The Herd with Colin Cowherd - 12/29/2020 - HOUR 1 - Tom Brady Is Underrated & Peter King

Episode Date: December 29, 2020

Colin reacts to the Patriots getting dominated on Monday Night Football and why the disappointing season for New England proves that Tom Brady is actually underrated. Colin compares the rise of Josh Allen to an all-time great and hall of fame quarterback. Long time NFL insider Peter King joins the show to tell Colin why the Washington Football Team's former first round pick Dwayne Haskins fizzled out so quickly. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thanks for listening to The Heard podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday from 12 to 3 Eastern, 9 to noon Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and FS1. Find your local station for the herd at Fox Sports Radio.com or stream us live every day on the IHeartRadio app by searching Heard. You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. It is a holiday, Tuesday, holiday week it feels like. Live in Los Angeles, this is The Herd, wherever you may be, and however you may be listening, we are on Fox Sports Radio, we are on IHeart Radio, and we are right here on FS1, one hour from now. The Herd hierarchy, top ten teams in the NFL, Kansas City. It's Fallon. We'll talk about that in one hour.

Urban Meyer rumors to the NFL. Joy Taylor's joining me. Joy, how are you today? I'm great. That was something last night. Wow. It was. A little hard on the eyes.

In Foxborough against Belichick. Start my show today. I mean, we know certain things are really important in life. Like, if you've ever had car trouble, if you've ever had unreliable transportation, and we all know it's important to have a reliable car. But man, you can't even quantify how valuable, reliable transportation is,

and we all know it's valuable, but it's still underrated. It ruined your life. I had a buddy once that got a cavity. He's like, at least if I broke my arm, I could walk around. He goes, I can't think, I can't sleep. You get a cavity? It ruins your life. life. It's like last night, the Patriots lost at home against the best coach in football history,

38 to 9. What would Buffalo have won by against Doug Marone, Mike Malarkey, 51 to 3? That was against Belichick at home in a standalone game. And it wasn't even competitive, the gap in talent, speed playmakers. Bill Belichick. if that's not a wake-up call that he needs to give more personnel power to somebody else outside the organization, I don't know what it is. They haven't drafted a skill player that made a Pro Bowl in a decade. I think it was Gronk was the last one they drafted, and he retired once. The numbers are staggering, 11 first downs, 200 total yards.

Buffalo had almost 500. Buffalo had the ball for 40 minutes. New England 20. Cam passed for 34 yards. and I talk about transportation being underrated, even though you know it's valuable. Let's just admit it this morning. Tom Brady was undervalued. No, I said it.

Despite all the credit, despite us knowing how great he was, despite calling him the goat, he was undervalued. I'm going to ask you a question. Try to figure out the answer. New England had a top 10 scoring offense last year. How? Their offensive line is better this year. New England was 12 and 4 last year.

Their only losses were to three division winners and a really red-hot Miami team at the end. How? They don't have any players. I mean, this whole thing was always, remember, we always argued, it's the system. You'd see these newspaper articles. You'd see these articles in magazines,

clearly New England coaches planting them. It's about the system. I want to talk for a second about the system. Because the system got a lot of press. I've never met the system. The system is Josh McDaniels because Belichick lets Josh run the offense. So Josh McDaniels created a system as very sophisticated. He actually took it to Denver.

And so this morning I went and looked up how the system did in Denver. Oh, it was 11 and 17, fired after two years, and in scoring in the NFL, it was 20th and 19. 20th and 19. Okay. There are exceptions in life. The system then moved to St. Louis. McDaniels got fired and went to the Rams.

Let's see how the system did in scoring. Oh, it was 32nd in the NFL in scoring, dead last. Okay. All right. We'll give him a quarterback. All right, let's give him Cam Newton in the system. He's a former MVP. well, they're 28th in scoring.

Brady, in 20 years, in the system, was never lower and almost always above seventh. They had a top 10 offense last year with that, this garbage. How? Again, the offensive line is better this year than it was last. And you see the duress sometimes, Cam, who's more mobile than Tom is under. this system is a bunch of nonsense. Tom Brady is the system. He's the system.

