The Herd with Colin Cowherd - 09/10/2021 - Best of The Herd

Episode Date: September 10, 2021

Colin reacts to the first game of the NFL season by laying out the main difference between the defending Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Dallas Cowboys. He remains in awe of Tom Brady at the age of 44 after throwing 4 touchdown passes and almost 380 yards in their win over Dallas. Colin gives his Blazing 5 picks for week 1 of the 2021 NFL season. Plus, 3 time Super Bowl Champion Eric Mangini joins the show to tell Colin if the Cowboys can win with Dak Prescott as the focal point of their offense. 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. On the Look Back at it podcast. For 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84 was big to me. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English.

Each episode, we pick a 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 IHeard 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. 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 iHeart radio app by searching Heard. This is the best of the Hurd. with Colin Cowher on Fox Sports Radio.

Oh, it's a Friday. NFL season is officially back in a big way live in Los Angeles. It's the hurt. Wherever you may be and however you may be listening, IHeart Radio, Fox Sports Radio, FS1, one hour from now, the blazing five debuts, 2021. Very excited about that.

Joy Taylor is joining me. Well, that was a nice way to start the season. Amazing game. We talk about this all the time. Average teams don't know their average until about week four. Pretty good teams, Dallas, think they're great until about week four or five. So what you had is, this is what the first weekend, first couple weekends are going to look like. You're going to be surprised a lot by teams you think are going to get rolled and they're not going to get rolled.

That's why that nine points seemed a little large. Well, let's start with this, Joy. The difference with the Cowboys and Buccaneers. The difference with those two teams is this. Dallas lost and they feel pretty good about themselves today. I mean, DAC is healthy. Coming off two surgeries, he threw it almost 60 times. They dominated the time of possession.

Offensive line held up against the great defensive line. Zeke was a non-factor and they were in it to the end. They're pretty happy today and they lost. Tampa won, but they had four turnovers, over 100 yards in penalties, only one rushing first down. I don't think Bruce Ariens and Tom Brady are the least bit happy. I think Tampa looks at it as a winner and is frustrated today with all their mistakes. That's the difference. Successful people in life, successful companies, and successful teams aren't satisfied with winning.

winning is what winners do every day. It's how they perform. And Tampa didn't perform it last night. I mean, that Chris Godwin fumble was a killer. That game should have been over with eight minutes to go. All those penalties. Tom Brady, that offensive line, they just won the Super Bowl. Penalties, timing, fumbles, can't catch a screen pass.

To me, Dallas is still in the business of moral victories. You talked to cowboy fans this morning. They lost. They're happy. Went on the road. To-to-to-to-physically. Tough place to play. You know, made life uncomfortable for Tom Brady.

In this league, one thing is almost always true. The more ways you can win, the better team you are. Watching Dallas last night, they feel like a better version of last year's Cowboys. They can only win one way. Shootouts. That's it. Now, last year I kept saying, last couple of years, I've been on Dak Prescott. I call him Dak and Dunk.

A lot of short stuff. It was an elevated version of that. Not a lot of deep routes last night. In fact, the first time he threw the ball deep down the field, it was intercepted. C.D. Lamb should have caught it, but it was intercepted. But it is a kind of a one-dimensional team. They're not great on special teams. In fact, I'd say they're bad.

I don't love their coach at all. Their pass rush is very hit and miss. Zeke might as well have been an offensive lineman. They have one way to beat you. And for the record, the good news is DAC is productive. Dak played with a ton of physical confidence coming off surgeries. He hung in there. He was only sack once, but they were hovering around Dak all night long.

He played with a ton of confidence. Sat in there, fumbled a ball, picked it up and threw it. I don't worry about that. But this is a very DAC-dependent team. Very DAC-dependent. Now, here's the good news. It's not all negative. They don't face a playoff team from last year until November, Kansas City.

If you look at Dallas's schedule, three of the next four weeks, they face rebuilding teams, Philly, Carolina, and New York. After that, they get Denver and Atlanta at home. So it is, this is why I had Dallas as a nine-win team and a playoff team. I don't have them as hosting playoff games, winning divisions. They got too much holes. They can only win one way. But I will say this.

Schedules matter. Divisions matter. It's a bad division. Giants are still kind of rebuilding. Philadelphia is rebuilding. Washington's close, but they're not perfect, especially at quarterback. But here's a stat to remember is that Dallas is now after last night. Oh, and 17, when they score less than 30 points since 2019.

