The Herd with Colin Cowherd - 3 and Out - Jets Could Be Good, Coaching Interviews Change, Overseas Super Bowl

Episode Date: October 18, 2023

John dissects the New York Jets situation and if he's surprised with how they are playing, is Aaron Rodgers the most polarizing interview in the NFL, should the NFL get involved with how and when teams are allowed to interview potential coaches, and could we see a Super Bowl in London. John also answers your questions during this week's mailbag. 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.

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resources. What is going on, everybody, John Middlecock 3 and our podcast. How are we doing, my people? Here's the game plan. We will talk some football, the Jets, Rogers, McAfee-Pang Rogers to come on, as well as

some breaking news around the NFL, changing the interview process, an international Super Bowl, the fake fan at the Chargers game, some news and notes around the league, and then, of course, the Middilkoff mailbag. At John Middlecoff.

At John Middlecough is the Instagram. Fire in those direct messages and get your question answered on the show. It's just my Instagram. Other than that, we did a podcast yesterday reacting to the Cowboy Charger game. Me and Colin did one Monday. We will have this one today.

I will have another one ahead of Thursday night football. and then of course Friday, we will react to Amazon Prime, Thursday Night Football, Al Michaels, Kirk Herb Street, Derek Carr, Trevor Lawrence. I'm actually really excited for that Thursday Night game. Not going to lie. Some games, I don't fake the hype, but I got to psych myself in. I am very, very excited for Thursday night at 515 Pacific Standard Time. So let's get ready. If you listen on Collins feed, make sure you subscribe to 3 and Out. We got Volume merch, thevolume.com, 3 and Out hats. It was rocking one earlier. And other than that, hope everyone's having a good week. It's kind of getting close to holiday season. Halloween right around the corner.

Get ready for those trick-or-treaters. As fat people, you know, we struggle. You get too much candy to hand out. You end up eating too much. Already every time I go to Safeway, I'm kind of eyeballing, what do I want to give the kids slash eat myself? And yeah, let's get excited for life. Before we dive in to a lot, football-wise,

I wanted to start with one thing and one thing only. my friends at game time. Do you want to go... I'm telling you, if you live in Philly, your team's winning the World Series. Do you want to see your team in the World Series? If you live in the Dallas area, do you want to see Bruce Bochy?

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J-O-H-N. promo code John, easy to use, $20 off. Cannot recommend them enough. They got you covered everything. Promoccoed John, $20 off. Hammer that GameTime app. Let's start with the New York J-E-T-S, Jets, Jets, Jets, Jets. I guess I screwed that up, but you know what I meant.

I think there's a lot going on. First and foremost, I saw a headline today. 26 million people watched them play the Eagles. And I got to be honest, I was glued to my seat. That was three hours of Niners Browns, three hours of that game, and then the Sunday night game, good day of football. I thoroughly enjoyed it. And that game popped on TV.

And one thing about the Jets is, I think they were proven right. You know, we knew immediately last year when, and I'm all for taking big swings. I'm all for making massive trades. But not every massive trade works. Not every big move you make in business is going to yield you a big ROI. But you have to be willing to take them. It's the only way for growth. It's the only way in football for success.

You've got to be aggressive. And when you don't have a quarterback and you have the opportunity to trade for Aaron Rogers, no brainer. I mean, it's the easiest move you'll ever make. I've supported it even to this day. I completely understand why the Denver Broncos traded for Russell Wilson. You do that. Every team does it.

Never forget. The Eagles wanted him. He would not waive his no trade clause. The Eagles could have easily had Russell Wilson right now. They could find themselves in the debacle. They got lucky because he said, no, I'm not going to play there. And one thing's pretty clear. Their three and three was Zach Wilson playing the overwhelming majority of their season.

And they got a chance to be a playoff team. and the Aaron Rogers buzz about him coming back from the surgery. Clearly, I watched him of Robert Salas press conference. And I've said this over and over. When you're going to go through tough times, I think the personality of young people in 2023, it's easier to be surrounded by a more positive person. Now, I'm not saying being real, some negativity,

and getting screamed at every once in a while in football isn't healthy. But like, it's easier to be around the rock. Robert Solitopes, I've seen it with D'Amico for a couple years, whether they sustain this or whether they kind of hit the skids and end up winning five games, D'emiko's going to be positive. He's going to be an uplifter. It's the opposite, as you see with Bill Belichick. A lot of negativity in that building. I'll promise you see it with Brian Dayball on the sideline.

He is running hot. And I think this Jets team, I was wrong. And one of my early takes in the season is when you go into the year with Zach Wilson as your backup quarterback, that's on you. Because when you acquire a 39-year-old quarterback who at any moment could get hurt, that's just the nature of the sport, especially at that age, your backup quarterback matters. And this was a guy that you wanted to get rid of, but you held on to because you hoped that this guy could influence him. And ironically, he kind of did, but then the moment he gets hurt, he goes to L.A. And as Robert Sala said, like, part of being on

injured reserve, there is a separation. We want him here. We would take him here every day of the week, but his rehab's there and the doctor that he uses there. But as you saw last week, having them on the sideline, there's kind of a belief in this team that they didn't quite have last year. Now, relative to the division, to me, the bills are still the favorite, even with some of their question marks on defense based on injuries. And Miami, listen, if Tua play 17 games, they're going to win 12 easily with that offense. I mean, they're averaging eight yards of play. But the Jets have a chance to be the third team and make a wild card especially we'll see you know the chargers could lose any game they play obviously the injuries in the aFC north when it comes to

you know can Pittsburgh even score the browns their quarterback situation we'll see i don't care how good their defense is and it's freaking awesome uh the ravens have a million injuries but they got lamar jackson and obviously the bangles are still working some things out but it's pretty wide open in the aFC especially if the charges are out you know the afc west and the AFC South are only getting one team. So definitely going to be multiple teams from the east and the north. And I think the Jets have at least kept their playoff hopes alive. And it's all you could ask for after the dudes laying there on the ground.

