The Herd with Colin Cowherd - 12/11/2020 - Best of The Herd

Episode Date: December 11, 2020

-The Patriots system doesn't work because they have no talent-Big Ben being asked to throw too much is why the Steelers won't win Super Bowl-The Rams are great when they can write the script-Colin's Super Bowl bubble will make fans of AFC North teams very upset-Cam Newton and Russell Westbrook are aging poorlyGuest: Eric Mangini, former Browns & Jets Head Coach 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. 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's big to me.

I'm Sam Jay. 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. With our friends, fellow comedians, and favorite authors. Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s. 84 was a wild. 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. Thanks for listening to The Best of Heard Podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday from 12 to 3 Eastern, 9 to noon Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and FS1. Find your local station for the herd at Fox Sports Radio.com or stream us live every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching Herd. This is the best of the herd with kids. Colin Cowher on Fox Sports Radio. Ah, it is a Friday, and a great one at that. Live in Los Angeles, this is The Hurt.

Wherever you may be, however you may be listening, IHeart Radio, Fox Sports Radio, FS1, one hour from now off a winning week, off a winning week, Blazing Five. Love the Blazing Five this week, going after some of the biggest games. this week and Joy Taylor is joining me on a Friday. Joy, I've got a sweater on.

I'm headed to a little ski trip this weekend. We're matching. We are matching. I'm excited. I have my ski season start for me with my kids this weekend. That is going to be fun. Oh, my God, I love it. Get some outdoor, fresh air.

Yeah, God, don't I need. Doesn't it feel good to like, it's so weird how much you appreciate fresh air now? When I'm like in my car and I'm on the highway, all the windows are down, I'm like, safe air. Safe air. Good to have you in. So what you saw last night, this is what a New England offense looks like against the top five defense. Ten first downs, 200 total yards, three for 16 on third and fourth down.

And the quarterback, nine for 16 and a 53 quarterback rating. For the record, they scored six points against the good San Francisco defense and three against the Rams. This is with the best football coach in the history of the national. football league. That's what they are. It doesn't matter who the quarterback is. The goat left. Cam looks inept. The difference between quarterback, wide receiver, tight end running back talent, New England or Rams isn't even close. And by the way, what we saw last night and what we've seen this year, it's called Greg Popovich and the San Antonio Spurs. The system, the coach, the system. then Tim Duncan got old.

They won less. Tim Duncan retires and they're completely irrelevant. The Spurs are the third best and most relevant team in Texas. Systems need stars. They don't just need them. They're dependent on them. Phil Jackson's system, Shaq and Kobe won championships. And Kobe and Gasol, you can win championships.

And Kobe by himself with a trying. offense is swept in the first round. Phil Jackson, how do you doing? Michael left for baseball. The system doesn't work as well. It's not that you need stars for a system. You're totally dependent on them. New England, though, fell into something I've seen so many times.

Old, successful men. The more they won, the more arrogant they got, the more they talked about how great the system was, the less they listen to anybody outside of their sphere. God, I've seen this in broadcasting. I've seen it in football. I've seen it in every business. And then we have a cultural change that the league is becoming more weapons based. Tight end, wide receiver, running back quarterback. Of the teams, I think can win the Super Bowl today. Green Bay, Kansas City, Cleveland, Ram, St. Seattle, Tampa, Buffalo. They don't all have great defenses.

They don't all have Hall of Fame coaches. They've all got weapons. New England's now six and seven. They will not make the playoffs. They have no momentum. They don't have a current quarterback. They don't have a future quarterback. I know Belichick can coach defense.

Best ever. I know he can coach special teams. Probably best ever. But offensively, this is why Brady left. you can't win big in this league, even with the world's best coach, a top 10 defense, great special teams, when you have a BB gun for an offense. If you took the top 10 skill players in that game last night, quarterback receiver, tight end running back, the Rams have all 10.