They have one way to one. win. So I think this morning, they feel pretty good about last night. They lost, but they feel pretty good about it. Here's Dak. Obviously, you want to run the ball more. You want to be balanced, but the air of the past was working for us. And so that's just the way that the game played out. And we've got the talent on offense and the talent around the board to be able to do that. You can be great and come up short, right? I mean, I felt like that's what tonight was. It was a great effort, but we came up short. And we want to be the best. And the best is simply being better than the other guy, day in and day out and being the best in the league.

And that's the expectations that we have and those guys have. So we're just all going to hold each other to that. All right, let's shift to Tom Brady. Been talking about it this week. He's beyond explanation. If you can tell the difference between 44-year-old Tom Brady and 34-year-old Tom Brady, congratulations. I cannot.

Last night watching the game, I was YouTubeing younger Brady. I can't tell the difference. Can't tell. He threw a couple of seam routes that were lasers. I can't tell. Gronkin Brady looked like the same stuff I watched in New England 10 years ago. In fact, I thought Brady's numbers, which were really good, were actually deceiving. He went 32 of 50 in a 97 passer rating.

But he had one pick and a Hail Mary. He had another pick because his running back couldn't catch a screen pass. And then he had three straight passes at the end of the game out of bounds purposefully to just eat some clock. So 32 of 50 felt more like 35 of 48 to me with no interceptions that were really his fault. I also thought he was the more aggressive quarterback last night. I threw the ball deeper downfield, threw it into the seam multiple times. I thought he attacked. Not a lot of dink and dunk, although they loved the bubble screens in Tampa.

Tom also knows he's got an excellent defense. So Tom knows he can make mistakes. I mean, that played right there to the right. That thing was a weird throw. But Tom knows he doesn't have to play perfect because Tampa can win a lot of ways. They can win with coaching. They can win with defense. They can win with special teams.

They can win, you know, what's amazing about Tampa's offensive weapons, it's like Brady's a chef with perfect produce. He's got so many different. He's got Mike Evans, 6-7, Red Zone Nightmare. He's got Scotty Miller, the burner. A-B is shifty. Chris Godwin's the technician. Gronk is the blocker sure-handed guy. I mean, he's got one of everything.

And I think that's so valuable because I think there's so many different ways they can beat you. Here's another way they can beat you at the line of scrimmage. Gronk talks about that play at the line of scrimmage. This is classic gronk telling us a little secret about this play right here and what truly happened here. it is. Tom made a great call. I think I was actually on a route and then he checked me into blocking and he checked me into blocking and then releasing and I was like oh man he just he just sees it all on the field it's impressive I mean you guys been playing for you know like 80 years seeing every defense seeing every player it's a play we've scored a couple of tugs on in our in our career so but no more

talking about that play because I like that play I don't like anyone knowing about it That's the part of football that Joy and I don't see, you don't see, is the audibling. Forget the fact that they've got speed and shiftyness and size and sure-hadenness. I mean, Grong has the best hands I've ever seen on any player in the league. It's insane. The best hands I've ever seen. But they do this better than anybody now. Now that Peyton Manning's out of the league, nobody manipulates the line of scrimmage like Brady.

And so when I look at Dallas, I see a team that is fun with one way to be. beat you. When I look at Tampa, I see a team that can beat you with coaching, line of scrimmage, speed, power, special teams, and that's the difference between the two. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all. Embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds.

I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the 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. If you're watching the latest season of the Real Housewives of Atlanta, you already know there's a lot to break down. Georgia accusing Kelly of sleeping with a merry man. They holding Kay Michelle back from fighting Drew. Pinky has financial issues. I like the bougie style of Housewives show.

I think it looks like it's going to be interesting. On the podcast, Reality with the King, I, Carlos King, recap the biggest moments from your favorite reality shows, including the Real Housewives franchise, the drama, the alliances, and the team everybody's talking about. As an executive producer in reality television, I'm not just watching it. I understand the game.

As somebody who creates shows, I'll even say this. At the end of the day, when people are at home, they want entertainment. To hear this and more, listen to Reality with the King on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Hey, I'm Deanna Maria Riba, actress, mother, lover, and a Gen X woman walking through life one hot flash and hormonal crying jag at a time. You ladies know what I mean. I'll bet you a perimenopausal chin here you do. So let's talk about it. Join me on my new podcast.

