The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Best of The Herd: 01/08/2021

Episode Date: January 8, 2021

Colin is worried about Seattle’s offense heading into their Wild Card matchup vs the Rams.  Also, has Josh Allen reached Patrick Mahomes’ status?  Colin gave his Blazin’ 5 picks for the weekend.  Jeff Fisher discussed which teams should be on upset alert this weekend and Mercedes Lewis on Aaron Rodgers quest for another Super Bowl  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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A couple I really, really like. We've had amazing shows this. really amazing shows. I don't know if we can top it. A lot of good things happening. It's been a very wild birthday week for you, Colin. It is crazy. You know, I was thinking about this.

Doctors just want to know what the problem is so they can solve it. What they don't want is mystery. As a parent, my kids aren't perfect. I just want to know what the problem is. I just don't want mystery. Mystery worries me. Why is he or she getting bad grades? Why is he not listening to Mom?

Mysteries the enemy. Okay. Pilots. Okay, we got a storm ahead. What you don't want is surprises when you're at 33,000 feet. Surprises are bad for doctors. Wall Street. Prime example.

We saw the stock market, the Dow Jones, go up significantly during that chaos in Washington, D.C. Like, because the feeling was somebody was leaving who was. trouble. Somebody that's coming in perhaps is less trouble. I mean, again, unknown concerns everybody. There's going to be an upset this weekend, probably two. Last two years, wildcard weekend, 75 percent, six of eight, road teams of one. So I'm going to give you two games, which feel like to me, we could have an upset. And there's a lot of unknown here. Rams at Seattle. The Rams have issues. But there's a lot of known Cam Acres running back. Their best back. Oh, he's back now. Cooper Cup, best receiver. Oh, he's back now. Andrew Whitworth, left tackle. Really good.

Oh, he's back now. Sean McVeigh. Well-schemed offense every week. Oh, that, I get that. Aaron Donald, Jalen Ramsey. I know everything about the Rams, except if Jared Gough will play. And I'm kind of okay if he only played sparingly because I think John Wolford and moving in the Rams offense, the pocket, have kind of a Jalen Hertz, Taysom feel for a week? It'll be kind of disruptive. Seattle, though, I go back to mystery.

Seattle's offense is a mess. I can't figure it out. They're healthy. Seattle's defense, very dependent on Jamal Adams making plays. I don't know if he's healthy. Seattle this weekend, I don't know what I'm getting. What's wrong with her? offense. The running backs are healthy. Russ is healthy. The offensive lines healthy. Lockett

DK Metcalf are healthy. And it's been at best slightly below average. Greg CoSell, I asked him yesterday, what's wrong with Seattle's offense? I think it starts with Russell Wilson. And now they're trying to figure out what they should be, Colin, because obviously the first six or seven weeks, it was less Russ Cook. He cooked. He's not been very good over the last month or so. So the past game right now was kind of the perfect negative storm. Wilson's not seeing things clearly. The O-line struggles at times to protect. Wilson now perceives pressure.

The result is there's no rhythm. There's kind of an undisciplined randomness to Wilson's play right now. Randomness. I don't like randomness going into the playoffs. I think the Rams can and will win this game. I thought about it. randomness. Nobody can explain it. We don't like our doctors, our pilots, our Wall Street guys.

They don't like randomness. That's what scares them. Not problems. Oh, here's a problem. Let me solve it. Here's a storm. Here's a sickness. Here's a market fluctuation.

As long as I get my arms around it. This weekend with the Seahawks, way too much randomness. Last three times, Rams have played Seattle. They have sacked Russell Wilson 16 times, and it's passerating 77. I like the Rams. Here's another one. Tampa Bay at Washington is interesting. So Tom Brady's not playing well against good teams,

playoff teams, or at night this year. I don't have an answer. But the last two times a team has won a division with a losing record. They're the most disrespected team in the playoffs and they're 2-0. I get a veteran head coach, I get a veteran quarterback, and I get the best defensive line, arguably, in the NFL playoffs. And here's the thing that as much as I like Brady, a lot of Brady's success had to do with dominating the AFC East, getting a buy, then playing at home, you win that game, you're in the AFC championship. but Brady's last six road playoff games, he's two and four, seven touchdowns, 10 picks.

Keep your eye on Washington. They, Ron Rivera, and he did it with Cam, and he did it this year with Washington. Two things he does. He makes the defense, especially in the box, better, and he does it quickly. And the second thing is, he loves physicality. What do 43-year-old quarterbacks not like? Getting hit. If Tom is forced off his spot, he's uncomfortable.

