The Herd with Colin Cowherd - 3 and Out - Lawrence Out, Browning Shines, Caleb Williams Done

Episode Date: December 5, 2023

John reacts to the MNF Game and yet another injury to a star QB. Does Jacksonville have any shot of winning anything if Trevor Lawrence has to miss significant time, can Jake Browning lead the Bengals to the playoffs after playing the game of his life, did the NFL handle the situation with Dom DiSandro wrong, and is Caleb Williams a lock to leave USC for the NFL. MNF Reaction - 4:57 Dom DiSandro situation - 16:57 The Patriots offense is horrible - 23:58 The Jets - 27:28 Caleb Williams - 31:00 Kyler Murray and The Cards - 36:50 Follow John on Twitter, Instagram and YouTube for the latest. Check out Gametime - the fastest growing ticketing app in the US, and the official ticketing app of 3 & Out and GoLow -  for tickets to all of your favorite NFL, NBA, NHL, NCAA teams. Concert and comedy show tickets, too. Go to Gametime now to create an account, download the app and use code JOHN for $20 off your first purchase. #Volume #HerdSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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

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

Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, what's good, y'all? You're listening to Learn the Hard Way with your favorite therapist and host, Kear Games. This space is about black men's experiences, having honest conversations that it's really not safe to have anywhere, but you're having them with a licensed professional who knows what he's doing.

How many men carry a suit or armor? It signals to the world that you're not to be played with. And just because you have the capability that does not mean that you need to. Listen and learn the hard way on the AHA radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. The volume. Can you believe we're this deep into the NFL season? We've got to make every second count.

With Draft King Sportsbook, you can make the most out of every game. Bet on your favorite teams for a shot at winning big bucks. New customers can score 150 instantly in bonus bets for betting $5 on any matchup. So right now, get in on the action with Draft King Sportsbook and official sports betting partner of the NFL. Download the app now and use the code John.

New customers can score 150 instantly in bonus bets for betting just five bucks on the NFL. Only on Draft King Sportsbook with code John. The crown is yours. Gambling problem? Call 1-800 gambler. In New York, call 8778, Hope N.Y, or text, Hope N.Y, 467-369, in West Virginia, visit

www. www.1-800 gambler.net. Please play responsibly. In Connecticut, help is available for problem gambling. Call 888-7-77, or visit ccpg.org. On behalf of Boodill Casino and Resort,

Kansas, must be 21 or older in eligible states, but ages vary by jurisdiction. See draftkings.com slash sportsbook for details and state-specific responsible gambling resources. Eligibility and deposit restrictions apply. Bonus bets expire. 168 hours after issuance.

Terms at Sportsbook. Dot draftkings.com slash football terms. What is going on, everybody? John Middilcock, 3 and out podcast. That's me, that's the show. How are we doing? Just watch a little Monday night football. Wanted to hate the game coming into it.

And then I found myself on the couch going, it's pretty entertaining. I really kind of enjoyed it. Jake Browning, game of his life. Obviously, the story of the night, Trevor Lawrence. carried off the field does not look good. I'm recording this right after the game, so I don't know the injury.

We've all watched football long enough to know it's probably not good. Probably not good at all. So the implications of that, some thoughts on the officiating and Big Dom, the Jets, Belichick, Caleb Williams, a little Debo talk, a lot of football stuff.

So here's the game plan. We got a lot of stuff on the YouTube channel. John Middlethoff, three and out podcast. Check out that YouTube channel. We put a bunch of content up there. And yeah, if you're listening to this podcast, podcast. If you listen on Collins' feed, make sure you subscribe

with three and out feed. Appreciate everyone that has. Other than that, I need to do something right now. Do you want to get a loved one, a present? My girlfriend's birthday is right around the corner, and gifts are hard to get. They are hard, like for your dad, for brothers, for cousins, whoever you are around during the holidays, it can be difficult. I got you covered. Go to your cell phone.

Go to your iPad. Download an app called Game Time. It's the official ticketing app of this podcast. And when you download the app, if you want to go to a game, if you want to go to basketball, football, hockey, you name it, any sport college pro, concerts, comedy shows, do something for someone else and save some money. So just download the GameTime app, buy a pair of tickets, use the promo code John that happens to be my name, J-O-H-N, that's how we spell it around here, J-O-H-N, promo code John, $20 off your first pair of tickets, get a present, do something for someone else, and do it on me. Save a little money while you're at it. Game time, promo code John. Okay, there's a lot going on.

