The Herd with Colin Cowherd - 3 and Out - Packers Problems, Out on Wentz, Darnold Resurrection, Carr vs. Big Ben, NFC East, Cardinals Doubts, Mailbag

Episode Date: September 21, 2021

John discusses the Packers Monday Night Football win over the Lions, and why it doesn't convince him that Green Bay has recovered from a drama filled offseason. He also looks at the continued injury problems plaguing Carson Wentz, why the Colts season could be over before it starts, why he's impressed with the early turnaround for Sam Darnold in Carolina, and what the Steelers/Raiders matchup revealed about Big Ben and Derek Carr. He also looks ahead to the upcoming Eagles/Cowboys matchup, its NFC East implications, why he's not convinced the Cardinals can be a serious playoff threat, and answers listener questions in the Middlekauff Mailbag.Make sure you follow John and The Volume on Twitter, Instagram and YouTube for the latest content and updates and check out FanDuel for the best wagering and daily fantasy action! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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

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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

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And it's only at Firehouse Subs. Click the banner now to start your pickup or delivery order. The volume. What is going on? Happy Tuesday, maybe Wednesday, because it's a podcast. You can listen whenever you want. Three and out, it's named the show. Me, John Middletalcough, here right after the, you know, pretty bad Monday night game.

Packers Lions, but we watched it because the Packers were kind of in shambles and still arguably are after that first half. Have some thoughts about them right off the top. A lot going on in the NFL right now. We got Carson Wentz, who is just in shambles right now. We have the NFC East. Feels like the Eagles and Cowboys pulling away a little bit. Sam Darnold, little career resurrection.

The Steelers, not looking good. The Raiders, not looking bad. Who would have thought? Things are changing fast. Of course, the. Monday morning podcast comes out a Monday morning exclusively on this feed. So if you missed exclusively on the three and out feed, go subscribe, rate review. Leave five stars if you want.

You can leave a question, leave a comment. I appreciate everyone that has. And hopefully everyone's enjoying football season because now we're in the full swing of things, right? Games galore. I feel like I lost my voice and I swear I haven't done anything for the last 48 hours. I've watched NFL college probably combined. You know, I watched a bunch of games Monday morning, maybe 75 games. I mean, I have consumed a ton of football.

And I'm not even footballed out yet. So that's a good sign. But it's only September. We got a long way to go. This is a marathon, not a sprint. What we just witnessed or, you know, what I just witnessed on the screen was not really that pretty for a half. And I would equate.

to this. Anyone who has gotten to an argument for you married men out there, you get into an argument with your wife. For those of you in a serious relationship, argument with your girlfriend, you know, like a couple days later, you kind of move on, things are, you go to dinner, you go to lunch, you go on with your day, you go to work, you come home. But there's just a tension in the air. Hell, maybe a week or two later. You just can't shake it. Sometimes if you cross the line with what you said, it might not go away for a long period of time. That doesn't mean you can't go out to dinner with your friends, you can't go over to family's homes together, you can't hang out with each other, but there is a tangible tension in the air for an explosive fight that happened. We have all

been a part of those, some more than others. And you just, you don't want to relive it. You do not want to talk about it, but is the elephant in the freaking room. That's a little bit, I, I, I discounted, or at least poo-poohed last week the reason that they laid an egg against the Saints because of everything that happened in the offseason. And then watching a night when the Packers in the first half, let's face it, look like crap. And Peyton Manning and Eli Manning even mentioned, you know, it was a little weird after the game that he's still talking about the offseason. And it's like there was this, you know, it won't go away. And Aaron hasn't exactly let it go away. And I I have to at least acknowledge the fact that there might be something lingering.

Now, they pulled away in the second half. They have Aaron Freakin Rogers and Devante Adams, and they're playing the Lions. But that half of football, after, you know, to come into this game at home and look like that, to me is a little alarming. The other thing that's alarming about the Packers is they fire their defensive coordinator and they go hire Joe Barry, who, you know, check his resume. He's not exactly Vic Fangio or Monty Kiffin. And I think we've seen tonight, like, I don't know if he's going to be that great of a defensive coordinator.

Now, is it all his fault? Is there personnel? It doesn't exactly parallel the 85 bears? Yeah, I would agree. They don't have, you know, Reggie White ain't walking through that door. But I don't exactly look at Joe Barry as a guy keeping Sean McVey, keeping Kyle Shanahan, you know, keeping Bruce Ariens and Left Witch and Brady up at night. And I think next week, I'm a little bit out of it. lost with the Packers. I thought coming into the season, they are a powerhouse, they're going to compete with the top teams in the NFC, and more than likely, they have every bit the chance to

represent the NFC in the Super Bowl. Like they were going to win 13, 14 games and just cruise. I don't think that anymore. Because I do, I think it's fair to now kind of just, like, let's call it what it is. The offseason has bled into their regular season now. Maybe, I mean, they're missing a couple players on defense. Maybe they're just not quite as talented. Maybe Aaron, just a year older, didn't focus that much this offseason. I do think that's fair to have that discussion. And ultimately, when he walks in the room and Goudicans and those guys just see each other, it's just got to be a little weird. Like the other players in the locker room know what's happened. Now, if they come to San Francisco next Sunday night and blast the Niners, I'll go,

listen, they've gotten past it. They talked about, you know, whatever the argument it is, they're in a good headspace. But if they go to San Francisco, a team that two years ago, when the Niners were good, blasted them twice, destroyed them, destroyed them once on Sunday night football, and then clown them again in the NFC championship game. So if the Packers can't come into this game, approaching it kind of like a Super Bowl atmosphere and a mindset of, we need to beat this team when they're right. Last year, the Packers beat them, but the Niners had 17 players on the COVID list and C.J. Betherd, Nick Mullins playing quarterback. It was like the JV squad.

This is the real squad. And for the Packers who kind of want to get the mojo back, I do think it's important this Sunday night to play well. And from what I saw tonight in that first half, that is not playing good football. So I got the Green Bay Packers red flagged. Also one other thing. Grinkowski went on with Peyton and Eli.

And he said he didn't watch film. And I immediately get a text from an executive. in the league that says, these guys, man, Gronk and Brady are always pulling these secret punches. He's like, they love throwing this crap out. He's like, I bet Gronk watched three or four hours a day on their upcoming opponent. Tom Brady, this offseason talked about like, we got to cancel OTAs. He's like, my team, we canceled one of our OTAs because Brady was making this big deal of it.

