The Herd with Colin Cowherd - 11/20/2020 - HOUR 1 - Wilson, Seahawks, Saints, Mayfield

Episode Date: November 20, 2020

Last night we saw what happens when you give Russell Wilson a little bit of helpWe should trust the Saints know what they're doing at QBBaker Mayfield is a bad QB under pressureGuest: Kevin Clark Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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radio uh it is a friday a great thursday night NFL game live in los angeles this is the herd wherever you may be however you may be listening fox sports radio i heart radio fs one i am smoking hot of a blazing five that was uh almost burnt the building down Had Kirk Cousins, Monday Night Football, had Russell Wilson last night on fire. One hour from now, my blazing five picks. I like him again this week. Maybe not as much as last week, but I like him. Joy Taylor is joining me.

Joy, how are you? I'm great. That game was awesome last night. Seahawks won. You know, it is interesting. I found it fascinating last night. If you give Russell Wilson, you give Russell Wilson just a little bit of a running game. Oh, my.

He was... Quite good. If you give him a little bit of defense, not even great, he was quite good, wasn't he? 23 of 28, 200 yards, 2 TDs, no picks, and a quarterback rating of 120, and better than Kyler Murray, who everybody now loves. That's interesting. I'd like to thank Seattle Offensive Coordinator, Brian Schottenheimer, for watching our show apparently last week.

NFL fans, and I can be guilty of this, have a very short memory. Patrick Mahomes is the new league king, right? Do you know what Patrick Mahomes was through the first 10 games last year? Six and four. That's it? Six and four. Kansas City's defense in the first 10 games last year was 19th in the league. They needed him to do more.

Mahomes, throw more, run more, make more plays. And then in the last six games, the Chief's defense was number one in the NFL. And what was his record then? 6 and 0. And that defense also carried him to the Super Bowl championship. Aaron Rogers has won Super Bowl. It was the year his defense was top five. When you don't have a defense like Patrick Mahomes early last year

or Aaron Rogers much of his career or Russell Wilson last two years, you are asking in a league with some of the great athletes in the world to make more plays and take more risks. And guess what? You make more mistakes. both those quarterbacks last night are fantastic. Russell's better, of course, at this point. They put on a show, but there is this weird belief,

and I've seen it with Steph Curry, that, you know, it's a little lucky Seattle, Marshawn Lynch, Legion of Boom, Pete Carroll, caring Russell Wilson. When I can make an argument, they had a losing record in Seattle under Pete Carroll for two years until Russell Wilson arrived. By the way, Seattle's defense wasn't even great last night. I'm not even sure it was good.

It was acceptable. The receivers, D.K. Metcalf, dropped one touchdown and probably two. They weren't great. And, oh, by the way, Seattle was once again a penalty-filled mess. They had eight. It's not like he got great support last night. He just got some support last night. And great quarterbacks, they don't need everything.

Big Ben's running game at Pittsburgh is not very good right now. They can't run the football. He's 9-0. Aaron Rogers is 7 and 2 and Green Bay has one trustable big time wide receiver and can struggle against the run. Russell Wilson doesn't need everything.

He just needs something. And last night he got something. He got a running game. He got a running game. Pete Carroll talked about it after the game. This kind of felt like that bruising running game with Carlos Hyde. It kind of felt like the old Seahawks. It felt like the Seahawks, you know.

It felt like the Seahawks that we've all seen over the years. Carlos did a great job tonight. He did exactly what we needed. We needed him to run hard and run tough, knock people backwards and make extra yards with his juice. You know, it is interesting. When you're different, maybe a little smaller, you're not as cool, not beloved on Twitter, people are reticent to embrace you. And Russell Wilson last night surpassed Peyton Manning for the most wins through nine years, and he surpassed Tom Brady in the most wins plus playoff wins through nine years. statistically, he's way better than Peyton Manning was at this point.

But Aaron Rogers was given the mantle three years into the league because Aaron looks like quarterbacks have looked, mostly a pocket guy, he's got a big arm, he's got a little swag, he's kind of cool. And so he just said, you're the man. Russell's never had an MVP vote. He plays the position differently. He's kind of small. He runs around more.

Now, today you're saying, Colin, quarterbacks run around all the time. They didn't when he came into the league nine years ago. Kyler Murray would have played baseball. He would not have been drafted. Baker Mayfield would not have been drafted. Johnny Mansell would not have been drafted. Steph Curry and Russell Wilson have changed the game. But Steph isn't internet cool.

