The Herd with Colin Cowherd - 12/22/2020 - HOUR 1 - Steelers, Big Ben, NBA, Wentz

Episode Date: December 22, 2020

It might be time for the Steelers to move on from Big BenThe Steelers brand is a big name that doesn't win anymoreStart of the NBA seasonWhy Carson Wentz should be cheering for Justin HurtsGuest: Kevin Clark Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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

Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok podcast network on TikTok. Thanks for listening to The Heard podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday from 12 to 3 Eastern, 9 to noon Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and FS1. Find your local station for the herd at Fox Sports Radio.com or stream us live every day on the iHeart radio app by searching Heard. You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. Ah, here we go on a Tuesday.

I'm in a splendid mood live in Los Angeles. This is The Herd, wherever you may be, and however you may be listening. We're on Fox Sports Radio, I Heart Radio, and FS1. I feel slender. I feel energized. I had a great night of sleep. Everything is working today. I feel fantastic.

Joy looks fantastic. Ready to go. Joy, you're from Pittsburgh. There was a power outage there last night. The internet was down because I didn't hear from a single Steeler fan for eight hours. Listen, you've got issues, guys. 412, 724. We've got some problems.

Let's talk about it. All right. It's great to have you in on a Tuesday, my last week, last day for a while. Joy is in tomorrow with Nick Wright. So let's talk about outliers. LeBron and Tom Brady are outliers. Like they're like, you know, in the 20th year, 18th year, and they're still as good as they've been in the last five years. In fact, I thought LeBron last year looked better than he'd looked in four or five years.

Why? Because in life, what you put into your body, you get out. And LeBron and Tom Brady had been meticulous with their bodies. And now it pays real dividends as they age. You know, your body, you can live on Taco Bell and four hours sleep when you're 21. But when you're 38, 39, 40 is a pro athlete, bro, it catches up to you. I mean, Michael Jordan is unbelievable. But Michael was a cigar smoking, wine drinking, steak, eating, card playing, no sleeping maniac.

And in the end, he couldn't jump. And he's Michael Jordan. Big Ben's reputation. And this is why I picked him for. eight and eight and seven and nine. Joy is my witness. I kept saying, surgery for those who are in great shape is different for those like Big Ben.

He has never been a grinder. Jay Glazer has a mailbag for a subscription service called The Athletic. And Glazer's got a lot of friendly NFL contacts. He's not somebody that bangs away at players. But during the summer, somebody asked him about Big Ben. He said, first of all, let's not put the words fitness and Ben together. They're allergic to each other. There is no fitness in Ben.

His idea of a great off-season workout is a yoga session, playing golf and drinking beer. That's not a shot. That is what I have talked about on this show for years. In this instance, Glazer and I share sources. That's not a shot on him. Ben is the greatest backyard football player in league history. But this goes for everybody. Actors, landscapers, schoolteachers.

How you treat your body, I can tell when you're 55 or 60. And as a pro athlete, I can tell when you're 35. Big Ben, right now, it's over. Like Drew Breeze has some limitations. And Brady certainly does. But those two also brought sort of a cerebral pre-snap excellence to the position. Big Ben's always played this thing. Like it's him and a bunch of Pennsylvania guys in the backyard.

and he's the best ever at it. He wasn't one of the great pre-snap guys, one of the great audible guys, one of the off-season workout guys. It was, give me a ball, get me a couple of deep threats, and let's go. LFG. The problem is Pittsburgh is built to be Big Ben in 27. They got great receivers. They got unbelievable receivers. He can't throw a deep ball.

I mean, it's bad. First play of the game, he can't throw a deep ball. And so, listen, Tom Brady is an outlier. and Manning fell off a cliff late 30s. Eli last four years was weak. Philip Rivers, probably a year left. Drew Breeze, he'll be into broadcasting. That's the way it works.

LeBron and Brady are outliers because they have put so much into their bodies. Both put millions a year. I've said Russell Wilson is very much LeBron and Brady. You can see, he is building a brand to play until his 40s. He puts a million and a half, you know, I have some connections. to Russell. It's about a million and a half a year. And he's young, not old guy. And here's the other thing. And listen, I know Ben had surgery. And you can push back and go, well, this surgery, go ask doctors. Go ask anybody. Like, the better shape you're in, the faster you recover from surgeries. Big Ben was very good early in the season. But as the season is extending, it's not that he's struggling. He's awful. Maybe it's Sam Darnold. Maybe it's draft picks. It is awful. And so I think this morning, you have to be, it's the elephant in the room. they got to move. They got to move off this thing because this is a 16 game schedule.