He goes, and then Brady has his entire team to this compound, and they throw. It's a competitive advantage for Brady. Now, Gronk is like trying to put a message out there to all the young tight ends. Like, you don't need to watch football. Just go make plays. Meanwhile, Gronk probably today worked out, reviewed the film from yesterday and got to jump on his opponent. These guys are using mental warfare against the rest of the NFL to take advantage of it. What that Brady learned from Belichick and then gave to Gronk, they're now using in Tampa against the entire league.

It's genius. We all laugh. is Gronk being funny. Gronk doesn't watch film. Yeah, I think that's a bold face lie. I know everyone in the NFL thinks it's a bald face lie. The problem is a lot of players in the NFL that idolize these guys don't do not, you know, they don't think it's a lie.

They actually think they're telling the truth and then they're going to copy them. Because usually when you aspire to be someone in life, you just follow, read about, talk to them, listen to their words, and then you copy it. And these guys constantly put out things, not Tom necessarily, but Gronk does like a messenger for Tom and they're just playing head games with the rest of the NFL. They also got a big game this week in L.A.

Can't wait. We got some big NFC matchups, NFC West matchups, this Sunday. Can't wait. Let's dive into old Carson Wentz. And I think we have an official problem. Let's face it, we already knew this. When I was at Fresno State,

most head coaches just have like some core values. And they're usually like plastered on the locker room, just all over the building. And they tend to be pretty basic stuff. And I remember one of Coach Hill's most just fundamental program philosophies was be there. Be there. Think about that. And you know, most of us young people late in our teens, early in our 20s, if you play sports,

if you have a mentor in business, they'll teach you early on that you're just showing up consistently, not being there early, not being the best once you show up, Just showing up. So when that meeting happens, when that interview happens, when whatever happens, if you are there, you will separate from more than half the people. That's not to factoring in any talent. Then if you're talented, whatever you're doing,

you'll separate for more. I'm just talking about being there, being there. Herm Edwards, I think famously said the best ability is availability. Like, when you're not available in anything, whether it's football or hell, whether it's podcasting, Colin brings me to the volume. What if all of a sudden, two straight weeks like Colin, I got some stuff going on,

I don't think I can do the pod for Tuesday. First time you'd be like, hey, no problem, man. Whatever. We'll make it, we'll figure it out. What if then in the following week? I'm like, Colin, Friday, it's going to be hard for me to record anything. I'm playing golf and then I got this other meeting. I don't have any time.

He'd be like, uh, if I did that three or four times, I mean, he's like, well, we got to end this business relationship. anyone that's listening right now in any walk of life, in any different industry, knows the importance of being able to rely on the people you're in business with. And in football, you are clearly, when it comes to your quarterback, once you start paying him a lot of money, you are in a very expensive business deal with that guy.

And you need him. We all know, it's a quarterback league. and the Eagles made a decision several years ago, and it backfired. Because the guy couldn't stay healthy. He's always injured. And I supported them when they signed the contract because I go, well, where do you find guys that are 6 foot 5? There's 230 pounds that can run and move and have the athletic ability and the arm strength. I would have risked it on that talent.

And then I've been thinking about when you're a football player, like luckily for most of us in whatever line of work you're in, I do think you can, you just, you can always improve, you can always gain knowledge. You don't need your physical attributes to carry you, right? We use our intellectual capacity. And that is one area, unlike our body that you can, you know, in theory, I mean, I've, you know, there are different diseases that can wipe out your brain or whatever, but you can always work on it. You can always gain knowledge.

You can always strengthen the. muscle, you know, upstairs, right? Physically, with pro sports and pro athletes, only a small percentage of people have the physical characteristics even to do it. And then, as history shows us, you have, unless Tom Brady, all-time outlier, most guys 10, 15 years to really strike gold on and off the field while you're playing, right? And you have to improve, like I can have this theory that a big reason Tom Brady and Peyton Manning and now Aaron Rogers and Russell Wilson, do you understand why they're 30s and Russell's only a couple years into his 30s, but his 30s are going to be way more productive than his 20s.

Because of the base of knowledge and work they did in their 20s, you have to improve. You know, this old saying when I worked in the NFL was, the biggest jump a player makes is from is first to second year. And you could argue, some people say the first to second year, and then there have been studies like after your fifth year, you get a little like six, seventh year bump. I'm a believer that like that first to like year five is when you build your, if you're going to play a long time,

you build your entire foundation for the rest of your career. Study habits, practice habits. And obviously once you build a foundation, you can improve on them. But if you don't have them, I think it's hard to just add those at like 31 when you're careers hanging on by a shoestring. So that is a time when you dramatically improve physically, when you just kind of come into

your game. And then in your 30s, as you see with Russell, with Rogers in his 30s, Tom and Peyton, is when you connect it to your mind and it's game set match. Well, Carson Wentz has spent his last four or five years battling these injuries and he's never improved. He's actually, and the old saying is you're either improving or getting worse, nobody stays the same. if you are not improving as a football player,

this sounds crazy, but you're actively getting worse because the other people in the league that are improving are passing you. This is like a race, right? You're either moving forward or you're moving backwards. There's no neutral in football. And you could argue there's no neutral in life.

You are either actively improving, actively trying to get better, or someone at whatever you do is passing you and waving at you as they go by. But then they get so far ahead, they don't even give a shit about you in the rear of your mirror. And I think that's the case with Carson Wentz. I'm just talking about the football player now.

He's not that good. Like I'm watching him play these last two weeks and I go, when I want this guy is my franchise quarterback, factor in, I got to pay him $35 million. And I say the answer is without hesitation, hell no. Hell no. I would not want him on my team.

Then when you factor in these durability issues, that is out of all of our control. There is not a player, maybe there's a few. But for the most part, in the history of sports, whoever wants to get hurt. Nobody wants to get injured. If you ask every player

if they could be injured or be healthy, again, small percentage, some guys like cash in check in the training room, I think the overwhelming majority of guys in the history of the league would want to play. They do not want to be injured, right? That sounds like common sense.

So I don't think he wants to be hurt. Of course not. But for whatever reason, he's one of those guys. who just can't avoid it. And when you need him to be there, when you need him to just be available, he often is not.

And I think for a long period of time, I'm a sucker for talent like anyone else. I understood going back to Philly why they still looked at him kind of like he had a bunch of ceiling and room to grow. I don't think he does anymore. I think he kind of is what he is. And what he is while he's on the field is not that great.

