The Herd with Colin Cowherd - 3 and Out - TNF McVay Rolls Belichick; Cam Looks Shot; Darnold's Value; NFC and AFC Playoff Pictures; Week 14 3 for the $ ATS Picks; Mailbag

Episode Date: December 11, 2020

In this episode, John looks at the Rams comfortably taking care of an undermanned Patriots squad, why he's down on Jared Goff, why Cam is done as a starter after this year, what Sam Darnold's value is this offseason, breaks down the NFC and AFC playoff pictures, gives his week 14 3 for the $ ATS picks, and answers listener questions in the Middlekauff Mailbag. Follow John on Twitter and SUBSCRIBE now to get all the latest content!! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee 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. 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, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifers Show.

This is a place for raw, unfilled 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 I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok's podcast network on TikTok. On the Look Back at it podcast.

From 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84's big to me. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a year, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. With our friends, fellow comedians,

and favorite authors. Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s. 84 was a wild year. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Get right to the romance and find the way to wow this valentines with 1-800flowers.com. From classic roses and bouquets to decadent chocolate-covered berries, gourmet treats, and more. Surprise your Valentine with 1-800flowers.com. Right now, get the 18-stem enchanted rose medley for $3999,

or upgrade to 24 red roses for $10 more. Go to 1-800flowers.com slash tune-in. That's 1-800flowers.com slash tune-in. What is going on, everybody, John Middilcock, three-and-out podcast. Just watching McVeigh and Belichick give each other a little hug. Rams win 24 to 3. Look like Belichick was pretty nice to him. Pretty nice to him.

Rams kicked their butt. We'll dive into that. A lot else going on. We're diving to Sam Darnold. Some thoughts on a little NFC wildcard race. We have some AFC playoff picture stuff going on this weekend.

Three for the money. No big deal. I'm 25 and 17. Somehow, my actual real life, I lose a bunch of money, but I've made you money if you've followed my picks. Feel pretty good about my picks. Don't sleep about my picks.

Don't sleep on the Jags. I've been riding the Jags the last three weeks. They cover some spreads. And then, of course, the Middlecoff mailbag at John Middlkoff is the Instagram handle. And if you want to get on the show, the people show, we answer your questions at the end of the show. Just slide up into those DMs. It's easy to do. Also, I've got to keep hammering this home.

Subscribe to the Three and Out podcast, separate from Collins' feed. Leave a review. Greatly appreciate it. Hope everyone had a great week. I guess we'll start with the Monday night game or not the Monday night game the Thursday night game. It was pretty terrible.

I mean, a huge part of it was the quarterback play was not great, especially can, but we'll dive into him later. I think, now listen, I was wrong originally on McVeigh. I thought it was a crazy hire four years ago when it happened. Turns out he's an excellent coach.

He's big time. I shouldn't have aged discreet. because at the end of the day, and you're going to see a lot of coaches hired this offseason, some of these guys have been in the league for a while. Some of them haven't. You know, Cliff Kingsbury got a job a couple years ago. All he'd ever done is played in the league. He'd never coached in the league. Sean had coached in the league for a decade before that, right? And worked for Gruden, worked for Shanahan, worked for the other Gruden. Like, he had seen a lot of different stuff. He was prepared, and it's worked out well. I'll give Sean McVeigh a lot of credit on this one.

he has hired good coaches. Clearly, to me, the thing when you're younger, even if you have a lot of experience, you are dependent on the other people around you. Like Belichick can handle and do everything, he wouldn't have been able to do that when he was 30 years old. But when you're 50, when you're 60, you have a better understanding of what you're looking for.

Sean surrounded himself with good people, and now, four or five years later, he has a much better feel for it. He moves off Wade Phillips, he's hired Brandon Staley, who's done a really good job. He knows what he wants. This is his operation.

And there's one thing holding me back from going, you know what? I think the Rams can compete to win the Super Bowl. Because in theory, their wide receivers and running backs are good enough. Their defense, the way it's played this year, is clearly good enough. I think their head coach is good enough. My problem is a quarterback. And I want to like this guy. I grew up going to Memorial Stadium with my dad,

watching the Cowell Bears play football. Sneaky, pretty good environment on the West Coast for college football. when they're good. And when I used to go, they weren't that good. But once Tedford got them humming with Dishon and Marshon, plays school. It's weird. The intellectual elites, they do love their football at Cal when they have a talented team.

Jared played on awful teams. He was recruited by Jeff Tedford, who was fired, and then Sonny Dykes came in. So he inherited that spread offense, basically the air raid type, I don't know, whatever they call, Bear Raid. I don't even know what they called it when they were there. He played on awful teams. He only made one bowl game. I thought he was a really, really good player.

There were people in the league that I know the analytical community in the NFL valued Jared Goff over Carson Wentz. The irony is like the guy like Paul DiFodesta who once said that Wentz isn't the top 20 quarterback. It's kind of proven right, the guy got pinched. But we just think he's going through rough times. But Jared Goff, what we're talking about, Jared Goff,

who's the number one overall pick in the draft. I think Kevin Clark had tweeted out earlier this season. He's the third highest paid player currently, in the NFL. He's on one of the biggest contracts in NFL history. Him, Wents, and obviously Mahomes and Watson, it's just going to be quarterbacks. Here's a problem. Wence is not good, but he is talented. Watson is really good. His team sucks. I'm watching Jared Gough like, what are his excuses? I think all of his wide receivers are awesome. Woods is a badass. Cooper Cups, one of the best slot receivers in the league, and he can play outside. Higbee and Everett are

really talented. The weapons aren't the issue. They have a bunch of talent outside. They have a good running game. I mean, Cam Acres, I had a buddy in the league tell me during, right after the draft. He's like, I'm telling you, keep an eye out for Cam Acres. That guy's going to be really good. He is. I mean, he's stud. I think he was him or Najee Harris, who's at Alabama, you know, number one recruit in the class when they were coming out. So he's lived up to the hype. But I watched Jared Gough and I go, I want to like you. I just don't see it. Not consistently accurate. Can't move. And again, I'm talking about a team that's going to win 11 and 12 games. 11 or 12 games.

And depending on what happens over the next month, they easily could win the division. I mean, they're technically in first place right now, but a lot's going to play out. But it wouldn't shock me at all if the Rams win the division. Though, I'm probably going to still pick Seattle because I'm going to trust their quarterback more. We can't always say it's a quarterback league, and then I go, this team can win a Super Bowl when their quarterback's average. His contract's not average. It's a premium, but the play's average. I just, I don't see it.

