The Herd with Colin Cowherd - 09/22/2021 - HOUR 2 - Bears, NFL predictions

Episode Date: September 22, 2021

The Bears are ready to go with Justin FieldsColin goes over his NFL predictionsGuest: Joel Klatt 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.

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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 Clifers Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to the Clifford show on the I Heart Radio app,

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Each episode, we pick a year, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. With our friends, fellow comedians, and favorite authors. Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s. 84 was a wild year. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Thanks for listening to The Heard podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday from 12 to 3 Eastern, 9 to noon Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and FS1. Find your local station for the herd at Fox Sports Radio.com or stream us live every day on the IHeartRadio app by searching Herd. You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. Oh, here we go. Hour 2 live in L.A. It's called The Herd, wherever you may be in. However, you may be listening. IHeart Radio, Fox Sports Radio, FS1. New haircut boy today. I've got a new haircut. Feeling very good about it right now. Very nice new haircut. Joy has a new style this week. I like it a lot. Big fan. Very nice style. Thanks. It's wild, but professional. Thank you. Well, as long as it fits in the screen, it's very big. There you go. We don't have to change the cameras around here.

Big news. What big news? Big news. The herd brought to you by Jersey Mike's sub, be a sub above. That's important. It's Wednesday. Was that the big news? No.

What's the big news? Chicago. Oh, yeah. Okay, so here it is. So everybody always freaks out in the NFL. You got to play the young guy. Got to play the young guy. Can't play the old guy.

It's just like take a deep breath. It'll all work out. Matt and Aggie just announced Justin Fields for the Bears will start. Now, Andy Dalton's all beat up. He's an old quarterback that happens. So Justin Fields is going to start. It's going to be bumpy. This is a bad offensive line.

I've told you before. I got into this discussion yesterday. I do not trust the Bears front office. I don't call out a lot of front offices. But I don't know if they know how to work the cap. Literally the Rams must be using a Swiss bank for the last seven years. Jared Goff eats 13% of their cap. They're still paying Todd Gurley on their cap.

And yet they can afford Matt Stafford and Andrew Whitworth and Jalen Ramsey and Aaron Donald. And the Bears don't pay their quarterback, got rid of their best corner because he was too expensive. And they're literally out of money. I can't explain it. Somebody's using a different bank. I don't think they understand the cap. The New Orleans Saints, before they had to unload some contracts two years ago, I had like nine highly paid players, O-line, D-line, secondary, wide receiver, quarterback.

The Bears don't pay, if you don't pay your quarterback, then you should have a great offensive line or a great secondary. The only unit I like with the Bears really like is linebacker. They're offensive lines a mess. How's that possible? You don't pay your quarterback. So Justin Fields is going to be running for his life. They don't have a lot here.

They're rebuilding everywhere. If Alan Robinson twists an ankle, I don't like the receiving core. They're still waiting for Torek Cohen to come back. I think I liked him. So here we go. Ready to go with Justin Fields. Just be fair about it. Be fair with Trevor Lawrence.

We view Trevor Lawrence, though, or Zach Wilson. We view them as, well, they don't have anything to work with. All I'm saying is, I don't think Justin Fields has a lot to work with. I don't. I love Alan Robinson. I like their linebackers. Roquan Smith, Khalil Mack, Robert Quinn.

I like their linebackers a lot. Love Alan Robinson. They got a young safety back there that's pretty good, but this is a rebuilding team in Chicago. And Justin Fields, I think a lot of people think this is a great defense. No, it's not. It was a great defense two years ago,

and they wasted it with Trubisky. It's not a great defense. Inconsistent pass rush. Secondary, eaten alive, mistake after mistake against the Rams. So just just be patient. I'm not saying this is Zach Wilson bad or Trevor Lawrence, but it's not close to what Mack Jones has. Mac Jones has an elite O-line, an elite coordinator, elite head coach, excellent running back group, tremendous defense, and now pretty KG tight ends and wide receivers.

And with that, the voice of college football, boy, we got a big one this week, Notre Dame at Wisconsin. Joel Clatt joining us live. 44 school records as the Buffalo starting quarterback. So let's start with this. Notre Dame at Wisconsin. So Jack Cohn was the Wisconsin quarterback. And I don't know the particulars, and I'm very well connected. But he ended up at Notre Dame, and now he faces them.

