The Herd with Colin Cowherd - 3 & Out - AFC and NFC Championship REACTION, McCarthy to the Steelers, What's going on in Cleveland

Episode Date: January 26, 2026

Former NFL scout John Middlekauff reacts to the Seahawks-Rams game that saw the Seahawks soar past LA 31-27 to advance to the Super Bowl for the first time since 2014. John talks about how impressive Seattle has been all season and how Sam Darnold has been extremely impressive.  Next, John dives into the AFC Championship game that had the weather play a key role in the Patriots 10-7 win over the Broncos. John talks about the decision making that may have cost the Broncos a chance to be in the Super Bowl. 06:38 - Seattle beats the Rams 25:15 - Patriots - Broncos 40:20 - Steelers are not rebuilding 51:02 - What are the Browns doing 54:05 - Bills coaching search Follow John on Twitter, Instagram and YouTube for the latest.  All lines provided by Hard Rock Bet Use promo code “3ANDOUT20” on https://nicokick.com/zone for 20% off at checkout! Check out Gametime - the fastest growing ticketing app in the US, and the official ticketing app of 3 & Out and GoLow -  for tickets to all of your favorite NFL, NBA, NHL, NCAA teams. Concert and comedy show tickets, too. Go to Gametime now to create an account, download the app and use code JOHN for $20 off your first purchase. #VolumeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed Human. Hey, guys, it's us. The Jonas Brothers. I'm Joe. I'm Kevin. And I'm Nick. And guess what? We created our own podcast called, Hey, Jonas.

We invented a podcast? Well, we didn't invent it. We just contributed to it. We're the first people to do podcasts. We get to ask other people questions because we're sick and tired of being asked questions. Well, sick and tired is a strong way to put it. But, you know, tired and sick. Tired and sick.

Listen to Hey, Jonas, on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you. you get your podcast. Just listen. We don't care where you hear it. 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 ice.

Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Joey Dardano, and on my new podcast, Hope From a Hypocrite, I'll be changing lives, helping people in need with thoughtful solutions. Sike, I'm a comedian. I'm not qualified to give good advice. Join me and my comedian friends as we riff rant and recommend some of the most legally dubious advice known to me. This is Help from a Hypocrite, the worst advice from the dumbest people you know.

Listen to Help from a Hypocrite Wednesdays on the Eyeheart. Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Hey, it's Edwin Castro, also known as Castro 1021. And I'm Conky, his best friend and business manager. And we've got a new show called The 1021 Podcast. I'm taking you behind the scenes on how I became one of Twitch's most popular streamers. We also love sports. And with the World Cup right around the corner, we'll be breaking down the biggest

storylines ahead of the big tournament here in the USA. Listen to the 1021 podcast on the IHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. The volume. What is going on, everybody? How are we doing? John Middilkoff, the Rane Out Podcasts, just watched a lot of football, Seattle, beats the Rams, the New England Patriots, beat the Denver Broncos, and Levi's. A little rematch of 10 plus years ago when Malcolm Butler, who get ready. because in two weeks, Radio Row, Malcolm Butler might have more sponsorship dollars attached to his name doing the rounds than, like, Dan Marino meets John Elway.

Everyone's going to want to talk to that guy because we got this rematch, Drake May, taking on Sam Darnold. So we'll talk about these two games. I'll react to what we just witnessed. And then earlier today, I recorded some stuff on McCarthy, on the Cleveland Brown search, on Josh. Allen being a part of the coaching search for the bills. So we'll do some of that as well. And then we'll have a bunch of mailbags this week at John Middilkoff firing those DMs, get your questions answering here on the show.

I went on with Colin as well so you can go check out that podcast. Any other, obviously this podcast is on Netflix. So go make sure if you want to watch the video, any video of any of our podcast, check it out on Netflix. And if you listen on Collins feed, make sure you subscribe to Spotify, make sure you subscribe to Apple, wherever you listen to podcast. We got you cover.

Just type in three and out. We'll be all this week. We'll have a bunch of shows. Next week I'm going to the Super Bowl, at least not the game. Though the last time the game was actually in the Levi Stadium I attended when the Denver Broncos beat the Carolina Panthers. But I'm going Tuesday, Thursday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, because we always do a volume party, and it's good to see people you work with when you kind of have this job that's, you

A lot of people are working all over the country. It's not like an office job. So it's good to see people. Also, our partners, people are in business with. So I really enjoy. I've been to the volume party now like four or five years in a row. But I'm also going, our friends at Omaha, they said, hey, John, Orphian Theater, Tuesday night.

Joe Montana, Ronnie Lott, John Taylor. It's going to be moderated by Chris Berman are going to have a night of champions. And they're going to relive one of the greatest seasons of all time, 1989, San Francisco 49ers. I'm surely talk a bunch of other football. Do you want it? I'm like, heck yeah, I want in.

Well, obviously we got a lot of 49er fans and people, Bay Area people. If you're a Patriot fan or you're a Seattle fan, you're in town during the week, and you want to go watch Joe Montana, hang out with Chris Berman. Don't blame you. I'm doing it. Producer Jackson's coming with me. Night of Champions, once in a lifetime conversation, legendary stories, get in. Tickets are available now at Broadwaysf.com.

And if you're there, say hi, because I'm going to be there. I'm excited. Haven't seen Joe Montana. Ran into him one time close to Market Street in the city and started talking to him. And one tip I always have, whenever you meet someone really, really famous, the easiest way to get a conversation. If you know their children's name, ask him a question. If I ever ran into Tiger Woods, the first thing I would ask him is, how's Charlie playing? I ran into Joe Montana, his son Nick at the time.

I think it just transferred. He was playing quarterback at Tulane. I asked him about his son. Joe Montana just looked at me and started talking. And about five, six minutes later, we're just talking college football about his son. His wife, Jennifer, screams, Joe, we're leaving. And she yanked him away.

Joe couldn't have been any cooler. Tip for advice, anyone. You ever meet someone really, really famous? Easiest way to start the conversation, asking about their children. Works every time, I promise you that. Now, obviously you got to know who their children are, or they have children.

But if they do, and you know, use that line. It works. So let's just dive into what we just witnessed the Seattle Seahawks, beat the L.A. Rams, and a couple of things jump out to me. Sam Darnold was a really polarizing player even during this season because people kept saying, wait till the big games. Last year, he threw 35 touchdowns yet in the biggest moments. For the number one seat on the line, Sunday night football against the Lions,

and then the playoff game against the Rams, he was horrendous. and then this year he's humming along, Seattle's kicking ass, then all of a sudden they play the Rams the first time, and he throws like 10 interceptions. People like, see? Then he's playing the Rams again. Does not play well. throws a couple picks, does not look good,

until the end of the game. And then the end of the game happens, and Seattle never looks back. They go on and just start rattling off wins. Carolina, 49ers, 49ers again, and then tonight. But the difference was tonight, in the biggest game of his life.