Damien Harris is the only patriot that is close, but it's the system. It's the system. It's the system. they're dependent on stars and Sean McVeigh by the way he's got a system too with a bunch of good players Belichick's a great coach the best ever but I've seen it so was Popovich but I've seen it over and over mid 70 year old legend the more they win the more you read about the system the more they think they know, the less they let anybody in,

and the system has value. But the Spurs don't have a star, and the Patriots don't have a quarterback. And no great coach or system can win with it. You watched. You've seen it twice this year when they face the top defense.

Six points against the Niners, three against the Rams, 10 first downs, a 53 quarterback rating. Watch the game. Games, systems have value, but they are wholly dependent on stars. The Kobe, the Shaq, the MJ, the Pippin, the Brady, the Duncan. All right, let's, you know, big game this weekend.

I think Buffalo is going to hand it to Pittsburgh. And people have said, you are rough on the Steelers this year. Well, no, because, hey, I don't just look at records, and that doesn't define how good you are. The Steelers have a problem, and it's a problem that doesn't actually sound like a problem. If I said to you, listen, Pittsburgh this year, man, they are Big Ben, they have never leaned on Big Ben more than now. That's actually a big problem, and there's numbers to back it up. When Ben first came in the league 2004 to 2011, the Steelers were not Big Ben Reliance.

In fact, their passer ranking was 32nd in the league, but they won 70% of their games, 10 and 4 in the playoffs, with three Super Bowl appearances. The last eight years, they become increasingly dependent on Big Ben. His passer ratings gone up as a team their fourth in the NFL in throwing, but now they win 64% of their games have won only three of their last seven playoff games with no Super Bowl. appearances. Pittsburgh doesn't even now try to run the football. And this runs kind of counterintuitive with what you would think. You know, you'd think in baseball you'd want guys that can hit home runs. But the home run champs historically in baseball don't win the World Series. In the NBA, you'd think, ah, I want to get the best score. Scoring champs, last 50 years do not win championships in the NBA. Shaq did it once, Michael Jordan a couple times. They don't.

you'd think having the scoring champ and the home run champ doesn't work that way in football it's the same thing the more you lean into your quarterback even if he's great the less chance to win a super bowl so Aaron Rogers Super Bowl year where was he in past attempts in the NFL 14th Russell Wilson's Super Bowl winning year what was he in attempts 22nd well what about Patrick my homes last year 18th now he did miss a couple of games big ben is number one by a mile in the NFL it runs counter to what you would think would were oh you got to have a scoring champ in the NBA oh you got you got the home run hitters you got have a quarterback you lean on Josh Allen now think about buffalo because buffalo is going to beat Pittsburgh this weekend so

Josh Allen they got him Cole Beasley great slot they got him stephan d'i they have John Brown. They're not much of a running team, but he's only ninth in attempts. And he looks like, next to Mahomes, one of the two best young quarterbacks in the league. He's ninth. And they don't have much of a running game.

So let's go to Aaron Rogers this year. Well, I mean, Ian Devonny Adams. They're 13th in passing attempts. The more the Steelers lean in to best. Ben, the worst the Steelers are. And it's not a shot at Ben. Here's an interesting number for you. In Big Ben's career, when they've asked him to throw,

now he's throwing 50 times a game now, just 35 times or more, they're a 500 team, 51, 48, 1. When they've asked him to throw less than 35, he's 104 and 24. It's not a shot at Ben. it's not a shot at Rogers or Russell or Mahomes. But we think scoring champs, home run champs, and lean into the star quarterback wins. It doesn't. Even Ben needs a serviceable running game.

Pittsburgh's just stopped even trying to run a football. I mean, just goes to my say it out loud theory. Yeah, as this team, it's really good. They ask our quarterback to throw over 50 times a game. That's like Canadian football. That's like Big 12 football. And Big 12 champs, don't beat SEC champs because they have running games. 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 I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care which I'll say it. Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions,

my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger, than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations

with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast.