And listen, I find them an easy watch. The defense is fun. It's a lot more fun than last year, I'll promise you that. And I saw another story that kind of went viral when it comes to the Jets. there's a big difference in the quote-unquote media between the people that write and then the people that talk slash are on TV there is a journalistic element to sports writers

right if you write for a newspaper if forever you wrote for a big conglomerate online there's a journalistic element to your craft right when it comes to the audio medium whether it's radio now podcast it's all about two things, entertainment and money. And you could argue, you could put them in any order you want. I personally value 1A, 1B, the listener slash the consumer first, and then 1B, the revenue,

but it kind of goes hand in hand. And McAfee said that he was paying Rogers and he's paid him well over a million dollars. And Rogers, obviously, is one of the biggest guests in the history of audio, at least in my life. in terms of what he means to the impact of an individual show. And a lot of guests, like historically a coach, you know, forever WFAN would get the Yankees manager. And I always heard they paid them like half a million dollars. And their rating share was huge.

When I worked in radio, we used to pay players on the Giants, on the Raiders, and on the 49ers to come on the station. Now, some of them would be $100 a hit. Some of them would be $500 a hit. But it wasn't guaranteed success. Just because you'd have on Maurice Jones Drew or Brandon Belt from the Giants didn't mean your ratings went up.

But if you got the right guy and you got a good rapport, it was must listen. And it usually resonated. Like Aaron Rogers, which one is just a smart guy. He's good on the medium because he can really talk. Then he has a friendship with Pat, so it's kind of a fun listen. And then you factor in all the controversy and his willingness to kind of talk some shit.

So when I saw this story in a lot of the bloggers slash writers, and really a lot of writers are essentially bloggers, you know, internet writers now, I think we're kind of taken back. In this business we pay to play. I would gladly cut. I couldn't pay someone a million dollars, but I could pay someone $100,000.

If I knew I would get the equivalent of what McAfee got to this show, whether it was a coach or whether it was a player. I wouldn't even hesitate because it's well worth it. If you're going to break news, if you're willing to say shit, part of what makes Rogers

the ultimate guess is one, he will break news. When news is broken about him, that place is the first place he talks. And last but not least, he's willing to talk a lot of shit. He is very, very entertaining. Most of these coaches,

like if I had on Sean McVeigh or Dan Campbell or Kyle Shan, Mike Vrable, just think of the young, coaches on a weekly basis. There is no chance during the season. They talk a lot of shit about their opponents or other players or other coaches.

It's not worth it for them to do it. It would actually turn out, even if they were fun and it was fun natured, it wouldn't be as crazy as what Rogers is bringing. Rogers is the ultimate guest. And when McAfee said that he gladly cut him the check, of course he would. That's this business.

In television and definitely in audio, you pay to play. and when you get the right guess, it's a game changer. It's worth every freaking penny. Forever when Steve Young went on K&BR in the Bay Area during the 49er season, the needle was moved. No different than when Kyle Shanahan goes on. Or back in the day when Bruce Bochie goes on, whoever's listening to this, whatever market you're in, Rothesberger did it forever, Tom Brady did it forever.

They were paid to come on. That's the way this business works. This isn't about journalism. It's about entertainment and about revenue. So of course a writer wrote about it kind of being taken back that McAfee's paying to play. Of course he is. That's why he's successful. And he would gladly do it more for 10 more versions of Aaron Rogers.

It's very hard to find. He's paying Nick Sabin to come on his show. I wouldn't take time out of my day to watch that because Nick's not really going to say much. He's just not. But Aaron Rogers will. And for example, I watched today. The 20 minutes Aaron Rogers was there with him and AJ. Why?

It's very entertaining. It's very good. When I was young, Dan Patrick used to have on Charles Barkley and Reggie Miller, and the interviews were just incredible. Even younger, Jim Rome used to have on consistent guests like Mark Grace. And I don't even think at the time he was even paying them, but it was incredible radio. Part of when you're listening and you know this with the guest,

it's why I don't have on that many guests. I know some people in the NFL, right? But they're not going to say anything. It's going to be pretty generic. You see a lot of interviews that they do around the league. And it's like, whatever, you come from me. I'll try to entertain. Right.

Now, if I knew they would be good, I would gladly pay them. I wouldn't even hesitate. And I was just shocked to see how some people, and listen, a lot of you guys listening don't know how it works, but most radio stations in their major markets, like if you have the Cubs and the Bears, you are paying for their head coach, their manager, and their players to come on if it's a weekly basis.

Now, if it's a one-off, probably not. They'll just come on. But weekly guests are compensated for their time. Another thing I saw Sports Business Journal broke some news today. And there were a couple things. Let's start with this. The coaching interviews in the NFL is something that's been long controversial, right? When you can interview coaches and a lot of guys that are still in the playoffs.

but a lot of the teams interviewing the coaches are done with their season and they don't want to wait till the playoffs end or the Super Bowl ends and it's tough and I've always leaned to listen whether you're listening to this and you're really ambitious whether you work with really ambitious people it will not matter what any rule is when you're allowed to interview when you're allowed to leave a job when you're non-compete ends ambitious people go-getters and people that want more out of their profession will always push the envelope. So even when you have rules, you're not allowed to interview.

Because a huge part of this is, if I'm getting ready for a wildcard game, or I'm getting ready for a divisional game, and I think this is a very fair question to ask, how can you put in enough time if we're playing the Eagles or we're playing the bills and you're also interviewing for three head coaching jobs? Well, it's just he would be thinking about it no matter what. So whether he's interviewing or whether he's not, he still would be dedicating some time to contacting people. Part of this is why you have an agent.

