The Herd with Colin Cowherd - 3 and Out - CMC to SF, Kyler/Kliff TNF Drama, Belichick O, Eye-Roll Russ, Week 7 3 for the $$$

Episode Date: October 21, 2022

John reacts to the Panthers trading Christian McCaffrey to the Niners for picks, and the Cardinals getting a TNF W over the declining Saints despite Kyler Muray and Kliff Kingsbury’s heated sideline argument. He also discusses Bill Belichick’s offense hitting stride despite his heavily criticized move naming Matt Patricia OC, why the Denver version of Russell Wilson is faker than ever, and if the end of Baker Mayfield’s NFL career is around the corner. Finally, he runs 3 Week 7 NFL games by Action Network sharp Stuckey to see if there's professional agreement or disagreement on this week’s picks!  Subscribe NOW and follow Middlekauff and The Volume on Twitter, Instagram and YouTube for the latest content. It's always FanDuel for the best wagering action! #volume #herdSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Good evening to all. Late night here, we had a little breaking news that we will dive into right off the show, Christian McCaffrey, headed to the 49ers. We had a Thursday night football game, which I was really more locked into the Yankees, but, you know, give the Cardinals are due. You get a couple pick-sixes at the end.

of a two minute half basically in the game playing the Andy Dalton have some thoughts on the Saints. Kyler snapped on Cliff again and then obviously a lot more football talk three and out podcast make sure you subscribe to the podcast if you listen on Collins feed subscribe to my feet also Middlkoff mailback come out another one on Sunday at John Middlecoff's the Instagram fire in those DMs okay we the trade the night was I guess I'm rarely shocked I was pretty shocked. Now, there has been a lot of buzz in Ninersland that they have been interested. And I'll be honest, I didn't take it that seriously.

Not that they wouldn't be interested in Christian McCaffrey. Kyle Shanahan idolized as a kid Ed McCaffrey. He wore 87 at the University of Texas because of Ed McCaffrey. Obviously, the McCaffrey family, the Shanahan family are close. Christian has been, you know, win healthy and elite player. But he's been banged up. and he makes a lot of money for a position that's relatively easy to replace. Here's the other thing.

The 49ers have invested heavily at running back. They drafted two last year. They drafted another this year. Obviously, Elijah Mitchell, they're starting running back, who they hit on last year as a six-rounder, who's a really good player, is injured. And Ty Davis Price, who's a pretty good player too, is also banged up. That's a problem with the 49ers. They get injured a lot.

Now, they have a lot of physical players, and you've heard my theories and why I think a lot of guys are getting injured, especially physical players, because you don't practice physicality anymore. You don't do double bays, you don't do padded practices. It's all these walk-through like events or high-speed like events that aren't hitting. And then you get to the game where guys have never been faster and guys are dropping like flies. And no team drops like flies more than the 49ers.

Now, they're lucky they're getting Trent Williams back this week and Nick Bosa back this week, but they have other guys injured. And when you trade, now let's face it, part of this trade was because of the Rams. They are in an arms race with the Rams. Remember the Red Sox and Yankees for years? They got into an arms race. That's what this has become. Because Matt Stafford said to Jalen Ramsey on a podcast that when I got traded to the Rams,

I was shocked. I thought I was going to the 49ers. The 49ers wanted them. And they got outbid. because they didn't have, you know, they gave them back Jared Gough. They just had a better package and they gave two ones. And when the 49ers gave a second, third, and a fourth, and then a following year's fifth, like, I don't really care about fifth round picks, but a second, third and a fourth,

when you don't have a first round pick is a lot. Now, they got other comp picks and they have multiple threes and D'Amico Ryan's probably get a job and they'll get another comp three. Like, they will get picks, but it's still a bold move to make. Now, I thought last year the Rams were crazy when they traded a second and a third for Von Miller. But part of that was because he was a rental. Now, it worked out. He kind of got his old Denver Bronco mid-2010s back, gave him a sack every game in the playoffs and it was awesome.

The trade was well worth it. Obviously, the Broncos ate the money. Rams do the trade. They win the Super Bowl. Who cares? But then he leaves. And you're watching this year, they're not as good. And they didn't have the pick so their team's not as deep.

Now, the 49ers make a bold trade, partly because they're getting to this bidding war for the ramps. And, you know, like bidding wars happen a lot, like in housing markets, right? Not right now because it's in the tank. But when housing markets are thriving, like 2021, we've experienced it in Northern California for a long time. You just, you bid against like five other people. And when times are good, sometimes like 12 other people, 15 other people. People got Al cash offers. And some people have more money than others.

So you just get to a bidding war with someone with more money than you, you lose. Because even if it's a $500,000 house, if people start bidding $800,000, eventually, like, that guy's like, shit, I'll just pay a million dollars. And you're like, oh my God, I was prepared to pay $300,000 over asking, and I got outbid by multiple hundreds of thousands of dollars. And usually it's a combination of a guy, maybe he's more desperate slash he has more money. And I think you look at the Rams, the Rams were more desperate. They do not have a running back. Sean McVeigh hates Cam Acres. The 40s, The 49ers have a million running backs.

The problem is they get injured a lot. Well, I just looked at the Rams. They don't have a fourth round pick. So clearly the Rams were prepared, as we saw last year, they have a company motto that says, fuck them picks. So the 49ers were getting to a bidding war with a team that does not care about draft picks.

But they don't have a fourth round pick. So the 49ers were in a bidding war with their rival, and they ultimately had a trump card, which was the fourth round pick. But the crazy thing, in my opinion, is the 49ers didn't need to be desperate as the Rams. Let them give their second and third pick. Like, do you really need a running back who's been injured a lot? I like Christian McCaffrey. He's been incredible when he's been healthy.

He is one of the more versatile players at his position we've ever seen. He's like a modern day Marshall Falk because he can catch the ball. He can run between the tackles. He can run outside, but he's been injured a lot. Ankle injuries, hamstring injuries, shoulder injuries. He's just been injured. He missed a lot of games. And the 49ers are a team. Like, part of the players that they need to acquire moving forward are healthy players. Because anyone can get hurt in football. You can be a durable player and then get injured on any given play. It can happen like that.

But when you're injured a lot and then I draft you and then you get injured again, like that's kind of on me the team. Now, part of the reason I'm okay with being aggressive on a trade with a player like this is he's under contract for several years. Now, the way his contract works is it gets a lot more expensive in terms of cap hits, not the money that. it's already been paid moving forward. So his cap money

over the next couple years is like $19 million, $19 million, $19 million. But the 49ers doing some research may only be on the their cap hit might only be $12 million. Regardless, he's an expensive running back who gets injured a lot. It's risky.

But the 49ers, Kyle Shanahan, is probably like, I can't get outbid by the Rams and have them win the division again when ultimately I need to get over the hump. And so you roll the diet, I just don't know if you roll the dice to quote unquote get over the hump with the running back. That's, if you would have done this for Laramie Tunzel, they're like, oh, you know, the 49ers just traded, he's going to play a right tackle with Trent Williams.

Their second, their third, their fourth, and next year's won a back. Shit, I get it. You would have said, hey, you know, the Spalcons wave the white flag, Grady Jarrett, second, third, fourth, the next year's one, I get it. But a running back? And it's not like, well, the 49ers have a bunch of offensive weapons, Debo Samuel, Brandon Ayuk, George Kittle, a bunch of running backs. like it's very, very risky.