And you're talking to a guy that's like a sneaky cow fan. I root for Jared Gough. I just don't think he's talented enough. He's like a poor man's Matt Ryan before Kyle Shanahan showed up. I just don't see it. And it's not like anything's going to change. There's no solution to this. Jared Gough's their quarterback this year and he'll be their quarterback next year.

But I think you'll see like when the games get really tight, they're not going to be able to win games with them against good defenses and good teams. You play Belichick tonight. Like, he's not able to throw the ball. The Niners always kick his ass. Like, when you play good defenses, and that's what happens in the playoffs, it becomes very difficult. I almost feel, I hate the term regressed. Because I don't think often guys regress.

I just think they're playing well or they're playing poorly. Things, you know, players around you change, coaches around you change. Like, I don't think Carson Wentz regressed. I just think he's playing really shitty. I do think he'll be able to get it back. But if he doesn't, I don't think it's because he regressed. I just think he's. He played really well for a little while,

and then he lost it, and he just wasn't good anymore. I don't know if that makes sense, but I've always just hated that term regression. I do think regression exists, but I think sometimes with players, either their physical skills diminish or things around them diminish, and their confidence diminishes.

And it can be a number of different factors. But I'm watching Jared Goff, like, is he regressed or is he just kind of average? Doesn't have a great arm. Hell, he's not even that accurate. The pick he threw tonight was Brian Greasy had a great quote on Monday night football

he said that quarterbacks get paid to do two things win on third down and win in the red zone and his pick was third and four the guy was wide open on a quick out route and he throws it behind him and the DB for the Patriots makes a great play I just when the Rams don't win the Super Bowl because it's pretty clear the way this NFL is

they definitely have an NFC championship level team I just have a hard time picking them or seeing it happen with Jared Goff Hell, I don't think it's really possible. Even though it did happen a couple years ago, I feel like he's not as good right now because the guy I'm watching, I just, I don't see it. And then with the Patriots,

to me, really the only thing that stands out is Cam Newton. Whether it's physically, whatever it is, he just can't really throw. It looks like he's winding up like he's a right fielder trying to throw home with a guy, you know, trying to stretch out, or third base, a guy's trying to stretch out or double to a triple.

It takes him forever to wind up, Every time he throws the ball, I'm surprised when a guy catches it. I saw people on social media were like, God, Josh McDaniels, he's so terrible in the red zone. Is he? Or does he just not trust his quarterback to be able to do anything besides run the ball? You think he's just randomly like, yeah, let's just run the option again? Well, that's the only thing Cam can do. And I'll give Cam a lot of credit.

He's gone to New England, he's fit in, which is not easy to do. Belichick likes him, Josh McDaniels likes him. The culture has not been an issue for Cam. which I think we all thought when he went to New England. We're like, oh, it's going to be a little strict for him. He's actually flourished. You know why? Because it turns out, Cam's like a really good teammate.

Coaches really like him. Ron Rivera always saying his praises. That's not the issue. The crazy thing is things that used to bother me about Cam, like five, six years ago, the first down. Like, who gives a shit? It doesn't matter. It really doesn't at this point in time. Everyone likes them.

If Belichick likes you, I'm in. As a person. How could Belichick like him as a player? Now, it's New England's best option. He can't throw. He threw for 69 yards last week, and they won 45 to nothing. He threw for 119 yards tonight. Like, it's just, it's not possible to win that way.

Now, is he banged up? There were some reports about Jay Glazer with an abdomen. Is his body just kind of going out? You have that much punishment for, you know, eight, nine years. Even in college, the way he played, he's built like a Greek god I've stood next to him he honestly looks like an NBA player

he looks like LeBron James but I just when guys are consistently hitting you for that many years at that speed and that physical in the box delinement linebackers it has to take a toll and then when you've actually had shoulder and leg injuries

I just think we're seeing a guy who's just falling off a cliff physically and that used to happen to a lot of players if you're my age and your 30s your 40s, they used to happen a lot when we were growing up. You know, guys would get like 33, 34, and just be fucking over. And now it's like, oh, just every guy's going to play to like 45. LeBron's going to play forever.

These guys can just keep on playing. He can keep on playing. No, some guys can't. You know, for every Tom Brady, there are a lot of dudes that are out of the league way faster than they should have been. It's just the nature of injuries. Injuries catch up to everyone differently. Some guys can handle them, other guys, it just ends.

Hell, Peyton Manning, when he fell off a cliff, it came out of nowhere. I was there at a Raider game when he could barely throw. And somehow they still won the game. But he threw multiple picks. It was hard to watch. And honestly, as I'd never been a Cam fan, I have always respected his game, his toughness,

and I respected his high-end ability in his peak. As someone who gambled on him, as someone who was a fan of teams that played him in big games, I always feared his ability to take over the game. Troy Aikman said something the night on the pregame that's like, you know, Belichick basically alluded to Belichick told him that they want the ball in Jared Goff's hands, aka they don't think he's any good.

I would never said that about Peacan. Even though he could have a really shitty game, he could also kick your ass. And I remember the playoff game three or four years ago against the Saints. I was like, God, and I had money on the Saints. I was on the edge of my seat and Cam was, he scared you. Like, Jared Gough ain't scaring a soul. Not a soul.

Sean McVey is, Gawthing. Cam used to scare people. He's not anymore. It's over. I was telling someone the only place I can see him going after this. His starting days are done after the season. Like, no more. No mas.

No more starting for Cam. I do think there's one spot. Sometimes as a backup player, like if you're a backup tight end or a backup linebacker, You still have to play on special teams, so you get evaluated, right? You have film out there. At quarterback, you can be the backup for a while. It's like, oh, you're just a backup quarterback.

We love them in the building. He's friends with our starting quarterbacks. The offensive coordinator loves him. Great guy, aka RG3. They've been seeing his praises for years. Like, we love him around Lamar. He loves the building. We just can't get enough on RG3.

And then RG3 plays when you go, that guy sucks. So you go, the worst thing you can do as a backup quarterback when you're not any good is actually you have to play. because if you can go like four or five years and never have to play in a game, you can slide under the radar. You can't do that at like wide receiver

because eventually it's like, oh, he's got to play special teams and if you're scared or whatever, you'll just get exposed. Well, backup quarterback, RG3 has been chilling for like two years with the Ravens. He goes in that game and everyone's like, holy moly, this guy stinks.