It's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something big. 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 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 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 IHeartRadio 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, Kear Gaines, is we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, Learn the Hard Way. Open your free, IHeartRadio app, search Learn the Hardway, and listen now. The L.A. Rams are a little bit like their rival

the 49ers. We think of the 49ers Kyle Shanahan as an offensive genius. But they got to a Super Bowl last year because of their defense. It allows Garoppolo when he's healthy to be a complementary player. The L.A. Rams, McVeigh, we think he's an offensive genius. They're really built around their defense. It allows Goff to be a complimentary player.

He had one great throw in the opening drive, one huge throw in the third and fourth quarter. He's allowed to be a complimentary player. And when the L.A. Rams can write the script of a game, McVeigh's 34 and O leading at half. And last night, you could tell in the opening drive, oh, there's a lot. writing the script. They're controlling the tempo. They're controlling the line of scrimmage. And golf is comfortable. When they write the script, they're very uniquely built to beat the NFC. I don't know about Kansas City and Pittsburgh. I don't know. But there are 8 and O against NFC teams not called the Niners winning by an average of 11 points. When they can write the script,

they're really as good as anybody in this league, including, we saw a couple years ago, including Mahomes, Andy Reid, and the Chiefs. We saw that in L.A. Last night they wrote the script. Green Bay doesn't love to be physical. They can do that. Seattle bad offensive line. Meet Aaron Donald.

Tampa. Who's got Mike Evans? Oh, Jalen Ramsey. Put heat on Tom. They did. They really match up with everybody very well in the NFC. But here's something else about the Rams, and it's very unique. For the third year in a row, they are remorse.

remarkably healthy. Tampa, injuries all year to their stars. Dallas, Philadelphia for three years, Seattle fell apart last year, Pittsburgh, Devonte Adams Green Bay. Rams don't suffer any injuries. What about Todd Gurley? Yep, shipped him off, solved it immediately, Camakers. Like they figured that out within a season.

Andrew Whitworth has hurt. Well, they've drafted well. They've got a good young player behind him and Andrew's coming back. He'll be on our show later. Everybody's going to have injuries. Nobody's saying you go through a season without them. The Todd Gurley dilemma, they had a winning record even with that. But now they have three legitimate running backs.

Is it because they don't hit as much in practice? They don't. They just don't. They don't hit as much in practice. Sean McVeigh was the first coach to do this two or three years ago. I forget, Joy, no starters play in the preseason. No significant starters. Everybody blanched, oh, whoa.

And he's like, why? He didn't play any of his starters. Now everybody in the league copies it. They have the least hitting in the NFL during practice. Oh, you can't do it. I just saw Lamar Jackson have one practice over two weeks and beat Dallas. I think they're on the precipice. They're doing some things culturally that nobody else is doing.

And you look around this league. It is an attrition league. The Niners have fallen apart. Pittsburgh's falling apart. Dallas, Philadelphia, Seattle last year. The Rams are for the third. Third year in a row, overwhelmingly healthy. I mean, I look at them right now.

They are Whitworth away from having everybody. Three healthy backs. Five healthy receivers. Two healthy tight ends. Four healthy offensive linemen. Goff not getting hit much has never missed a game. Aaron's healthy. Brockers healthy.

The secondary has one safety. And by the way, this team drafts a bizarre number of safeties. One safety banged up. All the rest of them, good, young and healthy. So there's a little secret sauce to this cultural movement in the NFL about it's a weapons league. Nobody's weapons stay healthier than the Rams. I don't have an answer for it. They've obviously drafted well.

They've got very few whiffs. So if Gurley's out, boom, they've got it solved. Robert Woods misses a game. Boom, they've got it solved. But some of this, maybe it's luck. I just don't believe in coincidences, fate, and luck. Once again, last night, against one of the more physical teams, New England, not a single player walked off hurt. Like, that's just the way the RAM games go.

Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific. So to me, there's the three NFL games that I'm really going to zone in on this weekend. Our Minnesota playing Tom Brady and Tampa off a by, Pittsburgh at Buffalo on Sunday night football is a really good Sunday night football game. And then Baltimore at Cleveland on Monday night football. And there's a reason I'm going to watch those games. So I do a Super Bowl bubble. I do it about once a month. These are the teams, I think, and some of them are coming off an ugly loss.