And when you're paying him that much money, if I'm not getting great, I at least need damn good. And I think my voice just cracked. Am I going through puberty at 36? But what damn good is isn't good enough. And the Colts have a major quarterback problem. And they had one, you know, they band-aided it last year

with the high school coach, Philip Rivers, who even as he was declining is to me on a complete, he's a much better player than Carson Wentz. And one thing Philip Rivers could always hang his hat on is you never had to worry about his availability. He was a durable SOB. And if I ran a team,

I was a GM or an owner, and I'm paying a guy all this money, he's the last guy I want to think about. And if you go around the league, like look at some of the better teams in the AFC, you feel pretty confident. Lamar Jackson, Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen. Now Derek Carr and the Raiders,

like every single week, I know that quarterback's going to be there. Now, they've all had freak injuries, right? Mahomes dislocated of knee once. Derek shattered an ankle. An injury happens here and there. This is football. But the amount of injuries

were at the point now. When I see Adam Schaefter tweet, he's got two rolled ankles, I understand why Chris Ballard and Frank did this. They were desperate, and they didn't pay that much. But let's just face it, two weeks in,

they have a disastrous situation on their hands because the money is the money, but he's just not good enough when he's on the field. And now he might not even be able to be on the field against a massive game, especially with the Titans coming back. It would be one thing if they were both 0 and 2.

Well, the Titans won. So if they win, they're 2 and 1, and they beat you, and you'd be 0 and 3, so you'd be two games back of them in the last column. And I just, I don't know, man. I think, I hate to say this because I was such a big fan probably three years ago. I'm out.

I'd be out of the car. Now, they got to ride this out this season, but I'll be a little. little stunned if he's still around next year for the Colts because when you're not available and you're not that good and you cost a lot of money, that is a bad, bad combination. Okay, let me tell you about my friends at Fandual. Football season's here. And if you've never bet on the NFL, there's never been a better time to get Fandual Sportsbook a shot. Because right now, you can place your first bet risk-free. That's right. You'll get up to $1,000 back

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

I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite

athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment. And the next, we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast. It's a space for honest conversations,

stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to The Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes,

follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tap Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do with Little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam J.

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Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hard Way with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Kear Games. And in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking. Trip Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing.

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Brought to you by NHTSA and the Ad Council. Well, I talked a lot about Zach Wilson and the Four Interceptions on Monday's podcast. and there is a connection to this guy that I'm going to talk about right now because ultimately the Jets and what you have to do as a football team and you technically do it with every position every year is try to determine

if the guy you have on your team you can upgrade. And then you've got to factor in compensation, draft picks, salary cap. There are a lot of variables. But on the most basic level, when you work in a scouting department, your job 24-7, 36,

is trying to connect or compare, excuse me, compare available guys or other players to your own team. Can this guy be an improvement? And then you factor in contract status. How do we acquire that player? Like I said, a lot of moving parts. But sometimes you just get a basic move. Hey, we can cut this guy and draft this guy. Hey, we can cut this guy and trade for this player.

right? It's like you can choose to get a divorce, but then eventually if you want to have someone in your life, you have to attempt to upgrade from that person. Now, sometimes a relationship is untenable. You don't like each other. It's no different to business partnership. You can go, I don't want to work or as an employee. I don't want to work for this, you know, firm or company anymore. But eventually you got to get another job. So you have to balance the risk versus reward, the cost benefit. There, there's a lot of factors. And as I've aged, I could never relate to this in my 20s. Only really the last couple years.

It is, and I've said this a couple times on the show, but as someone now who kind of, you know, on my other podcast, you know, runs it with a partner as a business. You just, in these decisions relative to a lot of big companies, money's all relative, decisions are not easy. You know, it's so much easier to make suggestions in any business than decisions. And that goes for any of you people listening with kids, right? I mean, as you can tell, I like to talk.

For 18 years when I lived in my parents' house, I had a lot of opinions on a lot of things. And looking back, I was probably wrong on 75% of them. No, I was right on some of them, but they weren't ever going to listen no matter what, for the most part. So I took a lot of else. But it's a lot easier being the person just throwing out suggestions

than the person that has to pull the trigger and make the decision. And ultimately, the Jets, came to the conclusion that Zach Wilson, factoring his contract, track, using the second pick, was better than keeping Sam Darnold. And potentially using that pick, you know the Niners wanted to move heaven and earth to get up there. So they could have got a ton, you know, back, you know, in a trade. And as you saw with the Eagles, they easily moved back up to pick six. They could have done some wheeling and dealing.

They made that decision. And I don't, you know, I have no issue with them making that decision. Because eventually you're judged on that decision. over a period of time. And we have seen in the history of football a ton of these decisions when it comes to quarterbacks, teams move on.

Teams draft new guys because ultimately teams want their own guy. How many of you listening right now have worked for a business where a manager, we're a boss, maybe the company was sold and new management comes in?

They might keep some people, but in the industries I've been in, they bring in new people. mainly they bring in their people. Why? Because there's a trust factor. And when I say their people, when you hire really young people, that guy only knows you. So you kind of get to mold him. And I think a lot of coaches go, if the incumbent, there's some question with him, get rid of them, go with the draft pick.

And then you get to teach him and mold him to what your liking is. Belichick has been doing it forever with young coaches. It's why all these coaches that go on to get jobs from him, besides like Bill O'Ber, Brian, right? Josh McDaniels, Patricia, Flores, you know, his son one day, Mayo now on his staff. Those guys, their entire coaching career was with Belichick. He gets them in their infancy of their coaching career, molds them, makes them, and creates them, which is awesome for those guys. But he's not in the, for the most part, some he'll bring in friends, not bringing in some like 32-year-old that just spent the last seven years for the Giants. That's not what he does.

A lot of coaches and GMs are that way, too, when they first get a job. But Zach Wilson, which one, I thought it was a little crazy that they just honed in. They were 100% going to take Zach Wilson and didn't even entertain Fields and Lance to me seemed a little crazy. But that was their decision. But I think when you look at Sam Darnold, who he made one really, really bad decision with the Panthers. I mean, against the Saints watching that game back. But for the most part, I thought he looked pretty good. And then when you take a look at this guy from basically his entire football career,

going to college and then going to the Jets has been in the pressure cooker of the bright lights and basically just been told to save the franchise. That is a lot of pressure. That is pressure that would have folded me. I was honestly, I mean, his maturity level at 23 years old, I probably didn't even sniff that until my 30s. I can't even relate. I don't even know what that would feel. I'd probably crumble. I think most people listening would crumble. That is a insane amount of expectations and people just staring at you to give them joy and save what they care about, which the USC football program and the New York Jets, last I checked, those were enormous brands.

And when he got there, the Trojans were kind of in shambles. He made Clay Hilton. He got Clay Hilton in extension. It's not like that guy's a good coach. You got to say this when it comes to Clay Hilton. Nice guy, bad coach. Nice guy. Like, we get it.

