also an afternoon drive, big popular radio guy. I love when players end up going on radio, and then they see how hard our life is. How difficult this is. Channing Crowder joins us live. You think playing's hard, Channing. All this talking is just exhausting. Oh, my. Colin, Colin.

Yeah, me and Joyce started in the same market, and now she's doing big things and she left us behind. But, man, once I found out they will pay you to talk, it was over for me. Ten years in, baby. I love it. Give me that check. Okay, so I have been critical of Tua. I have said, I feel like he's a quarterback where the play has to be kind of perfect for him, and then he can be accurate.

I mean, he's got some leadership skill. He's accurate, but he's not a guy that's going to make plays off script. Thank God he's got an improved offensive line. In Miami, I'm probably viewed. you know, a very negative guy. He doesn't like Tua. And I think Tua and Mac Jones kind of remind me of each other. They can win if all the elements are in place. Is that an unfair opinion on Tua? I think it's very unfair, Colin. And yeah, I'll tell you, they don't like you much down here. So, you know, if it was a question in your mind, just going up, it's not a question anymore. They do not like you.

But with Tua, man, it's funny when you come from Alabama and you have all the success around all those five-star first-round picks, you, the assumption is, okay, there was a part of the system. He was a system guy. And we know the AJ McCarron, and we know some ex-Alabama quarterbacks that weren't NFL guys. But y'all must have forgot, like Roy Jones song said, Tewa was the most efficient college football quarterback of all time. His accuracy is off the chain and he's showing it this year. The one thing, and I do not give people passes, Kyle, I don't give guys passes. The one thing I'll give a guy a pass for is on an unprecedented pandemic year, no OTAs, no mini-camp. He just, a new, a new OC and Chan Galey and Chan Galey retired after that. So he didn't know what the hell he was doing. Like, you have to look at it and see what Tua went through. And this preseason, Tua is making some amazing throws, reading, moving in the pocket,

making some off-timing throws, creating some things. So I'm actually on the other side of that. I am a Tua guy. I love to with talking about Lois. Okay, Brian Flores, and I said this, even though it's preseason, I watch Buffalo, I can say they're well coached. I watch Baltimore, I'm like, they're well coached. I watch Miami, and I've said this with Brian Flores. That team, in the middle of a rebuild last year, had the best third down defense in the league.

I mean, they had stats that a rebuilding team should not have. They don't have a complete roster. So I love Flores. what's the secret sauce with him? We've seen half of these Belichick guys bomb, flail, whiff. What is it about Flores? He's got a physical presence that jumps out through the TV, like a Mike Tomlin thing, or even a Mike Vrable, like a Mike Vrable.

Like I think players are like, don't, they don't, you know, they're not going to push his buttons. Is it his physical presence? What is it about him that's the secret sauce? Well, he has a missed chest day. I don't know what my leg day. But Flores is doing the butterfly machine. He's a big dude.

The one thing with Flores, I'll say, is we have alumni meetings. And when Flores walks in the alumni meetings, he has a message to deliver. And he's a nice guy, charismatic. He smiles. You know, he's a pleasant dude. But once he delivers his message, then he says, thank you guys. And I'm, you know, as an alumni, I'm way down the totem pole there. Marino's in the meeting.

Joy's brother Jason's in the meeting. Zach Thomas is there in the meeting. but he walks in, he delivers his message very kindly and pleasantly, and then he gets out of the room. Like, he is so laser-focused, and they hate when I say this in Miami. This is what Belichick does. Listen to his press conferences. Listen to how he delivers, you know, the information or on the other side holds back information that people are surprised.