Those shoes he wore were awful. I mean, I liked him, but I'm not cool. And, you know, whenever the players in the NBA are asked about the guys they respect, Westbrook gets way more respect. He's fashionable. He's cool. He's physical. Steph really isn't.

But we play basketball, high school, college, and pro. international differently because of Steph Curry. And NFL teams now draft the most important position differently because of Russell Wilson. That's not to say Aaron Rogers isn't great, but Aaron is kind of your prototypical, got an ego, got a big arm, mostly in the pocket. We love Green Bay. Seattle's a non-traditional power, right? Like, we didn't talk about Seattle before Russell Wilson.

But that's just the reality of it. Russell Wilson's never needed everything. He just needs something. And last night, he got a really good running game. And that was something enough. All right, this surprised a lot of us. So Drew Brees gets hurt, banged up ribs. And so we all assumed, I did, well, Taysam Hill will back up now, James Winston.

And it comes out this morning that actually Tassum Hill took the starter reps and he's going to be the starter. And there's going to be no James Winston. And it's going to be all Taysom Hill. I talked about this a couple days ago. I don't think Twitter's real life because I look at resumes. And I think if you've done a good body of work in your life, you get a bad day or a bad pass or a bad sentence or a bad moment. On the internet, you can be a schmuck your entire life. But if you're good on YouTube for five minutes, suddenly you're Barack Obama.

You're Ronald Reagan. You're a global figure. I'm going to trust the Saints on this. Mickey Loomis may be the best general manager in the league. Go to the last five or six Saints drafts. They don't whiff on anybody. They hit on almost everybody. So that's one of the brain guys.

Sean Payton, he's really good at offensive stuff. He's at the practices. I'm not. I'm going to trust him. I mean, James, to me, feels like the better fit. Long term, but maybe for the week, Tassum's the better fit. Ask yourself this. And people say, Colin, you've been down on the Saints for the last couple of years.

And I have been. And here's why. want you to think about this. The New Orleans Saints do not throw the ball down the field. What would the Kansas City Chiefs be if you took away Patrick Mahomes deep ball? What would the Seattle Seahawks be if you took away Russell Wilson's deep ball? What would Big Ben's career be if you took away the deep ball? The Saints have gone 13 and 3, 13 and 3 and 7 and 2. They don't throw the deep ball. It's insane.

That's why I've been down on them. They have six completions over 20 yards, being air yards. Green Bay's got 24, 23, four times. It's why I have my issues with Green Bay. But in the NFL, you've got to get occasional cheap touchdowns. I mean, if you really watch Russell Wilson play, if you watch the Seahawks under Pete Carroll, they pound, pound, pound, pound, suck you in, go over the top.

That's the whole game plan. Pound, pound, pound, pound, people come in, suck you in, and Russell throws the best deep ball. Kansas City, by the way, likes to run the football more than you think. They pull you in. You can't double cheetah because of Travis Kelsey, and they go the deep ball. New Orleans doesn't throw it. 13 and 3, 13 and 3, 7 and 2.

And by the way, favored this weekend by over a field goal. So this is one of those things where I'm just going to trust New Orleans. It doesn't feel like the move I would make. And for the record, long. term? I think James is the more franchisee quarterback, but maybe for the week, because none of us have ever seen Taysam Hill start, he's got 18 career passes, not touchdowns, passes in the NFL. It's a division rivalry. Jamis, by the way, has struggled in his career against Atlanta. He has, that's indisputable, one in five. So maybe Sean Payton, who knows the NFC South really well,

said, you know, this week, they don't know what the hell Taysam Hill is. They've never seen him. They don't have any idea. And the element of surprise is our friend. And we think we can hold them down under 25 points, 26 points. But I do think resumes matter. I mean, I'll give you an example. The L.A. Clippers this week traded Landry Shamet.

And I really like him. But I was like, okay. Well, I saw what Jerry West did in Memphis and Google. Golden State and the Lakers and now the Clippers. And I'm like, all right, he knows more than I do. I'm going to trust him on that. Like, I like Landry, Shamed. I like him. Everybody I know likes him.

I think the Clippers liked him. But they suddenly traded him. Okay, I'll just trust Jerry West. Your resume matters. Saints, Mickey Loomis, Sean Payton, at least for a week. Now, maybe by half-time Sunday, I think they're crazy people. But for this week, they see something, they know something. I'm not there.

I'll trust them. For a week, I try. their decisions. They're smarter than mine. Coming up next, people think Kyler and Russell Wilson are the same. But boy, there's a massive difference, and you really could see it last night. That's coming up,

plus Blazing 5 top of next hour. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports Radio FS1 and the IHeard 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 IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

A win is a win. A win is a win. Yep, that's me. Clipper Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the 6th. 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. 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.

