The Herd with Colin Cowherd - 3 & Out - Tua gets put on Short-Term IR, Justin Fields is the guy, Kauff on Campus

Episode Date: September 18, 2024

John reacts to the news that Tua has been placed on the short-term IR and what that means for his future this season and if we'll see him on the field again. John also dives into how Justin Fields has solidified himself as the Steelers starter after starting the season 2-0, did the Bears make a mistake by not drafting an OL in the first round, should Brian Flores be getting more credit for his defense, and the latest installment of "Kauff on Campus." Finally, John answers your questions during this episode's mailbag segment. 6:49 - Tua gets put on short-term IR 16:05 - Is Fields the long-term starter 19:28 - Did the Bears make a big mistake 27:15 - Should Flores get more respect 30:53 - Kauff on Campus 43:42 - Mailbag Follow John on Twitter, Instagram and YouTube for the latest. Check out Gametime - the fastest growing ticketing app in the US, and the official ticketing app of 3 & Out and GoLow -  for tickets to all of your favorite NFL, NBA, NHL, NCAA teams. Concert and comedy show tickets, too. Go to Gametime now to create an account, download the app and use code JOHN for $20 off your first purchase. #Volume #HerdSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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

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

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

How many men carry a suit or armor? It signals to the world that you're not to be played with. And just because you have the capability that does not mean that you need to. Listen and learn the hard way on the AHA radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. Hey, this is Robert from the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Joe and I are both lifelong Star Wars fan, so we're celebrating May the 4th with a brand new week of fun, thought-provoking Star Wars-related episodes. Join us as we tackle science and culture topics from a galaxy far, far away,

such as the biology of Tontons and Wampas on the ice planet, or the practicality and corporate business sense of the Sith rule of two. Listen to stuff to blow your mind on the Iheart 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 unfilts of coverage. 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 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.

The volume. Touchdowns. TD. Huddy. Taking into the house. In for six. I like to call it a tug. Whatever you call touchdown, one thing's for sure.

Touchdowns matter more. at Draft King Sportsbook, an official sports betting partner of the NFL. On the ground, in the air, special teams or defense, we do not care how you score them. We just want to bet touchdowns. And Draft King Sportsbook is the number one place to bet touchdowns. Ready to place your first NFL bet? Try betting on something simple like a player to score a touchdown. Go to Draft King Sportsbook app and make your bet today.

Ready to do a touchdown dance of your own? I know I do it all the time. New Draft King's customers bet five bucks to get 250 in bonus bets instantly and get one month of NFL Plus premium. Download the Draft King Sportsbook app and use the code John. That's code J-O-H-N for new customers to get 250 in bonus bets when you bet just five bucks and get one month NFL plus premium. Only on Draft Kings, the crown is yours. Gambling problem. Call 1-800 Gambler. In New York, call 877 8-8-open Y or text-hold.

Open Y-467-369. In Connecticut, help is available for Problem Gambling. Call 888-88-9-777-7-7 or visit ccpg.org. Please play responsibly. On behalf of Boothill Casino and Resort in Kansas, 21 and over, age and eligibility varies by jurisdiction. Void in New Hampshire, Oregon and Ontario. Bonus bets expire 168 hours after issuance. For additional terms and responsible gaming resources, see dkng.com slash FT Ball.

NFL Plus premium offer available only to new and former NFL Plus subscribers. Additional NFL plus premium terms at NFL.com slash terms. What is going on, everybody? How are we doing? I'm John. This is the Rene out podcast. Hopefully everyone's having a good day. We recorded an interview today with Jay Gruden.

That will be out on Thursday. Today I wanted to discuss Tua, who I put on IR, Fields, who Tomlin says is going to be the starting quarterback, the rookie quarterbacks, Flores, who's dominating in Minnesota, but will that lead to a head coaching job? And then like we will do every Wednesday cough on campus, as well as a mailbag at John Middlecoff,

Instagram fire in those DMs. We put out on the YouTube channel today, played 18 holes. That's up there on the YouTube channel. I'm shooting another video, Break 80, if you're listening to this on Wednesday today. And then we're going to start working on, playing with some athletes,

coaches or people in general. We'll see what happens. So we're going to get that off and running now. So you can go check that out on the YouTube channel. Subscribe to the channel. Obviously, if you listen on Collins feed, three and out, subscribe to the separate feed. Appreciate everyone that has.

We've got a football game Thursday night, Jets, Pats. So we'll talk a little bit about that Thursday, and as well as the Jay Gruden talking quarterbacks and offenses. And just the Grudens, they're beauties. So other than that, a lot going on, not really. So let's just keep on swinging.

But I was thinking about, because on just college football in general, you know, on Instagram, I often get these incredible reels from, you know, these stadiums in college. And one of the coolest ones is when they play Dixieland Delight at Alabama. And the student section, which now feels like the entire stadium, adds their little song in between the lines, and it's just awesome, especially at night with all the phones out.

And if you want to go to one of these big-time college games, we're getting into conference play, so the matchups are going to be incredible. Obviously the NFL, feel for all my Eagles fans that were at the link, and I've made that walk out of that stadium after some bad else. It's tough.

But going to games is really fun. And there's nothing like leaving a stadium watching your team get a win, especially at home with all your players. people. It's a great communal experience, concerts, comedy shows, my friends, my partners, the official ticketing app of this podcast, GameTime, they have you covered. Download the app, because take the guest work out of buying tickets, download the GameTime app, create an account, use the code, John, for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply. Again, create an account, redeem

the code, J-O-H-N for $20 off. Download the GameTime app today, last minute tickets. Lowest prices guaranteed. Okay. It's official. Tua is out for a minimum four games. He got put on short-term IR, which is something that has been developed over the last six, seven years,

changed a lot. Historically, back in the day, hell, even when I was in the league, you went on an IR, you were gone. This is a, I love this addition of the ability to put guys on short-term IR, just in general. And I think the TWA thing's fascinating

because we all universally agree. Watching him lay on the ground as a human being is very, very difficult. And the fencing with his arms that has now happened several times, it is a gut check moment. You feel for the human being, you feel like it's really, really hard to watch. And my initial take when it happened was I wasn't going to grandstand. And it was, it's the most predictable,

thing ever when that happened that everybody universally said to retire. And I don't think they're really making it up, but it was very predictable. And it's pretty clear that in the history of the NFL, most guys that are 26 years old don't quit easy. And all reports, now, I don't know if we'll see him talk because when you're on IR, you are not obligated to talk like you are as a starting quarterback. The head coach will and other players will. But we'll see. We'll see. see if, you know, Tua gets behind a mic over the next couple weeks and says how he truly feels, but all reports is he does not plan him to retire, which is the least shocking thing to me. Though, like, if he retired, I wouldn't blame the guy.