And I've always had this weird, I can't figure it Wisconsin out. How can they be great everywhere and never at quarterback? So Jack actually has some talent. he goes to Notre Dame and what I've seen so far, he's better with the Irish than he was with Wisconsin. I mean, you could argue that. It is interesting with Wisconsin, but part of the reason why he is at Notre Dame is because they felt like this Graham Mertz, who is their quarterback, was going to be higher ceiling player than what Cohn is. And Mertz hasn't really panned out in that regard, but they were clamoring for Mertz because he was more highly recruited than Jack Cohn. Cohn has been

very good for Notre Dame. Yeah, and he's actually given them a little bit. bit more in the passing game and the explosive passing game than they had with Ian Book. And I don't want to take anything away from Book. He was a winning quarterback. He's got a better arm than Book, doesn't he? Yes, he does. And in particular down the field, and Merr's a great tight end, and I think that they're going to be decent on offense. The struggle comes in for Notre Dame is that they're finally young, I say finally because they've had such a great run of offensive linemen. Such a great run. Now it's all underclassmen. And now they've got a lot of young guys who will be great. Like in two and three years, this Notre Dame offensive line

probably going to be as good as anybody in college football, top two, three, offensive line in college football. But right now, they're getting their feet wet. They've dealt with some injuries. And so that's what Cohn is having to deal with is trying to play quarterback behind an offensive line that's not quite giving the same run game production that they had a couple of years ago. So I've been on this for years, and I think you have.

We both love college football, but it's gotten very southern and very insular. Now, I love the SEC. I watch a ton of it. But I don't think any sport is good when it's regional. Sure. In fact, this is why... It's what's wrong with baseball. Yeah, it's like, it's regional.

Like, nobody in New York cares about the Padres or the Minnesota Twins. That's right. So the NFL will watch anybody. So this year in college football, it feels a little different. So first of all, Dan Mullen's a great coach. Florida gave Alabama a lot of problems. That's everything I could handle. Now, we know A&M and Georgia have five-star athletes everywhere.

So, by the way, I know Alabama is going to be a round. at the end. But do you think they roll through the SEC? Well, I will stop short. Listen, I will not make the mistake of saying Alabama is beatable. This is the year. Listen, Alabama still went in

and won a game against a ranked opponent on the road with a very young roster, beat up at linebacker, first year starter at quarterback, replacing all those wide receivers. What they were able to do is still pretty impressive. The problem is that we hold them to the Alabama standard, which is beat the doors

off of everybody. And maybe they're not quite that team, but they're still a very good team, and they probably will be there in the end. This year for me, though, I feel, and I see it in the ratings of our games and others, I feel it in the stadiums that we're at. And when I just walk around these towns, when I get into town on Thursday and Friday, people are more excited about college football this year than they have been in a long time. Totally agree. In a long time. And Colin, I think that part of that, there's two factors that I think are leading to this. One of them is the fact that we've seen vulnerability from the top. Clemson's already lost.

Their quarterback is not struggling a little bit. Ohio State has lost. Alabama almost lost. Oklahoma has not looked like world beaters. And so now all of a sudden you're getting these other fan bases that are like, hey, hey, this could be a great year for us at Iowa and Penn State, and Michigan State has come out of the doors. playing so well. Michigan has as well. Oregon, you're getting this new blood feel of college football,

and I think it's very good for the sport. Also, I would also say that the two things this year that are different are that you've got so many transfers and the super senior, the sixth year player, which don't necessarily affect in a positive fashion, OU, Clemson, Ohio State, and Alabama, because all of their super seniors are in the NFL. So all these other programs are very experienced, older players. Now, let me push back a little. little. A lot of you guys, you media types, you give flowers to players and coaches, you crown them. And let me push back on this. So, you know, Ryan Day gets the job from Urban. And an hour later, I'm told he should be, he's Belichick. He is on the train. And I'm like, all right, I watched

their defense last year. Stinkaroo. I watch it this year. It's not very good. Everybody, Mark Helfrich took over for Chip Kelly. And for a year, you didn't see anything. The way he had Marioota. Still. I'm watching Ohio State now. This is the second year without urban. That defense is not a championship defense. No. It's not close. No. And they're going

through some wild growing pains right now. And you could argue like, well, he just inherited everything from urban, but that's not technically accurate. Because he recruited Justin Fields to come. That was a post-urban decision from Justin Fields. Yeah.

He hired Jeff Halfley. that actually wasn't Urban's first choice to be the defensive coordinator in Ryan's first year. That was a Ryan hire. Now, as a head coach, what these guys are going to have to start to understand these young guys, and Lincoln Riley's going to deal with it, and Ryan Day is going to deal with it, is that you have to either be Davosweeney or Nick Sabin. What do you mean by that, Joel? Well, Davosweeney has created a culture where all of his assistants just stay.

