The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Best of The Herd: 03/18/2019

Episode Date: March 18, 2019

After a story came out that Ben Roethlisberger intentionally fumbled once because he didn't like the play calling, Colin is questioning Big Ben’s leadership.  He says Russell Westbrook is just too tightly wound to win in this league.  He talks about where he was right and wrong over the weekend.  Plus, former NFL WR TJ Houshmandzadeh comes in studio to talk Big Ben and OBJ.  Presented by Perky Jerky. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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That's how personal it got. Wow. Then after that game seven, Mark keep coming to her. He's like, you know, I love you, dog. You know, it's all love. This was just playoffs. This was just basketball.

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This is the best of the herd with Colin Cowher on Fox Sports Radio. Ah, here we go on a pack Monday. This is the herd. Wherever you may be and however you may be listening, we're live in Los Angeles on IHard Radio, Fox Sports Radio, and FS1, one hour from now. One of our better Colin was right, Colin was wrong segments of the year. We're packed today, Doug Gottlieb, a little on March Madness stuff, among other things. coming up later in the hour.

Enjoyed Taylor back from a respite in Florida. It was a wedding. A wedding. Yes. Congratulations. Brandon Newman, the Fox family got married this weekend in Sarasota. That is awesome.

What a beautiful place Sarasota is. Yes, not the easiest to get to. No. We're discussing earlier. But when you're in the West Coast, Florida is not the easiest place to get to in general. It's another world, but Sarasota is absolutely stunning. It's great to have you. And, you know, Joy is from Pittsburgh, and it seems like the Steelers are in the news more

than any NFL team. And again, this morning, they're in the news. This is a big claim. One of the reasons I like football, every game matters. College football, pro football, every game matters. There's a regulated violence to it, so you got to play hard. A left tackle can't take a playoff or the quarterback gets hurt. It could damage the franchise. That's what I love about it. Everybody's all in every play. And in baseball, there's so many games. You could take it at bat off in basketball. You see guys give up baskets. In tennis, you go down three. loving a set, you tank it for the next set. Golf, you see guys throw their clubs.

They're done for the weekend. But in football, you've got to play hard. It's a brotherhood because you get hurt. Hockey's a little bit like that. You'll get hurt. So this is quite a claim. Josh Harris, former Big Ben teammate in Pittsburgh, says he intentionally fumbled four years ago.

The video is arguable. Nobody can really prove it, but he said 2014, week 17, we're playing the Bengals up by 10 a minute left. Todd Haley. who Ben hated, called her run play with very little time left in the game. Big Ben wanted to kneel. And when the play came into the huddle, Big Ben rolled his eyes. So if you see the play, he then fumbled on the next play.

And Josh Harris is saying, you know, Big Ben, to spite Todd Haley, fumbled the ball. Now, Steelers up by 10 minute left. We're going to win the football game. But that would stick. That would be a stench. That's sabotage. Win or lose that game. that is just not appropriate in football.

Again, in baseball, fourth game of a series, up by nine in your division. It's August. You partied too hard. You give up an at bat. I see it in basketball, tennis, golf. You don't do that in football. True or not, you don't do it. Here's the thing.

Lavian Bell, it's his fault. Antonio Brown, his fault. Big Ben, his fault. Mike Tomlin, his fault. Here's a thing. I don't need Antonio Brown to be a leader. I don't need Levian Bell to be a leader. I just need to be talented.

But I need my quarterback to be a leader. That's not leadership. There's two great quarterbacks in the NFL, and they're both amazing, and I've compared them for years, Aaron Rogers and Big Ben. They're the only great first ballot Hall of Fame quarterbacks currently playing that are called out regularly by teammates, current former teammates. Here we go again with Ben. And this morning, there's going to be people that defend Ben Rothesberger,

and they blame it on other people. I don't need wide receivers and running backs to be leaders. That's why I do care about the Wonderlich test for quarterbacks. And I do care about their family upbringing. And I do care if they have leadership qualities. And I took the claims against certain quarterbacks out of college as screw-offs. Johnny Mansell. Not a grown-up.

