The Herd with Colin Cowherd - 3 and Out - 49ers run game, Purdy against a good DC, Mailbag

Episode Date: February 7, 2024

John dives into why star college QB's don't always translate in the NFL, who the Raiders QB should be, how Brock Purdy can beat a team with a great DC, and where do the Steelers go from here now that they have an OC. All that and more in this massive mailbag episode. 7:03 - Star college QB's in the NFL 11:56 - How are the 49ers a good run team 18:40 - Which QB would you take 22:16 - Who should the Raiders next QB be 26:10 - Why is everyone quitting on Sam Howell 29:58 - Coaches already on the hot seat 38:20 - Purdy vs. Great DC's 58:49 - Is Belichick THAT good 1:03:25 - Adam Silver staying for 10 more years 1:13:01 - Will the Patriots be good again Follow John on Twitter, Instagram and YouTube for the latest. Check out Gametime - the fastest growing ticketing app in the US, and the official ticketing app of 3 & Out and GoLow -  for tickets to all of your favorite NFL, NBA, NHL, NCAA teams. Concert and comedy show tickets, too. Go to Gametime now to create an account, download the app and use code JOHN for $20 off your first purchase. #Volume #HerdSee 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. On the Look Back at it podcast.

For 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84 was big to me. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a year, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. With our friends, fellow comedians, and favorite authors. Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s.

84 was a wild year. It was a wild year. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. The Volume Draft Kings, the leader in fantasy sports, just dropped a brand new fantasy app. Pick six. Pick six is the newest way for you to get in on fantasy football action with Draft Kings.

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What is going on, everybody, John Middilkoff, three and out podcast. Tuesday afternoon-ish dinner time, almost 5 o'clock where I am sitting. Here's the game plan today. I went full-on mailbag, and I didn't even get close to answering all your questions, but I banged out over an hour worth of questions.

So at John Middlecoff is my Instagram. DM's wide open. Obviously you can ask about anything and keep firing in those direct messages. Easiest way to get a hold of me. Also recorded a gambling Super Bowl preview that will be out Thursday with my main man Stucky from the Action Network. I tomorrow on Wednesday, midday, going to Vegas. Got a little volume party.

Go to that. and then we'll see where the next couple days take me. Right now I'm scheduled to come back on Friday. Might stay until Saturday and see who we can rub elbows with the people out there on the old strip. God, I love Vegas. It's going to be a fun week.

If anyone knows anyone that knows anyone with some tickets, I might be down to go. But some of the prices I've seen, holy canoli. I've been to enough football games. I don't know if I'm spending 10 grand a pop to sit in the nose, believe it's probably sitting and watching in front of my television, but

I'd never say never. We'll see what transpires over the next couple days, so I'll be in Vegas. Probably going to bring some equipment, maybe record a podcast from the ground floor on, when would that be? Maybe Thursday during the day, before we start throwing some back and losing some money,

because that's usually what I do in Vegas. Maybe I'll win this time. Other than that, that's the plan for the week. So mailbag today, Stucky tomorrow, little check-in from Vegas Thursday, then Super Bowl Sunday. So let's buckle up. Let's get ready. We got one more game.

And like I said, fire in those DMs. If you listen on Collins feed, make sure you subscribe to three and out feed. If you like video versions, we have a little thing called a YouTube channel that we put all the three-and-out stuff on. So three-and-out, just type in middle-coff three-and-out. Go-Lo's there as well. which we'll do a lot of golf stuff after after football ends. I mean, the season ends, we'll just get more consistent golf podcast.

Other than that, let's rock and roll. But before we dive into those DMs, you guys know the Drew. I have special partners and special friends. They happen to be the official ticketing app of this podcast, and they're called Game Time. Listen, the big game is going on right now or upcoming this weekend in Vegas.

Ticket prices are outrageous. Most events we go to, you can find good deals. And whether it's a basketball game, a college basketball game, you got baseball right around the corner, concerts. I love getting outside. Love in the springtime in the summer. Go have yourself some bruskees, go listen to some live music, and do it on me.

Download the game time app, the game time app. promo code, J-O-H-N, promo code J-O-H-N, and save $20 on your first pair of tickets. So take a friend, take a family member, go enjoy yourself. In these economic times, with how expensive everything is, don't even need a thank you. Just download the GameTime app,

my favorite ticketing app by far ever, and use the promo code J-O-H-N at checkout and save $20 on your first pair of tickets. March Madness? Does March Madness come to your town or just a neighboring town? Because if they do, I highly recommend going. Especially that first weekend.

You can watch multiple games. It's incredible event. I've done it several times. San Jose, Sacramento. It's awesome. Let's start here on the mailbag with Ryan. Love the show. Do you find it surprising that the majority of the best NFL quarterbacks of all time

are not the most decorated college quarterbacks? One of my favorite facts is there hasn't been a Heisman-winning quarterback to win a Super Bowl MVP other than Jim Plunkett. Crazy part about Jim Plunkett is the early part of this career was a disaster. Even the can't miss number one overall picks, like Manning, Luck, and Lawrence did not win the Heisman. Do you think this is overlooked when evaluating whether or not a player's success can translate in the next level or is it just a coincidence? Well, just because you win the Heisman trophy does not mean that NFL teams think you are good. Right.

And I believe that struggle struggling when you're young, whether that's in life or as a high, player benefits you as you get older. I remember I looked this up years ago within the last five years, maybe it's changed, is like 70 or 80% of, you know, multi-millionaires. And obviously the billionaire percentage of just human beings is really small, but people with a high net worth come from nothing, right? Most guys in the NFL are not first round picks. It's a job that when one, you're not guaranteed anything. And two, especially at quarterback, right? If I play at Alabama or I play at LSU or I play at a really, really good school, it doesn't mean I can't be a good NFL quarterback. Two is a good starting quarterback. Joe Burrow is an awesome starting quarterback.

But look at Joe Burrow, for example. He was told that Ohio State, you're not good enough. You're never going to play here. And then he goes to LSU and he wasn't any good. Patrick Mahomes, look at the two quarterbacks in the Super Bowl. The majority of games they went into in college, they did not have the best players on their side. They were either an underdog or less talented than the other team. So you have to figure out ways to play. You develop your instincts. When you go into a game with like a top five program for several years of starting quarterback, you got a pretty big advantage. It's not very hard to do. If you sell, like selling at the Mercedes lot, the consumer that's coming on there, probably isn't that difficult.

But if you sell as a salesman a bad product and are able to make a lot of money, you're probably pretty good at your job. That means you can sell anything, right? A quarterback that finds ways to be successful at lesser programs, there may be something to that. So I think there are a lot of variables. Paid Manning is a good example. He was the number one overall pick, but even early on in his career, the playoff struggles, a lot of people question whether he can get over the hump. Tom Brady couldn't even earn a starting job the majority of his college career. Then he was a six-round pick. So I think anytime that you have doubters and you have to learn to do more with less,

it suits you well as time goes on, right? There are a lot of successful people in your industry, in your hometown, your neighbors, might not be the smartest person on the block, but you figure out a way if you're really driven, and that's part of being a quarterback, right? The unquantifiable attributes, the drive, the willingness to work. Obviously, your mental aptitude of being able to understand football is a hard thing to gauge, right?

