The Herd with Colin Cowherd - 11/13/2020 - HOUR 2 - Blazing 5, drafting

Episode Date: November 13, 2020

Colin's new Blazing 5 NFL picksDrafting well is the most important thing in the NFLGuest: Bucky Brooks Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed Human. Another podcast from some SNL, late-night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer, Streeter Seidel, help an a cappella band with their between songs banter.

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

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

I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifers Show. This is a place for raw, unfilled conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to the Clifford show on the Iheart radio app,

Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok's podcast network on TikTok. On the Look Back at it podcast. From 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84's big to me. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English.

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

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Live in Los Angeles, this is the herd. Wherever you may be, however you may be listening. We're on Fox Sports Radio, I-heart radio and FS1. I've got to be honest with you, I'm starting to not only have good feelings about my facial hair. I think it's here to stay. I mean, it's been here for a while now. It's been like a month now.

Yeah. You're going to be honest with it. I don't even think about it anymore. Yeah, I don't either. Yeah. I told you. It's a good look. I don't know. We'll see. Unless management steps in. You know how management gets. Very controlling in the world, management. I don't know. I think people, it's funny, you look around because of the COVID and we've all been at home. And I think the culture has changed a little bit. Like, first of all, people are discovering, you know, working at home,

you can do it a lot. Yeah. You're just wasting gas money in your car. Like, I actually think it's kind of cool. I know a lot of, I can't, but I know a lot of people that have, and they like it. And they spend more time with their families. And the other thing is, a lot of people have grown facial hair and gotten dogs. If you go look at the kennels in America.

I almost got a dog last week. Yeah. I was very close to it. A couple other things. I've never seen more facial hair in America. You're home. You don't have to impress the boss. And the other thing is, dogs are being adopted all over America.

It's amazing. The kennels in Los Angeles, I can speak to that. They get cleaned out pretty quick. And I think it's an amazing thing. Like from bad always comes good. I mean, obviously there's tragedies in America, but there's silver linings to virtually everything and how we're treating animals now. People are really in on adopting dogs that would otherwise be put to sleep.

Yeah. And, you know, I think we have a more casual workplace. People are working at home. they're around their families more. I'm hanging out with my kids all weekend. I'm going to Vegas and hanging out with my kids. And it's like there's a lot of, you know, if you like yourself, you've been fine. If you're okay being around, reading a book and watching a movie and being okay with

your own space, hey, you're fine with this stuff. No, it's not any day at the beach. But my wife said last night, she goes, I like me, so I'm okay with it. We all have to adapt to things and we're all adapting to this together. Yeah. All of our odds are provided by Fox Bet. I think it's the best Blazing Five I've had this year. This is the best one this year.

Now, I said it two weeks ago. I went four and one. Last week, we're very challenging. Here we go. I like it. That's a hot one. Let's blaze it up. Fire it up.

It's Collins Blazing Five. Buccaneers at Panthers. Pretty easy one here, folks. Tampa Bay minus six. I'm all over it. Great teams or good teams. With good players that get humiliated on national TV are almost always good the next week. Tampa was humiliated.

They're going to be totally. focused. And by the way, Tom Brady's 0-2 against the Saints. He's six and one against everybody else this year. And in his career, 20 times he's had a terrible game. Like 15, he's come back and not only one but covered the spread. The Bucks defense still forces the most turnovers in the league and tied for the most interceptions. And the Panthers are a fun story, but there's a reason they've lost four straight games. They're not that good. And Christian McCaffrey's not going to play. They're star. Tampa Bay bounces back after being rolled. 33-23-23 bucks win in cover.

Eagles and Giants. This is one of my favorite picks of the week. Like it, I love it. Giants plus three and a half. I think they're going to win straight out. I bet Money Line. Maybe I already have. Ooh, it's a buy for the Eagles.

Doug Peterson, the coaches had four. He's one in three. He's not one of those coaches who is great off buys. Carson Wentz is the most hit and most sack quarterback in the NFL. Most hits, most sacks, most giveaways. He does get a little healthier this week. some guys coming back, but the Giants are five and one against the spread in the last six. That's the best in the NFL because the betters haven't caught on to it.

They're a good football team. They're not great, but they're good. And the Giants over Washington last week was their best performance of the year. Their defense has forced 15 turnovers this year. Only Tampa Bay has got more. The Giants this morning are a better team than Philadelphia. They win straight out. I'll take the points 2321.