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Search Learn the Hardway and listen now. So last night's game on Fox thought was really, really good and entertaining, wildly entertaining. And I understand the comparisons to Russell Wilson and Kyler Murray. We all do. It's not a surprise. But there is a distinction. And I thought you really saw it last night. When Russell Wilson runs, he's running because it feels like, oh, something's not right here.

Let me get a first down and we can start our series over. When Kyler runs, it feels like they broke the huddle. Kyler was going to run. There is a distinction. When Kyler runs, it's a huge component to the offense. When Russell runs, something broke down, somebody ran the wrong route, the coverage is excellent, let me go pick a first down up and let's start again. That's what it always feels like to me. So Kyler last night only rushed five times for 15 yards and no touchdowns, and the Arizona offense did not feel as dynamic. It did not feel as dangerous. It didn't because he ran less. Russell ran it 10 times for only 42 yards and it felt like that's the exact number he should

run for about 40 yards because Seattle's offense always feels like at its best is what it was last night, which is pound the rock, pound the rock, control time of possession, suck the defense up and then the best deep ball thrower in the world Russell twice deliver a little throw pillow over the top of the defense for a touchdown. That's what it feels like it's designed for out of the huddle. We're just setting them up. We're setting them up. We're setting them up for the big trap. And then Russell will run because it's like, oh, our right tackle missed a block or, oh, my receiver fell around the wrong. He's just running. Okay, let me get a first down and then we'll start again and we'll suck him in and we'll suck him in and we'll suck them in. It always feels like the deep ball

is the end game for Seattle. Whereas the end game for Kyler when they break the huddle is, we're going to annoy you for four hours and many of these will break. And last night when they didn't have great rushing attempts for Kyler, the offense doesn't feel the same. And by the way, I do not love ball-centric point guards in the NBA. Westbrook drives me nuts, right? I don't love quarterback-dominated or centric teams, meaning the Packers always feel too reliant on Aaron Rogers. I've defended him there. They've butcher this past draft.

They didn't get him any playmakers. He needs another playmaker on the perimeter. So I don't love teams. This is why I love what the Kansas City Chiefs are doing, which is the league average. He's just throw 35, 36 times. Kansas City's down to 30. I feel Houston is totally reliant

under Sean Watson as a human life preserver. I think Green Bay. This is why I think they butcher the draft. Give Aaron help. Stop this building for the future. Get him players. Okay, he has two backs. He doesn't need a third for the depth chart.

He needs a wide receiver and maybe a vertical tight end. So I thought there was a real distinction last night. Kyler didn't run as much. They weren't as dynamic. You know, Russell's not as dynamic running, but it felt perfect for Seattle. And they didn't play great. D.K. Metcalf dropped a touchdown, or maybe it's not that close. Joy Taylor with the news. Turn on the news. This is the herd line news.

He's not that Russell can't be spectacular. He can do the high volume thing. But I feel like Arizona always kind of wants high volume, Kyler. Seattle's ideally trying to kind of of avoid it, in my opinion. Well, yeah, they want to cut back on Russ having to do everything, including running. 26 throws for Russell, 21 of 26 for 230 yards and two touchdown passes, feels like the perfect Russell game. Last night was the perfect balance for him. Yep.

You saw what happens when he has a running game. He doesn't have to do everything. So Cam Newton looked like a perfect fit in New England for the first three weeks of the season, but after being away from the team when he tested positive for COVID-19, he admitted that he felt like he was behind. Ever since, you know, coming back from Corona, to be honest with you, you know, I felt stagnant in my thought process. I wasn't able to do anything, you know, for that stint while I was off. And it shows, you know, when I did come back, I just felt behind.

You know, a couple people talked about this. He wasn't sick, sick, but he obviously tested positive. Yeah. But that this might be affecting his play, and he didn't say anything about it until now that it did affect his play, but this makes perfect sense. Why wouldn't taking two weeks off in the middle of the season not affect your play? He didn't have preseason either. Right. So he didn't have those four and the two.

And also, in fairness to Cam, and I think we've both echoed this, they get no cheap touchdowns on this team. Right. So you're asked, this is a little like New Orleans and why I've been out on them, win a Super Bowl. You're asking New England to do 12 play drives. That's just, now, Lamar will pop one, Mahomes pop. The teams I like to win the Super Bowl are teams that can occasionally give me a cheap 78-yard touchdown. They have this big play potential. Tampa's got all sorts of that. New England has none of that. So with Cam, you don't get a freebie. Like what he earns every point on the scoreboard. And I think that's, so it's easy to go. They scored 19 points.