Baker Mayfield, wore me out. That's why. Because this is not a position to just be talented. leadership is crucial. Brady's probably the best leader of all time. Not the best arm, not the best talent. Joe Montana, Russell Wilson, guys I like, Drew Breeze. You can like Big Ben and you can stand behind Big Ben.

But for once again, Big Ben and Aaron Rogers, teammates are just willing to go public. I mean, listen, I've worked with people that I don't love, but you'd have to be a real schmuck for me to go out. and publicly hammer you. I mean, we've all worked with people we don't like. But when you put it on paper, when you stand in front of a mic, I mean, for Josh Harris, kind of a nobody in the league to do that, there's just too much smoke here with Big Ben. And by the way, I get this.

His teammate Josh comes out and he says, great player, but he doesn't connect with teammates. For the record, that's the knock on Aaron Rogers. And I've seen my entire life great athletes who don't think are great leaders, Arod, Barry Bonds, Kobe Bryant, Carmelo Anthony, Big Ben. I think they're unbelievable talents. I don't think they're great leaders. I think Jeter's a great leader.

Russell Wilson's a great leader. Peyton Manning's a great leader. Tom Brady's a great leader. There is a gap here. There is a difference. Don't confuse the two. Great talent and great talent and a leader. Jeter was both.

Steph Curry is both. Brady is both. But you can keep defending Ben Rothersberger, but there's just way too much small. here. And quarterback is not just about talent. You lead the class. You talk in the huddle. You lead the film session. Shame on Ben, if it's true. That's a really, really awful claim. And if you look at the video, I'm not going to say it's true, but it's not untrue. That's all I'm saying when I see that video. I want to shift to this. Tension is

It's contagious. Years and years ago, I was on a plane. Guy was drunk, flirting with a stewardess. We're at 33,000 feet. It was uncomfortable. There was tension on the plane. And it was contagious. We were all uncomfortable.

It's a skinny little tube, 33,000 feet. He was combustible. Tension spreads through a family and it spreads through a room. The intense dad on vacation, the unruly passenger on a flight. Russell Westbrook, to me, has never been a championship player

because he's too rigid, and it makes everybody else tense and rigid. This Saturday, Oklahoma City was hosting Golden State, and Kevin Durant didn't play. It was a big game. It's one of those rare half-dozen NBA regular season games, Saturday night feels like, oh, we got a little playoff thing going here. This game matters a little bit.

And Westbrook completely melted down like he does in the playoffs, like he often does in the fourth quarter, like he often does against Golden State. You sort of got a technical headbutted Clay Thompson, 0 for 7. It was a bad shooting night. And you shoot poorly generally when you're tense or you're tired. And Westbrook is never tired, right? here was the sound from Saturday night. Thompson got a block, and then Westbrook takes a frustration foul,

then gets hit with a tactical, and that's his 16th technical of the season, which means he's going to be suspended unless they rescind it, which it doesn't look like that's going to be the case in this instant, but he's going to be suspended for their next game. Maybe it's a foul. Get back because you know you're playing against the Golden State Warriors. Every call is not going to go your way, just the way every game is in this league, Mistakes are going to be made across the board.

Play through it. He is so tightly wound when you add any little pressure to him, playoffs, warriors, fourth quarter, he unravels. I don't hate Westbrook. I hate his game. He's the little league dad who's always too uptight, one blown call by the umpire. He's into a confrontation with an umpire at a little league game. Tensions contagious. It's why Oklahoma City melts down in big games and melts down in the playoffs.

He's rigid and everybody else is on pins and needles. I mean, it was palpable in that game. What are you doing? I mean, listen, fans, media, even after the game, dealing with media, local media, people there to give you a back massage and make you look good. It was tense. You got 16th technical. Do you have any hopes of getting that when we send it so you can

like Monday night. Thanks, question. Russ, were you aware that you were at 15? Next question. Are you disappointed with yourself for picking up your 16th? Next question. Again, if you can't deal with local media, like that heckler fan in Utah, that was on him, not on Westbrook, I defended him.

But this is, I don't hate Russell. I hate his game. Tension is contagious. And any team he's on. in big spots, you can just see everybody clenching their teeth, pins and needles. What's Russ going to do? And Saturday night, plus minus mite 18, 0 for seven on threes, whatever that was with Clay Thompson, I just don't think he's a championship player, just a really talented one.