So to me, the only place KM can go is probably the backup next year for Lamar. Because he's assuming he gets a little healthier, it would be better than RG3. But who knows that they even want to do that? They got Trace McSorley. But that's maybe Russell Wilson, but probably not. Though I do think Cam has earned himself a lot of respect around the league,

by how much the Patriots like him. That actually might buy him a year or two as a backup. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year.

Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care which I'll say it. 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 what you need to be. Listen to The Clifford Show on the IHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tap Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs?

Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to? Do a little 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 all day, but just so you all know. I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack. So I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have age. 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.

Because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth? Are you a good person because you're afraid? Because that's two different intentions, bro. Absolutely. And that's two different levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Kear Gaines, as 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. But like everyone, and Charles Barkley's been saying this on TNT for my entire adult life, father time's undefeated. It catches up to everyone differently. Some of us happens to do, you know, our bad metabolism. We start seeing it in high school, you know, in college. Some people, they're freaks until they're in their early 40s. But we're getting a front row seat here with Cam Newton right now. Father time.

Injuries. All adding up. Get right to the romance and find the way to wow this Valentine's with 1-800flowers.com. From classic roses and bouquets to decadent chocolate-covered berries, gourmet treats, and more. Surprise your Valentine with 1,800flowers.com. Right now, get the 18-stem enchanted rose medley for $39.99, or upgrade to 24 red roses for $10 more.

Go to 1,800flowers.com slash tune in. That's 1,800flowers.com slash tune in. Look through your children's eyes to see the true magic of a forest. It's a storybook world for them. You look and see a tree. They see the wrinkled face. of a wizard with arms outstretched to the sky. They see treasure and pebbles.

They see a windy path that could lead to adventure. And they see you. Their fearless guide is this fascinating world. Find a forest near you and start exploring at discovertheforest.org. Brought to you by the United States Forest Service and the ad council. And we're live here outside the Perez family home just waiting for the... And there they go. Almost on time this morning.

Mom is coming out the front door strong with a double-armed kid carry. Looks like Dad has the bags, daughter is bringing up the rear. Oh, but the diaper bag wasn't closed. Dipers and toys are everywhere. Ooh, but Mom has just nailed the perfect car seat buckle for the toddler. And now the eldest daughter, who looks to be about nine or ten, has secured herself in the booster seat. Dad zips the bag closed, and they're off.

Ah, but looks like Mom doesn't realize her coffee cup is, on the roof of the car, and there it goes. Oh, that's a shame. That mug was a fam favorite. Don't sweat the small stuff. Just nail the big stuff. Like making sure your kids are buckled correctly in the right seat for their age and size. Learn more at nhtsa.gov slash the right seat.

Visit nhtsa.gov slash the right seat. Brought to you by Nitzah and the ad council. Okay, I was driving in the car the other day coming home from, I just played a little afternoon golf and in now. I live, turns out I actually much closer to Napa than I've ever realized, gone there a lot in like the last year. It's like 20 minutes away from my house. They got these two golf courses that are in pretty bad shape, but they're actually kind of a sleeping gem. I have like a passion project of mine one day would be able to take part in just rebuilding them. I actually

think it's just a sleeping giant could be an absolute cash cow. But that's another conversation for another day. But ultimately, when I was driving back, what got me thinking is Steve Young was on the local radio here, a guy named Tom Tolver, he used to play in the NBA, he's like our biggest radio star by far, does big numbers,

good guy, I love Tom, he used to play for the Warriors, playing the NBA for a long time. And Steve and him go back like 30 years, they're buddies, he gives great interviews.

And Steve was talking just, they brought up Tampa Bay a little bit and when he was there and they were called the yucks and it was a disaster and his point was kind of like, listen, you could throw basically

any of the great quarterback of all time, Elway, Marino, Farr, in the shittiest of situations, and it would be really difficult for them to be a Hall of Fame player. He said more than likely, if they did not have a good coach in a disaster organization, they wouldn't be a Hall of Fame player. Now, they still might be a really good player. And he said, all those guys that he listed, all the really good players. And he thought, if you're a Pro Bowl level player in general, you could be in the worst possible situation, and they got to drag you off the field every week. Like you're doing everything humanly possible to make place.

And I was thinking, I've always thought the most underrated characteristic for a quarterback is toughness. It's the thing I respect about the guys the most. You know, Brady and Manning, we don't really talk about it like that because they were so good forever, but they were tough SOBs.

I mean, Rivers, Andrew Luck, those guys, Eli Manning, Rathesberger, I know he's a drama queen, but he is tough. Are you willing to stand in the pocket and make throws? And when shit isn't, going your way, i.e. your team is losing, does it feel like I got to drag you off the field? And for as ugly as it always looked with the Chargers, or I mean recently with the Chargers, with

Phillip Rivers, I never questioned like he was leaving it on the line and I couldn't have expected anymore. Even Carson Wentz, who couldn't have been much worse this season, I've never felt like, you know, he's just laying it all, he's just doing everything he possibly can. He just doesn't have it. He can't complete passes. But he's getting crushed, he's running around, He's empty in the clip. And he mentioned Sam Darnold, and it got me thinking, like, Sam Darnold right now is going in, and really he has all season, but definitely this last month,

of like the biggest job interview of his career. Because he's already under contract. He's being paid. You know who's watching him right now? John Lynch, Chris Ballard, Kevin Colbert with the Steelers. Your next team, Sam, is the guy watching you. and listen you're going to make plays you're going to not make some plays it's it's hard it's

quarterback like i can live with guys making throwing interceptions but over this next month can i watch the game and go yes you had to drag sam darnal off the field when john lynch and chris ballard turn on your film and they want to know should we trade for this guy this offseason or whoever because ultimately sam darnald is going to benefit from a good team coming to get him Because once upon a time, Steve Young couldn't have been in any of a shittier situation. Most teams in the league would have been like, yeah, he's not that good. Bill Walsh went and got him. Changed his life.

He's now in the Hall of Fame. He's known as one of the greatest quarterbacks ever. And when a good team wants you, it can change your career. And Sam Darnold has an opportunity, I think, over this next month, and it's not necessarily about touchdowns and interceptions. It's just about the way he plays. I'm talking about do they watch that guy and go, yeah, I think we can win with him.