And if you're Pittsburgh, your standards are, two or three playoff games after that. This is no longer a 19 game quarterback. Maybe you draft somebody and you give Ben a couple of weeks off in October and November. I'm not sure if he'd like that. But, you know, you can walk around. You can walk around to the mall and look and say, who took care of themselves and who,

just was born good-looking. You know what I mean? You all see that person. They're great-looking in high school and college. They party hard. All of a sudden they get a little older. And they're still kind of good-looking and stuff. But it's like, they stayed up late.

They closed a few bars. And I think with Big Ben, that's always been the thing. And he's just always been a world-class talent, a backyard football player, and it's caught up to him. And, I mean, the surgery is not easy for anybody. Nobody is saying that. But LeBron got hurt two years ago. He's better now than he was four years ago.

I mean, it's just, bounced off that injury like nothing I've ever seen. Well, it's not osmosis. It's not a coincidence. There's a reason LeBron bounced off that injury. So here's Big Ben after. I'm not consistent enough, which affects the offense because the balls in my end every play. Ben, what is the level of frustration and concern right now as you head in the last two weeks? High. High frustration. Sam Darnel, draft picks, one of them. It's time to make a move. to this. The NBA

begins in earnest tonight. Now, lots of fans loved MJ more than they currently love LeBron. I get it. There was a lot to like about MJ. He was great. He was glamorous. He was cool. His commercials. He was good looking. He had that kind of, you know, American step on the throat thing. We love for our athletes.

And a lot of people say the NBA was better 20 years ago. Well, I don't necessarily disagree. It had more layers. It was physical. Players really hated each other. The rivalry were intense. I mean, I get it.

The pistons, the Bulls, the Lakers, the Celtics, and bird and tackle it. I get it. I think I like the NBA probably more than 20 years ago. I think the players are now more talented, but it was very tribal and very intense, and there was a lot to love about it. But the people that loved the NBA 20 years ago and love Michael Jordan more than LeBron,

they believe the debate is over. and, oh, it is not over with LeBron and Michael Jordan. It's not just beginning. It's not in the middle. There's three things LeBron has going for him. Number one, his stats in production will crush MJ, crush MJ, crush MJ with just two to three more seasons. Number two, LeBron's now got titles in three destinations. Michael couldn't even win in a second.

And number three, Anthony Davis. And this is the factor. When you look around at the argument for second best player in the NBA, and this has happened really quickly. Janice. Oh, he's now locked into Milwaukee, a place that won't get free agents. James Harden, increasingly weird? Kauai, alienates teammates, load management, leadership questions are legit.

Steph Curry, injuries and claims. is hurt. Kevin Durant. Diddle on the injuries. And I for one am a real cynic on KD. and Kyrie being Tom Hanks and Rita Hanks for 40 years working perfectly at Harmony. I have my issues about that relationship. Very quickly, the number two player in the league is Anthony Davis. And he doesn't have any of those issues. We don't question his leadership. We don't question now is durability. He doesn't appear to be difficult to play with. We have a situation now where the second best player in the league for most of LeBron's career,

let's be honest, all of it, was a threat to LeBron. Folks, four years ago, you were telling me KD's better than LeBron. You kept yelling and screaming. And there's the Westbrook and to harden and beat. And now all the twos are in these situations. leadership, mental, physical, hard to play with, unglomerous markets, except one of them. Anthony Davis. And from the first week, and I don't know what it is about their personalities,

not only does LeBron have the second best player, it is like their brothers. It's like they've played together for 15 years. LeBron loved D. Wade. Still does. I always thought that was a weird, clunky basket. ball fit. LeBron and AD is literally perfect. And LeBron's entire career has been about, oh, who's the next LeBron, who's going to challenge LeBron? The second now, to me, and I don't even think there's a question. He now plays with, they fit together, and the Lakers have upgraded.