Because Tom Brady went down, everybody talks about Bruce Ariens. Oh, first year with Bruce Ariens. Everybody struggles. Tom's not. He's going to complete 68% of his throws. His passer rating is going to be over 100. He's going to have like 37 touchdowns and 11 picks. Come on.

You tell me, maybe Bill Belichick, he relies on a system. because he's won now 46% of his games without Tom Brady. These numbers are staggering. And Cam Newton, again, former MVP, nobody, we never said Cam Newton was Tom Brady. Here are the numbers. Tom Brady to Cam Newton. And we went in with realistic expectations for Cam Newton.

He didn't get a preseason. He was kind of an odd fit with Belichick we thought in Josh McDaniels. Look at the numbers. Brady, 24 touchdowns, eight picks. Cam, five touchdown. 10 picks. I mean, I'm sorry, but there are certain things in life we know are valuable, and they're still not given enough credit. Tom Brady now qualifies. That and a reliable car. So Dwayne Haskins is no longer a member of the Washington football team.

Towned kid at Ohio State. I said, I thought he looked like a number one pick. Big, strong football factory, won big games, not super athletic, but can move a little bit. But, you know, he looked like a number one picket quarterback. Big strong, stands in the pocket, can take a hit, you can bang off him, he's strong. You know, I asked Urban Meyer one time, I said, is he ready to start in the NFL? And it was a little bit of a warning flag. He's like, no, not yet. That tells me it's probably some maturity issues. But every three or four years, there is a college quarterback that comes out. Now, Haskins didn't qualify as this. But we do know now that Haskins simply wasn't mature enough. He just wasn't ready to run a $5 billion.

franchise. But about every three or four years on this show, a college quarterback comes out. He's always talented. Baker Mayfield, James Winston, Johnny Mansell. I was a little tough on Cam, not as much as Baker or Johnny or James. And I question their maturity. And without exception, oh, the media freaks out and the fan bases freak out. And everybody freaks out. And do you know why I question maturity. Two words. Duane Haskins. Washington just wasted two years babysitting a quarterback. I think we should have a new term for quarterbacks. I had Jimmy Johnson on a couple days ago and he talked about the two things that mattered to him. Number one was decision making. Number two was accuracy. Let's just be honest about this singular position. I'm not saying it matters in baseball, hockey.

soccer basketball. I'm not saying it matters at any position except quarterback. But this is the one position in American sports, perhaps international sports, where two words are really important. Are you uniquely mature? Because I don't think Duane Haskins is any less mature than the average 22-year-old. I don't. I think he's the average 22-year-old. But from now on, let's just all acknowledge that this doesn't matter in hockey, baseball, basketball. I don't even think it really matters in football. But when you draft a quarterback, he's going to have to be almost square like Andrew Luck and Tom Brady and Russell Wilson. uniquely mature for a 22-year-old.

He's going to have to deal with the press. The linebacker won't. He's going to have to deal with the owners and some sponsors. The safety won't. He's going to have to memorize a playbook, not only for himself but his teammates. The defensive tackle won't. Uniquely mature.

I'm not blaming the player all the time. I mean, let's be honest. Sometimes parents aren't uniquely mature, and you don't find your way until you're 32 years old. But owners can't wait for that. And the problem being is when you get a baker, or you get a Johnny Mansell, or you get a Dwayne Haskins who,

they're just not perfect maturity-wise for the position, they often go to the worst teams. And the worst teams are the most chaos. with the craziest owners, with the most impatient GMs, it's a Cleveland, it's a Washington, it's a Detroit, it's a Jacksonville, and that just compounds it.

But everybody always freaks out. Let's just have a new rule on this show. For one position in American sports, baseball don't care, basketball, hockey, soccer, football don't care for quarterback. Are you uniquely mature to get the keys to a

five billion dollar franchise. And if you're not, you're going to be criticized. And that's okay. Because Johnny's out of the league. Duane may be out of the league. James, who's talented and productive, is now a backup. I'm not sure if Cam gets another shot. And he's been great this year. But the Duane Haskin's story is why we ask the questions. It's why we bang on it. Washington spent the last two years in the competitive division. Just babysitting. Can't have it. Not at that position.

