The Herd with Colin Cowherd - 09/16/2021 - HOUR 1 - Cowboys, 49ers, OBJ, Jones

Episode Date: September 16, 2021

The Cowboys will have to get by without DeMarcus LawrenceTrey Lance isn't ready to be the 49ers starting QBColin changes his stance on the Browns and OBJMac Jones looked good in his first startGuest: Peter King 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.

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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.

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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 Hurd. You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. Ah, here we go. In a Thursday, we've got football tonight. Giants in the Washington football team live in Los Angeles.

It is The Herd, wherever you may be. However, you may be listening. IHeart Radio, Fox Sports Radio, FS1, 1 hour from now. I get so many compliments when he's on our show. Greg CoSell, next 20 weeks, Thursdays, top of the second hour, really gives you an incredibly objective look at the league and what to expect. If you play fantasy football, if you bet football, or you just love the schematics of it,

and what's really happening on film for somebody who, four decades, has just looked at film one hour from now. Greg Kosell, Joy Taylor is joining me. You know, yesterday I was walking around, and somebody came out to me, Joy, and they're like, you know, you don't think this urban thing, thing's going to happen. And I said, the Urban Meyer to USC. Yeah. And I said, I've got my, I'm, I'm wide open on this. I think it's the biggest hire in

college football, Denver West, in a decade with all the TV contracts. And I said, but what if he wins this week? Well, that won't happen. And I said, you really don't, don't, when you get humiliated the following week, professional athletes play well. I said, what if he wins this week? Then he would not be interested at all? Well, I think it's, I think it's kind of comical that, because he lost one NFL game that now all of a sudden it's an actual conversation that he would leave his NFL job and move across the country and coach USC. I think it's kind of preposterous. I mean, I don't know how much he's making, but I think he signed a four-year,

$10 to $12 million a year. You don't walk away from that. There's actually, I think, less pressure on Urban in Jacksonville than there would be at USC. Completely true. Then nobody thinks Jacksonville is a complete, utter rebuild outside of wide receiver. Yeah, I mean, if he can get them stable, that's a massive accomplishment. If he won four games this year and seven next year, he would be coming back for a third year. And we all know he's going to be pretty good in the drafting thing because he recruited all these kids.

But it's funny. I do want to talk about it. I'm crying no tears for Urban Meyer. But I saw this story yesterday, and all the coverage was just boo-hoo-hoo. Cowboys defensive end, DeMarcus Lawrence. And he's their best defensive player, I think, easily. he's going to miss two months. And I saw a lot of these comments.

It was, oh, this is gutting. It's a terrible break. I can't, but it's not a terrible break. It's called the NFL. You pay Dak Prescott $40 million. This cannot be an obstacle. Patrick Mahomes this weekend did not have Frank Clark nor Honeybadger. And he beat an excellent Cleveland team.

Tom Brady last year. didn't have Vita Via, who looks like the best nose tackle in the sport. He didn't have him for most of the year. Didn't have Chris Godwin. It felt like in September and October. Didn't have his top tight end O.J. Howard. And it was a pandemic. He didn't have a preseason.

They won the Super Bowl. Aaron Rogers, I can be critical of him. Six times in his career has not had Devante Adams. I could make an argument, second or third best receiver in the league. Aaron Rogers is 6 and 0 without Devonte Adams. Russell Wilson has been losing players off the defensive side for four years, the Legion of Boom. It keeps winning 12 games a year.

You pay a quarterback $40 million. When you sit down and decide, all right, we're going to go all in on the quarterback. There's two or three things you've got to think about. One, is he mature enough to handle it with Dak, check? Is he a grown-up? Is he an adult? Are we putting our billion-dollar franchise in the Cowboys case, a $10 billion franchise, maybe, are we putting our money into somebody who is aligned with our values and belief system?

A DAC check. Okay. Is he capable of overcoming obstacles otherwise known as the National Football League? Well, this is an obstacle. This is it. This is not crazy. This is exactly what everybody faces in this league. DeMarcus Lawrence average six, seven sacks a year.