Why would he hold it back? We don't even know who's calling the plays because we have co-office of coordinators this year. What's the big deal about telling us who's actually calling the plays? That's that New England, that Bill Belichick, anything. you don't know is an advantage to us. We've went through coach after coach after coach, and Flores is the first guy I sat down with as a

man and looked at him and known he is a leader of men. Through the Cam Cameran's, Tony Sparano, God rest of soul, love him to death. He was, he didn't have what Brian Flores has. You know, Urban Meyer transitioning to the NFL, you were on the Dolphins for both of Nick Sabin's

years there. What would, what worries you about college legend to the NFL? The player, not even player management, personality management. That's what I would say. Where Nick Saban is God to Alabama football. He was God to LSU football. Like when he asked your child to come and let him take over what the parents did. So he's looked at as like your father. When you get to the NFL, when Nick Saban got to the Dolphins, he had 37-year-old Keith Trailer. He had seven-time pro baller Zach, I mean, Jason Taylor, six-time pro bowl.

or Zach Thomas. You can't cuss me out as a grown man with $50 million in the bank. If I miss a tackle, tell me to break down and, you know, grab claw. Don't, don't, don't F-bomb me to death because I'm going to F-bomb you right back. And that's my thing with Urban. I love Urban. I'm a Gator. He brought us two national championships with Tebow and Chris Leak back in the day. I love Urban Meyer as a college coach. If he cannot transition to dealing with players like men, guys that have four or five mortgages, six, seven kids, a couple baby mammas have some stuff going on in their life. You're not in control of me.

You are my football coach to let me succeed on the field. If he can't transition there, I think that was the biggest problem with Sabin. And also his offense, I was watching that game last night. He was working on the one-on-one matchups trying to take advantage of the last defense you saw. D.C.'s in the NFL, they have a maturation of defense. They're going to show you cover three to come back and run cover zero to go and run his own They're a step ahead of you. And I was worried watching last night.

I know it's in the preseason, guys. But last night, they were a step behind offensively with the defensive calls. And then just transitioning, man, like I said, that understanding that these dudes are grown men and their empires almost, they're not just RB1, QB2. They have their own thing going on. They are total control of their life. And you're not coming in and talking to me like a child. I think that's the biggest part.

Spurrier pops up in my mind as an offensive guru who failed. Chip Kelly, offensive guru who failed. If I had to bet, I think Irma Myers going to fall right in line with them. Wow. Hey, what, what, I love Chicago. It's a big, loud city. They want Justin Fields to start, and he will eventually. You coach them.

Here's my issue. So let's say you play for them. And this team last year finished eight and eight. Like there's players on this team. There's some stars. There's some Alan Robinson, Khalil Mack, right? And even though at practice, Justin's probably tearing it up. Six, three, two, twenty, got a big arm.

But then there's that, man, it's preseason. He hadn't seen any of these coverages. As a veteran, I think a lot of people think all the players are pulling for Justin Fields. But I would get a veteran going, I don't know. Like Andy's seen everything in this league. If you're a player in that locker room, at least early on, who you want to start? Who do you think is the guy? I would personally want Fields because of the fact that he can extend plays.

Kind of like what you talked about your question of tour. He can extend plays and make, you know, off-scheduled plays. Andy Dalton, we saw him in Cincinnati for years. Andy Dalton, he's a Ryan Fitzpatrick. He can win you eight, nine, maybe ten games. He's not winning a playoff game. We gave him a decade to do it. So in my mind, Justin Fields would be the guy.

Like you said, strong, fast, young, charismatic. kind of reminds me of a young Cam Newton. I'm not saying he's winning the NFL MVP, but a young Cam Newton, how his body type is and his skill set. He needs to get more accurate. We all know it. He needs to get better. But as a veteran on the team, I'm looking at who

gives me the best chance to win. And with Chicago's O-line struggling, Andy Dalton, if they do struggle like I've seen in the preseason, Andy Dalton is a sitting duck in that pocket. Justin Fields can get out the pocket, create more throws. I saw in one of the preseason the games. He hit like 21.