And some guys comprehend it better than others. Jason Kidd, I remember hearing this story, that Jason Kidd, it took him like five times to get the men. minimum SAT score so he could get into Cal back when he was in college. But he's easily one of the smartest basketball players in the history of the sport. And one thing I learned when I was scouting is, you know, not to put too big of emphasis like on your GPA, right? Just because you have a high GPA doesn't mean you understand or learn football well.

You could be a 4.0 student and a low IQ football player. Vice versa. You could be a low GPA guy. and a super high-kew football guy. And at quarterback, the knowledge of pre-snap, post-snap, learning on the fly, reacting on the fly,

instincts as the position. I think it's one of those things that in most industries, acquisitions, like it's pretty black and white, this thing makes money, this thing doesn't, this is something,

you know, with a certain demo that's only going to grow with quarterback, it's impossible to quantify. Like, you can't quantify what Mahomes brought to the table, when he was drafted.

What is the secret to the Shanahan running scheme? I've heard you talk many times how outside of Trent, the San Francisco O line is weak. I would say average, better than weak. But every week, you see CMC and Debo running through holes. Same thing happened this year in Miami, the same scheme with a weak O line. One thing I learned when I was in the NFL, right, a guy like, when I was with the Eagles, we had Jason Peters in the peak of his powers, Trent Williams in the peak of his powers. You know, all the best offensive linemen who are just elite, right?

You go around. Zach Martin, Jason Kelsey. Kelsey's probably, now he can play in any scheme, but when he was younger, he was much smaller. Some guys can transcend Tony, you know, Anthony Munoz, Larry Allen, can play in any scheme. But the zone running scheme, which is the Shanahan baby, right, from his dad to Kubiak to obviously Kyle and, you know, McVeigh and LaFloor and obviously. obviously Mike McDaniel in Miami, you don't need to be Trent Williams. You need to be a positional blocker.

Athleticism is much more important. Being able to positional block. So as a guard, if I'm not the most powerful or most talented guy, but I'm good athlete and I have quick feet, I can use my body to get in front of you. And then having the right type running back, Arian Foster is a good example.

Arian Foster could not play in every running scheme. He is a zone runner, meaning no cuts. One step, hit the hole, and go. Because the crease opens. Every guy is going lateral, not vertical. Like Trent Williams, technically, you could run any given play. A power run, a zone run. You could ask him to take on two defensive lines.

He can do anything. Most guys cannot. But if you get a good enough athlete, they can position themselves, not pushing them backwards, just in front. And then if everyone's going laterally, ultimately, a crease is going to open. And great one-cut backs, Aaron Jones, with a Packers is a good example. One-cut, downhill, and you can gain at minimum five yards pretty easily.

And then when you get the elite talents, they have home run hitting speed. Now, I think Aaron Jones is a high-end running back, but you know what I mean. So, like, the zone running concepts is not... When I was at Fresno State, we ran a traditional, more West Coast offense. which we ran power. And in the power run play, right or left, you are pulling guards. And when I pull guards,

I am trying to hit you and move you backwards and open up a hole. Same thing with the fullback. Well, in Kyle's, it's not as much. Now, Trent can drive you back, but most of their guys are not pushing guys back five yards. It's about opening a crease. And the thing with his scheme,

and Mike is a, you know, Mike was his run game coordinator for a decade, so he knows it as good as anyone. It's about you don't know which way it's coming and who's going to hit you from what angle. So you get defensive linemen kind of guessing, and then they start moving and not playing fast. So you get a bunch of guys on their heels,

and that's when you can gash people. So I guess that's a long-winded way of saying is you can circumvent, I don't need five pro bowlers to be the number one rushing team. Ideally, I have a couple, but as long as I have solid offensive linemen and good athletes, I can gash you. And obviously the right type running back.

Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth.

Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football,

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

It's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to The Clifford Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tap Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got?

to do a little kill. Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam Jay. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick it here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 is big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so 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. 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. From a former scout's perspective, are you starting a franchise and have to start with one of these three quarterbacks? Love, Lawrence, and Brock Purdy. Who is it and why? Now, I'm inclined because of how I learned football to like more twitchy, powerful quarterbacks. I'm not even the best quarterbacks of all time that don't have great arms. Drew Brees, Montana is obviously the best one of all time that had non-power arm.

but the Philip Rivers, those type players. I like elite skills, right? I tend to lean Aaron Rogers, right? I tend to, like, Josh Allen is probably my favorite player in the league. So, you know, Brock Purdy, in Kyle's scheme, he is going to be highly effective. Could he play for everybody? You know, he's a good player, clearly. Like, he's better than the haters want to give him credit for.

But like any quarterback worth their salt, they benefit. for who they're playing with. Patrick Mahomes, now he could work for anybody. But when he first got in the league, benefit a lot from being around Andy Reid, right? Joe Montana, benefited a lot from being with Bill Walsh. So, like, I'm out on Trevor Lawrence. I've just, I got him red flag.

I'm not saying he can never be a good player, but, like, I'm sorry, a huge red flag. Now, I understand Purdy made more plays when it counted than Jordan Love, and I'm not one to anoint you after a seven-game stretch. so Jordan Love, like, is he going to carry this over next year? But physically the traits that he has, what we saw that, you know, from Thanksgiving up until his last interception, that's what I like out of a quarterback.

It's why I celebrated the 49ers taking a big swing to draft Trey Lance, though I would have gone Justin Fields. But it's why I like Justin Fields coming out of the draft. And it's going to be a weak spot for me because I will overlook the Brock Purdy types. obviously most people did he went the last pick in the draft. But like Kyle is proven, and that scheme is proven, Jared Goffs had a lot of success, Ben Johnson, Sean McVey. Kyle Shanahan had Matt Schaubb looking like a stud. Matt Ryan, who's a good example.

Not really my type player. I'm inclined, and I understand Rothersburgers, you know, Hall of Famer, but like, I like elite talents. I just do. That's my scouting inclination. when it comes to quarterback. Because over the course of time, once I start paying you,

I need you to be able to overcome more limitations on my roster once you start making a lot of money. I love Brock Purdy right now. I will defend him at every angle when it comes to how well he's played throughout the season and how impressive his story is.

But he also makes $900,000. The conversation's a lot different if they got to pay him $40 million and cut other guys on the team. So, you know, I'm not trying to avoid giving you a straight answer, but like, I've seen a lot more of Brock Purdy in two years than I have Jordan Love. But I'm inclined to like Jordan Love type players. So I would say Trevor Lawrence, especially when you factor in the money. I'm out. It would be between Love and Purdy. I mean, if we're all starting from scratch, like I think fucking Jordan Love would be sweet for Kyle Shanahan. And everyone's like, you're just hating. Like, no, I'm not. I like Brock Purdy.