Because it's not going to be pretty. They're going to lose out. They're going to go 0-16. But the questions I already have, if I'm Chris Ballard right now, is like, well, he's been injured. Well, you know, I watch him. It feels like, am I getting it all from him? And maybe that's unfair.

But I've been in these meetings, whether it's draft, whether it's free agency, whether it's trades. I've seen the way these executives and coaches talk. It's not as, and people always say, God, middle coffee, you just let it rip on your show. Well, yeah, I'm just, I came from a football culture. The difference between the culture I came from, it never has made public.

It's why most people often laugh at, like, most things, the majority of the people in the media say. Because unless you have the information of the way the teams are talking, you're just throwing shit at the wall and hope it sticks. Like, if the fans truly had access and the fans would love it, the players wouldn't. There is a lot of tough talk about players. good ones included, but definitely guys like Sam Darnold, who clearly right now is probably one of the more polarizing players in the NFL. You know, like, how good is it going to be? Hell, I loved him coming out.

I asked myself the same question. If I put myself in Chris Ballard's shoes, like, what would I trade for the guy? Based on really what I've seen, you know, his value is probably a fourth or fifth rounder. But he's a quarterback, he'll go for a little bit more. But at the end of the day, is he worth even trading for? Can you win with the guy? I've started asking me that question, myself that question, I don't know the answer. But hearing Steve Young just talk about good players, like you've got to drag them off the field.

They might lose, but they do not go out quietly. And I feel like Sam Darnold kind of goes out quietly right now. It's like, yeah, he's kind of just cool with losing. And sometimes losing does that to you. Losing is losers are just, they love having people around them. And they can drag winners. Like I thought Sam Darnel, really high-level guy, winning player in college, You go to the wrong situation.

I think Twitter's a lot like this. There's a lot of miserable people. Think of the people that tweet the most. What do most people, if you just ask a casual fan, think of people in the media. Very negative. I mean, they're just, they're negative people. They like other people to be negative with them.

You see it. It's not even arguable at this point in time. I think losers like other losers around them. I think Coward said it one time on his show. Winners like winners. Successful people like surrounding themselves with successful people. not people with loser and miserable mindsets.

And I think the Jets have just a terrible operation going. And the coach is a joke. The defensive coordinator just got fired because people think he was throwing the game. No, that was his favorite play call. That's his favorite play call. He's just a loser. Greg Williams is a loser.

The information's in. The evidence is in. Look at the places he's been recently and look at what they do. He's a loser. And listen, he might have some positive things he brings the table, but ultimately, a good coach, a Belichick, and Andy Reid, these guys wouldn't touch him with a 50-foot pole. Toxic.

Adam Gase, pretty toxic right now. So Sam Darnold, to me, I don't view him as a loser individually. But I do think bad habits, you see it a lot in the NBA. Really talented guys go to terrible situations and they just become losers. Because it's a mentality. But the great part about if you are Sam Darnold, you are given this opportunity. winning franchises, the Steelers, the Colts, the Niners, might be interested in acquiring you.

But the tape says it all. The famous line in football is the eye in the sky doesn't lie. And that's really what they're evaluating you on, especially I'm talking football guys. Chris Ballard and Kevin Colbert are football junkies. They're not GMs that are into it for the money in the media. They like watching tape. That's how they pick their players.

There's a reason Chris Ballard traded pick 13 for DeForest Buckner. Because if you are a film junkie and you watch DeForest Buckner's career, he'd give you a heart on. He plays his ass off. He gets every ounce of talent out of his ability possible as a player. He could not get any more out of himself.

And I even thought as someone that watches the Niners religiously like, God, that's a lot to give up for DeForest Buckner. And I realized it. And it's why I get why Chris Ballard's really successful. He doesn't miss on many players. because he values so much the things you can truly see on tape. I think the Steelers clearly do too. And Sam Donald has to put more on tape.

I'm talking like, die for a first down. Just do some winning things. We see your ability to move around and throw the ball. Like, something's missing right now. And all of a sudden, Sam Donald, to catch himself, you'll be on the Jaguars or the Falcons, just some average team before you blink. but the top teams are watching you right now

and they're going to have the opportunity to acquire you because you're going to be available. So if anyone that knows Sam Donald's listening to this like, bro, you got to lay it on the line. I was Wednesday night sitting there scrolling Twitter, bored watching, I actually rented the program. It just, the movie actually doesn't hold up that well. There are some incredibly entertaining spots,

but there are also some boring spots. I basically just rented the program to watch Latimore find out that he was starting on defense and headbut the cars and shatter the glass. Which, you know, when you look back, now the movie is 27 years old. He kind of does some hesitation on the headbutt and it's clearly fake glass. But again, incredible scene. Also, when he's doing the deadlifts and the coaches look at him and he kicks the deal. I mean, it's just I love Latimore and Albin Mac.

But the part of the movie, some of it isn't as good as I quite remember. So now when I watch movies, especially if I've already seen it, That's the problem with having these phones. Actually, he's got the iPhone 12 plus max or whatever. Same thing as my old 7 or 8. So I'm scrolling and I see this guy. You know, I followed a bunch of people from CNBC and it's like this guy from like the 80s,

this talk that he gave. And his main message was invest in things you know and can describe to someone in like under 20 seconds. It was like an investment strategy, right? If you can't describe, if you're betting on individual stocks, why you're investing on those to basically a 10-year-old in 10 to 20 seconds, you probably shouldn't be in that stock because you don't know enough about it and it could clearly go at any direction in any moment. And I think for in general, the stock market, things are

out of your control. But I invest in draft kings. I pretty easily can describe what that does. I invest in a company called Revolve. It's, I think my girlfriend used a lot to shop for clothes. and the way the world's going to, it's like a digital marketplace for checks. I signed a check. Girls like to shop. And made some money on that bad boy. And this other company, LCA, Tillman Fertita, he invests in. It's like a online video game gambling company.

Like everything online, I can't stress it enough as someone who invest. Like, I'm not really into the brick and mortar business anymore. Like, I don't know if we're ever going to come back full swing, like what we've been for. Hopefully do with small businesses. but like the big public companies. I think the game's going to dramatically change. No, I don't necessarily, I'm not some, you know, have all the answers, but it's just pretty clear the way we're going to shop and do business and gamble.