I think Washington makes this game really, really ugly. So the Rams and the Washington football team keep your eye on them. Because we're going to have upsets. Six of the eight road teams, 75% last two years, have won these games. games. So this is, this is kind of interesting. So according to some executives, some in league circles would take Josh Allen over Patrick Mahomes long term. Come on! Quote, I've talked to very knowledgeable people in league circles who will quietly say if they had the choose between the two, they'd take Alan.

He's larger, more durable, just as good in arm. People think Patrick Mahomes is in a class by himself. There are many of us that think Josh Allen is in the same class. So I'm just going to throw this out to you. I don't take a lot from the NFL combine, but it's something. That's why they all go. Josh Allen went to the combine, Patrick Mahomes, and they do all those measurements. Hand size, they tell me matters.

Josh Allen's were bigger. Quarterback ball velocity. Allen. Height Allen. 40-yard dash Allen. Vertical leap, Allen. Arm strength, they're both great. Let's not quibble over who's smarter.

Jeff Bezos or Elon Musk. They're both fine. Josh Allen went higher in the draft. But the difference is how they entered the league. So the way Mahomes entered the league was very much like Aaron Rogers. He got to sit and watch some football. He was behind. a winning veteran quarterback.

He went to a very stable organization, the Packers and the Kansas City Chiefs. And he got to learn. And then immediately he had weapons. He had players around him. That's Mahomes. Andy Reed, good weapons, Alex Smith, sat behind them. Josh Allen entered the league much more like Troy Aikman. Oh, you've got to play year one.

We don't have a ton to play with. We're not very good. We're trying with a new coach to sort of change the culture, which has been a losing culture for the last seven, eight years. That's Troy Aikman. And two to three years later, you looked at Aikman and went, oh, oh, he may be better than like the Dan Marino everybody talked about is the next great talent. So how do you enter the league?

Mahomes and Aaron Rogers entered the league very favorably, veteran coach, smart history, winning culture, sit behind a veteran, learn the league a little bit, then inserted into a team that's got nice weapons and cultural and divisional momentum. Aikman and Josh Allen entered the league. You're playing year one. There's no mentor. We need you to win. The team stinks.

We have no head coach or cultural momentum. Go for it. but the minute Aikman got an Emmett and an Irvin oh my, oh my and the minute Josh Allen got Stefan Diggs, have you seen his numbers? They're like blowing through the rest of the league.

So this idea that, and I said this a couple days ago, that Mahomes is in some sort of Michael Jordan-Lebron Galaxy where it's like MJ's there and I mean, we all argue about number two. Half of you think is Giannis and he can't win playoff series. How do you think it's Anthony Davis?

I kind of agree maybe, but I mean, he was invisible for seven years in New Orleans. Couldn't win a playoff series. I don't think that's the case here. I think Mahomes and Josh Allen and increasingly Justin Herbert, if he gets the right coach, I think they're all in kind of the same category. Allen was drafted higher than Patrick Mahomes. Combined, not close. Finally, like Aikman, second, third year of his career, finally Josh Allen has some cultural

coaching momentum, gets a star receiver. what they've done. The hottest quarterback in the league is Aaron Rogers in the NFC and Josh Allen in the AFC. Just is just just, remember what Greg Kosell said? Just a couple of days ago, we asked him, Trevor Lawrence, is this once in a decade quarterback out of Clemson? Here's what Greg Kosell said. What is really fascinating is the increase in precise ball placement. because, you know, we know what he is in just in terms of a physical talent, but he is now making throws that require pace, touch. Talent level?

You know, it's funny. And, you know, you and I'll start talking about college quarterback soon. But what we always hear is Trevor Lawrence is a generational talent. Well, I have no problem saying this. And if people think I'm wrong, fine. But Josh Allen's more talented than Trevor Lawrence. Okay, that is. And Trevor Lawrence was much more highly.

acclaimed than Patrick Mahalms out of college. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the IHeart Radio app. 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.

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traders, and we're gearing up for the season finale of Survivor. Yeah, now we're experts. I know we annoyed a lot of our listeners by our severe lack of survivor knowledge. That is the point of the show. I'm just going to remind you. I have watched some survivor. I obviously haven't watched enough. Did people not like it?