Anytime you play in a conference championship game, even if you're Brady, Manning, Farr, it's going to be one of the biggest games you will ever play. He threw for 346 yards and three touchdowns. And I watched the Dolphins Press Conference earlier this week, and Eric John Sullivan is their new GM's name. He was hired by the Green Bay Packers in the early 2000s. And someone in the media asked him,

you've been a part of the Packers who you've never seen down quarterback play. Is there any secret to the sauce of your guy's ability to find quarterbacks? And he gave a pretty good answer because he said, well, it's actually the most dependent position of any other. You need people to block for you.

You need people to get open for you. If you hand the ball off, you need that guy to gain yards, make guys miss, break tackles. And then you need a guy on the sideline telling you what plays to call. Now, obviously there are things that you can control, but when you think about it,

the quarterback, unless you're like Peyton Manning and you can just call your own offense, most quarterbacks are very dependent on their coaches and obviously their teammates. And for a long time, Sam Darnold had shitty versions all around him at all these positions. And over the last couple years, started with Kyle Shanahan when he believed him as a backup,

and then Kevin O'Connell resurrected his career on the field, and then Sam Donald tonight validated it all because Matt Stafford is an interesting player, right? For over a decade, no one argued about Matt Stafford's talent, but it's like, is he any good looking? He's on the Lions, they never win. It's like, well, yeah, they never win because they're the fucking Lions. Look who's coaching him.

Beside Calvin Johnson, look who he's playing with. That is one of the most poorly run franchises in all of American sports. And they were up until Dan Campbell and Braddard. Holmes got there. And then Matt Stafford got to go to Sean McVeigh. Probably one day will be in the Hall of Fame as a coach. And now we think of them as going to win the MVP this year, a guy that won a Super Bowl, a guy who's just an elite player. You watch him, and I's one of the great quarterbacks of his generation. Completely changed the narrative when he got with people that know what they were doing. I say this all the time about my career. Getting with Colin is the

most important thing that has ever happened to me since I've been in the radio podcast. space because of what he brought to me from a credibility standpoint, a distribution standpoint, a sales standpoint, things that I can't really control slash do, definitely when it comes to a distribution standpoint. I'm now on Netflix. I go up on his podcast feed. I couldn't have done that if I tried by myself. Most human beings are dependent on others. And I'd argue no position on the field is more than the quarterback. So when I look at Sam Donald tonight, the way he played in that moment,

think about last week. Now, the 49ers are not this version, the team that was coming in the playoffs, are clearly not as good as the Rams. But they won a game 41 to 6 where he threw for 130 yards. He had 12 completions, and they blew out their opponent.

Well, tonight, that wasn't on the table. They could not afford to have a game where he wasn't potent. with his arm. But not just with his arm, and I told coward this on our podcast earlier tonight, that you've seen in the playoffs, let's use CJ Stroud a couple weeks ago. He made decisions with the ball that crippled his team, that hurt his defense, that hurt his, the momentum of the game,

and basically put them in a position where they could not win. Because when there was no play to be made, you are better off just hitting the ground and taking a six-yard sack, then you are trying to do some hero ball jump in the air, get sacked, fling it, and throw a pick six. And there were a couple times a night because in the Shanahan Kubiak offense, which they might as well be cousins, and Clint Kubiak, who's the OC for Seattle, who feels like he might be the next coach of the Raiders, kind of looks like his dad Gary right now.

But when they run that boot play-action play, your back is to the defense on the back side. and if either the defensive end doesn't bite or they send a blitzer on that side, the play is completely fucked. It easily becomes the worst playing football. When you naked bootleg into pressure that you don't see coming because you're not looking, it's not your fault.

It's no one's fault. It's just a play call. When it works, it's stealing candy from a baby. When it does it, it looks like a batter striking out on three straight pitches without swinging the bat. And on that play, you have a split second when you turn

and there's a guy in your face, you can try to make some miraculous decision. And I do believe that the old Sam Darnold might have done that. And usually that leads to disaster. Ask Jared Sidham earlier today. Sam Donald just hit the ground multiple times. He had three sacks today. He lost 25 yards. So on average, he's losing over eight yards a sack.

I think they were all smart sacks. Because you can turn in a sack into a turnover really, really quick. and I think the guy that we saw last year against the Lions, against the Rams, hell even earlier this season, tried to play Hero Ball. Tonight, not only did he not try to play Hero Ball, he's like, I'm going to dominate this game.

And he made play after play after play with his arm. And to me, he's the best example in recent memory, because even if we argued how good Stafford was, we all agreed he was really good. people did not think that about Sam Darnold. Hell, even last year, most people thought that was a one-year wonder. How do you think the Minnesota Vikings feel right now? Who would you rather have?

Sam Darnold or the hope and the prayer that J.G. McCarthy turns into a functional player. I think we all know the answer to that. So in the playoffs, sometimes if your defense is dominant enough, you don't have to do shit as a quarterback. You can just ride shotgun, which is all the tactics. Texans wanted C.J. Stroud to do, which historically is all Trent Dillfer and Brad Johnson. Here or there, maybe throw a touchdown, but for the most part, manage the game. Do not turn the ball over. Sam the night played like a star. That had to be one of the best, if you factor in the moment, that's the most important and best game he's ever played. He looks spectacular. The offensive

coordinator, Clint Kubiak, was in his bag. Play calls were mainly all working. Jackson Smith is just an elite player. Kenneth Walker has been fantastic. Cooper Cup came through in a big moment. As somewhat as I've aged, has tried to not hold grudges and not let, you know, anger toward other people because, you know, you think he got screwed or whatever, you know, play into your daily life or human beings. I can't imagine the joy Cooper Cup felt when he scored that touchdown. Because Sean McVeigh was right when he cut Cooper Cup and went to Devante Adam. Devonty Adams is a better player. You and I, would have made that move as well. Cooper Cup, if he could remove himself from the situation,

would agree with you. He knows football. But it's him. He's the player. So I don't blame him for thinking like, that's a dumb move. Tonight has to feel pretty good. Made two huge plays, obviously the big touchdown, and beat John McVeigh. Or was a part of the team that beat him, and he gets to go to the Super Bowl. So I think when you look at Seattle, from a defensive standpoint, their special teams are so good, they tackle so well. even the night, they clearly, for a dominant defense, have no answer for Puku and Nakua. He had 160 plus yards at night. He had 220 the last time they played him.

It's like, they can't stop that guy. And Devante being playing in this game, he didn't play in the last game, made two or three huge catch. He had the big touchdown. He had a couple big plays down the sideline. Even the one played Brady's like, well, he's got inside leverage, yet Devante stems him out and gets it back. He's like, I would teach my. wide receivers to just loop around him. He's like, but Devante's so quick, it didn't even matter.

And that's why Devante's, you know, borderline Hall of Fame player. So I think when you watch that game the night, it was elite coaching, elite players, and it was just going to come down to a mistake or two. And there were two major mistakes. One, I understand the letter of the law and taunting is a point of emphasis in the NFL. This is not Little League. and on third and 12 in the second half of a game, when you were up 31 to 20,

and you make an enormous play, did you take it a little too far? Yes. Do you throw a penalty when the guy's screaming at the other team? Basically, I got you. Like, what are we doing? This isn't peewee football. And then the next play, obviously,

Stafford goes right at him and scores a touchdown. But the defining play I thought of the game, and really the defining unit of the Rams, I don't think it's their offense. It was they have a historically bad special teams play. And I think it's easy, and I'm guilty of this, is blaming special teams coaches. Sean McVeigh literally did.