Chargers and Dolphins. What happens when something is random, and then it's. it becomes a trend. Here's a trend. I like Miami minus two and a five, minus two and a half points. I'll take the dolphins because I think what's happened to the Chargers is now a trend. They are not well coached at the end of games. They are one and six in one possession games this year and they were bad in one possession games last year and their two wins have come over the Bengals and Jags who are combined three, 12 and one. Tua looked really good last week. And that's the thing about this team. We know the dolphins deal.

Defense is good. They have one or more takeaways in 14 straight NFL games, second longest streak in the league. Do you know their offense this year is top 10 averaging 28? We just don't realize this is not just about their defense, which we acknowledge. Brian Flores and the defense is good. They are giving you 28 points a weekend. The Chargers, I don't trust them late in games. Big coaching edge to the teams at home.

Miami, Dolphins win at 2620. I think it's going to be a wildly entertaining game, but I'm betting. on the better defense, the home team with better momentum, and a big coaching edge to the dolphins. Seahawks and Rams. A lot of people like Seattle. I like the Rams minus two and a half, and here's why. Jared Goff is 24 and 5 in his career. When you sack him once or less, Seattle has no pass rush.

Translation, Jared Goff will be comfortable. Translation, he wins when he's comfortable. But it's the Rams defense that is actually the story. Like Miami's offense is actually better than you think. The Rams are second in the NFL in points a game. Yards. Yards per play allowed their first. It's a real defense.

And Aaron Donald has given Seattle fits. He's got 12 sacks in 12 games against Russell Wilson. His most sacks against any offense. Now, think about that. He has sacked Russell Wilson more than any quarterback. And Russell Wilson's hard to get. Why? Aaron Donald dominates Seattle's interior defensive line.

Sean McVeigh, a coach who is good off buys, gets extra prep. The Rams are healthier. Oh, by the way, they've won four of their last five against Seattle. I like the healthy, rested Rams, 3226. 49ers at Saints. Favorite pick of the week. Love the Niners plus nine and a half. That's up to 10 in some spots.

First of all, do you think that's the Saints? The Saints haven't played that well in two and a half, three years. They're not going to look like that. coming off a huge divisional Tom Brady win, the Saints come back down the earth. By the way, the 49ers still have a lot of good players. And after getting humiliated by Green Bay on Thursday night football with a little extra time with Kyle Shanahan, I like it. Here's a little stat for you.

The Niners are five and one against the spread last two years when they have a rest advantage. Translation, Kyle Shanahan, extra prep is excellent. And by the way, you can say Nick Mullins. What about Nick Mullins? He has a 91 passer rating. In Vegas, they think Nick Mullins is about a point and a half less than Jimmy Garoppolo. And Garoppolo right now wasn't playing well, wasn't very effective. This is also the 49ers season this week.

This is their season. Arizona's tough. The Rams in Seattle are tough. Everything for Kyle Shanahan comes with the Rask. I like the Saints to win close, but I love nine and a half or ten. 10 if you can get it. 2823 Saints. For more of my Blazing 5 picks, check out the Fox Bet social platforms.

Love those picks. I'm taking the favored bucks, the dog giants, the dog Niners, and small favorites, Miami and Los Angeles on our Blazing 5 picks. So one of the things I appreciate, so it used to be when I did this, and joy to a lesser degree, but some of it. The media was rougher years ago. The media was older years ago. But big corporations that own the media, they don't want to pay the older people.

So the media has gotten younger in my lifetime. It's a much younger media. It's a much cheaper media. And it's a different media. There are more people in the media that root for teams. Like when I got into this business, like you didn't root. Like you were a hack. you were a if you didn't find if you weren't cynical you weren't respected and that to this day

I'm probably a little more harsh than the rest of the American media that's that's the generation I grew up in when I when I was in Portland I ripped the Blazers when I was in Tampa I was all over the bucks when I was in Vegas I got death threats for ripping Tark and I took that as a badge of honor the media today tends to be friendlier so I always appreciate when the media is tough on people. Tom Curran, I bring him on their show. He was all over Bill Belichick at a press conference. I could play five minutes of it. He got right after Bill Belichick. He said, your drafts in the last four years are bad. And he tried to kind of make it land more gently, but here was one of the questions Tom Curran asked, by the way, this is not easy

to do. You're questioning the greatest football coach ever, and Belichick has the patience of somebody who doesn't have patience. Here it is. A lot of the players have been brought in via the draft since 2017. Haven't won those competitions or gained your faith and confidence. I know how much you put into the draft

and I know how much every team puts into the draft. I guess there's a disconnect between whether it's injuries, development, competition. So not asking a question on it and continuing to write a spitball about it doesn't do us any good

if we don't ask the guy who is in charge of it. Yeah. Well, Tom, I'd say the most important, thing to me is winning games and I'm not going to apologize for our record over the last 20 years. I mean, I've seen a lot worse. So ultimately we try to put the best team on the field that we can to be competitive and I don't really see that changing. Now it should be noted as Bill is one more, he has pushed back on advice on the draft. And it's not that Belichick was.