Listen, part of Fox Sports growth has been ESPN's decline. Part of LeBron's dominance has been the same thing. I have so many questions about the twos, about Kauai, about Janus, about step, about Hardin, about KD, about, the only one I don't is Anthony Davis. So I do think the Lakers should win, will win, and should be favored. It's great to have you in today. You know, I was watching that Steeler game last night. I almost, I considered strongly, but that's not who I am. I considered Strongly going on a five-minute Instagram rant. And I thought, cliche, no reason. Let's just let this thing bake here.

But I do have a question for all those mean Steeler fans who hurt my feelings. When I simply suggested, you can't win playoff games with that BB gun offense. That's next. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific. on Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the 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.

I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, untrower. filtered 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 Clivert 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 Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at a podcast. I'm Sam Jett. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick you here, unpack what? went down and tried to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill, waxing all about crack in the 80s.

To be clear, 84 is big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack all day, but just so you all know. I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack, so I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now, so. They're 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. 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.

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Starts next year, U.S. only. Real life entertainment, favorite brands, exclusive originals, Discovery Plus. Just in such a good mood today. Going on a little, little siesta, a little sabbatical here for a few. days. Yeah, today's your Friday. Yeah, just, you know, I told you my dad took Wednesdays off. He was a doctor, small town doctor. So every other day was Friday. Tuesday was Friday and Friday was Friday. So he took Wednesday off. He worked his doctor Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday. And then he'd work an occasional Saturday. And it was like his theory was, every other day's Friday. You're just in a good

mood going to work. That's smart. I like the, I like the Fridays off. Four day work week. Boom. We're both on that. Yeah. So this happens all the time. Right now in our sports world, most of the big brands are winning. The Dodgers are a big brand. They're winning a big brand they're winning. And the New York Yankees, they're not winning a World Series, but they're a very good team. Alabama football, Oklahoma football, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Duke basketball, Kansas basketball. You know, Lakers are really good.

Celtics are at least viable. Most of our big brands in America are winning. One is not as much as we think in the last 15, 20 years, the Dallas. Cowboys. And we kind of roll our eyes and mock the Dallas Cowboys. They don't have a pro bowler currently. Like, ooh. What has Pittsburgh done in the last decade? I want you to think about this. They've had 20 different players. Different players make the Pro Bowl in the decade. New England's had 19. New England's got 16 playoff wins. Steelers have three. It's been a decade. It's been a decade. of brand over reality, underachieving, and disappointment.

They have got in 10 years no Super Bowls, three playoff wins, and two wins over the New England Patriot Dynasty. Their three playoff wins were over A.J. McCarran, Matt Moore, and Alex Smith, and one, they didn't score a touchdown. They lost playoff games to Tim Tebow and Blake Bortles. The last time they beat a top quarterback in a playoff game, And we kind of, this morning, we kind of wrestled with this. It was Joe Flacco and he was good-ish and dropped off a cliff quickly.

You know, we kind of roll our eyes at the Dallas Cowboys because of Jerry's vanity and, you know, he holds a press conference on local radio. And I think we all respect Kevin Colbert, the Rooney family. And they've certainly had great dignity the entire organization's history. But if you've got 20 different players who are pro bowlers over a decade, in the last decade, 13 teams have more playoff wins. 13. They're right in the middle of the pack. And here's another thing.

There's no excuse for this. Whereas the Dallas Cowboys have had their issues, Philadelphia is well run. The Giants have Super Bowls. So does Washington. The Steelers have had the gift of having the Browns and the Bengals for the last decade in their division. I mean, that should be, that's four and oh every year, right off the top.

You don't get that in Dallas with Philadelphia, the Giants, and Washington, although Washington certainly had their share of dysfunction. So, you know, I think we're getting to a point. It's not a cheap shot. What have they been in the last decade? It just feels like underachievement, here we go again, derailed late in the season. These are not cheap shots. I'm just, I went this morning and looked it up.

There are three playoff wins in a decade. AJ McCarron, Matt Moore and Alex Smith, and losses to Timo and Bortles. That's just for the Steelers not good enough. Joy Taylor with the news. No, no, no, no, turn on the news. This is the herd line news. I've been saying it for the longest.

And they had their franchise quarterback. That's right, they had it there. A two-time Super Bowl winning franchise quarterback. Yeah, so. And you had Levy on Bell and Antonio Brown and a two-time Super Bowl-winning franchise quarterback in that time. So in that time, you, in that decade, had easily the best quarterback in the division for probably eight of it. Yeah, the best quarterback for 10 years.