Some have an injury I don't like, but they have enough things, I think, that make them a Super Bowl eligible team. So my Super Bowl bubble right now has Buffalo, Kansas City, in the AFC, and the Rams Green Bay Saints in Seattle. I know Seattle's coming off an ugly loss, but I like them right now. Now, the three teams I have on the outside, the perimeter of it, are the three teams in the three biggest games. If they win or do something that I don't think they're capable of, then they're in. And that would give us nine Super Bowl teams. And again, one of these could lose this weekend and be out. So let's take Tampa.

They're one in three since Antonio Brown arrived. It doesn't fit. They feel like they're forcing it. They're inconsistent. They're off a buy. Ariens and Brady are both great office. buys. Strangely, December buys are not as effective as October and November buys in the NFL. It's weird. It's a betting thing. December buys usually aren't as reliable. But if Tampa comes out and

can't show me they've used these 10 to 14 days to kind of give me an identity offensively, you know, the Patriot system for years was we don't collect players. We build teams. Right now, Tampa looks like they've collected a bunch of players. I don't feel. like there's a symmetry between run game, pass game. So I need to see them not only beat Minnesota, even if it's narrow, but do I feel like offensively? Oh, this is what they are. They've got an identity.

I don't know what their personality is on offense. Let's talk Pittsburgh. They can't run the football. They're absurdly reliant on Big Ben. Big Ben in his career is a 500 quarterback since he entered this league when asked to throw over 35 times a game. When asked to throw under it, he's won four to five games. Can they run the ball a little against Buffalo? Can they go on the road with an equal team and a young big Ben, Josh Allen, and get a little bit of a running game? Because if you're asking them to throw in Buffalo in December

51 times, you're not a Super Bowl team. The third is Cleveland. First of all, I think they have the best offensive line in the league. And PFF says, at least they did last week, it's the best run blocking and pass blocking. That's really rare. That's the Cowboys about four years ago. That is really rare. And that ensures that Baker's going to have time. They have a running game and they're going to win a bunch of games. Trent Dilfer said this years ago, everybody in the NFL when they lose acts the same. They're pissed. They put their head down. They're focused. What do you do when you win? That's the difference. Some guys buy this. Some guys do that. Some guys, they lose focus. So Cleveland just had, in my opinion, their biggest win in, I don't even, We know how many years, 10, 15.

Like, go to Tennessee, a team that was lightning in the bottle last year, Rabel's very respected, Derek Henry, and really crush them for the first hour and a half of the football game. Just roll them over. But then Cleveland was awful in the second half. And what are they going to do now? Monday night football, stand-alone game. The nation is turning into CU against the divisional rival. If they put back-to-back wins together, and this is the big team,

TV game. This isn't getting lost on a Sunday. This is, everybody's going home to watch Baker and the Browns and its divisional rival. They're off their biggest win. If they go out and they don't even actually, to me, have to win. Can they be turnover free? Can they look

energized? Can they be focused? Can they be low on penalties? 26, 24 either way, I'm like, okay, that's a grown up. Because Baltimore's a real team. I think Baltimore's better than people think they're a real team. And if Cleveland wins or is really look smart and like adult, like they're into a Super Bowl bubble. What's going on, everybody? John Middilcock, three and out podcast. Go subscribe right now.

If you like football, you'll like my show, you've to scout in the NFL, now I talk about it. Coming up this weekend, Cam Newton, is he shot, Jared Goff, is he good enough? Sam Darnel, what is he worth in a trade? We dive into the NFC and AFC playoff picture and much more. Three and Out podcast. Go subscribe right now. So New England just got, it was really bad last night. It was ugly. I mean, you can lose, and then it's like ugly. That was ugly.

And Bill Belichick was in just a terrific mood when asked about Cam Newton after the game. You're going to stick with Cam next week at quarterback? Great question, Mike. I'm really glad you asked that. Cam's our quarterback. What has Cam showed you to stick by him so much? He's our quarterback. They could just answer that one, done.