He fired the guy in the middle of the season. I'd argue no unit and no position, no group, is less dependent on the actual specialty or the coach than special teams. The offensive and defensive lines, those coaches impact those units greatly. The coordinators on both sides, offense or defense, the scheme, make or break. The special teams coach has nothing to do with the punter or the kicker.

Absolutely zero. And at the end of the day, the coverage units are pretty dependent who's on that unit, aka how good is your depth? Which, the Rams over the last several years because of some picks, they're not as deep as, let's say, Seattle. But I would argue the details and importance of that unit are actually more on the head coach than they are on the coordinator.

Because if the head coach emphasizes it and holds that unit to the same standard of his baby, Sean McVeigh, offense, a lot of these other coaches' defense, it's not going to be that bad. It might not be great

because you don't control if your kickers making or missing kicks. He does. Your punter, if he sucks, you just got to cut him. You're not going to change his mechanics. And your returners are dependent on who the GM is.

signed or drafted. But you can't convince me that Sean McVeigh takes special team seriously because they fucking suck. And it has been atrocious in every instance imaginable from block field goals to block punts to drop puns to miss tackles, you name it. It has been one thing after another that would never in a million years be tolerated on the offensive or defensive side of the ball for Sean. who's typically the best on special teams

defensive coaches because what do they emphasize the details of tackling who doesn't care about tackling offensive coaches for a long time Kyle Shanahan's special teams were a joke you know why doesn't emphasize it

so you can fire and hire the coaches all you want you can cut and draft kickers and punters and if you get the right kicker a Justin Tucker Adam Vinatieri they're going to make a bunch of kicks If you get the right punter or Shane Leckler or whoever, your unit's, the Seattle punter, you're going to look pretty good. But when it comes to the details of kickoff units

and punt return coverage units, to me that falls on the head coach. And tonight, the drop punt, I just think it's been one thing after another and you can't convince me that Sean McVeigh takes that seriously enough. And I think in his heart of hearts, if we were having a cocktail, he'd have to admit it. he doesn't and it showed and it was cost him seven points tonight and it's cost them all season long

it cost him the number one seat and this is not basketball or baseball where if you have don't have home court or home field advantage in one of those sports you're still going to get home games if i split in the first two games world one one i'm coming back home football you get one shot you get one freaking game and tonight that game that game that game that game that game being in Seattle, not in L.A. is the difference of the noise, the intensity. It changes the game. And it made this path for the Rams so much harder because they had to go back-to-back games on the road in Chicago and then on the road in Seattle where you can't even hear yourself think. And to me it gets back to special teams because special teams cost him in the last game against Seattle when Rahid Shaheed.

He didn't just score a punt return. I don't think there was anyone within 10 yards of them the entire punt return in that regular season game. It has to be, and I bet he'd be the first to admit this, the easiest punt return he's probably had since high school. It was like, where are all the players? There were nowhere to be found. Literally the next day, Sean McVeigh fired his special teams coordinator. But I think of all the, offensive and defensive coordinators,

easy to blame them. The scheme, the play calling, and the decisions, the blitz, to call runs or passes is very evident. Special teams coordinator, I'm sorry. that is as much, if not more, on the head coach. So Sean McVeigh, who's had an excellent season, you know, he had the top offense. He's a great offensive coach.

What he's done with Pooka and Nacua and Devante and Stafford has been amazing to watch. But the special teams is on his watch. It just is. He's the head coach, not the offensive coordinator. And it was simply an embarrassment. So congrats to Seattle Seahawks who are going back there. They're probably my initial pick to win. If Sam Donald's going to play well, they're not going to lose the Patriots.

to me the Patriots chance is for Sam Donald not to play well and their defense is going to have to be fantastic. Today's show is brought to you by our new presenting sponsor Hard Rock Bet. Florida's sports book. The big game matchup is set and I can't wait to see Seattle take on New England. Hard Rock Bet has all the different ways you can get in on Sunday's action here in a couple weeks. Here's what I'm liking right now.

Think I'm going to lean Seattle, kind of big. I think that pass rush is going to overwhelm the offensive line. want to check some touchdown parlayes. I think Donald's going to keep humming. So if you haven't signed up yet, there's never been a better time. This week, they are launching some brand new offers for new customers. Plus, Hard Rock is kicking off with $7 million big game bonus parlay available to all users.

So if you're in Florida, Jersey, the big game energy doesn't just live exclusively on the app. Head to a Hard Rock casino property for drawings, giveaways, all the excitement leading to kickoff. That's Hard Rock Bet. download the Hard Rock Bet app today and make your first deposit. Payable and bonus bets, not a cash offer, offered by Seminole Tribe of Florida in Florida, offered by Seminole Hard Rock Digital LLC in all other states. You must be 21 plus and physically present in Arizona, Colorado, Florida,

Illinois, Indiana, Jersey, Ohio, Tennessee, and Virginia to play. Terms and conditions apply. Concerned about gambling in Florida, call 1-8-33, play wise. In Indiana, if you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-9 with it. Gambling problem, call 1-800-gambler. Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, New Jersey, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia. Hey, it's us, the Jonas brothers, and guess what? We have some big news. What's the news, huge news? We created our own podcast called, Hey, Jonas. We invented a podcast? Well, we didn't invent it. We just contributed to it.

First people to do podcasts. Pretty, yeah, pretty wide range of podcasts. We're starting a trend. But this one's extra special. So how do we actually come up with a name, Hey Jonas, guys? I honestly don't remember. I think it was on a call about what we should call it.

Oh, we were thinking I'm originally calling it one of the early names of our band before Jonas Brothers. This is how you guys remember it going down? Yes. I have a very different memory of this. We were talking about a thing, a bit for the podcast. but could call in and say, hey Jonas, and then I wrote down on my little notepad, Hey Jonas,

and offered it up as a potential title for the podcast. But thanks for remembering that, guys. Listen to Hey Jonas on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Just listen. We don't care where you hear it. 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. What's up, fam? It's Isaiah Thomas. And I'm CJ Toledano, and our podcast Point Game is about defying the odds. Like LeBron heading into the playoffs without Luca and Austin Reed. And finding ways to win no matter what.

He's the smartest player to ever play the game. His IQ is at a level that we've never seen before. And he knows without Luca and Austin Reeves, I got to manipulate the game. We get a player's perspective on the challenges of the playoffs. I think Joker's going to be exhausted this series because when they don't have Rudy in the lineup, he has to really guard guys like Nas Reid.

He has to guard Julius Randall. And then he has to give us everything he gives us on the night-to-night basis on offense. And when IT's friends stop by, like Quentin Richardson, we dive into some playoff history too. Steve Nash will get that thing. That man, hell get the flying. He running up the court, licking his fingers

why he got the ball, like, after you go through a training camp with that, I said, you figure it out real quick. Get your ass up and down the court, and you're going to get the ball. So listen to Point Game on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, I'm Jordanano.