Flacco had a couple of years where he was fairly high-end, but he wasn't been. Right. So, I mean, there's a lot of things that have worked in your favor. And that's all I get. Time for a little accountability, guys. So the dolphins currently have the seventh spot in the AFC playoffs, but the Ravens are right there threatening to bump them out. And the Raiders also have an outside chance to get in

with two games left this season. So Dolphins head coach Brian Flores knows how big this weekend's matchup against Vegas is for his team. Our playoffs is this week against the Raiders. When you're playing a meaningful games, there's a little bit added anxiety or stress if you want to call it that. But it's good to kind of go through that

and realize you're just still playing football. There's a, this is a really interesting situation with the AFC playoff picture because we've talked about it this week. The dolphins or the Ravens, one of them is not going to make the playoffs, and that's really insane. Okay, let's say what we said yesterday. It feels more dramatic if the Ravens don't make the playoffs. The Ravens are going to go 11 and 5 and potentially not make the playoffs. You tell me, name a team in NFL history. It left go 25 years.

As good as the Ravens at 11 and 5 and not make the playoffs, they'll be the greatest team I can remember not making the playoffs. We added a playoff spot in both conferences. And the Ravens at 11 and 5. It's incredible. But I think it's great that the AFC is so competitive. Oh, I absolutely love it. And I'm Brian Flores is just...

He's a star. He is Belichick. He sounds like him at Pressers. Like, I just, there's... I was thinking when he was talking, I'm like, you know, there's a couple people who I really would not like to be scolded by. Brian Flores, one of them. Belichick, definitely one of them.

I don't think I'd like a very serious talking to by Gruden. Like, we like Gruden. He's very charismatic. But I think if he was really mad at you, would be uncomfortable. I believe the line on this game confuses me. I think Miami's going to win handily. And I don't understand the line minus two and a half. I don't understand.

Miami is playing better every weekend. The Raiders are struggling. One defense is top three. One is bottom three. Well, it is a road game. Well, yeah, but does that even count anymore? I just think you just factor in the travel. They are still travel.

I don't understand. You don't have the crowds and, you know, and I'm sure that that environment will be much different when there are crowds there. But it's still travel. So there's that. I don't know. I mean, I tend to lean that way as well, but this is technically like a playoff game for the Dolphins. So there is a little bit of added, added pressure and anxiety.

They still have a lot of young players. And Miami, I think Miami had to have to check, Joy. They're getting some players back for this game. They were dinged up for the Patriots. Yeah. So they have the rate. They're at the Raiders, and then their final game is at the Bills, and they kind of need to win both of those. So Doug Peterson announced that Jalen Hertz will be the starter again this week against the Cowboys.

However, he would not commit to Hertz for the rest of the season. He said he obviously was sticking with Hertz for the next game, but he was only focused on this week. I don't know why he won't just say Hurts is the starter for the rest of the season. Because I think he's trying to massage the Wentz situation. Instead of just saying, instead of just breaking up, it's, you're not. You've still got a shot, and it makes the temperature in the room changes a little if you manage it. Like, okay, one more week of Hertz instead of, we're going with Hertz. Then Wentz literally can't dodge the Philadelphia media, and it's just a circus.

It does cause a little bit more. I'm not quite as finesse as that. But he also wants to see how Hertz and the rest of the team respond after last week's loss. But I didn't, even though they lost last week, it wasn't a loss I felt bad about. And I don't like to do that because I don't like. like moral victories. But I think when you're in a situation like this, you have to have a little bit more perspective.

Yeah. I mean, from a fan's perspective, that was a great game and a great watch. But it wasn't like Hertz wasn't there. You put the ball right where it needed to be. Yeah. But he plays in a row at the end of the game to win it. They are at the Cowboys and then they have Washington to finish out this season. And then we'll find out Week 17 who won the NFC East if you're still interested in that.

So the heat are no longer in the running for James Harden. Thank you. Miami has reportedly decided to end their pursuit of the Rocket Star. The two teams are said to only have had casual conversations about making a deal and the heat couldn't match what the Rockets were asking for in return, especially with draft assets. I'm so confused as to how this is actually going to end up playing out. Because Houston has all the leverage here.