Anything else? Guard, Mike linebacker, safety, punter, I could deal with it. Can it quarterback. So, you know, I was watching Josh Allen last night. And if I was going to vote for the MVP this morning, it would be Aaron Rogers 1, Josh Allen 2, and Mahomes 3. I'll get into that later.

But there is a problem. precedent for Josh Allen. Being absolutely horrible your first year in the NFL and a year and a half later maybe being the next great quarterback or in a short list of the next great quarterback. And it's interesting who the precedent is. We've seen it before and we hear from this person all the time. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1 and the IHeart Radio app. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games.

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

A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me, Clivert Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show.

This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast, it's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be.

Listen to the Clifford Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford, and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tap Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do with Little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast.

I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick 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 all day, but just so y'all know.

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

For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple, podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the 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 iHeartRadio app. Search Learn the hard way and listen now. Generally, first impressions with quarterbacks in the NFL are somewhat accurate. You can see great really quickly. Russell Wilson, you know, Brett Favre, John Elway, you know, Peyton Manning.

You can see it. Patrick Mahomes, you can see it. You're like, wow. Josh Allen was different. He was awful his first year. 52% completion percentage. 10 touchdowns, 12 picks. pass rating in the 60s. And he was bad

his last year at college. And he goes to the NFL, he's bad. But there is a reason why the eye test matters. There is a reason in recruiting. You'll find a smaller player who's super productive, but general managers like the size and the

arm and the mobility. They like those things. They like big. They like the eye test. They like the feel. Josh Allen, awful as a rookie two years later, outside of Aaron Rogers, he's my number two choice for MVP. He's got more touchdown passes this year

than he did in his first two years combined. And I think, and generally it doesn't work that way. You see a lot of special early, Justin Herbert, a lot of special, not winning a bunch of games yet, but a lot of special. Peyton Manning, L.Way, Russell Wilson, Farr, Rogers.

I think his precedent is Troy Aikman. And Troy Aitman was 0 for 11, his rookie year. He had nine touchdowns, 18 picks, a passer rating in the mid-50s, and completed barely 52% of his throws. Troy was bad. And Josh Allen was bad. But they had something in common. And this is why the it, the look, the size, the arm, some of this stuff's not quantifiable. It's just, it looks like it should work. Troy Aikman looked like he should work. Have you ever been around Troy Aikman and a T-shirt? A couple years ago, I bumped into him. He was out to dinner, and Troy, Troy's just big.

He got big hands. He's got big chest. Troy's just big. Troy looks like an NFL quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys. If you drew a picture of him, you're like, yeah, that, what's that guy I do for a living? He's a quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys. He looks like a quarterback. Josh Allen, big, big, strong kid.

Dad's big. Josh Allen's big. He looks like a quarterback. They both had one thing in common. They were awful their rookie year. But the reason GMs, the reason. and GMs and people fall in love with sort of the size and the arm is if you can just get three things right. And Josh Allen and Troy Aikman, three things got right. You got him a great young coach, Sean McDermott,

Jimmy Johnson. So you got him a good coach. You got him a sharp young coordinator, Norv Turner, Brian Daible. And you got both. They both popped when you get them a developing or a star go-to wide receiver. Every Sunday, they got to. got to take it off the top guy. Stefan Diggs and Michael Urban. And you get the coach right, you get the day-to-day coordinator right, and then you get him a guy that Troy and Josh are driving to the arena, and they know my guy is better than anybody they got covering my guy.

And I'm going to throw it to him about nine times. I'm going to hit him about seven, and he's going to break one or two. And when I look at Josh, I see a lot of Aikman where it's usually not that bad for the all-time talent as rookies. You see a lot of stuff that's very encouraging. And with both, it was really kind of a mess. You get the coach, you get the coordinator, you get the go-to wide receiver.

And two years later, Aikman was a pro bowler. Three years later, he was winning Super Bowls and was America's quarterback. And this kid is, it's crazy. I mean, he is out of this world good. Arms, size, look, cannon, wrist-taker, a little cocky, just a little cocky.