And this is why I'm so bullish on podcasts and why I've been out of the radio space for about four or five years now, and I've put all my chips in the middle of the table because everyone consumes everything through this phone. And the phone is basically, you know, the lifeblood for people like me. But it's also the lifeblood just for humans. It's where we shop. It's where we listen to audio.

It's where we do business, right? Emails, DMs, whatever. It's a really, really powerful tool. It's why, you know, I never should have sold all my Apple stock back when the pandemic hit thinking they were going to go under. I got to made a lot of money, but I'm an idiot. So you like betting on things you know. And I think we're now, we'll get into the AFC playoff picture a little bit later,

but the NFC playoff picture, basically the six teams are decided. right now. You basically have two teams for the seventh spot. It's the Arizona Cardinals and the Minnesota Vikings. And here's what I know. If I got a bet on one of those two teams, I'm betting on the guy I know can win in the league. I'm betting on the guy I know can go to the playoffs. I'm betting on the guy that is one big games, and that'd be Mike Zimmer. I've been saying all along, I just, I wasn't buying Cliff Kingsbury. I'm not buying Van Gogh. Joseph, even though I love the quarterback. Here's a problem for the quarterback, though.

One thing you talk a lot about in draft meetings is the size of human beings, right? It's why, as a road scout, it's why you go to practices. You're not gaining that much of practice, but you get to see a player, you get to stand right next to him. So when I go to Clemson's practice, I get to stand next to Trevor Lawrence, against next to E.T.N.

Same with Bama, Waddle. Devante Smith, Mac Jones, obviously all the NFL prospects. You get to see them. You get to stand right next to them. And you make notes that you put into your report. So when you're talking about them, when your coaches and GMs are going to see this guy at the combine for the first time, you get an idea. You get a feel where the guy needs some room for growth or whether a guy's filled out. That matters.

Say it all the time. If you've never been to an NFL practice and most people never get the opportunity. And I've been lucky, obviously, go to practices, but games, because when you go to practices, it's really based on whether you work for a team or where you live, if you're in the media or whatever. But when I get to go to a game, I get to go on the field before the game. I get to see another team that I never get to see live. I'll never forget when the Cincinnati Bengals were playing the Oakland Raiders in 2015. And the Raiders were starting to get some hype.

They had Jack Del Rio, Mac and Carr and Amari. And I remember the Bengals who had made the playoffs several times and had a really good team, came out of the time. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year.

Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th.

You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw,

unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment. And the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast. It's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger.

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I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do with Little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at It podcast. I'm Sam Jek. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill, waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 is big to me not just because of crack.

I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so you all know. I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack. So I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now. Thank you for finishing that sentence. Yes. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really?

Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hardway with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Keer 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.

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because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth? Are you a good person because you're afraid? Because that's two different intentions, bro. Absolutely. And that's two different levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person. 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. And I was like, these fucking guys are huge.

They were massive. And they mollywop the Raiders. They went to the playoffs that year. I actually think that was the year that Andy broke his thumb and what's his name from Alabama came in. And I think they were one and done in the playoffs maybe. But that team went healthy. It was just, it was huge.

It was massive. And big players matter. Right? It's just at the end of the day, you would rather have a guy with the same talents, the bigger guy, if all things being equal. Now, Kyler is an exceptional player, but he's small. And when these defensive linemen are falling on him, for as athletic as he is, it's going to be hard for him to get up as smoothly as Eli or Peyton Manning, as Rothesberger, as Philip Rivers. They're just bigger human beings. And I think you could make the argument. He's been on the injury report like he's dinged up.

And how can a guy that small stay healthy for his 10 years? career because I would bet on the talent. If he was 100% healthy for the next 10 years, the guy I'd probably win an MVP. But my red flag on that guy is going to be his size. Now, their bigger red flag is their coach. So these next four games, and the Minnesota has some tough games. They play Tampa this week. But so does Arizona. They go on the road to New York. Joe Judge has those guys playing well. They just kicked a crap out of Seattle. But my overall point is this. One team started one in five and is now the six and six. The other team started five and two, and it's now six and six. Here's what I know.

If Cliff Kingsbury's team started one and five, they would have no chance to make the playoffs. He's just not a good enough coach. The Vikings, I mean, obviously, I'm not saying this, who knows, I don't control this. They're not a lot to make the playoffs, but going from one in five and being six and six, and you just passing the eye test, like they're pretty good. Kirk Cousins is a guy, he's actually grown on me a little bit, and it might be his weapons, Thieland's a stud, Justin Jefferson looks like a star. Obviously, Dalvin's a baller. But I'm betting on the Vikings.

I'm betting on what I know. And I'm shorting the team that, you know, I never believed in that much in the first place. That is the one guy I believed in is now injured. And he's by far the most important person. Because I don't believe in the coach. Never have. He couldn't win in the Big 12.

And the Big 12 is a joke beside Oklahoma. And then he gets Vince Joseph as a defense court, he's not good enough. So I think whenever you think about who you like in a certain situation just go, who would you bet on? And in this situation with four games remaining, I'm taking my chance with Mike Zimmer

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What grows in the forest? Trees? Sure. Know what else grows in the forest? Our imagination. Our sense of wonder. And our family bonds grow too. Because when we disconnect from this and connect with this, we reconnect with each other.

The forest is closer than you think. Find a forest near you and start exploring at Discovertheforest.org. Brought to you by the United States Forest Service and the ad council. You know what's really fascinating right now is the AFC playoffs. And I don't ever remember it being this wide open. You know, I think we all think, it gets back to this, it does feel like the Chiefs aren't just going to win the AFC, they're going to win the Super Bowl.

But there's going to be a lot of drama up until that point. Because I feel pretty confidently if they're helped good players stay healthy, the Chiefs are winning it all. And they should. And I've said before, like, the Dodgers, the Lakers, you know, teams, like the bubble was not normal basketball.

Baseball, their bubble, they played 60 games. But Lakers probably going to win the championship ever. Regardless, right? The Dodgers had been one of the best teams in baseball the last five years. They were inevitably probably going to win a championship, especially once they got moogie bets. So the right team felt like won it in those two sports.

The Chiefs, like, this is not normal football. But once they win the championship, if they do, I think we'd all acknowledge, like, yeah, they won the Super Bowl last year, fair and square. They would have been the heavy favorites this year. They clearly were unreal. And if they go 14 and 2 or 15 and 1, we'd probably say they probably would have gone 14 and 2 with fans.