9 miles per hour. That was the fastest time. Any Chicago bear has ran in four or five years. Justin Fields did it in his first preseason game. So as a vet, I want the guy that gives me the best chance to win. And I really, in my heart, believe that's Justin Fields in Chicago. Okay. You people in Miami listen to it, WQA.M. Hawkman and Crowder radio show. I love you NFL guys going on the radio and chopping it up. Channing Crowder. So you guys work together. Joy, what was the story here? Well, I mean, I've known Channing forever since I was a child. Oh, really? Yeah. We played with Jason in Miami the whole time.

I can't believe people don't like me in Miami. I work with Joy. They don't like me anymore either, apparently. Oh, no, Joy. They love you, Joy. They're bad at me. No, but Channing and I, that was my first internship was at QAM. And then I was the executive producer for Hawkman, his co-host.

So, yeah, we go way back. All right, Channing. We'll bring you on again. You're pretty good. I don't know. I think you're pretty strong today. I'm bringing you back, buddy. Good seeing you, good meeting you.

Thank you so much, bro. Watch all the time. George, keep doing your thing, man. We're real proud of you in college, man. You're a legend, bro. Thank you. Channing Crowder. He's fun.

You know, listen, he's a gator, and he doesn't think Urban's going to work. And he's a gator. Like, he's rooting for, I mean, if you know Urban, he's a really, I've always liked him. I just think he's, but this transition, it is hard. Well, that was always the knock on Sabin in Miami. Like, what he's saying is it was the consensus with, mostly everybody. He got along with Jason, but you know, it is difficult to go from being in that

space where you are shaping young men to then you have to change how you speak. You have to change how you approach situations, how you handle situations, how you really, how you coach, because what works for teenagers is not going to work for grown men. It just, it doesn't. When you start out in your career, you probably got talked to differently from your bosses than you do now. Now, free coffee. Early in my career, I had to bring them coffee.

Exactly. Now I get a freebie. 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'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 what I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Clever 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. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tap Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do a little kill? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam J.

And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick it here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill, waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 is big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so y'all know. I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack. so I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now.

Thank you for finishing that sentence. Yes. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app,

Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hardway with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Kear Games. And in recognition of mental health awareness, this month. I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking. Trip Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing. And we're still chasing it. And we don't know when we've done enough.

Because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross, because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth, or are you a good person because you're afraid? Because that's two different intentions, bro. Absolutely. And that's two different levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Kear Games,

is we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, learn the hard way. Open your free iHeartRadio app. Search, learn the hard way and listen now. Saturday, college football kicks off on Fox, and a big 10 battle awaits. his dual threat, Adrian Martinez, leads Nebraska against Illinois.

The action begins at 1 Eastern on Fox in the Fox Sports app. Oh, my gosh. It's here. It's here. Saturday at 1 Eastern. So 10 in the morning. Brett Belemah's now coaching Illinois. So that'll be interesting.

So Lovie Smith ended up going. He's back in the NFL. I think he's in Houston now doing some coaching. All right. Joy Taylor with the news. No, no, no, no. Turn on the news. This is the herd line news.

Well, you know, we do calms, right? Calm is wrong a lot. I feel like sometimes teams probably need to pay more attention to that. Why is that? I mean, I think we've just been calling this Ben Simmons, Joelle and Bede's situation, Philadelphia situation for just a while. Yeah, like two years. We've been on this for two years. Well, the relationship between Ben Simmons and the Sixers

doesn't appear to have gotten any better over the offseason. The NBA training camps are set to begin on September 28th, which is a little over a month from now. And the latest report from an anonymous scout is that Simmons would consider not showing up the trading camp if Philly has not traded him by then. Listen, it's always the same. The minute your stars don't work, quietly get on the phone and move them. The longer it lasts, the less you're going to get.

Now, Daryl, and I think a lot of this is public, I want an All-Star. want picks, you're not going to get that after that playoff performance. Like you're out of getting dame for Ben Simmons. Like that, it's over. Right. And now that he is obviously unhappy and he's going to force his hand, everyone's stuck. So all the leverage for these trades are gone. Now, look, I get it.