You might know me as that loud guy who yells out, help on the internet. Help! Somebody! But there's so much more to me than me. I'm an actor. I'm a comedian, and recently I've become quite the helper myself. And on my new podcast, Hope I'm a Hypocrite.

I'll be changing lives, helping people in need with my sage advice and thoughtful solutions. Sike, I'm a comedian. I'm not qualified to give good advice. Join me and my comedian friends as we riff, rant, and recommend some of the most legally dubious advice known to man. If I'm calling you, even if you're on your phone, let it ring twice. One ring is too scary. Oh, cream a chicken suit.

Hey, cream a chicken suit. This is Help from a Hypocrite, the worst advice from the dumbest people you know. Listen to Help from Hypocrat as part of the Mike Coutura Podcast Network available on the IHart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Now, speaking of that game, one, it's kind of crazy. we got Vrable versus Mike. We have a defensive Super Bowl. But the Super Bowl, over the last five years, Andy Reid, Siriani,

to, it's just been offensive. I mean, it's been Andy Reed five or six years up until this year. The year it wasn't him, it was Zach Taylor, Sirianni's, Kyle Shanahan's, Bruce Ariens, Siriani again. It's been just offensive guys. Now it's two defensive guys who, shocker, special teams, Take it very seriously.

Because what do defensive guys, whether you're a player like Vrable or a young coach, you spend time on that unit. You don't just overlook it and think about running go routes and post routes and double moves. You factor in and you value the coverage teams. And the Patriots, probably more than any team in recent memory, are just overachievers. Because if you think about it, the last, all the Chiefs teams, the Joe Burrow team, those Eagles teams, like they've ever been a team with a ton of talent guys in the prime of their career.

I'm sorry, I just don't view the Patriots quite like that. I view the Patriots as a high-level coaching operation. And today is a great example of dumb in a game like that. You know, to me, you could, like the special teams play. but like it was just a bunch of high-level plays offensive and defensively in that Seattle Rams game. The weather wasn't a huge factor. I mean, it was cold, but there was no water.

There was no crazy wins. It was just like you got to execute at high level. In a snow game like that, in a game in the low-20s high teens, and then once the blizzard hits, dumb is going to lose more than great's going to win. And to me, Sean Payton, I've said forever,

if you don't kick a field goal in a zero-zero-zero game in the first half, you're a fucking idiot. I don't care what the story. spreadsheet says, there's no way you can justify not taking the points when the score is zero zero. But all these coaches do it led by Ben Johnson, Dan Campbell, Sean Payton, I don't understand it. When you're back-up quarterback's in the game and you are dominating the Patriots and you have a chance, I get its fourth and one, you know, deep in the red zone, you have a chance to kick a chip-shop field goal. Because once you get past like 40 yards in the wind and the snow,

you never know, as we saw in the second half. But he was going to, let's going to hit that field You're up 10-0 with your backup quarterback dominating the game against the second-year quarterback, who in the course of his life hasn't played in that many big games. As a rookie, he played in zero big games. This year, he's played in a lot, but this is his first year playing in big games. He's on the road in crazy temperatures, in crazy conditions, and you have a chance to go up multiple scores. On top of that, your backup quarterback, this isn't like a Daniel Jones or Mack Jones,

or some of these guys that have been starters, that have played to, This guy has no reps for years. He's never been a full-time starter. You get to go pedal to the metal. This is not Drew Brees or even Bo Nix, where I would kind of understand it. I would disagree with it, but I was like, okay, I get the logic. Your backup quarterback, and then you put the ball in his hands,

and then listen, I understand Sean Payton's hurting after the game. He's with Evan Washburn talking about the game. He kind of like just at least have the understanding that you screwed that play up. and say this one's on me, I should have gone back, because when the weather turned, and even if you look at the weather pregame, it didn't look like it was going to be a crazy blizzard. So once the second half, it probably got way worse than any of them knew it was going to get. But once it got like that, that became the decision of the game. And a lot of times decisions are determined in the second half,

and we don't spend much time talking about the first or early second quarter. But in a game like that where the second quarter was completely moot, and it was just punt, punt, punt, Miss Field goal, punt, punt, punt, punt, Miss Field goal, punt. That's all it was. You'd watch the game, you had no clue where the ball was. I was like, I don't even know what Yard Line was. Jim Nance would get on the mic and be like,

honestly, guys, I could try to tell you, but I don't even know. No one knew. Because Sean Payton, who taught Dan Campbell, is always, it's egregious. These games, especially in a freezing cold temperature, was never going to be with a backup quarterback. You ain't scoring 28 points. 10 points are a really, really big deal.

And he went for it, and it changed the game. And then a series later, instead of makes a backup quarterback type play. It should have been a touchdown on the fumble, but they blew the whistle, and I think the next play or two plays later, they score a touchdown. So it's like, ball don't lie.

They deserved it, and all of a sudden, instead of being 10-0, it's 7-7. And then once second half starts and the weather gets weird, It's like this game's a joke. And you never felt like anyone was going to score. So I just think that Mike Vrable, I just, there has to be some sort of thought process

when you're in these situations to go, why are we going for it right here? Because I want to keep the momentum of this drive. The point of the whole sport is to have more points than your opponent when the clock strikes double zero. And I do think when you look at, at defensive coaches. Mike McDonald went for it less on fourth down than any coach in the league.

And Mike Vrable, who, like, I view Mike Vrable as like a total alpha, got balls. As a former player who's played in some of these crazy games, like, he was being pretty conservative. What did he do in the second half? Ran the ball for like over 100 yards. I forget exactly how many carries, but it was just carry after carry after carry. Drake May, a bunch of runs. Like, we're not going to do anything done here.

And John Payton wants your backup quarterback, which is no one's fault. free deal, you just had a huge, huge disadvantage. And that play of going for it ends up costing them the game. There's no way around it. And typically, and I do this for a living now, for a long time, reacting to games. You don't spend that much time in game reactions. I definitely don't. Obviously, if you're a coach or whatever the next day with your team,

but the way we discuss, the way fans discuss, the way podcasts discuss, it's a lot of, we talk about the second half. yet the first half in that play I thought defined the game two plays by Siddham I don't put that on Sidum there was nowhere for him to go with the ball but that fourth down call

and then the fumble he had were the two defining moments of the game and the Denver Broncos who were the one seed which is not going to be easy to be the one seat every freaking year it's a huge huge advantage to get games at home loose when they would have had a chance

in a situation with the backup quarterback to go to the Super Bowl. Now, I'm not saying they would have won, and I think we all win as fans that the Patriots won that game and not the Denver Broncos, because they might have lost by 20 points with Jared Sidham against Seattle. But still, if I'm a Bronco fan, that's not the point. Like, how does that happen?

It's a Ben Johnson, Dan Campbell thing. Like, can we just start using our brains? Can you just use your brain? My dad used to say that to me, because I used to do some dumb shit. I made bad decisions for like first 30 years of my life. Not crazy bad decisions, but one that would piss your parents off, especially when I was growing up in my teams.