Came across your content six months ago, through your videos and been a fan. You guys are very nice in the DMs. Die Hard Raider fan. Would like your opinion on who you believe the best pick is for us? Pennix, Knicks, or J.J. McCarthy. I really likes Penix,

but would be okay with Knicks due to the experience. With our weapons, up-and-coming defense, and a great left tackle, we are a quarterback and online depth away from being a threat in the AFC. Threat would be strong, let's just say a playoff team, competing to be a playoff team.

Sometimes we've got to walk before we run. Also, lastly, I know you're a big golf guy. Have you ever tried getting into disc golf? Very fun. When I used to live in Walnut Creek in Northern California, I used to walk by this park and there would always be guys banging chains.

I never did, but it was always packed with people banging chains. I would say you hired Luke Getzzi, which, let's face it, I think a lot of people think, is he any good? I've defended him, not like him necessarily,

but what he represents. When you're an offensive coordinator with a quarterback who struggles to throw from the pocket, it's hard to run an offense. So everyone acted like Getzzi's an idiot. Well, he came from Matt LaFleur, and then he tries to run that, you know, a semblance of that offense,

and the guy can't do it. So, now, is he going to be good? Like, you guys do not have a quarterback. So, like you said, do you draft a guy at 13? Do you trade up and get one? Here's what's pretty clear. Caleb Williams is going to go number one in some way or, you know, form or fashion. Washington's going to take a quarterback.

I think we'd all be stunned if the Patriots don't take a quarterback. So there's a chance one of those guys you list it is gone. Now, potential for it to be Caleb Williams, Drake May and Jayden Daniels, in some order. Obviously, Caleb won and the other two, however. I don't know, man. I love penics. It was hard not to.

I've watched his entire career. That Michigan game was, like, that was an NFL defense, and he looked a little overwhelmed. And I, I've supported him, and I thought, like, why couldn't this guy be a top 10 pick? And I've had people that, you know, some of the best scouting buddies I know that had second round grades on him.

And one huge question mark with him is durability, health, and just injuries. Well, he's been durable these last couple years, but if you've watched him this season against Oregon in the regular season at home and then Michigan, he's getting peppered and has to be helped up off the field. So is he going to last?

Bo Nix, like, are you willing to run more of a spread-style offense? And to me, J.J. McCarthy, ideally is like a redshirt guy. Now, the Raiders aren't going to have the luxury to me of redshirting anyone. I guess you start Aiden O'Connell early in the season and then kind of play him. But I disagree. I saw Harbaugh say that JJ's the number one pick in the draft.

Like, that's just classic Jim Harbaugh. But he is an intriguing guy if you have a long-term view. The problem with the Raiders is, let's face it, there's going to be pressure on Antonio Pierce kind of right away. Like you said, you have some pieces. You have some core high-end guy. I mean, Max Crosby is one of the best players in the league. Devante is one of the best players in the league.

Colton Miller's a high-end left tackle. Antonio Pierce isn't exactly like some five-year contract. Let's just see what he can do over the next five years. In the next couple of years, he's going to have to prove that he can compete. Your division's really hard. You add harbaw, so the charges are going to be better. The chiefs are cream of the crop in the conference. And Denver's just going to be feisty with Sean Payton.

So I don't have a great answer for you. I think depending on a rookie quarterback, though, for you guys this upcoming year would be pretty risky. Why is everyone so quick to call it on Sam Howell? I get the commanders have the second pick and will go quarterback, but their offensive line is terrible. Howell was sacked 65 times and was rushed. If he was Bryce Howard or Anthony, I think Bryce Young,

or Anthony Richardson, people would take a wait-and-see approach. But Howell is really, this was his first year, and he doesn't get that. up until week 12, he was balling with his numbers. He can throw. I just don't get why the media bags on him as a lost cause. I don't think they necessarily bag on him as a lost cause. I think any time in Purdy battles this, right? When you're not a high pick, you don't get like,

oh, let's just see what he's got. Let's see what he brings the table. I'll give it time, wait and see. I mean, we're still talking about Justin Fields. He's going into year four. Let's see, just see Justin Fields with a real office. defensive coordinator. Trey Lance, like, maybe another team can figure him out.

It's like, guys, he's a third string quarterback right now. He holds a clipboard. You know? You have to be so bad. Like, Zach Wilson, everyone's like, yeah, he stinks. Mack Jones, like, yeah, I wouldn't want him. But you got to be that atrocious. When you are not a high pick,

even when you show, because, like, you watch series with Sam Howe, you were impressed. Now, I remember watching an Eagles game. He kind of imploded. Young player. He's clearly going to be in the NFL for a long time. O'Connell. I think same thing. It's like, and I'm not saying

I would take Sam Howell over Aiden O'Connell. But I do think it gets very risky and this is why coaching staffs and GMs get paid a lot of money to evaluate your own team. But I don't think if you love one of these quarterbacks, you can afford to not

draft one because of quote unquote Sam Howell. So I think if it was another situation like the Atlanta Falcons or the Raiders, maybe he would get another year. You know, the teams that weren't drafting as high. But I think when you're drafting number two, and there are a lot of quarterbacks.

Now, just because you take a quarterback high, I mean, look at the Zach Wilson, Tray Lance draft. It does not guarantee you shit. So I hear you, but I just, they're drafting a quarterback. I actually, though, think having them on the team enables you to kind of redshirt a guy. at least ease him in slow.

I know you love a good bet, so what parley do you like the most for the game? P.S. I don't want to bet anything over for the Chiefs. Go Niners. I would say, and I talked about this with Stucky, is some sort a little bit of a long shot, but if you like, Debo at 20 to 1, to win the MVP is not the craziest thing. He gets 7 to 9 catches,

has 80 to 90 yards in a touchdown, And then if he gets three or four runs and one of those runs goes for 40, 50 yards and a touchdown, you could see, like, in a lower scoring game, 24 to 19 or, you know, something like that. He accounts for two touchdowns, 160 yards from scrimmage. Maybe his big play comes in the second half to swing the game. To me, some sort of flyer on Debo, either over receiving yards at 80 or 90 yards, the MVP dabble on the MVP, multiple touchdowns in a game.

I think there's a lot of stuff with Debo specifically because everyone, if you like the Niners to win, which I kind of do, Purdy is the safest bet to win the MVP, and then I think everyone else would bet McCaffrey. I think Debo, given his odds, McCaffrey's a little less than 5 to 1. Debo's 20 to 1.