It's like my homes. He plays with a little, I don't like swagger. Just a little cocky. I'm going to make the throne kind of turn my head a little bit. Just let you know, wasn't that hard. I could do it again. Joy with the news. No, no, no, no, no.

Turn on the news. This is the herd line news. So before we get to the herd line news, a little bit of breaking news, Mason Rudolph will start week 17 for the Steelers. Oh boy. Browns by 30. So even if the Steelers lose, they can't drop lower than a three seed. So it doesn't matter.

They'll have homefield for their first. first game and regardless. And Cleveland, Cleveland needs to win and just came off a stinker. So it's at Cleveland. The line was six and a half. I'd be shocked if it didn't move to eight to eight and a half. I'll take Cleveland. Yeah, I mean, I would assume so.

So Jared Goff had surgery yesterday to stabilize his right thumb that he broke and dislocated on Sunday and he'll be out for the Rams last regular season game. Sean McVeigh said golf could return for the playoffs if there's something. season continues past this week. Backup, John Wolford is in line to get his first NFL start Sunday against the Cardinals. If the Rams lose to the Cardinals, they need the Bears to lose to the Packers to still make the playoffs. I think that's going to happen.

I think the Rams are going to lose to the Cardinals and Green Bay is going to beat Chicago. Well, I mean, similar to what I just said with the Steelers game, I think it's now, the Cardinals should win this game. If God was not out there, John Wilford's getting his first start. You know what I thought was amazing? his game. I saw a story either today or yesterday. It was like, but he'll be available for the playoffs. I'm like

Yeah, Sean McVeigh is saying he could return for the playoffs. So you break your thumb as a quarterback and you're fine two weeks later? That doesn't even sound right. I mean, modern medicine. I don't know. They're saying he could do it. I mean, he's not obviously not going to be 100%, but it's the playoffs. So if he can play through it, then

they're going to make it happen. He's also optimistic McVeigh is that Cam Acres will be able to return from his high ankle sprain this week, but they're uncertain if he's going to be able to play on Sunday as well. So, you know, there's a ton of playoff implications in this weekend. This is basically an additional wildcard weekend with all the winner. Sunday is going to be crazy.

It's going to be, it's going to feel like six playoff games. You essentially have to watch every single game. Chicago Green Bay is a playoff game for the Bears. And it's the same for the Cardinals. So the Cardinals have to win. I'm with you, though. I think that I think the Rams lose and the Bears lose and they still get in. So Patrick Mahoms and Aaron Rogers have been neck and neck and neck.

the MVP race for weeks and Mahomes was in the lead but according to Fox Bet, Rogers has now moved ahead of Mahomes as the favorite to win at minus 250. Yes. This comes after his four touchdown game in the Packers win over the Titans Sunday. This is also the first time the season that Fox Bet has had Rogers as the odds on favorite to win the award. Yeah, I think he feels, I'll tell you, an earth thing, I mean, these guys are all great. The ease in which Aaron Rogers is playing.

He makes it, I remember, I think I've told this story before on the air. I remember watching Michael Jordan in the finals against the Phoenix Suns, the Charles Barkley finals. And I was sitting with a time of girlfriend. And I remember saying to her, it's just so easy for him to score 38. Like, the NBA is filled full of six foot six guys. I mean, there's like, Michael, I mean, Dominique Wilkins could jump higher and Barclay could almost handle the ball better. And you'd watch Jordan, and you're like, it just shouldn't be

this easy to score 38 in a playoff game. You watch Aaron Rogers. It is like it's a seven-on-seven drill on some Sundays. He's just in a different zone. And what he has going on with Devonte Adams is just next level. And it's going to go through Lambo likely. I mean, they have to determine that this weekend, but I think they're going to handle their business. It's... How great is this? Baseball helps the big markets because no salary cap. NBA, there are glamor markets, Miami, L.A. We could have the playoffs going through Buffalo, Green Bay, and Kansas City. I mean, it's great.

I mean, that's that, that's, or small market New Orleans. Like, if you look at the NFL's secret sauce, little towns in America could host all the playoff games. If you, if you run your organization well, you absolutely can. I mean, you can argue that some of the, not well, worse run, but some of the teams that have really been struggling the most are in the biggest cities. Oh, Washington, Detroit. New York.