So they would be a champion that I think we could all see that would normally happen. Everyone else, we probably argue. But they're going to be, I think, when the dust settles the number one overall scene. Then I think the Steelers are in it, but the Steelers aren't playing good football. But when you look at the Wildcards, the Browns are in a great spot because they're 9 and 3. But they play the Ravens on Monday Night Football, which luckily we'll talk about on the next podcast.

But you have an enormous game. The Raiders paid John Gruden $100 million. They pay Derek Carr like $25 to $22 million a season for the last four years. This is the biggest game Derek Carr has ever played. after, beside that MVP season. You know, the win of the almost won the MVP and he hurt his ankle. They're playing the culture, 8 and 4. They lose this game, they're 7 and 6.

They're in major trouble. I think if they lose this game and Tennessee plays Jacksonville, that means both those two teams would be 9 and 4 that whoever doesn't win the division would be a lock. And the Browns, even though they play the Ravens on Monday night, they still play the New York Jets. They are getting to 10 wins. They also play the Giants.

And listen, the Giants are, much better and they're playing Arizona this week and I actually think they can win that game. The Browns are much better than the Giants. So I think when the dust settles, the Browns are going to win 11 games. And Kevin Savansky should win the coach of the year. You win 11 games with Cleveland. I don't give a shit how good your roster is. That's really impressive.

Browns are in the playoffs. The Browns are going to get the five spot. So basically you have two spots left for Baltimore, Indianapolis, or I guess Indianapolis, Tennessee, whoever doesn't win the division, the Raiders in Miami. Well, if the Raiders lose this week, they'd be 7 and 6. they basically have to win out to get in the playoffs. And they still have Miami on the schedule. The chargers are a weird team for them,

and they got to go to the road in Denver. And listen, Denver's not that good, but it's going to be freezing cold, and Derek Carr's not a cold weather quarterback. They'd be screwed. So basically, they got to win three of their next four. If they win three of their next four and get 10 and 6, they'd be in good shape.

But they lose this game, like this is not one of the three of the four they can lose. They got to win this. If Indy wins it, I don't see how Indy and Tennessee again, assuming Tennessee beats the Jacksonville Jaguars, which newsflash they will, the Colts and Titans would be in. A huge game for Gruden, huge game for Carr.

The Dolphins. Clearly, I don't expect them to win this game, despite it being in Miami. They're playing the best team in the league. But how does Tua look? Do they get rolled? Can they play with them? You know, the Dolph, Tua hasn't played anybody. And the one time he kind of, quote-unquote, did he got benched when he played the Broncos outside.

So do they even belong? I have no clue what this game's going to look like. You told me the chiefs destroy them. I can believe that. I have a hard time seeing the dolphins keeping it close, but they're still in a pretty good shape because they're 8 and 5, but they still play the Patriots. Their schedule's not easy.

They play the bills again. It'd be difficult. And then the Monday night game, I mean, if Baltimore wins this game, they're in great shape. If Baltimore wins Monday night football, I think the three playoff teams that we end up seeing would be the winner of the Raiders and Colts

and Baltimore and Cleveland. It's pretty crazy that the AFC North is probably going to get three teams in. The Steelers who play the bills on Sunday night, like, let's face it, they're trending in the wrong direction. They've lost multiple players on defense. They're still going to win the division. That's just what happens when you go 10 and 0. You can go 3 and 3 to the last, you know, they go 500 to these last group of games

and they're still going to end up, what, 13 and 3, 14 and 2? They're in great shape. but this game, like, how does it look? Because we just saw the bills. When they're playing well, like they're elite. Elite might be strong, but damn good. Like, they play like they did against the Niners. They could see the Chiefs in the AFC Championship.

They're that good because their quarterback's that special. And one thing you see with the Steelers is like, they can't run the ball, their defense, you just miss Bud Dupree. Like, that's a big loss. And Rathesberger, you know, it can be a little hit or miss. He's old. They haven't been that potent on offense the last couple weeks. So they're really trending in the wrong direction.

direction. The AFC is going to get so muddied up in this next, you know, three or four weeks. Chiefs are going to be like 15 and one, have the one seed, and God, they're going to be the heavy favorites. But if you're a fan of the Raiders, the Colts, the dolphins, the Titans, obviously the Browns and the Ravens, you can say pretty locked in right now because you've got a lot to play for. Okay, let's go three for the money. And, you know, not toot my own horn, went three and O last week. No big deal. I'm hot, even though somehow. I ended up losing $500 because I bet on golf. You shouldn't be betting on golf in December.

Don't recommend that. Don't ever bet on Tony Fee now either. Let's see. I took the Lions last week. Outright winner. I took them plus three. Indy, minus three and a half, one by six. And the Jags.

All the Jaguars do is cover. That's why, you know, you got to stick with a horse that got you there. I've been riding the Jags with these big spreads. I'm going to ride them again. Seven and a half points against Tennessee at home. I like Jags. You're giving the Jags more than a touchdown. I just, they've been playing hard, they make plays, weird shit happens in their game.

If this line was six and a half, I probably wouldn't like it as much, but seven and a half, I'm going with it. I'm riding the fighting, Doug Marones, no general manager, Jacksonville Jaguars. Minnesota, like I said, I'm betting on Mike Zimmer to make the playoffs. Now, I don't know if they necessarily win this game at Tampa, Tampa, Tampa coming off a buy, but why would we expect anything to be different with Tampa? You think Bruce Ariens is going to change his offense for Tom? Why would you do that in December and not do it in October? So I still think the struggles could be the struggles.

Now, Minnesota's defense has not been good all season long from a secondary standpoint. So Tampa, in theory, should be able to score on them. But here's what Minnesota can do. They can score. Justin Jefferson's a star. Thielen's a baller. Cousins is just pretty good player.

There's just no way around it. They have an identity on offense. I like Minnesota plus six and a half in this game. The other games were hard. I don't, I can't lie. Tempted, I was tempted to take the Jets plus 13 and a half, but after last week's loss, there is a chance they just quit.

They just waived the white flag. Wouldn't totally blame them. You could argue they waved the white flag a long time ago. I mean, they're 0.11 or 012 or whatever the hell. I mean, they're going to be 0.16. But I decided against that one, because Seattle coming off a bad loss, at home should destroy them.