Yeah. Just because we? Yeah. We'll be recapping the big conclusion in the 50th season from the final attempts at gameplay to the desperate pleas of finalists to a bunch of, ha, hoo. Ha, ha, who. Again, we are experts. So make sure to tune into PodMeets Twirled for all our Survivor 50 takes.

Listen to PodMeets Twirled on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Agency, the ability to know that we're the experts in our own body. On the podcast, cultivating her space, Dr. Dom and Terry Lomax create a space where black women can show up fully and be heard. I wholeheartedly think, you know, you hit 30. You shouldn't have to share one with anybody. Mm-hmm. from navigating friendships and healing to setting boundaries and prioritizing your mental health. These are real honest conversations.

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Listen to cultivating her space on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. So Drew Bledsoe's friends with Tommy Brady, and he calls him Tommy. That's when you know they're friends. He said about Brady going to the playoffs. He goes, I think Tom was smart enough to see the writing on the wall. They'd done everything they could to stay on top. and then Tom saw the salary cap issues. I think part of him thought, okay, I'm going to make a move here before we go sideways.

The best surfers know when to jump on and off the waves. And they call this seeing around corners. The best CEOs do it. The best parents do it. The best athletes do it. LeBron, by the way, you spot trends and you spot problems before they exist. It's what Steve Jobs did at Apple. He created a phone that you didn't even know.

know you needed and now you can't live without it. That's why he was a billionaire. He was a genius. He saw a need for something before society had it. LeBron saw an aging de-way. They've been to the finals four straight times. Boom. He goes to a younger Kyrie.

And, you know, it's seeing around corners. And Brady was always going to win this divorce. And the reason is simple. It's always easier for a free agent star quarterback to find a safe landing spot than it is to find a Deshaun Watson or a Tom Brady in the draft. Belichick has drafted 10 quarterbacks after he drafted Brady. One is kind of good, Jimmy Garapolo. Nine weren't.

One is good, Jimmy Garapolo, but can't stay healthy. And according to Chris Mortensen, the Niners are moving off him. That's the success. So it's always easier. Just think if Deshaun Watson, who reportedly wants to be traded and they're not going to let it. But if he could, it was free agents. not just because of his talent.

Kirk Cousins had the choice of teams. Minnesota. He picked them because he's like, oh, yeah, they have all these good receivers and backs. Peyton Manning in Denver. Oh, they've got, remember they had Eric Decker, DeMarius Thomas. Oh, they got good receipts. Tom Brady and 43-year-old Brady. Deshaun Watson, the Colts, the Bears.

There's always like Washington. There's always really good teams that are just missing the guy. That's easy. So Brady was always going to win this. It was the degree in which he'd win it. But, you know, I look at this and the reality with Brady, his genius was in August of 2019. Because that's when in August, he and his agent, Don Yee changed his contract. So he was unfranchisable.

You couldn't franchise him. So Brady saw this over a year before he left. He saw this. You're not going to be able to franchise me. And then again, it is a real talent. Most people, they get into a job. It's a nice job. And they don't see the problems coming.

Joy and I are in media. It changes every year. When we got in this business podcasting, there wasn't even a Facebook or a Twitter. There's new platforms developing. Now, there's Parlor, which is Twitter, but leans right. That's happened in the last year. So it's a constant move toward which platform's growing, which platform shrinking.

That's not that we're smart. It's almost like you have to. If you don't watch and see around the corners, your stuff dries up real fast in this business. So when you look at Brady, as Drew Bledsoe says, Tom saw the issues. He saw the salary cap. He saw them losing coaches.

He saw Nikiel Harry, by the way, in camp. He watched Nikiel Harry in camp and went, okay, this isn't great. He can't get away from people. So congrats to Tommy. Be sure to catch live editions of the Heard. heard weekdays in noon eastern 9 a.m. Pacific. That's a hot one.

Let's blaze it up. Fire it up. It's Collins blazing. Cold set bills. All right. I'm going to take Buffalo minus six and a half here. They're the hottest team in the league, seven and one record at home, won six straight games by 10 plus points. And the other thing, teams go in waves. Seattle's struggling right now. The bills since week 12 are number one in the NFL, much better offensively than Kansas City since week 12 and it's not debatable. Number one in everything.