If you ask me, like, what should you do? And I look today, he's made $73 million. That counts his rookie contract, which was all guaranteed as number five pick, and then the signing bonus that he made from this new deal, which is paid over a period of time, but he's already received over $40 million. So as of the day, he's made $73 million. And I think the media does a really poor job of this when they talk generational wealth. Like where I come from, $73 million, especially when you factor in Florida, no state income tax, that is generational wealth. And Tua's with a top agency. He's with high level financial guys. I'm sure they have him well invested.

That is setting up family members, your wife, your kids, your kids, kids for life. So he's made generational wealth. But, give or take, if he were to retire, the guarantees on the contract could become problematic

for him to receive. And historically, teams, you know, have battled that when it comes to retirements. Guys have had to pay money back and not receive money coming. And for the money that he is still just on the guaranteed. My math could be off a little bit, but it's like $120, $125 million.

So it's very, very easy for everyone to say, quit, don't do this. And I don't blame people for saying that. But I don't know if that's realistic. And the moment that happened, I didn't think the next day, he's like, I'm done. Even though I, you know, you saw Antonio Pierce, which I thought was very genuine, former player at a really high level, said if I was talking to him, I would recommend stop playing. But I also think perspective in the way you look at life, like I'm 39 years old. I look at life, I'm a completely different human than I was at 26 years old.

Sometimes I think back when I see memories come up on social media, to high school or college. Like I don't even know if I would be able to relate to the person I was at that age, let alone 26, honestly 30 years old. Hell, I'm dramatically different I feel than when I was 35 years old. And I'm not talking morals. I'm not talking, you know, your core values as a human being. I'm just talking about the way you look at life.

As you age, you should change. So it's very easy for older people to have an opinion that they have on this situation. He's 26 years old. The other thing is like $73 million, like I said, game-changing money. Think about successful people you know, if you've ever been around these type people that started a company. and maybe sold one. I've known a couple people, family friends growing up,

that sold it for like $20,30 million. It's like they hit the fucking jackpot. They made their kids, partners, everyone got rich. We're talking $10, $20 million. That's in California. So you're talking in the state of Florida with how much money he's made. Like, it's a lot.

But there's still a lot coming. And I'm not saying the only reason he would come back is simply for the money. but that has to factor in. Like, this is America. And the reason these guys play football is because it's a business. And there's a lot of money to be made.

And it complicates the situation. Now, my take last week when it happened, I thought, like, the dolphins can do whatever they want, Tua can do whatever they want, but there's no way on God's Green Earth that come Thursday or Wednesday, they can expect, oh, he's cleared from protocol.

The league was going to get involved. And I'm not saying, that they did. Maybe it was just an easy one. The neurologist said, like, hey, we just need a couple weeks before we can even assess this. But this was an easy move for everyone involved. Put them on injury reserve, take a deep breath. But what happens after four weeks? What happens if the neurologist, I saw a video go viral of Steve Young talking to Dan Patrick? And he said, you know, it's hard for me to relate to some people with concussions because mine, it wasn't like a week later. I couldn't remember my wife's name

or what street I lived on or what plays we called. I would get a concussion and really by lunchtime the next day I felt completely fine and it didn't impact my memory. So he's like, I can't relate when some of these people

and even some of these former players come up to me and ask these questions like that didn't happen to me. So and he's like the reality with these neurologists and this is the way with most doctors in situations where there's not like a concrete answer it's like, well, I would recommend,

I think this is the best course of action, but it's not like, hey, my dad had pancreatic cancer. If you don't attempt to, you know, get some treatment on this immediately, you're going to die. It's black and white. It ain't going away. As Steve Young said,

the brain is like really the last frontier of medicine that there are still a ton of questions on. And I would just expect to a, not simply for the money, but that has to play a big factor. He's 26 years old to not retire or not want to retire.

And I think this is where the league and the dolphins, they're all going to be put in precarious situations. Because the contract, it feels dirty talking about. Mike Floreau wrote about it. And he's like, simply because the contract's so big, this is going to have to be a discussion. Because if he is cleared,

then he wants to play like he's due that cash so if they're not allowing him to play how that works like they got to pay him and if they just say okay he wants to play he's technically cleared and throw him out and this happens again it's going to be an awful look because we all see it coming it feels inevitable for it to happen again because let's face it that hit i don't want to say it was like innocuous like barely happened, but it was, how often do you see that level tackle against running backs and wide receivers throughout a Sunday? Every other play? It wasn't some huge Ray Lewis, Dick Butkus, decletion. Jalen Hertz was taking bigger collisions last night, and I don't pretend to be some medical expert here,

but it's pretty clear. The first concussion you have, the more susceptible you are to the next one, and the next one, and it grows and grows. Now, I think there's a, a numbness with us to football that this is going to sound I don't know insensitive I don't know if the casual fan cares that much like they don't want to see anyone

laying there like that but like it's not going to affect the way we watch football it's not going to affect the way we discuss football the Chiefs Bengal game Sunday afternoon now the way that they

count the amount of people that watch has changed over time because they count bars and restaurants now had 28 million people watching so it's going to be fascinating to watch this play out and I would expect the league to be very very active but owners didn't get rich randomly you know this is going to be a situation like if well if I'm gonna pay him 120 more million dollars like and he's cleared to play I would imagine the dolphins like let him play they did it before why wouldn't they do it again uh Justin feels at 2 and 0 And he's played pretty well. I think he's looked better than he did in Chicago.

He made a couple really good throws last week that were called back. One throw to Pickens might be one of the best throws he's ever made as a pro. Was called back on a holding play. It was great. He rolled right, hit him in stride. Pickens did a sweet little dance. Then he looked, realized there's a flag. I think he's got a little wiggle room now.

Like, coming into this season, I thought no one was on scholarship. Russell was not going to get a long leash. Fields would not have a long leash if he came in after. Like he can mix a match. They're paying both guys a total of like $2.5 million. Paying them nothing. Maybe they're actually paying fields a little more because they traded for the contract.

But relative to other quarterbacks, their quarterback room with these two guys is nothing because Denver's paying the freight on Russell Wilson. Once you start 2 and O though, and you have been managed the game pretty well, he's getting more than one bad game before they're going to Russell Wilson. Now, is he getting three?

Probably not. But they get the Chargers this week at home. That's going to be a pretty good matchup. That's got 15, 13 written all over it. But let's just say they win that game. And he plays exactly like he has the first couple weeks. Defense dominates. They get some field goals.