always a poor drafter, and they still do a pretty good job on the offensive line. But they don't have dynamic players. And as Bill is won more Super Bowls, when Tom beat Atlanta, Tom started doing more commercials. And when Bill beat Atlanta, Bill stopped listening to anybody in that personnel department. If you go to their last three drafts, they got one guy who's hit. He's a right tackle out of Michigan. He was a guard. They've used him at tackle. Michael, on when knew, on when you, he's a very good player. He's been terrific. them. Outside of that, it is a bunch of guys, even their first picks. Nekeel Harry, Joanne Williams, the corner from Bandy, Isaiah Wynn, Duke Dawson, Sony

Michelle. These guys just aren't, they're just dudes. And those are like first round picks. So I think, and I think some of it is very humid. It's arrogance. This is what happens to Bobby Knight. It's what happens to, you know, Greg Popovich, when you start thinking the system wins games. No, the players. Players win games. Belichick's won 43 percent of his games. without Brady. Players win games. Pete Carroll fired twice. Seven and nine, seven and nine pre-Russel Wilson. Greg Popovich. No, Greg, it's not you. It was Tim Duncan. Now, your system's valuable. It elevated Tim Duncan, but you won because of Tim Duncan. The older Tim Duncan got, and the less dominant Tim Duncan got the less Greg Popovich won. And now his teams aren't any good. So, you know, this is, you know, it's, listen, we, I know companies like to believe it's all about strategy. No, it's not. You can have all these executives in the world. The ringer sold for a bunch of money because people like to listen to Bill Simmons podcast.

That's it. There's no strategy. They screwed everything else up, but that was good. I mean, seriously, Bill's popular. It gets two million people to listen every Monday to his podcast. That's why they make, you know, it's an hour and a half long. They make a million dollars every week on it. That's why it works.

It's not strategy. It's this didn't work. That didn't work. His TV show didn't work. It doesn't matter. The Monday podcast works because people like it. Barstool Sports. They made a bunch of mistakes.

people like Big Cat and Portnoy. And they listen to their podcast. They've made a bunch of months. They did a TV show at last to one episode. They made a bunch of mistakes. They've said things they shouldn't have said. Strategy nonsense. Players.

Got to have Brady Mahomes. Annie Reid won a bunch of games. Got Patrick Mahomes. Now wins all of them. This is the way it goes. So Belichek can, you know, you can push back and all this stuff. Last four drafts, got no players. How are you doing this year?

Because Buffalo's got better players. And Miami now is about one. more draft from way more good players. I mean, strategy is a bunch of bunk. Strategy only works when you got great players. The rest of it's nonsense. Pete Carroll's strategy has never worked anywhere. He went to USC.

It worked. He got Russell Wilson. It didn't work the other NFL places. Belichick strategy didn't work early days in New England. They didn't work in Cleveland. Strategy is over. You know why our World Series is so great? Because Joe Buck and John Smolz, those dudes are no baseball.

And you put them on and they talk baseball. you're like, oh, those meetings for years about the World Series. Wouldn't sound as good without Joe Buck and John Spoltz. I'm not saying the camera people and the producers and the strategy and the executives. It's not a shot at anybody. But, you know, there's very little great. And when you get great, it cuts through and it makes all the strategy work. That's my takeaway.

So Belichick's strategy is a bunch of nonsense. He's a good coach. Watch them play. And it can't score any points. They can't move the ball. They're going to get probably boat race by Baltimore. this weekend. Why? Baltimore's got more good players. Suddenly, John Harbaugh was going to get fired.

Two years ago, John Harbaugh was going to get fired. He drafts Lamar Jackson. He got an extension. Oh, strategy. This is funny. It's funny how Joe Flacko got worse and John Harbaugh's strategy got worse. It's just crazy how it works. And last year, the Steelers didn't have Big Ben. All her strategy didn't work. They had a guy named Duck Hodges quarterback.

And the strategy wasn't very good. Oh, Big Ben came back. No, no. Strategy's all brilliant now. I'm not taking shots. I'm just saying, this is all nonsense. The strategy stuff, get stars. By the way, Kobe without a big man, and he couldn't get out of the first round. He had Shaq and Gasoli won titles. When Phil Jackson had players, Phil Jackson won title.