He had six and a half last year. The Las Vegas line moved. half a point. The minute you get the bag in the NFL, and I'm happy for DAC, there's a lot of things I like, but the minute you get the bag, you get the blame. DeMarcus Lawrence an injury doesn't matter. That's why you pay a quarterback $40 million. They can miss Frank Clark, O.J. Howard, Honey Badger. Otherwise, I've said this about Baker Mayfield. Can he play trailing? Can he make throws late? He's not the same quarterback. So to me, that's not a $40 million year quarterback.

James Winston this weekend. James Winston has been living out of a hotel for two and a half weeks. He doesn't have Michael Thomas. He got a quarterback, Tase of Milk, breathing down his throat. He faced the Packers. Blew him out. Okay. Lamar Jackson lost his entire backfield.

This isn't gutting. It's not a bad break. This is a league of regulated violence. losing your top defender. I mean, let's be honest, they've added a game. You can lose your top defender often in preseason. Lamar Jackson lost his backfield in the preseason. So the line barely moved, if at all, for Dak Prescott.

Get the bag, you get the blame. And by the way, I criticized the Cowboys for years, all their Ritz-Carlton facilities. if the NFL was a hotel, there'd be a leak on the second floor and flooding on the third floor. It is a league of constant stress, of constant anxiety, of regulated chaos. That is the league. And you pay guys 40 million to overcome it. If you need a perfect, grooved runway for the plane to take off, you're not built to win big in this league. So San Francisco Niners, 49ers, this is very interesting to me.

And, you know, there's this sense in the NFL that basically Jimmy Garoppolo is just little more than a valet for Kyle Shanahan. He's just handling his bags. Very replaceable. But Jimmy Garapolo was willing to go on K&BR. That's the big stick in the Bay Area. It's a big popular radio station. And acknowledge this going back and forth stuff with Trey Lance. That ain't great.

We had a good drive, marched it down there. Kyle called the package, and he's the head coach. So whatever he calls, it goes. Just one of those things you can only control what you can control. You know, I'm out there with my boys, making the best of it, having a good time. And, you know, at the end of the day, we're playing football trying to get a win. So whatever it takes. But it is what it is, you know.

Making the best of it. That's what you say on vacation when the airline and the hotel screwed you. That's what teacher said about the last year with their kids with college. COVID. The schools closed. We're making the best of it. This vacation, we're five days in. We're making the best of it. It means this isn't good. COVID was tough on parents. That's an airline. That's a vacation you're trying to overcome. And it's very interesting. There's three quarterbacks in this league, only three that I can think of, that win a lot of games, a lot of games, have won. Playoff games, and we don't like them.

Kirk Cousins, Jared Goff, and Garoppolo. Kirk Cousins, we feel he shrinks. He does. Gough, we feel he turns the ball over way too much. He does. Garapolo can't stay healthy. That's true. But what is interesting here is Garapolo, unlike Goff and Kirk Cousins, has a little leverage.

Number one, this is the best division. I think easily in the NFL. Trey Lance is not ready. Not ready. He's played one football game as a starter last 600 days. Kerr Cousins, or excuse me,

Trey Lance is not ready to win this division. The second thing he's got going for him, which is pretty obvious, is that Kyle Shanahan has a losing record in the NFL as a head coach without Jimmy Garoppolo.

And it's not hovering around 500. It's awful. And number three is, this is a Super Bowl roster. So let's not screw around here. This is not the Bears where it's a lost season, right, by week seven. Jimmy Garapolo yesterday pushed back. To say that big radio show in the Bay Area,

I'm making the best of it. I'm going to go public with it. I think Jimmy Garapolo, I've always thought he's a little better than everybody thinks. And in this instance, I think he's got a lot more. leverage than everybody thinks. The Rams Seahawks and the wildly improving Arizona Cardinals give Garoppolo leverage.

You cannot start Tray Lance right now in this division. Greg Olson was on our show yesterday, and he said, you know, sometimes you just got to pick a quarterback and pick a lane and go with that. You know, I think the number one thing you have to do is you got to pick one guy. I think if you as an organization, right, they see a lot that we don't see. And the fans there, they're passionate. They believe Justin Fields is their future. And I don't blame them, right?