I saw Mims is out, so I didn't like that as much. I don't feel great about this one. So I feel really good about the first two. And really, you have a two and three week. You feel pretty good. But I'm going to go to the Bills minus two against the Steelers. Now, my one red flag is that the Bills played Monday night in Arizona, meaning they had to fly to Buffalo.

They did not get Monday to prep against Pittsburgh. Now, Pittsburgh also played it on Monday, but it was at home. But they did play Monday as well. But to me, the fatigue from the coaching staff on Tuesday, like, did I get the best effort on Tuesday just from a, sleep standpoint. None of them slept. They show up, they go right to work.

I just think the bills are better than Steelers right now. Steelers have major problems. When everyone was healthy, they had the best defense in the league. They were dominant. But they're missing two of their best players. In Rathesburg and their offense, something's missing. It just doesn't work, despite having a ton of weapons.

They got a ton of wide receivers. Can't really run the ball. I don't know, man. I'm just going the bills minus two in this game. I don't feel great about this. but in Buffalo, can you imagine how big this game and how nuts this game would be if fans were allowed? Sunday night football,

probably a little snow, it's cold, it would be badass. You know, the Bill's Mafia. So I'm going Jags plus 7 against Titans, Minnesota plus 6.5 against Tampa, and Bill's minus 2. Again, 25 and 17 on the season. You know, not to my own horn, it's not bad. Okay, let's go a little Middilcoff mailbag at John Middlecough is the Instagram

and you guys know the drill shoot a question in the DMs and get it answered here that's what we'll do because that's what we do on the show also like I said subscribe to the three and out podcast if you listen through Collins feed and if you could leave a review greatly appreciate it who should the Cowboys draft I feel like two players they should want the most

are Pena Sewell and Mika Parsons Also, they should look at trying to get Justin Fields, but don't think they'll draft a quarterback mostly due to the type of injury DAC suffered. I think it's complicated. I mean, one thing is pretty clear after watching football. I guess on Tuesday, I haven't done the show.

The show came out Monday night so I didn't talk about the... Cowboys stink. They are not good. They are a lifeless group. To me, the number one question you have to ask before the draft, Mike McCarthy should get fired. Like the evidence is in now. Rogers carried him.

That was another thing Steve Young said. He's like, you know what it looks like looking back? Rogers carried that thing. Right? It would be like put him on his back. I always thought McCarthy was good. I was wrong. If you look back at his last four seasons,

second of last season in Green Bay, eight and eight, then he got fired after the Arizona Cardinals beat him at Lambo that night. Then he sat out, which clearly he didn't improve at all, and now he's coaching the Cowboys. Listen, you can lose. lose. You can have a bad season. The 49ers are five and seven, for example. The Giants are five and seven.

When I watch them play, I go, they're well coached, they play hard, regardless who's healthy, who's not healthy, they lay it in the line. Those are just two teams that came to my mind. The Vikings, I mean, teams just keep swinging. Do you keep swinging? The Cowboys just tap out. And that's a reflection of the head coach. You're the coach who didn't allow it to happen. Sure, McCarthy's a nice guy, but he's just not good. I mean, we saw Rivera fired, goes to wall. Washington, boom, they're competitive. Like Rivera, I don't think Rivera's like Andy Peyton or Belichick, but he's damn good.

Like McCarthy's nobody. McCarthy without one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time, if you just gave him a random team, I don't think he's a playoff coach. So to me, before you can get to the draft because they're going to have a really good pick, because they're not going to win any games because Mike McCarthy's their head coach. Now, they do play the Bengals this week.

I think the best thing that could happen this weekend is for the Cowboys to lose to the Bengals. and that might force action from Stephen and Jerry. Because again, money's not an issue. You can pay them to go away. Money's only an issue when you don't have money. When you're a big business and you have unlimited money, you can make decisions that actually don't make that much sense

because it's just a line item. Like, Apple pivoting is not that difficult. They have billions of dollars in the bank. Jerry paying off Mike McCarthy $40 million to go away seems like a lot to me and you and is a lot of money, but not when your franchise is worth $5 billion and you've got hundreds upon hundreds upon hundreds of millions of dollars in the bank

and a cash flow. Be fine, especially if it's the right move. I'm not into just wasting money. I'm not just saying people should just give away money. That's not why I'm not hard on Dean Spanos because, right, I like, if he was saving money on good coaches, like when Sean McVeigh was hired,

he didn't get that much money. I think Kyle Shanahan's first contract wasn't that crazy big. young coaches sometimes are cheaper. I got no problem with hiring one of those guys. We're going to see some of these guys get jobs. But are you constantly thinking, is money the driving force when you make a hire?

Or is money the driving force when you fire somebody? In the NFL, it shouldn't be, because you have unlimited cash, and the cash is only growing. And I'm not like, again, I'm not your typical media guy, like, you just got to always spend the money. No, you can't just waste it. but I'd argue keeping Mike McCarthy around is bad for business.

It's really bad for business. Honest to God, I'm not just saying this. I think Mike McCarthy stinks. I really do. I mean, just looking back some of the games when he played some of those Harbaugh teams, some of those other playoff games, lost to that Coughlin team. Tough, good coaches always kicked his ass. Always.

really the team we had, he beat us the year they won the Super Bowl in Philadelphia. We actually weren't even that good. Our defense was not good at all. Michael Vic, Deshawn, Jeremy Mac, offense was decent. But Rogers was, I mean, the best player in that game, and the Packers had a good defense. That team was stacked. You know the craziest thing? Probably between 2010 and 2015, like Rogers' peak apex when he was like Michael Jordan to football.

If you gave him a good coach, they probably win two or three Super Bowls. Looking back. Love the pod and for the next mailback, I was wondering if you could touch on the fact that Aaron Rogers got 400 touchdowns, 12 games faster than second place, and the fact that he only has 88 interceptions. Don't see many other people realizing how phenomenal that actually is. Thanks in advance. Funny thing, I heard Steve Young mentioned this too.

This might be the most remarkable staties ever heard. He started listing off some of the other guys, you know, Farr, Brady, Manning, when they hit this number how many more interceptions they had. This goes back to McCarthy. You had a guy who threw an unreal amount of touchdowns who was a dominant force and didn't turn the ball over. This to me, Aaron Rogers is a big indictment on McCarthy. And it turns out Aaron Rogers was the complete reason that the Packers won all those years. Think about the wide receivers they had. Randall Cobb, Jordy Nelson, Greg Jennings, draft Devonte, stacked with wide receivers. This is honestly the crappiest wide receivers

Rogers has ever had, but Devante is the best wide receiver he's ever had. But in like from 10 to 14, 15, 16, that unit always went two to three deep. Of dudes, of guys like worth 10 to 15 million dollars. I mean, Rogers is an all-time great. There's just no way around it. Lifelong Lions fan even though I live in Oklahoma. That's kind of weird. I personally love Stafford and I'm not a huge fan of trading him.