Use your head. You know the difference between right and wrong. These coaches know the difference. I'm not even arguing with the mathematicians in most of these spots, but you can't convince me in a zero-zero-zero game or a game where you're up seven to nothing that the field goal is not the right play in that moment. because it 100% is, especially if you factor in the variable of the weather.

Even if the crazy blizzard had never come, just with that weather alone and your defense is dominating, they're going to be at such a big disadvantage. So it's like, I think that loss falls much more on Sean Payton. Just like the Sean McVay thing, I understand his offense was great, but holy moly, his special teams. Like, you're the head coach, you're the boss. and I just think sometimes these decisions are just head-scratching. They really are.

And now the Patriots, I'm not bothered because I didn't hate the Patriots. I really liked Brady as a player. I love Belichick. I loved Edelman. I loved, you know, McCordy and Hightower. I loved everything they stood for, how smart they were, how buttoned up they were, how clutch they were. I had a lot of admiration for kind of their just operation.

So I'm not as big of a Patriot hater. though there are a lot of them that exist. And you look up, if you're a Bill's fan, you are going to root so hard for Seattle, that the New England Patriots, and listen, they have the easiest schedule during the season. Then they played Jim Harbaugh and Justin Herbert, the best defense in the league,

and had to go on the road in a blizzard against the number one season. I get they had their backup quarterback, but still, you got to tip your hat to him. And they also beat Josh Allen during the regular season. It's like, the Patriots did what they had to do, and now they're in the Super Bowl. Even though they're a clear underdog, 60 minutes of one game.

Drake may plays well. The weather would probably be nice in Levi's in a couple weeks. You fucking win the game. If you run the ball well and kind of just slow down the game and have a good defensive game playing against Sam Donald, it's a winnable game. I can't imagine if I was a Bill's fan, just the thought of the Patriots,

and Robert Kraft up there with his little Letterman jacket and his 28-year-old girlfriend sitting, standing next to Mike Frable at his waistline, smiling, holding that Lombardi, I would puke. I really would. And it's on the table. This is a team that...

I just can't get over. I thought they were going to be good. I picked them to make the playoffs. But the New England Patriots are in the Super Bowl? That's insane. Their offensive line stinks. Will Campbell can't block anybody. This is going to be a tough matcher for him.

We'll get into that later. Congrats to Mike Vrable. Took a team. He'd be the first player and coach to win Super Bowls with the same team. Be a remarkable accomplishment. Three Super Bowl's as a player, win one as a coach. Man. So we will dive into a lot of the Super Bowl.

That game, anyone that watched on Netflix, that dude Alex climb that building in Tokyo, it's one of the craziest things I've ever watched. I didn't watch it live. bunch of people so then I went back. I kind of fast forward through. I wasn't going to watch an hour and a half climb the building, but I would just go to different spots. I mean, it's one of the most incredible accomplishments I've ever seen and the difficulty of it. That's what trying to get a yard or a first down in that weather was like the equivalent of that guy scaling some of these areas of that building. I think the building was like 1,700 feet.

Some of the visuals of the camera were just insane. But every time he would just grip, you're like, this is, this is crazy. What if this guy fell? He doesn't have a parachute, he doesn't have a rope. He would just fall to his death, and we would all witness it. It would be a viral moment for the rest of my life. And you're just watching this game. I've watched a decent amount of snow games.

I don't feel I've ever seen anything quite with the wind, the snow, the difficulty of offensive football, quite like I'm watching right now. And to win that game, it feels like you win multiple games. Like Mike Vrable and Josh McDaniels got to be. and Drake May, we just won that game? Yeah, you want it. It feels like you just won a group of playoff games. So,

congrats to the Patriots, congrats to Seattle. Kind of bittersweet that the playoffs are over, now we're on to the Super Bowl. Again, we got to really enjoy the next couple weeks of Super Bowl content because then we don't have a game for a long, long time.

And unless you want to see Scotty Schaeffler win every week, which that might happen, there's not much going on. Pitchers and catchers report here a couple weeks. That gets your gears flowing. It doesn't do much for me. But let's enjoy football while we have it. Let's dive into Mike McCarthy.

Hey, it's us, the Jonas Brothers. And guess what? We have some big news. What's the news, huge news? We created our own podcast called, Hey, Jonas. We invented a podcast? Well, we didn't invent it.

We just contributed to it. We're the first people to do podcasts. Pretty, yeah, pretty wide range of podcasts throughout there. But this one's extra special. So how did we actually come up with a name, Hey Jonas, guys? I honestly don't remember. I think it was on a call about what we should call it. Oh, we were thinking I'm originally calling it one of the early names of our band before Jonas Brothers.

This is how you guys remember it going down? Yes. I have a very different memory of this. We were talking about a thing, a bit for the podcast, where people could call in and say, hey, Jonas. and then I wrote down on my little notepad, Hey Jonas, and offered it up as a potential title for the podcast. But thanks for remembering that, guys. Listen to Hey Jonas on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts,

or wherever you get your podcast. Just listen. We don't care where you hear it. 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 Headwere

writer Street or Sidell, 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.

What's up, fam? It's Isaiah Thomas. And I'm C.J. Toledano, and our podcast Point Game is about defying the odds. Like LeBron heading into the playoffs without Luca and Austin Reed. And finding ways to win no matter what. He's the smartest player to ever play. the game. His IQ is at a level that we've never seen before. And he knows. Without Luca and

Austin Reeves, I got to manipulate the game. We get a player's perspective on the challenges of the playoffs. I think Joker's going to be exhausted this series because when they don't have Rudy in the lineup, he has to really guard guys like Nas Reid. He has to guard Julius Randall. And then he has to give us everything he gives us on the night-to-night basis on offense. And when IT's friends stop by, like Quentin Richardson, we dive into some playoff history too. Steve Nass, get that thing. That man,

hell get to flyin. He running up the court, licking his fingers why he got the ball, like, after you go through a training camp with that, Isaiah, you figure it out real quick.

Get your ass up and down the court, and you're going to get the ball. So listen to Point Game on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. The story I've told myself about love or relationships can then shake my behavior, and that can lead me to sabotage the possible. ability of connection.

This mental health awareness month, tune into the podcast deeply well with Debbie Brown and explore the journey of healing, self-discovery, and returning to yourself. We explore higher consciousness, emotional well-being, and the practices that help you find clarity,

peace, and self-mastery in a world that can feel overwhelming. The world is becoming lonelier. We're not becoming more social and connected. We're becoming more individualized. But we actually meet people in connection. If you've been searching for a soft place to land

while doing the work to become whole, this podcast is for you to hear more. Listen to deeply well with Debbie Brown from the Black Effect Podcast Network on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Okay, I'm recording this part before the games. So if anything changes after the fact,

you can't hold me to it. But I definitely wanted to hit on some things that happened over the last course of the, I don't know, three or four days. I haven't recorded since Thursday afternoon, so Friday, Saturday. We had a lot going on. And I want to start with the news of Mike McCarthy being the head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers. And I saw a lot of reaction on the social channels of shock and all. Can't believe this.

