The Herd with Colin Cowherd - 08/30/2021 - Best of The Herd

Episode Date: August 30, 2021

Colin takes a look at the 49ers preparing to contend for another Super Bowl but wonders how they are going to manage their QB room with rookie Trey Lance looking like a potential superstar. He explains why it’s obvious the Miami Dolphins aren’t sold on Tua Tagovailoa being their franchise star after reports surfaced they are looking at a potential trade for Deshaun Watson. Colin tells you why he was right about Drew Lock and wrong about the Cowboys. Plus, Rams All Pro OL Andrew Whitworth joins the show to describe what he’s seen from his new QB Matt Stafford.   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, 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, unfilled conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to the Clifford show on the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok's podcast network on TikTok. On the Look Back at it podcast.

From 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84's big to me. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a year, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. With our friends, fellow comedians,

and favorite authors. Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s. 84 was a wild year. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Thanks for listening to The 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 Sports Radio.com or stream us live every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching Heard. This is the best of the herd with Colin Cowher on Fox Sports Radio. Ah, here we go on a Monday, football college and the NFL inching closer and closer live in Los Angeles.

It's the herd, wherever you may be, and however you may be listening. Iheart Radio, Fox Sports Radio, FS1, one hour from now, where Colin was right, where Colin was wrong, plenty of both. One of our better Colin Wright's Colin wrong in a long time. I took Thursday Friday off. I'm back. College football this weekend is big. We got like a Wisconsin Penn State game.

LSU, SEC, comes out. West plays UCLA. We got major college football. The NFL. We got quarterback battles. Joy Taylor and I off the road. Back now for a while. Football season, this is kind of the preamble this week until it all really starts Saturday.

Oh, no. It's, We have arrived. This is with college football this weekend and preseason over. We're here. It's football season. Football, baby. It's back. We are back and ready to go. Let's start about the most compelling quarterback battle because we view the San Francisco 49ers as a team and a roster and a coach capable of winning the Super Bowl. And they have a quarterback battle. I won't call it a dilemma. where you've got the aging probably hit his peak physically confidence-wise, Jimmy Garapolo in one corner and the fast, quickly improving, hyper-athletic, big arm, moves around, looks like the NFL quarterbacks

who are emerging as stars today in the other corner, Trey Lance. So let's put their numbers side by side through the preseason. Neither blows you away, but again, starters sometimes play, often playing, with backups. It looks like Garoppolo overall's been disappointing. Trey Lance, more explosive, but he has struggled if you've watched with accuracy. He's completing 46% of his throws. Let me just say this.

The only question is we know Trey Lance will start eventually. The question this morning is, when is eventually? This is what I would say. In the NFC West, we recognize it as the best division in football, the 49th. get a massive scheduling break. They're two easiest games on the season back to back. They get Philly and Detroit. I wouldn't screw it up.

I would go with Garapolo. I would cross my fingers and hope he looked really good. I would look around the league. Somebody gets hurt. Maybe you get a second, third, or fourth round pick for Jimmy Garapolo, and you give it to Trey Lance. But can I be, just for a moment, a little bit of a sketch? This is the most useless preseason in my entire adult life.

Many teams wouldn't even travel starting players. The Raiders kept 30 players home this weekend, and the Raiders' starters ain't very good. They're going backups. They kept the starters at home. A couple years ago, Sean McVeigh decided, I'm not playing any starters one snap. They went eight-no to start the season. This is well documented. we've discussed at ad nauseum.

Since then, many young coaches have followed McVeigh's lead. They don't even travel starters. They don't even consider first-teamers taking a snap. That means teams that are average like the Raiders don't even travel starters. I have no good how good Tray Lance is. But in the best division, with an easy opener, I wouldn't mess around. I can't take anything from this preseason. I mean, there's two or three things you look at and go, wow.

For instance, the New York Giants offensive line, ugh, that's not great. The New York Jets health situation. Ugh, that's not great. Everything else up for debate. I mean, it just so happens to two New York teams I've watched and got. I don't like that. Everything else in 600 days, Tray Lance has started one football game of note. I can't start him.