I saw Phil Jackson get swept by the Dallas Mavericks once in a playoff series. Why? They didn't have Kobe and Shaq together. And that's the way it works. The strategy in Los Angeles wasn't as good when Magic Johnson got old. Suddenly his strategy wasn't as good because Magic wasn't as good. And by the way, the pistons were great forever. Was Chuck Daly the great strategist?

By the end, when they got old and beat up, the strategy didn't work. I mean, they were still good. So, you know, they don't draft very well. That's what they're not winning games. They're not very dynamic. It's why Tom Brady left. They don't have good players. I like coaches.

But all that strategy stuff works when you have the star to burst through, the Mahomes, the Tim Duncan, the Kobe's. That's when it works. Then otherwise you're 7 and 9, but a, genius and respected among coaching circles. That and three bucks gets you coffee at Starbucks. Sorry. All right.

Emmanuel Ocho's coming on today. He's got a new book, wants to be a bestseller. Oprah. Oprah's pushing Emmanuel Ocho's book. It will be a bestseller. One more herd? The herd streams 24 hours a day, seven days a week within the IHeart radio app.

Search Herd to listen live or on demand whenever you'd like. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal. but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year.

Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me, 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 for finishing that sentence.

Yes. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your Podcasts. Welcome to my new podcast,

Learn the 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.

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RecTech with a Q.com, R-E-C-T-E-Q, stainless steel builds, six-year warranty, rec-tech grills. Buy one. You'll never buy another. Okay, so, you know, Joy and I have been talking about this, that what happens when a young quarterback comes into the league and he just crushes? Well, what happens is everybody else gets really impatient. And you watch two, I hadn't played in a year and a half,

and you watch two games, and you're like, okay, how much time? do you give Duane Haskins? How much time do you give Josh Rosen? How much time? I mean, I look around. It's like, Bucky Brooks now played in the NFL, drafted in the NFL,

scouted in the NFL, now Fox Sports NFL analyst joining us live. So I watched Tua and I watch Kyler, and I got to be honest with you. I mean, Jordan Love, if I don't hear good things in a year, I'd be like, I mean, how long am I supposed to give guys when Tua goes out in week two?

and it's like hadn't played the year and a half and was so smart and accurate and clever and twitchy. It does kind of change perception, right? As a GM or a coach? I mean, it changes perception, but typically, Colin, the standard is about 32 games is what you give young quarterbacks before you can determine whether they can play or not.

Now, the higher you go, the more time you get because you're more invested in seeing those guys succeed. So to a tongue about lower being fifth overall, you're all in. You're going to make sure that they're, offensive system that he's playing in, fits his talent. You want to make sure that the play caller is right for him. Does he have the weapons around him? Is he protected enough to make sure he can succeed? I think the thing that we're seeing of late, all of the quarterbacks drafted

at the top of the board in the last few years, they all have pretty much hit. And so the ones who haven't hit is either been a coaching change, a system that just didn't fit them. But typically and traditionally, we haven't had outright bust at the top of the board. And I think that's a testament to the quarterbacking that's being played at the lower levels in high school and college. These guys are more prepared now to step into an NFL huddle and win games as a passer because they've thrown more balls in high school and 7-on-7. They've been exposed to more in college.

That's why they're better prepared to be able to play. As a scout, you're a former scout with Carolina and Seattle. And I want to ask you this. There's, I mean, they've done studies that people's IQ over the course of their life can go up. You read more, you travel more. We know we can change our bodies, our weight, our shape by working out and eating right. There's things you can change. But I've always had this theory that Phil Mickelson was reckless as a golfer early and he's reckless now.

And Brett Farve was reckless in college and he was reckless on his last pass. And Westbrook is the same guy came into the league. This is how he plays. and people not Carson Wentz and a coordinator came out anonymously and said he just plays like every plays the last play of the game it's very Sam Darnold. It's called Hero Ball and I think to myself as a former scout, Bucky,

is reckless something you can coach out of a guy because I've never seen it in any sport. No, I don't think you can coach it out of him. I think you have to accept him for who he is and that's how he plays the game. I think for Carson Wentz and even Sam Donald like that, these are the, these guys played the game in a manner in which every game was the last play, and they played it like that.

What you try to do is you're trying to impress upon them the value of the ball and to avoid the turnovers and to make smart and sound decisions because the fortunes of the franchise rest on the decisions that you make. But as we're seeing with Carson Wentz, and this is typically with most players, they are what they are. What you try to do as an evaluator and as a play caller is to put them in a situation where you can maximize their strengths and minimize their weaknesses. But the player is what he's always going to be.