If I was living in Chicago and I'm trying to finally get back to our glory days, it starts at the quarterback, I'd want Justin Fields to play too. If you want a guy to play, they've got to either be in or if you don't want them to play, they got to be out. Like, I just don't love the whole back and forth thing sprinkling in a play here and there. I think they need to commit one way or another. By the way, Chicago is not a great team anyway. the Niners potentially are.

And by the way, in that game Sunday, the special teams for the Niners unraveled late. The defense for the 49ers unraveled late. You know what? Didn't Jimmy Garoppolo, passerating over 100. Jimmy Garoppolo did not unravel. It was Kyle Shanahan's defense and Kyle Shanahan's special teams that unraveled.

your quarterback says I'm making the best of it. Maybe you want to go with him, give him a little more credit, give him a few more snaps. I'm not anti-quarterback here. I'm not anti-young quarterback. I'd said, I think I'd start Justin Fields this week. But the Niners are different. The Niners are different. This division's different.

The opposition's different. Trey Lance is not Justin Fields right now. He's not. He's not that formed, that refined yet. Coming up, you know, I say on this show all the time, I've got to be willing. Fans tend to have an opinion and they see it as a weakness if they change their opinion. It's flip-flop.

I look at the opposite. My job is to give you opinions based on the most current information. I always said, kind of feel like a stockbroker. I got new information, insider trading. I don't like the stock. I want my stock broker to give me the opinion that may be different than two. months ago based on his information. I want my pilot when he has his flight plan. If it changes five minutes before takeoff because of turbulence and a storm, I want him to change. My surgeon,

if there's any new procedures available to save me or my kids, I am for changing opinions every day if you have new information. A lot of the anti-vaxxers out there, they're like, well, I see I see something new out here. There's new information. So often the most rigid people, I will not get one, actually love people changing their protocols based on new information, right? Like, well, masks don't work or they do. This whole COVID thing is, you know, you can't be too rigid, right? We're getting new stuff. It's interesting. There's a, there's a, there's a player in the NFL that I think He's talented, but I didn't think he was a good fit at all for his team. But we've got new information, new data in Cleveland.

I think I'm wrong. That next. 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 what 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-tapped 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? to do a little Kim. Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam Jay. And I'm Alex English.

Each episode, we pick it here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill, waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 is big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack 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 IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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Fairetybrandt slash hurt. So I always feel that the show is better if I'm willing with new information and new data to change my opinion. I do three hours a day. I've got strong opinions on stuff I see, but I do think I owe the audience the willingness to move off stuff that we get new information. I've said this with my pilots, with my surgeons, you know, with my stockbrokers. I'm not, I don't care if you flip-flop. What's the new stuff? And I never thought Baker Mayfield and Odell Burr.

Beckham was a good fit. My takeaway was Odell was such a Paris, New York, L.A. star that putting him with Baker Mayfield, who would be easily influenced by this star, was not necessarily good. It would be like Dak and Des, where Des literally wanted the ball now, and I want my young quarterbacks to sprinkle the ball around and not feel beholden to get it to their star. And whereas a Tom Brady can tell a star receiver, I'll do what I want to do.

Aaron Rogers can do that. Russell Wilson can say, my club. It's very hard for a DAC at 21 or a Baker at 21 to have a global star come in, get me the ball. And numbers indicated that Baker sometimes was better when O'Dell didn't play. Because he would not, he would sprinkle the ball around. And Baker's better when he throws to the right receiver, doesn't break the huddle thinking about I got to get it to my story.

star receiver. And so that was kind of my takeaway on that move Odell Beckham and get, you know, fix some other part of your front seven defensively. I don't love the linebacking core for Cleveland. I said last year I didn't like the secondary at all, but they've already patched up the secondary and they did draft the linebackers, so those aren't urgent needs. And so my takeaway is we know Odell is a world-class wide receiver talent when healthy, which he's often not. But under Stefansky, there is this sense most people, myself included, are kind of putting Cleveland in that top 8, 9 team in the NFL that could win the Super Bowl, right? We're all doing this. But to win Super Bowls now, you've got to score points.