And you know me, I'm all four rolling the dice and being aggressive. But I also think there's a fine line of being reckless and kind of crossing the line. And ultimately draft picks, you know, majority of draft picks don't hit. But the 49ers hit on a lot of random draft picks. It's why they've been able to be competitive without star quarterback play. Because they get all these guys in the second, third, fourth, fifth rounds. Like they're starting guard. second round pick. Debo Samuel, second round pick. Fred Warner, third round pick.

You know, they just have built their team with a lot of guys second, third, and fourth round picks. Drake Greenlaw, fifth round pick. So you've got to value those things because George Kittle, fifth round pick. Brandon Ayuk, late first round pick that they traded in for. I just, if it works, they're going to look like geniuses, and if it backfires, everyone's going going to be making fun of them. But I think the positional value trading that much for a running back, ultimately last year when they traded that much for Von Miller, he was still a Hall of Fame pass rusher. The most important position in the league, quarterback. Second most important position in the league, pass rusher. Running back, we all agree, it's like well down the list. Right there,

like guard. You know, it's near the bottom. And the 49ers have a million running back. So, I mean, I get it. Kyle Shanett. This feels much more like a coaching move. Like, do the guys in the front office, would they have given the thumbs up on this? I don't know. This feels like a coach. because the coach isn't worried about next off season. He's trying to beat the Chiefs, and then he's trying to beat the Rams, and then he's trying to beat the Chargers. It's all he's worried about.

So that's why I like my front offices, like, why have the Rams made all these trades? Now, a lot of them have worked. It's because they're coach. Coaches don't have much patience, especially in the season when they're trying to win. Just wild trade. Wild trade.

Talking about wild trades, think about the Saints. Do you know who the Saints are? They're an organization that viewed themselves, like Apple. Like, regardless who runs it, we're going to be successful. Right.

Steve Jobs dies. Tim Cook takes over. Haven't been faced. They have been one of the best companies in the world for multiple decades now. I'm looking at my Apple computer. I'm looking at my Apple iPhone. I got an iPad sitting right over there. I got a million Apple products.

It doesn't matter who's running them. They are just a bohemath of a company. My Apple Plus TV. The Saints were shitty before Sean Payton. arrived, Andrew Breeze, who came basically as a package deal. They're both gone. They're shitty again. Yet this offseason, when they traded the 2003 first round pick, they operated like they were still going to keep rolling. And I said from the jump, you can't lose Sean Payton and go

to Dennis Allen and just assume you're going to be good. It made no sense not to take just a deep breath. And just assess where you were after a year. What your team needs, like, are we going to be in a transitional period? Instead, they viewed themselves like a Super Bowl champ. And in what world were you going to be a Super Bowl contender when your quarterback position was James Winston

and Andy Dalton? Andy Dalton, it had to be a record. I had the game on mute because I had the Yankees game the sound on. Through two pick sixes under the two-minute warning in the first half. is that ever happened in the NFL? I would bet a thousand dollars right now

that has never happened in the NFL. He's like, oh, well, James Winston's better, is he? I once saw James Winston throw 30 plus interceptions. So their coach stinks and their quarterback position is average at best. You have no shot at winning. I don't care how much talent you have at different positions.

And they made a move like they still had Drew Brees and Sean Payton. And they just don't. And one thing we're finding out is there the Saints. And without Sean Payton and without Drew Brees, the Saints are the Ains.

Like ultimately, Alabama, Georgia, Florida. You know, Nick Saban will leave and they'll get another good coach, and more than likely, they'll never be as good as maybe they were under Sabin, but they'll be good. LSU will be good under Brian Kelly, and then they'll be good under the next coach.

Oregon will be good under Dan Landing, and then they'll be good after their next coach. Certain programs are just consistently good in college football, That is not the way the NFL works. Are the Patriots guaranteed to be good once Belichick leaves? Hell no. Absolutely not. So in the NFL, your head coach, who in a lot of these organizations,

is the head honcho and the boss, dictates it all. And then you put him with the Hall of Fame quarterback. You're going to kick ass for a long period of time, and they did. But I remove Sean Payton and Drew Brees, once he retired. Like, Sean Payton was still able to win nine games. nine games with Ian Book, with James Winston, with Teddy Bridgewatt. I mean, think of what they were. I guess Teddy wasn't on the team, but whoever the hell their quarterbacks were,

Taysam Hill. They went nine and eight last year, nine and eight with basically the same team that Dennis Allen's rolling out. Dennis Allen's about to go five and 12. The head coach really, really matters. In an organization like the Saints, if you're a Saints fan, I understand it's, you've had an incredible 15-year run. It's been badass. You have been one of the league's stalwart, consistent, cool franchises.

Those days are over. And I think you should be asking yourself, should we just fire Dennis Allen at the end of the season and go looking for a big-time head-oncho? Pay someone $12, $15 million. Just get a big-time coach. At least you should try because you've got no chance moving forward. And the last but not least, I know the Cardinals won.

Why is Kyler always yelling at Cliff? On the outside, I don't have any inside information with the team, but everything Cliff said publicly was pro-Kyler. He rooted for him to get the contract. He kept saying publicly, I hope we get this deal done. I hope we get this deal done. He was the number one proponent who pushed for Kyler Murray to build a franchise around to get him all this money.

And now Kyler Murray is constantly screaming at his head coach. And tonight it looked like I'm not a great lip reader. Look like he said, calm the fuck down. Like, Kyler, let's just take a chill pill, buddy. should you always be yelling at this guy? And you know me, I'm not some big Cliff Kingsbury believer. But it feels like his lack of respect for his head coach is a little crazy. Now, you could also argue, does Cliff know what he's doing?

If it wasn't for those two picks, sixes, and honestly, Andy Dalton, they were up 14 to 3. And he threw a pick, it would have made it 21 to 3. It would have been blowout city, or actually it would have been 21 to 6. He throws a pick in the end zone and kind of flip the game. but I don't know, man. I'm not seeing it. I like Eno Benjamin actually. And obviously Hopkins coming back helps them out a lot.

You know, when you're the home team on these Thursday night games, you have to win. It's a lot of pressure on you to get the job done. But their relationship is just bizarre. How often do you see, I mean, it's one thing to kind of scream at each other after one bad play. It happens. Every coach quarterback once or twice. It feels like it happens every single week. There's a visual of Kyler.

screaming at Cliff. A little bizarre, but I guess, you know, very on brand for that operation. Football season is underway. So now is the perfect time to download FanDuel, America's number one sportsbook. Because right now, new customers get a no-sweet first bet up to $1,000.

That's free bets back if your first bet doesn't win. Just sign up using the promo code, Colin. FanDuel has all your favorite bets from money line to point spreads to player props. You can combine your bets for a chance at a bigger payout with a same game parlay. The app is safe, secure, and super easy to use. Get paid your winnings fast. So sign up today with promo code Colin for your no sweat first bet. Make every moment more this season with FanDuel, official sportsbook partner of the NFL.

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Tennessee, 888-98-97-89, Tennessee, 1-800-5-2-4700. Wyoming. Visit www.1-800 gambler.net, West Virginia. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year.

Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me, 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. Okay, let's dive into something that I need to take. I think I need to wear this L.

And I think sometimes, whether it's us talking about sports, whether it's you as an investor, whether it's just the way we lead our lives, we can overthink things a lot, right? And you don't need to be some genius or you don't need to be some dumb guy. I think it's human nature to overthink things or to try to use like jump steps, be the smartest guy in the room. And I think I did that in terms of judging NFL teams and specifically certain coaches coming into this year. I remember, you know, I didn't really start investing in the stock market until my 30s. But Tony Robbins, I remember reading this when I was probably in college,

say, invest in what you use, right? And listen, I've never owned Apple stock. Probably dumb, because I'm talking into an Apple computer. I have an iPad that I use every single day, and I have a phone that I'm not proud to say I average about seven hours a day on. Again, not proud at all. So I use all their products and I consistently have now for almost well over a decade. Not investing them is dumb on my part. Right. I've been a big believer in Netflix for a long, long time.

Now, obviously, it's in shambles. The stock got destroyed like a lot of them over the last year. Well, I don't know if you saw a couple days ago, they shot up like a rocket like 20%. They've announced that you no longer. can share passwords with your cousins, your brothers, your neighbors. We're also going to start using ads and you can pay way less money, just have ads. I'm a Hulu guy. I have Hulu ads. I'm a YouTube guy. I got ads. I got Pandora. I got ads. Doesn't bother me. That's going to greatly improve their business. Netflix, read Hastings, going nowhere. And Bill Belichick,

Bill Belichick has been a constant in my life since I was a sophomore in high school. I was a sophomore in high school when they beat the Raiders with the tuck rule game. And ever since, beside two seasons, one, I guess right after they won the first Super Bowl, they missed the playoffs as well, with Matt Castle when they won 11 games, and then a couple years ago in the COVID season when Cam Newton was their quarterback. But last year, with Mack Jones, they easily made the playoffs, they won 11 games. This year, the Patricia and Joe Judd's thing scared me. One thing I, I think, I don't know if I didn't realize, but I probably put too much stock in. Bill Belichick ain't letting that guy go Kyle Shanahan or Andy Reid.

Ultimately, Bill Belichick's going to dictate what he wants. And guess what he wants? He wants to run the football. What else does he want to do? Play defense. Well, what is Bill Belichick's baby? He's a defensive coordinator at heart. What are they now?

Pretty good a defense. What's another thing that Bill Belichick just ultimately has over most teams he plays? He has the advantage on the sideline. He's a better coach. Look at these last couple weeks. Now, I thought the Patriots are going to win like five games. Do you know what they are going to do? They're going to compete to make the playoffs.

And you know what? They might make the playoffs. Why? Because they got Bill fucking Belichick. And I overthought that one. Like, I've seen him play last two weeks, Kevin Stefansky and Dan Campbell. And Dan Campbell's a good example of someone that I got to take the L on.

I thought the lions were going to be feisty. Do you know what I didn't put enough stock in? Dan Campbell's their head coach. I like him. I'm rooting for him. Is he some schematic genius? Has he even proven that he knows what he's doing being the head coach? No, he is not. And right now the Lions are awful again. They're terrible on defense.

Well, if the Patriots had struggled on offense, which they did the first couple weeks under Mac Jones, do you know what Bill Belichick can ultimately do? Even though he's a quote unquote defensive guy, he can coach every position. He can influence every single play. So what happens? They've gotten dramatically better on offense the last couple weeks. I saw him play Dan Campbell. He won 29 to 0. Then he plays Kevin Stefansky. Do you know what he did? He undressed him.

So do I think Bill Belichick and the Patriots are some powerhouse? No, I do not. But I basically thought they were going to suck. And as long as Bill Belichick has a heartbeat and a brain that's working and a headset on his head and gets to influence and be the head coach for any team, they're going to be competitive. I don't give a shit if Matt Patricia and Joe Judge are two best offensive coaches. You are going to compete and you are going to win a lot of games

because you're going to have such a massive advantage when you ultimately run up against Dan Campbell's and Kevin Stefanskies. Like, he plays the Jets in a week. Do you know where he has the massive advantage? Against Robert Sala. He plays the Bears on Monday Night Football. I like Belichick against Iberfluse.

So I got a... And the Atlanta Falcons are another team. I thought they were going to be awful. I didn't love their roster. But do you know what it turns out? Arthur Smith's pretty good at his job. We saw him with the Tennessee Titans. He was a big reason that running game and Derek Henry became a star.

Now, I didn't know this because I didn't have the evidence, but why are the Giants good? Who I also thought we're going to be drafting number one overall because Brian Dable is a good coach. In college football, your roster really matters. You have to be able to recruit. And if you recruit even a guy like Ed Ogeron, who again, I met him, he was really nice to me. I think we all agree, probably not the best head coach, led one of the greatest. teams we've ever seen because they had the players. Why is Alabama not as good this year? Well, because they can't recruit like they once could. One, schools like Texas and Texas A&M can buy

recruits. Now, you could always cheat, but now I can give you seven figures. And Georgia, who is now Alabama's equal, as I was told last week, like, what's going on with Alabama? They now get players that Alabama used to 100% always get. So Alabama does not have the monopoly on the sweet players in the South they want, Georgia gets them to as well. And honestly, some years, they get more of them. So in college football, you got to do twofold. You got to be able to coach, but you have to have the players. Otherwise, it doesn't matter.

Brian Kelly's a really good coach. At Notre Dame, he was never going to get the roster that Ohio State, that Alabama, that Clemson and Georgia could. That's why he always lost. Now he's at LSU, and he can't. So you've got to be able to do both. You've got to be able to coach, and you've got to get the star players. in the NFL, the talent for the most, as a coach once famously told me,

we were playing the bills when I worked with the Eagles. I'm like, we're going to kill the bills. They were terrible at the time. He's like, bro, their players live in big ass houses and drive sweet cars just like our players. And it's true. Like the talent gap, like ultimately the talent gap for the Detroit Lions and the New England Patriots a couple weeks ago

was not 30 to nothing. I think the final score was actually 29 to nothing. It wasn't that. because if I flip the two coaches, here's what happens. The Lions beat the Patriots. Now, some teams like the Bills are way more talented than the Patriots. And they got Sean McDermott, who's a good coach. They're probably going to get swept.

But most of the teams you play, the gap isn't that wide. This is not college football. This is not Ohio State against Northwestern. Or Ohio State against McNeese State. Or Tennessee this week against who knows who. this are the majority of teams we got good players, you got good players. We're all got pros.

Who can scheme, who can coach, who can lead, who can run a game. Bill Belichick can't. And clearly Brian Dayball can't. And that matters. But specifically when you don't have the talent and I got to outthink you, coaching is so important in the NFL. The Denver Broncos, who I actually liked this week.