Didn't see this coming. You didn't? Did you hear the owner when the day after or two days after Mike Tomlin stepped down? We will not rebuild. We do not plan on throwing a year away. So the situation historically, especially I can't speak to definitely Chuck Knoll, but even Cow, I think I was eight or nine years old when he was hired. But when Mike Tomlin was hired, the previous three years,

15 and 1 conference championship game, 11 and 5 Super Bowl champions, The previous year was 8 and 8, but the team was equipped with a lot of young players and obviously a quarterback. And they took a chance on a young coach, which clearly was the right decision. A couple years later, they are Super Bowl champions. But this team and that team, not many similarities. Again, when the owner says, essentially this is not some of these teams in this league that are going to nuke their operation, we'll get into Miami here in a second.

Cleveland has done in the past. happens in the NBA and Major League Baseball all the time, we are not throwing a season away. It's why I think a lot of fans over the course of the last, definitely 10 years since they won a playoff game, but the last several years were like, I can't watch this Steeler thing anymore. The owners weren't unhappy.

They were glad that they were competitive. They were cool with making the playoffs every year. They would rather do that at 9 and 8 or 10 and 7 and get curbsomped in the first round, then win three games and throw away a season. Literally the people that own the franchise told you that. So hiring Mike McCarthy, who has a very similar kind of record to a couple guys that we hold high regard, right?

Tomlin's got a Super Bowl, John Harbaugh's got a Super Bowl. Harbaugh had every team in the league teams with coaches calling him. You had Tomlin, if he was in the situation like John Harbaugh, quote unquote, available, it would be the same thing. yet we look at Mike McCarthy like the village idiot, right? We just do, fair or not. So when people, when he gets hired, everyone goes, what the fuck? Right?

I mean, it wasn't that long ago. His three-year stretch in Dallas of his five years, they won the division twice, hosted two playoff games. Now, didn't have any playoff success, right? And he looked at Tomlin, not any playoff success. Now, the difference is his quarterback situation, McCarthy had DAC, which very, very fair to be critical of the McCarthy, you know, run in Dallas in terms of the playoffs.

But in regular season, like, you can't dispute. He is much more equipped next year in the next couple years than the unknown of these coordinators. But they weren't going to do the unknown of these coordinators because, one, this class, there aren't any Ben Johnson out there. And two, the owner wants to try to win nine or ten games next year. And Mike McCarthy solidifies the ability to coach the quarterback. They don't have one.

But at least in their mind, he can call the plays in an offensive oriented league and help us build up and find a quarterback. But that's where I would pump the brakes. Because again, I was not shocked when they hired Mike McCarthy. Because the owner clearly wanted to compete, which I disagree. I would nuke this bad boy. I would blow this, you know what up, but they will not. That is not the Steeler way.

So it turns out the standard is the standard. It's kind of BS. The standard in Pittsburgh now is just clawing your way to a first-round exit, but like the expectation is to make the playoffs. Anything less than that is a failure, which in a weird way I can respect, right? But here's the thing with Mike McCarthy. This quarterback guru obviously has a lot of success, coaching Aaron Rogers, coaching Dak Prescott, knows how to call the offense. No one can argue that. Here's the problem. When he got hired by the Green Bay Packers, they had two quarterbacks on the roster, both Hall of Famers, one Brett

Fav and the previous year they had drafted Aaron Rogers. Here's the thing. Mike McCarthy was the offensive coordinator for the Niners who famously chose Alex Smith over Aaron Rogers. Now only he and a couple people inside really know how much juice he had in that decision doesn't feel like he was anti that decision. And then when he got hired with the Cowboys, they already had Dak Prescott, who was in the prime of his career.

So like this Mike McCarthy being able to just find guys out of thin, air, I don't know if I would go that for. And that is what the Pittsburgh Steelers in the situation they're going to be in. Because Aaron Rogers, whether he agrees to come back or not, kind of a moot point. He's 42 years old. They're going to have to find somebody capable. And he's led a pretty charmed life of inheriting Aaron Rogers, who was already on the roster and obviously, Dak Prescott. Hell, you could say Aaron Rogers' best case scenario. And he deserves credit. I'm not trying to act like he didn't influence their play and play a big role. But my point is, is finding the guy, like, we all know we can coach him.

I could give Mike McCarthy tomorrow, Jared Goff, Josh Allen, you know, any top 15 quarterback, Brock Purdy, you name it, Sam Darnold, and he would be competitive. But they don't have that guy. So how do they find the guy? That would, that's the thing that I would wonder the most. Now, I think for Mike McCarthy personally, this has to be pretty incredible. You know when you see like Tom Brady's and Leonardo DiCaprio's and these guys that only date supermodels?

Like they don't even know what an eight looks like. They wouldn't even give her the time of day. That's kind of the football life Mike McCarthy's led as a head coach. He has coached two of the most iconic franchises in the history of sports worldwide in the Green Bay Packers and the Dallas Cowboys. He won a Super Bowl. He coached Eric Rogers. And then the Dallas Cowboy thing, while a little weird, He still got to be the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys on a team for several years.

It was fucking good. Like it doesn't get that much better. You see some of these guys, like Liam Cohen. Looks like a star head coach. He's coaching the Jags. Jonathan Gannon got his shot. He was coaching the Cardinals. Mike McCarthy Packers Cowboys.

And then he just happens to be from Pittsburgh, probably the most consistent franchise beside the Packers, but they didn't have a downturn kind of like the Packers. For 50 years they've been winning. He gets hired by the Pittsburgh Steelers. Now, this is not the Tomlin. entry point in the mid-2000s. This is not a great entry point.

And people have DM me like, Middilcock, you've been critical of this job. I have never disputed the gravitas of being the head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers. The amount of fans they have in America worldwide, they are a fucking powerhouse. They are a job that you would want to coach in terms of the franchise matters.

I will never argue that. But in terms of the entry point of front office, I don't think is that great. I'm sorry. I just judge them by their moves, and two, by people in the NFL that mainly on good playoff teams, some of them still playing. A lot of them with rings, say, like, a lot of clowns in that operation. So that has not been the case historically.

Right now, I got the front office red flag. And obviously, from a roster standpoint, it's just a lot of old players. Now you can move on, but you still got to replace them. It's like, well, we can move on from this guy and that guy. Okay, how are you going to find your next T.J. When you're literally trying to find a quarterback. So you got this D.K. Metcalf, you're just going to cut them? You just waste a second round pick, which I wouldn't blame you, but like this roster situation for McCarthy,

a lot of question marks, a lot of question marks, when the expectation is to win or else. Because part of the reason Tomlin just kept keeping his job year after year after year after year, it turns out because he never lost. Right? They were not mad at 9 and 10 wins. They were happy with it. That is their standard, which is fair. which is fair.