I don't know what to make of the preseason. outside of the New England Patriots and Belichick, did anybody really play their best players? Not really. What do I take from it? I know Trey Lance starts eventually. And the only question is, when's eventually? I'd go Garoppolo to start, give him a little taste, use some Trey Lance get him ready, I get another 15 days of practices.

That's how I'd view it. Here's Kyle Shanahan on both getting snaps potentially in the opener. We got two guys who can play and while we've been doing in practice a little bit, wanted to do it out there in the game, and I think it's always going to be an option. I thought they did a good job. I mean, by no means was it perfect, but I thought just the function of it and going in and out and not knowing when it's going to be. You know, it wasn't a planned rotation or anything. I was trying to make it situational, so I was just doing it mainly off impulse. Those guys seemed like they handled it good.

I'll meet with them tomorrow and watch all it with them, which I'm looking forward to. But today, I thought it was good. feels like a coin flip in the Bay Area. I'd go Garoppolo to start. Trey Lance quickly out of the bullpen. All right, let's go to Miami. Ask yourself this. Ergo gambling.

Wherever you gambling. Gambling. It could be a Mississippi River boat. It could be Vegas. It'd be Atlantic City. He's playing $10 a hand, $20 a hand. When do you bet big? When you want to win big?

Because you know, I mean, you can double down. you can split. You're not going to walk out of that poker room. You're not going to walk out of that blackjack table. With any real loot, you're betting 10 bucks a hand. You make your money when you put it all in.

That doesn't mean I can't have fun playing 10 bucks a hand. That's generally what I play. Not a big gambler. 10 bucks a hand, that's what I play. But I know I'm not coming out of there buying a Bentley. Okay. If I want to win big in Vegas, last night, hour to gamble, and go all in.

The Miami Dolphins are reportedly the frontrunners for quarterback Deshaun Watson. And if you hear the story on what they'd be willing to give up, three first, two seconds, and you consider the legal issues Deshaun Watson is in, what the Miami Dolphins are telling you is Tua is a $10 bet at the blackjack table. Deshawn Watson is putting a grand down. They don't think they can win big with Tua. They'll tell you they can win, and last year they did, they were six and three with Tua. But you spend big and gamble big when you want to win big.

And Miami's looking around at Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen, Justin Herbert. I won't even throw in, Baker Mayfield, Derek Carr, Joe Burrow. Now they've got Trevor Lawrence, Carson Wentz, big athletic, move, big arms. And then there's Tiny Tua, who's marginally athletic. There's two stories always in sports. The one they let you read and the truth.

And the truth is Miami-Ly. likes Tua and thinks they can win with Tua. But they look in their own division. The best coach ever in Belichick and perhaps the best or second best young star quarterback and Josh Allen, that's four of your 17 games a year. You're not winning that division with marginally athletic. With Tua, where's the special? Size, arm, athletically, where's the special?

line of scrimmage, last year he said he didn't really know the playbook. And the dolphins are too well run at this point and too good to get a top five pick in the draft. And in a league that is now completely quarterback-centric, that's where you got to get. Next year, there's two great quarterbacks. They'll be gone by pick four or five. So listen, we've been saying this. Joy and I have been saying this. You can win with Tua.

You can bet $10 and $20 on a black check table. You can win. you can leave with $170 by your wife, nice bottle of wine and go buy a couple of cigars with a boy, sit out by the pool the next day. She's not going to win big betting $10 at the blackjack table. And you're not going to win big in the NFL with Tua. Deshaun Watson, Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes, Aaron Rogers,

Russell Wilson, Tom Brady. That's how you win big in 2021. Brian Flores, saying all the right things, talked about the reported stories of the dolphins pursuing Deshaun Watson and offers no denial. You know, reports, speculation, not things we really get into. Look, I understand the question, but as I've said in the past, any conversations that we have or don't have with other clubs are going to be internal. No denial. Toa has been.

We don't win with Tua. Nobody's denying that. But all you fanboys out there, oh, you don't understand. These guys, here's what they're saying. They love Tua. They do. To win 10 games. But Brian Flores has an aggressive owner, Stephen Ross, an aggressive GM, Chris Greer.

Brian Flores built his bones are from New England. They're aggressive. Team first, culture first, player second. They're not sitting around and waiting. They look around, they've got eyes, they see the size and the arm and the talent of Mahomes and Josh Allen. And two is just a $10 blackjack bet. They want to get to the hundies or more.