I talk about what was Stucky. You know, I think they are the pick going up against the Jets. But I don't know if you had a chance to see that new commercial, dangerous Russ and the subway commercials. I think we all can acknowledge Russ is pretty weird. And, you know, if you saw this, there was a story about James Corbyn,

the dude that does the car karaoke, who always seemed like this fun, just like, God, this guy would be a lot of fun to BS with. I've never watched his show. I've just seen his internet clips. He got banned from a restaurant in New York, because he was a royal asshole. Remember last year?

when I think Ellen was having her last season. And it started coming out from all the people behind the scenes, started leaking a TMZ, that she was a miserable, you know what, that people hated her. And I was like, God, Ellen, I thought Ellen was the most fun-loving lady going. If you ever flipped on your show,

it's like, everyone laughing, jumping up and down. And it turns out she was a complete fraud. She was nothing like, and this happens a lot in Hollywood, right? People have this, what they are in television, happy go lucky great like i don't want to be friends with them and turns out they are mean sobs they are terrible people i call those people frauds phonies and that happens a lot right especially in any industry where a camera's on you you act one way when the right red light goes off

you act completely i hate frauds listen if you're an asshole you're an asshole just act like it don't do something to profit when you're not i understand why you do but i think you those Those type people are the scum of the earth. And Russell Wilson, here's my issue with him. Because a lot of people that want to defend Russell Wilson go, you know, just who he is, a super optimistic person. I'm not against optimism. I'm all for it.

I've said over and over, I have to lean on optimism more than negativity. And some people can thrive in negativity, vengeance. I can't. Clearly Russell can either. Now, I do think there's a way to balance how you articulate it and how often you talk. talk about it, but listen, he's a quarterback, he's a spokesman for a team, I get it. The Go Hawks thing, I've always said there is, and I saw a coward talking about it, that he thought that him going, the let's ride thing bugs a lot of people. I would separate Gohawks and let's ride.

Gohawks was something he was drafted there. He took a lot of pride in winning the job, coming from Wisconsin, where, you know, remember Brett Beelma used to say on Wisconsin, then Russell started doing it. And I always thought Gohawks, even though it's not very often that you hear stuff like that in the NFL, I thought it was very organic. I thought it came very natural. Well, when then you go to the Denver Broncos and you go, let's ride, I think you completely made that up. Like, I've never heard that before. So it's one thing to have this organic statement, the Seahawks, everyone up in Seattle calls them the Hawks, Go Hawks. If you go to Denver, no one was saying when John Elway was playing or Peyton Manning was playing or Mike Shanay and Jake Plummer saying,

let's ride. Like, you're just making things up. Like, to me, that is cheesy. And to me, where you become a fraud, it's like, okay, listen, I'm not very religious. I've been to church non-like wedding or funeral or anything like that inside a church legitimately to go to a service on a Sunday under 10 times in my life. Honestly, it's probably closer to under 5. So, but I have no problem with religion and people that are religious. Totally for it. I think there are probably a lot of elements of religion that would help me out in my life. It's just not part of my life. And it never will. Like, I'm just being real. So Russell Wilson being religious is not why anyone has an issue with them. But you can't be super Mr. Religion and super optimist when Richard Sherman

had Marciaun Lynch on his podcast. And Marcia, Marcia basically said, like, I was never going to root for him when he was on Seattle, but I'm rooting for him. on the Broncos. I want to see Russell Wilson do well. And I think Richard kind of was joking, but I was like, you should give him a call and tell him that. And then Marshawn essentially said like, yeah, I don't call people who I have to go

through their manager to get a hold of them. And it's like, you know, you play this religious, optimistic card, you're like this good guy, and then I got a guy like Marchion has to call you to get hold of you? Like, come on, man. Like, if I'm your friend, now I understand like you're some random guy,

but your former teammates, I've heard so many stories of Russell Wilson going to golf tournaments, his golf tournament, that every single person at the golf tournament, Russell Wilson is personally invited, yet he brings security with him to the golf tournament. It's like, bro, what the fuck are you doing? You know, if I'm Jeff Saturday, or I'm Marvin Harrison, or I'm Dallas Clark, or I'm Julius Thomas, or I'm Vaughn Miller, if I want to get a hold of Peyton Manning, I call Peyton Manning. I've heard more and obviously I fold golf very closely of guys saying like when I ever

need anything I reach out to Tiger and he always calls me back. Or sometimes Tiger unimpromptly or you know will reach out to me. Not his manager. Not like his you know a person that puts his calendar together. Him.

So it's like I've heard these stories about Russell Wilson and Marshall's just admitting it. So it's like I think Russell listen is he quirky and weird? For sure. It's why you watch him on the subway commercials, he's just a different cat, which we're all, we all can be a little weird. Even though I'd say, for the most part, quarterbacks, like, I watch Patrick Mahomes, I watch Josh Allen, just the way they act, I go, that's a pretty normal guy. Even Tom Brady up until

like this year, for the most part, even though he's super rich and super handsome, could kind of come off as relatable. Peyton Manning's the best at it. He can just get along with people. Why does Russell struggle with that so much? Well, it's like, I think he's kind of a phony and a fraud when I got to go through a manager, you say you're believing in God and you say you're Mr. Team guy, but it's like, you're not really. You're actually pretty selfish. And I think sometimes people with religion can use religion to kind of, you know, mask their insane narcissism and ego. And it's an easy one. Like, I'm just doing it for God. No, you're doing it for yourself. Like, just fucking look in the mirror, buddy. So I think one thing that's happening this year with

Russell for the first time, like truly people being like legitimately critical, I think it's fair to kind of call him a phony, who's clearly not playing very well. But you don't get to operate like this and just always use these sayings, just get away with it. It's like, come on, bro. Let's ride.

You just made that. You just pulled that out of your ass. No one's ever said that. Can't say that. So yeah, I mean, I've thought it for a long time. There's a difference between being weird, a little out there and being a phony. Right?

Like, I think Elon Musk, if you follow him, like, he's out. there. But I think he's being a phony. I don't. You know, you can be out there and not be a phony. Baker Mayfield and the Carolina Panthers, it looks like Sam Donald might start this week. It's pretty crazy, right? In the 2018 draft, there were five quarterbacks taken. Baker, Sam, Josh Allen, Josh Rosen, and then Lamar Jackson. I think it's pretty clear two guys are good, right? And three or not. And one, I mean, it's not even an NFL player in Josh Rosen. and then Sam Darnold and Baker Mayfield's careers are up in the year.

And I would say Baker Mayfield this year was a disaster, right? Got traded for barely nothing. Comes to Carolina. Now he's hurt, but before he got hurt, he was one of the worst quarterbacks. You could argue he was the worst quarterback in the NFL. He was that bad. He was horrendous. I mean, he really was.

Zero positives, only negatives. And Sam Darnold got in a weird way like he got injured, even though Baker won the job, but it was like, you know, he hurt his ankle. Would they have gone to Sam Darnel the weeks before? Well, no one's acting like Sam Darnel. They held on to Baker, you know, once Baker, quote-unquote, won the job. He didn't really win the job.

They traded for him. Matt Ruhle needed to have a different pitch. And they went with Baker Mayfield. Baker Mayfield's career is kind of hanging on by a threat. Like, Baker Mayfield's not a starter in 2023. And then I think the question is, is he a backup? Obviously, historically, he's better than a lot of backups, but he would say his career's got a little weird off the field.

I would say a lot of teammates in Cleveland didn't exactly pound the table for him. You know, his personality, one of Colin Coward's greatest takes of all time, has proven to be kind of right, rubs a lot of people the wrong way. Sam Donald's kind of the other, right? Sam Donald's well-liked people, a lot of friends, coaches like him. Just he's not that good. He's been pretty terrible. Well, I will say this.