Maybe they score one touchdown. He just plays under control, doesn't throw for more than 150 yards, but doesn't turn the ball over, makes a couple plays with his legs. You chart 3-0? I think his leash only grows. Again, you build momentum with the guys you're playing with.

You bring an athletic ability that at this point in time, Russell just does not. You have no problem throwing the ball down the field. The knock on Justin, well, he doesn't really work the middle of the field. Well, neither does Russell Wilson. So I would say Justin Fields, unless the wheels just fall off over like a three-week span, is going to be the Steelers quarterback for the foreseeable future.

And they get Chargers at home this week, which is just going to be an old school slug-it-out game. Then they go to Indy. Then they play the Cowboys on Sunday night. Now, games on primetime television just have more eyeballs on them because there's no distractions, right? You play Thursday night, Sunday night, or Monday night. You're not competing against the rest of the slate.

So that game, especially against the Cowboys, is going to be under a microscope. but let's just say they go one in one over these next two games. They'll be three and one going into that game. I do think there's probably a coin flip chance that if they beat the Chargers at home, at Indy is not a good matchup for Anthony Richardson. Against that defense? Do not like that one at all.

What if they're 4 and O going into that game? Even if he plays like shit and they lose, okay, you're 4 and 1. You have a three-game cushion on even B and 500. We're talking about the Steelers is a couple wins away from being like a borderline lock playoff team. So Fields,

I don't want to say he's made the most of his opportunity because he hasn't done that much, but he's done everything he's needed to do and the more confidence he gets with the head man, Russell Wilson's going to be a $40 million on the Denver Broncos accounting sheet backup. Saw a stat today that none of the rookie quarterbacks

have thrown a ton of, touchdown. Now, we've only played two games, but clearly it hasn't gone well. Bo Nix has been abysmal. Caleb Williams has really struggled for the hype. And Jane Daniels is kind of right now is just a runner, which he's good at, but he's got to learn to slide or he's going to get killed. But the hype on these guys for what we've seen, let's face it, has been a little underwhelming. But all these teams were in tough spots, right? Washington, their roster sucked. They had the number two overall pick. It's not like you get three first rounders. It is what it is. You take quarterback. It's not like you get to pick other players. Same thing with the Broncos. They had a limited amount of draft

capital because of the moves that they have made over the years. And they pick Bo Nicks and their team's not that good. But the Bears were in a unique situation. They had two top 10 picks. Obviously, you take Caleb every day of the week and twice on Sundays. Like that's the right pick. But they had the ninth pick. And it was pretty fascinating the discourse between who they were going to take. Should they take a defensive lineman? Should they take one of the wide receivers?

It doesn't feel like there was that much talk about an offensive lineman. And I go back and I think about Jim Harbaugh, who last year leading up to the end of the season, it was pretty clear Jim Harbaugh wanted to come back to the NFL, right? was inevitable. Jim Harbaugh was going to be an NFL coach. And it was like, should the bear just, I don't know,

fire Iber flus and hire Jim Harbaugh? Now, clearly, that came and went. Jim Harbaugh's now with the Chargers. But then there was a lot of talk leading up to the draft. Would Jim Harbaugh take Malik Neighbors or Marvin Harrison? And then he drafts Joe Alt and says in the press conference on Thursday night, we were never going to take anyone else but Joe Alt,

and we view the offensive linemen as the tip of the spear. We view them as offensive weapons. And through the two weeks, what's going on? Pretty sure J.K. Dobbins is leading the NFL in rushing. And they are pounding people. Why? That's what Jim Harbaugh does. Why?

Makes it easy on the quarterback. I love Roma Dunzee. It was a stud in college. I think he's going to be a stud in the NFL. Everyone that interviewed him and scouted him. high character guy leader. He's a badass. I'd want them on my team

every day of the week and twice on Sundays. But after watching that game against the Houston Texans, where Caleb Williams was absolutely getting destroyed, and let's face it, there are some question marks

with the Bears. If Jim Harba had, in some other world, then the head coach of the Bears in this draft, and they take Caleb Williams number one, who do you think they take at 9?

I know who they did. don't take, and that's Romaduzzi. Now, what offensive linemen he liked the most after J.C. Latham and Joe Alt? I don't know. I don't have his draft board, but he would have taken an offensive lineman. And I saw Baldinger today tweet out as he does these videos of guys that are having a lot of success, like the All-22 tape.

And Fuwaga, the first round pick by the Saints from Oregon State, was a super high-end prospect. He was a guy, I would say, pretty universally viewed as a top 15 pick. He's their starting left tackle, but he can play guard. He can probably play all five positions. He's, I don't know if he's ever going to be Trent Williams, like Super All-Star. This is the talk before the draft. But he was viewed as like, this guy's not going to suck. And he's been awesome through two weeks. And I wonder if the Bears could get a do-over. They just would have taken him. Because could have played a bit. at left tackle. You could have played them at left guard. You just probably should have taken an

offensive lineman. And they feel good about Rome, I'm sure. But I think football has shown us something. When you get an opportunity to take a high-end offensive lineman, like it was a luxury because of the trade to have the two picks in the top 10. And I think looking back, it's just a mistake. And I think Harbaugh's on to something. You can never have enough good offensive lineman. Look at the game on Monday night. Those two teams have really good offensive lines. Why? They've invested a lot of capital in that position.

Because it matters. I watch way too much 49ers in focusing on their offensive line. And Kyle's philosophy is we will take skill guys over offensive linemen. And I don't know, man. Like I hear it when we're talking to center. But when you get a guy that can play right or left tackle, I would take that guy every day of the week over a wide receiver. Because I can find a wide receiver later.

It is hard to find tackles outside of the top couple rounds. And even when you do, you see Andy Reid, like, there's a lot of growing pains. They're starting a left tackle who they drafted the end of the second round, and it's going to be a long season for him. Now, over the course of his career, maybe he develops into a Pro Bowl level player. But he's going to get his lunch taking a lot this season. But invest in the offensive line. They will not regret it in two or three years

if that guy's a high-end player. It's 100% the right pick. 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 them. muscle gray. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying.

Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show.

This is a place for, raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clivert Show isn't just a podcast, it's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me, or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to the

Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tap Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do with Little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at a podcast. I'm Sam Jett.