Do you think that McDaniel and Doug will be on the hot seat if they have a similar ending this past season? they've had success, but I don't know if either coach can overcome the talent in the conference with Mahomes, Burrough, Lamar, Herbert, with Harbaugh, Alan as well. I would say Doug Peterson is an interesting one, because that franchise is kind of a weird place. Let's face it. They have a little success, and then it completely unravels, no matter who the coach is. The other thing is Trent Balke is kind of the elephant in the room. There have been reports that those two guys, not exactly always eyed-dye.

Trent Balky is an eye-dye with most coaches. The other problem is if Trevor Lawrence turns out to just not be good, he's not going to get blamed first. The coach will. And I think if Doug Peterson is fired next year, I think it's safe to say that Trevor Lawrence is approaching bus status. And if that's the case, the Jags are fucked. They have to start all over again.

I would say when it comes to McDaniel, he's made the playoffs twice. The dolphins, for the most part, in my adult life post-Marino, have not been some consistent operation. If he's in the playoffs again, even if he loses, how are you getting rid of that? He's a great offensive mind. Now that Fangio left, there's going to be some pressure on the defense,

but last year it wasn't, they had 7 million injuries, just with the bills. So I would probably pump the brakes a little bit with that one. Got a question for the mailbag. It seems the NFL goes through various areas of play. Decades ago, it was the tough base defenses like the 2000s, the Steelers, the Legion of Boom, with dynamic linebackers and more of an old-school ethos.

God, I love that football. Now the league is more focused on offense, obviously because of a litany of reasons. We've seen the greater emphasis on corner and edge rushers, too, it seems. My question is, where do you see the, the NFL going from a play style perspective. Could it possibly get more offensive-centric?

Would love to hear your thoughts as a former scout. You know, things always ebb and flow, right? Things tend to be cyclical. They say history doesn't repeat itself, but it rhymes. I do think there are times, though, when you go, yeah, that's, we're never going back. Right? Communication's a good example.

With technology, through social media, our smartphones, just it changed the game and there's no going back to when if you wanted to get a hold of my dad in 1993 you called the home and if no one was home you didn't get a hold of them right so if he wasn't home and I picked up and my mom picked up

it's like yeah we'll let him know when he gets home kind of seems like a different world but we've only gone more and more of the other direction where in football these rules are never getting rolled back there is never going to be a rule of like now this year

year unlimited hits to the head. The John Lynch, Steve Atwater, you know, those type, Ronnie Lotz of the world, you're allowed to just destroy people. Like, those days are done. They're never coming back. I saw a headline, Roger Goodell,

they plan on being even more active about this hip-drop tackle. Every defender, I've heard talk about it, every offensive player, no one's trying to hurt anybody. Even Mark Andrews is like, yeah, I don't even blame him. He tackled me and he's just trying to get me to the ground. No one's thinking like, hey, I'm running 4-6 at Travis Kelsey.

I'm going to grab his hips and then use all my weight. No, you just try to tackle him and sometimes you've got to do whatever it takes to get him to the ground. But that's the way the league is regulated. And it all has to do with cover your ass and mitigate lawsuits. Let's face it. Well, the league has never made more money than it's making now. And we'll never make more money. as it will over the foreseeable future.

They don't want to lose that money. So I just have a hard time seeing like elite defenses ever come, not in vogue, because everyone's going to try to build a really good defense. But like a huge part of a physical defense was like you went over the middle, Ray Lewis or John Lynch or Cam Chancellor.

They were going to hit you so hard that either you were going to hurt yourself, like break a bone, Just not be able to get up. Or if you were able to get up, you were never going over the middle again. Or never going over the middle willing to, you know, catch the ball. I don't blame you. It doesn't really happen.

Listen, Puka Nakua is an awesome player. He's playing in any era. But I watched a lot of his production when watching the Rams this year. He works across the middle. It's like he doesn't, he's not worried that he's going to get hit. it's why I do understand when Brady goes, like, I knew I couldn't make those passes because I would get someone killed.

My first year in the NFL, in 2010, it's not like it was 1996, I saw multiple players carted off the field for knockouts, knocked out of the game, running go routes or post-routes or crossing routes over the middle of the field. And it was just fucking destroyed. You're like, is that guy alive?

When do we ever see that play anymore? And when we do, the Colts game with Casey, he's kicked out of this for the season. It was like, yeah, you're done, no pay. It's like, what about Gardner Mitch who's awful pass? But it's so rare now that I don't know if we're seeing an ebb and flow. The thing that will continue to happen is running backs play a vital role in the passing game.

If you can't catch as a running back, it limits your ability. So it's like all these players tied in, obviously receiver and running back, have to play a huge role in the passing game. When I was in the league, it feels like a different era. You had two down middle linebackers, meaning that you brought in that guy to just play the run. Second and ten, or second and five, play the run. And then he comes out if it's third and eight for a hybrid, you know,

cover linebacker or an extra safety. that's not the case now you need all your linebackers are much smaller and they all cover so I guess that's a long-winded way of saying I don't know man I just don't I think it's just more offense but what can you really do offensively

just to continue to do what they're doing throw the ball to the running back hey John love the pod watch it every day wondering your thoughts on the staff changes in Carolina I think I've mentioned this I just think Dan Morgan someone I've watched from a

as a player, met him a couple times when I was scouting, people I know really like them. I think it's a very, very tough job. It's a very, very difficult job working for someone like Dave Tepper. Until he proves that he will just stay out of your way and let you cook or attempt to cook the meal, I think it's just a failing opportunity. Now, maybe he's learned, maybe he's going to give some patience. I think it's very difficult for impatient, super rich guys. I mean, these aren't like, you know, he leveraged his whole net worth to buy this team.

He's got to see it through. This was like a passion project. He sold Apple stock on the side to buy this team to get an extra like billion dollars to pay cash for the team, whatever he paid 2.2. I've actually tailed David Depper because probably six months ago I saw he put a large, large investment into Uber. Tailed that one. It's been very lucrative. I also put a very large relative to me, definitely not as large as Tepers. But, you know, close to half my portfolio, Uber, print money.

David Tapper is an elite investor. Owner, beyond terrible. So to me, you get a first-time GM and a first-time head coach who's kind of came out of nowhere. Good luck to him. Good luck to him. I hope you can answer this mailbag question before the Super Bowl. The Niners lost four games this year when Purdy play. The DCs in those four games were Jim Schwartz,

Brian Flores, Mike McDonald, and Lou Anirumo. Some of the best in the league. I'd argue, I mean, all those guys, that's the group. I mean, that group, Fangio, Damiko, that's Belichick, that's the group right there, baby. How do you think against an experienced veteran star defensive coordinator, Steve Spagnola's scheme, Purdy had nine interceptions in those four games and two

and two fumbles maybe Do you think he can play a mistake-free game? It's going to be very, very difficult. Now, there was a stretch, not defending him, but he missed Debo Samuel in the stretch against Jim Schwartz, Flores, and Annamo. Debo missed three games with a messed up shoulder. So having Debo is a huge, huge addition.