Listen, I'm not banking on this, but Sam Donald has a chance now to do what Baker's been unable to do. And it's really resurrect his career. Now, I don't think he's going to be a starter. But Ben McAdoe, who really liked him in the spring, if Sam Donald can be healthy and just be productive, I think he can just kind of save his career moving forward. Because if he looks like Baker, I think we're looking at both these guys like next fall somewhere competing to make a team. are competing to be like, is this guy going to be our backup or not? Or, you know, if Sam Donald plays well, to me, he'll get that Mr. Tribisky kind of treatment.

Hey, here's $4 or $5 million, kind of be a bridge starter. Depending on a rookie, you might be the backup, but whatever, but you're on a team. I don't think Baker is a lock to be on a team. It's crazy as that sounds in 2023. It went that bad in the last couple of years. And, you know, it's not exactly Mr. Lovable off the field. A couple things. Well, we had some owner drama this week.

Let's start with Jim Ursay, who, you know, Jim Ursay, do you know how old Jim Ursay is? If you look at a picture of Jim Ursay, if you just show your mom or your wife or someone who doesn't really know who Jim Ursay is, and just go, how old do you think this man is? I will be stunned if they say anything under 75. When you Google Jim Ursay, he's actually 63.

He is a weathered, weathered, dude. Now, is Jim Ursa, should he be speaking out for the NFL? You know, I think we could argue probably not, right? It was just a couple years ago that he was pulled over with bags of cash and bags of pills. I think it's fair to say the dude has some issues. Now, listen, we all do, and I'm not one to judge, but I do think the message and who the messenger is kind of matters. Like, I like my spokesman to be a little more clean on and off whatever they're dealing with. And I'd say, Ursa, you know, it's not exactly the guy.

that I want speaking. But I don't think sometimes having a guy who probably represents the views of others, like a lot of people when things are going well in anyone in a business

or whatever, a team, you're winning, a business is making money. Like, no one really wants to upset the Apple card, right? You want things to just keep going. So obviously Dan Snyder is a fucking disaster

for the league. Like, I mean, an utter train wreck. Do they want him out? Of course they do. But most of these owners are, you know, going to play it pretty close to the vest when it comes to public comments. None of them are just going to take a huge dump on the guy.

Jim Mersey did not hold back. Absolutely destroyed him, say he should leave, basically. Sell the team, get the hell out of our league. You know, it's not exactly verbatim what he said, but it's reading between the lines, that's what the guy said. And, you know, sometimes you need the guy who might have some issues to kind of just run his mouth

because that's what everyone else wants to be said. And I never put it past these owners, maybe several guys knew that, like, Jim might be liable. Like, Jim's been pretty outspoken the last 12 months, right? Crush Carson Wentz has talking a bunch of shit about his coach and GM. Now just put Dan, maybe he just doesn't care. And I think when you saw that Jerry Jones, so I don't think Dan Snyder's necessarily going anywhere,

but I said this last week when Al Michael said on last Thursday night game that, in his opinion, Dan Snyder should tell the team. like Al Michaels just he gave, you know, he did like a voiceover for Robert Kraft's wedding. So Al Michael speaks for the owners. Al Michaels works for the league. I know Al Michaels technically gets a check from Amazon, but Al Michaels is an NFL employee. So when Al Michael said that, he was speaking for the league. When Jim Ursay, who again, I'd say to most of us feels like a little off the rock or owner,

he's speaking for a lot of people. And then there's Jerry Jones and Robert Kraft, who, are in business together with a company called Legends. They basically do the catering and help you set up venues, right? They did the Raider Stadium. They did the 49er Stadium. And it's a very successful company. And Robert Kraft is an investor with Jerry Jones. I think Jerry Jones technically like the head of honcho, but Kraft's financially, you know, invested into it. And clearly they are, you know, two of, if not the two, most prominent owners in the NFL. And at these owners meetings, I think you talk about a lot of different things.

And one of the things on the agenda, I mean, I didn't know this until the story came out, was Robert, Robert, Roger Goodell's salary. And it came out, you know, business is pretty good for the NFL. Rogers made $128 million the last couple years. It makes a ton of money. You know, it's averaging shit.

I mean, almost $65 million a year. Business is good for Roger. And I guess, just to keep it rolling, like to not change anything, The NFL owners voted on it. And it was 31 to 1 to just keep going as is. Keep paying Roger a premium.

And the one no, nay, vote was Jerry. And Jerry is not happy with Roger Goodell's compensation. He, I guess, has some issues with the bonus money. And him and Robert Kraft got into a yelling match. And basically, Jerry Jones, as it was reported by Seth Wickersham, said, don't fuck with me. And I think this is the problem. Like, should Roger Goodell, you know, I hear a lot of people say, well, CEOs, the CEO of Wells Fargo or the CEO of Google, or I think a CEO of those companies, even with quote unquote, the public structure of a board of directors, has a lot more influence on their company than Roger ultimately does for the NFL?

So if you wanted to argue, does Roger really need to make $65 million a year? Could he make $30? You know, given his role obviously is not easy. makes a bunch of arrows for the owners, but is he really doing as much as some of these CEOs? Probably not. But when everyone is making this much money, and since

he's been in charge, money hasn't just flowed, it keeps like quadrupling. These guys went from really rich to being some of the richest people in America. Some of them really are. Massive yachts. I mean, these guys are never lived higher on the hog.

And it's why so many of them, like, listen, just am I really going to argue over what ultimately amounts to $2 million per team if I'm just some random owner? That's the equivalent of like me worrying about the water bottles I sell at my stadium, right? Or the branded socks. I mean, it's $2 million to some of these teams is not even a line item. It's money you and me would have in our center console. And I think when you really dive deep into it, does Jerry really care that much?

I'd say no. I mean, Jerry's a businessman who worries about the big picture shit. What I think this goes back to is the Zeke Elliott suspension. And what's weird is Robert Kraft, who's, like, biggest proponent, has obviously run into some issues with Roger. His quarterback was suspended years ago for something kind of stupid. His head coach has been under scrutiny several times. And ultimately, he is able to separate the football aspect

in which Roger controls the discipline, and then the money aspect, which Robert Kraft has rich guy before he owned the Patriots. Since Roger Goodell took over, Robert Kraft is one of the more famous rich guys in America because of the NFL. And Jerry Jones, to me, can't get over the Zieg's suspension, which even I thought at the time was pretty crazy.

And, like, I didn't understand how they could do that. But it's like, let bygones be bygones. Eventually, you've got to move on, Jerry. Because, one, you're not winning this fight. Like, clearly the other owners are not on your side. And two, like, what is the point of this battle? It's never going to go away. So even if he's $15, $20 million, quote unquote, overpaid, which again, he might be right.

And this all gets back to me is I've never known. I mean, I've met Jeffrey Lurie. I've never even talked to Jed York. I've met Mark Davis. Like, I don't know anyone that's worth billions of dollars. But I've known, you know, growing up, some of my friends, grandparents, and just as I've gotten older, some people worth millions of dollars. And I would imagine several people listening.