I mean, there's a lot going on in this game. I'm recording this, I don't know, less than 10 minutes after he hit the walkoff field goal. So I don't have the information on what happened to Trevor Lawrence's ankle slash knee. Obviously, there was collateral damage because Walker Little, the left tackle went down. But I'm stating the obvious here. If it's a significant injury and he's out for a foreseeable period of time, obviously there's not that much season left. It's December 4th. But if he's out for the rest of the season, they're done. They're screwed. Like the Houston Texans are going to win this division, if that's the case.

I mean, tonight was pretty devastating. It looked like not only the Jags were going to win, Trevor was playing really well, even though Jake Browning's having the game of his life since he was in college. You're like, listen, it's Monday night football. I say it all the time. Monday night football games late in the season against bad teams, like if it's a playoff level team against a bad team, always feel tight. I remember years ago, the Giants might have been playing the Patriots pre, like when the Patriots were decent, might have been a different opponent and it was just a knockdown dragout game and it was one of those years pre-day ball when the Giants were really bad, even though they're pretty terrible right now. And just Monday night football game,

it's a big deal to players. It's a big deal to coaches. I don't care how shitty your team is. You get up for it. And that's what it felt like tonight. Now, granted, you're watching the Bengals, you go, well, they got Jamar Chase, who's one. one of the best players in the league. Joe Mixon's pretty damn good. Amaruno, the defensive coordinator for the Bengals, I don't know, he was a finalist last year for a head coaching job. He's pretty damn good. They got some young players. They play hard. They're making open field tackles. While their franchise player is on the sideline in a sling, that's like, God, he's really hurt. I mean, of course he is. He's out for the season,

but that makes you go, God, that's not ideal. You got some fight. These guys are pros. These guys get paid a lot of money too. I saw someone ask Tyreek Hill after he dusted someone on the commanders. And then they did one of the best celebrations you'll ever see. They did the roller coaster with like four guys. They put over the seatbelts. And then they all went the same way. I highly recommend Googling it if you haven't seen it.

But like Tyreek was like, were you offended that they didn't give you safety help? He's like, those guys make a lot of money too. Like their coaching staff is highly paid. This is pro football. Like all these guys are making a decent chunk of change. So I'm never shocked when these games are tight. Now, when you have an injury like Trevor Lawrence, and this season's kind of been defined by quarterback injuries.

Think how many star players. I mean, it really started. It was like an omen with Rogers four or five plays into the season. He's laying on the ground. I mean, that's still is the craziest injury I've ever seen when you factor in all the hoopla, all the hype, the trade, and everything. I mean, we've seen obviously way worse injuries than Aaron Rogers in terms of like the visual with bones sticking out, knees going the wrong way.

Achilles, it actually isn't that hard to watch in the sense of it's not like a violent play on the player. You just know it right away. But think of all the other guys that have been chaoed since. And if Trevor Lawrence does have a significant knee, ankle, whatever injury, it's a devastating blow for the NFL. Because this was a playoff team. He's a young star quarterback, at least star in the sense of former number one pick, a ton of hype. Everyone that follows football knows who he is.

And that sucks. There's no overcoming that, you know? I mean, think about Jake Browning tonight, who probably on a bright note, honestly, how cool is that if you're him, if you're his family? One of the guys I follow on Twitter, he covers high school football in Sacramento. and Jake Browning played where I come from De LaSalle in the Bay Area and Folsom High School in Sacramento

are the two powers currently in Northern California, non-L-A school. And Folsom High School, Troy Taylor, who's now the head coach at Stanford, used to be the head coach there and coached Jake Browning and he went to the game with his son.

And he took this selfie and he sent it to this guy and he tweeted it and like, how cool is it that the guy's former high school coach is there? anyone that knows Jake Browning. I mean, this guy played at Washington. He led them to the playoffs. I mean, he was a pretty heralded college player, but not in a million years that I think he'd be in the NFL.

But here's a thing. You either get better or you get worse. I don't care what you do. You're either going to improve or you're going to get lapped. In whatever profession you're in, especially any profession that is competitive. And here's what I will say about Jake Browning. He's clearly improved.

Like to me, he looked dramatically better. I mean, you should improve with age as an athlete if you're putting a, the time and Aikman said talking to him like he's put in a lot of time. He was fucking fantastic tonight. I mean, you go 32 of 37 on Monday night football for over 350 yards and a touchdown and to throw the dime down the sideline to Jamar Chase, but there was a poise, there was an accuracy, he made a sweet play with his legs.