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

Wait, what sex? Dating at 45. How hard can it be getting naked at 50 with the new guy? That one's kind of hard. Well, that's lighting. They say we can't polish a turd, but we're sure going to try. So let's get blunt with laughs, tears, or tears of laughter, and dive into it unfiltered and unbothered and ask, how hard can it be? I cannot believe I'm about to say this out loud in public. Listen to How Hard Can It Be with Diana Maria Riva as part of my Cultura podcast network available on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Years ago, I was talking to Herm Edwards about this, and I've talked to other coaches, but he told me, he said, all I've ever asked from officials is just be consistent. He goes, we used to know when he coached the Jets, we would know certain officiating crews would call holding more than other crews. Our takeaway was, all right, just be consistent, if that's what you are. What I don't want is Lucy Goosey ref early becomes rigid ref late. Let me know what I have to coach to, because these are human beings, not all officials call a game the same way. I know there's one rulebook, but when it comes to

pass interference, it's a jump ball. It is completely subjective. I did not think this was path interference last night, but I do think lots of people would call it. I think half the crews in the league would call it and half wouldn't. It was not, in my opinion, egregious enough to call. First of all, all back shoulder throws are hand-to-hand combat. You're asking a wide receiver to make an unnatural turn down a sideline pirouette and catch a ball behind him. You're asking that corner to maintain touch with the receiver on back corner throws because they often know it's coming. There's a lot of acting here.

I've been consistent through the years. I used to officiate in college. That's how I paid rent. And what I always heard from just be consistent. And so my theory on the NBA and the NFL has always been. been the same. The later you get in the game, let great athletes compete. I don't want officials changing outcomes of games. Now, I do think referees, if a game gets chippy early, have a right and should set a precedent or a tone. If you get Baltimore and Pittsburgh, the Ray Lewis years,

the Troy Palomalo years, that game was chippy by the second snap. And reps are going to come in and say, guys, we're not going to allow that. So we're going to set a tone and call. We see the NFL do this all the time in the preseason, if they have a rule, they want to make sure you know, like targeting or celebrating, they will over call it in the preseason. They will set a tone and set a precedent. They won't call it in the regular season. But in the regular season, like last night, I have no problem if officials want to set a tone in the first quarter. But late in games, we're past that. These guys have been on that field for four hours. You got Tampa humidity. These are great athletes. Get out of the way.

way. I've said this with LeBron, Kevin Durant. Get into the swallow the whistle business unless it's outrageous and egregious. I don't want guys wearing zebra uniforms deciding outcomes of games. So I think a lot of crews would call that in some crews wouldn't. I wouldn't. I believe in, we all pay to watch the athletes. Nobody's paying for officials or coaches. I'm paying to watch Chris Godwin go up against the Cowboys' best corners. Also, Belichick, if you look at Bill Belichick historically, Belichick is the master of this. corners are grab and pull and push the whole time. They're slapping at your wrists.

So he's allowed to do that. If you watch New England games, they are on you and slapping on you and a nuisance. So why can't offensive coaches, receiver coaches, teach the subtle nudge, the shoulder turn, the body language, the box out. Offensive coaches, they get a win too. It's not just Belichick and the Sabins, the claw technique, the grab. technique so I would not call that and I think the Cowboys to the credit know how the game is played and didn't have a problem with it afterwards that's what the

Red saw you know no call I mean they at home so okay can't get that momentum swing to him you know just we just we just got to keep getting better honestly I think when it comes down to tight plays in the game if it's tickey tack I think you're better you know I would have taken a call you know I wouldn't you know I wouldn't ask them to pick the flag up but, you know, I think, you know, holding penalties and things in clutch time. I think it's, I think it has to be a real file there, you know, so I didn't see it. Yeah.

It's got to be, you know, it's got to be wow. I didn't see wow. I mean, when you watch the Dallas player, the corner kind of flail, if I walked up to that Dallas corner and pushed him gently, do you think he would flail and fall down? There's a little acting here. For the record, that's good coaching. He got it very quickly. the head, oh my God, it's a little acting here.

And that's part of the back shoulder throw. It is a very unnatural. I mean, we didn't have the back shoulder throw for 90% of my life in the NFL. I don't know who was the first quarterback to do it. But it is hard to defend. It's unnatural moves by a corner and a wide receiver, a back pivot. And this could be called all year long. I'm glad when they don't.

I'm glad when they don't call it. heard? 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. Hey, it's Ben, host of the fifth hour with Ben Maller, along with my trusty sidekick David Gascone, would mean a lot to have you join us on our weekly auditory journey. You're asking what in God's name is the fifth hour. I'll tell you, it's a spinoff of the Ben Mather show, a cult hit overnights on FSR. Why should you listen? Picture if you will at world where we chat with captains of industry in media, sports, and more every week explore some amazing facts about human nature and more.