And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick you here, unpack what went down, and try. 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. They're 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, 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 or 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, Keir Gaines, as we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, Learn the Hardway. Open your free iHeartRadio app, search Learn the Hardway, and listen now. Hey, this is Robert from the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Joe and I are both lifelong Star Wars fan, so we're celebrating May the 4th with a brand new week of fun, thought-provoking Star Wars-related episodes. Join us as we tackle science and culture topics from a galaxy far far away, such as a day. is the biology of ton-tons and wampas on the ice planet hot, or the practicality and corporate business sense of the Sith rule of two. Listen to stuff to blow your mind on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts,

or wherever you get your podcasts. Before we dive into college football, Brian Flores, who is just, I think when you factor in that D'Amico's a head coach, Fangio might be losing his fastball. I'm trying to think of other high-end solid definitely. It's not even a DC as the head coach. But Brian Floor is the best defensive coordinator in the league.

And if what he's doing on defense was on offense, we would be discussing him like Clint Kubiak or Andy Reid or Kyle Shanahan. Like you get a lot more brownie points on offense than you do on defense. But Brian Floor is elite. And after the Niner game, Purdy went up to him and was like,

your scheme's crazy, man. I had no clue or anything. anything was coming from. And Flores kind of this old school, hard ass, barely even acknowledged him, just walked right off. And even Kyle was mentioning it today in his conference call, maybe it was Monday, how awesome that scheme is, because of all the different exotic stuff he can run, gets back to the Belichick days.

They don't have a scheme. They can do everything? It's like, do he just plays out? No, they can play Mantu. They'll blitz all the time. Well, if that's not working, they won't blitz. Like, Vic Fangio, what's the knock on him? Never blitzes.

He just won't blitz. It's like, I'm not. not a huge believer. And it's really difficult to do what Bill does because most people can't learn all this stuff. Like, it's a lot to handle. It's like, what's your scheme? Yeah, we don't really have one.

We just do whatever we have to do against that specific offense. I do wonder, because Brian Flores, from a football standpoint, you're not, schematics on the field debate how elite of an assistant coach is. Like, when the dust settles at the end of the year, offense and defense, he'll be a top three or four coordinator. There's a chance if Minnesota is just good this year. You could argue we'll see how if Clint Kubiak can keep this up. He's the best coordinator, offense, or defense, non-head coach in the NFL.

I do think it's going to be hard to shake that to a thing. Because, like, yeah, okay, you're a great defensive coordinator. You get the defense rolling. That happened in Miami. Their defense was good. If I was a GM or I was an owner, it's like, can this guy deal with quarterbacks? and I don't think he's going to be able to answer that question. And that's going to be something that's going to be really hard to overcome.

Because, listen, is Tua worth the contract they gave him? I never believe that from the start. But once he's on your team, your success is tied to that position. And as the head coach, you have to change that mentality from this hard-ass defensive guy to, like, I need this guy to succeed. In my job, this guy's going to be the highest paid guy in the organization. We just use the fifth overall pick on this player. I got to be able to communicate with him.

I got to be able to have a close relationship with him. It doesn't mean I can't coach him hard. It doesn't mean I have to go to dinner with him three times a week. But like our relationship, our success is incumbent on this player. Like the reason the Vikings are winning, obviously their defense is good with Flores. It's because fucking Sam Darnold. If you just gave him Will Levis, they'd be Owen too. So like the quarterback and why does Kevin O'Connell get so much credit and held to such high esteem?

He can deal with quarterbacks. So Flores is a badass defensive coordinator. He's elite. But when we talk about being a head coach, because his name's going to come up as this season goes, if they keep having success, it's hard for me to shake that situation when you can't deal with by far the most important player on the team. Okay, cough on campus. which I can't imagine being on as a student because I don't know how much money you'd have to pay me to attend a class. I can't imagine doing homework, taking tests.

So props to everyone that's in school right now that is doing homework and taking tests because that's hard. Number one, cop on campus. We got a sweet game this week. Like an incredible game on paper. Oklahoma, Tennessee. Now, Oklahoma, they're in the top 15, but they got a lot of injuries. They have not been that great this season, but they're playing in Norman, Oklahoma. And Tennessee looks like, could they be a sleeper national champion team?

They just played Kent State, beat them like 700 to nothing. But to me, the cool part about this game, Bob Stoops put out a tweet at the beginning of the week that said, I will not be doing any interview. Why would he do that? Well, Venables, the coach at Oklahoma, was his assistant for 13 years. Josh Hepple was the quarterback for the Oklahoma team that won Bob Stoops' National Championship and then became a coach and later became his offensive coordinator who Bob Stoops ended up firing.

And he kind of fired Venables too slash pushed him out when he made his brother after Mike Stubes was fired from Arizona where Nick Foles was playing and came back to Oklahoma. So they have this weird, connected tissue here of all these coaches. And Josh Heppel, who you get some different reviews from scouting buddies that have gone through his programs over the year. Big Chip on a shoulder guy. Now, he was a lowly recruited guy who really only Mike Leach believed in who went on to become a national championship college quarterback.

and become a really, really good college coach. It has a potential to become one of a, maybe a top five coach, if Tennessee this year is in the final four. But we finally are getting these Oklahoma and Texas, SEC games, and it's going to be really fun. And this game, the hype between Venables and Josh Heiple,

for years in practice as the O.C. in the D.C. in the 2000s and early 2010s went against each other every day in practice. I can't imagine how much time these two humans have spent together in staff meetings, in staff recruiting trips, just around each other on the field, workouts.

These guys know each other really, really well. And it's all connected with Bob, who is like the spokesman for the university. So very, very excited for this game on Saturday. Will Arch Manning ever give back his starting spot? Quinn Ewers just randomly gets injured. It was a non-contact injury against, I think they were playing UTSA. I was not even playing on watching the game.

And then I see on the internet, Arch Manning's in the game. So I immediately turn on the game. Now, let me say this. The game against Michigan, whether you were in on Quinn Ewers or not, you could not watch that game and not say, They can win a national championship with this player, and he's clearly a high-end NFL prospect. So he's really good.

Like, I watched him last year. I wasn't sold as some top 10 pick, as some guy that just was some lock you could win the Natty with. The guy that he had become this year, I'm not saying he didn't have moments, but that game at Michigan, I was like, I'm in. From a consumer standpoint, from a fan basis standpoint,

from a national standpoint, it's a tough spot for Quinn Ewers because no one wants to see him play when that's his backup. If his backup was Arch Middlkoff, it would not be the same. Hey, he's the number one overall recruit, he's getting paid a bunch of NIL.

It'd be like, when Quinn is ready, go back to him. But what do you do? They don't know how long he's going to miss, but let's just say he misses the next two games. They play, I think, Louisiana Monroe and then Mississippi State. which they'll probably blow both those two teams out.

What if he's ready to go heading into the Oklahoma game? Because they go back to back, Oklahoma and then Georgia. And even if Texas is a lot better than Oklahoma, that's, I mean, that's why you play at Texas to play in that game. How do you bench that player? And Arch is going to say all the right things. He would gladly go back. But I think this is a tough spot for Sark.