Mike McDonald The crazy thing is they were actually moving the ball They just had those turnover plays And one of those picks in the end zone He could not afford to me To have some red zone turnover If he's going to have a pick It has to be a random pick in the first half

Whatever And then the defense is going to have to hold him a three But I do not think they're going to be able to overcome A red zone turnover And he definitely had some red zone A red zone turnover in the Baltimore game Which was really hard The one problem for the 49ers is if Purdy

makes a mistake, their defense is not as good. And their defense has been getting shredded. So if he's going to turn the ball over, if I told you right now he turned the ball over on the chief side of the 50, you'd be like, oh, the chiefs are going to turn that into seven. Where early in the season, even if he turned it over, they might be able to get a stop, force a punt, force a field goal definitely.

Now you have less and less faith the way their defense is playing. So very, very difficult. A lot of pressure. Purdy goes hand in handle with Kyle. So it's like they're kind of a package deal. So Kyle's the brains behind this operation. He has to figure out how to scheme some easy plays and get Debo and some of these guys into space.

And then Purdy, what he's done all season is hit some of the layup passes. Turnovers kill you, man. You can't. Mahomes hasn't had a turnover in a playoff game in like six years. I'm a Giants fan who's. been in hell. What model do you think the Giants should go with moving forward? Draft top 10 for the next couple of years, bolstered the roster and draft a quarterback or draft

a quarterback this year and build around him for years to come. They've already kind of admitted it. If Daniel Jones is healthy, he's going to be your quarterback. It's just going to happen. Which you guys are an owner-led organization. Your owner has a lot of pull for the biggest situations. Right. When it comes to say, When it comes to Daniel Jones They get what they want And a lot of owners Even Robert Kraft was like listen Tom

Love you Thanks for all the Super Bowls But I'm gonna go with Bill on this one That is not the way the Giants operate I can't believe for a second It's one thing if you wanted to keep them It's another thing to give him the contract they gave him That was classic owner

So until John Mara And that operation can just let his people attempt to run it the way they want to run it. 100%. Not like 88%, but like 100%. I think it's going to be a problem. I think you just got to ride this Daniel Jones situation out. Which sucks.

I'm a Steeler fan. We just hired Arthur Smith. I can't see nothing good from this hire, honestly. Am I overthinking it, or do you agree? I would disagree. I think he's easily one of the best offensive coordinators on the market. I think the offensive coordinator, I was watching Albert Brewer with Dan Patrick.

He said that he thought Shane Waldron was the best offensive coordinator hire. I would tend to, I think Shane Waldron is excellent. I think Arthur Smith is a fantastic offensive coordinator. I think you have to separate coaches who are OCs or DCs, and then when they become a head coach, and then that unit, and when they're just the offensive coordinator. A lot of guys, if they're a nine out of ten as an offensive coordinator, the moment they become a head coach, that nine goes to a seven.

And then the other part of the team are average, and you just look at the guy like he sucks. Because it was hard to watch Arthur Smith and the Atlanta Falcons and not go, that, what the hell is going on there? But I think Arthur Smith, when all he has to deal with is half the team, he dealt with Vrable, who's the, you know, the kind of the law, and is the guy staying on every player's ass like Mike Tomlin, and you just have to scheme the offense?

Here's the other thing. You know what the Rooney's like? Running the football. They fired Bruce Ariens once upon a time Because he threw it too much You can call him old school You don't have to call him that It's a reality

But that's what they want So Arthur Smith Turned Derek Henry Into like Earl Campbell So you got Najee Harris Who will see what happens This offseason with the fifth year option The young Warren guy

Who's really good I think you're running attack I'd be stunned if you guys weren't dramatically better on offense Do you post your NFL parles anywhere? I have not... Yeah, we put it...

The volume usually puts it out. I'll throw some sort of content up for the Super Bowl, though. What I actually put my money on. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games.

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

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

to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life,

mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast. It's a space. For honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me, or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to The Clifford Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts,

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

I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick it here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 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. 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. I'm a suffering diehard Giants fan.

Not only am I surrounded by Bills and Eagles fans. in my personal life. Where do you see the Giants going in the draft? I have disagreed with their first round picks going back a decade. Daible and Joe Shane seem to be in no man's land after promising first season. DJ is clearly not the guy. It's crazy how fast things than change in life. It really is.

It's a good life lesson. And this is, I think sometimes people around me, you know, don't understand why I don't get happier when things go well. and honestly I don't get that down when things go bad. When you're around football, you kind of numbs you to realizing like don't, obviously if you win the Super Bowl or if you make some stock trade and turn yourself into a millionaire.

I'm not saying he's not allowed to smile. But I think a lot of people get too up and down on the roller coaster of life and I'm guilty of this when it comes to reacting. I thought after that first year, Brian Dayball was a star. And then the more and more information I got coming out of that building and watching them play,

it's like, maybe he's over his head. And you could argue that the dable situation with the coaching staff, stuck with Daniel Jones, it's an absolute disaster. And for as awesome as two years ago was, and he deserved coach of the year, I'd be pretty nervous.

The good thing you have going for you is your division. Mike McCarthy is on the hot seat, right? He's going into the last year of his contract. if the same thing happens again to the Cowboys, 11-12 wins, bouncing the first round, the Cowboys are going to have a new coach.

Siriani, clearly on the hot seat. That cannot happen again. A ton of pressure around the expensive quarterback in Washington starting at scratch. So on the bright side, your division for being a team or being a division that had two teams in the playoffs doesn't exactly look like the SEC West.

I was wondering if you need anyone to do research for any of your videos. Like many others, I lost one of my jobs in marketing last year. Sorry about that. I'm looking for something to replace the passion I had for that job. I'd be willing to work for free. Well, I appreciate that. You know, I would say I get asked that question a decent amount.

My operation, given that it's just I am the content strategist, you know, I kind of just work well by myself in terms of putting the show together. I spent a lot of time on the internet following football. I played golf with someone the other day, and they asked me, like, how do you know what to talk about? And I didn't really have an answer. I'm like, I just kind of know. Like, well, how do you?

I'm like, well, I follow the league and I follow this stuff really, really closely. This is my life, right? It's just, this guy was a former college golfer. He's like a mini tour guy now. And whenever I get asked that question, I struggle kind of how I even describe it. I'm like, I don't know. I just know.

I've been around. This is all I've ever done. The only profession I've ever worked in is football and talking about football and being around football. So it just comes now maybe as this continues to grow, need some help. But I don't, I guess it's a long-winded way of saying, yeah, I just kind of do it on my own. Now, it doesn't mean I don't run ideas. We got a bunch of people involved in the show talking about football and different ideas. but I've been doing this a while now and I think I got a pretty good natural instinct

Question at one point And I'm not a big like As you can tell I'm more opinion based I'm not just rattling off stats Some podcasts do that I know for me personally when podcasts do it I turn it off kind of bores me At what point do players go to the league and save them

We won't play football for you anymore Until you reform the system of officiating I don't believe the answer to the official is to have referees who work full time. Rather, I believe a new systematic rules, such as all penalties within the final four minutes of the game are subject to review. More replay technology.