You know, all I know is this. Miami is so well constructed and so well run. Pat Riley and Eric Spolster are so committed, I don't think James Hardin deserves Miami. Oh, I don't think he's a good fit either. Now, listen, could the Heat use his scoring? Of course. If he was a personality that fit with the Heat culture, then this would be worth whatever the Rockets were asking for. For the next two years, go all in, and you have an opportunity to win the East again and get to the finals. and really they lacked scoring in the finals this year. Like they needed those extra points.

But Miami is a very particular place. It's a very fun place that you have to be a serious person in or you're going to fall apart. Thank you. Again, this is a- You can thrive there. NFL GMs talk about this all the time. If you're in a port city, like a New Orleans or a New York or L.A., Miami.

Drafting mature players is kind of, of the lean that you have to consider this stuff mature and also and or also really hardworking people like you can be distracted you can take your time away okay your brother but you have to be a hard worker okay so go look at your brother and jack taylor and your brother jack yeah zach thomas yeah jack tomah okay so if you look at your brother jason taylor and jay if you go look at the guys that have really succeeded they've been kind of football obsessed or married early or mature early guys that's the history of the miami dolphins or very very desperate and aware of what happens if they don't succeed.

They were also drafted by Jimmy Johnson, a very, very serious person. Pat Riley is a serious person. And look, James Hardin's one of the best players in the league. I just, it's not worked ever. He's a number two, and everyone keeps trying to make him into a number one. That's not how it's going to work. And he's certainly not going to be the number one with the heat and Jimmy Butler. Yeah.

Joy with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Hurdline News. I am going to have a number for you at the top of the hour. in my herd hierarchy, which I'm obsessed with. It's just a stupid top 10 list. I'm obsessed with it, and I get more hate mail on it than anything.

I'm going to give you a stat you're not even going to believe. You're not even going to believe about a player in the NFL. Somebody that is believable is Kevin Clark, NFL Rider the Ringer, brought to you by Mercedes-Benz, the best or nothing. Okay, listen, everybody age is different. And generally speaking, Kevin, if you take care of yourself, your mind, your body, age a little better. and then there's those who are just naturally gifted,

they get hold and they fall off clips. And we've all had somebody in our life like that, a cousin, whoever. You know, Jay Glazer is somebody, I've talked to him about this on and off the air, which is Ben was not exactly known as a grinder in the offseason, and I watch him. Kevin, it's, I don't see him turning it around. I understand the surgery, but don't they need a quarterback?

I looked at Ben's completion percentage chart today. to look at what he was doing. And I felt like a scientist in a disaster movie. Like I wanted to run around screaming. Look at this. This is the last thing you see before you die. He was one or 13 when throwing 10 yards down the field. He just looked awful.

He couldn't complete passes in any meaningful way. I don't know what you do here. The Steelers, the NFL looked this up. The Steelers have now as an 11-win team, no team has ever had 11 wins and lost to two teams as bad as the football team and the Bengals. It's never happened in history. So something is wrong.

The 86 Jets had a similar situation where they started 10 and 1 and they ended up basically losing out. I just don't know how you fix this. Ben can't use huge chunks of the field. I just, this is, this is bad. You know, I think you can, I think the bar is so low for what they need from the offense with the skill position players they have. And the fact, they create turnovers at the rate they do. And T.J. Watts is a superstar. Make it Fitzpatrick as a ballhawk, you know, a top tier player.

It only needs to do a little bit and he can't do it right now. and I don't know how you proceed. So I had Jimmy Johnson on yesterday, the Hall of Fame coach. I had Trent Dilfer on who does all this quarterback stuff. And, you know, Jimmy's like, I think I build a fortress and just give Darnold one more year. And then if it doesn't work, the next guy comes in with a real football team. Trent Dilfer's like, the gap between Trevor Lawrence and Justin Fields, I've seen them up close. It's not as great as you think.

Okay. So they're not getting Trevor Lawrence. Your thought, your sources, your belief on what do the Jets do with the number two? I think they do everything they can and then they eventually take Justin Field. So what I mean by that is the first thing they do is auction off the picks. Does anybody want to give us the Hershal Walker deal for the number two overall picks, some quarterback needy team? And then they look at the quarterback market.