Now, I think you should either make a universal rule. Nobody can interview till the week after the championship game and that gap for the two-week gap for the Super Bowl. Or there are no rules. I find some of these arbitrary. Like, no one can do an in-person interview until after the divisional round. So what about the coordinators that are in?

the championship games. Like, they are allowed to do it too, but also they got a game to prepare for. So I think they're trying to have their cake and eat it too. Clearly, teams get mad. They're paying these coaches a ton of money, and the head coach gets mad, but listen, it's business.

Like, the head coach is allowed to get mad, you're making $12 million, and the guy that's making a million dollars who has the opportunity to get a $9 million job, you're getting mad at him for thinking about that. You would too, and you were once in that position. It's a very delicate situation. I understand the arguments on both sides, but you never slow down ambition.

You never slow down the guy who is dead set on trying to become a head coach. You never slow down the guy that's dead set on being the highest grossing sales guy. You never slow down the guy that wants to be at the top of the org chart. They are just driven and wired like that. And whether you make a date, you push it back a week or you move it up three weeks, it's not going to change that guy's wiring. And I think coaching, one, it's a nomadic profession. So these guys are used to getting hired and fired.

And in a weird way, they're kind of numb to it all, at least after a while. I mean, go to some of your favorite teams and look at like your wide receiver coach or your O-line coach or your special teams coach, especially if they are like 60 years old. They have moved, I mean, potentially like 20, 18, 19 times. It's the reason I got out of the profession. I'm like, I'm a West Coast guy. I don't want to keep moving around. I don't want to go move to Arkansas and scout the Southwest for somebody.

That does not interest me. I left Philly, I got moved back to the West Coast, and I just saw so many people in this industry that were constantly moving around. And listen, some people are numb to it. And I'm not afraid to move. Hell, I just did it. But I remember at the time, like, I can't see myself moving five different times and working for three different teams.

That's not something that got my juices flowing. But for a lot of people, and I saw it firsthand, it did. Guys liked it. And I think when you see this kind of pushback of the interview process, I don't think it changes that much. You saw last year with Jonathan Gannon and the Cardinals having to give a pick, like, you know, he wanted to be a head coach. I don't blame him.

I just saw in Paradise Valley, dude bought a $10 million house. Guess what? He ain't buying a $10 million house if he's a coordinator. Howie Roseman would want that. Siriani would want that. Jeffrey Lurie would want that. It's part of life. So I think this is a story.

Making a lot of headlines, I really don't think it's going to change that much besides logistically. You still can do the Zoom interviews, right? So if I'm doing a Zoom interview, how many people listening to this right now do Zoom talks with people, whether through your job,

whether interviewing people, whether it's sales calls, what the hell is the difference? Right? Obviously, there is a difference being in person with someone, but if put yourself in a situation where let's just pick a number you make a hundred grand and you are going to interview with someone for a million dollars obviously if it's an in-person interview you

would take that shit very seriously but would you take it that much less seriously if it was the same you make a hundred grand you're going to get interviewing for a million dollar job and it's over zoom because i know for myself i would take that very seriously i'd be pretty freaking dialed so this notion if I can still talk to you online, even if I don't even know all the rules. Let's just pick a, let's just say they can only talk to you for two hours. I'm still taking those two hours very seriously. And if I'm a coach preparing for a playoff game, I'm still finding time to study that team's roster, to study that team's owner and their general manager, to study some of that team's game tape. I am, whether I have to stay up a couple hours,

which might limit some of my energy the following day. Welcome to life. I mean, there's a lot of money on the line. Anytime there's a lot of money on the line, I don't care what you do for a living. Sell stocks, construction worker, run hospitals. Envelopes are going to be pushed. So I don't necessarily think this is going to slow down much when it comes to kind of coaches being all in. And listen,

once you get to professional football, it's somewhat people laugh at it like, it's all about the team. Well, kind of. You're leaking about your contract as a coordinator that you're getting interviewed for this job and you're also getting interviewed for this job. So you're no different than a player. Like everyone's somewhat out for themselves. And it's a fine line of a balance, right?

Because even in the pros, everyone is worried about their own business. Right. My, as a player, my contract isn't really tied to like five other players. It's just myself, or myself as a coach, is kind of tied to other coaches. But as an individual, if my team's doing shitty, but my offense is doing well, I can still have success. So it's just a fine line. and now with the amount of money that's on the line, obviously for players,

but when you look at these coaching salaries, like I said, Jonathan Gannon, and maybe he's independently wealthy, but a $10 million house in Paradise Valley. And this is not some Big J, you know, being resentful. I'm all for it. Go get it, man. I celebrate success on this show.

But the reason he's able to do that is because his ambition wanting to be a head coach. And, yeah, so I, I think the NFL is going to keep trying to tweak it. I just ultimately don't know if it changes that much. And then the other thing is there has been some talk about doing an international Super Bowl. I don't think it's likely. I think it's a lock.

I wouldn't be shocked to see multiple spots internationally to host Super Bowls. Right? Because ultimately the NFL, I saw it this year. I've been to two Super Bowl venues when I lived in the Bay Area, San Francisco. That would have been 17 when it would have been January. February 17, the Broncos, Carolina, and then this year when it came to Arizona. A huge part of it is just all this shit going on around the city, right?

But the league makes all their money on the game, based on you watching it on television, right? 100 million people, whatever the number is. That is the key. It's the whole key to all these sports. How many people sit on their couch and watch TV? It's the reason Adam Silver right now is making a big day, deal about player participation. He didn't give a shit previously. He might have, but he definitely

wasn't going to make it public and he wasn't going to make it a big deal. Now they're writing up rules, doing fines. Why? Because in a year, they have to negotiate their media rights deal. And who's paying big freight for the NBA if I don't know the players are going to play? It's all about television. The television is where you pay the bills. So if I put the Super Bowl, let's just hypothetically say in London and I'll just pick two random teams the bills play the ramps the league doesn't really care

if a lot of the fans are able or Seattle or whoever are able to make it over to London whether you've got a passport or whether you can afford to go they don't give a shit as long as you sit there on that Sunday when the Super Bowl is played

and watched and help account for the 100 million people and clearly the NFL is pretty bloodthirsty right now. It's been pretty, you know, all over the internet. I truly believe this. I'm not just saying it to try to be funny. That was a fake fan on Sunday.