I believe it would be helpful with the mass prolification of gambling. I feel it in the NFL's best interest for the sake of avoiding the mass lawsuits that are eventually coming, as more and more people start question whether or not the games are rigged. This question's right up my alley. Players are frustrated with bad calls

as well as they cost them the game, cost them money. I would say this. For the most part, with a player, a bad officiating call doesn't necessarily cost them money. Let's just pick a player. A.J. Brown. And I'm on a huge contract.

Like, over the course of my season, or digs, I mean, players that, like, digs might not be back on the bills. they can have awful pass interference calls that don't get called over the course of the season that doesn't affect his market value. Now who it affects the most are coaches because if you lose, even if it's the wrong call and you should have won,

you still get fired. Instead of going 10 and 7, maybe you lost a couple games by bad calls, you're 8 and 9, and you get shit-canned at the end of the year. So it definitely can have ramifications that way. from a gambling standpoint and someone who probably lost more than I've been lying

if I said otherwise I've had a longstanding tough relationship with it's not acceptable to keep getting these things wrong but at the end of the day we're gambling on an entertainment product and like you said everything reviewable

the last four minutes have you watched a basketball game the last couple of minutes it's excruciating. It's awful. There's no ebb and flow. So there has to be like, you can't just review every play and not have it hurt the consumer experience.

So I know what you're saying, and I would agree with some of it, like, how can we figure this out? I've always said, like, you screw up a call, you get fired. Players get cut, coaches get fired. Why does a referee, it feels like they're tenured? And I always hear, well, that's not true.

some guys get demoted, some guys get bullshit. I see the same guys throughout like the course of my adult life. Eagles fan. I think Kellyn Moore should make Hertz play more under center. Incorporate more runs out of the eye formation and use a fullback.

I think a sneaky underrated part of Miles Sanders' ability with the Eagles was his comfortability with Hertz on RPO's. And we have lost that this past year. With how much running backs recycle, it may be a better idea to sign more of a powerback and gets Hertz under center more. We won the Super Bowl with Lagarin Blunt. Do you think Hertz would struggle adjusting to this style of offense? Well, you had, I wouldn't call DeAndre

Swift, you know, Ricky Williams in his prime, but I thought he was pretty physical back. Here's the problem. Jalen Hertz, the success he's had in the pros and in college, was all in the spread offense out of the shotgun. Like that's, his success came from that. And the RPO, just not under center. So it's one thing when you draft a guy and you incorporate that early on in his career. I mean, Jalen Hertz is going into what, his fifth year and primarily been playing in the shotgun.

Now, talented players should be able to adapt. I use this example. Aaron Rogers, who's success, the majority of his career, I don't know if statistically backs this up. feels like was out of the shotgun. And then what did they institute under Matt LaFleur? It was like, listen, you have to be more comfortable under center turning your back to the defense.

And he did and he started rattling off MVPs. Matt Ryan did the same thing with Kyle Shanahan. So can you institute some of those? Is he comfortable at doing it? He's not a great pocket passer. Like, it's just not something he's super comfortable doing. I would say, I think it's a fair critique of him as a player. not saying he can't make the throws from within the pocket.

He's proven to be able to do that just consistently. That's not really his game. To me, his game, one thing they got away from, and maybe this is just wearing terror on his body, like he's an elite runner of the ball. Why do you get away from him running the... Is he hurt?

It's like Lamar Jackson in that championship game. You guys know he's like one of the best running quarterbacks of all time. You guys know on that like second drive, he busted that run for 25 yards. don't you want to run him? Like not everyone's meant to play like Peyton Manning. If you're a great runner of the ball, run the ball. Just avoid the hits down the field.

And I think that's one thing the Eagles clearly did this year is they like, and maybe it's him too. He just wouldn't really run it. I was not a huge fan at all coming out of college. But I did think he, like if quarterback didn't work out, I thought it could be a starting running back in the NFL. He is a natural runner. He's a great deep ball thrower.

I think you have to find with a player like him is what he does really well hammer that stuff execute that at the highest level in your offense and then try to improve on some of the other things he doesn't do as well and just slowly institute that as a Fresno native big fan of the pod 559

do you hold any credence to the idea that Brock Purdy hate is due to him not having get it out of the mud and was gift wrapped and already loaded team. See, I'd say he got it out of the mud. He was the last pick in the draft. When he showed up to training camp, they had Trey Lance,

who they had given $25 million signing bonus, the number three overall pick and traded multiple first round picks. They ended up resigning Jimmy Garoppolo's the backup, who had won countless games for them and taking them to a Super Bowl. And Nate Sudfeld, who was on the roster, they gave $2 million to guaranteed.

So for him to get it out of the mud, like Tom Brady showed up, he was a four-string quarterback. That's hard. That's hard. Anyone who shows up to a job and you are way low on the totem pole and you just got to start climbing past people, like you don't usually do it overnight, take some time. And he also needed opportunities.

Like I saw Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo play with the team that he was on. They weren't as good. Obviously, if you put Patrick Mahomes or Josh Allen on the Niners, their offense would be incredible. But I keep saying, like, why are we comparing him to those guys? I mean, you're talking like all-time great talents. This guy was the last pick in the draft. I think the hate simply has to go with, like,

the last pick in the draft, he can't be this good. Because it's not like he's talking shit back. He doesn't even fight against it. He's like, yeah, they can think whatever they want. It'd be one thing if you kept chirping back. Everyone just trips on the outside, and he's just like, yeah, man, I'm just trying to play my best, trying to help the team win.

He just doesn't say anything. Maybe one day he'll kind of be like that, but he doesn't really attack back, that's for sure. Are we sure Belichick is that all caps good of an NFL head coach? It sounds like an asinine question when you look at his accolades. Question second most winning NFL coach ever. But him not being hired speaks volumes to me. There's been a volley of coaches off his tree that have not been good. they've been terrible.

Are we sure he's not in a similar boat? If we exclude the years of Brady, which was 20 years, which may seem unfair, but as Tom Brady, accolades and records would tell you you have the best, a mediocre NFL coach. Thoughts. How am I going to try to describe this? I do think it's fair to question Belichick

in terms of teaching his assistant coaches, he was terrible at it. Personnel guy in the draft, very, very hit or miss. But we watched for 20 years, a lot of his teams, not be as talented as the opponent, not have as many Pro Bowl guys. I know he had Tom Brady. But how many games did they win with a defensive play, with a scheme, without coaching the opponent?