Even Nick Saban acknowledges, my defenses can't stop the best offenses. And that's in college where you could get, you know, 25 first round picks a year in recruiting. In the NFL, you start looking at the teams that are winning Super Bowls. It's not the Ray Lewis defenses that are winning these Super Bowls. It's Mahomes. It's Brady. Look at the teams that are winning their division. It's quarterbacks.

It's offenses that can not only control the clock, but they can strike quickly. That's why Buffalo goes out and gets Stefan Diggs. Strike quick. We're already good. Let's get an over-the-top component. So, Stefansky comes in. He's obviously a very smart guy and a very good coach. And Baker's clearly capable of starting, not my cup of tea, but he's capable.

So we've had now, if you go back to when Odell Beckham got hurt, which was the beginning of game seven of last year. So let's not count game seven because the game plan did include O'Dell Beckham. Let's start the following week. Week 8 until last week's loss. This is what Baker Mayfield is with no OBJ. And this is with the coach of the year. With the offensive line of note in the AFC, with the best running tandem.

12 games, 7 and 5. 63%. That's not amazing in this day and age. 15 touchdown passes in 12 games. Passer rating is solid 96. We're giving Cleveland this sense of they're here. They really miss an over-the-top component. They've got very few big play players now.

They can control the clock. They can control the tempo. They did it against the Chiefs for a half. This is not a criticism. Baker is now not turning the ball over. it's a very smartly schemed, highly competent, very functional offense without a lot of pop. And I know we're giving them all this credit for beating Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh was a mess at the end of last year.

Pittsburgh offensively, you saw him this past weekend, is still a mess. They can't run the ball. They needed a block punt. So I look at this offense now and I'm like, you're not getting past Kansas City. You're not getting past Seattle, D.K. Matt Caff. you're not getting past Buffalo who's got Stefan Diggs. You're not getting past Tampa Bay. They need OBJ.

Baker's got 12 games, 15 touchdown passes. That is just not good enough with the game, the rules, the regulations, the star receivers, the Tyreek Hill, the Stefan Diggs, Lamar Jackson's explosiveness. The AFCs now, Justin Herbert looks like he is ready to make a big run. So my opinion is I've got this big sample size without OBJ. And I'm like, well, now you have a legitimate head coach. Now Baker, you know, is more mature.

I think they need OBJ. Change my mind. This offense is getting all this credit. You cannot win in this league without over-the-top stuff. For the record, that is why the Rams in the off-season. What did they do? They looked at themselves and they said, we're winning 10 games, but we don't have any Mahomes to our offense.

We don't get anything easy. Golf doesn't do anything over the top. They get Stafford. They had two, 50. plus yard plays with Stafford first week. They had two all last year. So the Rams looked at it. And the Rams, much like Cleveland, we got a good old line.

We have competent quarterback. We can make defensive stops. We can control the clock. We love our young head coach, offensive coach. But the Rams went, yeah, but we don't get any cheap touchdowns. We don't get any. Odell gives you cheap touchdowns. Three or four, reverses deep after the catch.

So I've changed my mind. I think they need O'Dell Beckham. Joy with the news. Colin, that's not what you were saying before. But there was new data. Well, you were just talking about the Steelers. Ben Rothesberger's only two years removed from having surgery to reconstruct his elbow. And it was a tough fought game against the bills.

He was. He was very optimistic about how the elbow held up. He said it feels great. Probably the only part of my body that felt good when I came out of the game. That's encouraging and positive. He did kind of look old. though, did he not? You know, he looked good in preseason and I think that's kind of one of those things. It's like

how much do we take from what someone looks like in preseason? He was 18 of 32 for 18188 yards and one touchdown, but the story to me was the running game. I like the Najee Harris pick. They had to take a run back. Yeah, I get that. And I like Najee Harris. We had 16 carries for 45 yards and average 2.8 yards per carry. That's not going to get it done in the AFC North. They're going to need a lot more from their run. Because what you don't want to is get into a situation like they were last year where they were asking Ben to throw it like 50 times a game because they couldn't get anything going on the ground. Right now they have the least explosive offense in that division. Chase Claypool's great. But Cleveland's got a great run game in O-Lyme. Lamar Jackson's remarkably, you know, explosive. And Joe Burrow and those receivers can move the chains. I think Joe's just accepted like I'm going to get hit a couple times a game and I'm just going to sit in the pocket and throw. it down there.