Yeah. So he doesn't have to deal with the turnover on the staff. Elliott has been there. Vinnables has been there. They get the support from the school to pay them handsomely, well over $2 million just to be assistant coaches. Or you've got to be Nick Saban, which is I'll win with eight different coordinators. It doesn't matter because my standard is high enough, and the draw to coach here is high enough where it doesn't matter who comes in,

we're going to still succeed. And Ryan is going to have to figure out where do I want to go defensively? It's not a particular scheme, but it's a coach. And he hired Kerry Combs, and it hasn't worked. No, didn't they dem owe him? And then they took his play calling duties last week in the Tulsa game, and that didn't necessarily work. They're struggling with some personnel, both from injuries and the fact that they're just inexperienced at defensive back.

Let's wait another hour or two before we crown him the next Belichick. Okay. I'm not pointing just at you. You are actually physically. I feel like physically he was pointing just to me. Ryan is a heck of a coach. Offensively, they're so good. And it won't surprise me at all if they're just fine after all of this is all

sudden. Okay, I want to get to something else. So again, I view myself as almost America's mentor to the media. America's mentor to the man to the media. Yeah, Joy and I, by the way, collaborate on this because we see the world from a unique, accurate view. Well, thank God Joy's involved, because if it was just you. So when Mel Tucker got the Michigan State job, this is where I don't get the media. There were all these questions.

I don't know. I don't know. And I remember going and saying something on Twitter. I don't recall what it was. And I'm like, time out. Mel Tucker is going to be a home run at Michigan State. First of all, I've met Mel. Walks into the room, boom.

He's got James Franklin quality. Some guys walk in and they're like, they walk. He does have presents. And at times it can be even like, some people can own the room with like a jovial presence. and some can own it with an angry presence? This is more of like an intimidating anger type of presence. In college football, a furrowed brow. Yes, presence is everything.

I agree. Play Hilton at none. Mel Tucker's got a presence. The second thing is he turned Colorado in two years, which is a soft croissant at the bakery program into a physical presence. Now, here's the other thing. Colorado is a great historically good program that has fallen on some hard times, and they're going to be just fine.

But I do agree with you, though. He is the greatest mission. He's the best underdog coach, arguably in the Big Ten. Harbaugh never wins as an underdog. Mel Tucker wins everywhere he goes as an underdog. I think Kirk Ferrence is in there as well. I mean, you're forgetting about Pat Fitzgerald. You tend to be, well, you proclaim yourself to be like the mentor to the media.

You also are like the world's biggest prisoner of the moment, which is happening right now. So you see Mel like beat Miami and he's like, yes and you just dive into the prison cell of the moment. You don't like, Mel is very good. And I'm a big fan of what Michigan State has done with Kenneth Walker. But the best underdog coach in the Big Ten is Pat Fitzgerald. Let's not be the prisoner of the mall.

They've won the division two of the last three years. And he's done it at Northwestern. Northwestern. Like that Pat Fitzgerald does more with less in the Big Ten than anybody. Now, having said that, I love what Michigan State has done. And their identity of toughness and physical play. play and run game. Yeah.

That's going to pay huge dividends down the road in the Big Ten schedule. And that division, by the way, all of a sudden, it looks somewhat up in the air. Penn State looks very good. Very good. Michigan, I'm not going to say this is the year because that's just like, it's great. Michigan looks good. They're leading the country and rushing in the Michigan State also.

I'll tell you. How about that? I got to be honest, just that whole Penn State thing. Oh, my God. That was good. I took Auburn. I was slightly off. So let's go to this.

So when you So you got a big announcement. Let's wait. I want to hold that for a couple of minutes. You've got a big major announcement. I've got news. I'm breaking news here on your show today. Okay.

So one more little tiny thing. So it's not news yet USC. So I came out and I said, I said, listen, consider a pro coach. Miami, UCLA and USC are urban universities. You're not going to control things. Like you got to get out of that. NFL coaches never get control.

The owner has it. The GM has it. So NFL coaches, They like to coach. They don't worry too much about control. College guys tend to be kind of control freaks. No, they're dictators. Okay, so I said, L.A., Miami, look at the history.