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 what you're 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 Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and 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 with Little Kim? 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 a 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 all 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, Keer Games. And in recognition of mental health awareness 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, Tripp 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're 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? 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, as 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. Another one of these quarterback decisions that is I know where I feel, which way I lean, is Cam Newton against Mac Jones. And so they both look competent. But this is a very difficult decision because New England actually played starters a lot with both Mac and Cam. And so they both look really good. And believe it or not, Belichick knows more than we do.

If you look at both of their numbers, they were both incredibly competent. Both completed over 66% of their throws. Both had reasonable passer ratings. This decision will be made what you and I and where you and I can't see things. It'll be made based on film study. It'll be made on practice video, on meeting room discussions, a coach's comfort with either. That's where this is going to be decided. because New England's a very hard figure for me.

They actually played starters because they were trying to figure out and decipher what the heck they were. So they wanted to see what can Mack Jones do with the offense? What can Cam Newton do? Much like the San Francisco situation, you know, how much Garoppolo left, how much Cam is left. We know he's not the future. Is Trey ready? Is Mac ready? The difference there, though, I think Garoppolo is closer to his peak.

If Cam doesn't win the job at 32, as I predicted, he will age quickly. He will not age well. He was a meteor that burned hot. I never saw him as a veteran quarterback like a Brady or a Breeze or a Cam Newton or a Russell Wilson. So, I mean, this is the end of the road for Cam. And the only question is, when is eventually, much like San Francisco. but I said this when Drew Breeze got hurt last year. I said, Sean Payton knows more than any of us.

And it's not about talent, James or Taysam Hill. It was not a long decision. It was like a three-week decision. Who's better for us now for three weeks? And I'm not in the meetings. I'm not watching practice. I'm not breaking down film. Sean Payton last year had a three-week decision to make.

I'll trust the coach. Bill Belichick knows. more than me. He's watching things I can't. Because when I watch them both play this preseason, I think Belichick's in a tougher division, better coaches than ever, McDermott and Brian Flores, better GMs than ever. This is no longer a layup. In fact, now for the next 10 years, they probably won't be favored due to Josh Allen. It's going to be the behind-the-scenes stuff because what we all could see, I can make an argument. Both guys could score. squeeze a little more out of the offense. Cam's going to be way better in the red zone where he can use

his feet. Mac looks very accurate and efficient. That's never really been Cam's bag, accuracy and efficiency. But some decisions are made due to information we just don't see. And I think that's what will decide this position. I would take Cam. I don't think you have games to waste in this division anymore. You know, for years and years, New England, Belichick's worst month was September because he could experiment. I don't think you can experiment in this division anymore. I think Brian Flores is great. I think Miami's defense is great. I mean, you hear their Deshawn Watson stories. They're not messing around. They're good last year. They want to be great. And I think right now Buffalo could be the second best team in the NFL. So I think the days of experimenting are over in New

England in this division. I doubt you're going to have three playoff teams in this division. So I would go with Cam for two, three weeks, and the eventually happens maybe early October. But I think it'll be decided by stuff I can't see. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific. Hey, this is Jason McIntyre. Join me every weekday morning on my podcast, straight fire with Jason McIntyre. This isn't your typical sports pod pushing the same tired narratives down your throat every day. Straight Fire gives you honest opinions on all the biggest sports headlines, accurate stats to help you win big at the sports book, and all the best guests.

Do yourself a favor and listen to Straight Fire with Jason McIntyre 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 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. 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 with a little Kim? 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 a 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 all day, but just so you're going to be. Literally, but just so y'all know. I mean, at this point, this is the second episode where we've discussed, correct.

So I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now. Thank you 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 hard way with me. your host and your favorite therapist, Kear Games. And in recognition of mental health awareness 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, Tripp 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? 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 Hardway.

Open your free iHeartRadio app. Search Learn the Hardway and listen now. Let me say this about Trevor Lawrence. Watching the media goofballs already pick apart Urban Meyer is so classic internet 2021 media. You know the best case scenario for Jacksonville is to do what the Dallas Cowboys did, the legendary college coach Jimmy Johnson and the highly touted quarterback prospect who looked apart Troy Aikman.