I believe that was a fake fan. I don't believe that was a real fan. Now, is my conspiracy theory, why would they pay a fan? Is there some sort of seeing Taylor Swift and the female demo and the excitement? I don't know. I honestly don't even care why they would do it. I'm looking forward to the athletic, breaking it down, doing some Big J work, and getting us the information. But I don't believe that was a real fan.

And I do think the NFL will do anything when it comes to money. And going to London, going to Germany in a couple weeks is all about expanding the audience and finding more people to watch. Because what is eventually going to happen, right? All these games aren't just going to be on Fox and CBS. I'm 39 years old. When I'm 60 years old, do you think I'm just going to walk to my flat screen TV

and turn on Fox and CBS and see the NFL? Or more than likely it's going to be on Apple TV or Netflix or whoever, right? Probably. Well, what does that mean? Well, if I'm in Germany or I'm in London, it's just as easy for me to consume it as it is for John Middilkopf in Scottsdale

or you Billy in Minnesota or James in Tampa. It's all the same. So the time differences might be different, but in terms of it's all on my TV, anyone ever travel internationally? I remember going to Europe for a month when I was in college and wanting to watch like baseball games or the majors in golf,

and you just can't find it on TV, or it's very, very difficult to find on TV. Well, when it comes to streaming, it ain't difficult. I can find whatever I want, whether I'm in China or whether I'm in Florida. Now that, obviously, China might have some restrictions, but you know what I mean? I could be anywhere around the world and watch the same thing on Netflix or Apple TV or Amazon Prime as you sitting in the middle of America.

The NFL knows this. So to me, this international play isn't even just a short-term play. It's a big-picture play. Because how are they going to get that much bigger in America? They're having 26 million people watch Jets Eagles, which is fucking massive in 2023. But the only, like that number in America is never going to 44 million people. Maybe on a good year goes to 30, maybe on a down year goes to 22, but it's kind of in the realm of where it's going to be.

But how do you get more people around the world to watch? You go there. And that's why they've been going to Mexico, going to London, going to Germany, and really more consistently. Like when I was a kid, I remember the 49ers, I think, played in Japan or Tokyo, against the Falcons, if memory serves me, correct? It felt like a little more random back then. Now it feels more consistent.

They know they're on to something and I think full pedal ahead and I would expect 100% next decade international Super Bowl I would expect the next time they announce Super Bowls I think it's definitely on the table For a limited time

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It's 40% off an annual subscription. That's just 5999 for the full season. Get it before it's gone. 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. 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win.

I don't care which I'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. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tap Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs?

Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do with Little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam Jek. 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 all day, but just so y'all know. I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack. So I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now. Thank you for finishing that sentence. Yes. I don't think there's a more important year for black people.

Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A couple news and notes, Julio Jones, signs with the Eagles. They got a little injury, signed Julio. Crazy, Julio's 34. He feels like he's 48.

So, yeah, seven-time pro baller, practice squad. chance to move up, obviously had an injury to the third wide receiver. At least it would look pretty cool if you just rolled out. I don't know Julio has been a shell of himself for years, but if you're just playing video games, Julio Jones, A.J. Brown, Devante Smith, J. Lin, DeAndre Swift, Goddardt. On paper, in theory, it sounds pretty cool. This Thursday night game, I'm pretty excited for this Thursday night game. I really am. I've watched a ton of the Saints, as I said the other Day. Derek Carr just hasn't played well. He simply just has not played well. Not for the money

they're paying him. I think this is going to be the first time that 10 plus million people are all watching him play. He has been a very polarizing player for the last half decade with the Raiders, everyone constantly. Kind of flown under the radar a little bit with the Saints. You don't fly under the radar when you play one of these primetime games, even if it is the streaming game. And Trevor Lawrence, who got banged up at the end of the game, full disclosure here, have not watched much Jags football. Have not.

Mainly, I guess they've played in a couple of London games. For me, it starts really early. I typically have watched football so late. I'm just, the Sunday morning game, especially with the Jags, I didn't watch the Jags bills. I didn't watch really last week,

Jags Colts. They were killing them. I changed the four box to another game. I'm interested to watch. I said when the season started, I thought they could be really good. I thought they had a chance to be one of the best offenses in the league.

Now, they got to keep him healthy, but Calvin Ridley, E.TN, had the big game a couple weeks ago against the bills, you know, with Doug. This is a tough game for Carr. I'm fascinated on this one. I really am. And last but not least,

I wanted to hit on something. A little segment we call it's time for the week's player slash coach. I thought might give almost, almost anything to redo his game, brought to you by Uber Eats. Love my friends at Uber Eats. use them all the time.

This one's a no-brainer for me. Because Dan Lanning, I like Dan Lanning. I'm impressed. I would take Dan Lanning over Mario Cristobal every day of the week. Dan Landing is an upgrade. Mario was solid for Oregon. Mario got Oregon, kind of their swag back,

was recruiting big time, a little limited as a coach, but had the program headed in the right direction, but he clearly had a ceiling. Dan Lanning was a bold choice, but it's working out. Teams really talented. He's a fireman.

guy. He's clearly a smart guy. But like Brandon Staley, he constantly goes for it. And I'll say this every single day that I ever talk about football. I'm all for going for it. But there is a time and a place. And sometimes when you're playing in some of these big games, especially when your defense is playing well, it's okay to punt. And they had a chance against Washington to punt

and make him go 85, 90 yards. And they refused. And then Pennix had to go half the field. The other thing, when you don't punt at midfield and you go for it and you don't get it, you not only give them great field position, you invigorate and light up their sideline. You give the people on their team hope.