And at this point, if Arch is rolling, and Quinn's like, yeah, he could go this week, I wonder what happens. I really do. Because this is not a position where it's not like Quinn was going to come back to school after this year. He's gone. So I do think that makes the decision easier. And I think if Arch is running around throwing a bunch of touchdowns and they just look exactly like they're done with Quinn, I'd be a little stunned if they went back to him. and the shitty part for Quinn,

who looked like he was about to have a massive season, become like the, probably win the Heisman trophy. I don't think anyone wants to see him again. Florida State. Did we jinx Florida State? I think that is the question. We had on my guy Derek Ray, who is the GM.

They had just gone 13 at 1. They have not won a game. They have not won a game. And they have looked terrible. And the problem for them, is they play Cal this week. Cal is 3-0. Their superstar running back,

who's a top 50 pick if he's healthy, has been banged up, barely played. But their quarterback has been awesome. As of today, Cal is better than Florida State. If you go 0-4, even if Cal is better than you, they've already lost to worse teams than Cal.

But if you lose this team from Berkeley with a lot of weird shit going on and they roll into Tallahassee and beat you and kind of beat your ass which is very possible like shove you around by 10 plus points things are going to get weird

and they're going to get weird fast there now Mike Norvell his buyouts like $65 million he doesn't deserve even with a terrible season to get fired college football is crazy man it really is it's what have you done for me lately and he

rightfully so is going to take a lot of shit for DJ because DJ he doesn't even look like a division one starter not even remotely close he's he's one of the worst players I've watched this season at quarterback in college football he's like unplayable you can't you can't function with the guy so you lose the cow things are clearly already weird it starts getting really weird really fast this is just an awesome game

even if Michigan is down and they just started Orgy, the quarterback, who can't really throw, but he can run. And USC, we don't know quite how good they are, but USC Michigan, this is why, and my fifth one is the conference realignment, they kind of tie into each other. I miss the Pac-12. It sucks.

texting with my cousin who played at Fresno State, we were texting a lot about like, How anti-climatic is it that Fresno State finally gets invited to the Pact 12, where they've been dying to get in for 30 years, and it feels like a shittier deal than just staying in the Mountain West? Because you can call, I could call this podcast Apple Incorporated or Nike. I'm not Nike or Apple. You can call it to Pact 12, but the moment USC and UCLA left, it died.

It's over. You don't have a valuable property. No one cares about Corvallis and, Pullman, Washington in terms of like, these networks aren't lining up to give you more money. Your values, your value, and it's not very high. The value of the Pact 12 was in USC, was in UCLA, was in Oregon, was in Washington. They don't exist. Salt Lake City's in the Big 12. Colorado's in the Big 12. The Arizona schools are never coming back. You're done. It's over. And it's sad. It makes me sad still. But it happened and I got to embrace it. So you get USC Michigan.

I'm not like some SEC guy because I grew up on the West Coast, but like Texas, Georgia being a conference game is pretty cool. Oklahoma, Tennessee being a conference game is pretty cool. And USC Michigan, even if it's not the Harbaugh-led national champions, it's not the same, that's sweet. And it doesn't feel normal. It doesn't. Like Oregon playing Ohio State and saying that's a conference game,

is weird. It just is. UCLA playing Rutgers as a conference game is weird. But you just got to embrace it. There's one school watching Arizona Kansas State last week. It was like, you know what Arizona does? Feels like a Big 12 school. They really do. They are probably the lone school that has made this transition. You're like, that completely fits. You can say Colorado, because they used to be in the conference, but like they've been in the Pact 12 for a while now. I've gotten used to seeing Colorado play, Oregon, Washington State, Cal, like those games. I kind of got used to it. I forget when I was a kid in Colorado was playing the TexanMs and Nebraska's, right?

So like my mind, like to me, Arizona, they feel right at home in the Big 12. USC Michigan feels a little weird as a conference game. Oklahoma, Georgia, or Texas, Florida. Florida is a conference game, like, that's a little weird. It just is. But we're now in the conference play, and we're going to get a lot of these. You know, it's just going to be part of our weekly Saturdays, where it's like Nebraska's playing Washington for a conference game.

Like, yeah, that's what happens. That's where we're at. So let's enjoy it. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced game. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast, Superhuman, documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth.

Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me. of the fourth. 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, mental health, health, purpose, and even music.

The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast. It's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app,

Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tap little Kim's boobs at the Vue? Be amazed? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking.

What the hell does George Bush got to do with a little camp? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we picket 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's big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack all day, but yeah, yeah.

But just so y'all know. I mean, at this point, this is the second episode where we've discussed, correct. So I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS

on the table right now. Thank you for finishing that sentence. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years

for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to my new podcast, learn the hard way with me. your host and your favorite therapist,

Kear Games. And in recognition of mental health awareness month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking, Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase

that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing. And we're still chasing it. And we don't know when we've done enough. Because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross, 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 Hardway. Open your free iHeartRadio app. Search Learn the Hardway and listen now. Hey, this is Robert from the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast.

Joe and I are both lifelong Star Wars fan, so we're celebrating May the 4th with a brand new week of fun, thought-provoking Star Wars-related episodes. Join us as we tackle science and culture topics from a galaxy far, far away, such as the biology of tauntons and wampas on the ice planet hot, or the practicality and corporate business sense of the Sith rule of two. Listen to Stuff to Blow Your Mind on the iHeart Radio app,

Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your mind. your podcast. Hey, mailbag, ad John Middlecock, Instagram, fire into those DMs, which is my name, DM's wide open.

We'll start with Cole. Thought for the bag. I was listening to your recap of the Falcons and the Eagles. And I think even more damning part about Siriani going for it on Fort Down

when it was zero zero that he was not consistent. If that is your philosophy, How do you not, then also go for it again the next time when it's fourth and three on the Atlanta six? This situation in particular felt like the Eagles had going for it written all over him. He kicked it. If going forward is your philosophy, go for it after the Sequin dropped to end the game right there. Or leave Kirk backed up to his goal line.

Sure, it's a three-point game if you don't convert, but the Falcons only needing a field goal wouldn't have been as aggressive as they were down. six. He kicked again. Kick all three times or go for it all three times. And at the least, it shows consistent philosophy and strategy. There's no rhyme or reason. Well, I think there are a couple things there. Why he goes for it when they're down nine seven, because the game's playing out. So you realize this is not going to be some 30 to 27 shootout. This is going to be a low-scoring defensive game. So the three points, as we talked about right after the game, are vital. You don't know that when the game is zero zero, but to me, the unknown is why you take the points

because you have no clue how the game's going to play out. And regardless, three points do matter. Take an early lead. But I think it's much easier when the game has established itself for him to pivot from the situation where they're inclined to go for it always, but go, hey, 15 points might win this game. So if I take three here, that's a big deal. And he was right. It was a big deal.