Points, point differential, yards. The Colts worry me. I think they'll stay close for a while. But in the second half, Philip Rivers, when you go off script and you just need him to make a play, lowest ceiling in the league. Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, second half,

they can do stuff off script. I like the bills to win and cover, 312. Rams at Seahawks Like it, I love it I bet this game got a better number than the number now But LA plus three and a half all taken The Seahawks, more than any team in the league Play one possession games

They're always close, especially their rivalry games 25 games decided by one possession Since 2019 most in the NFL And their offense now is struggling DK Metcalf has disappeared And no defense gives them more consistent trouble than the Rams. They sacked Russell Wilson 11 times this year, 16 times in three games. And the Rams defense is number one in yards per play allowed. By the way, Cooper Cutback, Cam Acres back,

Andrew Whitworth back, and even if they go to the backup quarterback, Seattle's not going to score a lot. He can have a Jalen Hertz ability. You're kind of guessing how to defend him. Upset of the weekend, Rams 21, Seahawks 20. Buccaneers at Washington. I think Washington is the play plus eight. Didn't bet it, but it's the play. They've been five and two over their last seven games have the Washington football team, and they've held opponents to 20 points or fewer in each of their last seven games.

So Ron Rivera didn't have a preseason, little choppy in September, October, but in the last two months, Ron Rivera's defense, A, it had talent when he got there, and B, now the talent's being well-coached. they're no fun to play. Alex Smith 5 and O in his last five starts, and the Bucks and Tom Brady have struggled. Tom's a habit guy. Night games this year, been bad.

Layoff teams this year, been bad. I don't love the matchup for Tampa here. I have them winning, but I think it's choppy. It's got upset written all over it. I would take Washington plus 8. 2620 Tampa wins does not cover. Bears at Saints. Wouldn't touch this if you paid me, but I'll just take the Bears side because now it's up to nine and a half, 10 points.

And that's, you know, here's the, here's how I feel. Saints have the best roster in the league and are going to win this game, but there is value. A lot of times I'm not betting teams, I'm just betting a number. This number, some will tease this up to 10, 11 points. Chicago's got a real defense. Tribisky's been in playoffs before. I like the coach. David Montgomery now is running the football.

week 12, the offense for Chicago has been at least something. We know the Saints are better. Their offensive pieces are so good in New Orleans. You got Drew and Taysom, and Alvin Kamara, Manuel Sanders, Michael Thomas, now finally healthy. By the way, the Saints haven't had Alvin Kamara and Michael Thomas together at full strength in a long time. The Saints are going to win, but I'm just playing the number here. Nine and a half is too much to give anybody. Especially there's no fans in New Orleans.

If there's fans, I call for a blowout. 28, 23 Saints win, but I'd take the Bears side. Browns at Steelers. Like the Steelers, I love them. Now, I got this at 4, but at 6, and I'm still comfortable with it, Pittsburgh minus 6. Two bad things happening. Actually, there's 3. The Browns have the fewest players with post-season experience 15 at any team in the playoffs.

Bad. Experience matters. Secondly, they're the only playoff team with a negative point differential. bad. Third, they don't have their coach. I don't think it's that big, but it's something. I didn't like Cleveland to start. Now things are unraveling. Big Ben, at home, rested, will be the most comfortable of the two quarterbacks. Olivier Vernon's out for Cleveland, good pass rusher. The Steelers have allowed the few with sacks in the NFL and also have the most sacks in the NFL. So translation. Of the two quarterbacks, Big Ben at home rested will be the most comfortable quarterback.

I don't think, I think you'll feel like Pittsburgh is the better team for three and a half hours. But I do think Cleveland has the ability to score. Cleveland's running game will have Big Ben watching some of this game not playing in it. But I'm comfortable with the number, Pittsburgh 28, Cleveland 20, and I don't feel the game will feel that close. It'll feel like Pittsburgh is the better team. with the more comfortable quarterback. So there you go. And that hat on backwards was the sealer for me.

One more herd? The herd streams 24 hours a day, seven days a week, within the IHeart radio app. Search Herd to listen live or on demand whenever you'd like. Jeff Fisher made the playoffs, six different playoff appearances, coaching the Oilers and the Titans. And he actually was a player for the Bears, actually.

85 Bears spent the season. He was banged up that year. So he knows all about the playoffs going in as a favorite, going in as an underdog. And Jeff Fisher now, former NFL head coach, joins me live. So you've gone in as a dog. You've gone in as a favorite. Jeff, when you do go in as a favorite, you're a division winner,

do you feel, can you sense in the room the week, the day of, the moment, a little tightness? Was it palpable? Could you feel it? Well, you know, I'll go back. You know, in 99, Colin, we went in as a wildcard team and we had to go through everybody. I mean, we had to play Buffalo and then go, you know, up to Indianapolis and then down to Jacksonville. And, you know, we hadn't been in it before.