So this McCarthy thing taking a lot of people for a loop and surprising people. I just don't. You must not have been paying attention to when Art Rooney the 17th or whatever his name is spoke because he told you, we do not take years off. Another story from the weekend that really made me laugh is the Cleveland Browns who are forcing their coaches to take personality test, which honestly is not that weird. I think a lot of big-time jobs, including the NFL, forced players to take personality tests. But here was the thing that jumped out to me.

They had homework, and they had to write essays. And I googled this, and I wasn't able to get to the bottom. But I would guess that Andrew Barry, who is the GM of the Cleveland Browns, and his brother who worked on Wall Street forever and is now working for Howie Roseman, I think essentially is as like number two, were raised by educators. It wouldn't shock me at all. Both Ivy League guys, clearly very intellectually, I would call them smart, right? But the way they look, the lens in which they look through life is based on an academic background.

And forcing coaches, one, it's just clown activity, there's no way around it. This is a verbal communication job. Be like, hey, John, we want you to be a podcast or a radio host, but we need you to write a two-page essay. Well, what does that have to do with the job that I'm going to take on? Because even as a coach, what are you ever writing? You are verbalizing to the media, to the press, to your team. Obviously, you have to have IQ and EQ, but you're not writing essays. And I'd argue in 2006, and I grew up in a world where you had to learn cursive and write a bunch of essays and have your teacher, mark it all up with a red pen.

Has that ever been less relevant? I'm not saying you don't need to learn and read and write. But in terms of like what you had to do in high school and college in terms of essays for most of these professionals, professions, pretty fucking irrelevant in this modern day society. And I would say in the coaching profession, not relevant at all. And if you need, when you ever see these releases, well, the agents slash chat GPT are doing that now. So I think that Barry and the mindset of judging what I'm looking for is coming through a lens

that isn't that relevant to what you're looking for. Here's the other problem. No one else is asking you to do this. So when you are an organization around the league that is a laughing stock viewed as a joke, it's hard for you to throw curveballs that other organizations simply are not doing and then have anyone with any credibility take you seriously. And I'm not talking about some guy talking into a microphone or fans at home, talking to their buddies making fun.

I'm talking about the candidates that you're trying to hire. There's a reason that this job, which should have more juice, let's say, than the Cardinals, who are by far the worst job on the market and seems like no one wants to touch it with a 10-foot pole should have people at least interested because they do have some core pieces, they got multiple first-round picks, but then I view the way that you view this operation,

it's unlike all these other places that are winning. You think the Pittsburgh Steelers made Mike McCarthy write them a two-page essay? Of course not. Do you think the Baltimore Ravens made Jesse Minter do that? Of course not. Do you think this happens anywhere else in terms of writing an essay and doing homework,

you should have done homework when you go to the interview. Welcome to life. So when I view the Cleveland Browns who get made fun of, because sometimes there's pushback, it's like, we're just the, it's easy to kick us when we're down. No, you bring this upon yourself. And I think there's just like a merging

of this academic mindset that doesn't really mix here in the football world. And I can't even imagine what people are, all around the league are saying about the situation because when that went viral, when Pellasaro said it on NFL network, I'm sorry, a lot of people are like, what? What did they just say? People that at least didn't know it because people that have already done it, I have probably let it be known like, this is what's going on there.

So I just, there's a reason you lose. And these situations are reflections of you guys have no fucking clue what you're doing. A couple more things, the bills involving job. in their coaching search, which I understand. You want him to have a rapport understanding and feel like he is a business partner in this venture. Because he is. When you're in business with Mahomes, when you're in business with Josh Allen, like this is not the NBA, where LeBron just wants to bend you over and screw you at any moment in terms of he's going to do 100% always what he wants to do.

You got to draft my son. You don't have a choice. And you see that article coming out? You're like, God, this has got to be a pain in the ass. It's great when he's in the prime of his career, not in the prime of his career. This sucks being in business. But if you want to be in business, this is how we operate. That's not the case.

Like Patrick Mahomes, great business partner. Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen, great business partners. In the NFL, most of these guys, the high-level quarterbacks, great to be Tom Brady, Peyton Manning. It's credible to be in business with him, right? So when you look at the Buffalo Bills involving him, I understand. The only risk I see is what if he wants you to do something that you don't want to do? Like, that is the risk of involving a player in your coaching search that if he goes,

I think we should hire X and you want to hire Y, does that create some sort of tension in the building? And it's avoidable. And Boshadhi said this about Lamar Jackson. Like, yeah, he has influence. He just doesn't have the power, you know? And there's a fine line. And what if Lamar Jackson, they already hired Jesse Minter, but I think the Josh Allen thing like Philip Rivers

like sign me up for that that would be sick how awesome would it be for Philip Rivers to coach a game in paths like what's he doing he's coaching game football but yeah he's the back of quarterback so if Josh were to go down he would just go in and then he would call his own place I've said this forever about the rivers the breezes

Peyton Manning Brady these guys could do any role if they wanted to like you don't think they could be a head coach you don't think some of these guys we see become head coaches that are basically gym teachers? Those guys couldn't pull off? Are you out of your mind? Philip Rivers could be a head coach tomorrow. Would there be a learning curve? Of course. But like, what has he not seen from guys getting in trouble, draft picks failures, the wiring of guys? He could do it. I actually think he could seamlessly do it. I hope they hire him,

though I doubt they do, but sign me up for that. And honestly, I want player coach. I want him to coach a game in pads, in his football pants, in his shoulder pads, helmet on the side, and if Josh, like, rolled an ankle, he just runs in. Tell me who wouldn't be excited for that moment? Not me. I'm in. My guess would be Brian Dayball is the coach, and that's who Josh Allen wants, if that's the case. But who knows? Maybe him and Phillip Rivers, I don't know about their personal relationship. What if he's like, I want Philip Rivers? And they're like, yeah, that's kind of crazy, but why not? Who enjoys football, whether you're a Bill's fans or not, if I told you they hired Philip Rivers tomorrow, especially like, no one can argue what he just did coming back

and playing in his understanding of the game, having not played for five years. Obviously, there's a physical element of playing that there's not in coaching, but once you watch that, you're like, this guy is a coach. I mean, he literally isn't in high school, but just like his whole thing. Same with Peyton Manning. Like, they did not have big arms, so they had to outthink you. They had to go into games like they were Sean McVey or Kyle Shanahan. They just happened to be on the field. But their arms, Philip Rivers' arm has been weak since he was like 30 years old. His arm was a little stronger probably when he's younger, but it's not great.

Same with Drew Brees. Drew Brees never had a big arm. He had to out think you. So that would be awesome. And last but not least. Hey, it's us, the Jonas Brothers. And guess what? We have some big news.

What's the news? Huge news. We created our own podcast called, Hey Jonas. We invented a podcast? Well, we didn't invent it. We just contributed to a... We're the first people to do podcasts. Pretty, yeah, pretty wide range of podcasts throughout there.

But this one's extra special. So how did we actually come up with a name, Hey Jonas, guys? I honestly don't remember. I think it was on a call about what we should call it. Well, we were thinking I'm originally calling it one of the early names of our band. Before Jonas Brothers was... This is how you guys remember it going down? Yes.