GMs are afraid of the backlash from fans if it feels premature. But, you know, you talk about this sometimes. Sometimes you know in the immediate you're going to be wrong. You have an opinion about something and you're going to be wrong initially. Initially for a certain amount of time and people are going to comment you and tweet at you and, you know, make memes about it. And then, but you know, over time, you will end up being right. And all those people that were yelling and screaming will forgets that they were on your head

as when you initially said it. This is one of those situations where maybe the fan base might have reacted. NVA media might have freaked out. But in the long run, you would have ended up being right. Because if you had moved him, when you still had the leverage, you could have gotten a lot for him because his value was still high. And it's also. There was still a mystery about him. Indifference is something that doesn't wear well.

Like if Ben Simmons shooting issues two years ago, you can talk yourself into, I got a good shooting coach. Right. But once now you've seen his indifference, which has been a knock on him since college, a lot, that's scary. Zee was the J. Cutler thing. Jay Cutler was super talented. but there was an indifference about Jay Cutler. And like the more you saw of Jay, the more teams are like out. Drew Locke, I get a little bit of this.

Doesn't play with a ton of urgency, too cool for school. Like, the more you see of Ben, the less I'm willing to give for him. But unlike Jay Cutler and Drew Locke, Ben is elite at something. He is an elite defender. And passer. Yes, but definitely defender. You cannot argue that he is one of the top defenders in the league. So you can't build an organization around him, but he does have value still.

I still contend the obvious fit is Portland. With Dane. Yeah, because Dame is a small poor defender. I mean, Dame's just a, what Dame is, is along with Steph Curry, the best clutch shooter in basketball, period. He and Kevin Durant, Stefan Clay. But Dane is a smaller athlete. He's not a great defender. He can be a liability if you.

have a bigger guard. So Ben wouldn't be a guard, but the culture is set in Portland. It's a very good culture with Dame. C.J. McCollum is a duplication of Dame. He's also because C.J. McCollum is a shooter, right? He doesn't drive. You don't worry about him driving the basket. He'll play great with Embed, and Curry, and Tobias Harris.

So, and everybody says, well, the ceiling for Ben Simmons, nobody wants to hear about that anymore because the floor's too low. Right. So to me, C.J. McCullum in a draft pick. Maybe Robert Covington, whatever. But Ben Simmons is what Portland needs. A large wing player who can defend. By the way, don't forget this. Simmons averages about 18 a game. It's not like he doesn't score. He scores at the rim. And by the way, Portland's already gotten rid of Ennis Cantor and Zach Collins, which tells you, are they clearing space? Because I think you can't be a center dominant offense. Not that Portland center dominant, but you can't with Ben Simmons. He needs the lane free to drive and score at the rim and gain his confidence back. And Dame does give him that.

Yeah. So Tom Brady has said for years he wants to play in the NFL until he's 45. Yeah. He just turned 44. But as he inches closer to that original goal, he won't set a firm timeline for his retirement. He told Peter King, I'll know when the time is right. If I'm not a championship level quarterback, then I'm not going to play. If I'm a liability to the team, I mean, no way.

But if I think I can win a championship, then I'll play. He should this year. Fox bet has set the over-under at two and a half more seasons for Brady, and he has favored to call it a career sooner rather than later with the under at minus 150. I don't put anything into when Tom Brady is going to retire. He will let us know when he's going to retire. He's got a couple big advantages. This offensive line, their two best offensive linemen,