It is a Matthew Stafford going to be a little, kind of a B plus A minus type starter. If there's a new GM coming into a bunch of these cities with old quarterbacks, what happens there? And then I think eventually you settle on fields because I think that, you know, listen, a new coach is going to want answers at the quarterback position. Taking him to tackle from Oregon sounds good in theory to build up the lines. Joe Douglas loves toughness. He helped that Philadelphia team build through the lines. But I think at some point that they just need answers.

I understand the impulse for Darnold to have one year in a competent coaching staff and an infrastructure that supports him. But I just don't think they're going to be that good next year. So what do you know? You just take the can down the road and you're in the same situation next year. I think you try to get that fortress. And I don't know if it's necessarily coming. and if you can't do it, you just take Justin Fields and go from there.

So I've been saying this. Baseball's a lot of stat and history-driven. Football's always been about just win games. And I think it's funny. So about three weeks ago, Ravens lost back-to-back, and the world bailed on Lamar Jackson. And I said, folks, he wins 79% of his games. He's younger than Joe Burrell.

Okay, he's not perfect. Find me the guy that is. I think I could outrun Tom Brady today. If the Ravens don't make the playoffs, and you're good at this stuff, the history, are they the best team to not make the playoffs? I can't think of anybody this good. Well, they might be the most talented, especially roster-wise, when you live in September.

But this is an unprecedented season, Colin. I mean, you're looking at, listen, they basically had a month of the season wiped out due to COVID protocols, and they played a weird Wednesday game, same as the Steelers, by the way. It's been weird since then for them. and I just think that you sort of have to give them a little bit of a break in that sense. But it's not like they were setting the world on fire before. We saw them play the Chiefs and they didn't get there. I think that the thing that Lamar Jackson still has,

and it's something that I reported about last year, and I remember talking to guys in that locker room, they said when Lamar Jackson drops back to pass and starts accelerating forward, that you will see in linebackers' eyes or defensive ends eyes, the defenders looking at their coaches and saying, I don't know what to do. I just simply have no idea how to process what's in front of me. And I think Lamar still has that.

We saw that against Cleveland. We've seen that in flashes over the past couple of weeks. And so, yes, I think that somehow they're going to find a way to make the playoffs, even though there's just a lot of good AFC teams in the mix of that wildcard. And I love what the Dolphins have done this year. And I love what the Browns have done this year. But I still think Lamar has that magic. And I think we got away from it a little too early.

I think this is a really talented team. Yeah. So listen, the old saying is you are what your record is. Obviously, it's true. We have standings. But you're also what my eyes see. And we have a Kansas City team now that has had, you look at the numbers with New Orleans, 15 first downs, awful on third down, 42 to 18 deficit time of possession, and it's a field goal game.

Sometimes, Kevin, the Chiefs were 7 and 4 in Week 11 last year. They didn't have a top 10 defense. Mahomes was like 18th in passer rating. I know they're great, but they trailed in all their playoff games. We've kind of annoyed them a dynasty. and these dynasties in all these leagues never last as long. Seattle never got a second Super Bowl. I love Kansas City.

But don't they look vulnerable in the last month and a half? Well, what do you see? They look vulnerable when teams play perfect games and they still win. And so I don't think you can discredit that too much. I think that, listen, the Saints knew how to play Mahomes. They were dropping back. They were taking away those bombs. The pressure was as good as any pressure rate in football against Mahomes this year

and it ended up not mattering. Okay. Patrick Mahomes wins around 90% of his games since the start of 2019 when he's down 10 points. The NFL average is 18%. That is ridiculous. That is not normal, Colin. And what the Chiefs remind me of is a UFC fighter who can do it all. And they can play any type of game.

And we saw that. Trey Hendrickson was getting in the Mahomes' face all afternoon. It didn't matter. All of a sudden, they're running power option to Lev Bell. They're not throwing these huge bombs. Mahomes can get pressured and it doesn't matter. the UFC fighter who can punch or wrestle or do jujitsu or whatever it is, they can handle it.