Like what a really, really cool moment for him. It's one thing, you know, like DeVito. Like, it's fun to talk about DeVito, to talk about, you know, the, you know, the mob and chicken parm and all the jokes that are being had with his family going viral it's funny i mean it's legitimately kind of funny but tommy davido i got news for you probably ain't going to be in the league long i mean i i would bet against it and more than likely is like not going to have any more moments hell tyrod taylor's probably coming back we're not even going to see tommy davido like jay browning starting the rest of the season this team is six and six i don't know if you noticed i don't

know why I watched the amount of this game that I did on Sunday. The Pittsburgh Steelers, who I just told Stucky the other day, I'm like, look at their schedule, man. They're going to be 11 and 4. Middle cop, they're not going to be fucking 114. They stink. They're awful. They wouldn't have beat the Arizona Cardinals had Kenny Pickett not gotten injured. I don't care how many tropical rainstorms, hurricanes, tornadoes, whatever kept delaying that game came through. The Pittsburgh Steelers are not good. They are not. And honestly, the Arizona Cardinals, props to Kyler Murray.

They're two and two since he returned. But like, the Bengals are dead. They are just not dead. Look at the carnage that happened yesterday. No different than the Bills. Now, I like the bills more than the Bengals because I would bet on Josh Allen over Jake Browning. But if this guy can just play under control, now there's one thing, Monday night football, little extra rest. You know, I'm not going to put, act like he's going to continue to play like this.

But very cool moment. I think sometimes we talk so much like, is this guy overpaid, this guy underpaid, this guy overrated, so they trade this guy, does this guy need to get fired? Instead, and I'm guilty of this probably more than most, talking about all that stuff, when we just be like, what a cool freaking moment. What an awesome game for that guy. Pro athlete, backup quarterback on one of the better teams in the NFL over the last several years. No one ever, no one even knows the guy's name really because ideally he's never going to have to play

when you got Joe Burrow. And he comes in, he has a moment like that. Monday night football. 32 at 37? What? What a game. What a freaking game by the guy. And ultimately you help lead your team to a victory.

Like against a really good team. Now, once Trevor Lawrence goes out, who was also having a really good game, you know, you're not necessarily beating him, I would say, in full strength, clearly. But that was very impressive by the Bengals and not tapping out, not quitting. I know their head coach can be polarizing sometimes. I thought the easiest way to help any average quarterback and definitely a backup quarterback is to get easy plays. You know, in basketball you call them layups, right? Get to the rim, like get to the foul line.

When football, run the ball. Just run the ball. Don't even ask him to do anything. And when you get positive yards on the ground, it enables your quarterback to play a little freer. It's much harder to play quarterback when you ask them to, you know, operate like Joe Burrow. and they did this a week ago, it's like, bro, you get in positions if he's incomplete on first down,

you're in second, you're in passing situations, second and third down. And if for some reason you have a penalty, something happens, all of a sudden you're in second, third, and not even close to manageable. I mean, you're talking third and forever.

So you put a guy like that in those situations, it's going to be very difficult. But when I get you in second and five, second and two, third and one, like we got a chance for success. And then because of the talent that you have on offense, you can be explosive.

Now, I think a lot of people, like if you just went to Twitter, when Boyd threw one of the worst picks you'll ever see, it was the second double pass, the Bengals busted out, that shows you, Zach Taylor coming into this game, didn't have that much faith in this quarterback. He thought he was going to have to pull off, like, all the bells and whistles throw everything, throw the kitchen sink at the Jags just to have a chance to win,

which I understand coming into the game. But I would say by like early second quarter, you're like, God, the Bengals can just play with them. You don't need to outthink them. Sometimes you need to pull some of these trick plays because you're not as good as your opponent. Tonight, look like equals. Just play the game.

Now, they avoided it. It felt like that was going to be the moment. Remember when Chuck Pagano called the whatever the hell that was, that fake punt with McAfee and he got tackled. It was like the worst play in NFL history. It kind of felt like that tonight when the Bengals, when he threw the ball. right to Alan the defensive end literally hit him right he jumped but he did not need to jump

But underrated play also even when it is a ball right to you and something like that If you are a pass rusher or if you were a D lineman outside linebacker and you pick it off That's not easy like most of your time during the week is not spent on the judge machine So just kind of being an athlete you know kind of throwback to when you're a kid just make a play and he did but Big win for the bangles obviously the story of the night. We'll see maybe by the time you listen to this, we have some concrete evidence,

but listen, we've all watched enough football to know that did not look good. He clearly threw his helmet, you know, pain, frustration. And I think sometimes when you, you know, just watching sports my entire life,

you know it's really bad. And I think there's a level, sometimes there's just a level of shock, right, when you get injured. You see it a lot in basketball. You're like, God, did he just rip every tendon? and ligament in his entire body.

And then like 10 minutes later, they're back in the game, just because you kind of freak out. And then there's when something like that happened the night, you get bent back in the wrong direction. Hell, your left tackle ends up leaving the game as well. And you know it's really bad. Still can't quite understand why they made him walk, you know, to Miami, Florida.