York teams? Your absolute Philadelphia now is kind of a mess. No, I was thinking about this last night watching Buffalo and I'm like, this is a little bit of the secret sauce of the NFL where everybody in America, regardless of where you live, you don't feel you have to overcome anything in an NFL other than let's just don't have a crazy owner. But there's so many elements to it. Like free agency is so different in the NFL. Like guys are willing to go to smaller markets to get paid a ton more because your careers are so short. Exactly right. So, like, why I can go live in Buffalo for five years and, you know, make a couple hundred million dollars.

Like, I'm cool with that. Also, shoe deals in the NBA. It helps to be a Laker. Yes. Or a Miami Heat. It does help to be in kind of a glamour market with a Pat Riley, a spot. You know. I do think there's also something, too, and we're seeing this with Josh Allen.

If you're not in a major market, the fan base tends to be a little more patient with developments. Yes. And so they're not like, turn over, turnover, turn over, new coach, new coach, new quarterback, like move these. things through. He's not, he doesn't come in right away and make a huge difference. There's a little more patience there and Buffalo's really showed that because you were just talking about Josh Allen and the steps that he's taken. Would Josh Allen get that kind of patience in Dallas? Would he get that kind of patience as a New York giant? Like, maybe not. So I think that that plays a role in it in the NFL as well. Finally, Notre Dame has the tough task of facing

top ranked Alabama and the playoff on Friday. Can't wait for Friday. I know. It's, Just get off work and go watch. And's not home yet. Oh, day. So I can watch eight hours of football and nobody yells at me. Cracker Corona. Is it going to be a Corona or is it going to be? Oh, I'm inviting friends over.

It actually might be, it's a soup weekend. It's actually quite cold in L.A. I usually don't talk about the weather in L.A. Because we're very spoiled, but it's quite cold. Yes. 40 degrees yesterday. That's legit. Anyway, despite being a huge underdog and suffering a blowout loss in the previous

playoff appearance, Brian Kelly doesn't think that the Irish have anything to prove. We're knocking at the door every year. playing really good teams and great opponents and there's elite football teams. I don't know why this narrative continues to pop up when we're always in the games. No, we haven't won a national championship. That's correct. I'm not changing the record. But we are there every single year and we are grinding it out just like everybody else.

You play to win the game. I know, but I do believe in fairness to Notre Dame, they have a little more to overcome in the recruiting process. I think where they're at now, it's not a ceiling because if Sabin left Alabama, they'd no longer be as good as they were. But I think what Kelly's done is incredibly redeemable. I think they're the best Notre Dame since Lou Holtz,

and they've been trying for 25 years to find Lou Holtz. I think Kelly's great. Yeah, no, he's great. Notre Dame is great, and they've been in a wonderful season. And what he's done with their program is incredible. But at the end of the day, you do still have something to prove. you're playing for a national championship. I know.

I'm just, I've known enough people. I, of course, could never get into Notre Dame, but I've known enough people that have gone. I have friends that have gone to Notre Dame. They're way smarter than me. I'm not taking anything away from their academics. It's hard. I've got friends that work there.

It's a wonderful, wonderful campus and institution, all credit in the world. But we're talking about football. I know. And at the end of the day, you play to win the game. This is about winners and losers. Nobody's saying Notre Dame doesn't belong there, but you absolutely do have something to prove.

If you're going to take the next level, you have to win the game. And look, I think we all think this is a lot. Clearly everyone thinks it's going to be a blowout. I hope it's a good competitive game. So do I. But I'm not saying their name doesn't belong there, but it is what it is. There's the reason there's having these conversations. Foxbet has Alabama favored by 20 and a half points.

And obviously they lost 30 to threes at Clemson in the playoff two years ago. Either way, I'm looking forward to a nice long day of college football playoffs. I told you. I have this weird feeling Ohio. has a chance to up. You don't, but I don't. Clemson has got to be looking ahead because they've blown out Ohio State a couple of times. They've won, they've three and O, last four years against, I think it's Ohio State. Alabama's coming up. I just feel like Clemson will not be quite focused.