And that's what I think impressive people most about Kansas City is they can win any type of game. I mean, even with the defense, they create turnovers. They knew exactly how to play Drew Breeze on Sunday, even if in the second half it wasn't perfect. I understand the vulnerability. But at some point, doesn't your identity become that you can escape these things? I understand that at some point, a teammate the bills might make a play in the fourth quarter

and reverse everything. or it could be like two years ago, excuse me, two years to go against the Patriots, where there's a jump off sides and all of a sudden they get screwed up. But I think their identity is they do impossible things. Patrick Mahomes makes the miraculous look normal every single year, every single week. And I think that at some point that becomes who you are. Good stuff. Happy holiday.

What's the next NFL game you're going to, Kevin? It might be the Super Bowl. All right. Well, I don't know. I mean, it's a weird time to travel to NFL game. It's certainly. It goes locked down. Great seeing you, great work.

Happy holidays. Thanks, all. Anytime. So he gave you an amazing stat on Mahomes. Okay, that was an amazing stat. Mahomes wins like 85, 90% of his games down 10. The league average is 18. I will top it.

Well, I don't know if it's better than that. It's darn close at the top of the hour. I just saw a stat this morning. It's insane. Can you tell us what team is about? No, I can't. Be patient. Okay.

Can't just give it up. You don't give up. gems. I don't tell during the gold rush. They didn't go, the gold's right here. Dig, right? You have to, you have to wait to find the gold. Patience is a virtue. All right. Coming up next, it looks awful,

and then I thought about it, and everything's going to be okay in Philadelphia. It is with the Eagles. 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'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. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep. That's me, Clifford 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 Jek. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we picket 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 Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hardway with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Keer Games.

And in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking, Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing. And we're still chasing it. And we don't know when we've done enough. Because people scoreboard watch.

Life becomes about wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross, because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth? 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. Nick Wright and Joel Clatt today, top of next hour, the herd hierarchy. So there's a lot of reasons why the NFL is so much more popular than every other league in America.

And it's not really close. We see the metrics, a lot of different metrics, it's not close. You know, unlike baseball, it's got a zillion games. There's more urgency. Every Sunday feels like it matters. That's a big part of it. We bet football. Our whole lives.

We've been betting football games. Somebody in America has. We don't really bet baseball and NBA. We do now more with, you know, gambling, becoming more part of our fabric, but we've always bet it. It's really good on television. It literally the field fits the box.

But I think one of the under-discussed reasons, the NFL is so popular is hope. You don't get stuck in like quicksand. with a bad contract to a baseball player, you know, it's like you're not stuck for nine years. You're not stuck in the NBA when you get a bad contract and a difficult player. The NFL players have less power and leverage than every other American professional athlete.

And sometimes I think that's its strength. If a guy's a headache, you cut him. If a guy underperforms, you move off him. And a couple weeks ago, I said, I thought the Philadelphia situation was so bad. bleak. And then I watched Jalen Hurts Sunday and I thought, no, no, I've seen this before in the NFL. This is the sport of a silver lining. And Carson Wentz, the minute Nick Foles the backup won that Super Bowl, it's never felt comfortable. He's a young kid. I mean, if I took a week off and it was the highest rate of this show ever was with my backup and they built a statue of the guy outside

Fox, I'd probably be a little insecure. And Jalen Hertz was drafted in the second round. It's not like they drafted him with other needs which they have to sit and watch games from the sideline. The NFL's style is moving into his style. Philadelphia is going to find room for Carson Wentz. How about we start with the Colts, go to the Patriots, keep your eye on Denver and San Francisco. I think they ideally like to get him to the other conference and not have him come back.

and burn him. Yes, it's a big cap hit for Philadelphia. But if Jalen Hertz is as good as potentially we've seen, he's free for three years. So the quarterback position, again, if he's performing at a division winning level, it's not an outrageous fee for him. Wence needs a reboot, probably a new coordinator. Hertz needs an opportunity. And I think Philadelphia is going to find. somebody who's going to buy that contract. I mean, good God, we woke up this morning and thought, wow, Pittsburgh needs a quarterback. It's like every weekend we're like, oh, that team's good.

Oh, no, they're not. I mean, I've gone back and forth on Cam and New England six times this year. So the NFL is not the NBA. You don't get stuck for seven years in quicksand or mud where you can't get off a contract. You can't get off a, you know, you pay a pitcher of fortune. Boom. Tommy John surgery. now you can't fulfill your bullpen needs, your infield needs, and you're stuck with a contract.