Like, can someone give the guy a ride? This is a player that you're probably going to give $150, $70 million to in the next 18 months. Let's get the guy in a cart, but they literally just kind of carried him, you know, slash walked really slow, which must have taken forever because they banned to him after commercial and they're still walking under the tunnel at like baby speed. But, you know, you got to be careful with that knee. So ankle or whatever the hell it is, just a devastating loss in every way imaginable for Doug Peterson.

I also had the thought is Doug's, Ducks had some terrible injuries happen to his quarterback. Now, obviously, the one in Philadelphia worked out in his favor when Foles came in and became magical and they won the Super Bowl. I think I'm not breaking any news here. That's not happening in this situation. That's not happening with C.J. Bethard. If they were to make the playoffs and Trevor can't come back, they're not winning a playoff game with C.J. Bethard. I would bet my life savings on that right now.

I don't give a shit who they play. I read a lot today, just searching through the headlines. This is what I usually do to just see what, you know, what are the people? talking about out there? What should what should we talk about on the old podcast? And you know, in my world, a lot of Niner people, a lot of Eagle people, just a lot of Greenlaw, Dom DeSandro, talk. And if you listen to me the other day, listen, Dom's one of the coolest motherfuckers I've ever known. I spent so much time eating with them, talking with them when I lived in Philly. I gravitate toward, you know, I would say people that just color outside the lines. Not only,

they entertain me, but I just something about them that I don't know, see myself in, I don't know what it is, but I just I like those type guys. I love Don DeSandro. Most people do, that have been around them. And I saw, I actually had this epiphany

last night because I'm laying in bed. It's hard to sleep for me after Sundays. I get all worked up. I do a bunch of podcasts. Just talk about football and I'm just like all amped up. I have to take like 17 melatonins just to kind of doze off. And I watched this side view of the Greenlaw.

And I love Drey Greenlaw as well. I mean, Drake Greenlaw, to me, is an underrated heartbeat of the Niners. Fred said it to Greg Olson on the broadcast. I try, and he's known as one of the most violent players in the league, and Fred's like, I try to hit his hard as Dre. When Dre's on the field healthy,

there's a violence to the 49ers that no one in the league can match. Dude is just on the edge of craziness. And sometimes he crosses it, but this is the NFL. This isn't peewee football. I need some guys to cross the line every once in a while. But I saw this, my epiphany was, I saw this sideline view of the Dom Dre Greenlaw thing. And when you put things in slow motion, totally understand it with, did you get two feet down?

Right. Did a guy catch the ball? Did the ball touch or the foot touch out of bounds, right? I understand sometimes the need for slow motion in football. When you do slow motion in a fight, right? or just an altercation. I think it makes it look 50 times worse. Because I saw the full speed,

I don't even want to call it an altercation, just the moment between Greenlaw, Devante Smith. It was a nothing burger. And I said this yesterday, and I've been beating this drum forever. I've always hated in basketball, and I'm specifically talking about Draymond,

because when I lived in the Bay, I watched the Warriors kind of suck now and they're boring, but in their heyday, I watched every minute of every day. Warrior game. And Draymond does things, or at least did things over the course of his career, to get tossed. Like he earned it, right? No different Dennis Rodman or Rashid Wallace. Like some guys, you know, are legitimately crossing the line on certain nights. But then they're also treated on other nights. And Draymond wasn't alone. It always bothered me in a pro game

when a player said like F you to another player and get tossed for that. Even F you to the ref. This is not the peewees. This is not junior high basketball or football. This is not college sports. We are not teaching life lessons. There are millions of dollars on the line. This is a business.

None of that other shit nobody cares about. This is an entertainment product, which is a business. You've got to let things go. And to me, where the officials really screwed up in that moment. And it just, it's bothered me since that play. No one needed to get

tossed. It was honestly barely, it wasn't even a scuffle. Dom tried to separate him. Greenlaw pointed at his face. I saw Howard Eskin, who's the sideline guy for the Eagles, said that John Lynch, Drake Greenlaw, Dom, and a couple other Eagles were laughing about it in the halls of the Lincoln Financial Field after the game. Nobody gave a shit beside the referees. The consumer us, who pay for everything, are they're watching the game for the players and the coaches. Everyone that paid a lot of money to attend that game is there for the game. The officials too often, in professional sports, whether it's basketball, baseball, football, inject themselves into things that don't need to be or don't need their hand involved. If you have a malice at the palace

and Ron Artec is beating the shit out of everybody, yeah, time to get involved. If there is some 80s, 90s old school brawls where guys are throwing haymakers at each other, Yeah, maybe some guys need to get thrown out. I'm sorry, that was a fucking embarrassment for the NFL. And when I see these headlines like, they're going to go after the Eagles, what are we doing? That was one of the biggest nothing burgers I've ever seen. Nobody should have gotten any trouble.