It is rare that people change from the way they played in college to the way that they performed as pros. You know, the Steelers are 8-0, and I think sometimes we all think as fans. In college, you recruit a high schooler, and then it's understood. You develop him as a player. But we tend to think once you're in the NFL, the development's over. You played college, now come be a good pro. And then I watch the Steelers, and I'm like, man, they don't miss on a lot of guys.

They develop players. Like, everybody gets better. How do you explain it? Is it Tomlin? Is it the Scouts? But I look at New England's drafts, and they've been choppy for four years. I couldn't tell you the last time the Steelers had a bad draft. Is it that?

Or that somebody in the building just develops players? Because they're way better than I thought again this year. It's a combination of factors. in particular, I will say this, Kevin Colbert and his staff, Mike Nolan, Mike Tomlin, and his staff to do a great job of working together, meaning that the players that are brought in are handed over to coaches who have invested interests in developing them. They are on the same page.

And the thing that when I talk to guys that work for that organization, they say the guy that we pick has to be a stiller. And what I mean by that is, Colin, there has to be a level of toughness. there has to be a little blue collar to the player that enables them to fit into the organization and the city. You cannot be a guy who is Hollywood and play for the Steelers. It just typically doesn't work over time. You have to be about the work. You have to be about the team.

And you have to make sure that each and every day you go about your business. But yes, Mike Tomlin and his staff do a great job of developing the players that Kevin Cooper brings in. And that is why they traditionally, draft will. They develop their own. They resigned their own. And that is why they've been one of the more consistent franchises forever. Rams have beaten the Seahawks for the last five times. They have extra rest. And I think they'll at home beat the Seahawks this weekend. Beyond the obvious stuff for Seattle, that Pete's going to be a Hall of Famer and Russell Wilson's grade and we know Bobby Wagner's amazing, their defense is lousy everywhere. Who's to blame? Whose fault is that? Because they just can't,

they can't make stops. They don't have a pass rush. They're not great at corner. They're very susceptible to the deep ball. Whose fault is it in Seattle? Well, I mean, I think everybody has a little bit to blame. I think obviously it starts at the top, the players that you bring in, the coaches and the scheme that you utilize. And then the players themselves and turn of understanding what the scheme is.

Just understand this. When the Seattle Seahawks went on that glorious run early in 2010, when their defense, the Legion of Boom, was playing at a high level, They did something that was unconventional. They played a cover three system that was very simple. It was something that you would see in high school games on every Friday night, but they did it better than anybody else because they allowed their players to master it. Well, what happened is when you see the Seattle Seahawks have success, every team in the league started stealing from that.

So now more teams get used to seeing that scheme. More teams get used to understanding how to defeat that scheme. And so you have to continue to evolve as a coach. And what has happened, Pete Carroll didn't continue to evolve with this scheme. And also, kind of like you said in the previous segment, you talked about coaches thinking that it's the system, not the player. Well, when you had the Legion of Boom and Richard Sherman and Earl Thomas and Kim Chancellor and Brandon Browner and those guys really good players playing,

that defense looked a lot different. Now that you don't have those guys, you're seeing, A, the X and O's are one thing, but it's the Jimmy, the Jimis and Joe's that really define you. They don't have the same level of talent, which is why the defense doesn't look the same. But I will say this, Jamal Adams, Carlos Dunlap, even though they got obliterated by the Buffalo Bills, they have some of their players coming back. Shaquille Griffin will come in, and you don't need this team to beat the Legion of Boom. You just need them to be middle of the pack.

If they can get to the middle of the pack with Russell Wilson and that offense playing the way that they play, they can win a lot of games, but they do need to run the ball more to protect this defense, not give it as many exposures. Good stuff. Bucky Brooks played scout NFL Network Plus here at Fox Sports. Thanks, Bucky. Appreciate you, Colin. You bet busy day.

Joy Taylor with the news. No, no, no, no, no. Turn on the news. This is the herd line news. Ben Rothersberger has not been able to practice this week because he was a close contact with a player who tested positive for COVID. I stayed away from that game because I really, really, I thought Pittsburgh played so poorly against Dallas.