Listen to the fifth hour with Ben Mather on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcast, 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 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 Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok podcast network on TikTok. If you're watching the latest season of the Real Housewives of Atlanta, you already know there's a lot to break down.

Portia accusing Kelly of sleeping with a married man. They holding Kay Michelle back from fighting Drew. Pinky has financial issues. I like the bougie style of Housewives show. I think it looks like it's going to be interesting. On the podcast, Reality with the King, I, Carlos King, recap the biggest moments from your favorite reality shows,

including the Real Housewives franchise, the drama, the alliances, and the team everybody's talking about. As an executive producer in reality television, I'm not just watching it. I understand the game. As somebody who creates shows, I'll even say this. At the end of the day, when people are at home, they want entertainment. To hear this and more, listen to Reality with the King on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

Hey, I'm Deanna Maria Riva, actress, mother, lover, and a Gen X woman walking through life one hot flash and hormonal crying jag at a time. You ladies know what I mean. I'll bet you a paramedoenipausal chin here you do. So let's talk about it. Join me on my new podcast. How hard can it be with Deanna Maria Riva, where I call on my Jenner, X-X squads from Ohio to Hollywood as we navigate midlife's most fantastic BS. All of a sudden, I'd had hanginess happening on my own.

I was like, what the hell is that? I was married when I had her, so I didn't even consider how empty that nest was going to be. Mood swings, night sweats, fupas, sex drive. Wait, what sex? Dating at 45. How can it be getting naked at 50 with a new guy? That one's kind of hard. Well, that's lighting. They say we can't polish a turd, but we're sure going to try.

So let's get blunt with laughs, tears or tears of laughter, and dive into it unfiltered and unbothered and ask, How Hard Can It Be? I cannot believe I'm about to say this out loud in public. Listen to How Hard Can It Be with Diana Maria Riva as part of my Coutura Podcast Network available on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I remember years ago somebody telling me this like 20 years ago

when I got into this opinion business, the person said, just have a point of view. I don't care if it's right or wrong. When I say your name as a broadcaster in the opinion space, Rush Limbaugh, conservative, Rachel Maddo, progressive, have a style. Okay, great coaches have a style. Like Mike Tomlin, big energy, defense, physical. I mean, looks physical when he's talking.

That's his style. Tony Dungey, quiet, reserved. a teacher. Belichick, intimidating, grumpy, defense, a great teacher, super smart. Here's my thing with Mike McCarthy. What is he? What does he do? Dan Quinn does the defense. Jerry calls all the big shots. Kellan Moore's the play caller, and Dak has influence. He sold himself as Mr. Analytics guy, right? He was Mr. Reboot Analytics guy. Well, I'm watching the end of the first half when they kicked that field goal from 60 yards. that was not very analytical.

She probably should have punted that thing away because it gave Tom Brady the ball with 15 seconds one completion. They got a good field goal kicker in Tampa. That's points. And in the game like last night, every point matters. So that wasn't real analytical. So he's a raw, raw guy.

But I always feel like with Mike McCarthy, what is his brand? You can't even think of it. That's the difference between all these guys. And like Bruce Ariens has a brand. I'll give you an example. Bruce Ariens, aggressive. No, risk it, biscuit,

like aggressive, sometimes to a fault. Confrontational. He and Brady will battle. He'll swear at his players. He's a mentor. He's got his guys, Byron Leftwich, Todd Bowles. He's known as very much a fatherly mentor. There's a lot of brands with Bruce Ariens.

I don't always love how aggressive he is. I don't have to love your point of view if you're a talk show host. Have one. Don't be mushy. Have one. You can change your opinion, but what are you? And that's my takeaway. What is he?

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. That's a hot one. Let's blaze it up. Fire it up. It's Collins blazing fuck. Steelers and Bills. I'm going to take Steelers plus six and a half at Buffalo.

Folks, don't go to the end of last year. Go to the beginning when the Steelers were healthy. They're healthy. They led the NFL in quarterback hits. They led the NFL in most sacks. They allowed the few as sacks. Okay. And the bill's offensive line is just okay.

The bill's defense, third worst in the red zone. It is a work in progress. I love Sean McDermott, but they're trying to garner a pass rush, and they haven't the last two years. The Steelers' offensive line is in transition. But the bills have not shown an ability so far to take advantage of that because the D-line is their weakness. Also, proud organizations that get humiliated at the end of the year, like Pittsburgh, Mike Tomlin, the Rooney family, Big Ben, come back focused with a vengeance.