Yeah. And they work for every one. of those? Well, week three, the last game before he tested positive, they beat the Raiders 36, 20. He was 17 of 28. Best game by fall. One passing touchdown, one reception, 27 rushing yards. Yeah. Then week six, they lost to the Broncos. That's when he came back. Then they lost the 49ers. Then they lost to the Bills. Then they beat the Jets and beat the Ravens in the last two weeks. So if you look at just how those games have gone, the game before, he was just getting in a rhythm. He's off two weeks and it took a while for him to get back into it. You know, obviously we're dealing with this insane pandemic.

And because we have sports and people are testing positive and have had to sit out and we're kind of like just dismissing the, not dismissing, but not trying to give too much attention to guys being out. But the quarterback, it's going to affect how the team plays. Bill Belichick had a quote. I'm not sure where I read it 10 days ago, but it was an anonymous quote where Belichick had said, this year is a joke. Like, so it's not, he's just saying with COVID.

In the no preseason, Belichick's very much a rhythm guy and I have a guy. It's like, it's just kind of a joke. So I kind of look at everybody this year and it's just like, I'm not asking for the greatest movies ever produced and the greatest football ever produced. You have to be a little bit flexible with people this year. Right. So the Rams will travel to Tampa to try and stop one of the strongest offenses in the league on Monday night.

And Sean McVeigh understands how difficult that challenge is going to be. We all know what a great accomplished player, Tom, is. And I think when you put the weapons around him, he does a great job of getting a bunch of different playmakers involved. When you look at their line, all the skilled players, and then Tom Brady leading the way, it is a nightmare. And they're one of the best offenses for a reason. You see how explosive they are. The Bucks are sixth and points per game, 14th and total yards per game, and have only allowed 14 sacks this season. I'll make a prediction. Andrew Whitworth out at left tackle. Jared Gough will be uncomfortable.

win. You know my, I bet the Rams seven times this year I'm six and one. The only team I'm good on. When golf is comfortable, they're really effective. I don't know how they're going to do without Whitworth. The Rams defense is second fewest and points allowed per game and second fewest in yards

allowed per game. So it is kind of a battle of strengths there. I'm with you though. Whitworth being out is very, very significant and you're absolutely right. I mean, most quarterbacks when they have more time and more comfortable are better but some are able to adapt more and make plays and can adjust to not being completely comfortable in the pocket. Jared Goff is not one of them.

So we have a great weekend of games and this is the one that caps them all off, but I'm looking forward to this one. So the Lakers are facing an unusually short offseason this year and Rob Polinka says it will be a balancing act to manage LeBron's workload this season. The great thing about LeBron is he is so methodical and scientific in terms of how he, He prepares his body and the team of people he works with. That'll just be a balancing act throughout the season of kind of recognizing that there was an extremely short layoff between championship and start of the season and kind of figuring out what's best for LeBron. LeBron's played 1,525 career games, 1,265 regular season and 260 postseason. He'll have 10 weeks off before the end of the finals and the start of the. next season. The break between the finals

and the start of the next season is usually four months. So it's obviously significantly shorter. Now they're playing less games this season. Yes. But I think we can very reasonably expect the Lakers and specifically LeBron to have a little bit of, I don't know if you can call it load management because I think we're kind of retiring

that, but it's going to be load management. Well, you and I said, you and I came out with a riveting idea, which I think holds it's a legitimate idea. I don't know why the league doesn't take the final four teams, Lakers, Miami, Denver and who did Miami beat in the Eastern

conference finals? Celtics. Celtics, yeah. Need the bucks. And you give them really easy January. Yeah. You either play at home. So you load up on Laker Games at home or Laker games against the Clippers.

And so those four teams, January, and if you have to go, it's Miami flies to Orlando. Well, I think they're going to already be managing the travel for everyone because they're still trying to figure out how they're going to be doing like the bubble and they haven't announced like the second half of the season how that's going to be played. So I think the travel and all that is going to be a little bit lighter just to begin with because they want to kind of eliminate that. Yeah.