I'm like, okay, watch, they're going to come out and all of a sudden you get this. This is a real thing. The practice schedules this year are all messed up. Well, it's kind of interesting because the Steelers are still planning as if he's going to play. He's obviously been able to take part in the meetings virtually, of course, but they're not concerned because he usually takes Wednesdays off. So if you're looking at the schedule,

he's really only missing about two days of practice preparation. And it is Ben Rathesberger. He's been doing this for a while. So the extra time off might not necessarily hurt him. It's more game planning. And, you know, you do want to have a normal amount of practice reps in. But they seem overall not concerned because he does take Wednesdays off anyway. Mike Tomlin said this morning,

he does expect Ben Rothesberger to come off the COVID list tomorrow and that the Steelers will have, extended walkthrough on Saturday to give him a little extra time with his teammates. Obviously, they are the last remaining undefeated team. I would be more concerned about this if they weren't facing the Bengals. Now, it is a division game, and the Bengals obviously have shown that they have the capability of putting points up. Putting points up.

But, so Steelers defense, and it's Mike Tomlin, Joe Burrow is still a rookie quarterback, and Ben has plenty of experience preparing for games, and it's a division rival. But it's something to pay attention to. out, I believe, tomorrow if he's going to be available or later today because he has to get his final negative test. So the Rams are well rested after their by week, but we'll still have their hands full with Russell Wilson on Sunday. And Aaron Donald has faced Wilson many times in his career and knows it will be a challenge to stop him. Well, you have multiple times over my career just playing against him. You know, the time where I had him wrapped up and he still found

the way to get the ball away. So, you know, it made my job harder. But, you know, we definitely prepared and ready for that challenge this week. He's being bit modest. He's sacked Russell Wilson 12 times more than any other quarterback, including eight times in their last five meetings, four of those being Rams wins. Yeah, he has been really, the Seahawks offensive line has a great left tackle, Dwayne Brown. And then Jamal Lewis is a rookie right guard from LSU who looks really good. The rest of it has been choppy. Well, with Donald leading the charge, the Rams have sacked Wilson 61 times his first.

And again, that's sacking Russell Wilson. Eight seasons, yes. More than any other team. Russell Wilson is tied for fourth most sacks taken this season, with 24 and fourth in quarterback hits taken at 61. Aaron Donald is tied for first in sacks this season with nine and fifth in quarterback hits with 15. This is actually a very big game for the NFC West.

Obviously, the Seahawks at six and two are the division leaders, but the Cardinals play the bills this weekend. and if the Rams beat the Seahawks, they would be tied and they have the head-to-head tiebreaker. So this is a very big game. It's a huge game and a game in which Seattle, it'll be interesting to watch now with Jamal Adams and Carlos Dunlap. Can the Seahawks generate enough of a pass rush

to make Jared Goff wince be off his game? Because when you don't get to Goff, he's 24 and 5 in his last 29 game. If you sack him once or less, Jared Gough wins games. He's comfortable. Well, Gough doesn't get a lot of respect. He doesn't. But he has the capability of putting up big numbers. And like you said, if he has protection, I mean, look, any quarterback who has protection is going to perform better, obviously.

You want to have a quarterback who can perform at least moderately well without perfect protection, which is someone like Russell Wilson. That would be perfect. That would be carrying the entire team. That's why we give him the credit that we do because he doesn't have great protection, the numbers I just read and he's still able to perform. So the Lakers are reported. looking into a blockbuster trade with the Spurs. According to the ringers, Kevin O'Connor, the Lakers have interest in acquiring four-time all-star Damar DeRosen.

And they would send Kyle Kuzma and Danny Green to San Antonio in return. I get why the Lakers want Demar de Rosen. He's athletic. You can put him on the way. I mean, DeMars, he doesn't shoot threes, but he's a really athletic, long guard. They would be the favorites to win the championship. I love this move for the Lakers. Yeah, but I don't like it for San Antonio.

I mean, Danny Green's expensive and old, and Kuzma's been wildly inconsistent. I don't get the... Well, Danny Green's been with San Antonio before, so they're very familiar with him. And, I mean, look, whatever San Antonio does, that's an organization that I trust. They're not going to get fleeced in a trade. But I absolutely love that move for the Lakers. And Danny Green was huge for the Lakers and played his role. And so was Kyle Kuzma, even though he has a tendency to be inconsistent?

Demar de Rosen is not that. You know what I feel like right now? It won't be a huge move. There's a lot of, because next week is the draft and next week is the start of the free agency period. Yeah. So it's a fun time in the NBA. You get a lot of rumors now. But sometimes it feels like they're just leaked to create markets for people.

Oh, yeah. I mean, that's fine, but we'll bite, you know, because it's fun. It's fun. It's just like delicious little rumor snacks. Yeah. Because I'm seeing some of these and I'm like, Westbrook to the Clippers feels like. Oh, yeah. It's like, look, I'm not going to buy it on everything.