No one should have got ejected. Separate them. Call the next play. I think sometimes, and maybe it's like the networks getting involved because it's such a big television show, create the drama. It's almost like the reality show. that's truly reality, they're just playing a game.

Now, you can think the game's rigged or not, but I don't believe that is. I'm not sure that Howie Roseman and Nick Siriani got a script when the season began, that you're going to get your ass kicked by the 49ers. But just let the reality on the field, on the field, play itself out, and referees, like, try to stay away as much as possible.

Whatever happened to just separating them and just moving on, that doesn't happen anymore in sports. We're constantly throwing guys out. Our time, it's way too valuable. these guys are being paid way too much money to go hit the showers for nothing. If you take your helmet and you slam it on some guy's face, okay. If I point at your face and I have no clue who you are as an opposing player, who cares? That really was a really embarrassing moment for Roger and his operation.

And listen, I've been on the referees. I don't even waste that much time talking about it over the last like calendar year because rinse, wash, repeat. but when you start sending guys to the showers, when you start doing things like that, that's inexcusable. Now, you could argue that the buzz it's going to create

if they play again in the NFC championship, a huge storyline, and it is, so it's good for everyone's business that's in the broadcasting of the game. So maybe they like doing that crap. But if I'm Roger Goodell, like, can everyone just take a deep breath?

Can we just try to get the calls on the feel right and not worry about throwing guys out or getting some guy in trouble over something that was pretty innocuous. I mean, I honestly believe that. If you watch it in slow motion, yeah, it feels like Connor McGregor fighting Mike Tyson. If you watch it in real time, it's like, fuck,

I saw this crazier thing that happened in the gas station today. Like, let's be better, NFL. We're too important to the fabric of society at this point. You're the number one television show in America. Let's just figure out our referees and just tone them down a little bit. For the love of God, please. For me, for you,

and for everyone who enjoys this sport. Can we just try to corral that group? Because it feels like they're a bunch of village idiots right now. A lot of other stuff going on. It kind of hit me today. You know, Belichick lost 6-0 at home. Six to nothing. And I read that Belichick and the Patriots

are the first team since like the late 30s to lose three games where they held the opponent to 10 points or under. I was thinking like if you played three games and whatever their record is, you know, they've played 11 or 12 games. But so, you know, you're talking 30, 25% of your season, your defense is playing awesome. And obviously they've had other games when the team was in the teens or the low 20s. Belichick can still coach defense. Belichick knows how to play an opposing team with a star, highly paid quarterback, with other good weapons,

especially if his team is healthy, give his team a fighting chance to compete defensively. one thing is clear. He doesn't know how to evaluate offensive skill guys, especially wide receivers, and if the quarterback position is screwed up, i.e. Tom Brady not there, and he doesn't have some other plug-in-play top-10 player, he's fucked.

But think about a couple years ago when Mack Jones was just serviceable as a rookie, he had Josh McDaniels. Well, I was thinking about today, Josh McDaniels doesn't have a job because I've texted with so many people like Middilcoff, You really think I'm not going third person, Cam Newton style. I'm just saying that's what they say to me.

Because I saw he did an interview with part of my take guys. He says, he talks in third person like every other sentence. It's like Cam, just talk about like a normal human. He's like, what do you think, Cam Newton? No, Cam, you are Cam Newton. But Belichick's offensive issues this year, he doesn't have his offensive coordinator. Well, his offensive coordinator is going to be available. So if you hire Bill Belichick this offseason, because let's face it, there is no

possibility of him returning. Zero. I mean, it makes absolutely no sense for Bill Belichick to return or to let him have the power to draft one of these quarterbacks slash draft other people in the draft. I wouldn't let him touch it. It's an easy one

to go your separate ways. But then the question mark is like, is Bill Belichick a viable candidate? And I've been saying for weeks I think he's going to have the pick of the litter. Well, he's going to be able to say, well, why don't I just bring Josh with me as my offensive coordinator? You guys see what I can do on defense. I get Josh calling my offense and boom, we're cooking with gas.

I actually think it makes him more valuable on the open market when he can just say, I know exactly how this guy works. I don't have to even think about it because when he's gone to Patricia and obviously Bill O'Brien, they're completely screwed. But when he has Josh, who is an awful head coach, right? Just like Belichick, without him as the offensive coordinator, they're going to have issues. But you put those two together, I mean, hell, a couple years ago, they took Mac Jones to the playoffs. They made the playoffs with the rookie Mac Jones.