Ali Maherpett and Tristan Wirth's got a lot of years left. so he's got two very good offensive linemen and they're going to be around for a while. It's not like the cult situation where their left tackle was getting old and it's like, okay, now we've got to figure out left tackle again. So their offensive line, Tristan Wirthes was a home run. So the offensive line, which Tom, as we know, that's a big deal for Tom. And I also think they have some flexibility. Even though we see a lot of these big contracts, they still have a lot of young players and

flexibility. I think they have the ability to eventually move one of their receivers and get something for... They're very deep at receiver. Yeah. So this roster is deep enough that if they get into a situation where, listen, we need to help Tom on the O line. We need to, it's going to be, there are really well run from a personnel standpoint. They've got a lot of options here. And my takeaway is two years, two more years of Tom. That feels right to me. Well, you don't have to ask Tom to do a whole lot. He doesn't need to be a mobile quarterback because the offensive line is bad. He doesn't have to make all these extra twirl around plays like Russell Wilson because he is so deep at receiver and tight end and he has time. So he's in the perfect situation for a quarterback of his

style and of his age because now most of what he does can be cerebral. He doesn't need to be an all-world-class athlete, which I do, I've always felt like the Tom Brady's not athletic thing is a little overblown. Yeah. Like he's clearly an athlete and you just guys don't relax on that. Like, while you're picking the like lint out of your belly button

talking about Tom Brady's not an athlete. Like we get it. He didn't look great at the combine. His body's changed a little bit since then. Yeah. But I do think that he is an outlier. Like we talk about this and like Derek Carr wants to play until it's 45 and Russell Wilson is planning on playing for a long time.

I think there will be one to two, three older guys in the league that can still contribute in the way that they are and play at a high level because of what they have around them. But I do still still. think it's the NFL. It's going to be the norm to not play until you're 45. He's a little bit an outlier there. So Justin Fields will be getting his first start for the Bears in their final preseason game against the Titans on Saturday. Matt Nagy says he expects Fields to stay in for about two quarters of the game. So he'll play the first half. He also knows that Fields is ahead of where the

team projected he would be before training camp. But Andy Dallon, who will sit the final preseason game, is still going to be the starter week one. All right. I'm fine with that. You know, I think each of these situations is different. We kind of lump all these quarterback battles together and they're all very different. Like the saints are not in the same situation as the bears who are in the same situation as the Niners or the same situation as the Jags. Like they're all very different situations and who knows what's going on with the Eagles. I think with this situation, like similar to what Channing was talking about, Justin can make plays with his legs. We've seen a lot of that in the preseason.

Yeah. So maybe he isn't, you know, proficient in NFL defenses the way that Andy Dalton is, although I would probably argue that he's not proficient. He's just seen them. Yeah. Andy is going to give you the best chance to win now because he has the most experience. He'll make fewer mistakes. He'll make fewer mistakes.

Right. The problem with Andy Dalton as the starter, in my opinion, is that the bears are in a situation where the GM and the coach are coaching for their jobs. Yes. And whenever you as an organization, put a customer. coach in that position, you are essentially saying you have to win now. Therefore, eliminating that coach's natural ability to plan for the future of your organization. That is human nature. You're not just going to make sacrifices that could potentially put your job and your family

in jeopardy, like moving and having to go to another town and start a new job and all those things. You're not going to do that. It's self-preservation. Anyone would do that. So I'm not judging them for doing that. I'm just saying as an organization, if you draft a young quarterback, you should put the coach in a situation where he feels comfortable so that he can make the best decisions for that young quarterback. Now, whether you keep that coach or not, you can decide after that year. So maybe you have to pay him. But guess what? It costs money to be successful. You got to invest in yourself. So I think if you're going to draft a young quarterback, if you don't necessarily know if the coach that you have is the right guy, you should extend him.

anyway so that he makes the best decisions for the team moving forward. And that's not the situation with Chicago right now. It's not. Joy with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The herd lie news. So this weekend, I was at the Manny Packale fight and at SummerSlam. And it just so happened that I was around, the people I was around, there were some agents around, agent TV radio, entertainment agents.