You know, sometimes you're at the party, you just browse. Like, that looks like it could be. good. But if I mix it with this snack, later on might not be the best. So we'll just browse. But the NBA free agency is always yummy. So next week, it's NBA free agency and the drag.

It's a bad draft and it's not a huge free agent class, but let's be honest. Trades, this has always been the case with the NBA. The playoffs are the best, but the second best is often the offseason over the regular season. It's fun. You're moving stars and chess pieces. And it's just discussable and it's like you said, it's rumors

and people start looking at Instagram likes and follows and it's a good time. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1 and the IHeart Radio app. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds.

I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions,

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

The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast. It's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeard 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. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tap Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do with Little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast.

I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick it here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 is big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so y'all know.

I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack. So I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now. Thank you for finishing that sentence. 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. Trip Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we

get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing. And we're still chasing it. And we don't know when we've done enough. Because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross, because you find it important to be a good person

while you hear on earth? 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, Keer Gaines, is we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, Learn the Hardway. Open your free iHeartRadio app. Search Learn the Hardway and listen now. Sunday, a huge Fox NFL doubleheader starts with Tom Brady and the Bucks taking on the Panthers. Then in America's Game of the Week, Russell Wilson and the Seahawks, battle Jared Goff and the Rams or other regional action. Check local listings for the game in your

area. Jaguars Packers is featured in this week's free-to-play super six contest where players have won over a million dollars so far this year. All you have to do is correctly predict the outcome of six NFL games. So get your picks in before kickoff Sunday for your chance to be a millionaire. And for top story scores and more go to the Fox Sports app. Colin, give us your winner and final score for Jags Packers. 30-20 Green Bay. Green Bay, I've come to the conclusion, is the opposite of the Steelers. The Steelers aren't frontrunners. They just play to their competition. So the Steelers play the Cowboys in Almost Luke. Green Bay is the opposite. They're a frontrunner. It's Mike Tyson. When they can beat up on somebody, they do. They just crush them. But unlike the Steelers, the Steelers,

they'll play their best if they play the best. Yeah. But they'll play terrible against the Cowboys of the Bengals. That's the Steelers culture. They're like alpha males. Like sometimes, hey, we drink a little too much. We're hung over. But there's, There's a fight at OK Corral, Octagon, we'll bring our best and beat you up. Green Bay is very finesse, very sports car. Oh, the weather's good. We're going to dominate. But you get invited in a fist fight in the Octagon.

They want no part of it. So Green Bay will win this game going away because they'll be comfortable and their front runners. The opposite. Pittsburgh is like, just call us when Baltimore's on the schedule. So you think Pittsburgh and Bengals will be close this weekend? Well, the Big Ben thing is a stayaway for me. I think the Bengals, I would bet the Bengals if I had to. I'd bet the Bengals plus six and a half.

I think Fox bets a six and a half. I would take the Bengals because I just think that's what Pittsburgh is. Plus Big Ben hasn't practiced. But if they, you know, I always think Pittsburgh's ready for a fight. Hell, last year they lost Big Ben. They had Duck Hodges. They won, what, seven, eight games? They're in the playoffs.

They're always ready for a fight. Green Bay's not. Green Bay's a frontrunner. So they play Jacksonville comes into town, warm weather, Jacksonville, cold in Wisconsin. Boom, they'll roll him. Joey and I were talking about this during the break, is that there's just some things. Like when Jerry Seinfeld does stand-up comedy, he wears a tie in a suit. That's when he thinks he's funniest because Jerry's very exact.

He's very much word efficient. Chris Rock can wear a suit usually dresses like he's going, you know, kind of like upscale restaurant. He dresses not too formal, cooler because he's funnier and his mom. mind when he feels cool. He's got a little all-league quality. He's performing. Dave Chappelle, also very funny. He'll wear warm-ups.

He doesn't want to wear a suit. Because Dave Chappelle is a little looser, a little more of a storyteller. He likes to be loose. They're all three hysterical. But one guy feels comfortable. He's more exact than a suit telling jokes. The other guy likes to dress a little more going out with my beautiful wife, cool. And the other guy's like, I can just wear a t-shirt and jeans and be funny.

They're all funny, but they all have a different feel for how they perform. And that's how I feel sort of with Carson Wince when he gets ripped. He likes to play on the edge. He's a quarterback that like Tom Brady doesn't. Tom Brady is very Seinfeld. He's very buttoned up. I'm going to be exact and I'm going to be precise. And if the jokes will land and the passes will and if you're not at the spot, I will not perform my pass to you. So Brady's very Seinfeld. He likes efficiency. He likes it buttoned up. He likes exact quarterback play. Whereas, I would say, Russell Wilson's a little more Chris Rock. I'll run the play. I might buy myself a little cool and a little time here. I know the play. I know where I'm going, but I'm going to buy a little time.