Now, Pittsburgh's got the best front seven, arguably, in the league. That's how they're going to win games. They're like Dallas. I kind of feel like Pittsburgh can win one way. Disrupt your offense, block a punt, get a fumble. They're so disruptive. I think Dallas can win one game way, shootouts. That's how Dallas wins.

Yeah, they're going to have to rely on their defense. And I always have questions about teams like that because we talk about defense a lot in the postseason. And it is important, but you've got to score points too. So they play the Raiders this week and the Steelers are favored by six according to Foxbat. I'm not going to give it away, but this game is my number one pick this weekend in the NFL. I think I'm taking the Raiders and the points in that game. So the Ravens and Chiefs will meet this weekend for the fourth time with both Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes as the starters.

Kansas City has been successful in all of the previous games. But Lamar isn't looking back at the past losses. he's only focusing on this game on Sunday. It's not about, you know, me and Mahomes, not to me, you know, probably to everyone else, but, you know, it's the Ravens versus Kansas City Chiefs. They did beat us, you know, three times or whatever, that's in the past. But I'm not dwelling on those losses. You know, we come on Sunday night and we're going to play.

This is a very big game for the Ravens. Well, you know, Mahomes is three and all against Baker Mayfield, but the game was competitive. So it's not like they've blown the Ravens out three times. This is a very good game. And eventually, like, first of all, there's no great indignity. losing if you're Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes. No, it's not indignity, but do you want to start the season, oh and two? No, I just, this is one of these stay away from me games

because the trend is Kansas City wins it, but I... They're favored by three and a half. I think you have to contextualize Baltimore's loss in Vegas. I think it was an incredibly difficult game for Baltimore. Literally, you lost your backfield. That place was a zoo. First game in Vegas. Let's be honest.

We've never seen the Raiders D-Line in three years play like that. No, I, no. It felt like an aberration. Yes, it was an outlier game. I can agree with that. But I don't want to start the season O and two if I'm the Ravens. So they did lose a lot. We know that.

But you can only put so much nuance in the situation before it starts to become a little urgent. I'm not saying that the Ravens are out of the playoffs or anything. There's no panic. And the Chiefs are a tough opponent. But I think this is a pretty big game for the Ravens. So week two kicks off tonight with a matchup between the Giants and the Washington football team. The Giants have, I think, controlled this series last five years.

If you could look it up, to me it feels like the Giants have been beating Washington consistently for the last several years. Well, they're going to be without some important pieces tonight. Evan Ingram, offensive guard, Shane Lemieux, and linebacker Cam Brown are all out due to injury. Saqueline Barkley did see the field in week one following his ACL injury, but he's listed as questionable. Joe Judge said the plan is for him to get some playing time. He had Sequin had 10 carries for 26 yards in the game against Denver. So Evan Ingram also missed week one due to the calf injury. So they were without him week one as well.

But they are going to be without him for this game and some other players as well, as I just mentioned. Washington's favored by three and a half, according to Fox Bet. I think I'm taking Washington in this game, mostly because they have an incredible defense and the Giants' offensive line is questionable. I watched the entire Chargers Washington game, and it really magnified something. Justin Herbert is a remarkable player, a remarkable young player,

and I think that Washington Front is going to unravel a lot of teams, but between Herbert's brilliance and Roshan Slater, the left tackle rookie, who dominated Chase Young in college at Northwestern and week one, is that I think my takeaway in that game was a lot of teams would have lost that week one game. The Chargers won it.

I'll still make an argument that Washington will win this division. I'm still going with the Cowboys, but the Giants, you are right about that. They have won five straight. They've won five straight. Yeah, Giants have controlled this series. Yeah. Good stuff. Joy with the news. Well, that's the news.