And let's face it, what's the most powerful thing in the world? Hope and energy. And that's immediately what Washington got. They drove down the field in a couple plays, and Oregon lost. And I saw his explanation, and he's smart, he's a good speaker, it's eloquent, he explained it well. I'm sorry, this is back-to-back years. I had a buddy who works in the league as a college director,

was at the game, he said he did the same shit last year when they lost. Back-to-back years, he lost to Washington. For being, in my opinion, over-aggressive. So that was this week's almost, almost coach of the week, and you can order almost, almost anything with Uber Eats, the official on-demand partner of the NFL. Order now. Okay, let's bang out some mailbag.

questions. Extra note maybe for this weekend. The Broncos answer to fixing mailbags at John Middletalcough. This is jam. Not me. The Broncos answer to fixing the Russell Wilson contract situation really hits them next year and as simple as this. Find a trade partner that will take on 33% of his contract total in exchange for a third round pick in each year of the contract. It sounds crazy, but as a numbers guy, it's only solution that makes a number that sense. For the next five years, the team you traded him to get your third round pick. The 67% of the contract you retain, you spread over seven years as dead cap space. It's creative solution that needs to be in the conversation.

Have a great weekend. John from Canada. The problem, and listen, we can come up with creative solutions all day long. Who wants Russell Wilson to be their quarterback? That to me is the problem. So yeah, you can take them in the third round picks. You're basically just buying third round picks, but you don't want Russell Wilson to be your quarterback. I think that is kind of the elephant in the room here. I don't know what else to say besides. I just don't think he has much value around the league.

Assad. It feels like Jerry Jones told Dak, fuck the podium slash press. There's a noticeable difference at the podium with Dak, and I personally am here for it. It comes off as more authentic. Instead of trying to always win the podium, regardless of wins and losses. And maybe that's the edge

that Dak needs. I've come from a place forever, bitter Romo's tenure ended and Dak started the way it did. I've accepted and am usually the last to give Dak his credit, but this time feels different, his demeanor, everything about it.

Yeah, maybe you're on to something. I don't watch enough of Dak's... I don't watch any of them besides the snippets that come on my Twitter feed or, you know, ESPN or Fox or something. So you'd know better than me, Obviously, as a cowboy fan, you know, if he's dropping F-bombs or got a little edge to him, I think part of it the older you get, the less blanks you give.

I really think it's that simple. I was much more hesitant and just thought about different stuff when I was 28, 33, than I do now at 38. Actually, I'm 39. So I'm one year away from 40. Been loving all the content. What are your thoughts on the coach of the year? I'm torn between Campbell and McDaniel.

but D'Amico is building a great case. If I have to put money on somebody, I would guess Campbell. Lions should win 12 plus games. Well, McDaniel won nine last year, right? So did Dan Campbell. I'm pretty sure. Dolphins fan, I couldn't be wrong. Obviously Campbell did.

So if both of them win 13 games, that's a four-game improvement. I saw a stat today that Miami is averaging, I think eight yards of play. No one else in the league is averaging over six. So, I mean, statistically, he's the play caller as well. Could you split a vote? A little Steve McNair, was it Steve McNair, Peyton Manning that split the MVP?

Brett Farr, Barry Sanders. Couldn't we do that with coach of the year? We're all too quick to anoint Herbert as a top quarterback. He passes the eye test with flying colors and has all the physical tools, but I feel like he can never get over the hump. He missed quite a few wide-open throws against the Cowboys and did not look sharp off of a buy.

Is it possible he's just a better version of Rivers? Never forget when Rivers was young, he was viewed as a top five quarterback as well. So, like, those guys are really good. You're going to have bad nights. Said it about Caleb Williams. Caleb Williams had a really bad night. Doesn't make him a bad player.

Justin Herbert was really bad against the Cowboys. It doesn't diminish what he's done over a two and a half year span. His statistics speak for themselves. Any player with his statistics would have won a lot more if his defense wasn't consistently awful. So I'll defend him that way for sure. I find it funny that so many respectable NFL voices thought Reich was going to be anything but what he is right now, which is one of the worst coaches in the league. I've been a lifelong Colts fan, and it was clear as day,

He's not a great offensive mind. Or a good motivator. He just gave up play calling. I'm not sure what he's even doing now because he sure as hell won't spark any life into that franchise with his stone face and boring attitude. Not really a question, but was curious, what are your thoughts? One thing I heard about Frank from people that have worked with him,

obviously high character, great guy. People really, really like him. But he's kind of afraid to take a stance, and he's just a major fence sitter. I've heard the same thing about George Payton. the GM in Denver and they just most of their career tried to fit in

and obviously they're well thought of in the NFL but they're not you know they don't have a lot of shit to him and I think you see that with Frank really good guy he ain't a one and listen this league is full of guys that are twos and there's nothing wrong with that you get paid seven figures to be twos

in the NFL there are some industries like if you work at a deli and you're not the number one sandwich maker you're not going to make much money. In the NFL, if you're a coordinator, or hell, even a quarterback coach? I mean, there are quarterback coaches making $8,900 grand. So I, Frank Reich, that whole organization,

let's be real, is a disaster. The ownership, the coaching staff, the talent on the field, it ain't working. It simply is not working. Think about trading. And listen, I understand Christian was injured, but watching Christian McCaffrey with the Niners

and obviously you traded DJ Moore he's been one of your better offensive players I don't know the last 20 years you know Steve Smith Jonathan Stewart Christian McCaffrey non-quarterback obviously Cam's the best but I mean like that you traded those two guys

for this little quarterback is it crazy to think the Jets could win the division Buffalo is very up and down and there was ever a defense that could slow down Miami it would be the Jets obviously it hinges on Zach continuing to improve but the schedule for the Jets coming

up is much weaker. I think I was asked about the Bills the other day, and I said their offense was off, and then a Bills fan hit me back up and was like, John, they had had three straight games of lighting up the scoreboard. It's true. The Bills game against Dayball might have just been a little former coordinator on former team crime, right? Obviously, the Giants had to throw the kitchen sink at them.