Like we can't forget that just because we're a couple years removed. For 20 fucking years. That's why the notion of like, oh, those division sucked. Let's remove the division. How many times did he play Peyton Manning on the Colts for Denver? Or Mike Tomlin with Pittsburgh? Or John Harbaugh with the Ravens? Or whoever the other good team was,

Kubiak and the Texans' his up-and-coming team. And just destroy them. Or find a way to ruin their great season. It happened over and over and over again. So to me, Bill Belichick, the coach, is really good. In terms of him running the entire organization in 2024 in Offensive League letting him be the GM, I understand the pushback.

I do. Now, if I was Atlanta, I would have hired Bill Belichick. I would have. And I, listen, Rahim Morris, his resume speaks for itself. Everyone that's high-level guy in the league loves the guy. I'm not saying he's not a valuable candidate and shouldn't have got hired. but over Bill Belichick, I think that's kind of crazy.

If the reason you hired or didn't hire Belichick was because Rich McKay didn't want him. Like, I'm sorry, I would have gone with Bill. Is there risk involved that they had hired Bill? 100%. Because, like, Bill, like, you just have to pick the players? That just has to happen. Jim Harbaugh, $16 million a year.

It's like, yeah, I need help. I don't know if Bill's really talking like that. And if he's not, then that's his problem. but as a coach, independently as a coach, I think he's pretty good. I think he's pretty good. Now, if you went to a team without a quarterback, there's no guarantee that he could find one,

and yeah, he could struggle. But if you gave Bill Walsh a roster with no quarterback, probably wouldn't be that good either. Like, all great coaches, Bill Parcells, had Lawrence Taylor. And Belichick as his defensive coordinator. When you watched either a 49er documentary or that Two Bill's documentary, they took his game plans

against the greatest offenses ever in Bill Walsh, Joe Montana, and he punked them in big moments and they put him in the Hall of Fame. Parcells was not the scheme guy, Belichick was. You could argue he's the greatest defensive coordinator we've ever seen.

Bill Belichick. Offensively, yeah. I mean, he's very dependent on his offensive coordinator, as a lot of defensive coaches are. but in terms of game plan, in terms of understanding and other team strengths and weaknesses,

I think Bill's pretty good. I think he's deserving to be considered the greatest coach of all time. Look at Greg Popovich without Tim Duncan. It's a fucking joke. So it's most coaches, if I give you a bad team, like, listen,

coaching great players is difficult. You could argue it's harder. Everyone's like, well, Phil Jackson, and Michael Kobe and Shaq. How many guys could handle them? Not everybody could. A lot of those coaches that tried, those guys ran out of town. They wouldn't listen to it.

They wouldn't take seriously. Shack called Stan Van Gundy. He was one of the all-time frauds, the master of panic, ran his ass out of town. Stan Van, I don't watch that much NBA, but if I turn on TNT game and he's on, that's an immediate change. Not sure you saw,

but Adam Silver somehow got a contract extension. Remaining commissioner, through 2030. Does the NBA enjoy losing money and getting run into the ground at the helm? What's the thing? The TV networks are taking a bath financially. The NFL is on fixed amount of money from them.

So you can't lose money when it's fixed, all right? You're signed to a deal that you're not living up to, but under contract, they got to keep paying you. And part of... I think I mentioned this on a podcast a while. ago, all these commissioners. Think of the last three major commissioners in the three major

pro sports. Manfred, Silver, and Goodell, who took over for C League, Stern, and Goodell's been in for so long. Was it Pete Roselle or Tagliaboo? All guys from the league.

This is not the normal private sector where you can hire from outside. You hire from within. It's too complicated of a business. It's a unique business, too, because you're answering to these. You don't own the business. You're not even technically the CEO.

You're speaking for the owners. I'm not defending Adam Silver, but all these commissioner jobs are not easy. He's done a terrible job because he refuses to draw a line in the sand until it's too late. Now it's been a disaster. But Goodell gets destroyed. I mean, the print journalism guys hate Roger. I don't know, some bitterness. He's not nice to him.

I don't know quite know the deal. It's like, guys, the NFL has never been more successful right now. It's very bizarre. I can't. I thought maybe it's just like we're prone to hate management slash leadership, unless it's someone in office that we vote for, then we'll like them no matter what. It's a bizarre thing the media does.

Secondly, I despise the new onside kick rule that is implemented a few years ago. They made an already low percentage play practically impossible to convert. I think he means like you can't take people out. Why don't special teams, coordinators, have their kickers rifle a squib kick as hard as possible at one of the guys in the front line?

What's the worst thing that could happen? They don't recover the kick and it goes out of bounds? In my opinion, that would improve the odds. Yeah, I mean, an onside kick, it is such a low percentage when they go to the onside kick you assume sitting on the couch

whether you're gambling on the game whether it's your team depending on what side you are if you're on the side that's kicking the onside kick you're like we lost if you're on the side that's getting the onside kick you say we won I know a lot of people have pushed back

on how kicking shouldn't be a big part of the NFL like I don't hate it obviously a kicker has nothing in common with a lineback or a running back. But like, putting in golf has nothing in common with driving or approach shot, right? It's, it's kind of stupid when you think about it.

But it's a huge part of the sport. Hobby, however you want to consider it. No different than football. Like, scoring a touchdown, moving the ball, tackling, everything about football is really, really hard. And kicking the field goal doesn't have much in common with anything you see 95% of the game. I don't have a problem with it. Now, it does suck when you lose a massive game because your kicker misses.

It's also pretty fun when your kicker hits the game-winning field goal. Kickers don't bother me as much in terms of, like, they're too relevant or they're too important and they shouldn't be. I just,

I, it doesn't, it doesn't like deep inside me make me, mad like it does for some people. Big Raiders fan. And whether the Caleb doesn't want to be a bear stuff is real. It sparked a lot of trade arguments in the fan base.

Since getting Cliff, obviously at the time you thought you got Cliff now he's in Washington and Pierce's ties to Jaden. My question is being in a division with the Chiefs and now the Chargers, getting Harbaugh, wouldn't take a swing on a stud young quarterback, be right now. If it doesn't work, you weren't winning anyways unless a miracle happened. And if it does, you now have a great quarterback and a talented young roster. My guess would be, this guy's a graphic designer, he's got a pretty cool page. I would imagine they're going to trade up to take it a quarterback.

Because what are their options in free agency? I guess getting getsy, he's seen Kirk Cousins. Maybe he would make some sense in that offense. Coming off an Achilles, though, they just signed Jimmy Garoppola, who they'll probably cut or trade. Yeah, it would not shock me if on draft day the Raiders go from like 13 to 5 or 6, trade next year's first round pick and take a big swing on the quarterbacks. I just get back to, if the first three quarterbacks, though, go 1, 2, 3, are you trading all that for the fourth or fifth quarterback on the board?

Now, maybe that's the third quarterback on your board or the second quarterback on your board. It's just pretty risky. Like, ultimately when the Chiefs traded up from Mahomes at 10 and Watson at 12 with the Texans, those were the second and third quarterbacks off the board. Trubisky went two, which is crazy. And then those guys, you know, the next quarterback went 10 and 12. I'm hoping the Bears dump fields. However, it seems like Caleb wants nothing to do with Chicago.