And thanks for stopping by. The Hurd-Ly News. So I think I've always said I owe the audience. the ability to change an opinion, even if it's a strong one, if I get new information. And I said, I think Odell Beckham, over the last 12 games, I look at Cleveland's offense, and I don't think you can be a Super Bowl team without some cheap touchdowns, some RAM touchdowns this past week. Mahomes, Tyree Kill, one-play drives. Peter King is joining us, brought to you by Mercedes-Benz the best or nothing, NBCSports.com.

So Odell Beckham will not play this week. But Peter, I went back in 12 games and I looked at all the data and I'm like, Cleveland's everything. But they don't get any freebies. They don't get a lot over-the-top stuff. And I do that. A year ago, I was on Move Him. I don't think he works in Cleveland. And the day I'm like, I think he's the missing piece for this offense.

Your thoughts on when he comes back for them. Well, Colin, you know, it's been now 10 months and a week or two since he's had that surgery. I'm surprised he didn't play in week one. surprised he didn't play in week two, or he's not going to play in week two. All along, you've heard what a superb rehab this is, and he's doing fantastic in rehab. And look, it's impossible to tell what happens in anybody's particular rehab. Odell relies so much on his quickness, and I'm sure that that has a lot to do with the length of time it's taking for him to come back. Joe Burrow had a torn AC.

torn MCL and a torn meniscus, and he's back a month earlier, more than a month earlier, as it turns out. And look, quarterback is a different position than wide receivers, so you just really don't know. But all I'm saying is that to me, the Cleveland Browns are built on a great running game and a passing game that they need to be explosive. and you're right, they need to have O'Dell Beckham Jr. to be at their absolute max. But Colin, O'Dell Beckham Jr. is simply not a durable football player. True.

That's all there is to it. You just look at his history. So, you know, they better learn to live without him. And they better learn to, you know, maybe highlight Donovan Peoples-Jones a little bit more. I'm of the opinion right now. If you line up every wide receiver in football right now, in my top 10 easily would be Jarvis Landry. Yes.

He is so important. He makes so many plays. He's such a physical and emotional presence on that team. And I understand that Odell Beckham Jr. is incredibly explosive and valuable. But you've got to be on the field to be a great player. Generally in the NFL, if you screw up your first team, it doesn't necessarily work well. Drew Breeze is obviously the all-time great exception.

Darnold's hoping he gets a reboot and it works with Matt Rule. He certainly has weapons. Joy and I have talked about this with James Winston. The first sign that I thought it could work is he lost weight. And I said, okay, that's for a pro athlete. Like, James is committing now. He didn't take a salary and he lost weight. And I'm like, all right, so he's changing his body and he's changing his bank account.

That feels like grown-up moves to me. You talk to him after that win. I do think he has a chance to be kind of reborn in this league as a quarterback, and the second version is better than the first version. I think it's better than 50% odds. What did he tell you after week one? Well, better than the first version. If it wasn't, he'd be selling cars in Tampa.

I mean, you know, he doesn't have a future in football if he's leading the league in interceptions over a five-year period, which he did in his first iteration. And you're right. Colin, I think this is very simple, very simple. On Super Sunday last year, James Winston sat in his house in Tampa, and he watched his team with his teammates win the Super Bowl only with a different quarterback and Tom Brady. That hurt, and it hurt a lot. And so he has been determined that he is going to make this right in New Orleans. And there's one other thing. When he got on the team bus in Jacksonville before that game on Sunday,

he stopped in the front row and looked over at Sean Payton and said, I've dreamed to this day my whole life. And okay, you're saying, well, that's a little cornball. But think of it. He grows up in the viewing area of the New Orleans Saints. He's in middle school, eighth grade. I think when Drew Breeze signs to play quarterback in New Orleans. All through high school, every Sunday he turns on the TV. There's the Saints laying waste to everybody in the NFL.