Agents are in the rumor business. They're in the connectivity business. They're like walking LinkedIn's. connected to everybody. And it's just fun to sit. If you've ever in your life, most of you haven't sat next to agents or had been in a cocktail party with agents, it's fascinating. You hear everything. Well, the NFL did an agent survey. They surveyed 33 agents. And agents, their job is to get information. That is their job to be connected, to tell their clients, hey, I can see around that corner before you get to it. That's why I have an agent. That's why you have an agent to see around

corners. And it's interesting, these 33 agents, what they said about the Packers. That's coming up. 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. Hey, it's me, Rob Parker. Check out my weekly MLB podcast Inside the Parker for 22 minutes of pipe and hot baseball talk featuring the biggest names and newsmakers in the sport, whether you believe in analytics or the I test, we've got all the bases covered. New episodes drop every Thursday, so do yourself a favor and listen to Inside the Parker with Rob Parker

on the IHeart Radio app or wherever you get your podcast. 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 what I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Clever 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. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tap Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking.

What the hell does George Bush got to do a little kill? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick it here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 is big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so y'all know.

I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack. so I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now. Thank you for finishing that sentence. Yes. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really? Yeah.

For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hardway with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Kear Games. And in recognition of mental health awareness, in this month. I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations

with so many incredible guests. I'm talking. Trip Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing. And we're still chasing it. And we don't know when we've done enough. Because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross, because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth, or are you a good person because you're afraid? Because that's two different intentions, bro. Absolutely.

And that's two different levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Kear Gaines, is we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, learn the hard way. Open your free iHeartRadio app. Search, learn the hard way, and listen now. Wolf and Shepherds, the dress you made and worn by athletes like Gronk and Steve

Nash, check it out, wolf and shepherd.com. Shepard spelled S-H-E-P-H-E-R-D, like theherd.com, Wolf and Shepard. So I was saying before the break is that, you know, agents, their job is to have, you know, their ear to the ground. And that's how they get compensated. They have to know things before their clients know things. Otherwise, why would anybody pay for an agent? You got to tell me what's going to happen before I get to the corner. You got to see around it. And 33 agents were NFL agents were asked about various teams. And which team had the most disappointing off-season, Green Bay was voted the most disappointing season.

And during my NFL predictions this year, I just had an amendment. I have Green Bay as a 10-win team. And there's two or three reasons for it. Number one, many of the agent quotes during this, I'll just give you a handful. There's like four or five other ones. but many of the quotes, forget the Packers, what if this was about your football team?

The quarterbacks won it out since January. It's a culmination of bad management, bad relationship management. Aaron's stubborn, very stubborn. The organization has shot itself in the foot many times, seemingly stupid reasons. There's also a quote, discontent off-season.

Now they've got a Devante Adams problem. So that's the first issue. Does that sound like a Super Bowl team? That's not a good off-season. Secondly, they got a bad break on the schedule. So the NFL added a game. Do you know what game they added for Green Bay at Kansas City?

Oh, yeah, they also faced the NFC West and the AFC North, the two best divisions in football. So they have to go to San Francisco, to Arizona. They have to go to Baltimore. Oh, but they get Cleveland at home and the Rams at home and Seattle at home. And Pittsburgh, these are really good teams at Kansas City. So the schedule's brutal. It's a, you know, ear to the ground agents are saying it's a mess, the relationship, the management.

You also have the way the season ended last year where Aaron, the coach took the ball out of his hands. And so it's not a great way to end the season, Aaron losing to Tom Brady at home, right? you could see Aaron's discouragement or disappointment on his face. So will he trust Matt LaFleurre? Well, back in March, there was a very interesting quote by Marquis Valdez Scantling, their number two or three receiver. And he was talking about the offense in Green Bay. This is not the first time I've heard it, but he said it on the record. He said, people don't understand how our offense works.