Yeah, it's a wonderful mood. I don't think there's a ton I don't think there's a market for Cam I said this before with Teddy Bridgewater there's a market for him because Teddy wins I think there's a market for Jimmy Garoppolo I think he wins now I think Teddy the market may have been three to four to five teams

I think Garoppolo two to three to four teams Cam doesn't win enough and it's just painful to watch him it really it's just hard to watch everything looks difficult but this goes back to something I talked about three years ago when I said it three years ago I got nothing but pushback and I think today most of you will agree with me,

is that athletes age differently. I compared Cam to Russell Westbrook three years ago, and Russell was like MVP guy, and nobody wanted to hear this. I said, he's going to age poorly. He's going to age poorly. As you age in basketball, Cam and Westbrook's games are so driven by physicality.

But as you watch the NFL change to an efficiency league, Cam's not efficient as a player. as you watch the NBA change to a shooter's league, Westbrook can't shoot threes. Westbrook at times is painful to watch shoot. Cam last night is painful at times to watch throw. Is that players age differently. Sometimes the culture, the sport moves away from you. Sometimes, Steph Curry, it moves into you.

Shoot more threes. And I think Westbrook, the game's moved away from his physicality. That's not the league. He doesn't really have moves. He just blows past you. And increasingly, over the next four or five years, Russell won't blow by as many people. He'll have to shoot more, and it just gets uglier and uglier.

And I think, similar to Cam, you got to do better in the pocket. And his game is, the sport has moved away from him. He's had an injury, and I think it's painful to watch. Last 16 games, he's won six. He's got five touchdown passes. This is Carolina and New England. He's a 74 passer rating guy. So, you know, I think when you rely on physicality for your game, you don't age as well.

And I said that it was a baseball player years ago. Jose Reyes played for the Mets. And I remember saying this at ESPN when I was there. I said, he's a great player, but somebody paid him a big contract. And I'm like, his sport is legs. It's not going to age well. He's going to just go, you see this with wide receivers oftentimes, speed wide receivers. If they lose the speed, you don't have.

the game. Receivers like Steve Smith Sr. who run great routes. Heinz Ward, big blocking receivers. It's different based on what is your game. Robert Woods for the Rams, by the way, could play a long time if he's healthy. It's a great blocking wide receiver. He's a very good

route running wide receiver. He's not really a guy based on speed. He's fast but not a burner. Tyreek Hill's game may not age as well. It's all about burning. It's all about just running past people. So I think Camden Westbrook, there's a similarity here. I think can be painful. The game's moved away, very dependent on physicality. And I just don't,

I don't see a market for Cam. There wasn't a market before we got to the Patriots. It was mostly a prove-it contract. And I don't think anybody's watching that in the NFL right now saying, I got to have that. I just don't see it. Want more herd? The herd streams 24 hours a day, seven days a week within the IHeart radio app. Search Hurd 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 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. I'm gonna Taylor the fourth. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined.

And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes

of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast. It's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be.

Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. 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 Jett. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill, waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 is big to me, not just because. of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so y'all know.

I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack. So I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now. Thank you finishing that sentence. Yes. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really? Yeah.

For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your Podcasts. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hard Way with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Kear Games.

And in recognition of mental health awareness month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking,

Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing.

And we're still chasing it. And we don't know when we've done enough. Because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross, because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth, or are you a good person because you're afraid? Because that's two different intentions, bro.

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

Search learn the hard way and listen now. Eric Mangini, three years with Cleveland, with the Jets, a couple of years with the Browns. He's now joining me as he often does on Friday. Three rings with the Patriots. All right, you watched the Patriots last night. Are there solutions easy? I look at them in an increasingly weapons-driven league, tight end, wide receiver, quarterback. I just don't see a lot of speed.

I don't see dynamic game changers. I see them all over the field for the Rams. how do you solve this message? This is not great. Like, how do you solve this stuff? Well, I don't think it's a short-term solve. The most disappointing part of that game for me last night was what New England did defensively. I mean, rarely do you see them get gashed like that in the running game and jump off sides on fourth and one?