And he just thought to himself, if I could only ever be a quarterback in an offense like that. And now with Sean Payton in his prime needing a quarterback post-Drew Breeze, he signs James Winston. And so James Winston says, I need to do. do everything in my power to make this right. That's why I agree with you. I think it has a good chance. Look, to work. Parcells once said they don't sell insurance for stuff in this game. And so you don't know. It's one game. You just simply don't know. But it was a very good first sign for him. You know, Jimmy G. yesterday went on a very popular radio station and in San Francisco and said, I'm making the best of it in regards to the Tray Lance comes in, series here,

series there. Mark Sanchez and Greg Olson came on my show in the last two days and said, it's really brutal. It's just, it's really hard to do this. You don't know when it's coming. When's Justin Fields, Trey Lance? But we know the Bears are not a Super Bowl team, so I'm more in, I'm more supportive of experimentation, let the kid play. But in San Francisco, this is a great division. I don't think Trey Lance can win this division. Kyle Shanahan has a lousy record without Garoppolo. Garoppolo was very good Sunday. He didn't evaporate late. the special teams did and the defense did. And I thought it was a real telling comment to say in a popular local station in San Francisco,

I'm making the best of it. And I thought, you know, is Jimmy a little better than we give him credit for? Does he have a little more leverage here in the NFC West than we give him credit for? Your thoughts? You know, you say that he's got a lousy record without Jimmy Garoppolo, and he does. But Colin, you know, there's a little bit of a. difference with Mullins and Betherd and Trey Lance. So to me, that's not really fair to say. He's never had a quarterback like Trey Lance on his roster. And that's one of the reasons why the

49ers were smart to not trade. I'm glad they didn't get an offer of a first-round pick for Jimmy Garoppolo because I don't think they should have traded them. All along, they have wanted depth at the quarterback position. They have it. And, you know, look, Jimmy just has to, he's just got to take it. You know, when you say he doesn't have any, or when you say he's got a little leverage, and maybe he does, my point right now is that Kyle Shanahan, I believe, is pretty sure he can win with Trey Lance.

But, and this is how he wants to play it. If you're Jimmy Garoppolo, you've missed an awful lot of time with two major injuries. And you just have to, I think you just have to take it. You really don't have any alternatives other than to simply take it. I thought one of the more impressive wins of the weekend was a rookie coach and Justin Herbert with a brand new offensive line, go to Washington, Ron Rivera, very good defensive coach, great defensive front and win and win late. Herbert was 74% on third downs.

I watched the entire game, every snap. And I was kind of taken back. I'm like, that is a way tougher win than a lot of people think. There was a lot of new stuff, new coach, new coordinator, new offensive line, best offensive line in football. I don't know. I kind of sat back and I said, we're going to look at that game in about a month and go, that's all that was ended up being, because I think Washington's going to blow through New York tonight.

What did you make of the Chargers opening week? Really quality win. think, hey, Colin, think of this for a second. Five years ago, this week, like five years ago today, five years, Brandon Staley was the defensive coordinator at John Carroll in the Ohio Athletic Conference, and he's getting ready to play a game against Baldwin Wallace. Okay? That's how far this guy has come, and now you're seeing he is basically to,

defenses in the NFL that he has gone to, he now is essentially what Sean McVeigh was to the Rams offense. Remember, you know, coaches and people inside the Rams when they could sense that he really wasn't happy with Wade Phillips, meaning Sean McVeigh, they told him, go find yourself a good young coach who you can build with. Now, it only lasted one year, but Brandon Staley, his defensive coordinator, you know, basically orchestrated the number one defense in football. And now, if he has good health with Derwin James and Nick Bosa, or Joey Bosa, excuse me, if they both stay healthy, the chargers will be minimum a top five defense and maybe number one. Peter King, NBCSports.com. Great seeing you, Peter. Appreciate it.

Thank you, Colin. You bet. Best performance in a losing effort this weekend. I think it'll surprise you next. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the IHeardt radio app. He's by Carmen. I'm Dan Byrd.

We have a brand new fantasy football podcast called I Want Your Flex. Twice a week, every Tuesday and Friday, we come up with new episodes to not only look back at what happened, what you need to do at that minute and also look ahead of what's coming up in the fantasy football world. That's right, Dan. Every week we're going to scour the waiver wire to find the pickups to turbo boost your fantasy lineup sits, starts, fantasy football players' rankings

to get you ready to dominate the competition. Listen to I Want Your Flex with Mike Harmon and me, Dan Byer on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential.