Rebuild, kind of ugly for a year, stockpile picks. Boom, dynasty. That's the best case scenario. Do you know what Jimmy went that year? 1 and 15. And Troy Aikman was 0 and 11 as a starter. Nine touchdowns, 18 picks. That's the best case scenario.

Two of the best football coaches of my life are Tom Coughlin. First year in Jacksonville, coaching in the NFL. First year head coach in the NFL, 4 and 12. Jimmy Johnson, 1 in 15 again in Dallas. Those are the best case scenarios. That's what you're hoping. That you're bad early.

you get another draft pick. Jacksonville ideally wins three or four games and as a top five pick next year doesn't need a quarterback, can use that pick, trade down, get more multiple picks. That's the best case scenario. They're awful. What I'm looking for is not wins. What I'm looking for is something I always look for. It's a plan.

What's your plan? Do you see growth? We've already seen Urban Meyer do it in the draft. everybody was critical of that. He kind of knows personnel. What did he do with the draft? Star quarterback. Next pick, get him another running back.

They went and got him a left tackle. They went and got him a blocking tight end. All of those picks told you, take pressure off Trevor Lawrence, keep him alive, give him a running game, let him throw on play action. That was a plan. But I'm looking for moments. And I'll give you an example is I've said this with Joe Judge. of the New York Giants, I have seen growth.

Go back to Brian Flores first year. It's classic. We'll give you the schedule. This is what I like to see. So the first four weeks for Brian Flores, he got destroyed. 5910, 43-0, 316, 3010. Miami had a buy week in week five. then they came out and they went from getting destroyed to losing very competitive close games.

1716 to Washington, 27, 2014 of Pittsburgh. I remember that game. It was competitive. Then they started beating bad teams. By the end of the year, my word, beat New England. Whoa. And Foxborough! They were only 5 and 11.

But you saw blown out as he sets his culture. Buy weak, lose closer, competitive. Now start to beat some bad teams. And by the end of the year, went to Foxborough and beat the Patriots. These are best case scenarios. Joe Judge, same thing. Blown out, get a buy, lose close. when a couple, end of the year.

Kind of a good football team. They just need a little more of that and a little bit more of this. I cherish this stuff. I mean, Trevor Lawrence, this is a bad team. Outside of a couple of wide receivers, they have some interesting wide receiver talent. There's not much here. Trevor Lawrence, your best player. Then they have a couple of receivers I like.

The O lines are total rebuilt. I mean, even Miami and the New York Giants had sides of the ball I liked. The Giants defense for Joe Judge, he inherited. some really nice defensive players. Miami. We had Minka Fitzpatrick. Laramie Tunzel. Ryan Tannahill.

You had like commodities. They had trade those. Jacksonville, they have maybe one receiver they could move. They don't have Miles Jacks, a pretty good linebacker. They don't even have commodities. So the good news is they play in the same division as Houston. And the even better news, they open with them. And so I think Jacksonville is going to win their opener.

I think they're going to beat Houston in the opener. I think they have the better coach. They have the better quarterback. But Jimmy Troy is what you want. And one in 15. Troy was 0 and 11. And that was best case scenario. 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. Where Colin was right? Well, well, well, the dolphins. maybe aren't sold on Tua. How do I know that? I have eyes.

Multiple reports. The Miami Dolphins have offered multiple first and second round picks to upgrade at quarterback to Dishon Watson. It's nothing against Tua, but he averaged the 181 yards passing last year. And he's not a scrambler. Okay. So listen, the dolphins apparently, and there were several teams interested, but the Dolphins reportedly gave a lot more potentially in a deal,

which tells you they feel they're close. They're not worried about first and second round picks. They like their roster. They just don't think they can win big with the quarterback they have. Where Colin was wrong. Mack Jones may start over Cam Newton. That shocks me. Hey, listen, he's completed 69% of his throws, and he's played a lot.

I mean, they put him there a lot. He's gotten a lot of snaps. Now, Cam's been the starter, but Matt, I didn't think this was going to be that close. In fact, of all the young quarterbacks, I didn't think Mac Jones would play much this year. I don't think you can mess around in this division. And I don't think Cam was nearly as bad as everybody said last year. After he got back from COVID, he was crappy for a couple of weeks post-COVID.