And some of those things, to me, are uncharacteristic. and I think that will get fixed. You know, from an offensive perspective, it's, you know, they're transitioning from the O-line. Losing Dante Scarnackia as the O-line coach hurts them. The other thing that was surprising last night is guys running free, not even getting a hat-for-hat on some of the Ramsacks. You know, it's going to be fixed. And I think, you know, last night was a little bit. bit more of an aberration than necessarily the way it's going to trend.

But, you know, I've said this, Eric, and I've seen this in every industry I've ever, I used to work at a big company, ESPN, and they were formidable and they were dominant. And you start believing in your system, you start listening to less people outside of your sphere, you start believing into your good press, and I look at New England, and the more Super Bowls they win, the worst they are at drafting offensive players outside of the old. line and you know you it's you know the arrogance is a real human trait for successful rich people and some of this is I look at them boy Eric they don't draft offense very well frankly they don't have a lot of players that anybody would else want isn't that a fair criticism it's it's an

absolutely fair criticism but when you look at arrogance a lot of people become arrogant after one super bowl we see that all the time in the NFL where a team wins a Super Bowl and they're giving everybody else advice on how to repeat, and they never even sniff the Super Bowl again. New England's had 20 years of success and, you know, unprecedented Super Bowl victory. So to look at them with the same sort of guys of arrogance of big corporations, or I don't think that's fair. I don't think they have done typically a great job of drafting offensive talent. That's not necessarily a strength. And they've been able to do that because having Tom Brady, who maximizes, you know, the intellectual side and takes advantage of coverages, has been able to, you know, to cover that. Yeah. By the way,

it's all said and done now. Tom, if he wins this weekend, they'll be poised for a wildcard slot. New England's not doing anything. The divorce, the breakup. Today, where do you, what's your opinion on it both sides? But look, I think both sides would have been, better together. I think that Tom in Tampa is going through that frustration of having to learn a system. And the reason you bring Tom Brady in is he's not lighting it up athletically. He's lighting it up because he understands what the coverages are. He understands how the offense works. He understands how to get the ball into the right place. And when you now force a guy like that to learn, you're not maximizing his impact on the team. And I think what we just

talked about with New England, he'd be able to maximize. the ability in New England because of his time with Josh McDaniels because of how well he knew the system. And both would be better off if they'd say another year together. So you live in Cleveland and Monday night football. This is a big stage. Baltimore's been in dozens of games, Harbaugh. And I like Cleveland this weekend. But you know that. You coached in Cleveland. and you coached in the Jets. And sometimes non-traditional powers get into these big stages after a win, Eric, and they're just feeling themselves.

I mean, I know. We're laughing, but this is a real thing. And how do you think Cleveland responds Monday night in their biggest game in a decade, off a great win? Well, look, I thought the opening game of the season was a little bit of hazing of Kevin Stefanski when you put a rookie head coach with two rookie coordinators against the Ravens and all that experience with no pre-season, well, all the challenges. So now, fast forward to where we are now.

What I love about the Browns and the way that Kevin's handled the team and the way that the team has responded is you're not hearing about all the other stuff. Nobody's complaining about what Colin Coward said about him on his show. Nobody's talking about, you know, what they're going to do in the playoffs. They're actually, they're just focusing on the next, the next challenge. It's so, it's so refreshing to hear and to see. And I think they've got a really good coaching staff. And I think they've got a great opportunity, not just to win this game, but to make a bunch of noise moving forward.

Let's do the opposite of that, which is the Steelers, which have a remarkable history and brand, but they can't run the football. They don't attempt to run the football. Aaron Rogers right now is 14th in the league in attempts. Last year, Mahomes, was 18th. Russell Wilson was 22nd when he won a Super Bowl. Aaron was 14th when he won a Super Bowl. Big Ben's number one, he's averaging 50 throws a game.