Can we just say, like, assume you're a nice guy? Can we just get to that point? Most people are pretty good guys. You know, why do we have to say with Clay Heldon and Andy Dalton? Nice guy. Nice guy. Yeah, we get it. Like, most of my neighbors are nice. Most people I see are nice.

Honestly, let's just call out the shitheads. Be like, asshole. I wish we did that more instead of having to preface with a guy who's not any good that we don't want to criticize. Good guy, though. But the Jets made a decision that Sam Darnold was not good enough. And the Zach Darnel or Zach Wilson ultimately was better. And from what I see as Sam Darnold, you know, he had a little bit of a James Winston

quality, I would say his first couple years in the NFL. It just felt unhinged sometimes, you know. Like he was not a great decision maker. He would turn the ball over at rapid rates. He couldn't be trusted. But the guy I see with Matt Rule, he gets to go to just the Charlotte market, which is much more low-key. Joe Brady, we saw him make LSU two years ago.

Maybe they got something. They have good skill players. McCaffrey's a stud. DJ Moore's a stud They just got players Is it crazy to think A guy that we know is mentally tough Because he handled S.C.

When they were shitty And took him to a Rose Bowl He handled the Jets As best as any human being At 21 or 22 When the team sucked The coach was a loser Could have

And he's come out on the other end Still alive Still keeping his head up And I'm watching him right now Playing pretty good Now is he going to be Some top five quarterback? Probably not.

But is he going to be some top five quarterback? a guy that could be a top 12ish quarterback in the NFL, 100%. They didn't give up that much to get them either. So I get a mentally tough guy who's a really good athlete, who's got a solid arm that I just have to coach out of the poor decision making. We saw a couple years ago, Joe Burrow, when he got to LSU, he wasn't any good. And then Joe Brady got him and they coached him up and obviously had a lot of talent around him. Sam Donald does too.

And I'm not saying Sam Darnold is going to be what Joe Burrow was at LSU. but I definitely think he could be a player that is good enough to get you to the playoffs. I don't even think that's that crazy at all. And we'll see. I mean, this is not something that even if the Panthers were to go 10 and 7 and make the last wild card

and the Jets win two games. Like, this is not something you just judge on one year, but it is something in three years we'll have a pretty good idea. Because if the Panthers turn out to be good, and Sam turns out to be their quarterback for the next seven or eight years, and they extend them here.

in a year or two, and the Jets are just floundering away in mediocrity and ugly football, I think we'll look back and go, you know, they might want to have that one back. They might want to redo on that one. I just saw flashes this weekend. Very early, not making any bold statements. Don't write this in pen, write it in pencil.

Which is something to keep an eye on, though, because I do think Sam Donald is resurrectable, and I think we've already seen flashes that he might be able to just ride the ship and become the Panthers quarterback for the foreseeable future. Okay, let's look at the tail of the tape. An old school 1970s classic matchup, Raiders, Steelers,

and two things jumped out to me. And they both involved quarterbacks. One team has an ascending improving player and the other one has a descending, aging, getting worse. I mean, there's no way around it with Big Ben. His arrow is pointing down.

Let's start with him. I have hammered this home on this podcast and wherever I speak forever. Most of my life, growing up a sports fan, coming into my own early 90s for the next 15 years as I'm growing into one, right,

from like 10 to 10, to 25. It's like the prime of my sports fandom. When it was pure, you know, now I'm very jaded by all the money and knowing people and what really goes on. But back in the day, it was just pure love of sports. And you would have a favorite player in any of the three major sports. And once he would hit an age, I don't know, about 35, it was over. And he would hold on for dear life maybe another year or two. But we often said,

and we still kind of do, but not as much, probably because it's like Tom Brady. Age, it's a young man's game, right? It's a young man's game. It still is, but I actually think like 34 is the old 27. So with diets and the, just the progression of health, fitness, wellness, all that stuff, it's clearly changed. But so if 39, like what Robesberger is now is what guys at 34 and 35,

used to look like. An old, you know, once great player who no longer is. He can't move. And one of his greatest attributes in his peak was his ability to move. Shed would-be tacklers, keep plays alive. Now it feels like when he moves within the pocket or tries to slide like outside the pocket, he's moving in quicksand. Of course he is.

He's dramatically slower now. And he's never been. In a weird way, Ben was the best version of what Cam Newton, you know, he kind of got that way for a year. I'm not saying Ben ran quite like Cam, but it always felt a little backyard footbally. And he could make these backyard football plays that were just incredible. He no longer can do that. He has to play like Philip Rivers or Peyton Manning now. Even though in his mind, he still kind of thinks he's got some Big Ben type moves.

and he doesn't. But he's never been the guy that just played like Peyton Manning and just picked you apart. That was not his game. The Steelers know it. Any fan of the Steelers, you guys now know it,

like it's over. This is going to be his last season on the Steelers. Because it's going to be very, very difficult, especially as it gets cold we've talked about, to win with this guy. Especially when your offensive line kind of stinks. It's just, it's going to be tough. Now, they'll be competitive.

Hopefully T.J. Watts's okay. T.J. Watt would have like six sacks in that game against Brandon Parker, but he hurt, he got injured and, you know, they missed him. And it changed the game. Because on the other side, you have a guy who's 30 years old who has spent the last three or four years improving. What did I talk about Carson Wentz? You build that foundation, you know, in your mid to late 20s

to then use in your 30s to go with your mind to be an excellent football player. And that's what Derek Carr is becoming right now, an excellent football player. Is he a top five quarterback in the league? Probably not. But is he better than 20 plus quarterbacks in the league? Hell yeah. He is bawling.

Now, they have fantastic weapons around. Waller is an elite player. Pro Bowl level game changer. Henry Ruggs is the fastest guy on the field every time he's on the field, and clearly him and Derek are on the same page. Back-to-back weeks, this week they hit a touchdown. Last week they hit a big bomb against the Ravens.

He looks awesome. He led the team in targets against the Steelers. He's fantastic. Brian Edwards, who last year they drafted in the third round, looks fantastic as well. So they have rugs. They got Edwards to go with Waller. Jacobs, who gets banged up a lot when he's on the field,

their offense of skill guys are dynamite. And when Derrick's had dynamite skill guys, in college he had Devante, they kicked everyone's ass. His first couple years when they got good, he had Crabtree, he had Jared Cook, and he had Amari Cooper, their offense was awesome. They've kind of gone through this transition. Now it feels like they're pretty stacked.

He is very comfortable in this offense. Him and Gruden are very comfortable on the same page. Their offense is awesome. If their defense can just be solid like it has been the first two games, and I don't know, make open field tackles, something the Raiders have always struggled to do, they got a chance to be a playoff team. Because they have a playoff level quarterback.