In the NBA, the players have more power. You can pay a guy a lot. He gets injured. He gets an attitude. He has more, he's hard to play with. So Doug Peterson talked about Wentz and Hurts. Listen, this is an eggshell thing. But the more I watch Hertz play and the style of the NFL and quarterbacks that move in their success, I'm like, maybe it's the best for everybody.

This is a situation where it's not. You know, it's not Carson versus Jalen or Jalen versus Carson, right? This is a team that, you know, we're fighting and scratching each week and still have an opportunity to, you know, pull this thing out and see what happens here in the next two weeks of the regular season. And, you know, the team doesn't feel like, you know, there's any kind of animosity between either one of the guys. Carson Wentch should actually be cheering.

for Jalen Hertz because it speeds everything up. If Jalen Hertz has two great final games, and Philadelphia Inside says, let's make a call to the culture Patriots. You think Bill Belichick's going to sit around with a rookie quarterback? I don't. And Wence is better than Darnold. I don't.

You think Philip Rivers is really the answer against the Mahomes of Justin Herbert? I don't. So, you know, two weeks ago, this was bleak. I watch Hertz and I think, yeah, it's the NBA. It's the NFL, excuse me. It's fixable. So NBA season starts the night. KD.

Kairi getting a lot of love and publicity. I've said this before. I do not like loud teams. Philadelphia last couple years have been loud, a lot of talk. They've unraveled in the playoffs. The Houston Rockets are talented, but a loud team. They've unraveled in the playoffs. Jimmy Butler's career was loud and headlines and I don't like and this

and then he moved to Miami and just became a baller, a leader. You didn't really hear a lot about Miami last year. They got quiet and good. In the bubble, the clippers were loud. It was the Lou Williams Strip Club, Pat Beverly opted out, chemistry issues, dock in trouble. A lot of noise. A.D. has always been quiet. Lakers had veterans.

They went to bed early. got really quiet in the bubble. James Hardin's career has gotten worse as it's gotten loud. Story this morning, according to Shom Sharania, at the new Rockets team he's playing with. He had a confrontation, did James Harden with one player, and threw a basketball at another on Monday. The good news, at least now he's passing.

The point being is, I don't like loud. I think teams unravel. And you know what? I'm not crazy here. Brooklyn's been loud in the season, hasn't started. Kyrie saying, A, we don't need a coach. Karee saying Katie's actually better closing games than LeBron.

Karee saying the media, I don't talk to Pons. Kevin Durant having to dismiss the James Harden rumors and stories. I say the louder a Hollywood marriage, the sooner it ends. There is a little bit. You've got to be honest. Katie and Karee, there is a little Kim Konyi thing here, just a little, just a little. Very good on social media. very attractive,

a lot of conspiracy theories. You never quite feel it's a hundred percent stable relationship. I don't know. It just feels like it's going to be really fun and I can't wait to watch it and they're really talented and it's really interesting. But go look over the last several years. You want to know who's quiet last year at Miami

and the Lakers and Denver. Just quiet. They just bald. Jimmy Butler's whole career was loud. They went to Miami, a city in which it can make quiet people loud. He didn't hear anything about it. He was just, I like my coffee. I like my teammates.

It's like he became 58 years old in a year in Miami. Miami just had no distractions, no talk, having fun, bawling. Jimmy's coffee. Clippers last year got really, really loud, especially in the bubble. I don't know. Kady Kairi is going to be fun, but it just doesn't feel stable to me long term. One scoop, all it takes. MDrivevStart.com.

Digestive enzymes, protein, nutrients. Listen, we're all getting older. Doesn't mean we want age to define us. MDrivevstart.com. One scoop every morning. Nice smoothie. Next, heard hierarchy on a Tuesday. 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 funny. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer, Streeter Seidel, help an a cappella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter.

Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and friends on the I-Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast, Superhuman, documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds.

I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journalism. or my career in sports media.

Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfilled of conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to The Clifford show on the Iheart radio app,

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

And I'm Alex English Each episode We pick a year unpack what went down And try to make sense of how we survived it With our friends fellow comedians

And favorite authors Like Mark Lamont Hill On the 80s 84 was a wild year I don't think There's a more important year for black people Listen to look back at it

On the IHeart radio app Apple Podcasts Or wherever you get your podcasts This is an IHeart podcast Guaranteed Human Thank you.