And so I mentioned it, I remember mentioned in a team meeting, I go, hey, if we can get past this first game, we'll be fine because you're not going to play well in the first half because you haven't been there. You don't know what it's like and so on and so forth. We found our way past it and, you know, we made it to the Super Bowl the next year. We've got the number one seat in 2000. We have a week off. We're sitting there with the best record in the AFC. And, you know, now, we lose to Baltimore and they have five first downs. And you remember the game?

You know, Ray Lewis peeled the ball off at his shoulder. And one of your frequent participants, Trent Dilper, wins the Super Bowl ring. And they had five first downs. So, you know, it's just different. We didn't play well. And we look around. You look around when that game's over and you go, this is a much better team, what happens? So, you know, the teams that haven't been there before or in a long time like Cleveland, it's going to be tough on because, you know, they've got all that emotion and all that stuff.

They're playing a team like Pittsburgh that they're familiar with. But if they can get through the first half, mind you, I think they settle down and play pretty well. But you can get caught up in the hike. Now, the big thing is right now, there's no home field advantage. I mean, I've been thinking a lot about the Rams, you know, at the Seahawks. I mean, that's a different place, you know, and under normal circumstances. A young quarterback in a second start's got no chance if he can't hear, but this isn't the case up there. Yeah, that's the game to me.

You know, Jeff, part of it is the Rams have given Russell Wilson fits. They've sacked him six times a game in the last three times. They've met in his pass-a ratings in the 70. They've got a lockdown corner to take out D.K. Metcalf. They've got a guy you've got to double up front to change your blocking scheme. So it's a good matchup for the Rams. But it's fascinating because I thought when Seattle's running backs got healthy, I'm like, okay, here they are.

It's gone the other way. Did you ever go in, have stretches when you look at your roster, Jeff, and you're like, this should work and it doesn't. Seattle's in a weird place where it's almost an enigma. It's a mystery. I can't figure out why it's not working. Well, I just say this, Colin, it's not working because they, you know, they usually are a team that's seven and one or six and two at home,

eight and no at home every year because a home field advantage in the way they're built. They're not, they don't have that advantage anymore. And yeah, the Rams are going to give them fits up front. I mean, you know, Seattle's gotten a little,

a little more healthier up front on the offensive line. I agree. Where's their running game? You know, Shottie's one of the best play callers, I think, in the national football league. I like their chances,

but there's something uneasy about this. And then, I mean, if you were to look at it first glance and go, okay, Wulford or Russell Wilson, that's a no-brainer. But the Rams have, over the last few matchups, have created a bunch of problems for Russ. Yeah. The other game that's interesting is in a little house money here. So Ron Rivera, you know him. He's an excellent defensive coach.

And so he inherited a Washington team that had talent. And it took him at no preseason. So it took him about seven, eight weeks. for these guys to understand their assignments. Okay, last seven weeks, they've held everybody under 20. And Brady is one of those guys. You get rich. You get 40.

You don't want to get hit. And I could see Tom getting a little off his spot if they can't block their front. Your thoughts on Brady, night game, good defensive front. What do you think we see here with that? You know, it's, first let me go back a week. You watch that Washington. in offense, you know, the quarterback bless his heart, and it's an amazing story, but he has a hard time moving around. And so, you know, Tampa Bay is going to create some problems there.

I think that's going to be the difference. Alex is just, the ball's got to come out quick. If he gets pushed out of the pocket, he has difficulty climbing in the pocket a little bit. If he can't get the ball out quick, they're going to have problems. The other side of it is, Brady's experienced. I know Jack will have the defense ready to go. He'll have some different wrinkles, but there's just too much going on. I think if you look at the talent on both sides, Washington's defense and Tampa Bay's offense,

you might say they're going to, you know, they'll balance out. But boy, if Brady gets hot and he's got some time, he's going to make some big time plays. And if they get up, I just don't see Washington catching up with it, you know, with the state of that offense. Kansas City's resting. They're not playing. They really struggled in December.