Clearly, Colin mentioned this on the podcast we talked about. And he obviously rolled it back of like, listen, they want to go to an offensive place. you know, his dad plays a big role in this in terms of the perception, talking in the background. I don't even think it's that crazy if your fields to go like, Iberfluse, you're on the hot seat,

I'm gonna go to you, like, kind of crazy. Though, if Caleb Williams, you go to the Chicago Bears, resurrect that franchise, you'd be a fucking rock star. Now, you could argue I'm already, you see my bank count? Rich.

Assuming the commanders want Williams and would trade up for him, What additional picks players do you think the Bears could get? Would you guess they do May with commanders number two pick? But what else could you get in return? Never like golf, but your go-low pod. Got me into golf betting, so I appreciate that. I would imagine that to go from 2 to 1,

given that other teams, like, what would the Raiders from 13 to 1 give up for Caleb Williams? We'll give you 13, 2 more 1s, and probably a player. I would guess you'd have to go two to one. I'd have to give you next year's one and maybe a two. You're only moving back one spot, but that'd be a lot.

I remember when the Bears traded up with the Niners from three to two to get Trubisky, I think they gave a second, a third, and like next year's fourth. So that's some context of moving up one spot for a quarterback. No, Trubisky is not exactly Caleb Williams. even as a prospect, right, at the same time. So second third was a second third and maybe another third. I forget the exact trade, but it was definitely a two and a three.

Maybe you're looking at a one and a two. I still don't miss an episode. I'm stationed out here in Japan in the Navy. Appreciate your service, bro. It was Kevin. I know you said about why Ben Johnson stayed with the Lions in your vid. Just wondering what your thought was about Breer said in the Monday morning quarterback about him not interview.

viewing well. I've talked about this and other people have said this too. I was told like six months ago that last year he didn't feel very comfortable like he wasn't ready for the job. I think anytime you're apprehensive about something, anytime you're confident, like you walk in,

like if Mike Vrabel interviews for your job, I'll promise you this. He's going to be confident, cocky, and think he's going to get the job. I remember when Jack, someone told me Jack Del Rio when he interviewed for the Raiders. told someone close to him, like, I'm going to crush this job and have the job by the end of the day. Jack was a very confident guy.

A lot of coaches. McVeigh, Tomlin, Rahim Morris, Kyle. These guys have like an inner cockiness to him. Dan Campbell. They have a deep belief in themselves. Andy Reid, I've seen, Pat Hill, I remember when I worked at Fresnel State, was like, this fucking guy, just got some belief. Deep down in his soul, you know, in himself. Pete Carroll.

you've got to have this deep burning belief in yourself as a coach. And if you don't, and that about leading the group, not about scheming, not about like drawing a play on the board, about being the boss. And if you don't have that, it probably shows.

And now words out, like, is this guy unsure? And I wonder if that shows in his interviews. And listen, he's 37 years old. What if he's not ready to be a head coach within five years, a lot of guys aren't meant to be head coaches. There's nothing even wrong with that. I think this notion that you have to be a head coach is kind of crazy. Like, not everyone has to be the general manager or the CEO. In regards to how the Super Bowl refs are chosen, my friend is an NFL

ref, and the NFL has an independent team come and evaluate referees. Those who perform the best over the course of the season are selected for the playoffs and the Super Bowl refs are chosen from that pool. Didn't know that. Now, the actual question, as a Patriot fan, is there any path to us being good in the division within the next two seasons? Between the Bills and Josh Allen, Miami's explosive offense,

and the Jets with Rogers, assuming health, I can't see a situation that we aren't just fucked. Well, I was thinking about this the other day is like, if you're Robert Sala, how happy are you that Bill's gone? I mean, he just destroyed your quarterbacks. And I understand Rogers is now coming back, but everyone in that division is glad to see Belichick gone. Let's face it. If you told all those coaches, especially the offensive ones, Mike McDaniel, Joe Brady, and I didn't even count Nathaniel Hackett.

But would you rather go against Bill Belichick or a new coach? They would all say a new coach. If you strike oil with a quarterback, anything's possible. The Ravens were in shambles. John Harbaugh was going to get fired. And then Lamar Jackson happened. And by the middle of the season, he started and they made the playoffs. So to me, if I tell you, you get Jaden Daniels.

And if I tell you this, Jaden Daniels is in the running to be the rookie of the year. And by the second year, he's throwing 30 touchdowns, and he can run for 5, 600 yards. You'd be like, I bet we're pretty decent. I bet we're pretty competitive. Because you would say the infrastructure defensively, Gerard Mayles played a big part of that, right?

was Bill doesn't really do titles, but you know, he was technically the defensive coordinator. Offensively, if they just get a good quarterback, you can be competitive. Now, how Gerard Mayo is going to be as a head coach? How does any of us know? Call in timeouts, game management, having the team ready. It's always funny when a coaching staff gets hired, everything positive. Like, God, we love this guy. We love this energy. This guy's such a breath of fresh air. Everyone in the building is just all the players, they're also happy. Everyone's just in such a good mood starting in, you know, February, March, the draft, everyone's smiling, OTAs, everyone's happy, training camp, you know, people start being a little on edge because

they start realizing we might not be that good. Then the games happen. So for the next, after the Super Bowl, for the next six months, it's all a bunch of hypotheticals. And the majority of the hypotheticals tend to be happy. They're loving this guy, man. Everyone's just reacting to the new scheme he's implementing. He's changed the weight room. We now, you know, he moves, you're not allowed to eat with a dude from your position group.

You got to eat with a guy on the other side of the ball. Relationships, man, we're all such barbecues. We went to a barbecue at Coach's house. I mean, it's just rinse, wash, repeat. And then October 1st happens. and you're one and three. It's like, yeah, we're fucked. Everyone hates each other now.

So I'm not trying to be Debbie Downer, but it's impossible to tell with a guy that's never coached in terms of being a head coach and the quarterback situation, which I would imagine you're going to have a rookie quarterback. Yeah, I also think the thing with the Patriots

like, are they going to cut Mac Jones? Are they going to trade Mac Jones? Is he a tradable player? That's going to be fascinating to watch. If I was a betting man, he's not going to be on the Patriots next year, but are we sure? You never know.

Could you just keep him and then draft another guy, have him start the season, the other guy come in? You never know. Drive Mayo just want to start fresh and just get rid of him. I would imagine cutting him is on the table. But I would also guess some team would be willing to make him the backup quarterback. Would Kyle Shanahan trade you like a fourth round pick for him?

Probably. Long-winded way of saying, thanks for the questions, and have a good week. 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 I-Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque.

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Clivert Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifers Show. This is a place for raw, unfills of conversations with athletes,

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