But they have to give some sort of break to the teams that were in the bubble the longest. But also, again, like Miami's in a better situation. They have younger players. LeBron is someone who is very meticulous with his body, as Polinka said. So they're just going to have to manage it. And like everything we're doing, just give people a little bit of. of flexibility. We're living in different times. Yep, good stuff. Joy Taylor

with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Heard Lye News. Let's bring on Kevin Clark, NFL writer for the Ringer. He has the host of the Slow Newsday videocast. One of my favorite sports writers in the country right now. It's Kevin Clark. Let's bring him on, brought to you by Mercedes-Benz, the best or nothing.

First of all, I want to start about the Taysson Hill over James Winston, and I was just telling Joy, there are times in life. The Clippers made a trade last week of Landry Shamet, and I like him. And I'm like, okay, but Jerry West knows what he's doing, and I don't. So I'm going to trust him. And I would start James over Taysam Hill. But I'm like, okay, this is the only team in the league that wins 13 games a year and doesn't throw a deep ball. I'm going to just trust him on this move. It's not

the move I would make. What is your thoughts on Taysam Hill over James Winston? Well, the Saints are trying for a Super Bowl here. And on Sunday, they're going to start a guy who has more career tackles than completions. That's all you need to know. And I understand, you know, there's a $16 million cap hit

for Taysome Hill next year. They actually speak louder than words. And Sean Payton committed to Taysam Hill long term by giving him $21 million guaranteed. We sort of always saw this coming. I'm surprised it's happening. Now, listen, James Winston is not perfect. You know, he had the

He had 30 interceptions last year, and the guys who track dropped interceptions say he should have had the most dropped interceptions as well. So he could have thrown 40 last year if you look at the tape. And so I think that I understand why he would do it. I think that the fact that Sean Payton is doing this against the Falcons, I think he's trying to show his worth a little bit. I think that this is true with Belichick too, I think when these coaches have these great quarterbacks, they get a little bored, they want to show that they can scheme up things.

And I think Sean Peyton is going to take Taysam Hill and he's going to kind of be the mad scientist that he'd like to be week in and week out. That's a great theory. I love that. So I was saying ball-centric point guards, I've never been a huge Westbrook fan, although I pay to watch him and think he's in a Hall of Famer,

but he can drive me nuts because he's ball-centric, doesn't always play well with others, right? And I watched, I think there's a distinction between Russell Wilson and Kyler Murray, and we compare the two, but I saw the distinction last night. And the way I see it is when Russell runs, it's almost like, oh, crap. things have broken down here. Let me get a first down and let's just reset our downs.

When Kyler runs, it's like they left the huddle and this is what we're going to do and we're going to annoy the league and this is who we are. And I do wonder, Arizona, if they could become a little too Kyler Murray-centric, in your opinion. So, first of all, Kyler Murray has the lowest pressure rate in the NFL right now. And I think that they have a pretty good team around him. I saw a stat last night. They haven't won a game when he rushes for under 20 yards. Okay. And that was true last night. And so I start to think that there's certain things that he opens up with the running game,

not just for him, but also the running backs and sort of the passing lanes when he starts stretching out that defense. So I get what you're saying as far as just being too tight, Kyler dependent. But I also think that, listen, Kyler is better when he holds on to the ball longer statistically. He loves that, those deep passes. He's really good at it. He can hit those home runs all the time.

And so I think that he is. He has a chance to be kind of what you described with a Russell Westbrook type. I think that Kyler's talent accelerated this team's timeline. I don't think, listen, they were a three-win team two years ago, a five-win team last year. They've already exceeded both of those. And so I think that they weren't ready to be a top-top team. I think Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahometh the last two years, when they made their leap, their teams were ready for them to make a leap.

I don't think that's the case in Arizona. I think it might take one more year of acquiring talent, of maximizing. in this scheme. I still feel, Kyler Murray has MVP potential, it's just not going to happen this year because the timelines just didn't necessarily match up. You know, I always feel I think Steve Young went through this, that Russell Wilson reminds me a little of

Steph Curry, that when you play a game differently, you're maybe not as cool, you're not as physically, you know, we're used to six, four quarterbacks. We gave the mantle to Aaron Rogers very quickly, to Peyton Manning very quickly. Steve Young still doesn't get mentioned, despite having stats that would blow you away.

And Russell and Steph Curry really have the game. Kyler Marie, Johnny Manzell, and Baker get drafted because of Russell. High school, basketball college, and pro look different because of Steph. But there's something about them. They're non-traditional. And so we just struggle to say, they're an all-time great. And I watched Russell last night. And I just think to myself, I didn't think Seattle was really great last. I thought the defense was better, but they were penalty choked. They had drops. But is there something to Russell plays it differently? And that just historically, we don't generally embrace different.