They're having a devastating year. And unlike the Panthers against the Dolphins, they have enough talent, a kitchen sink game to just sustain it. even with their backup quarterback. But I think it would be one of the upsets of the year if this team won the division. You know, because it's not just beating Miami, it's beating the other teams, right?

The one thing Miami has is when they play a random team, they are going to fucking destroy them as long as Tua is playing, because their offensive weaponry is unstoppable. So, yeah, it's hard against the Jets or the Bills, but we saw against the Panthers. I mean, they could sleepwalk to 35 points. All of a sudden, it's like, oh, they're going to lose?

Nope, 35-0 nothing, right? You know, they went on a 35-0 run, is what I meant. So I would say no. I do think if they can just keep kind of playing like they're playing, it's hard to win games consistently like the way that they just beat the Eagles. But yeah, I think a wild card would be in play for sure. Middlecough, today the owners, we talked about this earlier, are voting on head coaching interviews taking place after the,

the divisional round. I've never liked coordinators in the playoffs interviewing during the most important time of the year. What are your thoughts on this? Who are the biggest names out there targeted for head coach openings this upcoming off season? Well, we talked about my thoughts on that earlier in the podcast. I would say some names. Clearly, Ben Johnson, the coordinator for the Lions, is going to be interviewed by every head coaching opening. I would say when you look at the 49ers and the Eagles who are probably going to have the two best records in the NFC. I don't know. Maybe Steve Wilkes, you know what I mean?

He interviewed last year for Carolina. He's been a head coach while short-lived before. Well thought of, high-level guy. You know, when you look at the AFC, like, who on the bills? Right? You'd be like, well, their defense, well, the defensive coordinator is a head coach. Well, their offense, is Ken Dorsen going to get hired? Hard to see that.

Miami, I mean, the star of that operation is Mike McDaniel. and then their defensive coordinator, obviously their defense isn't good, but Vic Fangio's not going to be a head coach. Patriots have nobody. Matt Canada ain't getting hired. I don't know if it feels like a great year. Think how many coordinators have just been hired the last several years.

And then, you know, to me, is it Belichick? If Belichick and the Patriots part ways, I think he's somewhere else next year. Given the picking a quarterback and to some extent other position players or even coaches is a complex process and not an exact science, how come GMs and scouts still screw first-round picks like Zach Wilson, Mansell, Jamarcus, Trey Lance?

We are now several years of data showing that players with red flags over character and other points like accuracy, decision-making, or time-played in college rarely work. Keep up the great work. This is from Alexandria in Austria. It's a long way to come for a question. It's the quarterback position.

And when you're desperate, you do desperate things and you overlook your rules. It's no different in dating, right? When you haven't had a girlfriend in a while, you might overlook some stuff to get some companionship, right? Even if you don't want to be serious, you'll do whatever it takes. And I think that happens a lot with quarterback because a lot of times you'll stick to your other requirements for your other positions, but you can convince yourself that this guy can be the guy for whatever reason. Even when he's not accurate like a Trey Lance or he's got character concerns like Johnny Mansell, you're so desperate to try to hit a home run on that position.

And it's not going to stop. The other thing, and I was talking, we had my girlfriend's mom came to stay with us. We were talking last night, like how these quarterbacks misses and Maria calls Zach Wilson the karate kid because of his, because of what he, wears on his head and we talked about why you miss quarterbacks and I said I don't think it just keeps getting back to this you are dealing with people in every other industry when you invest 40 50 million dollars into another business to acquire something it's pretty black and white on a spreadsheet yet in football even if the measurables he's six four he's got a good arm he was accurate

he had good grades in college he's never been in trouble you have no clue how you're going to the pressure. And there are intangible stuff that come with the NFL, the pressure, the limelite, the money, even if you're getting paid NIL in college, you get to pay it a lot more in the NFL. There are just a lot more eyeballs on you. It's way more intense. It's much more difficult. It's much more difficult. Think about a job that you had that was kind of hard, right, in college, doing something, whatever it may have been, one of your first quote unquote real jobs. and then think, especially if you are 30 years old or 35 or 36, some of the jobs you've had since that may be less physically demanding,

but the decisions you have to make are much more strenuous and are much more intense and much more stress-ridden. Like the more intensity stuff that happens, any weakness in your ability, in your profession, can make you crack. We've all cracked before, right? through stress, through being overwhelmed. It's whether you're trying to run a car dealership,

whether you're trying to run a restaurant, or whether you're trying to play quarterback, even if you are talented, you can crack under the pressure. Like I said, human beings, not widgets. And I think that's a huge reason. Like, Trey Lance, and I saw a lot of him over a couple years span in practice,

obviously his accuracy was much more in the forefront once he got to the pros, then he had issues in college. But then you look back and you go, well, he didn't really play anybody. But the problem is everyone starts talking about it. You're the starting quarterback for one of the biggest brands in the league who's trying to win a Super Bowl. Think how hard it is and how much pressure is on guys when your team sucks. Like you felt it with Justin Fields this year. Their team sucks, and there's a ton of pressure on the guy.

Mack Jones, feels like they've won two games in the last like two years. And you can feel the pressure grown. and mounting and just the intensity of it all. The coaches on you, the fans are on you, the owner's looking at your side eye. It's hard, man. I say it all the time. I am much more comfortable talking shit about coaches because I think it's much easier to work your way up to become a coordinator

and kind of fake it than it is. You don't fake it in the NFL. Now maybe you fake it in the sense of your production in college wasn't going to translate, but you still had to play at a high level. Like say what you want about Mac Jones, went to Alabama, started, won a national championship. Now, it was the 2020 year, his team was loaded, whatever. Then once he got to the NFL, there's no hiding. Like the talent around him relative to what he had at Alabama isn't the same.