I think we buy into him because of the brand, and I watched him again last weekend, and I'm like, I don't like where they're at. My feeling is you do. Let's update the Steelers opinion today. Well, look, I know there was a study on another one of our shows that talked about the first eight years of Big Ben versus the second eight years and how much you threw the ball and their success. But if you look at that, the first eight years that Ben was in the league, they had a top three defense or better, scoring defense or better six out of those eight years. Over the past eight years, they haven't.

This is the first year. They've even sniffed that situation. So Ben's had to carry the load. It's easier to run the ball when you're playing really good defense. Now, that being said, to establish a running game and to be able to build off the running game, every team needs it. And Seattle's learning about that as much as anybody this year. So do I think the numbers are skewed? Yes and no.

I think that the defense has changed dramatically. And if I was going to put the team in anybody's hands, to me it'd be Ben Rothesburg. By the way, the Wendt topic has been fascinating for us because I do think if he went to the Colts and Frank Reich and got better, I don't think his salary, at least for the Colts, is an issue. I mean, again, $35 million for a good quarterback is what you pay. But for the Eagles, I guess I could make the argument that if they moved Wence, they're not paying Jalen hurts anything.

So the quarterback position wouldn't be that punitive, although it's awful to have like that dead cap money. what are you do in Philadelphia today? I mean, seriously, you ran the team. What do you do with the Wendt situation? Carson Wence has to work. Carson Wence has to work or there's going to be a new head coach. That's just the way it is. And it may not be the short term where he has to work.

But when you've got a situation where you've got $59 million in dead cap money, if you move on from him next season, that's a problem. If you've sold your owner on the fact that this is our franchise quarterback, and that he should get a second contract, and he should get that contract early, and then you say, look, he's broken beyond repair. That doesn't fly. And I understand why they're moving to Hertz in the short term.

He can move around better than Wents can. But I watched that game last week. The coach's copy. The O-line has problems. They didn't run the ball very effectively. The receivers weren't getting open. I didn't think they necessarily called a bunch of plays that were as beneficial to Carson

as could have possibly been. But if you say that this guy's broken, then to me you probably have a new head coach, you know, with the next quarterback. By the way, let's go back to the Rams game. Boy, I tell you what, that defense is really good. They've got really nice skill players.

I really like them. I know you watch them and like them. Is there something that worries you about the Rams? Yeah, it's, It's similar to the 49ers. When they were playing the Cardinals, I was thinking about that game, and you look at it and you think, okay, well, Kyler Murray, the Cardinals are relying on him to win the game. And you look at the Rams and you think, okay, they just want to make sure that Jared Goff doesn't lose the game. And that's a difficult situation to be in.

You know, his touchdown to interception ratio is a big concern. his overall decision-making, kind of like the 49ers with Garoppolo, they had a lot of different ways that they could win. And when they got into the most critical times, they kept taking the ball out of the quarterback's hands. And can you win a Super Bowl doing that way or go to a Super Bowl that way and not rely on the quarterback? Yeah, you can. It's just, it's hard to really get behind them when you don't feel like they're really behind the quarterback. in that same way. I like Goughf better than Gropolo, do you?

Yeah. In fairness, to Gough, I think that, or actually to Gropolo, I think that the Rams have done a great job of building the running game and then creating plays off the running game that help golf quite a bit. I think a lot of quarterbacks of sort of his level and Gropolo's level would benefit from that. I'd say, yeah, between the two, I would probably lean towards golf as well. All right. Not much of an endorsement there.

That was, you know, it's not like you're giving up. Well, I didn't hear you endorsing him that whole hard to lead. It's like, I like him a little better. I think he's a slightly more athletic, better deep ball thrower than Matt Ryan. That's what I think he is. I think he throws a better deep ball throw than Matt Ryan? Boy, Matt's arm in the last year or two, oh, coach. If he's not set up.

I like Matt Ryan better than both those guys. All right. Easily. All right. We'll see you soon, Coach. Enjoy your Ohio winner. I know you love it out there in Cleveland. Hey, it's 50 degrees here.

It's blazing. So I might go get a 10. Eric Mangini, good stuff. Another podcast from some SNL late night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smigel and friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest,

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