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. Years and years I lived in Vegas, and when I lived in Vegas, 25 years ago, college basketball was massive. It felt bigger than the Super Bowl. In March Madness and Brackett Monday was gigantic. And the college basketball years ago where NBA guys like Patrick Ewing would come back for a sophomore, junior, senior year, see how good Zion Williamson is? Can you imagine him coming back for four years? That's what college basketball was like 25 years ago.

It was amazing. Great players and great teams. Everybody came back as juniors and as seniors. Zion Williamson and Duke, it's a remarkable story. I like them to win the tournament and get to the national championship. but one thing I always learned in Vegas was don't fall in love with the upsets. There'll be a couple in the first round. Don't go crazy.

Number one, two, three, and four seats dominate this tournament and that there's only eight teams that can actually win it. Because you've got to win six straight games. You got to have a good coach. You generally have to have a dominant NBA player or a really good score. Good back court, smart guard play helps. This year I've watched there. You know, I watch a lot of college basketball. I don't talk a ton about it because nobody knows who the players are outside of a couple of guys.

for Duke, but I watch a lot of it. This year, I think there are six teams that can win it, and I'll put it right up there for you. Duke, Gonzaga, Michigan, Virginia, Tennessee, and North Carolina. I think Kentucky's close, but they're too inconsistent. Sometimes Calipari overcoaches in the tournament. And frankly, they're five and four against ranked teams. I think Michigan State is close, but I don't think they can win six straight games.

I actually, like Michigan, thought they should have won yesterday in a crazy Big Ten championship. I think they have the best game coach in college basketball. basketball, and they're built to win. They don't get too high. They don't get too low. I like their demeanor. They're good enough to beat anybody, but they're not talented enough to overlook anybody. I think Michigan is going to, they're getting crushed this morning because everybody

thinks they should be a three seed, not a two seat. I think Michigan ends up in the final four. So I like Michigan a lot, and I've liked them all year. I've told you all year, I think Duke plays Michigan in the national championship. Duke's getting better. That's what happens with freshman teams. but everybody, you know, the more options you give me, they keep adding teams to this tournament over the last 20 years, but they're not adding one and two seeds.

They're adding junk. They're not adding quality. It's like this gigantic menu. If you work in the restaurant business, everybody orders about six things off a menu. If you're expanding your menu, you're not adding chicken parm. Okay, that's what people have ordered for years. You're not adding a New York strip, a baked potato or brocolini. That stuff's been on the menu for years.

you're adding stuff that's new, but it'll never be as popular. And so I saw a story this weekend about millennials, you know, the dreamers and they're changing the world. And the story was that there are so many options now in vacations that millennials, 51% of millennials just go back to the place they went last year because there's so much anxiety and so many choices, they just go back to what's popular. And I go back to what matters in college basketball. Do you have a great coach? Do you have a coach who's been in the tournament?

Do you have like one NBA guy? Do you have a smart back court? Are you capable of winning close games, not getting too high after a win and too low after a loss? These are my six. Duke Gonzaga, Michigan, Virginia, Tennessee, Carolina. I think Kentucky's close, but I don't think they can win six straight. And I think Michigan State's close. But in a tournament setting, I don't think they can win six straight.

And there you go. There's my six. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific. Well, we do it every week at this time. I started doing this about four or five years ago, and I said, you know, sometimes I'm right, sometimes I'm wrong, but people in this business never admit when they're wrong. Political pundins don't. They just move the goalposts.

And I thought every Monday I'll come out and I'll just say last two weeks, last week, here's where I goofed up and here's where I was right. So here we go. Where Colin was right? I told you a year ago, I said, you better draft Sam Darnel Giants. And if you don't, you're going to regret it. Well, let's look less than a year later. O'Dell Beckham's gone.