And then Kyler Murray is Dave Chappelle. I don't know. I don't know how it's going to end. And I don't know where I'm starting. I'm not sure where it's in. But 12 seconds later, this is going to be beautiful. This is going to be funny. This is going to be great. And they're all Brady and Russell and Kyler. So you have what I would call it.

You have a feel for the way you perform. Because comedians and quarterback, you're performing. You know the joke and the play before it starts. But where are you comfortable to make it land? Tom, I want to know what it looks like before it's there. Russell, I know what it looks like. I may take a second to get there. And Kyler is, I'm going to roll a little bit with this thing.

Seinfeld, Rock, Chappelle. All funny, all different ways to get there. And with Carson Wentz, the reason I defend him is, I don't think you can make him, he's reckless. There's critics out there saying he's reckless. This is how he likes to perform. He's on the edge. He's a guy that would jump out of airplanes.

You know what I mean? That's his personality. Sam Darnold, same thing. He likes to play on the edge. People think Patrick Mahomes does, but he really doesn't. Patrick Mahomes is much more Chris Rock than Dave Chappelle. He's closer to Seinfeld than you think. Aaron Rogers is more Chris Rock.

He's in the middle. He knows the play, but he's going to add a little. And I guess my point is, is like with actors you recite lines, comedians basically like quarterbacks, there's a feel to it. Like Seinfeld has said before that he'll tell a joke in four different venues, four different ways. And the audience will tell him when to pause. And by after about the fourth time he's told a joke, he's like, okay, that's how I'll do it on the Netflix special. Like, he tell the joke and they don't laugh at the right time. He said all these years doing it,

you don't know when they're going to laugh. Where do I pause? I got the words down and the joke down. But I got to see, I got to read the defense. I got to read the crowd. Okay, that's where I pause. And so when it when, you know, the Carson Wentz, he's, he's, boy, he's reckless. A lot of his stuff last 12 games. He's won or tied eight with chaotic injuries, but this is just how he plays. That's the feel for him. So, you know, he's reckless.

This is what he does. And if you're not comfortable with it, then don't go to Dave Chappelle's show. You know, I mean, he may live a little bit. Some of the stuff won't land as much. But, you know, I don't know. I just, I like him.

I like his style. I like his guts. I like his courage. I like his toughness. I like how he plays. I like how he overcomes. And he drives me nuts. You throw a shoe at the TV once a Sunday. Like, it's okay. Doesn't know his land perfectly.

By the way, you know, we think, I was thinking about this, the AFC playoff picture. So we think it's an offensive league. So it's really interesting, the wild card spot that is up for grabs in the AFC. So if you go to the AFC playoff picture, here are the three teams that are going to vie for the wild card. We know the Steelers are going to get in.

We know the Ravens are going to get in. We know the Chiefs are going to get in. We know Buffalo is going to get in. So here's the three teams who are really, really in the hunt. Raiders, Browns, dolphins. Here's what's interesting. So we think it's an offensive league. So the Raiders have an offensive coach, have drafted offensive well, have a veteran-efficient quarterback.

It's an offensive franchise. Outside of Max Crosby, they got no pass rush. Cleveland has an offensive coach, a quarterback now with a lot of snaps. unbelievable offensive personnel. And here's the dolphins who have a defensive coach. They spent their money in free agency on defense. Their quarterback's been in the league about an hour. We don't think of them as an offensive team.

But who do you like? So people try to convince me it's an offensive league. I like Miami. Miami's got the defensive coach, better talent on defense, the less least experienced quarterback. They're very much a defensive franchise right. That's where they spent their money. in the offseason. It's their coach. It's considered a very great defensive staff. They're

rebuilding the offensive line. But we keep talking ourselves into it's an offensive league. I like Miami. And by the way, Cleveland's got the easiest schedule. So the two offensive teams, I'll take the defense because I think November on, this is much more of a defensive league than we give it credit for. It's getting cold. Why don't you get cozy? Tommy John, $25 off site wide. Go to Tommyjohn.com. Code Herd, H-E-R-D, go to the site for detail. pajamas lounge wear. It's getting cold in America. You get cozy. Tommy John. Hour 3 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 IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential.

Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. On The Look Back at it podcast. From 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84 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, Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifers Show. This is a place for raw, unfills 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 IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok's podcast network on TikTok. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.