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

I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated.

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

podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tapped 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 on day, but just so y'all know.

I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack. So I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now. Thank you 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, or are you a good person because you're afraid? Because that's two different intentions, bro. Absolutely.

And that's two different levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Kear Gaines, as we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, learn the hard way. Open your free, our heart radio app, Search learn the hard way and listen now.

Jersey mics has a new grilled portabella mushroom in Swiss sub. It's delicious. Try it. Fresh ingredients make a sub above. Jersey mics be a sub above. So, you know, if you lose in the NFL, you're a bum. If you win, you're great. But there are moments where you add some context to it.

Who lost as a quarterback this weekend? But you look at it and think, wow, that was impressive. Look at what Mack Jones did this weekend. So Mac Jones completed 74% of his passes, 102.6 passer rating, one sack, no picks. That is against Brian Flores and they're excellent corners. Here's what Brian Flores did to opposing quarterbacks last year. So Brian Flores with a healthy defense, it's week one and weeks, not a week to prepare, weeks to prepare. last year, Brian Flores held quarterbacks to 63% completion percentage.

Mack was at 74. Passing yards a game, last year Flores holds him to 250. Mac, with I would say a suboptimal receiving core, 280. Passer rating, Flores holds him to 87, Mac at 102.6. Remember this. Last year, Mahomes had three picks against Brian Flores. Jared Goff had a quarterback rating of 65. Those are Super Bowl quarterbacks.

So for Mack Jones to come in, all new pieces, new playbook, new team, didn't get all the snaps in the preseason, was named as starter late, goes up against arguably after Belichick, take Belichick out, arguably the best defensive coach in the league. Big Fangio's up there, Flores is up there, Pete Carroll is up there, Mike Tomlin, there's a handful. But Flores certainly looks like the best young. defensive coordinator, unraveled golf. Mahomes had multiple picks. That was a good loss.

Mack Jones pretty good. That's a pretty good. Now, again, I've said before, low ceiling, whatever. But you start looking at that. I said Mac outplayed two of one. Mac outplayed two. So pretty interesting. Mac Jones had a pretty good.

And again, they didn't trade up to get him. He fell to New England. They did need a quarterback. I didn't have a problem drafting Mac Jones. I had a problem San Francisco giving up multiple picks to get him. I don't think he's that kind of talent. That's a pretty good week one. Never played in the NFL, faced maybe the second, third best defensive coach.

Dolphins have unbelievable, unbelievable corners. No picks, one sack, 75% completions. Pretty good. Pretty good. And we'll see Daniel Jones tonight. Daniel Jones has started 26 times in the NFL. So we'll see him against the good defense and a defensive coach. I mean, it's the same thing.

So Daniel Jones, you say, well, New England's got a better offensive line. Yeah, but the Giants have better weapons on the perimeter. And they have Sequin Barclay. So New England doesn't have Sequin Barclay talent. You know, Evan Ingram's out. But Giants' wide receiving talent and running back talent is really good. New England's is, eh, eh. By the way, I will be probably every day for the next three months, at least for a minute or two,

mentioning something about USC's hunt for a head coach. And I often say this. I weigh topics based on when I go to the car wash or the grocery store, what do people ask me about? Yeah. All day yesterday. Last two days, Norm McDonald's death and what's USC going to do? So, you know, that the reality is I'm getting, now you say, well, you live in Los Angeles. Yeah, it matters.

I'm not going to deny that, but USC's job, it's not Auburn. It's not Tennessee. Yeah, there are a couple other million people that live in Los Angeles, too. All right, hour to Greg CoSell next. Another podcast from some SNL late night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. week, my guest, S&L's Mikey Day and headwriter, Streeter Seidel, help an a cappella band with

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

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

I don't care which I'm saying. Yep, that's me. Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football, 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. On the Look Back at a podcast. From 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84 was big to me. I'm Sam Jay 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 Thank you.