I think looking back at the situation at the end of the game, that if you run the ball on third and three, instead of throwing it to Saquan, Sequin had, I think the previous play, just ran for three yards. So if you run for, let's say, you don't even get the first down, but you run for two yards, well, you do two things. One, you keep the clock going, but you also put yourself in the most advantageous possible of any NFL team because you have the tush push. So they would have just gone for it there with the tush push.

It's like a 90% hit rate. Get a first down, the game ends. So I think Siriani's all over the map It's like he wants to stick with the analytics But he's also got the gut feels And then you find yourself in no man's land Because it's not really

If you ask me like what his philosophy is I don't know He feels like a politician Just changing his fucking tune all the time Newer listener Love the addition to my weekly rotation of pods Central Valley Native Wondering how can Fresno State football

become a powerhouse and shake off its mountain west stereotypes. Top tier coaching hire, crazy boosters in Nail. The support here is crazy and wandered your opinion. There is no shot. A school like Fresno State can't put any more resources given its situation. Them, Boise State, Appalachian State was that way for a long time. They can't compete. I know the head coach.

I know a lot of people in the program and around the program. They're paying, their top paid player makes $120,000. They just have no shot to compete. You're not going to be able to keep players there. Why would you want to play in the Mountain West if you become a star and then people from the Big Ten or the SEC call? It happened two years ago where their best player went to Oregon in the transfer portal. And no one even blamed him.

Because like his brother was there, but still, it kind of is what. it is. Now, I think big picture as college football even shrinks in the sense of if we just go to two conferences, the Big Ten and the SEC just morphed into the AFC and FC, what happens to the Fresno States and Washington states and Boise States of the world? You can be call yourself the Pac-12, the Mountain West. It's going to feel like the minor leagues compared to those games. Now, if they still play those teams in the non-conference, that's a big deal. I love Fresno. State. President State football is a huge reason why

I'm sitting here right now. But I don't think there's anything they can do. I live out in Kansas, and I love to play golf and watch football. Brent, you sound like my type guy. I'm a big cheese fan, and agreed with your

instant reaction after the Ravens. I feel like this could be the best team we've had. One week later, I'm a bit worried because it does feel like we got outplayed and our O-line got worked, specifically the left tackle. Are the Bengals just a bad matchup for the Chiefs? Or why wouldn't every team we play do the same things the Bengals just did? Well, they're definitely a bad matchup. No team plays you better in the regular and the postseason as them.

Right? Like, you don't look at the Ravens as equals. How could you? Even the bills can beat you in the regular season. you're now very, like, you are not, not that you wouldn't be worried in a playoff game, but you'd be confident you're winning. This is the one game that just feels like

they're mere images of each other when they play. Now, what's weird is how can the Bengals look that good against the Chiefs and that's shitty against the Patriots? But that's neither here nor there. When you start a rookie, and Andy wouldn't have started him if he wasn't their best option, and they invested a second round pick in them, they believe in them.

And starting a rookie is not about week two. It's about the next 10 years, right? You think the guy is going to be a 10-year starter for you. I saw he had a comment today that sometimes you have to take a step backwards before you take a step forwards. Unless you're Randy Moss, there is a small, small, small percentage of rookies. Even guys that are Hall of Famers, pro-bowlers,

that aren't going to have some bumps in the road. and playing left tackle, you can play you a right tackle too, as a rookie has to be, I would say right up there with playing quarterback as a rookie. Because most weeks, you are going to get Aidan Hutchison, Max Crosby, T.J. Watt, Nick Bosa.

Like, there are no left and right sides. These defensive linemen move wherever you are. They will hunch you down. Aaron Donald, if your weak player was a tackle like they would put him over there. He was like a three technique. We saw Chris Jones doing that week one. He's like, shit, I'll play over the right tackle.

I'll play over the center. Play wherever he wants. Wherever the mark is. And when you are a rookie, you are the person circled by the defensive coordinator and their best players. Think about what happened Monday night. Mitchell, the first round pick from Toledo,

who I would bet on, on becoming a really, really good player. Who did Kirk Cousins attack on that final drive? He went left three straight times, I guess two straight times, for big plays against him. One time he bit on the flat route, and the other time they just attacked him with Mooney on an out route, and it kind of jukeed him out.

Even though Darius Slay is probably not as physically gifted at this point in time as the rookie. But you just put the rookie in uncompromising situations. so he's going to have rough moments. There is no circumventing that. You can't get away from it. Like this week, you play the Falcons. Well, I know Judon was over the right tackle,

but why wouldn't you line Judon sometimes over the rookie? When you play the Raiders, where do you think Crosby's going to line up? When you play the 49ers, like, where do you think they were going to put Nick Bosa? You're just going to, Harbaugh, is just going to be relentless with Mac and Bosa over the guy.

There's nothing you can do. There's no way to get, you can give him help, but like he just kind of got to work through it. And this is your greatest benefit as the Chiefs fan is your quarterback's a fucking magician. One, he can get the ball out of his hands

when he needs to and he can just make things happen. But he's going to take some sacks because of this player. A lot was made of Kyle Pitts and his potential. in the fantasy football community and among Atlanta Falcons fans everyone's always blaming the coaches

the schemes for underutilizing the player well now the quote unquote bad man Arthur Smith has gone and there's a new coaching crew in town and Pitt still doesn't put up numbers anywhere near to what he's projected coming out of college I heard multiple high level football analysts

say he was literally a can't miss prospect. So what do you think it is? Is he just a bust or is he underutilized? I'd be lying if I said I've like studied him on all 22. I would have to text some people in the league who have like really, really studied them. There have been a lot of players like Kyle Pitts at a lot of different positions that were viewed as can't miss players and aren't as good in the NFL. Like he is not alone.

and I think if this season plays out and he's healthy and he doesn't produce that much it's time to look at him like he was overrated he clearly was really really overrated I think it can be difficult when your tight end

is a one-dimensional player right and he is strictly he's the wide receiver that's all he is now you could argue Travis Kelsey is like that as well. He's also matched up with one of the greatest play callers in the history of the sport

and one of the greatest quarterbacks we've ever seen. And they've built their offense around him. Where you go, the Falcons are not building their offense around this player. What do the Falcons want to do right now with Bejohn Robinson? They want to run the ball. Well, Kyle Pitt's going to block? Probably not. That's not going to be a strength of his.