Conversely, from about week 14 on, Buffalo was on fire. So it's very interesting, and I want your take on this. So in December, even against Atlanta's defense, Andy struggled. He gave his, they had a buy coming up, and he didn't play Mahomes week 17. And I thought, man, Jeff, that's like a bowl, college. bowl rest. Do you worry about Kansas City not playing well, don't play starters week 17, having a buy and Buffalo's red hot? Your thoughts on that? Yeah, I don't, I would be concerned about a Kansas City team coming off a buy, and he knows what he's doing. They're going to work,

they're going to practice, they're going to maintain tempo. The only concern you have with respect to the buy call on is the COVID protocol. And what happens on this off weekend if the guys get couple of days off. I mean, they've got them locked down. They're doing everything they can, but that would be my concern. I think this is an experienced team. Patrick understands what's at stake here. He's been there before. I don't think you'll see a problem with them. They don't have to travel. They should be fine in the familiar surroundings there. But you make a great point. Buffalo's on fire right now. They're really a fun team to watch. You know, both sides of the ball with Brian and Leslie have done with the offense and defense, it's impressive.

And the quarterback is hot. And at this time of the year, if you've got a quarterback that can get out of trouble and make plays off the schedule, which probably 70,8% of these guys can right now, you have a chance. And so I don't think it's, I don't think Kansas City is going to have a problem. They may, you know, Kansas City falls up, falls behind 14 points in the first quarter. You know, every year, it seems like in the playoffs to somebody. and they come back and they put together a huge second half and they run away with it. So I don't think it's a problem. But right now I'm not ready to pick between Kansas City and Buffalo.

Yeah. So you're in Nashville. The Titans are, I said to Joy earlier today, Joy Taylor, my co-hosts, I said, you don't have to be a perfect team to even get to a Super Bowl. Coaching is so good in the NFL, you can't be terrible somewhere because a coach will just pick it apart. Boy, the Titans struggle on the back end. and it doesn't help that they've got a poor pass rush. So whereas Seattle earlier this year was struggling on the back end,

they acquire Carlos Dunlap. They solve a little bit of that because now quarterbacks don't have time to get their feet under them. I look at the Titans and Ravens, and I just see a game that lasts two and a half hours because nobody will throw. They're just going to run the ball. Your thoughts on that game?

You think they're going to run it? Last week. I did the math. Baltimore had, what, 400 yards rushing at Cincinnati, and the Titans had 250 yards rushing last weekend. I mean, this thing is going to be really fun to watch. Now, if you got a defense that can't get past, you can't get pressure on the quarterback.

You're going to have to manufacture pressure. And the issue with that is if you send too many or you get out of a rush lane or you're on discipline or you don't get them down. There's a lot of running room. So that's going to be a concern, I think, of the Titans going in defensively. But, you know, their hopes and their playoff aspirations and their push is all going to be centered on Derek Henry. If Derek Henry can hang on that football, and not the – he's a fumble guy, but the more carries he gets, the more time they're on the field, the less time the bar is on the field.

I just don't know. I mean, they've won the last two matchups. you know they're playing the same team for the third time and the same year you know it's been done before we did it in 99 against jacksonville this one's going to be hard on tennessee you know it's going to be a great game i can't wait to watch it but 650 rushing last week between those two offenses that's unheard of by the way congratulations uh Trent dilfer comes on their show all the time and he's a high school football coach and he got to the state championship and lost he lost he lost to a team that was coached by your son.

Is that right? You know, yeah, that's right, Colin. Thanks for bringing it up. Yeah, Trent's at Lipsum Academy and my son's coach assistant coached at Christ Presbyterian Academy. And I was there. I sat there and I watched the state championship game. And you talk about rushing.

The Christmrestedary Academy, they rushed for 424 yards against Colts Dilfer's team. Wow. And so, you know, I thought 400 out of Baltimore last week was a lot, 424 against Lipsman Academy. And, oh, by the way, I have to point out, since he's a frequent, you know, talent on your show, he did a hype video in this championship stadium at Tennessee for Trent Dilfer's team. And it just didn't make a difference.

So, you know, I'm, you know, I'm excited. about the rival we have going here in national. It's a lot of fun. But Trent's doing a great job. He's well loved here. And speaking to Trent, you know, he was the one that at the other hand of the loss that we had, you know, probably the most significant loss that we had as a Titans coach to the Ravens organization and after that 2000 season when they went on and won the Super Bowl.