Think about that. So I wouldn't count Belichick like his career is just over. He's proving it on defense. Think how many teams right now would give anything for a guy like that to influence their defense. How many teams who are just putrid on that side of the ball? The Lions. Think of what the Lions would do to just have him just give them some tips on how to improve. And they got no clue.

I mean, they're just at any moment you can score like 21. points on the lines on like a blink of an eye. It's why you feel less and less confident about them when the playoffs are, you know, coming around the corner. But if Belichick's a coach next year, Josh McDaniel is going to be his offensive coordinator. I put that bad boy in Sharpie. The other team, the Jets, you know, you saw Flacco who just showed up off the couch throwing some deep ball.

The guy's always throwing a beautiful deep ball. Listen, Joe Flacko, great hair, can't move, beautiful deep ball. That's what I think when I closed. my eyes and think of Joe Flacco. And yesterday, you just, let's be real. You watch the Eagles a Niners game. It was hard to keep an eye on everything else. But I had a little screen going.

I'd peek over there and everyone's all. And that ball would just loop out. Just like, God, Flacco can still sling that thing. But the Jets rolled into the season, and I said it early on. And listen, Zach Wilson had like a game and a half stretch where you're like, God, he's kind of capable. And then he just resorted back to shitty Zach Wilson. They tried to have their cake and eat it to.

someone in the NFL in the no around the Jets was like we were done he was done like he was not coming back i mean it was kind of public as well right jack wilson was not going to be on the team but then the aaron rogers situation you know kind of played out and Aaron's like you know i kind of like the guy i'll help him out and then he just they kind of kept him around but i say it all the time it's one thing if you got a backup wide receiver you can mix another guys or a backup de-linement when that is your backup quarterback you are one Achilles tear from that guy becoming charter. And of course it was an utter debacle. And now they're talking about potentially putting him back in the lineup. Listen, these guys are probably going to survive simply because of Aaron

Rogers. But, and I want to like Robert Sala as a head coach because I loved him as a defensive coordinator. I like him as a guy. It's pretty ugly, man. It really is. Nathaniel Hackett without Aaron Rogers is, might as well be Joe Judge or Matt Patricia. I mean, he's fucking terrible, has absolutely no clue what to do. Their personnel has issues. It's so easy to say, well, we'll just wait until 2004 and Aaron Rogers gets back. We say this a lot with the draft.

Like, oh, Todd Bowles, just get to 2024 and draft a quarterback, or whoever the bad team is. Well, you have to go through that season where it's pretty ugly, right? And once you start watching it on a weekly basis, it's like, the Jets, that's about as shitty as a football team in terms of watching right there with the Patriots,

but at least, I mean, the Patriots might draft number one overall. I think they have like a 50-50 shot to have the number one overall pick. To me, the Panthers are going to end up winning a game or two. Patriots cannot move the ball. They definitely can't score any points. They get even close in the red zone. No chance. So it's hard for them even to get there.

Like, I do think the Panthers, you're going to look up and they're going to have a weird win. It would not shock me at all if the Patriots gets the number one overall pick. but the Jets, like the Jets are going to win five or six games and you're like, that might as well have been a two-win team. They fucking suck. So anytime that you suck that bad and your one excuse is, well, Rogers has an Achilles, well, that's great, are we confident at all that you guys know what you're doing? That you guys, that Robert as a head coach, Nathaniel Hackett as a play caller, do you guys

know what you're doing? Because I do think it's fair to say, like, you watch them and go, yeah, they don't know what they're doing at all. Like, there's not much faith. So it's getting really ugly. I think we can also put to rest the conversation that Caleb Williams is up in the air about what he's going to do with his decision

in terms of declaring for the national football league. And I think it's pretty clear he's going to be the number one pick in the draft. Drake May was not good the second half of the season. That he officially opted out of the bowl game, which to me, I'm not. numb to that. What do the bowl games even mean? Beside, honestly, the two playoff games, I think the bowl games have lost so much luster. Remember when that was a conversation? Like,

he opted out of the bowl game? And now it's like, do any of these bowl games matter? Does anyone give a shit? Hell, half these guys don't even opt out of the ball game. They go to the transfer portal. You look up this morning, like, Ohio State's quarterback is in the transfer portal. Like, didn't he just start on an 11-1 team? I mean, clearly Ryan Day and the coaching staff was like, you're not starting here next year, bro? Or maybe they, They already know they got Cam Ward. It's kind of crazy. The musical chairs that goes on with a college football transfer portal,

which most of the players I can't even pretend to care about. The quarterback thing is pretty interesting, like where they all go. And obviously it has a huge influence, Bo Nix, Michael Pennix, right? You see these players, you know, influence the playoff race. Ewers at Texas originally started at Ohio State. But Caleb Williams not playing the bowl game. Of course he's not. I mean, I don't even, a holiday bowl.