So he's a slot receiver. you know, I don't know. I don't have a great answer for you. I do just wonder if it's more difficult to utilize this player in the flow of your offense than fantasy football experts thought because he's such a one-trick pony, but you also have good wide receivers. You have a running game and an offensive line that you want to feature. I don't know.

I mean, it's clearly the hype does not equal what we've witnessed. but I don't have a great answer for you. But like I said, he's not alone. It happens to a lot of players. This came up last night because those two running backs. This is a question, do you think that the running backs are becoming more impactful than in previous years?

I think we've talked about this on previous episodes is, you know, the running backs, they became controversial when the teams wouldn't pay them, wouldn't give him contract extensions. Right. It wasn't a media created narrative. It was the team did something and the players and all of us that watch

and talk about football reacted to it. But the teams, the GMs, the owners, the coaches, they did it. They started paying guards and centers way more money than running backs. And like, what I take, Sequin Barkley, at 12 or, you know, Sequin Barclay at $12 million

or some of these free agent guards that were making $19 million during this free agency, I would take Sequin Barclay every day the week because I would feel pretty confident that I could draft and develop a guard. Now, you could say the same thing at running back, but if I had to pay a guard $19 million

who's not a pro bowler or pay a pro bowl running back, I'm paying the running back. So why has it shifted? Well, running backs became a deal. They became, they went on sale. And some of these other positions did not go on sale. De-tackles, Christian Wilkins just got $85 million guaranteed.

Sequel and Barclay got 27. So I think the economics of it all shifted. This gets back to the Giants conversation of like, you don't pay running backs. Well, they're not very expensive. They don't cost very much money. They're not like, it's just cheap

Sequin his hands are clearly he's not Shady McCoy he's not Christian McCaffrey his hands are a question mark they're not great they're not bad but they're just kind of as the kids would say mid

but he is a fantastic player and if I can get that player for $27 million it's the easiest contract how he signed in the last like five years I also think when you look around the NFL

there are just a lot of good running backs. You know, the Colts Packer game was Josh Jacobs, Jonathan Taylor. Last night, Sequin, Bejohn Robinson. You just go to all these games. It's like a bunch of Thursday night game. Breeze Hall and Demandre Stevenson. These are all just like really, really good players. So it's just supply and demand.

A lot of just good running backs are in the NFL. Like guys that are. legitimate starters that can run inside, they can run outside, most of them catch. Most of them are three-down players. So if I can get that guy for $10 million a year,

it feels like a pretty good signing. Then overpaying some of these guards and centers. Now, if you have a guy that's like a seven-time Pro Bowl or Creed Humphrey or Jason Kelsey, okay. If I'm paying Larry Allen, okay.

But it's like, hang some of these guys that are not going to go to the Pro Bowl $18, 19 million, I'd argue we've jumped the shark there. Eagles fan. Everyone talks about how great and talented Jalen Carter is. I'm not seeing it all. Am I missing something? Well, physically gifted, his skill set is elite.

He's 6'5, 300 pounds, Quick as a cat. But as Belichick would say, like, can he play? And his flash plays in college and in the NFL are still elite. But when you watch over the course of a game, you don't feel his presence. Right? The best defensive tackles in the NFL, you don't watch the Chiefs and not feel Chris Jones. You didn't watch Aaron Donald and not feel him.

J.J. Watt when he was humming. Like, you feel that player. And you watch the Eagles, and you don't feel either of the dudes. I saw one of the former Eagles, uh, Joyner. I want to say Wally Joyner, but, uh, I'm blanking on his first name. I think he's in the booth with Merrill Reese called Jordan Davis a bust. You know, like you invested two top 15 picks in these two players. Like Jordan Davis is irrelevant.

Now, him different, like Jalen, when you draft Jalen in the top 10, You're expecting him to be a double-judiced sack guy every single year. Well, I read a story today. He didn't start the game. Why? Because he was late for something during the week. Well, what was the question on Jalen? How into football is Jalen Carter?

Because you go back to Georgia, it was like just a lot of question marks on the guy. No one argued the talent. But sometimes when you're focused as other places, you don't live up to the talent. Jordan Davis just might not be good enough. Like there aren't character concerns with him. he's just really heavy and gets really tired and then becomes irrelevant in the game because I think Jimmy Johnson said it

but maybe it was either like Newt Rockney or Vince Lombardi. Some famous coach said fatigue makes cowards of us all and basically he was just giving a pump-up speech to Miami like 10 years ago. This is way after he was done coaching. But just why being in shape is such a big deal because it doesn't matter

if you're Mike Tyson, if you're Ray Lewis, if you're fucking, you know, Barry Sanders. If you are tired, like fatigue makes cowards of us all, you are not the same player. You can't, like, you can't function when you're out of shape in the NFL. In football in general, like anyone that played high school football, if you're sucking win, like, you start getting shoved around really quick. Because you just, you don't have anything. And so to me, Jordan Davis, you're getting little to nothing out of him. and Jalen, like,

they're just still question marks with the guy. Obviously, the player, he had a flash play last night, but they're not, they didn't draft him in the top 10 for flash plays. And you just have to wonder, like, is he ever going to live up to the talent? He is talented.

He is really talented. Not playing like it, but it's there. But there have been a lot of players like him throughout the history of the league. Guys that oozed ability. And because of folks, because of maturity, because of whatever, off the field. The intangible stuff never lived up to it.

And sometimes, like, you just get with the right people. There's also a competitive element to this. Like I would say, let's use Warren Sapp as an example. I think people had some question marks with him as a younger player. Pretty clear he's a competitive SOB, right? Dude was a badass. So even if you are a little iffy about just your study habits and you're working. How bad do you want it?

Lawrence Taylor, Belichick's been telling these stories for 30 years, sleeping, coming in hungover, drugged out. When that game started was the craziest dude on the field. His competitiveness was elite. How elite is your competitiveness? And that's part of scouting. So sometimes average talents become high-end players because they have elite competitiveness.

Will Anderson was a guy coming out of college. I think some people question like, how talented was he? Was he an elite talent? Was he a top five talent? You know what no one questioned? Not a soul at the program, not a scout, not a coach. Competitive makeup. So who are you betting on? Will Anderson that doesn't have the physical gifts?

I know they don't play the same position, but just let's use this example. whose competitive character whose competitive makeup whose football character is off the fucking charts or the guy with Hall of Fame, talent oozing out of every pore on his body

it's like yeah sometimes I care sometimes I don't sometimes it's like yeah I'll just I'll get off this snap and hold this block and just go to the next snap

I think history would show us who you bet on and I think when you bet on those guys sometimes you hit and they become Hall of Famers. And sometimes they're the worst player to have on your team because you hold out hope for so long. The Eagles just lost a lot.