Dave Gettlement is getting crushed. They have no plan. Eli's shot. There's a division in the locker room whether he can play. And the New York Jets cross town have their guy and are completely optimistic just adding Levian Bell and feel like they can compete for division. Listen, you pass on a top quarterback prospect. And every single analyst I know, every GM I talk to said,

Darnold was either the first or the second best quarterback. You don't pass up on a top quarterback prospect. The NFL, college gives you one or two a year, max. Darnold was one of the two, three guys that can change your franchise, and aging Eli Manning. And less than a year later, the Giants are an absolute mess. Where Colin was wrong. Zion Williamson came back for Duke.

I said when he got hurt. This kid's going to break. every shoe deal ever. He's a once-in-a-decade phenom. Do not risk him getting hurt. It'll tarnish Shoshavsky's reputation, Nike's everybody. Boy, it came back. For the record, I love being wrong here. I love athletes that care about, you know, playing. It's not all about money and brand. This kid, though, is going to shatter every shoe record deal for a rookie into this league, and I'm not sure it'll ever be topped, at least in the next decade. I thought they'd sit him out. And I thought there would be too much pressure, even from Zion Williamson's family, Nike.

But he came back. He played great. He's an absolute blast to watch, and I couldn't be happier being wrong. Where Colin was right? Russell Westbrook Saturday night, listen, the fan in Utah's a jerk and should have been kicked out forever. And I think fans are inappropriate all the time. But my knock on Westbrook is, he's just too darn rigid. And you add a little tension, a fourth quarter of playoff and he just implodes Saturday night, classic example. He's going after one of the, you know, the quietest, most demure, classiest guys in the league, Clay Thompson.

What are you doing? What are you doing? I mean, Clay Thompson and Steph Curry are by as likable as American superstars get. And it showed once again, even after the game, his intensity creates tension in the building and it's palpable.

You've got 16th technical routes. Do you have any hopes of getting that when we send it so you can play Monday night? Thanks a question. Russ, were you aware that you were at 15? Next question. Are you disappointed with yourself for picking up your 16th? Next question. I mean, he's just a lot of work.

Just a lot of work. Where Colin was wrong. You know, I've ripped the Packers forever. The penny pinching, free agent Packers. They have Aaron Rogers, and they never get him a legitimate deal. defense, but I got to tip my cap to the Packers. I thought they did a great job in free agency. They didn't go out and spend crazy money. They went out and got defensive guys who were really good. Preston Smith, very good linebacker from Washington. He's going to come in and start.

Adrian Amos for the Bears, Zadaria Smith, another linebacker. They went out and got three starters defensively, got faster and more athletic in the linebacking court. When you get an Aaron Rogers, that's a once-a-decade talent, right? give him a defense. I mean, I like Tom Brady as much as anybody, but Brady for 15 years at the end of every season, New England has a top 10 defense. I mean, you can't ask Aaron Rogers to save you year after year. He's 35 increasingly, little brittle. I thought Green Bay had a very good offseason. They got starters, really good players, productive guys who have been in this league, and they didn't spend a fortune. Maybe this is the most they can do. You know, I got lower my standards.

a little, but I thought Green Bay had a really nice free agent week. Where Colin was right? Kevin Durant's good, but am I the only one that notices when Kevin Durant's out, the Warriors are good, they beat Houston, they beat Oklahoma City, both wins were on the road. But here's the point. Whether they're better or not without Kevin Durant, here's the point. This is Steph's team. I've always felt it's team.

They're more fun to watch. The spacing's better. It's more touches for Steph Curry. I think Steph's an amazing guy, and his aptitude, his sense of timing, his sense of self is remarkable. I don't know if there's ever been a superstar like Steph Curry, who is an incredibly giving teammate. But you know what? Sometimes he shouldn't give up so much because when he's freewheeling out there and he's got the hands, ball in the hands, Golden States spacing and flow and tempo, they score more.

I'm not saying Kevin Durant's not the best bailout score in the NBA. But this is Steph's team, and you can just watch how the ball flows when they're not waiting for Durant to save them at the end of the clock. Once again, proving Durant's the better player, it's Steph's team. Where Colin was wrong. For years, I blame Mike Tomlin for 99% of the Steelers issues. But that story on Big Ben coming out that he purposely fumbled four years ago, that's just an indictment.