I think this is a potential upset. I'm going to have the bills winning on a field goal late, but Pittsburgh outplays them for a lot of it. Take the Steelers plus six and a half points. Jets at Panthers. I've shifted on this because new information. I initially liked the Jets and the points. I'm going to take Carolina minus four and a half and here's why. The Jets' strength is their defensive front.

Multiple injuries in the last three weeks. Carl Losson their best edge rusher out for the year. Vinnie Curry, defensive lineman, out. Jared Davis linebacker, out for six weeks. I thought that was how they were going to seize control. And this Jets offense, let's be honest. Zach Wilson, NFL debut, first-time play caller, he's inheriting a mess. Christian McCaffrey, meanwhile, healthy, and only three teams in the NFL.

Carolina was one of them, had three receivers over 1,000 yards. Carolina's O-line isn't great. I don't think the Jets banged-up team can expose it. Carolina wins by a touchdown 2720. 49ers and lion. upset alert, I'll take the Lions plus seven and a half. First of all, can we stop saying Jared Goff is terrible? In the history of number one picks, he has the second highest passer rating ever behind Peyton Manning.

He also has DeAndre Swift. They have a star running back. Right now, the Rams don't. Folks, he completed 67% of his throws last year in the toughest division in football. And all this kid has heard for the last six months is how terrible he is. He's terrible. He's awful. I think Jared Goff, the lion's strength, many believes.

is their D-line and their O line, and they've got to start running back. He's got some stuff to work with. Also, bad teams don't know they're bad in the first week. What is Dan Campbell going to do? I mean, the Lions coaches kind of know what San Francisco is going to bring to the table. The Niners coaches have no idea what Detroit's going to offer offensively and defensively. By the way, Jimmy Garoppolo lost confidence more than once in the preseason. Jimmy Garoppolo is not the same Jimmy Garoppolo.

Super Bowl Garoppolo. His confidence to me is shaky. I think this is upset alert. I'm going to take the seven and a half. Niners win last second of the game, but Detroit will give them everything they can handle. Chargers at Washington. It's tough for me as an L.A. guy,

but I'm going to take the Washington football team minus half a point. First of all, Justin Herbert, first time he's ever faced a real crowd. Justin Herbert, best defensive front he's ever faced. Washington is completely stacked up front. Chase Young as a rookie had seven and a half sacks and ten tackles for losses. He's only getting better. Four first round picks. A rebuilt Chargers O line.

It could be good. Do I think it's going to be in week one? Another thing, Western teams traveling east, early game, never easy even in week one. Also, they got a new coach, Brandon Staley. First year NFL coaches in week one, a combined one, 12, and one over the last three years. Only Aaron Rogers and Matt LaFleur won. Tough opener for the Chargers. Tough spot. They may be better in six weeks, not this week. Washington wins 2721. Browns at Chiefs. All right, I'll take Kansas City minus five

and a half. It was six and a half, so I kind of feel like I got a break with this line. Listen, Kansas City's got the best September coach in the NFL, some think the best coach after Belichick. The Chiefs have won six straight openers. Patrick Mahomes in September, 32 TDs, no picks. The Browns are interesting. They were kind of two teams. When they finally kind of figured out Stefansky's culture, they were pretty good at the end of the year,

but they had minus 11. That was the worst point differential. They had a minus point differential for anybody with a winning record last year. They got whacked a few times. This is not a good spot for Cleveland. Seven new defensive starters. I think Cleveland, by Thanksgiving, is going to have an argument with Kansas City as a top team in the AFC.

Do I think starting an arrowhead against a proud organization that was humiliated in the Super Bowl? That was a ugly loss for Andy Reed, the Hunt family. Chiefs do have a new O line. We'll see how that goes. But I'm going to go 34, 26, competitive game, but you'll feel like Kansas City takes in an early league. Kansas City's in control. Kansas City puts it away early fourth quarter. So that is my blazing five.

I will say major upset alert with the Lions plus seven and a half. I like the dog Steelers, the favorite Panthers, the dog lions, kind of the pick-ham Washington football team and the favorite chiefs. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays at noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific. Eric Mangini. Three Rings with Belichick and the Patriots, Browns, Jets, Fox Sports joins us live now. So, all right, you saw my goofy picks. I'll say this.

Nobody in the world watching this thinks Detroit can win. But it's weird, Eric, these week one games, I don't know. It's funny. Jared Goff has heard for six months. He's the worst quarterback on the planet. I actually think Detroit has a puncher's chance in week one. Your thoughts? I love your Blazing Five, and I agree with almost everything you say.