John Robinson, Pete Carroll, Dennis Erickson, Jimmy Johnson, Bush Davis. They either came from the NFL or appreciated it and saw the NFL as a real future job. So I threw Doug Peterson out, the Philadelphia coach, who's on the beach, reminds me of an offensive Pete Carroll, kind of a youthful fun. If he lived in Hermosa Beach tomorrow

and coach USC, he looks and feels like the coach. But I'll say this. And I'm, not that I'm anti-college coach, but I would prefer a pro coach. The name I've heard from about six people, I don't even like going there,

but good God, does he have a presence and does he feel big as James Franklin? He feels huge. I watched him before that game. He like owns every room he's in. Yeah, I mean, And he's done a really good job with Penn State and gotten them to a point where he won a Big Ten championship, probably should have gone to the playoff over an Ohio State team that he beat that year.

But he didn't get in because of our wonky system with the postseason. He's done a heck of a job. He can recruit. And I think the one question, because I agree with you. And I don't think that the coach has to have coached in the NFL, but he has to have, I call it NFL. And what does that mean? It means that a coach can own a pro city with his presence and also be comfortable enough in his own skin for his players to be more famous than him. That takes a unique personality.

And James has that. And I think James has that as well. He's done a heck of a job. I wouldn't be surprised if there's a lot of interest there mutually. I'm hearing that name in L.A. from people that have at least they're around USC. I'm just hearing it over and from people I respect. I have as well.

Okay. All right. So I don't know what's going on here. You got some big announcement to make. Yes. All right. So announce it. Okay.

So next week, our big noon kickoff game is going back to Madison. We will have the Wolverines on our air against Wisconsin, big noon Saturday. But we also have had our road show, the big noon kickoff out with us to begin the season. and they're coming back out on the road. So we are going back to Madison, Wisconsin with Big Noon Kickoff. Rob, Reggie, Matt, Brady, and Coach Stoops will be live on campus for Big Noon kickoff. Coverage starts at 10 a.m. Eastern time. Two weeks.

In two weeks. Not this Saturday, but next. We're going to be live both shows in Chicago this week for Wisconsin, Notre Dame. But the big news is Big Noon Kickoff will be live from Madison next Saturday, October 2nd before Wisconsin and Michigan kick on Fox at noon eastern. I'll tell you what, these noon games are great. I love them, and the ratings have been terrific. The appetite for college football right now has never been better.

And this is exactly what we needed, is more teams to have interest. Now all we need. And by the way, the college football playoff board of managers are meeting today, and they're talking about expansion. It's not going to go through today because of the SEC and their growth and expansion with Texas and Oklahoma. But very quickly, it will happen at some point. It's going to be great for the sport,

in particular if we can grow to 10, 12, or maybe even 14 teams. because think of all the teams that would still have a massive amount of interest. Think about BYU fans right now. Thinking about a 12-team playoff, they'd be like, we're right in the hunt. We're 3-0, two ranked wins. BYU would be right in the hunt for the playoff. That would be good for the sport, folks. Good to see you.

You know what? The mutual respect here between us is very strong. It's very high. It's been stronger this year than others. I just have to pull you out of that prisoner of the moment issue. I got a lot of passion for what I'm doing. I understand. I mean, you forgot about Pat Fitzgerald.

He was basically offered the Packers job a couple of years ago. You got Ryan Day and Canton three weeks ago. When did this happen? I've never compared him to Belichick in my life. Some of you media types. I'm not in the media. You're not. No, like no.

I always say this. Austin, Texas is in Texas. It's not of Texas. Oh, you're in the media, not of the media. I see. You're a man of the people. Boom. That's interesting because I actually go and I'm around people.

And none of them claim. that you're a man of the people when I'm out and about. You and Nick Wright may get canceled next week. I just don't like how I'm being treated. Want more herd? The herd streams 24 hours a day, seven days a week, within the IHeart radio app. Search Herd to listen live or on demand whenever you'd like.

Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth.

Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care which I'll say it. Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football,

or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast.

It's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me, or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok podcast network on TikTok. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-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 a little kill?

Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick 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 you 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 Hardway with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Kear Games. And in recognition of mental health awareness, in this month. I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking. Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in