We all know one or two or sometimes more, a ton of rich people, whatever. I would say the older you get. And again, there's a big difference between worth like having a business worth 30, 40, $100 million and owning a team worth billions of dollars and being really famous. There are a lot of people worth $50 to $100 million

that own, quote unquote, not small businesses, medium-sized business. Then no one. could point out of a lineup. So the element of these guys are super rich and super famous adds a whole other element that's not comparable

to even normal rich people. But I know most people with some money, the older you get, you know, the less willing you are to just back down from stupid things, even if your son and your confidants close to you in your internal business

are telling you, this isn't worth the fight. Like Jerry ain't gonna change. Just like Jim Ursay. Do you think Jim Ursa actually gives a shit at this point, not one. Just like a lot of owners, I bet a lot of owners are close to maybe even thinking like Jerry or thinking like Jim Mersey. They're just like, you know, I don't want the scrutiny. I don't want to even get asked about this. So I'm not going to say

anything, even though I believe it. But you get enough crazy old guys, and that's what Jerry is, who just turned 80 years old. Like, he ain't done fighting. Like, I think this is going to be an issue. Every single time the owners meet up, this is going to be an issue who's going to lose. 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 Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and your podcast. at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Back at it again with my main man. We got his updated numbers. Stucky is 14 and 9 on the season.

Looking at this week's slate, he is not fading the Titans. Not on the board. But, you know, I did tease. I teased the Colt. So in a way, I'm fading the Titans. And if it got the three, I would. but it's not going to. It's down to two now.

I mean, maybe it will, but I don't think it will. So, yeah, we won't have to hear from the lovely Titans fans. And, yeah, I've a lot of good friends, by the way, who are Titans fans, and I won't have to hear from them, hopefully. Yeah, I would say the number one thing I've learned from you in the last year and a half is that is the Tomlin stat, and God damn, did he come through last week? Even money. Now, we could argue that Brady's jet-setting and flying around with Robert and friends,

but it wins a win, covered pretty easily. So you can find Stucky. I did not see them winning out right with all their backup defenders. But that's what you get sometimes, especially in a Tomlin spot. Now the defense is, depending on who plays for Pittsburgh. And you see this in a lot of sports. And NBA, basketball, like when there's a ton of guys out in a good spot at home, everyone just plays way above their head and then probably come back to reality.

week. But yeah, it all came together for there, and a shocking win for Pittsburgh. I think the Titans have a little, you know, well, not Titans necessarily, but Vrable, I think has a lot of similarities to Tomlin. I think we've talked about it. His numbers kind of similar, right, as like, as a dog and guys missing. And you're like, oh, the Titans is going to suck. And then all of a sudden you look up Sunday morning, they're up 14-0. And you're like, that's just classic Vrable, classic Tomlin. Yeah, Rable, awesome as an underdog. And for what it's worth, Titans coming off of a buy, Brable 4-0 against the spread,

and straight up after a buy sign of a good coach. Like, you know, your John Harbauls and Belichick's always good off of a buy, covering by two touchdowns on average per game. So Brable's been very strong off the buy, always good as a dog. And the most profitable quarterback as an underdog, for what it's worth, over the past 20 years, Jimmy G., who is an underdog this week at home, against the Chiefs. Bosa, Trent Williams, all on the comeback trail.

Yeah, we'll see who plays for the 49ers, because early in the week it was like, are they going to be without their two tackles and like eight defensive starters? You're close to the 49ers. They have, is it just bad luck every year? Do they need to hire a new training guy, like a new strength and training guy?

Like, it's every year. It's insane. They actually, after Shanney's second year, they fired everybody. Trainers, doctors, strength staff, and they created this huge, unbrill. I mean, bro, Stanford is less than

10 minute drive from where they practice. You know, you think like medical UCLA, Stanford, fucking John Hopkins, like it doesn't get any better. I don't know, man. It's crazy. And it just will not stop. Now, part of it is, like, they do draft and sign a lot of formerly hurt guys.

And if you're going to play for the Niners, you basically have to play like it's 1982 and you just crush people. So they play a physical style. they play injured guys, but it's, at this point in time, it's borderline laughable. Every game, they're losing multiple guys. But if they get training with- Well, yeah, and especially the secondary, too, because, like, yeah, I get that with the interior guys.

But every year, it's like all their corners are hurt. And, yeah, it's crazy. So, yeah, if they can ever get really healthy, they're a real threat to win the Super Bowl this year. So maybe it's good that they're having their injury luck early this year. But, and hopefully it dies down for four. Well, people always go, like, Shanahan's drafted, like, four running backs the last two years

or in, like, seven corners. Like, what? Well, it's like, they're all going to drop anyway. You're going to need reinforcements. Yep. And I think the one thing you see, like, with them and the Rams, obviously they traded some ones for, for, uh, for trade. But overall, like, they've had a lot of picks in the last several years.

You can't, like, you might not need ones if you're winning, you know, if you're drafting 22 to, you know, 29. But you do need second, third, like you do need reinforcements in this sport. And to me, the Rams are just running out of players. Like, the drop off for them is just dramatically, when you just look at teams like other good teams, the Ravens, now the Chiefs, and they just have backup players who are serviceable. And you can't have backup players who are borderline, like should be playing for the Lions when you're trying to compete for Super Bowls every year, right?

Yeah, Rams have no depth. That is probably their biggest weakness. And if you look back at their Super O run, by the way, they got pretty fortunate. You know, they end up playing the Bengals, the 49ers drop a pick. But probably the luckiest thing that happened to them is second half of the year, all through the playoffs, no injuries. They were healthy when it mattered the most. And they probably need health more than any other team in the NFL. They are very top-heavy, star-driven.

It's like Donald and Cup. And then there's not a lot of depth there because of how they've built their roster. And then you're seeing that with the offensive line. I mean, you lose your tackle, your star tackle before the year. But then you have injuries on the offensive line and it just becomes an absolute disaster. Okay, let's dive into the games. This game is pretty interesting on paper. The Jets have won the last couple weeks.

Zach Wilson hasn't done much. But it's pretty clear. Like, you watch their roster. Like, they got good players, you know? I mean, defensively, sauce has been awesome. Breece Hall, who someone told me in training camp on the Jets, on their staff was like, this fucking kid can play. And he's kind of coming on.

As long as Zach doesn't turn it over, they clearly, they have a lot of physical players. I didn't know Quinn and Williams had a brother named Quincy. And Quincy is, I mean, he kicked the Packers ass last week. The Jets are feisty, but like, it's hard to win every single week when you're basically just avoiding the quarterback making a mistake. Denver's defense is pretty unreal. I think they've given up six total touchdowns. Like, they have been, what's crazy is everyone the last like five years since Russell kind of became a star was like, God, if his defense was as sweet as it used to be, they would be unbeatable.

And now he does have a sweet defense again. And he and him and the offense suck. But like this game's at Denver. I would say, you know, you lose this game. Shit. I mean, my season's just a wrap. Like you're just done. This to me is just a kitchen sink game for Denver minus one.

If I would have told you at Denver this game, you know, September 1st, the line would have probably been like seven, right? So I would take Denver minus one. How about you? Yeah, I love Denver here. By the way, I was president of the Sauce Gardner fan club in college and thought whoever got him. And I love the jet straff. But he went 1,100 snaps in college, didn't allow a touchdown.