But what he did getting to the NFL is very, is much more difficult than what coaches have to do. And what coaches have to do is hard. But it's harder to do as a player to get there. And then it's even way harder to stay. It's way harder to stay. Because unlike coaches, like your friends can just keep rehiring you, which happens all the time. Right? And your agent can make shit happen. As a player, once you start really sucking and not being able to play, it's like, bye-bye, you're out of the league.

My question is, what are your thoughts on an international Super Bowl? I know it's your sport and should be played in your country, but if you're trying to grow the game worldwide, why not give it to us? Well, we talked about it early in the pod. It's coming. Buckle up. I mean, I would bet the farm right now. I would say in the next 20 years, assuming the NFL keeps rolling the way they're rolling, we see multiple international Super Bowls. It's a TV product. You know, the Super Bowl really is just a week of parties and shit.

You could place it anywhere. Germany, London, you name it. You name the country. Probably not going to China. You could put it in, I guess, Australia, the time zone difference. It would probably have to be somewhere London, all the European countries. Mexico, potentially. I love the show.

I keep seeing outside skill position players, wide receivers and corners, that have their mouth guards flopping around during the play. Don't you think that is distracting for them? No, I don't. I do not at all. I think some of these guys,

it's almost like their version of swag. Now, listen, I never played football past high school, but I couldn't imagine tackling people in the NFL without a mouth guard in. Now, some of these DBs, a lot of them are avoiding contact, but I cannot imagine getting hit

or hitting, especially if I'm a defensive player, without having the mouth guard in. But these guys are doing at the highest level and they feel pretty good about it. Longtime listener, love the football and golf pods, heading to Scottsdale this weekend, looking for a course to play Sunday

that isn't going to cost me an arm and a leg. Don't quite want to pay the cost of Greyhawk or True North, would much rather something in the lower 200s or a little over to the 200 range. Any recommendations? This is the problem in Arizona come wintertime. All the snowbirds come back and they start charging $500 for the public golf. So I would try to find places like Raven, which is in Phoenix.

Maybe it's in Chandler, I think. I've played it a couple times. Raven, that's to me a pretty good deal. Raven and Whirlwind are two places that you should be able to get under the $200 mark. I saw Greyhawk, it's like $400. TPC right now is close to $400 because they're putting up all the waste management stuff. So public golf here, man. And listen, as someone who's talked shit, it's like, this is insane.

And then the moment I joined TPC and I'm playing out there all the time, it is packed. So it's like people are paying the prices. It's crazy. It's really wild. Hey John, big fan of the pod. Been a longtime listener. I'm a lifetime chief fan, and I'm going to the game over in Frankfurt.

That's pretty cool. I've been trying to find out information on tailgating and parting with other chief and NFL fans without any luck. I was wondering if you could point me in the right direction. What I would do is I would follow,

you know, look at the chief social media. When's that game? It's not this week and two weeks. I would be shocked if the chiefs, Chiefs don't tweet out, don't Instagram out information of fan meetups. I would imagine as well the NFL does. I mean, I would just type it into Google.

Fan meetups in Germany, Chiefs fans. I don't know how many of you guys are going. I would guess it's not like going to a Raider game where maybe you get 40,000 people there. But I do believe as someone, I've never gone to the international game, I'd be stunned if the franchise does, and have some sort of fan engagement. It feels like they always have that in London.

I don't know why they wouldn't have that in Germany. So I would honestly just... The other thing you could do is call the season ticket holder. You like the season ticket holder line? Call someone with the Chiefs. And they definitely can point you in the right direction. I'm a big Eagles fan. I know they miss Shane Steichen clearly.

With their schedule coming up, should the Eagles fans be worried? I feel like the Jets game was the last chance for an easy win. For a long time. though that defense is amazing. Well, let's bring up the old schedule. Eagles schedule. I think you play Monday night here against someone good.

Dolphins Eagles, this week's Sunday night. That is a great game. Then in a week you play the commanders at night in, or not at night, morning game, in Washington. We know that's tough. Then you get the Cowboys at home. Then you get the Chiefs off a by. then you get the Bills, then you get the 49ers, then you get the Cowboys, then you go to Seattle.

Damn, your last three games, though, are Giants, Cardinals, Giants. So to me, dolphins, commanders, cowboys, if you just split the Cowboys games, win the Commander game, win one of the Chiefs' 49ers' Bills game, well, you get the 49ers and the Bills at home, you'll be fine. To me, you're still winning 30.

routine games minimum. The concerning part is, as an offensive coordinator, it's a little bit like a player. We used to say this about DBs. One thing I learned working in football, two positions to me, instincts are just, you either got them or you don't. Running back, instincts with running back to me is like a non-starter if you don't have it, and DB, and specifically corner. If you're not an instinctive player, you're going to give up a ton of catches.

instinctive players, no one to turn their head around, no one to make place. It's very hard. I think we talk so much quarterback's the hardest position. I'd argue quarterback or corner is 1B,

especially in this modern day where you can't hit anybody. So none of these wide receivers are intimidated, and they're all fast as shit. So we talk about instincts with players. I don't think we do it enough with coaches. And through,

I've watched the majority of your snaps. Hell, 26 million people just watched you play the Jets. it feels like Brian Johnson is not a very instinctive play caller. Like one thing Shane Stuyken had, God, this guy's just got a feel for it. McVeigh has it, Shanney has it, obviously Coach Reed has it, Peyton had it forever with Drew Breeze, Josh McDaniels always had it with Tom Brady. There was like an ebb and flow to the place. There was a rhythm.

There was like a kidney punch, a kidney punch, a right hook, a left jab, and you just didn't know what was coming. With bad play callers, and Michael, Lombardi always does a good job describing this. It's like they're playing battleship, right? There's like, oh, L2, R4, and they're just kind of guessing. They're just throwing shit at the wall and see what happens. You know, I say, listen, I'm not the biggest Sark fan as a head coach, but he's a good

play caller, Lane's a good play caller. You see it in college, Lincoln Forever in Oklahoma was a good play caller. Something's missing, and that's what would concern me. The good thing is for you guys, you have fucking freaky talent. And when you're that talented, even a disaster, you're winning like 12 games. Because think about this. You just told me your schedule is really hard, and it's true.