Yeah, that was one of the great deep, probably the last great Hall of Fame level defense in the league. I mean, it was just physical and individual. your face and pressure and great corners. Jeff Fisher. Pleasure seeing you again. We'll talk soon. I appreciate it. Thank you very much. Have a fun weekend. Yeah.

The Titans Ravens game is just going to run the football. That game is just going to be run, run, run. Some games, you have a feeling like I could see Buffalo and the Colts being a four-hour game. If the Colts played well early, Buffalo gets behind, Buffalo's got to throw. They're a much more explosive throwing game than they do a running game. Baltimore, if you missed the first. half hour, they'll be deep into the second quarter, Ravens, Tennessee. That's just run all day.

Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the IHeart Radio app. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care which I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became. became bigger than I ever imagined.

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

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and Wilfredel from PodMeets World. And now the PodMeets Twirled podcast. We're two men who were completely clueless to reality TV, who now have covered Dancing with the Stars, traders, and we're gearing up for the season finale of Survivor. So yeah, now we're experts. I know we annoyed a lot of our listeners by our severe lack of survivor knowledge. That is the point of the show.

I'm just going to remind you. I have watched some Survivor. I obviously haven't watched enough. Did people not like it? Like what was just because we? Yeah. We'll be recapping the big conclusion of the 50th season from the final attempts at gameplay to the desperate pleas of finalists to a bunch of,

Ha, who. Ha, ha, who. Again, we are experts. So make sure to tune into Pod Meets Twirled for all our Survivor 50 takes. Listen to PodMeets Twirl on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Agency. The ability to know that we're the experts in our own body. On the podcast, cultivating her space, Dr. Dom and Terry Lomax create a space where black women can show up fully and be heard.

I wholeheartedly think, you know, you hit 30, you shouldn't have to share a room with anybody. Mm-hmm. From navigating friendships and healing to setting boundaries and prioritizing your mental health. These are real honest conversations. We don't always get to have out loud. Totally unreasonable with different parts of life, right? Like, oh, have all three meals and make sure you're mindful during all of them? Absolutely not.

During one meal, I'm standing. I'm standing and handing my children food. Because healing, empowerment, and resists. Resilience aren't just ideas, their practices. And this Mental Health Awareness Month, there's no better time to pour back into yourself. Listen to cultivating her space on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Mercedes-Louis has been playing in the NFL for a decade and a half. I remember him when he was a dominant tight end at UCLA.

He's now a Green Bay Packer. You see him every weekend. They've got a buy, and he is now joining us live. a Friday. So Mercedes, you were just telling me during the break, so much of the NFL is not just players, but it's management, is it well run, is their stability? And I thought it was fascinating. So I asked you during the break, you can't go out, you know, you're dealing with the same stuff we are. And you talked about what the Packers are doing for their players. And it just speaks so well of why Green Bay is so good. Tell our audience, let's say I wanted to grab something to eat

and I was a player for the Packers. What would it be like? So if you say if you were a guy coming in for the first time, like we just signed you during the season. You know, they really make it easy for you as far as living life and being able to maneuver around the tight spots. You don't necessarily have to spend money here unless you really want to. Everything from food, to shakes, to supplements. It's all there for you. And they really make it about the players. And so that's something that I definitely don't take for granted.

And I'm sure I speak for the rest of the team when I say that. Yeah, Mercedes said you wouldn't have to pay for food if you lived and played for the Packers. Every meal, every snack, everything is totally taken care of. You have similarly taken care of your body. That's why you've lasted so long. Take me to playoff intensity and regular season. When you line up, do you sense it? Can you feel it? What's the difference? Yeah, I think, you know, the biggest difference is the finality of it all. You know, you lose, you go home. There's no do-overs. And I think it puts that much more pressure on you to execute the highest level and pay, you know, great attention to detail. It's just one of those things that, you know, this is it, you know, and you feel that every single play. You know that, you know that.

you know, each play could be either the one to win it or lose it. And so I think that's the biggest difference. You know, it's interesting. There's obviously, statistically, the difference between Matt Lafleur and Aaron first year and Matt Lafleur and Aaron this year is significant. We didn't have a preseason. We didn't have camps. But was there a moment that you sense this year, wow, Aaron's way more comfortable,

perhaps with the language, the play calling? Did you notice it early? Yeah, I mean, you know, obviously with no offseason and stuff like that, we have to do everything remotely. And you can just tell within the meetings, and then right when we got back, you can just tell, you know, both of those guys are comfortable. They understand that, you know, in order to get this thing done, you know, we have to be able to fuse everything together.