And I think Ohio State has a huge chip on their shoulder. I think if there's anything that's going to move the game, it's that. It's Stabo, talking, you know, reinforcing why he ranked them where he, rank them. I think if there's any of that, if there's anything that's going to smooth this game, it's that, because I just think Clemson is that much better. Yeah, joy with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Hurd Lie News. Peter King now joining us, brought to you by Mercedes fans, the best or nothing. Football Morning in America, NBCSports.com. I was saying to start the show, Peter, Josh Allen reminds me a little of Troy Ackman. Usually,

a star quarterback comes into the league, and we get a lot of glimpses. Like, they're not winning games, but it's like Justin Herbert. You just see the star. Aikman and Josh Allen came in and it was rough. And you don't see any light. And then two years later, they're pro bowlers. And then three years later, they're winning titles. And they feel a little bit the same.

They got the right coach. They got Norv Turner, Brian Dable, the right coordinator. They got a go-to star receiver. What do you make a Josh Allen's improvement? Because I'm telling you, 17 games ago, he was completing 52% of his throws. Well, two things. Number one, he reminds me more of Jim Kelly in that situation, where Jim Kelly went to a rotten team when he signed out of the USFL. And, you know, fans were crazy lining the road when he came in. It's the same thing. The Bill's fans are crazy for their quarterback and that's good. Ted Marchabroto was good, very imaginative guy just like Daybull.

Now, as far as, you know, the retinkering with Josh Allen, this started, Colin, last year at the Super Bowl, when Josh Allen talked to Tony Romo and basically said, hey, I, you know, I'm a little bit unhappy with my mechanics. I'm going to work on him a little bit. What advice? You watch everybody. What advice do you have? And so Romo didn't, you know, I talked to Romo about this. He didn't retool him totally. But he did give him some advice. And in the offseason, Jordan Palmer's quarterback coach worked on it. And remember, there was no ability of Ken Dorsey, Brian Dayball to be hands on, his quarterback coaching coordinator in Buffalo because there were no offseason workouts in Buffalo with coaches. Yeah. So the best stuff that happened to him happened when he was doing it independently.

then he goes to Buffalo and obviously continues to retool his delivery. And you're absolutely right. His accuracy, you very rarely see a guy who is inaccurate, as is inaccurate as he was at Wyoming and his first year in Buffalo really improved. But he has. Go back to your preseason predictions. I mean, I watched last night. I said it was 38 to 9.

What would it have been not? Bill Belichick coaching New England. What if you had an average NFL coach? What's the score then? It wasn't competitive, talent, speed, playmakers. Are you shocked? You have to ask me this. You have to answer this question first, though, if it's not Bill Belichick. Who would have been the quarterback last night? Would the Patriots have just let the market settle and then go by Cam Newton, you know, for cheap at Walmart? I don't know the answer to that. Belichick went and thought that he was getting Cam Newton. He didn't know what he was getting, really, but he thought he was getting a better Cam Newton than what he was. Colin, Cam Newton now has five touchdown passes this year. He's got

five touchdown passes actually in his last 18 NFL games. It's, it's absurd. You know, it's, I'm not saying absolutely categorically, it's over for Cam Newton, but the Patriots have got to do something at quarterback different in 2021. one and they know it. Their roster is not very good. Why do you think Tom Brady was so anxious to leave last January? There's a reason. The roster's not very good and there are no skill players that scare any defensive coordinator in football. Urban Meyer's name is now being mentioned by a couple of people, and it's interesting. Before Tom Coughlin was at Boston College, he was a wide receiver coach in the NFL for a long time. Pete Carroll was in the NFL before.

college than to the NFL. Jim Harbaugh played in the NFL, and he also, first job coaching quarterbacks, I think, for the Raiders. Matt Rule, Matt Rule coached in it. Cliff Kingsbury played in it. So Urban's a college legend, but he's got no DNA at all in the NFL, which I think is concerning. What do you make of the rumors and your thoughts on it?