He ended up with 12 rushing touchdowns, and they were a decent team. So this is a surprise to me. I did not think Mack Jones had a chance to start week one. Where Colin was right? Denver's Drew Locke could not beat out Bridge quarterback Teddy Bridgewater. I said this. Drew Locke to me is a slightly less talented version of Jay Cutler. I see the arm. I see the talent, but he's casual, a little too cool for my taste. And I just think what Vic Fangio said is, I like our roster. I trust Teddy Bridgewater more than I trust Drew Locke.

It's not a talent thing, because Drew's got a big arm, like a big top 10 arm in the league. but what have I said about quarterback? It's a grown-up position. And Vic Fangio's got a real roster in Denver. This roster, it's got players. Raiders don't kid yourself. Have the fourth best roster easily in this division. And he's telling you, I'm not giving the keys to Drew Locke.

And I like Drew Locke after nine starts. Joy was here. I said, there is something here. And then the start of the next year, eyes out after about six starts. Where Colin was wrong. Trey Lance may start week one over Jimmy Garapolo. I said this a couple weeks ago, the three things that really crush a quarterback's confidence. Injuries, your coach loses faith, and they draft your replacement.

Jimmy Garoppolo checks all three boxes. I still think he starts, but he has not played with the confidence that you'd think a guy that was in a Super Bowl two years ago would play in. And frankly, Trey Lance looked pretty good. Now, Trey, it's pretty much, he's just throwing fastballs. His tempo, he can throw an occasional breaking pitch, but size, mobility, arm, he's got arm angles. There's no question. Trey Lance has been better sooner than I thought. Where Colin was right.

Urban Meyer did exactly what we predicted with Gardner Minshu. He elevated him. Got a quarterback battle. Quarterback battle here with Trevor Lloyd. Everybody's like, ooh, raises his value. a little and then right before the season, Trevor, it's your job. We trade Gardner, Minchu, and get a pick as we're rebuilding the bad franchise. This to me, and a lot of people didn't like it, but this to me was the plan. You come in, you create a culture. You don't give

Trevor Lawrence the job. You know he's the startup, but you don't give anybody the job here. You're a college coach. You're going to struggle with some of these pro players not buying into your stuff. So Urban came in. He was not given a college star the start. I'm a college coach, I'm not giving the college kid a star. And then you can tell after a couple exhibition games, you're like, yeah, Trevor's the starter. They elevate Minchew's value and they move him to Philadelphia. I thought that was exactly what we thought we predicted on the air last week. Where Colin was right?

Yankees recently, a 13 game winning streak. Dodgers of 1, 16 of 20. But it's, they're both hot, right? But it's what they did that we've been preaching for several years. even though they were good, they got hyper aggressive at the free agent deadline. Okay? This is what is winning in sports. The Dodgers went out and got Max Scherzer and Trey Turner. Great players.

The Yankees went out with the Cubs, got Anthony Rizzo, then they got Joey Gallo. It's not like these were bad teams, but aggressiveness is being rewarded. And right now, my World Series picks, the Dodgers and the Yankees look like they're in their best form of the season. Where Colin was wrong. I can't believe the Cowboys have not made a move for a backup quarterback, and I thought it was going to be Gardner Minshu. I don't get it. This is a quarterback DAC-driven offense. He still has a shoulder issue. I mean, they're not even letting him playing these games. Gardner Minchew was on the market. You only had to give up like a six-round pick. A Gardner Minchew still has two years left on a contract. He'd be cheap.

And I don't like the Cowboys' backup quarterback situation at all. I am surprised Dallas is staying pat with what they have. Where Colin was right? We predicted Jake Paul would beat Tyron Woodley. He did last night in Ohio. Listen, he's interesting. He's not a great prize fighter. He's not fighting in those fights.

Now he's taken on retired UFC guys and some celebrities. but on a six or seven fight card in a pay-per-view sport, there's absolutely room. Hell, if Tebow wanted to fight and he trained for six months, hey, it's pay-per-view. It's okay. Not every fight on a fight card always has to be Ollie and Frazier, Leonard and Hearns.

It's okay. And I think he's invested. I think he's a big, strong kid. I think he showed in that fourth round, he can take a punch, because Tyrone Woodley is a man. That guy's big, and I think it's great for boxing. That's a shot.