And you're right. With the first game of the season, it's so hard. And it's so much harder when there's a new head coach, a new offensive and defensive coordinator. You have no idea what you're going to get because everybody's been working on things in the offseason, but not showing it in the preseason. And when you have new guys, you just have no idea, especially a first-time head coach. There's no frame of reference. The one spot I disagree with you on is the Cleveland game. I think Cleveland's got a real chance to upset Kansas City.

and everything else, I was right with you, but I'm going to give Cleveland the edge. All right, fair enough. So I watched the Cowboys last night. I could make two arguments, that there was no way they were going to run against Tampa's front anyway, so go ahead and pass 60 times. Or I could make this argument.

Boy, there's only one way that team can win. It's passing the football. I mean, they're not going to win to me with defense, special teams. I mean, what did you make of this 60 throws by deck? Too much or you're okay with it? I hated it. I hate it. I don't think it's a good approach. And I went back and looked at his attempts over the course of his career. He's thrown the ball 49 times or more. And I think it's seven times. Yeah, it's seven times. And he's one and six, the times that he's throwing the ball that many times. I don't think it's sustainable. He did a great job last night. But with running the football, consistently, even if it's not as effective as you want it to be, it's. slows down the pass rush. It makes your play action more meaningful and it takes some pressure off the quarterback. And this is an exciting brand of football. And I remember last year with let Russ

cook and all those things we want to say. It's just it's not sustainable. And you're going to put a guy in that position coming off two surgeries and all the pressure he has of a new contract playing in the opening game go on and on on. Look, he handled it exceptionally well. But I don't, I don't do not think this is a sustainable formula for Dallas. Now, by the way, it's not like Brady didn't throw 50 times as well. It is interesting. You know, sometimes in sports, you sit there as a fan and you're like, Gronk's not the fastest guy.

Gronk is old. And I swear to God, I'm watching that Gronk Brady thing at the end. And I'm like, I've seen this 70 times. I mean, as long as you give Tommy a minute 25, what is it about Gronk and Brady that be on? I mean, first of all, Gronk has some of the best hands I've ever seen on any player at any position in the league. But what do you make of that connection? They're like on the same wavelength in the red zone. Your thoughts? Well, when you when you play with someone as long as they played together, you can you can reference things that have happened in the past and it just makes sense. And

you can make adjustments with guys like that on the sidelines that's different than when you're playing with new guys. And I think Gronk has the advantage of knowing that he was going to play football this year of actually training like he would to get ready for a season. And he looks to me a lot better at the start of this season than he did at the start of last season because his approach, I'm sure, is radically different. And you saw the play on the dog blitz where the linebacker came, you know, after the tight end initially blocked. And then Tom looks off the safety and gets it to Gronk.

And it's those types of things that you have a significant edge when you've worked with the guy as long as they've worked together. What did you make of the Chris Godwin no call? I'm always a big believer in. Let athletes compete on the boundaries. I mean, Belichick's corners are slapping and pulling and grabbing. I mean, by the way, it's a way to manipulate the refs. They don't call a lot of it.

They're very physical. I'm kind of on pass interference. Unless it's egregious, let it go. That's my take. What did you make in the no call? Yeah. As a defensive coordinator and defensive back coach, you're always frustrated when you don't get those calls.

but Bill used to say, you know, they're not playing billions and billions of dollars to watch games that are 6-0. You know, they want the offense to be successful, and they're going to let those calls go. And I'm okay with this call because it's an unbelievable catch. It's an unbelievable throw. And was it so egregious that you had to call it? No, it was one of those things where it could have gone either way. And I actually think they made the right decision by letting it play out. I will say this. I want to be positive for Dallas. A lot of times teams will tell me,

I can't see practice or film, but they'll tell me what they saw on it by their game plan. And by giving Micah Parsons that many snaps, it told me he's been great at practice. He's been responsible because he, I mean, Van der Wesch and Jalen Smith didn't play. It tells me that they feel they have a star in Micah Parsons. That's what I take from last night's performance. Yeah, he had a nice game for the first game of his rookie career. What was it? Seven tackles. He had a pass defense.

He hit the quarterback one time. He's going to continue to get better. He's strong. He's really fast. And Dan Quinn is a excellent coordinator, especially for a young player like Micah, because he's going to keep the defense relatively simple and allow him to understand what's happening and unfolding in front of him, not have to think a lot. and really play to his strengths, which is reacting and giving him that ability to play fast.