Urban Meyer retired either for health reasons or some other reason. as a college football coach at age 45, age 46, and age 54. And now there are these rumors about Urban Meyer coaching an NFL team and taking over an NFL team. Now, Colin, I talked to somebody who knows Urban Meyer very well yesterday. And this person said, you know, look, he didn't, he had no idea whether Meyer was going to get, you know, going to get back in coach. or not. But the pro game is totally different. People have said, well, you don't have to recruit all the time. But the pro game is different because what you have to do is you have to go up against the best play callers in the business. There's a lot of Urban Myers who are really smart on offense. And what you have to do is you have to win in free agency. You have to win in the draft. How good will he be drafting players? And I repeat, This guy is retired three times in the last 11 years. So, I mean, if I'm a team looking for a head coach, I'm interested in Urban Meyer,

but I'm drilling down very, very heavy. And we're spending half of our interview talking about what happened and how do I know you're not going to walk into my office 18 months from now and pull a Nick Sabin. Yeah. You know, things get hard. you don't win the first couple of years, and you say, this isn't for me. And he knows he can go back to TV. He doesn't need the money.

And so I don't know, Colin. Personally, me, I'd rather have a young hungry guy, you know, who really is desperate for the job. And that's what I would do. But again, I'm not saying he's not a good candidate. I'm saying you better take his history into account. Yeah, no, the interview is going to be substantial and important. So, Dwayne Haskins, they, you know, it's funny. Joy and I were talking about this yesterday.

It didn't even feel good with no preseason. There were these stories coming out. Ron Rivera was losing patience with Dwayne Haskins before the season started. And I'm thinking, wait a minute. This is not the kind of, if it's leaking out, then somebody wants it out. Are you shocked how fast it deteriorated for Haskins in D.C.? I am shocked about it. But, you know, Dwayne Haskins is the one.

who on Sunday night went to a strip club unmasked. There was a big crowd there. There was a lot of people there. And so where else in the United States could there have been more of a threat? And I'm exaggerating here. But I mean, clearly, there was a threat that you could have gotten COVID that day. And and, and the next day, just walk into your... team facility like nothing happened.

Like, boy, I hope nobody finds out about what I did last night. And clearly they did find out about it. But Colin, the NFL has these protocols in place. And I blame, as much as I blame Dwayne Haskins, I blame Ron Rivera for basically saying, oh, he's, you know, he's okay. He's all right. He apologized. That, I mean, you know, he put his entire roster at risk.

of catching COVID. That's number one. And number two, where's the NFL? Where is the NFL with all of these protocols and, you know, beating up all these teams for, for violating these protocols and taking away the Denver quarterbacks and the Cleveland receivers? I'm not blaming them for doing that. But where are they? Where is the NFL when Dwayne Haskins does what he does? And the NFL says nothing the entire week, does nothing the entire week, and basically just says, well, Washington, the Washington football team is handling this. A very bad look for the team, for the player, and for the NFL. NBC sports, Peter King, it is a Tuesday. Love having you on. Happy holidays to you and your fan, Peter. Thanks, Colin. Be sure to catch live

editions of the herd weekdays at 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 is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th.

You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show.

This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations 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-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 a here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill, waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 is big to me, not just because of crack.

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

Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple. podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the 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 iHeartRadio app. Search Learn the hard way and listen now. Dave Wanstatt comes in next hour, and I'm bringing Dave Wanstead on today.

Dave is coached in college and the pros. So he knows what it's like, Urban Meyer, to go college coach to pro coach, go from dealing with an athletic director to a crazy billionaire owner. He also knows there are big changes, college to pro football. So Dave Wanstead next hour on that Urban Meyer topic,

among many also, He knows the Bears really well, and he's been staying in my ear all year. You can win with Trubisky, maybe not a Super Bowl, and right now Chicago's on fire, so we'll talk about that. So most people in the media don't like blowback. They don't want, especially with social media now, people are calling you out, and a lot of media people just don't want it. And so there's not a ton of courage in media.

People sort of follow what everybody else says, or they don't want to criticize really popular politicians or really popular people. And like Patrick Mahomes, he's likable, he's great, he's won a Super Bowl. Nobody wants to ever push back a little bit on this. But right now, and I'm not into awards much, but this year I am because I think Aaron Rogers is easily the MVP of the season. And I think after last night, Josh Allen is number two. And I think Patrick Mahomes is three.