Nine interceptions. Against Alabama, when they played Alabama, Jameson Williams, when he was matched up with him, they rarely threw it on. He was, he had one catch for negative two yards. Kids are going to be an all-prone. To me, the only knock, to me, that's a classic, like, even though Cincinnati was clearly good, if he had been at Alabama, LSU or Georgia, no chance the guy from LSU who didn't do anything the last two years goes above him. That's just not, like he's the third pick, right? He just goes to the Texans. Yeah, no, he's that good.

But yeah, and I like what the Jets are building, but they still don't have a quarterback. They, and look, yeah, this is, the look-out line for this game was like minus seven and a half. And if you look, the Broncos covered last week. It's not like they didn't live up to expectations. They could have easily won that game. They had about 160 hearts of penalties.

They muffed a punt late. And they still could, you know, they had a chance to beat the Chargers on the road. And you forget that, you know, they did still beat the 49ers. Why? because their defense arguably, they're right up there with the 49ers and the bills for maybe the best defense in the NFL. I mean, Josie Jewel didn't even play. You have Alex Singleton in there. It might be better. He had 21 tackles last week, but you got Certain who basically just take the side of the field out, just completely out. Yeah, he's the best corner in the NFL.

And then, you know, Justin Simmons is back, one of the best safeties in the NFL. This defense has depth. It's really, really good. No one's ever going to blow this team out. Zach Wilson is not the guy. Like if the Jets can just find a quarterback, I mean, last week they won at Lambo. Zach Wilson threw for 100 yards. He had a negative 0.4 EPA per play. The only guy worse was PJ Walker.

That's it. And if you go back since 2020 through today, 70 quarterbacks with at least 75 snaps, the three worst quarterbacks in the NFL, EPA per player, PJ Walker, Zach Wilson and Luton, the Jake Luton, the Jack. That's not good company. He was not good. No. And if you look at what the Jets have done, they're overbought in the market. Now, they're over-inflated. I mean, they beat Jacobi Bressette by one in a miracle comeback. They trialed by double digits in the fourth quarter. They beat Mitch Trubisky and then Kenny Pickett in his debut. And they also trail by double digits late. Needed a touchdown in the final 30 seconds again, as I did against the Browns. And so then you look, who else do they beat? Oh, Skyler Thompson making his NFL debut. A third,

quarterback. They won 40 to 17. The game was 1917 in the fourth quarter, dead even statistically. And then if you look at the Packers game, which really got everyone on this Jets wagon, the yards were 278 to 278. They scored two offensive touchdowns on trick plays, a punt block touchdown. They blocked a field goal. The Packers are also a mess, just like we've seen from the Browns and the Steelers haven't been good. So you look at the Jets resume, it's a bunch of backup quarterbacks. You know, and then they got blown out by the Bengals, blown out by the Ravens. So you just cannot trust Zach Wilson on the road here against this defense

under pressure, which he's going to be under pressure a lot against Denver. He is four of 23 for 49 yards, zero touchdowns, two interceptions. Horrendous. So I don't care if Russell Wilson plays. I might even prefer Brent Rippin the play, who by the way beat the Jets two years ago in his start. It doesn't matter. Russell has been doing nothing. So I don't care if he doesn't start or does. And I just

I just think you have to take the Broncos here at minus one at home with that defense against one of the worst quarterbacks in the league. Another thing the Jets did last week is they just relied. Breece Hall is going to be a really good running back. They relied on their running game against the Packers who are now the 32nd ranked rush defense in the NFL. Not going to be able to do that here against Denver. So yeah, I think Denver finds a way to win this game, you know, similar to, you know, what they've done in a few other ugly games this year. But that defense is real. So it's two limited quarterbacks, too limited all.

offenses, I'll take the better defense at home in, yeah, like you said, a kitchen sink game. So yeah, I'll take the Broncos here. Not knowing the results, obviously, this weekend. What do you think the look ahead line would be, if you had to guess on Patriots at Jets? Because if it's, if the Patriots are an underdog or even a pickum, I might put like mortgage payment on that thing here in a week. Yeah, well, it depends. That's going to depend on who's quarterback. Yeah, they played Monday night. You know, if Mac comes back. They played Monday night. And I said I was president of the Sauce Gardner Club. I was president of Bailey Zappy Hour from Houston Baptist to Western Kentucky.

So I actually love, love Bailey Zappy. I don't know if he's going to start this week, but he's been better than Mack Jones so far. Obviously small sample size. I would assume Patriots minus one, two. I don't know if it gets, it'll get the three if the Patriots look really good and the Jets lose potentially. Depends on the quarterback situation. But I would assume you have Patriots small favor. Okay, let's get to Jacksonville hosting the Giants.

And obviously the Giants, I don't want to say it's a miracle win because they've kept games close. But Lamar just had one of his throwback, like, what are you doing on that interception? I mean, that was, I know you're a Ravens guy. That was an abomination. That was Zach Wilson level stuff. But the Giants are just feisty. They just stay in these games. Daniel Jones is not throwing a pick in the last several games.

Obviously, he was a turnover machine, you know, with Joe Judge. So it's just, can you just bank on that every single week? Jacksonville's, I would say, has come back to Earth a little bit. But are the Giants eventually just going to have a dud game? Like, it's just hard to keep playing ugly, ugly, ugly, you know, be right in it, rely on a turnover late. And it's worked for them. But this would probably be a stay away for me, how about you?

Yeah, I like the Jags. I think it's time to buy the Jags. They lost three straight. And if you look, you know, they lost by eight in Philly in a monsoon. And they lost the turnover battle, five nothing in that game. You know, then they lost at home to the Texans, but they out gained them by like 250 yards. And then last week at Indy, they lose, you know, in the final seconds. First time in NFL history, a team has lost with a quarterback that had 20 plus pass attempts and 90% completion percentage, three plus touchdowns and no interceptions.

103 years has never happened. So another very unlucky loss. So I think coming back here off three straight losses, it's time to buy them and then sell the Giants. I mean, look, the New York teams are getting a lot of hype, and rightfully so, they haven't been this good in a while. But similar to the Jets, like, let's look at what the Giants have done. They beat the Titans by one. They outscored them 8-0 in the fourth quarter. They lost at home to Cooper Rush.

They beat the Panthers at home by three. It was tied in the fourth. They had two 55-yard field goals. like we've seen what the Panthers are. Then they beat the Bears at home by one possession. And then they beat the Packers in London. They were down 20 to 10 in the fourth quarter again, down 17, nothing. Credit to them for coming back.

But what have we seen from the Packers, by the way? That win doesn't look great. And then they beat the Ravens last week. That's their best win by far. But again, down 20 to 10 in the fourth. And they were outgained 406 to 230. The Ravens average seven yards per play. The Giants 3.9.

You know, so like in the fourth quarter, order, they've outscored teams, I think, 45 to 10, and they've won five, one possession games against the Bears, Panthers, Titans, the Packers, and Ravens. Like, it's not, you know, they've been tied or trailed in the fourth in all five of those games, and then obviously they lost the Cooper Rush at home. So, yeah, from a matchup perspective, Jags D, 6th, and Rush Success, right, really good against the run to Todd Bowles, disciple, Caldwell, defensive coordinator, so that scheme usually is good against the run.

So I think they'll be good here against Barclay. And you mentioned that Jones hasn't turned it over. But if you look at some of the advanced metrics, he has a lot of turnover-worthy throw. So I think turnovers are going to come. And Trevor Lawrence this year has really struggled against cover two. He is a 50% on target rate against cover two, 80% against every other defense. Giants play no cover two. It's usually man in blitzing or cover three.