I can't get past that. True or not true, the video, doesn't do Ben any favors. It's a weird play to say the least that he fumbled it despite Todd Haley. They had a 10-point lead minute to go against the Bungles so they had the game in hand. Listen, there's just too many

former teammates criticizing Ben. Smoke, fire. I mean, again, he's a quarterback. Quarterbacks can get away with more. We all know that. That's the way the world works. Mike McCarthy's getting fired. Aaron Rogers is not getting fired.

If Russell Wilson and Pete Carroll didn't get along, I can tell you who'd be out of town. It wouldn't be Russell Wilson. But at some point, we've got to stop defending Big Bennett every turn. There's a lot of drama, a lot of passive-aggressive, and this claim against him is ugly. Where Colin was right? The more honest I am, the more hate I get.

I've been saying recently that Buffalo, players don't want to play there. You have to overpay by about 20% for Buffalo to get players. That's not a shot at Buffalo. it's cold. It's next to Nova Scotia. Well, the NFL agents had a poll this weekend, and they asked the best and worst landing spots for their players, and Buffalo was the worst NFL destination, according to agents, from what their players said.

Listen, I've had players tell me this. I've had coaches tell me this. It's harder to move your wife to Buffalo than it would be Los Angeles, Dallas, Chicago, or Miami. There's nothing against Buffalo, but it's cold. It's kind of geographically isolated. It's cold. And they have a history of losing.

There is a geographic reality with Buffalo, and the agents have, players have nothing to gain by saying this. But it's true. So every time I say it that Buffalo's got overpaid to get people, it's not because I hate Buffalo. I'm in the honesty business, not in the protect your reputation business. Where Colin was wrong. The Lakers may not win as many games as last year. Let's just put a cap on this. this is as bad.

I would have never guessed this. They'll get swept by the Knicks. They'll win fewer games than without LeBron. The players they get rid of, like Julius Randall, will all get better, and LeBron won't elevate anybody's game other than maybe Kyle Kuzma. This morning, if I said,

worst team in the NBA, if I said Lakers, are you sure I'd be wrong? They got swept by the Knicks, who I think we all understand are trying to lose. This has been so much worse than I ever thought. It's not just that they're not going to reach 48 wins.

They may be the worst team in the league. I think they are. Phoenix, Lakers, that's about it. Where Colin was right? Said a year ago, this NFL free agency, it's going to start looking like NBA free agency. Is it Philadelphia did it? Rams did it, and they both end up in a Super Bowl.

this was a lot of fun. It's a big win for the NFL. But we said this about a year ago. Something's changing culturally. It's like when Jimmy Johnson took over the Cowboys, made a big trade, and everybody said, hey, trading's cool. You can get better fast.

Free agency is now a real business in late February and March in the NFL. It's not going to slow down. Like, this is not going to slow down. This is not a one or a two off. Going forward, you're going to see teams spend a lot of money. The winner, by the way, is you the fans.

because I don't remember in my life the first week of March being more fun to be a sportscaster than last week. Stars, trading teams, controversies, Odell Beckham, Labian Bell, Antonio Brown. The caps moved up. There's a lot of money, and they're spending it. Where Colin was wrong. Well, I said about three weeks ago, I said it's not going to happen anytime soon, but Russell Wilson and his beautiful wife, Sierra, there's a sense that maybe Seattle isn't big enough for the star couple.

Well, Russell Wilson came out this weekend and addressed my rumor, which I acknowledge was a rumor, and said, I'm not sure the Seahawks didn't let me get away. I love Seattle. Special place. I won a Super Bowl here. Two Super Bowls, multiple playoff games, everything else. I love it here.

So for the time being Seattle, it feels like you won. Congratulations, feeling that way, but I will still contend that Russell Wilson and Sierra, there are people very captivated by that pair in metropolitan areas on the coasts, and I'll leave it at that. Where Colin was right? The American Alliance of Football,

that new Spring Football League, the AAF, two good stories this weekend. Number one, CBS has now decided we're going to put some games on our air, a major network, two more games. Johnny Mansell, it's been announced. He's going to get a tryout for the AAF. They've signed him.

Listen, I'm going all in on this. Spring football is going to work in America. I don't want to hear about the XFL. This is not the XFL. I don't want to hear about the U.S.FL. Trump's not involved in this league. Okay, this thing's going to work. Now, it may not be this league.