So that's going to help him as he grows in the league. But for an opening day performance by a rookie linebacker, and I thought Dallas's defense overall was much improved from what we saw last year. Yeah, it looked faster and rangier. I thought they looked very athletic. And four turnovers? Four turnovers is an unbelievable effort by a deacon. defense. And you're right. They looked faster. They looked Ranger. They looked more physical. And

they're going to, they're going to get better as the season goes on. And they're going to create some problems that they couldn't create last year where last year is just how bad were they going to be in any given day. Okay. So I think this is something. And nobody, you know, Joy and I think it's something. Tua is the only quarterback starting this year who took significant. significant snaps last year, not named captain by his teammates. It's not everything, but it feels like something, doesn't it? It's something. As soon as I saw that, I thought this is completely outside the norm.

The fact, you know, you have the players vote on who the captain's going to be, but if it's close, you may nudge it in a certain direction, and you're definitely going to nudge it in the direction of the quarterback. and for the players not to vote him as the captain, as the leader, that says a lot. And that's a big concern. And as much as they say, hey, he's a great leader. I've read all the quotes. Okay, well, if he was such a great leader, why didn't you make him the captain?

Like almost every other team in the league does. I agree with both you enjoy. This is something and it's a concern. Yeah, I mean, listen, we were talking about, Joy and I talked about this yesterday. Teddy Bridgewater got named captain 10 days ago, split snaps is seen as a bridge quarterback and the guy's named him captain. That's like that to me is significant. A bridge quarterback gets the captain ship.

Yeah, it is. And leadership is something that that you can't fake in the locker room, that you can't sell it to the players that this guy should be the leader. Either he is or he isn't. And when they speak with a vote and don't make him a leader, and you desperately need that guy to be a leader, it's an issue. Eric, great seeing you have a great Friday.

Can't wait for the rest of the schedule. Thanks, man. All right, we'll see you soon. 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. There's two quarterbacks in this league.

You're going to tell you what they think. and it's not always to their benefit, Cam and Aaron Rogers. They're expressive. They just have big opinions, and they say stuff that makes people uncomfortable. So Aaron's one of those guys. He's expressive.

Kevin Durant's got a little bit of this. This is who I am. He's like, I like yelling at fans on Twitter. That's who I am. I like competing. So Aaron's very expressive guy. So Cam Newton, and there's been a lot of talk about why Cam was let go.

There was a story out there. this week that Mac was teaching Cam, the playbook, and I didn't cover that. That doesn't sound right to me. But Cam is, he made comments about why he was let go. So I'm just going to play, play the first comment. The reason why they released me is because indirectly, I was going to be a distraction. Without being the starter. Without being a starter.

Yeah. And this was not going to come. But how verbally or in the locker room? Just my aura. Okay. Just my aura. And that's just, and I told you this off camera, that's my gift and my curse. I don't love, I don't love Aaron Rogers saying my status.

Cam saying my aura. But you know what? That's who they are. So they just lay it out there. I also think there are certain quarterbacks in this league, Kirk Cousins, easy to make fun of. Goody two shoes, kind of nerdy, you know, father was a pastor, easy to make fun of on Twitter. Ryan Fitzpatrick, crazy beard guy, Hawaiian shirt guy. By the way, both those guys win and very productive, but you can make fun of them.

Cam's tougher to make fun of. He's got really loyal fans. He's got style. He's got swag. And even though he's never had back-to-back winning seasons, if you criticize Kim, believe me, I've lived through it for 10 years, you get a ton of pushback. I never got pushback when Andy Dalton was having back-to-back-to-back winning years going to the playoffs. And I would call him the beige water pistol.

No pushback. He was going to the playoffs every year. No pushback. Cam of a bad year, I criticize. Pushback. So I don't mind that, but a lot of broadcasters don't want the pushback. With Cam, you know, it's just, I think sometimes the media has coddled it because they just don't want the pushback.

Cam also said this. If they would have asked me, would I play behind? They said, Cam, we're going to give the team to Matt. Okay. you're going to be the second stream. We expect you to beat everything and some to guide him throughout this tenure. Okay. I would say absolutely.

The truth of the matter is this, he would have been uncomfortable. Like, Mac Jones didn't beat me out. But I would have been a distraction knowing that if they would have gave him the starting role, they knew, you know, the perception that they would have had. Well, I do like him saying I would have been a backup. I think that's valuable. I think people, you know, people listen to what you say. I know executives that have watched Hard Knocks.

Remember the Des Bryant Hard Knocks? Or it was the Amazon show and Des Bryant blew up at a coach. He never got the same treatment in the NFL. Like, nobody wanted Des. It was like as bad on TV. So I don't like the ORA talk. I do like the, I would have played backup. But there is value in a divorce.