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

I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Kear Gaines, as we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, Learn the Hardway. Open your free iHeartRadio app. Search Learn the Hardway and listen now. This weekend on Fox, start Saturday, with the big noon kickoff pregame show at 10 a.m. Eastern live from Soldier Field in Chicago. Then at noon Eastern, do we have a good one for you? Jack Cohn and the 12th ranked Fighting Irish

take on number 18 Wisconsin. A huge big noon Saturday. It begins at 10 a.m. Eastern, 7 a.m. Pacific on Fox and the Fox Sports app. Listen, let's be honest, these are two great programs. And Notre Dame, Brian Kelly, and I know Notre Dame gets dismissed often, but they have done a great job. Brian Kelly has done a great job. Brian Kelly has done a great job. job with this program. They are, as Joe Klatt accurately pointed out, they're rebuilding their offensive front. They've done a tremendous job. They've really figured out what they are, and that's a lot of it in college football. You know, Texas and California schools and Florida schools can do a lot of things, but when you're a northern cold weather program, you're not going to have as many great running backs as LSU. You're going to have to convince kids to come

up here and play in the cold. So you have to figure out as a cold weather program, what are we? Because we can't be all things. You know, the Miami Hurricanes in their heyday. They could do speed. They could do finesse. They could be. The Alabama can be a lot of different things because they're recruiting classes. That's not to say that Notre Dame doesn't have good recruiting classes, but Brian Kelly

has figured out. We are a power football team. We're going to build the best offensive lines in the country. And that means we can go toe to toe at Georgia, which they've done twice in the last three years. They've really figured it out. I'm taking them as an underdog. upset. This is not a good

and it's not a great Notre Dame team. It's going to be really close. It's going to be a really good game. Joy with the News. No, no, no, no. Turn on the news. This is the Herd Line News. Sponsored by Mercedes-Bets,

the best or nothing. Well, Aaron Rogers had his weekly spot on the Pat McAfee show yesterday. Oh, grievance time. And he did not mince words. with the people talking about him and criticizing him. It's absolute horseshit to give a platform to people who have no idea what they're talking about as far as my mental state and, you know, my focus, my work habits, people that have not been

around me, they're not in my life. I don't have communication with them or not in the locker room. I mean, that's, that's just, that's just, it's chicken, you know, it's so, it's so, ridiculous that people get a platform to do this and it's the same type of people. Let me ask you this. We live in a country. There are senators, mayors, governors that control our lives. Right. That are totally unqualified. We had a president like that. Correct. Totally unqualified. That's a concern. It's not a real global concern that somebody was given a sports writer job that probably isn't that great. The idea that it just outrageous in society that that blogger has a voice. No, what's outrageous is when you get

people in command of our lives. It could be a White House. It could be the governorship. It could be a senator. That's what scares me. The idea that it's so outrageous that somebody got a blue checkmark in the media, who gives a rip? Well, first of all, who's to say that they're not qualified? Aaron. Okay. Well, Aaron said his general manager in the offseason wasn't qualified. I like what he says, Jer Michael Finley has no right to an opinion. That's who he's talking about. He was a teammate.

He was a high-end player in the league. He doesn't know me. Here's the thing. We don't get in the habit of defending the media a lot because we're hysterical and self-importance and we're really just nerds talking about what other people do for a living. So I like to coat myself and self-awareness

when I do this every day. However, I did do a lot of work. to get here. You've been in this business quite some time. Thirty-two years. Well, I don't know, and you don't know, the mental states of Aaron Rogers. He talks about it. All the time. The information that we are

working off of is from the words that have come from Aaron Rogers actual face. Those sounds that have come out of Aaron Rogers' mouth. We react to. Are what we are reacting to. By the way, he's really talking about Bill Cowher, Nate Burleson, Jermichael Finley.

They've all earned the right on their platforms to an opinion. They were all excellent. Not only do they earn those platforms, they've earned the opinion. If you're talking about some troll on the internet, sure, none of us like them. None of those people are qualified.

But Aaron shouldn't even be worried about any of us. We're media people. Look, it's, if you want to worry about it, that's fine. We all get talked about all day long. How you deal with other people talking about you is your business. But the problem that I have with it is that there's this idea that

we are talking about his mental state like we're making it up. The only reason that I have an opinion about Aaron Rogers' mental state this offseason is because of what he said about it. He said, I am taking time for myself. That's what he said. I didn't say he did. He did. He didn't say that.

Ray Borgerson didn't say that. Aaron Rogers said it. He also said in this bite his Zen approach. He acknowledged his mental state. He called it a Zen approach. So he's talking about his mentals. We're not. We're reacting to it.

Do I think he comes across as a kind of insecure, high maintenance, psychology one-on-one projecting? Yeah, because I took enough, I've been to enough therapists in my life, you know, tell me things. Some of his stuff is just get over it. I've been on Aaron Roger's side to that this whole thing. You have. You've been totally on his side, but it's getting overwhelming. Well, it's just like, what are you saying? No one's making it up.