Yes, absolutely. I would also say the play calling over the past five, six years has put in a position where everything looks a little weird. I think the defense is doing a great job of winning him in the MVP because they're just so historically bad that he has to, it looks like he's putting the team on his back every single week. The defense, as he said, got a little better last night. Jamal Adams, I saw, was leading the team in pressure is coming into the game last night. That's a really bad sign. Carlos Dunlap did just enough and they get five pressures in the game

only one in the second half but it ended up being the biggest one. And so really the defense did be so the basic level of confidence. Just make two or three plays a game and Russell's not only going to get you the win he'll get you the MVP, maybe he'll get you to the Super Bowl.

So yes, I don't think we're used to seeing a quarterback dominate like Russell Wilson. I saw the amount of touchdown passes he has through 10 weeks and the rating he has, the only other guys who've had that in history have won the MVP. and I think that we just aren't used to seeing this sort of domination, so it's all a little strange. And finally, Coach of the Year for me, I'm going to give it to John Gruden.

And I tend to think, I've always thought we screw up the MVP award. It's not best stats. It's most valuable. And I don't think Seattle would win two games without Russell Wilson. I really don't. Where I think Kansas City could win seven, six without Mahomes. And I also think Coach of the Year, it doesn't. mean your record? I look at what you've done with what you have. The Raiders moved cities. They've

had two major COVID issues, and they've beaten Breeze. They've beaten Mahomes. To me, Gruden's done more. He's got a general manager who'd never worked in a front office. To me, Gruden's a home run. I give him my coach of the year so far. What say you? I think there's a couple of guys up there. I think Brian Flores is there. Mike Tomlin is there. John Gruden is there. Kevin Stapansky's there. Jack Prescott still has more passing yards than Baker Mayfield, they might make the playoffs. Okay, that's all you need to know there. But with John Gruden, I don't know if I give him the coach of the year war, but I give him an apology because he's winning in an old school way. He's married some of the new concepts, whether that's the jet fly

sweeps or, or the RPO's or whatever, but he's just running smash-mouth football. And he's gotten Derek Carr to a nice place. You know, I put a lot of, a lot of emphasis on third down passing, because that's when everyone knows you're going to pass. He gets better on every single down by quarterback rating from first down to second down the third down. And so I think that there's just there's a lot there. Josh Jacobs, it seems to me, was worth the first round pick. DeVante Booker was a nice pick up. So I think what he's been able to do in a short time, I was wrong. I think that, you know, he was making fun of analytics and all that stuff. And I think that rub people the wrong way. But it was just, it was kind of, he was kind of joking. He was kind of joking. I mean,

he obviously understands modern football, but he also understands their old school mentality. So I agree with he was doing a heck of a job. And I think he's definitely, on the short list right now. By the way, let me throw this out to you on the Baker thing, because I've not talked a lot of Baker this year, and part of it is I just don't think he's as relevant, is that sometimes this happens culturally, is that you have to pivot. I've worked at broadcasting companies, and all of a sudden, ooh, this is a thing, and this is a thing that happens fast. And I look at Baker, and I think two years ago, I didn't have Josh Allen or Lamar Jackson, or Justin Herbert, or Joe Burra, or Tua. And those are just the young quarterbacks in the

AFC. And Derek Carr wasn't this good because Gruden kind of rebooted him and Mahalms. And I look at Baker today and I'm like, well, I don't talk about him because if I was Cleveland, I would look up and say, good God in the AFC. I'm not sure he's not the fourth best quarterback in our division. And I think Cleveland has a big decision. And I think sometimes, Kevin, our decisions are based on what is happening around us. This morning, if I'm Cleveland, I would have trouble giving an extension to Baker. I really would. And that's not a shot at him. What do you, how do you feel about him today? There's some real worrying signs with him. He's 38th in the NFL when under pressure and rating, which is abysmal. You're looking at those are Dwayne Haskins, Drew Locke type of numbers. And I think that his best

case scenario right now is that he becomes Cleveland's Jared Gough, where his value is not being the problem. And he's not the guy we thought would develop two years ago when he was having that incredibly efficient rookie season in the last half. So, I think that you don't give him a mega deal because I think that when you give the mega deal, when you give huge money to a guy who's not the problem, that's how you end up in salary cap jail. And so I would give him a, I guess you'd say a bridge extension, maybe one or two years just to see how this develops. But I wouldn't throw a lot of money or weight or commitment behind it. And I would, frankly, even if you'd give him that money, I would bring in competition

next year to just see how that shakes out because I just don't like the trajectory. I've been a huge Baker-Mayfield fan. I've defended him on your show many times. But right now, I'm just not seeing a lot where I say, okay, you know, case closed. He's the guy for five more years. Yeah, the pressure stats are alarming. NFL writer for the ringer, Kevin Clark, as always a great pleasure to see you, Kevin. Keep it up. Thanks, Colin. Coming up next, I think a really interesting game. And this, and I have said this, last night kicked off, I think the best NFL weekend. Monday night is Brady and the Bucks against the Rams. So that's a great closing game. And There's all sorts of rivalry games in between.