I wouldn't play either. But he's going to the NFL draft. Like, we need to stop, have this conversation. We need to stop this kind of, you know, he's in L.A. Maybe he's close to LeBron, you know, playing it up, you know, creating some drama. Like, bro, you're going to the NFL. It's okay. Like, just, just say it.

It's not going to kill you. Like, just get it over with. You don't need to do this dog and pony show, you know, leak stuff out, don't say anything. We all know it. And rightfully so. You've earned it. You're, you know, an excellent prospect. excited to watch the whole process play out

in terms of going to the combine, the interviews, the whole thing. But it's just one of those stories that it's like, I can't. It's like the Rogers making his comeback. I can't take that story. There's certain stories that are just like, I immediately either change the channel or keep scrolling. It's like, yeah, I'm not paying any attention. So this will be the last time we discussed Caleb Williams

on the fence about declaring for the NFL. unless he actually goes back to USC, which in what world would he go back to that team? I mean, that would be the crazy story. It's like, wait, you're going back to that team? Like, I understood when certain guys return to school, like last year Pennix or Bo Nix or, you know, if J.J. McCarthy returns to Michigan or whatever.

You're like, yeah, your team's really good. Totally understand it. That USC team? I mean, they're fucking terrible. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential.

Either way, the podcast, Superhuman, documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me.

Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits. the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment,

and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast. It's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to The Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple 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 a little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick it here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill, waxing all about crack in the 80s.

To be clear, 84 is big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so you're just so you're not. But just so you all know. I mean, at this point, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack. So I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now. Thank you finishing that sentence. I don't think there's a more important year for black people.

Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I said at the moment he came back, like, Kama is going to be their quarterback moving forward. I mean, I don't think people quite understand. I played golf today with a guy that had played for the Cardinals back when Bidwell took over, you know, in the mid to late 2000s. And we were just disgusting just how cheap.

You know, and the Cardinals still, to this day, or, you know, that Players Association survey that came out about how they charge you for to go boxes. I mean, when I worked in the NFL for the first couple years in the office, I lived on to go boxes. If they would have charged me, Jeffrey Lurie would have taken thousands of dollars for me. So the Cardinals from a cheapskate standpoint are number one in the NFL. It ain't even close. So if you think that this owner paid this guy signing bonuses, paid him a lot of money to trade him, you're crazy. Especially when, like, let's face it, there is a lot to work with Kyla Murray. Now, you know, winning some of these games, when you have your quarterback, winning and losing when you suck, doesn't matter.

much. It much more impacts you if you want to draft one of the high quarterbacks. So it's a big deal, especially, you know, they're two and two with Kyler Murray, like I said earlier. So if I'm a Cardinal fan, we just need to get a lot more talent around this team because we don't have that much. It's more just the Steelers don't know what's going on there. But I think Kyler has had a very, very positive return from a football standpoint. Looks healthy. The team has just a lot of positivity around them, not that negativity last year with Cliff, the Call of Duty contract, just everything surrounding the operation. Say what you want about them.

They feel like the polar opposite right now. Now, obviously, they're playing with house money, zero expectations. No one expects them to win a game. They're huge underdogs every time they play. But I would say it's been a positive step. One thing that has not been a positive step has been the Derek Carr, New Orleans experience. I don't know if I thought he'd be good,

but I definitely thought he'd just be, you know, middle of the road starting quarterback, their team's pretty talented. They're going to go 10 and 7. Division sucks. He's just going to be solid. Now, he ended up having a good third quarter before he got knocked out for the second time this season.

I think it's the second concussion. He threw three touchdowns, or I think he accounted for three touchdown. I don't know if he threw four more. But they got right back in the game and it was like 28, 21 after getting their ass kicked early. But through the first half, when they were just beyond putrid,

he's getting booed. Someone, a bunch of people, were hitting me up on social media like why don't they just go to james and then i looked up his contract they gave him a 40 million dollar guarantee they essentially are going to give him 60 million dollars over two years his dead cap next year is really high they can't cut him like he's on their team now and he's just not very good and i think sometimes like this is where i respect the guys that are polarizing like cousins and dack are good examples because for a long time derrick kind of hovered in that group jimmy Garopolo did earlier in their career.

Kirk Cousins stayed at that level, and you could argue this year was like his best years of his career. Kevin O'Connell's like, I've never seen this guy play that well and he's watched him play forever. Dak Prescott continues to get better. Like it sounds cliche, it sounds stupid,

it sounds something like a coach would say, but it's fucking true. You either improve or you get worse. Nobody in football stays the same over the course of years, right? So you either trending up or trending now. And Car just starts, he's been trending down. Like I thought last year was more like Josh McDaniel's outlier situation.