And by the way, Jake Paul is now 4-0, and he is moving people to pay-per-view by. It's good for him. Where Colin was right. Been saying this for years. There's only one college football power in the 80s and 90s that will never return, and it's Nebraska. First of all, they don't fit in the Big Ten.

I thought they made a mistake going to the Big Ten. because now they can't get the Texas high school recruits they could get in the Big 12. I also think quarterbacks, by and large, don't want to play in cold weather. That's why the Big Ten, Michigan can't even get the quarterback right. And I think the bottom line with Nebraska football is it's hard to win in small cold towns. Nebraska is becoming a place where good coaches go to end their careers. It's nothing against it. I think almost every power in the 80s and 90s, if they got the right coach,

could end up being really relevant again. And I've never bought into it with Nebraska. Life changes. Things have changed. And I think kids have more options. They'd rather stay close to home. And if you look at the business model of Nebraska football in the 70s and 80s and 90s with Tom Osborne, where they had this powerful walk-on program, those days are over.

You can't compete at that level. and they are what we thought they were. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1 and the I-Hard Radio app. Andrew Whitworth was a star at LSU. They're in town in L.A. Saturday night. I can't wait to watch that against UCLA. And he's got a new quarterback in Matt Stafford. He's got a new running back and Sony Michelle.

So they made all sorts of moves. and Andrew Whitworth is now joining us live. By the way, the seventh highest-grated offensive lineman in the league last year, and he's got a little gray in that beard, so he's a veteran now. So let's talk Matt Stafford. Just give me the cadence, the style, the difference, he and golf. Can you kind of sense it, the voice, the cadence, the style, the way he plays? Yeah, I think it's pretty easy to tell with Matthew that he's,

been in the league for quite some time. He's got that field general presence where sometimes he's got certain things he wants to do with the football in a way he wants to run certain plays and call certain cases that he sees as an advantageous thing for the team, not just maybe the simplest way to do it. And I think it's one of those things where you can feel that he's played a lot of football and had a lot of experience on the field and knows what's going to be successful for us and kind of has a feel for now that he's getting to know all the ins and outs of our offense and how we used to have done things, he can add his little touch to maybe some things that he wants to do differently.

So I thought it was interesting. When Cam Acres got hurt, I had said on the air, I said, you cannot win this division without a running game. It's just too physical. You have to have a running game. You can't put Matt Stafford back in the pocket 48 times like the Steelers last year with Big Ben. And then you go out and get Sony Michelle.

Give me your thoughts on Cam and Sony and their similarities as backs. Well, I think really for Sony, I think it's that patient running. You watch him run. You can see a guy that's played in a lot of big football games. He's had a lot of experience winning and playing winning football. And then you watch him run, the patience he runs with, really the ability to just get everything out of every play. I think Cam was that way. Well, you did a really great job of that at the end of the season.

You look at the way Cam ran and really came on there the last part of the year, the patience he was running with and making stuff out of plays that sometimes weren't there. And then when he got plays that were there, he got the most out of it. And I think Sony's that same kind of runner. And they are guys that are going to be coached hard by Thomas Brass. and I think Thomas was actually with them at Georgia. So it ought to be a great relationship there. And we're looking forward to getting him on the field.

By the way, you had an MCL tear in Week 10. You came back, by the way, and played in the playoffs. So that's the Andrew Whitworth we love. You only gave up in 402 passing snaps last year a sack. If you today were to compare yourself to rookie Andrew Whitworth out of LSU to today, do you look at the rookie Andrew and think, oh, you dumb kid, you don't know what you're doing. how have you all these years later become so proficient at pass blocking because the athletes are better?

You face faster athletes, you face bigger athletes. We all know this. Everybody's getting bigger, stronger, and you often face the most athletic guy. What is the secret sauce to your growth as a left tackle? I think really if you had to sum it up the easiest way, it's adaptation, you know, just try to find a way to adapt and survive in the league you play in. I think that if I looked at rookie film, I also was probably playing, an under center offense where the quarterback was always under center.