One of them is going to be ugly, and it'll be the best ugly football game of the weekend and one of the best games of the year. And it'll tell us a lot about the Colts and more specifically, Aaron Rogers. That's coming up. Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque.

Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care which I'm saying.

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

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

Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tap little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do 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 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's 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 cracks. 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. 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. you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth? Or are you a good person because you're afraid? Because that's two different intentions, bro. Absolutely. And that's two different levels of trust.

I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Keir Gaines, is we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose. On my new podcast, Learn the Hardway. Open your free, Our Heart Radio app. Search Learn the Hardway and listen now. Time to change your wireless provider. Pure Talk gives you unlimited talk and text. and two gigs of data, $20 a month.

I can save you more if you just grab your mobile phone. Dial pound 250 and say my name, Colin Coward. Dial pound 250 and say my name. So last night we didn't think would be an ugly game. Last night we thought would be a dynamic game because we had dynamic quarterbacks and not really great defenses. So we thought there'd be a lot of scoring and a lot of big plays, and there were. The ugliest game of the weekend between two very capable teams,

the Packers and the Colts. Aaron Rogers is good with the lead. He's good when he's comfortable. He's good in the pocket when it's clean, and he's good when he's comfortable. He will not be this weekend. And if you want me to believe Green Bay can run through the playoffs, prove it to me this weekend, because I don't think they will. Aaron Rogers this year has 26 touchdowns and one interception against everybody not named Tampa. Against Tampa, he has no touchdowns, two picks.

Why? Because they sacked him a couple times. They hit him 11 times. and his body language changed by the second quarter. That is my knock on Aaron. Patrick Mahomes, his career now is defined by his ability to come from behind. That now defines his arm and his ability to be down big. Patrick Mahomes,

5 and 0 last year when trailing by 10 plus points. Patrick Mahomes has won 65% of his games when trailing. That is remarkable for a young quarterback. Aaron's a veteran. He's won only 47% of his games if he even ever trails by a 3-0 score. People forget what the Super Bowl was. Patrick Mahomes got hit seven times. He got sacked four times by the 49ers.

He had two picks and played poorly. Patrick Mahomes was rushed at the entire Super Bowl, yet he had a great fourth quarter. I never see that with Aaron. So this weekend is going to be ugly. Wilson for a long time defined himself by the ability to come from behind. Tom Brady has always defined himself in the Super Bowls by no touchdowns early, the best touchdowns late. This is going to be an ugly game for Green Bay because only one team is forced more picks than Tampa's

defense, the Colts. And the Colts defense is also allowing the lowest passer rating in the NFL. Aaron Rogers has always been great on a sunny September day in a sport. car with the roof down. He is the best, the coolest, the best. Get the SUV. It's raining sideways. It's not the same driver.

So this weekend, go in ugly, because it'll be ugly. There won't be a lot of 11 play drives, and you're going to have to make stuff up, and Aaron's going to get hit, and he's going to get sacked, and he's going to have bad throws. Go in ugly. Ben does it. Russell does it. Mahomes is defined by it.

Do it. Here's another thing. I want to talk about this because Kevin Clark just did. And so my rule has always been, don't be real, don't spend too much time criticizing college athletes. Maybe once you're like a Heisman winner or a star, you know, you've been in college a while. You're like 22, 23. Then I'll take a shot if you do something stupid. But, you know, college basketball players, you know, we pick these kids apart.

They're like 18. Okay, they're 18. And even in college football, just, you know, Trevor Lawrence now I could criticize. He's been in the spotlight. He's got a bunch of starts. He's a grown-up now. he's got his driver's license. He can go have a beer in college. I can criticize him now. But I was pretty tough on Baker Mayfield. And a lot of times when I do this, I've always said this.