You watch him this year, he doesn't look that good. And I'm saying this as someone who's known him since he was a senior in high school. But he's just not that good of a player anymore for whatever reason. Doesn't want to get hit, lost his confidence. I don't know. I don't have the, like I can't pinpoint it. I just know from watching the guy's career, since college, through the Raiders, you watch him play for the same.

you're like, this is not a very good player right now. And internally, when you make a move, listen, you miss on free agents. It's part of football, right? Because a lot of the times when you sign a free agent, that guy's a free agent for a reason. Like Aaron Judges and LeBron James and Kevin Durantz, and these players in these other sports that hit free,

they never hit free agency in the NFL. And if they do, it's usually because it's toward the end of their career. Right. Like Tom Brady hit free agency, he was 42 years old. Peyton Manning hit free agency. They didn't think his neck worked. It's usually like, God, can you believe that Aaron Donald that 27 hit free agency? Like, that's just not the way the NFL works.

So when you sign a free agent, there's a lot of risk involved. Right. It's why usually a lot of the top guys that do change teams through trade. Devante, Tyreek, Khalil Mack back in the day, like players like that. Looking back, Derek was legitimate, had a lot of baggage and had a lot of red flags. and he was a free agent for a reason. He was, you know, say what you want about Josh McDaniels. He shorted him and he might have been right.

And I would say based on what we've seen this year, he was right. And the Saints are, Dennis Allen isn't a very good coach. So it's not all on Derek. I don't think Dennis has any clue what he's doing and he's going to get fired at the end of the season. But Derek has played a role in that, him losing his job for sure. Okay, let's get to our Morgan and Morgan. player that made it look easy.

If you're going to talk as much shit as Debo talked since the Super Bowl and Debo went to the Super Bowl and did the media rounds like he was... You know, older players typically do the media rounds and they hit everything.

Like Dan Marino for, you know, whatever old person Viagra or Nutrition or Nutrition or whatever the hell he's pushing. Joe Montana, our friends of Guinness. You know, stuff like that. They hit everything. everybody. They don't discriminate whether you're coward, Dan Patrick, or local radio show in

South Dakota. They are pushing that product. Usually the younger players, like if I'm still in the league, I get paid a lot of money from Company X and I just hit the big boys, right? I get my 50, 100, whatever, 80K. And I do like six or seven and I get out of there and I'm wherever the Super Bowl is. I go out that night with my girlfriend, my boys party hang out. Debo treated that thing like he was a 1970s Hall of Famer. Anyone with the mic, I'm going to tell you what I got to say. And what I got to say is I think the Eagles secondary stinks. I think James Bradbury couldn't cover me in a phone booth.

I don't think they got a snowball's chance in hell to slow us down. And a lot of people rightfully so were like, sour grapes, man. Debo, you got to wear this one. And Debo never backed down. He never shut up about it. off-season, all-season, and leading it up to the game. They went right to his locker Monday of this week. Because the Niners played on the Thursday of Thanksgiving.

They had practice on Monday, and all the reporters were in there. And they're like, Debo, anything to say about, you know, what you said for the last nine months, I take nothing back. No, like, he didn't know comment. He was like, say what I said. I stand on it. It's like, God, Debo, you know, I know you can back it up, but can your team, to go in that game, to have three touchdowns and to essentially dance on their graves

and somewhat validate everything you said. Like James Bradbury can't cover these guys. The safeties, the linebackers, they got no shot. They got no shot. But most specifically, Debo, they don't got an answer. And he's a serious problem for them. Because the way Kyle uses him, he's not like, ultimately like, AJ made some plays.

The safety's going to miss some tackles. But like you can double him because he's just running route. Debo gets the ball Half his touches are like coming in the backfield End arounds, quick screens It's just more difficult It's just more unique that way But to back it up like that in Philly

With a big smile on his face Fly Debo fly So that was my Morgan and Morgan player That make it look easy. If you're ever injured You can check out Morgan and Morgan Their fee is free unless they win For more information go to 4thepeople.com slash John

or Dow Pound Law, pound 529 from your cell phone. That's F-O-R, the people.com slash J-O-HN or Pound Law 529. 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, S&L's Mikey Day and head writer, Streeter Seidel,

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

Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, what's good, y'all? You're listening to Learn the Hardweight

with your favorite therapist and host Care Games. This space is about black men's experiences, having honest conversations that's really not safe to have anywhere, but you're having them with a licensed professional who knows what he's doing. How many men carry a source? to the armor. It signals to the world that you're not to be played with. And just because you have the capability that does not mean that you need to, listen to learn the hard way on the IHard radio app,

Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. This is an IHart podcast. Guaranteed human.