That's what a playoff level quarterback looks like. Any Steeler fan who attended that game, who watched that game, on TV can agree. Like the difference in that game, we talk about it all the time. It's a quarterback league. One team had a much better quarterback than the other guy. Now, historically, Peak Big Ben, like that, your team would have been awesome.

If you give me Peak Big Ben on this Steeler team, you guys are competing right there with the Chiefs, right there with the Bills, right there with the Ravens. I mean, you're a powerhouse team. I don't think this sustainable. And I do think the Raiders is sustainable because Derek now has played well for several years and he keeps improving. You have to keep getting better when you're a youngerish player. Once you get to like Rogers in his mid-30s, like if I just sustain this, I'm kicking everyone's butt, right? Russell Wilson now, he just has to sustain his level of play. But for those first,

when you're building the base of your future career, you have to improve. And that is all Derek is doing week in, week out. And he really has for the last, definitely last year he played really well. He's still going to have his moments. But you have to, I was texting with a coach today. in the league who knows him. And he's like, he just, he needed a coach who was willing to live with some of his mistakes and not be hard on him and just let him be. And he'll be fine because he is like an achiever. He is, wants to prove everyone on his own team that he's worthy.

I don't think ever worried as much about the outside noise. It's like he's, and I've been around him since he was, I've watched him since he was 17 years old, being a good teammate, being a good, you know, having a good coach player. relationship is very, very important to him. It's very important to him. I think sometimes to a fault. And I think he just found the perfect balance right now of being able to play at a high level, being very comfortable and confident in his relationships within the building with his

coach, with his teammates. And you're seeing a guy who is, you know, through two games, but even last year, pro bowl level quarterback play. And he only makes $22 million. So, you know, the way he's playing, like that costs now $38, $40 million. So they kind of have a discount this year and next To kind of utilize this Pro Bowl level player And use some of that money

And try to make a run this year Where the Steelers, you know, you're just kind of stuck with Ben's dead weight Okay, I want to talk about three teams And two of them are basically directly correlated Because they're in the same division And I said it after the Thursday night game The Giants aren't any good Danny Dimes is Danny in completion, Danny Fumble

even though he did play a good Thursday night game, he's not a very good player. You know, he's just not. He was overdrafted. It's pretty clear that now it's not all of his fall. Offensive line sucks. Seekwon got hurt. But, you know, I think he's going to,

he'll be a guy in two years on another team backup for like Mahomes or Russell Wilson try to resurrect his career. Be the right move. But I also think when you look at the two teams that played yesterday, it's clear they are better than those other two teams, especially now that Washington

quarterback situation in the hands of Taylor Heineke, who I kind of like, but I don't know if I like for 15 straight games. It's going to be very, very difficult for them to maintain winning with Taylor Heineke. It's clear when I watched the Eagles against the Niners, who actually showed up, ready for a street fight, hit the Niners directly in the teeth, their young coach made a mistake on the goal line, but overall, I was impressed with Siriani. His team was ready. They were shoving around the Niners, shoving them around. but they just couldn't execute in the red zone, didn't get points,

and it ultimately cost them. The Cowboys, who if their defense, just can make some plays, they have so much talent on offense. Hell, they have a $15 million running back, and their backup's a better player. Definitely more explosive. Their talent wide receiver,

Cid Lam, Gallup didn't play, but Amari, they were tight end and DAC. Like, their offense is awesome. The Eagles are so good at the line of scrimmage, offensive and defensive line, even though they just locked brand, Graham, who's a fantastic player to a torn Achilles. But their offensive line is dominant.

Their defensive line, they got about seven guys that would start for most teams in the league. And they have a ton of skill guys. And I don't really trust McCarthy. Siriani, it's just going to be a work in progress this year. But he definitely, I've been impressed. So I don't know which coach I trust more, which is crazy to say. One guy is a Super Bowl. One guy has coached two games.

I do not trust McCarthy. Though I do like Kellyn Moore. maybe that's a soft spot being a former whack Mountain West guy lover of Boise State football but I have never been one of those haters on Callan Moore I think the division the NFC is going to come down to those two teams and you know what's fun that's the Monday night game Cowboys Eagles that's bad at I can't wait

that is a fantastic Monday night game that's a Monday night game that three four or five weeks ago you know before the season started you'd be like I don't know now I'm excited to watch that game I am very very excited because I think the division. Now, I don't think either one of those teams, best case scenario would win 10 games. You might be able to win the division at 9 and 8, but I think it's those two teams. We'll get a litmus test. Who's the better team early in the season? And we'll see how it

translates because I still question the Cowboys defense. And I just question a little bit. The Eagles, just unknown coach, head coach. They have some question marks, I think, on the back end of the defense. But so does every team. I love this. Like, what about our DBs? Most teams don't have great dbs. Let's look at like the best teams in the NFC. Niners don't have great cornerbacks. Seattle, nope. Rams have won. Arizona, nope. The Packers have won. The NFC East, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Buntings hurt. Most teams do not like, you know, I just roll out peak Dorel Revis and Dion Sanders. That's not the case. If you can win up front, I think your defensive backs can be a little bit overrated. Not your safety play.

because they help in the run game and now they cover, you know, running backs and tight ends. Ultimately, receivers are just going to win most games, right? If you can play situational football and hold teams to field goals and send a touchdowns, like, I can live with average DB play. You got to be good up front. And like I talked about on Monday's podcast,

Mike Parsons went from stand-up linebacker to defensive end about as seamlessly as I've ever seen a player do it. He looked good. I mean, the Eagles, okay, they lost Brandon Graham. That really sucks. But they just broke off sweat. they gave them $40 plus million. And they already have, you know, other good defensive linemen.

Hargraves is stud. Fletcher's is a freaking legend. Like, they got, you know, some pop up front. They drafted Barnett a couple years ago in the first round. They got dudes. So I'm fascinated to watch that game. And the other team who has started fantastic. I mean, they're 2 and 0.

They are the most entertaining team in the league. But they play a little backyard football. And this guy is the best backyard football player right now, in the NFL is not close. His talent early in the season when he's fresh and healthy is elite. Kyler Murray right now is dominating. Now, he made some poor throws,

poor decisions against Minnesota, but his wow plays, his flat, if I was just making a highlight tape through two games on Kyler Murray, you'd go, this is one of the best players I've ever seen. He has made three or four scramble to throw plays that anyone listening

that has watched it, jaw dropping. especially for such a little guy with such a big arm, so fast, stupid how talented he is. But I, listen, people are going to think I'm a hater, but I'm really not. I promise you. I have no agenda here. I'm not going to buy the Arizona Cardinals because I don't think their style of offense is sustainable later in the season. Their quarterback, he has to prove that he can stay healthy.