It's not a criticism of it. But I grade on a curve. I'm not giving it to you because you were great in September and October. No NFL season has ever been. indetermined in September. In fact, Bill Belichick, his worst month is September. Like, that's his experiment month. Sean Payton and Bill Belichick make an argument. Two best coaches in football last 15 years are bad September coaches and great December coaches. So Mahomes got off to a better start. But right now, Kansas City offensively is underachieving and Buffalo is exploding.

So if you go to the first, let's go to the last four games. of Mahomes and Allen. Okay, it's not close. But that's kind of a small sample size. You wouldn't be fair. I mean, like completion percentage, one guy at 60, Mahomes, one guy at 70. Passer rating, Mahomes at 89,

one guy at 117. It's not really close. But that's kind of small. So let's almost double it. Let's go to the last seven games. Edge Josh Allen, much higher completion percentage, slightly better TD interception ratio,

and a better passer rating. Yards passing per game, that goes to Mahomes who has much better weapons. So this is something that we have a history, a precedent of it. Like in college football, you don't allow September and October to define the Heisman. Carson Palmer won a Heisman at USC. His first six games that year,

he had nine touchdowns and six picks. was bad. His next six, he had 23 TDs, four picks, and he won the Heisman based on what should matter, the end of the season. The last six games for USC, I think that year they beat Iowa in an Orange Bowl. Right now, in the last two months, Alan is slightly better. In the last month, he is significantly better, and I think he's number two in the MVP race. I don't think it's terribly close. I think it's Aaron's year. I think he's been remarkable. And that's how I see it. I wanted to say this about Clemson, Ohio State Play Friday.

Dabo Sweeney got a lot of heat because in his last poll, he put Ohio State at 11. And, you know, his thing is, I'm sorry, but they didn't play enough games. But it is interesting. You know how sometimes if you have what you perceive as a rivalry, one person sees it as a real rivalry and one doesn't? Michigan looks at Ohio State. Whoa, what a rivalry. Ohio State looks at it like a win, like a comfortable win.

So the last four years, Clemson has played Ohio State. In the last four years, Clemson has beaten Ohio State twice, average margin of victory, almost 19 points. In the last four years, Clemson has played Syracuse four times. Clemson wins by only 15, and they're three and one. So in Clemson's eyes, you can make an argument that Syracuse has given them about as much trouble as Ohio State. And Clemson looks at Ohio State and thinks, well, there's only one roadblock for us to a national championship. The SEC champ. It could be LSU, it could be Alabama, maybe some of your it'll be.

That's how they see it. So if you look at Davo Sweeney against Ohio State, he's 3-0, he wins comfortably in most. And they've averaged winning by about 15 points. Now, you could say, Colin, last time they played, Ohio State jumped out to a very big lead. They led like 16-0. Well, this year, Boston College led Clemson 28 to 10. It's not like in the ACC they never fall behind or never lose a game. Syracuse gives them problems.

Boston College this year. I mean, again, I think Ohio State views it as a rivalry, and I think Clemson looks at it. And I think Clemson knows Ohio State's good enough to beat them. I mean, again, I think a couple years ago, didn't like Pittsburgh beat Clemson? You can lose to anybody almost. But I think Michigan sees Ohio State's rivalry differently than Ohio State. Ohio State's like better players, better coach, we win and we win comfortably. And maybe Clemson looks at Ohio State that way.

Maybe they do. I don't know. Now, I do think the line's only seven and a half, eight. But still, Ohio State losing by seven and a half or eight, it's not a touchdown game, it's more than that. Just saying maybe that's how they, that's how dabble views it. Like, we're going to win. We win this game.

I'm 3 and 0. We win comfortably. This is, this is, you know, that's how I see him. More talented than Syracuse, but it always feels about the same. That hurt. Another podcast from some SNL late night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and friends, me and hilarious guests from Bob Oden,

to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer, Streeter Seidel, help an acapella 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 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 Fourth. 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 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 it podcast. In 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 podcast. This is an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed human.