No one's making it up. You said it. You can't be mad at something. thing when you said it. That is where it came from. He also noted that the media has a propensity for clicks and hits and views and that the most outlandish opinions are the ones that receive attention. That's not true. In fact, I'll give you a truth bomb here. In my history, my most downloaded opinions have been when I have a strong, accurate opinion on a star, often positive, not negative. My most downloaded piece of content yesterday was talking about the greatness of

Tom Brady and his longevity. It was easily my most downloaded piece. The idea that negative always gets more downloads is just Aaron doesn't know what he's talking about, nor does outlandish stuff get clicks because that would be insinuating the public's dumb. The public reacts in my 30-year career. My biggest downloads are not out-I don't think I have outrageous opinions. There when I have a strong opinion on LeBron on, often positive when I call him better than Michael or that's my biggest click. My biggest clicks aren't saying, if I went on the air today and said, Aaron Rogers is terrible. It wouldn't get clicks because it's invalid.

And the audience isn't. And also, that's going to hurt to you more than it's going to hurt Aaron Rogers because it's not true. Yeah. It undermines credibility. So again, this has always been critics always say this. Hot takes get the clicks. No, they don't. They don't.

It's strong opinions on the biggest stars. Have we ever come into a prep meeting like, what's the hottest take we can come up with today? That is such a hacky, hacky comment. That's not what gets clicks. If clicks, we're paying your big money, it's not that. Yeah, I mean, yeah, we're all nerds in the media. We get it.

Okay, but like, I, my opinion of what's happened with Aaron Rogers has been because of what Aaron Rogers has said. That's it, because I don't know Aaron Rogers. So it's only about what he said. Many players and fans are not happy with the NFL's new taunting rule that they are enforcing this season. I didn't have a huge reaction when I found out this was happening before the season. There was one really, really bad call this week. I forget it was at this. It was a Seahawks game.

Seahawks game. It was ridiculous. It was DJ Reed. Yeah, it was stupid. Yeah, it was stupid. Well, Ron Rivera has addressed some of the criticism of it, and he said it should be used as a preventive measure. We've had this example when one guy taunts a guy and then the guy comes, back for a little payback and next thing you know you got a big fight on your hand you you want these guys to keep their personality you want them to be who they are because

these guys are explosive players that make dynamic plays but what we're the intent is so that somebody doesn't do something that gets somebody to come back with a little retribution you don't want that you don't want you know somebody out for revenge that's what we're trying to prevent I am a solution oriented person what so I thought about this this morning because I obviously did not love how the NFL was calling it this weekend. It's over the top. A little bit of celebration, even if you're in someone's face, is okay. I wasn't concerned about it becoming a problem,

but fans are over. There are 11 taunting calls in the first two weeks. By the way, that's less than one a game. Which was the same number of taunting calls that were handed out for the entire 2020 season. So it is a little bit excessive. Here's a solution. get rid of the taunting call and up the punishment if you get in a fight. Make the punishment for getting in a fight so outrageous that it's not worth it and you know it in the back of your mind.

Because the taunting call is just, it's part of the game. I didn't have a big reaction to this when they made the rule change in the off season, but it's obvious. It's also, it's very subjective. An overwhelming majority of the NFL calls are not subjective. It's off sides. Yes. So the hardest call in the league is pass interference. Because that's the one we argue about every Monday.

Yep. It's always a pass interference call. So this becomes a very subjective call. So the reason people are always complaining about umpiring in baseball and basketball officiating, a lot of the calls are just, you know, they're subjective. You know, balls and strikes always complained about because if you had a machine to it, it wouldn't. Like tennis took it out of the umpire.

Tennis, they got the machines in and out. So in the NFL, we don't really talk about officiating that much, and we never feel like, games are rig. You hear that about the NBA every 15 minutes. You want to get out of subjective calls. Pass interference will always be that. But this is why I don't like it. What you see and I see are doing different things.

So it's a, I understand why they're doing it, but it gets to be very, like I've seen two this year that are literally punitive, hurt a team, and are ridiculous. Yes. And it's just a reaction. And if it's affecting the game, then it's got to go. But there has to be a solution because obviously there is a concern about, you know, things getting out of control. So the solution is make it so punitive to get in a fight that, like, you're suspended

two games if you get in a fight. So if you choose to react after somebody celebrates and cause a fight, that will hurt you. You won't get paid. It's going to hurt your team. And you will know that in the back of your mind. Like there's a way to balance this without affecting the actual game in the moment because you jumped up and celebrated over an incompletion. So big news in Chicago, here we go.