But if I just went through the Bill's schedule, when you come up, that's their hard game. When I go through the Cowboy schedule or 49ers fan, when you come up, that's their hard game. So it goes both ways. Right? Like when you say the Cardinals, every time the Cardinals play the Niners or the Eagles,

they're like, holy shit. yet the other team, you know, the Niners, the Eagles, whoever go, God, we got the Cardinals this week, easy win. Love your podcast. Also, you've got to take care of your eyes. Get some glasses. You're an adult now. Making good money.

Trust me, I'm not, I don't have glasses because it's not, I don't know, I'm broke. I just don't have glasses. It's time to find an optometrist or an ophthalmologist and see them yearly. Build a relationship with your doctor and get your eyes dilated when you go. The dilation is crucial. sounds like my dad. Talk to me about how good the Cleveland Brown's defense is this season. So far, it looks like they are in historic category for yards allowed per game.

I'm talking purple people eater historic. I've seen the Niners physically shove everyone around they've played for the last couple years, and they usually hurt other people. And they played the Browns, and their star players were all going to the sideline. McCaffrey was bloody everywhere and fucked up his oblique. Debo, it felt like lasted a series. And Trent, while a little freaky, to me sometimes when you're getting guys shoved on your back,

part of that is defensive linemen shoving other offensive linemen. To me, the thing I loved about your defense is the physicality element, because I know you guys got speed. I mean, you got fantastic DBs, and your defensive line is awesome. And then your athleticism at linebacker, when you have and part of the problem last year right was their linebackers aren't that big so they didn't have beef above them and people just ran down their throat well they've added girth so you can't throw on them because the corners are good their defensive line now can

stop the run and then the athletic linebackers can tackle everything so yeah i think you guys got a chance to be unreal when your defense is awesome and to be an awesome defense in the NFL or just in college in 2023, given the rules, line of scrimmage. Line of scrimmage, line of scrimmage, line of scrimmage. You could have four D-on-Sanders.

If your D-line sucks, I'm just running it down your throat. Right? But when you can dominate the point of attack, pass and run, you're in major trouble as an offense, and the 49ers had no shot against them. Trent Williams leant back in the game, and one of the reasons he said he did it

because he felt like he was putting the backup in an awful spot given the opponent they were playing. like how could they how he's like i couldn't let the backup go in there against miles garrett because he was having a hard time and he's one of the best players of his generation so yeah i think you guys statistically speaks for itself record through six games i test i feel like the i test is even better that 49er game was you know what i appreciate about cleveland is and the bay area used to have this when the 49ers played a candlestick and when the Raiders played at the Coliseum,

there weren't sweets there. I mean, the Raiders had a couple, but they were so shitty. The stadiums were so bad and so decrepit. When you went to watch a game there, it was just about football. You went to just enjoy the event. When you go to some of these nicer stadiums,

like SoFi or even Leibis or wherever, you're like, let's go to this lounge, let's go to this bar. Oh, I'm at Allegiant. Let's go to the casino. it's about more than football. And there was just an old school feel to the 80s and 90 stadiums.

And they're terrible. And listen, the Coliseum, whenever the A's finally go to Vegas, I would nuke it. I would blow it to smithereens. But I've been to a lot of football games there, and there's a purity to the product. You're just sitting in a shitty seat

watching an NFL game. It's just very pure. And honestly, on TV, I've never been to the Cleveland Stadium, and obviously the Cleveland Stadium is not, I don't think as old as those, but you could hear people banging on the metal and it echoing.

It felt like it was just about ball. It felt like it was just about the game. And everyone there, it's obviously a blue collar, working man's town, and they just love the freaking Browns. And it felt kind of collegiate. It really did. And you don't get that,

you watch the Monday night game, which I love that stadium. You go there, but you go to the stadium. You go to the stadium. what club level you want to go to. It's like, well, we'll get back for the middle of the second quarter. At that Cleveland Niner game, it felt everyone knew what their responsibility was for that game. Raining, no one budged.

I appreciate it. So I think the only question mark is, let's face it. It feels like something weird is going on with Deshaun Watson. I'm expecting something to come out sometime soon. I haven't seen, I guess they have, well, I'm recording this on Tuesday, So we'll see if they practice tomorrow. Does he practice? Does he miss another game?

Do they think he's healthy and he's not playing? Does he think he's more hurt than he is? That's usually where you get animosity on one side. It's like, hey, we're paying you all this money. Are you healthy enough to play? We got no other options. We're rolling out a practice squad player because he's better than our rookie. Like, hey, man, we need you.

We paid you for this team because if you're just solid, if you could just be like Dak Prescott, we can win the Super Bowl. Think about that. All they need him to be, is solid. They don't need him to be 2019 Deshawn Watson for the Houston, Texans. They don't need him to be Clemson Deshawn Watson. But if he's not playing, they are in trouble. And they will

struggle to win games. I don't care how great their defenses. You look at the Jets. Now the Browns defense is better than the Jets, but you know what I'm saying. So I think that is the only story that I'm interested with the Browns. Because they have enough offensive talent. Clearly their defense is more than good enough to dominate the league. What's up with the quarterback? How hurt is his shoulder? Do they think he he's more hurt? Do they think he's not as hurt? I don't know. And that's a story

that I'm just, I just got my spidey senses up for sure. Appreciate everyone listening. We're back again tomorrow. Let's roll, baby. The volume. 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 a They're between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter.

Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and Friends on the I-Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast'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-Hart 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. Eighty-four is big to me. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it with our friends, fellow comedians, and favorite offers. 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.

This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.