I remember when I went through one reading about this. the value of being vulnerable is that in this divorce with Cam in New England, if Cam comes out and is vulnerable and says, I'm crushed, I love the game. It broke my heart. You want to help him. I think most people are good people.

We want to help victims. And if he would have come out and been really, really vulnerable and just said, because I do think Cam likes football, and I do think he can play in this league. I wouldn't make him a franchise guy, but he can play. I mean, he was two plays. with a bad team last year, Seattle, Buffalo, from having winning a record. And New England last year had no tight ends and no wide receivers.

So he's got some football left. I don't love his lack of self-awareness, talking about aura. And it's just, but it's who he is. And I think pushing back on cam, all you get is. But I think there are moments. It's a good psychology to know being vulnerable. I know guys don't like to do it. We're all alpha.

being vulnerable is okay. I would have preferred to see Cam just go, it hurt. I'm Cam Newton. It was terrible. I hate this. I love football. But that's not who he is. I don't think there's a ton of,

I don't think there's a big market for Cam. We'll see how it plays out. By the way, three quarterbacks will be hurt in the next month. That I'll guarantee you. You know, it's interesting. I was thinking about this. When I watched Gronk and Brady, is that Brady is so great and the quarterback is so valuable.

that when Brady leaves New England, that is all we talk about. That is all we talk about. But it should be noted that the worst tight end group in the NFL last year was New England. And Gronk left. When I'm watching Gronk, who's the best blocking tight end in the NFL maybe ever, he has the best hands of any tight end ever, he may play dummy for the brand, but is anybody better at finding space in the zone than Gronk?

He's always open. He knows the sidelines. situational football. He can be goofy and funny in a kid. But he's built a hell of a brand so he knows something. But as I'm watching Gronk last night, I'm thinking, you know who could really use Gronk? New England.

I mean, seriously, if you could give Mack Jones anything, it wouldn't be a star receiver. It would be Gronk. And that I don't think we've ever quite understood because of his silliness and because of how great Belichick is and how great the New England defense is, and how great Tom Brady is.

Gronk is just his own second. He's his own separate category. I mean, these are pro athletes. Look how big he is among pro athletes. Look how well he runs. Look how big.

He is the only tight end in the NFL where they will put him out wide to block a defensive end. No chip blocking. Just go block the really good guy. That doesn't, Travis Kelsey's good. They don't ask him to do that. When you watch, I always said this about Mike Tyson, when you can make other boxers intimidated, you're a badass.

Like Tyson scared other boxers, men who fight for a living. When you look at the size of Gronk with a six, three and a half, 230 pound linebacker, he's really his own category. Best hands ever, best blocker ever, best combination with a quarterback ever. And maybe it's the warm weather. Maybe it's the off season. Eric Mangini made a great point earlier that he knew he was going to play this year.

Last year, he didn't. He looked in great shape, but I was watching that last night, and I'm thinking, I've been watching that for 15 years. Oh, how much time in the clock? Brady gives you that look when he falls behind with a minute and a half left. He gives you that kind of, all right, all right, okay. And he goes out, and there was not a doubt in my mind, nor yours, that with a minute 25 left,

Brady was taken over. Gronk would have a huge effect. They would manipulate the clock. They had so much time left. They had so much time left. It was so effortless that Brady threw three straight incompletions to eat clock. We've probably been watching Tom Brady for so long that if we played a game where we just put different Tom Brady facial expressions, we could match them to what part of the game it is.

And what's happening? Like that like purse lip look that he makes when they're losing like How about this one? It's the looks and it's kind of like that. Yep, but yep. So when he starts doing that, then you're challenging him. Yes. Oh.

It's a turnover. You know what the look is. He's man. But when it's the, oh, you just scored. I got a minute 24 left. It's like he really, it's really a Tom Brady sort of like, all right. Okay. And literally he is a.

that you think with a minute 24 left, you can beat him. They had so much time. He threw three balls way out of bounds to waste time. And how he's so good that, like, I didn't even really need to see how much time was left. I was like, it's enough time. However much time is left, if you're giving it back to Tom, it's enough time. By the way, Aikman Irvin flashier, Manning Harrison flashier, Brady Moss flashier, year, Montana Rice Flashier.

But you could roll coverage. You can put a, you know, the Cowboys put their best corner on. on Mike Evans. How do you defend Gronk? I mean, who does Mahomes trust in the biggest spots? Kelsey. You talk about Brady leaving New England. Mack Jones could use anything.

It's Gronk. I mean, he is in a different galaxy. Another podcast from some SNL late night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smigel 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

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documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th.

You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. 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 IHeard 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.

On the Look Back at a 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.

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. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.