To me, he's a top-tier quarterback. Unfortunately, he plays for a dumpster fire organization. At 27 years old, I've only seen the Lions lose. As far as the team goes, do you think they're better to move on from Stafford than to trade him? I think he could potentially bring in a nice haul and draft to another quarterback in this year's draft. Well, I think the smartest move would be to keep him. It gives you the best chance to win in the short term. I think big picture, it's probably just time.

You could get a first round pick, you get a second round pick, you get a second round pick, you might be able to get a player. I think he's going to want out. It's just time. Just make a clean break. Just go your separate ways. And, you know, you have a couple young pieces, draft a young quarterback, get a new coach in,

you know, get a first and second round for him, get that cap relief, and you get a lot more wiggle room. Now, from a football standpoint, if I was the head coach of the Lions, I wouldn't be into trading that staff. I mean, he's the best player in the team by a mile. Ask anyone in the league. They think he's like one of the best players in the league.

But it might just be time. It really might. That sucks. I feel free to be an alliance fan. It's shitty, you know, when we're born, however we grow up, what we kind of gravitate to, whether it's our parents, our older brothers or sisters, or dad, who they're a fan of.

We just become, we don't really get a choice in the matter. Maybe sometimes, you know, you just become a fan of a team for whatever reason. but as you get older, that team might suck. It's easy to be born a Laker or Yankee fan. It's hard to be a fan of most teams because the majority of teams aren't that great. Never IG messaged another dude before, but, okay, need some takes on if the Niners trade for Carson wins.

So give it a try. First and a third, get it done. Love to hear your breakdown on this. Yeah, the Eagles aren't trading them. I just, I can't see it. And I don't see the Niners in the trade market for a high-price quarterback. If they're going to go quarterback, they're going to go a cheap guy, aka the draft.

To me, the one high-priced guy they would go for would be staffer, but I can't see them trading for Wins. I can't see, the Eagles aren't going to trade Carson Wins. Carson Wins can be on team next year. My question is the mailbag. Have the Chiefs clinced the playoff berth, but not the Steelers when they're both 11 and 1? It has to do with tiebreakers.

The Chiefs have clinched the playoff berth, not the division as the Raiders would win the division if they finish 5 and 0, and the Chiefs go 0 and 5. basically how is it not possible the Chiefs to miss the playoffs with 11 and 1 record but it's not possible for the Steelers and miss with the same record? Kind of a dumb question because all these teams are going to make it.

I mean, the Raiders might not, but the Chiefs and Steelers are in. It has to do with tiebreakers and it has to do like strength of schedule. Honestly, asking that question right now is irrelevant. The Chiefs, they're going to the playoffs. They're going to win the division. I wouldn't even worry about it.

But I see what you're saying. it does. Sometimes when you look at stuff like that, you're like, what is going on? As an ex-N-Fel scout and grad assistant, I would love to hear the outlook on the absolute freak athletes that are running around in the NFL field on Sundays. It's fascinating to hear about how even Mr. Irrelevant is likely the best athlete, a regular guy like many of us, would have ever played in high school. Love the podcast. Yeah, it's just like, you know, it's the highest level of the sport, so you just weeds people out. and football, unlike a lot of the other sports,

but I think there is this in baseball and basketball too. It's never about where you start. So guys develop, their bodies develop differently. You know, for every guy that's a top recruit in high school, there's a guy that goes to Alabama State or Appalachian State or Cal Poly and develops into an NFL player, right? So to me, the cream always rises. And to get drafted in the NFL, if you're a college football,

one, to play college football is an incredible. accomplishment. I remember going to Fresno State and just, and we were, you know, like an above-average non-power-five program. We'd be ranked occasionally in the top 25, but you'd go play Wisconsin, Ohio State. I mean, the level of talent, just for us to be able to hang. We had, I mean, we had dudes, but if you play in a non-power-five, but Division I, you're in, you're big time. If you get drafted, it's just, it's an incredible accomplishment. I don't really. really know what else to say. These guys are...

The thing about the NFL, I've been around the NBA a lot. The NFL body types actually, a lot of these guys are thicker and they're explosive and fast, but a lot of guys playing the NFL at 510, 511, you know, 6 feet. Like, you go to the NBA, they actually have the freakiest athletes. They have the best athletes in the world in the NBA because they're 6, 4 to 7 feet tall and they all move around like wide receivers. Now, some, you know, centers don't. but for the most part, like Kevin Durant, I've stood next to him.

It's like seven feet fucking tall. And he moves around like, dude could probably run like a 4-540. Like Clay Thompson is 6, 7 and a half, 2.30. Like, he's thick. But he's 6.7. Like, the only guys in the NFL 6-7 are the offensive linemen, who are also like 300 pounds. So it's just, yeah, it's just a group of high-level dues.

I mean, I don't really know what else to say. That'll do it for tonight. Appreciate everyone listening. Hope you guys have a great weekend. And, you know, holidays, season right around the corner. We'll talk to everyone soon. Godspeed. Happy Hanukkah.

Eight crazy nights, night two, Friday night, first night with December 10. So happy Hanukkah to all my Jewish friends out there. And, yeah, talk to everyone soon. See ya. If you love to be remembered as the person who gives the best birthday gifts, I'm here to tell you that 1800 Flowers.com is your ultimate birthday gifting destination. 1,800 Flowers has thoughtful and artfully created options that are guaranteed to deliver the best birthday surprise. Shop thousands of unique gifts at 1,800flowers.com for exclusive offers and great values.

To order today, visit 1,800flowers.com slash tune in. That's 1,800flowers.com slash tune in. Another podcast from some SNL, late-night comedy. 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 I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win.

A win. A win is a win. Yep, that's me, Cliford 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 Cliford Show. This is a place for raw, unfills of conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated.

So let's get to it. Listen to The Cliford Show on the IHeard 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. On The Look Back at it podcast. From 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84 was big to me.

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

I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Listen to Look Back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.