Andy Dalton knee injury against the Bengals last week. Justin Fields will be making his first career start Sunday against the Browns. So that game just got exponentially more interesting, and they are going to be without Jarvis Landry are the Browns. Matt Nagy said that Dalton is still dealing with the injury. It's week to week, but he will return as the starter once healthy again, which I don't believe is the case unless Justin Fields is really terrible. but Justin Fields was six or 13, 60 passing yards, zero touchdowns, one interception.

Didn't have a great outing once Dalton went down, but he is going to have a full, well, essentially a full week to prepare now. Browns are currently favored by seven according to Foxbet, and Nick Foles will be backing him up. There you go. Nick Foles, by the way, is the best backup in the National Football League. Miami? Well, you got Jacoby Bresset. Miami's fine. Washington is where you. Washington. Yeah, Washington could use Nick Foles.

Joy with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Heard Line News. Okay, so what I do every week, I like to on like Wednesday or Thursday or Tuesday, I'll go to my NFL predictions, and I'm not going to do it all season, but I'm going to do it for this week and next week. Where was I wrong?

So it's interesting. I went through every team this morning, and it's not a record thing. It's like what team is better or worse than I thought. There are three teams. Three teams, I think it's possible I was wrong on. One, I think I could be really wrong on. And I'll talk about that 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 IHeart Radio app. Hey, what's up, everybody? It's me, three-time Pro Bowl of LaVar Arrington, and I couldn't be more excited to announce a new podcast called Up on Gang. What is up on game, you ask? Along with my fellow pro bowler, T.J. Hushmanzada and Super Bowl champion. Yep, that's right. Plexico Burris. You can only name a show with that type of talent on it.

Up on Game. We're going to be sharing our real-life experiences loaded with teachable moments. Listen to Up on Game with me, LaVar Arrington, T.J. Hushman Zada, and Plexico Burris on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you give you. your podcast from 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 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 you're 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

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Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick it here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont, Hill, waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 was big to me, not just because of crack.

I'm down to talk about crack all day, but just so you all know. I mean, at this point, 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. to look back at it on the iHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hardway with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Keer Games. And in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking, Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark.

Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing and we're still chasing it and we 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 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 Hardway. Open your free iHeartRadio app. Search Learn the Hardway and listen now.

All right to have you in. They say good things come to those who wait. The 2021 Mercedes-Benz's SUV family proves otherwise. Takes no time to set up a test drive local Mercedes dealer. Mercedes-Benz the best or nothing. So first month of the season, and I like to go back. I take a lot of pride in trying to get my predictions right. Last year, I was seven for seven on the AFC. The seven teams I predicted would make the playoffs. All seven made it.

I was about 50% in the NFC. So I go back. Let's start with the AFC. Where did I make a mistake? So I'm not sure there are mistakes, but these are things I'm seeing where I think I could be off. Let's start with the Raiders. I had them finishing in fourth place. They're 2 and 0.

Now they started 2 and 0 last year. but I will say this. I do think their schedule is brutal. It gets much tougher. You know, at the end of the year, you start looking at really good teams and really good defenses. And I will say this, their pass rush has been shockingly good. They didn't have a pass rush for two years. Ever since they got rid of Khalil Mack.

This year, they are second in quarterback hits and fifth in pressures. So the surprise is not Derek Carr. That doesn't surprise me at all. The surprise isn't the offense. What they couldn't do is rush the passer. They've gotten very good at it very quickly. I think they'll level off, but I may be wrong on the Raiders. Ruggs now appears to be a legitimate over-the-top piece.

Offensive line, though I thought it wasn't going to be as good as last year. They lost several starters. It's been fine so far. Maybe I missed on the Raiders. I do think they went 2-0 last year. I do think they level out. The second team is Arizona. I thought they'd be, you know, game above 500, 500 kind of team.

But because the division's so brutal. And I think this will level out. They should have lost this weekend. But Kyler Murray's ceiling, I can't find it. So, you know, I thought, you know, he got better first to second year. I thought he'd get slightly better. He looks way better. So, and they went all in.

They went all in with their acquisition. So they are better offensively than I thought. I've always had my questions about Cliff Kingsbury, but I'll say this. He and Kyler work. They work together very well. So am I wrong on that? Now, I think they come back down to Earth because the division's really, really good. So I don't think the Raiders in that tough division or Arizona in that tough division.

I don't think I've missed yet, but they're better than I thought. Raiders rush better than I thought. Arizona's offense even better than I thought. The one I think I could have missed, but again, their schedule gets really hard is Philadelphia. So, you know, I just, I didn't like the coach. Their offensive line and defensive lines felt old, but both their lines are healthy. and I think I may have missed on them. They look pretty good.