We play in code. There are two separate playbooks here. The one that's written down, the one Aaron has. It's not easy to come in and play. What is that saying? This is what Greg Kosell said for years. Aaron's kind of doing his own thing all the time. And my question is, if you look at the way this season ended and the acceptance,

this is Aaron's last year in Green Bay, will he become more about his playbook than the team playbook? He's going to control the narrative here. We saw how Aaron tends to control. He likes control. He doesn't want you to think he needs football. I'll do jeopardy. I'll have my friends. I don't need football.

I was 50. Control matters. For whatever reasons, I'm not a psychologist. Aaron likes to control it, right? So off that offseason loss to Brady, is he going to go more to the Aaron playbook than the Matt playbook? And, you know, and so I start looking at all this stuff. Also, where did their roster get better? They let go over Pro Bowl center.

Randall Cobb is not a difference maker. I don't think they got better. I think their division could be. I think Minnesota is going to be the most improved team in the league. So that's kind of where I land on Green Bay right now. Why I have them as a 10-win team, tops winning this division and winning it narrowly is I just don't like the sounds of the off-season.

The other thing I want to talk about, so James Winston played well last night. And, you know, everything in sports, all we talk about is talent. But the NFL is really a fit league. There's about eight, guys in this league that are so talented they'd fit everywhere. DeAndre Hopkins, Stefan Diggs, Russell Wilson, Patrick Mahomes, and they're going to kind of work everywhere.

Travis Kelsey. You have a handful of guys. Aaron Donald. There's probably 10, 15 guys. Miles Garrett. They're going to work in any system. The rest of the league is about fit. And I think James Winston fits New Orleans better and here's why. James and Baker Mayfield, but let's stay on James, plays sort of an old school football. He's loose. He goes gunslinger. When you combined him with Bruce Ariens, who's an old school coach, who likes to keep it loose, go over the top and do the gunslinger thing. That was a bad fit. So James ended up being highly productive and mistake prone. James is the kind of athlete because of his style that he needs a coach that will harness his ability. That is Sean Payton, who to me is a more exact coach than Bruce Ariens.

Bruce is old school, gunslinger. By the way, what was Brady's issue with Ariens over the course of last season? How many people have come on our show and said it was the bye week where finally the offense pivoted from Bruce's to Tom's. Tom tends to be more precision. Bruce is more letter rip. And the Bruce letter rip style to the buy was seven and five. And then it went undefeated when Tom kind of said, listen, Bruce, I'm a scale back on your offense and work with mine.

And so with Arians and James, you had a very loose quarterback playing in a kind of loose offense. And what it meant was a lot of yards, 5,000 yards, and a lot of picks. I think what James needs is a more precise, exact offense. And that's not a knock on Bruce Ariens. But the reason Ariens and Brady win a Super Bowl, there's a balance there. Tom's highly efficient. Mr. Details needs to be a little pushed a little out of his comfort zone occasionally by Bruce, and he does. does. Bruce has to relinquish some of the over-the-top stuff and let Tom bring kind of his New England style of efficiency. So there was a nice check and balance, and it took him to the by week to figure it out.

It's one of those things where if two artists marry each other, got more than enough art. That's not what you need. Like, that's why Hollywood marriages don't work very often. the ones that do like Paul Newman, Dolly Parton, the partner isn't an actor or an actress, right? So like fit is huge in football. All we talk about is talent. There's probably 15 guys in the league.

Maybe 20, I doubt it. Miles Garrett's going to work everywhere. DeAndre Hopkins is going to work everywhere. Most guys, they got to fit right. And I think James is not talented enough to just, I'm going to do my thing. I mean, that is, you're talking about Peyton Manning, Brett Farr of like two of the guys that could do that. Maintain your edge with MDrive.

Go to MDrive from N.com. Free shipping 60-day money back guarantee. It'll keep you tight. It'll keep you lean. Added nutrients and vitamins to your diet. Hour 3 coming up. 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, S&L's Mikey Day and headwriter, 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 I-Heart 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 I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever

you get your podcasts. On the Look Back at it podcast. For 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. It 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 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 IHeart 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.

This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human. Thank you.