I have a very different memory of this. We were talking about a thing. a bit for the podcast for people could call in and say, Hey Jonas. And then I wrote down on my little notepad, Hey Jonas, and offered it up as a potential title for the podcast. But thanks for remembering that, guys. Listen to Hey Jonas on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Just listen. We don't care where you hear it. 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 helped make you funny. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and headwriter, 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. What's up, fam?

It's Isaiah Thomas. And I'm C.J. Toledano, and our podcast Point Game is about defying the odds. Like LeBron heading into the playoffs without Luca and Austin Reed. And finding ways to win. matter what. He's the smartest player to ever play the game. His IQ is at a level that we've never seen before. And he knows without Luca and Austin Reeves, I got to manipulate the game. We get a player's perspective on the challenges of the playoffs. I think Joker's going to be exhausted this series because when they don't have Rudy in the lineup, he has to really guard guys

like Nas Reid. He has to guard Julius Randall. And then he has to give us everything he gives us on the night-to-night basis on offense. And when IT's friends stop by, like Quentin Richard We dive into some playoff history too. Steve Nash will get that thing. That man, hell get the flying. He running up the court, licking his fingers why he got the ball. Like, you go through a training camp with that, Isaiah. You figure it out real quick.

Get your ass up and down the court, and you're going to get the ball. So listen to Point Game on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, I'm Jared Adano. You might know me as that loud guy who yells out, help on the internet. Help! Somebody! But there's so much more to me than that. I'm an actor.

I'm a comedian, and recently I've become quite the helper myself. And on my new podcast, Hope from a Hypocrite, I'll be changing lives, helping people in need with my sage advice and thoughtful solutions. Sike, I'm a comedian. I'm not qualified to give good advice. Join me and my comedian friends as we riff, rant, recommend some of the most legally dubious advice known to man. If I'm calling you, even if you're on your phone, let it ring twice.

One ring is too scary. Oh, cream a chicken suit. Hey, cream, cream a chicken suit. This is Help from a Hypocrite, the worst advice from the dumbest people you know. Listen to Help from Hypocrite as part of the Mike Coutura Podcast Network available on the IHart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I watched the press conference for the Miami Dolphins, and they essentially did the opposite of what the Pittsburgh. FERC Steelers did. They understand, like, it's time to throw some grenades on this roster. Let's blow this, you know what up. And my big takeaway from watching these two guys, which

kind of look similar, they both look like, I don't know, 5-11 to 6-foot white guys, pretty low body fat, drink a lot of coffee, and just pretty smart guys. Like, both their press conferences, a lot of you guys have hit me in the DMs, like when you become a father, and this is definitely true as someone that lost their dad. Things trigger you to make you emotional. Both of them started crying about their families. And I'm watching the thing on my phone, on the stairmaster at the gym. And I'm just crying my eyes out.

And people are walking by probably thinking like, what is wrong with this guy? I'm like, just watch the Miami Dolphins press conference here. Halfley's talking about his dad who passed away. It's just, it hit me. I didn't say that. But a couple people are just like wiping my eyes with the towel. I give the Miami Dolphins credit that it feels. like they hired pretty sharp guys. Obviously, Eric John Sullivan, that we're not sure that Stephen

Ross knew his name. Older guy, a lot going on. Don't totally blame him. Kind of a weird name, too. He said, just call me, Sully. Hire the guy from the Green Bay Packers, which totally understand that they have a pretty good tracker. The guys worked there for like almost 25 years. And Halfley has kind of been a shooting star now for a while. So get rid of to a bottom out. Like, if you are okay with bottoming out, hiring young people and taking a chance is okay. Right? The Rams, their expectation, they got good immediately with Sean McVey, but they were okay with like taking a step back to take a couple steps forward.

Pittsburgh Steelers were not. The Miami Dolphins are. It's also a very tough job in Miami. One, I've said forever the culture of the city is hard to overcome. All the players have never been richer. The city doesn't sleep. It's just there's a ton of different shit to get into. This is not like, oh, the guys play in New York City.

They don't live in New York City. L.A., the bar shut down in California at like 11 o'clock most days. So it's like, what are you even going to do? Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Green Bay, some of these smaller cities, there's nothing to do. Pittsburgh, there probably is, never been there. No shot at Pittsburgh. I was trying to say Green Bay and Buffalo. But it's a huge disadvantage in Miami.

It just did in this modern-day society. And you got Josh Allen and you got the New England. Patriots who might may have might not have won again recording this part before the games need to finish so I can go watch them but you got an uphill battle luckily you got the jets no excuse to lose of them but I am really excited to watch these guys because you watch these guys talk football clearly the GM who's had a right hand been Gudecans right hand man now for years and you know mentored under Ted Thompson for a long time and Halfley who was just extremely well respected around football and just kind of comes off like a grinder.

I mean, the dude slept under his desk for a couple years when he was young. He gave pretty good advice. When they asked him about that situation, he's like, listen, I put all my chips in the middle of the table. I was a guy that, and he even said, a lot of people I went to college with were working in New York City, crushing it. My first job was paying me $2,500. And I can relate to that a little bit. Like, when I got in football at Fresnel State, I made a scholarship check. When the Eagles hired me, I think I made $25K,000.

no bennies. You're just kind of living day to day. And all your chips are in the middle of the table on the situation. A lot of these jobs, I had friends that, you know, worked in finance, worked in tech, even their entry-level jobs, you know, pay a lot of money. And also like the hours, even if quote-unquote crazy, they ain't football. You see Mike McDonald? So he sees his son, Jack, great name, by the way, 30 minutes to an hour a week. Like, this is not a normal profession. And he wasn't asking for sympathy. It just comes with the territory. But Halfley put all his chips in the middle of the table and 20 years later he's the head coach in the NFL.

The volume. Hey guys, it's us. The Jonas Brothers. I'm Joe. I'm Kevin. And I'm Nick. And guess what? We created our own podcast called, Hey Jonas. We invented a podcast? Well, we didn't invent it. We just contributed to it. We're the first people to do podcasts. We get to ask other people questions because we're sick and tired of being asked questions.

Well, sick and tired is a strong way to put it. But, you know, Tired and sick. Tired and sick. Listen to Hey Jonas on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Just listen. We don't care where you hear it. 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. If you're watching the latest season of the Real Housewives of Atlanta, you already know there's a lot to break down. Gorsha accusing Kelly of sleeping with a married man.

They hold him Kay Michelle back from fighting Drew. Pinky has financial issues. On the podcast, Reality with the King, I, Carlos King, Recap the biggest moments from your favorite reality shows, including the Real House Wise franchise, the drama, the alliances, and the T, everybody's talking about. To hear this and more, listen to Reality with the King

on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. I'm Joey Dardano, and on my new podcast, hope from a hypocrite, I'll be changing lives, helping people in need with thoughtful solutions. Sike, I'm a comedian. I'm not qualified to give good advice. Join me and my comedian friends as we riff, rant, recommend some of the most legally dubious advice known to me. This is Help from a Hypocrite, the worst advice from the dumbest people you know.

Listen to Help from a Hypocrite Wednesdays on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.