And when I say that, I mean, you know, Matt has his philosophy on how he wants things done. and obviously Aaron has played a lot of ball, one MVP's, one a Super Bowl. You know, he has things that he believes that works. And so being able to tie those two things together and, you know, being able to lean on both of those guys, I mean, it's really helped, and you can see it. I'm not telling you anything that you're not able to watch every weekend.

Yeah. You know, it's when you are a veteran player, and Green Bay still feels young to me. You and Aaron may not be, but this week, you are a veteran. presence. You are somebody that's been around like this. Do you sense young players understand

that? Like they gravitate a little if players asked you about the playoff experience this week? Not directly, but you can tell. You know, it's different. Not everybody, you know, I've been in this late 15 years and only been to the playoffs, what, three times, three or four times. So, you know,

it's definitely not something that's given. It's a privilege. It's something that's earned. And I think, you know, in this team, we have the right leadership. And the guys that haven't been there, they do a good job of following. And it just permeates throughout the entire locker room. And, you know, we're definitely focused on the task at hand and definitely not taking it for granted.

You know, last year you were a good team, but you had gotten pushed around by physical teams two or three times. So when you came into this year, my takeaway was, I know Green Bay is good, but can Green Bay go play at Tennessee? Can Green Bay play at Philadelphia? and get into the Octagon and go play physical ugly football. And you guys did. I thought you played one of your best games of the year against Tennessee.

You played great last week against Chicago. I mean, if you go look at the Packers draft, Mercedes, it looked like the organization went and got a big running back, a blocking tight end, interior lineman. Was it a big part of the discussion this year getting more physical? I think, you know, it wasn't necessarily a discussion, but it was more so the elephant in the room. And, you know, that, you know, football is about a game that, you know, grown men going out there and taking what they want. And, you know, obviously last year, Torres de Tatea, when we're in the playoffs, we didn't go out there and take what we wanted.

And so, you know, whether that's used as fuel going forward or whatever it is, but, We understood, you know, what the perception was last year. And I think every day when we're out there practicing, it's about changing that narrative. So I think each day, we each rep, we're doing that. And, you know, it's important not to get ahead of ourselves, but we're in a good position and looking forward to competing with whoever it is that we have to play next weekend. You know, it's funny. You played in warm weather, UCLA, and then you go down to steamy Jacksonville,

and now it's January. It's Lambo. It is cold. Sometimes it may not be something you're used to, but you just sort of buy into something and say, I'm going to live this and love it. So cold weather football, Mercedes, do you love it yet? I think it's one of those, it's like a mystique. You know, like we love it because we know everybody else don't love it. And it's like, you know, we adapt to it. adapt to it and adjust to it. We still practice in it. We go into the indoor every once in a while.

When it's cold like that, we're outside practicing and getting that gristle on our bones, so to speak. So it's definitely an advantage. They call it the frozen tundra for a reason. Yeah. By the way, I love that shot. We're showing shots right now of Lambo. There's this one shot I like, it's a small, small town. And so this stadium's right off the road. And if you've ever driven by Lambo, I've, I've, actually never been in Lambeau Field. But I love these pictures of it. Because you grew up in Big City, L.A.

Here's the picture. These pictures are incredible. You have this massive stadium in the middle of nowhere. I mean, this is a silly question, but like, what is it like to live in Green Bay as a big city guy? I mean, it's definitely small. You can drive

from the front into the back of Green Bay in like 15 minutes. Like, it's super small. this stadium with all this tradition is right in the middle of these small houses. It's definitely totally different and definitely an experience. But that's what it's all about, man. And I think that's what, you know, being in Green Bay and playing football and having that tradition and, you know, die-hard fans, that's what it's all about.

So, you know, I'll be able to tell my kids about this one day for sure. Seven playoff games. This will be your eighth Mercedes. Louis, totally appreciate you coming on. And good luck to you in the pack. 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 Grace. Listen to Superhuman on the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. On the Look Back at it podcast. For 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84 was big to me.

I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a year, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. With our friends, fellow comedians, and favorite authors. Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s. 84 was a wild year. 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 a win a win a win a win i don't care what you're saying yep that's me cliford taylor the fourth you might have seen the skits my basketball and college football journey or my career in sports media well now i'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast the clifers show this is a place for raw unfilled conversations with athletes creators and voices that not only deserve to be but celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app,

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