Even in their loss last week to the Niners, the Niners struggled to move the ball. They couldn't move their O-R-D lines off the ball. So they're a very interesting team. Now, I think Philadelphia, this is my feeling, is going to upset the Cowboys this week. That'll make my prediction look even worse. But here's what we know about Philadelphia.

Their schedule gets just incredibly brutal at Dallas, Kansas City, at Carolina, Tampa, at the Raiders. That's pretty tough. So my feeling is I'm wrong on Philadelphia. They are better than I thought on both offensive and defensive lines. I don't think Jalen Hertz is a lock. I think there's real limitations there. But the division's lousy.

The Giants are maybe worse than we thought. Washington's not as good. Philadelphia to this point looks like, I mean, I missed. Their O-line and D-line play of healthy is really, really strong. And I think we'll know more with Philadelphia in a couple of weeks. But I think they're one of my favorite picks on the board this week. They lost to San Francisco, and everybody's going to bail on them. But San Francisco's got great line play, and they didn't budge.

They were, Jimmy Garoppolo struggled. That offense struggled for most of the day. So Philadelphia could just be a whiff by me. There you go. The other thing, it's fascinating. So I make predictions before the season. And then, you know, and I think we all make them for the same reason. We look at last year's momentum.

We look at the, did you draft and solve a real hole, the coach quarterback combinations? I think most of you, myself included, we all make predictions. We all make them kind of of the same reasons. You know, we just kind of know we like the coach, we like the quarterback. They were pretty good at the end of last year. I mean, there's always, you know, four teams that made it last year won't make it this year. That's happened for like 25 years. Four teams that didn't make the playoffs will make it this year.

That's happened for like 25 years. And I was very high on the Cleveland Browns. And I still am. But it's interesting when you go to two or three weeks into a season and you start seeing things develop and injuries and urgency. I looked at Cleveland's schedule and I'm like, I think they could win 13 games. But if you look at their schedule today, it's interesting.

So this is their last should be favored by a lot game. So they face the Bears and the Bears now are going to a rookie quarterback. So they're going to win this game. They're favored by seven, although they don't have Jarvis Landry. But where it gets interesting is Jarvis Landry, if you look at Cleveland's schedule this morning, if Minnesota loses to Seattle, their entire season is that home game against Cleveland. It's the whole season. And that team can score.

And right now the Brown's defense, I think has been disappointing. Then they go to the Chargers who basically gave the cowboy game away. In that division, Oakland's Vegas undefeated, Denver undefeated. That feels like an urgent game for the Chargers, a season decider. Oh, then it's Arizona and Denver. Two of the most surprising teams in the NFL. And by the way, Jarvis Landry is not going to be there for the Bears, the Vikings, or the Chargers, and you cross your fingers,

he's going to be healthy in a shootout against Arizona. And it's also crucial for Baker Mayfield because he's going to look like the better quarterback this weekend. But he's going to face two of his contemporaries, Justin Herbert and Kyler Murray. And he's going to be judged on that. These are young quarterbacks who I think have more talent, a lot more.

So it's just one of those things where you start looking at Jarvis Landry's out. And I have them winning their division. But Baltimore beats Kansas City. You're like, oh, okay. And then all of a sudden you see, boy, that Minnesota, if I'm a Browns fan, I am rooting for the Vikings to win. because if the Vikings beat Seattle, that's a huge national win. You know, week to week, Minnesota comes down a little.

If they lose to Seattle, the whole season for the Vikings, what if the Chargers lose this weekend? You could have back-to-back teams, really talented teams. In desperation. In desperation mode. And don't kid yourself. You know you just don't know week to week what you're getting. Great teams that get blown out.

Always play great the next week. Desperate teams usually play really, really well. Stuff to consider. All right, good stuff. Joel Clatt, Nick Wright, don't forget Defy Your Age with MDrive, the supplement for driven men that supports healthy testosterone levels, keeps you lean and energized, free shipping, and 20% off now if you use the code herd.

MDrive4Mend.com, don't let age define you. Hour three, we're flying by. Half of my sandwich from Jersey, Mike's already polished off. Tomorrow I get Sam Donald. What a world we live in with all this football. And the ratings, as Joel Klatt said, college football ratings through the roof. Hour three 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. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer Streeter Seidel help an a cappella band

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

but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. 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, 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 of conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated.

So let's get to it. Listen to The Clifford Show on the 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. For 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84's big to me. I'm Sam J. 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.