If he's this healthy all season, they'd have a very good chance. But I don't trust their defense. And philosophically, I don't trust the head coach and what he stands for, defensively. Because look at all these years at Texas Tech. They were arguably one of the worst defenses in the country. And now his time in Arizona, their defense can't be trusted.

That game for being a final, I think the final score was 35 to 33. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast

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

I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became. bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes,

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

this is right where you need to be. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tap Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people.

I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do with Little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick 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 know. I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack. So I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table. right now. Thank you for finishing that sentence. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really?

Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hard Way with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Kear Games. And in recognition of mental health awareness month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field. and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking. Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark.

Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing. And we're still chasing it. And we don't know when we've done enough. Because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross.

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Join me, Kear Gaines, is we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, learn the hard way. Open your free iHeartRadio app. Search, learn the hard way, and listen now. The only reason the Cardinals won is because their guy hit the 62-yard field goal that would have been good from like 90. Minnesota missed an extra point and missed the game winner

from 37 yards. Their kicker can't make chip shots. They're kind of similar teams, except Minnesota's quarterback isn't as sexy. They're very, very potent on offense, and their defenses aren't any good anymore. So you just kind of hold on for your ass. You hope a field goal, it's going to be the difference in a game,

38 to 35 or 36 to 34, and that's ultimately what the game was. But listen, two and O, you never apologize for being two and O. I'm just saying, if I was looking at the Arizona Cardinals like a stock, I would not go all in on them. If I had to pick through the NFC West,

who has been fantastic, right? Seattle fell apart, weird deal. Derek Henry took over, but they're going to be fine. Russell and that offense is too good. The Rams are 2 and O, but we know that's sustainable because they win the division

or in the playoffs, like basically three of the four McVeigh years. Cliff Kingsbury has never won a big game. And I'm going to preface this, like I say with Andy Dalton or Clay Elton, good guy. I've heard and I'm going to say this because it feels like I'm picking on him.

He is a, I think I'd be friends with a guy. I would actually love to be friends with him. He probably knows a lot of babes. But I don't trust him as a football coach because I think that offense doesn't translate when the games really matter because when the games really matter usually play better defenses that are more physical.

Now they do have a lot of offensive talent. I will not take that away from. The Purdue kid, Rondale Moore, I think his name is. Number four, he looks awesome. AJ Green had a sweet time. touchdown. Hopkins is elite. Their tight end looked pretty good yesterday. Like they got players and their quarterback. But I just, I saw it last year. Same kind of thing. Started fast and they

kind of fizzle. Why? Because that offense fizzles. It happened to Chip Kelly when he was in the NFL. Started fast and fizzle. Because as the season goes on November and December, and now I guess that first week in January because of the 17th game, it becomes a heavyweight fight. The games become very physical. You end up playing in some of these outdoor areas. Right? Or a stadiums, not arenas. I guess an arena would have a dome. You're playing outdoor. It's cold. The games are going to be lower scoring. It's difficult. And historically, Cliff, and those games have failed. And I just wonder, I mean, I don't wonder. I know where I stand. I'm betting against it happening. Though they're a very, very entertaining team to watch. Hi, I'm Flo from Progressive. Being a baseball fanatic like me can be stressful. It's not all sports. points and touchdowns. So Progressive is going to help you take your mind off your team for a moment. Instead of thinking about how they miss that gold point score, think about the name your

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Find a forest near you and start exploring at discovertheforest.org. Brought to you by the United States Forest Service and the ad council. Okay, Middlekopf mailbag. at John Middilkoff is the Instagram. Just slide right into the DMs and get your question answered here on the show. Mark, because of you, I figured out how to use Instagram.

I'm 46, so I was holding out my questions about Greer, the GM of the Dolphins. He gets all the credit in the media about being so great. The Dolphins at three first round picks last year. Tua, Austin Jackson at tackle, and Noah something, a cornerback who has been an ass.

for the first two games of the season. We traded up to get Waddle instead of getting alignment and signed Fuller, who is out for personal reasons. He drafted Charles Harris at 23 instead of T.J. Watt. Not good. What am I missing? We signed and cut McKinney and we let Van Nuoy go. We have no running backs.

Jordan Howard was an epic fail and looks like Malcolm Brown will be too. All this wheeling and dealing is meaningless if there's no talent evaluation abilities. Is Greer bad? Yes or no? This is a good question. Christian Wilkins forgot to mention that. Miami Herald just said 44 rushes this year. Wilkins has one pressure.

Christian Wilkins is not a past rusher. I think Greer, like Brian Flores, a lot of people like them. They're rooting for them. I think they have a solid team. But ultimately, his biggest mistake, you went into some detail, he took two over Herbert. I say it all the time. You can say, well, Middokoff,

every single mock draft, Every single media member, every human alive. He's paid to get that right. He's paid to not listen to those idiots. He's paid to know. He took Tua over Justin Herbert. That alone is a franchise changing decision. And like you said, last year they had all these picks.

Austin Jackson, who was a turnstile on Sunday, and it's just a major project. This year, I like Waddle. Waddle's a stud. But would they have been better off with Pena Sewell? probably. You know, now did they try to double down? Right now, the stock market's in Chambles.

It's an absolute Chambles. You know, if you believe in a stock, buy more. It's buying season. But if you don't, I had one that I was going to cash out, you know, decent, you know, over five figures. And I was going to use his capital

because it was just clear. Weird shit's happening. It's going to be a weird fall. So just buckle up because it's about to get weird. I wanted to have a little capital to play with it. it as it gets weird. But there are some stocks that I'm already in on that I'm not going to chase as things dip. Because I really don't even want to be in. I'm just down in them so I don't want to sell yet. But if they get back to even, I'll cash out and I'll just, I'm cool with that.

And I think sometimes when you chase, and I think that's what they did with Tua, they chased. Even though let's face it, deep down they knew. They wanted Deshaun Watson. They wanted out of the two after one year. Think about that. If Deshaun Watson had not gotten trouble, or going through what he's going through now, he'd be on the Dolphins. Long time listener, first time mailbagger. Since I know it'll happen this year, I'll ask before it does,

what's your opinion on a kickoff to avoid a tie in the NFL? If tied after OT, each kicker kicks in the same direction starting with 45 yards and move backs five yards each time they make a kick. I mean, how many games come down to a kick anyway? Gotta be better than a tie.

be completely honest, I don't hate that. I mean, can you tell me tied after overtime, which doesn't happen very often, right? I mean, we've probably had three or four ties the last four or five years. Do you have a kickoff starting at the 45-yard line? Can you imagine if it was a kickoff in like a windy, rainy game, how great that would be? Sign me up. That would be sweet. That would be fantastic.