My job, I believe, is once you're like your last year in college on, I'm going to have a strong opinion on you. Because first of all, it's more fun. I'm going to take a side. I'm for you, not against you. And so when I am critical of somebody, I never have a problem turning on him. Kyler Murray, I'm like too short. Game two, I'm like, I'm like, a cat's wrong on that. He's really good. Joe Burrell, I was like,

eh, he's Tony Romo. Maybe, that, by the way, is not bad. But I have no problem going, okay, this is what I saw, and I'm wrong. But with Baker Mayfield, the criticism was harsh, and much of it was because he was so cocky. If you would have been humble,

little humility, not grabbing stuff, and running from people, it would have been different, obviously. But I haven't talked a lot of Baker Mayfield over the last couple of months. I mean, I talk quarterbacks. That's what I do.

I don't talk NFL. I talk quarterbacks. And part of it is, I don't want to be mean-spirited. He's just not, the book is in. He is a bad NFL quarterback when under pressure. And the whole damn league's about how do you play in pressure? Everybody's good when the pockets clean. Case Keenham went 13 and 3 when he had weapons in the pocket was clean.

Everybody can win when the pocket's clean. But under pressure, according to pro football focus, he's the 38th best quarterback in the NFL with a 30 quarterback rating under pressure. The book is in. He's just not that special. He's not as accurate as Tua. He doesn't have the natural gifts of Josh Allen or Justin Herbert. I don't think he's as focused or as athletic as Lamar Jackson.

And I'm just talking about the kids. I'm not even talking about Derek Carr or he's not as accurate. Patrick Mahalms, not as great. And I'm just talking AFC. And the other thing was I try to contextualize. it. He's got great weapons. Their offensive line now has two really good tackles and a really good center. They've got above average wide receivers and their tight ends. They went and got Austin Hooper, who was good

and David In Joku and two great backs and an offensive-minded coach. In fact, he's had offensive-minded coach his entire time. And so my takeaway is why pick on him? The book is in. He's not special. He's not special arm. He's not special size. He's not special athletically. Accuracy was always this thing and he's not. Once he's out of a clean pocket, he's bad with accuracy. And that's the thing. I'm not saying I'm always right.

And when I'm wrong, I'll acknowledge it. But I don't want to pick on him. Like at this point, you say, what about Sam Darnold? I don't think he's been given a fair shot in the NFL. They're awful everywhere. And I don't talk Sam Darnold much anymore because he's been bad. I've said this multiple times. He can't stay healthy.

Mono injury. Sam never plays. Like Eli Manning was far. less athletic and never got hurt. Sam's way more athletic. He's always hurt. So at some point Sam Darden and Carson Wentz, I love you both, but you guys are reckless.

Eli Manning knew his limitations. Brady knows his limitations. Peyton knew his limitations. Donald and Wentz, they play like linebackers. But I'll admit when I'm wrong. What fans won't do is ever admit they're wrong. Admit it with Baker. He's just not special. You watch Tua. In his first couple

games, you're like, oh, damn. Now, we knew he was accurate, but God, he's poised, and you watch Burrow, and you watch Josh Allen, and you see an it, a thing, an arm, a size, a special. I don't see it. In fact, what I see is he unravels immediately, and for the record. Two words. Unravels quickly. Who unravels quickly, people that are highly emotional? Wasn't that my knock on Baker in college? He kind of unraveled in crisis, sometimes with video. He unraveled quickly. you just become a heightened version of what you are in college. That's all pro sports is. It's just the same game way faster and way harder.

I've always said if you're a typist and you type 75 words a minute, and then somebody asks you to type 105 words a minute. You'd have to be pretty special to do it with as many mistakes or as few mistakes. Most people can't go 75 words a minute to 105 words a minute unless they're special. You make more mistakes. That's big. NFL is just college faster. and if you're not special, you're just not good enough.

M drive start, one scoop every morning. M drive start. Nutrition, protein, makes a delicious chocolate moose. I didn't have one today. I had one yesterday. M drive start. Check it out. Don't let age define you.

Blazing five picks coming up 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, S&L's Mikey Day and headwriter, Streeter Seidel, help an a cappella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and friends on the I-Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashed. Others say it's unleashed. reaching human potential. Either way, the podcast Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, what's good, y'all? You're listening to Learn the Hard Way with your favorite therapist and host Kear Games. This space is about black men's experiences, having honest conversations that it's really not safe to have anywhere, but you're having them with a licensed professional who knows what he's doing. How many men carry a suit or armor.

It signals to the world that you're not to be played with. And just because you have the capability that does not mean that you need to. Listen to learn the hard way on the AHA radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. On the Look Back at it podcast. From 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84 is big to me. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English.

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 mean, 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.

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