Right. A lot of two back. Just a way different game. I mean, a game that's completely nothing looks nothing like what the tape you see now on the football field in 2020 and 2021. And so I think it's one of those things that you learn to adapt, your body, how you move, your mobility, all those things. And that's something I've been able to do over the years. And I think something I've really credited myself with is every offseason finding that way I needed to adapt to be ready to play in this league and what the league is now. And funny enough, Colin, as you mentioned it earlier, talking about the people down Louisiana.

I want to say that as well, our hearts and our thoughts are with them. In 2006, my senior year at college was Hurricane Katrina. And so I well know what these guys are going through, and I know they're displaced right now. So all those guys down there at LSU, man, our hearts and thoughts are with you. And I can't wait for you guys to get back and support your state the way we got the opportunity to my senior year. By the way, you dealt with some fires a couple years ago, Thousand Oaks. So you were displaced. and the team was a little bit,

you've dealt with that in your entire career. When you look at the Rams, it's an interesting, you know, I've said this, is McVeigh's like the Pied Piper. He decided a few years ago, I'm not playing my starters. And now 90% of the league, especially the young coaches,

they're like, well, we're not playing our starters. It's interesting. Like, clearly it doesn't affect winning and losing. For me, as a sportscaster, Andrew, the part I struggle with is it's a big mirage. Is Trey Lance good or is he playing against four stringers? Like I, what can I, if a fan's watching you now, and you could say, okay, this is what you should watch in the preseason, even if backups play, this is important. And maybe this is hard to judge.

Well, I think it's hard to judge, really, some of the success you're going to have offensively because you look now, almost every team from the preseason tapes I've cut on. You know, it's very vanilla on offense. It's like we're going to take some play action shots and the dropback game. We're going to run a couple screens maybe, but you're not going to see all the stuff that every team's going to run week in and week out in the NFL throughout the regular season. So these offenses have been really reduced down to simplicity and even some of the young success you see some of these quarterbacks have. It's more throwing a bomb down the field in a one-on-one situation or, you know, a guy who's

willing to take a chance. And it's not really, you're not seeing them really truly read defenses and coverages and getting all these hidden coverages and guys masking different coverages. and guys masking different coverages, whether it's man zone, all this. You're not going to see as much of that. So you're really only going to be able to watch the one-on-one battles and say, hey, how do this receiver match up in one-on-one down the field? How do this quarterback do delivering the balls where only his guy can get it

and really having time and accuracy of plays that he's playing? And then really the big guys, it's watching the linemen up front, say, hey, can these guys protect the quarterback or can they not? They're going to be a lot of just straight rushes, not as many complex blitzes and stuff. and we're going to get to see whether our guys can protect and whether we've got defense alignment that can rush the quarterback. So you guys, you are the highest rated offensive linemen for the Rams

and it was the third highest rated offensive line. I do look at you and I think, okay, Andrew, this could be the last year and that does worry me and I've talked to less need about that. Like there's just not a lot of left tackles on the market. College football gives us about three a year. We always talk quarterbacks, not a lot of great left tackles. What will be the deciding? factor for you. What will be the moment this year, Andrew, that you go, all right, it's been great.

I got my money set, my family, I got my health. What will be the moment you'll make that decision? I think really it's about the level of play. If I can continue to play at the level I expect of myself each and every week and be able to do that consistent throughout the year, I've always said this. It's like from week one to week 17, my play should do nothing to get better. And I should be able to get better and better throughout the season. And I really should feel like by the season ending, I should be ascending and feeling like, you know what, I'm at the top of my game this season. And I think that's something that if you're honest with yourself, you can feel and know. I've always felt like I'll be my harshest critic.

And, you know what? That's something that's always been something I've been about as being able to break myself down and see where I'm really at. And I thought last year, honestly, just being real, as I thought I was having one of the best seasons I've had. And I really felt like the first part of the season was going really well and in the run, game, past game, everything, and just an unfortunate injury. So I'm excited for the opportunity to get out there and prove that I can still play at that level. And if I can, I can continue to get better and better every week, we'll see what happens. But I'm going into it one week at a time and going to give it my best. I'm going to be the oldest guy. I'm going to be the guy coming

off an injury. I got plenty of excuses. But I'm just going out to shoot my shot. Another podcast from some SNL late night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Oden. Kirk 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 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. 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. From 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84 is big to me.

I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. 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. It 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 skis. 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 podcast network on TikTok. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human