That'll never happen, though. Absolutely zero chance. No way on earth would that ever get, you know, given the go ahead from the competition committee, the league office. But that would be cool. You know, say one thing about college, it is very entertaining the way they do it, right? You know, first overtime, you get a, each person gets the ball at the 25-yard line. I think by the second overtime, now you've got to go for two. I think the new rules, I haven't seen this instituted yet, but it definitely got past the off-season in college.

I think in the third overtime, you just start doing two-point conversions. So, I'm in. I love listening to your show and the perspective you offer as a former scout. I think the world is starting to finally see that Matt Stafford has been one of the most underrated talents in the NFL for 10 years. If he had Aaron Rogers and swapped organizations until 2020, would we think of Stafford the way we think of Rogers and vice versa? Keep up the good work. Congrats on the volume. Craig. I appreciate that, Craig. I don't know.

That's, I love hypotheticals. That's a hard hypothetical to do. Obviously, Matt Stafford would be viewed as a much better player than he is right now. If he had played for the Packers over that decade, probably wouldn't be close. It really wouldn't. But would he have been as good as Aaron Rogers? I don't know if I'd go that far. Aaron's just a better decision maker.

Aaron's just, I don't know, I'd have to check the numbers, but clearly more accurate. I think Aaron's just a better player. Now, would Stafford have been, just have multiple playoff wins? Would he be a Super Bowl champion? I don't know. Probably not. Maybe would. It's just, would Rogers, Rogers might have failed.

Because remember, Stafford was an elite prospect, no doubt about it, number one player. Rogers was the 24th pick in the draft. He got three years to learn and develop. If the Lions had just taken him in the first round and thrown him into the, you know, into the firing squad that is playing for their team. Who knows? Maybe he wouldn't have survived. It's why Rogers really respect Stafford.

Because I think he realizes how difficult it is to go through what he went through. To play on that shitty team. I mean, that team sucks. Still kind of does. Question for the mailback. Recently, I've been testing the waters that are sports gambling. Okay, I like it. A newbie.

And I have come to the... my first real opportunity at guaranteed money through hedging a bet. How often do you recommend hedging bets versus taking the risk of max profit? Well, I have a philosophy of no hedging. Now, I've never been in a situation where I don't gamble for money. I gamble for fun. Now, if I win, as I did this weekend and get $5,700 on $150, it's awesome. It's really fun. it's cool. But I gamble for the juice. I work for my money.

I work for my wages. I get up early. I go to bed late. In this streaming podcast game, it's where I make my cash. So if I want more money, I'll do another business deal. I'll try to add a new sponsor.

I'll try to generate revenue. That's how my mind thinks. I don't look at gambling as like an extra revenue stream. Because I got news for it. It's really difficult. but there is a number. We all, money's all relative. So if $1,000 is a lot of money to you

and you have the opportunity to win $1,000 and you could hedge $400 to just ensure that you win money, I do it. But if you're just gambling for fun, like if you're gambling to try to add a revenue stream, I can't give you advice because I don't think about it like that. I look at gambling 100% to, entertain myself.

When I place bets on teams, I gamble a lot on golf. It's because I want to watch it and I want to, because I'm going to watch it anyway. So I might as well give myself the opportunity to make a little money. And it's fun. And even when I lose,

I mean, it sucks, but I enjoy it. Now, for me, and I don't even know how I would get to this point in like a football game because I would never put like $5,000 on a game. But it would have to be a large amount of money for me to hedge.

Because like I don't gamble. enough to then win enough to make it worth like, oh, I made up $800 or whatever. And again, money's all relative, but I don't look at gambling like that. So my fundamental belief is I'm gambling for enjoyment. And you lose a lot too. But the enjoyment of just the roller coaster ride makes it fun. My money comes from working. That's the way I look at it.

And maybe I'm nuts. Maybe people listen to me like, what are you talking about, bro? Money's money. So again, I'm not claiming to be some genius with this take. It's just how I feel. I hate hedging. I've had a couple opportunities throughout my life. And I haven't done it.

And it backfired. And I honestly didn't spend that much time thinking about it. Right? I didn't really care. And sometimes a hedge, like if you do a parlay and turn a hundred bucks into a couple grand, I get it. But I also go, the way I look at it, if I'm going to have a big return, turn, I go, well, I didn't put that much money down. So I'm hedging, like, what's the worst I'm

going to lose? 50 bucks, 100 bucks, 200 bucks? That's my philosophy. Now, if you gamble to try to make real money, then I would always hedge. Like, I hedge in business, you know, I got multiple things going at one time. You know, as a stock investor, I got probably 10 different industries I'm invested in. I'm hedging constantly in life. I don't view gambling. I view gambling what sports used to be to me. And don't get me wrong, I still enjoy sports, but it's not the same. Once you work in it, like any job, it just becomes,

I don't want to use the wrong vocab word here. It's not monotonous, but it's just, it's different from when I was younger. So it's just, this is work, you know. And I need some entertainment values. That's why I throw a little cash down, just to add the entertainment value. I'm literally paying for some fun. Win or lose. You know, win or lose.

Some people shop for fun. Some people go on vacations for fun. Like, you know, I gamble $1,000 a year on just different events to keep myself entertained on my couch. Because I'm going to be watching these events no matter what. That would be my philosophy. I'm sure a lot of people think I'm insane. But hey, maybe I am. Question for the pot.

I'm wondering being Aaron Rogers isn't happy with the package. Do you see him getting traded next season? And where would he go? I do not. I see Rogers back on the Packers. I just think they figure it out. Recording this part before the Monday night game, but I would imagine the Packers won.

What's their own? What are they going to do? Trade him to Denver? Why are they going to trade him? They drafted Jordan Love. They made a mistake. They're not trading him. He's going to be on the Packers.

I feel pretty confident about that. Why don't NFL owners hire coaches and GMs as package deals where they would hire, fire them together. They would choose each other and have the same vision of what the team should become. Number two, why don't teams use two quarterbacks, one with a big arm who operates outside the red zone, another who is accurate and mobile, who specializes in short yards in red zone. It would make opponents have more to prepare for.

I think on number two is just easier to focus on one guy, let the team rally behind one guy, let the team focus on one guy. and number one, I mean, ideally you want to hire a GM and a coach together, but sometimes it doesn't work out. Sometimes you think the coach sucks and you want to keep the GM

and sometimes vice versa. You like your coach, but you want to get rid of the GM. You know, it's easy to say that, but what if you're like, you know, I don't think my GM's any good, but I love my coach. I don't want to fire the coach.