And Lawrence's been okay against the blitz. So, yeah, I think that this is the time to, by the Jags. Look, I love the Giants. I love what Daibles doing. And they're going to be feisty all year, but I think this is a good spot to sell them. I think the Jags pick up. You think the Giants can make the playoffs? Sure. I mean, if you look at the NFC. Because they still got multiple games against commanders. This would be the type game if they were to win it. You get to six and one.

You just got so many wins banked in. Now, they still got to play two games against the Eagles. They got another game against Cowboys. But to me, the two commanders games, they got to go play. Seattle. I would assume you'd probably split. You probably split with the Eagles. I bet especially the Eagles are still undefeated. They probably lose in New York. But yeah, look at the NFC. And the Eagles game is the last game of the season. So, I mean, who knows? The Eagles could have the number one seat clinched. Yep, they could be playing for nothing. That's a good point. Yeah. But if you look, like, the

AFC is pretty, it's pretty superior. Yeah, I agree. Because if you look at the NFC, it's like, who do you really trust? And, you know, And the NFC East has like three of the best teams. And the NFC West, it's like the Rams right now are a mess. You don't trust the Seahawks or Cardinals. The 49ers have to get healthy. In the north, it's like the Vikings. Like, are they really that?

They're probably going to make the playoffs. The Packers are a mess. And then in the NFC South, it's basically just the Bucks. So like, there's seven spots here. Giants are certainly, I would favor them to make the playoffs. Let's talk about a South team because watching Atlanta closely last week. they're built a little probably like the early Ravens were, you know, a college team that runs the ball a lot. If they can get a lead, they can just slam the ball, right?

They got a couple running backs that fucking break tackles that fall forward that are just pretty productive. And one thing's pretty clear going back to his titan days that Arthur Smith kind of has some Kyle Shanahan in him. Like the guy loves to run the football and he's good at scheming the run. but they're not necessarily built. I mean, they're just not going to be, especially now they've got corner injuries to come back and definitely to stop teams that are humming passing the ball. Like watching the Bangle game,

it feels like Burroughs kind of getting a swag back. Obviously, Jamar is a stud. Higgins is a baller. You know, no one likes the coach, but they do just have some star power on offense. And it's just this feels like the game on the road. They're more likely to be down 10, nothing than up to nothing. And I just, I don't trust them. Now, overall, though, like, to me,

Atlanta's going to be a feisty team all year long. They're a team to keep an eye on and just on the right matchup with maybe less of a quarterback as an underdog to probably good value some weeks. But I don't love this matchup for them at Cincinnati. Yeah, I like the Bengals here minus six. This before the year, this line would have been like 11 look at the line was like seven and a half, eight. And I think under a touchdown, you have to play the Bengals here. Again, this is similar to the Giants and Jets. The Falcons last week, it could impress a win on paper.

Like, if you just look at the result and who they beat, but I didn't take much from it. You know, they beat the 49ers who, and they were out gained by the 49ers. They, you know, the yards per play, the battle they lost. The 49ers were down like a million defensive starters. And they

they got a touchdown on a defensive touchdown. Yeah. Yeah. Defensive touchdown. And the last six drives that San Francisco had, four of them, ended in Falcon's territory, zero points. So a really fluky result there. And if you look at what they've done,

and I haven't faded the Falcons yet. They're six and O against the spread. But, like, all right, they want a coin flip against the Bucks. Excuse me, the Saints. They want a coin flip against the Seahawks. They came back to win. A coin flip against the Browns, they came back to win.

Probably should have lost. And then, you know, they did cover against the Rams, but they were now 28 to 3 against the Rams. They did cover against the Bucks. They're down 21-0 against the Bucks. And then the Bucs, and then the Bucs. Buck's secondary had all their corners go out and they got the back door.

And the Rams comeback was a punt block touchdown and a fumble. Hunt block for a touchdown. Yeah. And so they've been quite fortunate in some of these covers. And look, I mean, now they have injuries in the secondary. You have Casey Hayward who went on IR. He's been playing really well. And, you know, even Terrell and Oliver got nicked up last week.

That's bad news against Cintze, obviously, especially when you cannot get pressure. Falcons are dead last in the NFL in hurry rate. Pressure rate and adjusted sacrate. So you don't, your corners, you don't have a full deck in the secondary, and you get zero pressure against Burrow. Now Higgins is healthy since he can spread you out. And yeah, it seems, and that offensive line's coming together. Burrow, I agree. It's starting to get his swagger back.

And last week against the Saints, I like some of the play calling. They were putting him in, you know, early downs. They were throwing it, shotgun. And even if Zach Taylor goes back to his roots and just says, let me hand it to Mixing, the Falcons Run day is one of the worst in the NFL. So, yeah, I think that this sets up for a Bengals win by 7 plus at home. And, yeah, I mean, look, the Falcons are 6 against the spread, but the Bengals, they just find ways to cover. They're 12 and 2 against the spread their last 14.

But I just think from a matchup perspective, this doesn't set up well for Atlanta. I think it's time to fade them. What about odds on the Tennessee volunteers probably gone up a little bit to win the national championship? I love the vows. I want to hear a bet I have that's going to be, this is my nightmare scenario. I bet Tennessee 14 to 1 to win the division. Ooh.

Win the division. And so now, but if they lose to Georgia and just have one loss the rest of the year, they probably go to the college football playoff and with a chance to win the national championship. And if they would, they could win the national championship and then I would, but I would lose my 14 to 1 division bet. So, yeah, I will be wearing all orange when they play Georgia in Athens in a few weeks. So, yeah, the price has probably come down. I haven't checked, but this is probably the wrong time to buy Tennessee.

But, yeah, they are exciting to watch. And for what it's worth, they didn't play without a first-round draft pick at receiver in Cedric Tillman, who will be back soon. And this is a guy that is a big-time player. week, last year against Georgia, a historically great defense. He had 10 catches for 200 yards. And against Alabama last year, I think he had eight catches for 170 yards. One of the best receivers in the country. Tennessee was without him. And now they had Brew McCoy, Jalen Hydeo at five touchdowns. You add, you had Tillman to that receiving core with the way Hooker is humming. Well, that is, well, say this. If they can be Kentucky at home, which is obviously, is that, would you

consider that their rival? Sort of, yeah, yeah. That's, uh, Tennessee fans wouldn't say it, but yeah, that's, it's, and Kentucky's been kicking, and Stoops have been kicking their ass lately, right? Yeah, they, they, I think they split the last, so they're, oh, they've been really close. I, the Georgia game, that Georgia, that's a, that's a tough one. Yeah. But, but if you somehow get upset, I mean, you're in the clear, Missouri, South Carolina, Vanderbilt. I mean, yeah, then it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter if you lose the SEC championship then or what. with wins over Georgia Alabama.

But here at Kentucky, it'll be, it's always, the bars are always awesome for the Tennessee game, but now with where Tennessee is, it's going to be awesome down here at the bar. So if you're in Lexington,

hit me up and drinks around me. Fun times. Well, Stucky, have a good weekend, and talk to you soon, bro. Absolutely. Good luck. The volume.

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