Like Fletcher Cox and Jason Kelsey, a lot of competitive character right there. A lot of focus. A lot of like fucking around ain't tolerated in practice. Because what two groups spend the most time together? The O and D line. Right when you break from individual, they usually go together.

Right? So it's like, that's a big loss. And I just think you're seeing guys underperform. And I think sometimes, and I'm guilty of this, we blame coaches, right? And I put a lot on coaches in the NFL. But at the end of the day, certain humans, like if you can push every button,

if they're unwilling to do certain things and have the competitive makeup, you could argue it doesn't really matter. I know this. The Patriots, and now the Chiefs are doing this, won a lot of games and a lot of Super Bowls with a lot of guys playing on both sides of the ball that not many people would have said

will be starters on the best team in the league when they were in college or around the draft time. But their character, their football intelligence, their... intangible makeup is a separating factor. And the one thing I learned working in the NFL and now doing this for a long time

is that stuff is still underrated. We don't talk about it enough. And I'm just as guilty as anybody. I listen to the show every day. Huge, huge Bears fan. Why are the Bears not interested in a guy like Clint Kubiak? The Vikings have the tall Sean McVeigh, the Packers have LaFleur.

Why would the Bears not be interested in a young offensive coach? Well, they kept Iber Fluse. So if you're talking about it as a head coach, they decided to roll back with Iber Fluss. He got his makeover, his hair, his beard, and I don't think the Bears are going to make the playoffs. So they're going to be in the coaching, right? They're going to be looking for a coach.

I think the question mark is going to be, will they go with one of these offensive hot shots? And I would imagine because of the Caleb Williams influence, they will. So Ben Johnson, Clint Kubiak, any other star guy working for O'Connell, McVeigh, Kyle, in that world. I would be, if you tell me right now, bears miss the playoffs, Iber Fluse gets fired, who do they hire? I think 100% they do that. Now, you could argue, why not just hire the best coach possible? Why don't I just hire Mike Vrable?

You don't think Mike Vrable would work with Caleb Williams? Because I saw Mike Vrable when he had a healthy Ryan Taneyhill. They were good. Like Mike Frable works. That's who I think that's a safe hire. Because for every Kyle and McVeigh, there are a lot of guys that fail. Now, you could argue, is Caleb fail-proof?

Based on two weeks, clearly, like, it's football. It's hard. There's no guarantee he's going to be some star. So my guess is there would be so much pressure on the organization, on Ryan Poles, to hire an offensive guy for Caleb, that that is what they would do. That they would do that. But look at the team in their division.

Like, Dan Campbell's working pretty well. Matt LaFleur is kind of unique. He's pretty freaking good, clearly. Whoever they hire, and if you hire Clint Kubiak, the run game should be a huge part of what they do. It should become Caleb Williams' best friend. It translates to bad weather,

when Chicago, November, December, bad weather, Green Bay outdoors. Right? I mean, it just, it makes too much sense. So to me, Clint Kubiak, I don't know that much about him. Like, I don't know him personally. But what he's doing and his resume with that offense speaks for itself. Now, there's more to being a head coach than just being a great offensive playcolor. How you are as a leader, how you can handle the room, how you are as an evaluator,

how you can manage everything going on as a head coach. It's difficult. So you don't really get to answer those questions so you're put in that situation. And let's face it, the majority of guys, it's like, well, 50% of first round picks fail. I don't think it's any different with coaches. Most coaches are fired within three or four years.

Most coaches don't just become Tomlin, Andy, and Arbaugh. Yeah, 20 years later, they're still kicking ass. Usually the way it works. So it's a very risky situation. And I would say this, In terms of you have so much more information. Like when Ryan Poles drafted Caleb Williams and Roma Dunesay, the amount of scouting information due diligence they have done on those two humans

was countless weeks. Not hours. I'm talking weeks. When you hire a coach, you do a couple of Zoom interviews, you call some references, and you like watch what their team did. It's kind of a crazy process.

now it's much easier to evaluate when Andy Reid gets fired. Do you want to hire Andy Reed as a 16-year resume in Philadelphia, right? If Tomlin ever were to get fired in Pittsburgh, which looks like we're going to win the division. But you know what I mean? Like Pete Carroll, like these guys that have coached Bill Belichick, like you know they can do it. When you get these coordinators, it's like, yeah, like your offense.

But how are you in front of the entire team? What do you like when our star running back gets a DUI? How do you handle when your star linebackers mom gets cancer and has three weeks to live? And he's really rattled. I mean, you just can't prepare for any of that. And the only way that you know they can do that is if they've done it before. Because if you've been a head coach in the NFL, you basically dealt with everything. From deweys to death to injuries to, you name it.

There's probably not many situations if you've been a head coach for more than five years that haven't come across your desk with a player with a coach. I mean, coaches get in trouble. I mean, all sorts of shit happens. Family issues with yourself. It's got to be one of the most difficult situations to hire for when you're hiring someone

who hasn't been a head coach before. Because the amount of unknown, given how much you're going to pay them, I mean, you're going to give that guy $8 to $10 million to starting salary. And your success then is immediately tied to that guy. It's impossible to be a good GM with a bad coach. It's literally impossible.

It does not exist. There has never been a Hall of Fame or a high-end GM that hasn't had an above-average coach. Just like any coach would tell you, there's never been a great coach that hasn't had great players. They all go hand in hand. Ozzie and DeCosta look a lot better with John Arba.

Brett Veach be the first to tell you. I look a lot better with Andy coaching the guys. It matters, a lot. The volume. Another podcast from some SNL late-night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman

help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer, Streeter Seidel, help an a cappella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and Friends on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts,

or wherever you get your podcasts. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days,

I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, what's good, y'all? You're listening to Learn the Hard Way with your favorite therapist and host, Kier Games. This space is about black men's experiences,

having honest conversations that it's really not safe to have anywhere, but you're having them with a licensed professional who knows what he's doing. How many men carry a suit or armor? It signals to the world that you need. not to be played with. And just because you have the capability that does not mean that you need to. Listen to learn the hard way on the AHA radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. Hey, this is Robert from the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Joe and I are both lifelong Star Wars fan,

so we're celebrating May the 4th with a brand new week of fun, thought-provoking Star Wars-related episodes. Join us as we tackle science and culture topics from a galaxy far, far away, such as the biology of tauntons and wampas on the ice planet hot, or the practicality and corporate business sense of the Sith rule of two. Listen to stuff to blow your mind on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. On the Look Back at it podcast. 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 hear, 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.