Or vice versa. What if you think the GM is like one of the most dynamic guys in the league, but you go, this coach is not good enough. So it's one of those things, in theory on the whiteboard, 100%. You hire the coach,

you hire the GM, same time. In practice, it clearly doesn't happen that way that often. It just doesn't. Because we're dealing with humans. And even as an owner

who's worth billions of dollars, you have a personal connection to one of those guys and you're just going to tend to like them more. So I think that's a big reason why it doesn't happen very often. Can you provide some insight into how subbing works in the NFL?

I constantly see players coming in and out on offense. I imagine the play caller is deciding the player packages, but how does that get relayed to the players on the sideline quickly and effectively? Do teams ever have certain player packages for certain down and distances? Well, there are names. So on offense, like when I was in Philadelphia,

they ran the West Coast offense terminology. So regular personnel, you know, was two running backs, meant a full back and a running back, a tight end and two wider. Tigers, Tiger was three wide receivers, one running back, one tight end. So when I scream that out, Tiger, Tiger, Tiger, and again, these verbs change team to team. You know if you're part of that package, the three wide receivers, you're in. Same thing on defense.

If I call it whatever your name for it is, nickel, dime, you know if you're the third corner, you're coming in. You know if you're the past cover linebacker for a run stuffing linebacker, you guys switch. The defensive line is constantly coming in and out. and these guys just get used to the substitution patterns, right? If you're, there are only 46 guys dressed on game day in the NFL. So you know if you're a part of the defensive package or not. Then if an injury happens, you just get bumped up.

You know, you practice, a lot of these guys are used to it in college, right? Guys coming in and out different packages. And then specific players, if they're like a niche player, they get three or, you know, get a couple packages, not a ton of plays. and then some players, right, a Keenan Allen, a George Kittle, some of those type guys. I mean, a lot of teams have them.

D.K. McCaff only come out when they want to come out. Like, they're involved in every package. They call for a sub. But I think it's just pretty basic. You scream out the package, and these guys are used to it in practice, and you go through it in OTAs, and then training camp,

and then you practice in the preseason. Like I said, these guys are used to it in college, hell, even high school football. And you just know when I scream out whatever the word is, you know, nickel. Well, if you're the third corner or you are a certain defensive lineman, you just shift immediately and you run in and the other guy runs out. You scream at them when you're coming in and out.

And there are coaches helping you. There are people in the box communicating it. It's like a streamlined process. It's part of, you know, it's a lot of moving parts in football. It's why coaching matters so much. Because remember that famous, the famous, NFL films of Malcolm Butler running in when they call the specific defense

and I think it's Brian Flores screams Malcolm, Malcolm, Malcolm, and he fires on in there. And then he gets the pick of Russell Wilson, the rest of history. But I think it's one of those things. Good question. It probably sounds more complicated than it actually is. It's like if you're explaining it as someone, you're like, oh, I kind of get it.

But then if you were a player or a coach in practice, I think it's pretty easy. Like you just say it and they know. You know, it's just, it's like a basic element of their job requirement. And guys are used to it. They expect it. And for the most part, it's a pretty seamless transition. It feels like week in, week out.

This is just a compliment. I don't need to read it. This guy's got a lot of followers, though. Michael, I just wanted to let you know that I love your podcast, raw and unfiltered analysis through the lens of a former scout. Super unique. I appreciate that. I'm going to let you guys get out of here on that.

I didn't need to read that compliment. But, you know, they say compliments are like poison. You can look at them or sniff them. But if you swallow them, they'll kill you. I think that might have been the saying, but it might not have been, I don't know, something in that kind of realm. I was in the ballpark there.

I was in the neighborhood. I appreciate it. I was actually just watching this video, Jordan Palmer, Carson's brother, posted about that mental coach who was Russell Wilson's guy and he worked with all the young, quarterbacks and Russell gave this really good kind of talk, not talk, but he was given a press

conference last week and the guy just died and this guy was huge on just self-belief and talking to yourself much more than like affirmation from other people. It is pretty true. I mean, you got to believe before anyone can believe in you. Like you need to, you know, all the compliments from other people, they're cool. And in certain jobs, you just get them more than others. But like to me, belief, whether you're an NFL quarterback, whether you're the number one sales guy at your firm, whether you're a podcast or whatever, you got to have self-belief. You got to spend a lot of time propping yourself up. Because if you don't, you know, the other people aren't going to believe in you. You better believe in yourself first. I don't even know why I'm giving this, how we can't start

talking about this, but, you know, Russell, say what you want. It can be cheesy or whatever. The self-belief he's had in himself for a decade, even before he met this guy. He had it when he was at Wisconsin. It's pretty remarkable. And it's a big separating factor for him. And I think it's a big separating factor why he's going to go down

as one of the great players in league history. When third round pick, smaller, it's pretty crazy. Right. And I think a big reason he's so upbeat and positive he's just talking himself into that. Because it's easy, right, to be super negative. I just saw this clip on Twitter

about the Oakland PD chief begging people to stop shooting each other. I mean, California is like a war zone. You turn it on the news. Everything's negative. Stock market's plummeting. It's easy to get negative fast, man. It really is.

It's a challenge. I know I fight it. I'm human on a daily basis to not be negative, to not go down dark rabbit holes, to stay positive, to stay focused on what you want to accomplish, on what you want to do, getting better that day,

you know, some of the cliche bullshit, but it is kind of true. Because I'll tell you this, I wouldn't want to, to spend one minute around negative fucking Nancy's in life. I'd rather swan dive off the Golden Gate Bridge than be around miserable people. I try to avoid them like the plague. Now, sometimes you run into them on social media, but in your real life, being around positive, but I'm not talking like fake positive. I'm just talking about like upbeat, optimistic human beings.

And there are a lot of them in football. But it also can turn negative quick too. But I, you know, try to actively be optimistic and surround yourself with those type people, just so much easier to enjoy life. Can you imagine being miserable? And trust me, I got some miserable tendencies in my own head. I'm not perfect here. I fight them. But it is not a way to live, man.

Be happy. Force yourself to be happy. Or at least just positive. Maybe happy is the wrong word. I'm not a huge fan of the word happy. I think positive is a better word. Try to be positive. And in this day and age,

especially younger people, You just social media man can be a, can be a dark place. Holy moly. Okay, have a great week. And yeah, I'll see you guys Friday. Peace. The volume.

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on the I-Heart 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, Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey,

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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 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 him 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

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