It may be the XFL. That's the Vince McMahon League. They're going to come next spring. I don't think both leagues survived for 10 years. I don't know if they've survived for three years. But spring football is going to, work. Legalize gambling. There's a real hole in February and March the talk about football. And the other thing is this league is perfect for, you know, the Kaepernick, the Tebow, the Mansell,

a quarterback that maybe NFL teams for whatever reasons are reluctant to sign. This league was built for Johnny Manzo. I said this for years about Tim Tebow, go to Canada. You'll win a gray cup. But, you know, there's something, there's some stigma among agents. sending your guys to Canada, at least in football. So good weekend for them. Very good weekend for the AAF. And the Vince McMahon League, news will be coming about that league pretty soon. Not sure when, but it will.

Want 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. T.J. Hushman Zata, over a decade in the NFL. A pro bowler is joining us. So the story out in Big Ben to me today is like jaw dropping where four years ago a teammate, Josh Harris, is claiming that during a game, Todd Haley called a run play leading Cincinnati by 10 with a minute nine to go.

And that Big Ben went into the huddle and rolled his eyes because he wanted to kneel down. And he and Haley hated each other. So Ben fumbled on purpose. Josh Harris, the guy that recovered it. What do you make of that claim? When I first heard that and I read the story, I didn't think it was true. I'm like, who would do that? And then when you watch the video, it's like, yeah, he probably did do it on.

I just have a hard time of understanding why. To spite Todd Haley. Like, to spite Todd Haley, you know what you do? You just nail the ball. You just take a knee and Todd Haley would be like, why didn't he run the Pag Call? And he'd say, because we're up 10, that's why. like Todd Haley can't control Ben Rafflesburg unless he wants to be controlled.

Like Ben, number one, Ben is looking out like if they recover it, we're probably still going to win the game. We're up two possessions with just over a minute left, but just take a knee. But these are the type of things that are talked about in a locker room that never gets out that guys talk about

and it's why Rathesberger is frowned upon with guys in the locker room and on that team. You've never been a big Ben supporter. It's not being a Ben supporter. I just felt the way he handled the situation last year after they played the Denver Broncos and he criticized A-B. I thought he was wrong.

And so you start to see little things come out here and there and you're like, why is it this? Now I see why. Things like this is going, these are talked about in locker room, guarantee. They're talked about in the locker room. They're playing in Cincinnati. It's talked about on a flight back.

Bro, can you believe what Ben did? Can you believe that? And so that's talked about. And we're not privy to this information, but the players are. You know, it's interesting. I said this. Aaron Rogers, about two months ago, a former teammate called out what he did in the huddle. And Big Ben was called out because what he did in the huddle.

Aaron and Ben to me are the same. Passive aggressive, great talents. But it was two months ago, or maybe six weeks ago, where Aaron Rogers was called out for rolling his eyes in the huddle. And now Big Ben's called out for rolling his eyes in the huddle. and they're both great players. I don't think Aaron would stoop to that. But it is funny that

with Ben and Aaron Rogers, they're the only two great quarterbacks in the league where I've got a half a dozen guys that have called him out. Even if you didn't like a guy, to call a guy out in the press, like that's different level discussed, right? Have you ever called out a guy

in the press when you played? No. It's like almost unheard of. I'm different. I'm the type of person. Like if I have a problem with you, I'm going to go, I'm going to confront you. I'm going to go talk to you and we can handle it however you want to handle it. We can be very civilized and very respectful because that's how I'm going to approach you. But if you want to handle a different way, I'm fine with that as well. I would never do that. I was always a guy that I thought I could criticize guys to their face because

they saw how hard I worked. And if I was wrong, I would accept, okay, you know what? I don't know where Ben goes from here. Is he going to now be on his best behavior? Can he change himself? Can try to change the narrative of how he's viewed, it's really going to be awkward and interesting to see how he navigates through this. So two times last week a team

traded for or acquired a star receiver, Raiders A.B., Cleveland OBJ. And I've often said that star receivers are like sports cars. They're flashy, they're fun, but when it gets cold out, they're not as useful. Even

Randy Moss in New England is playoff game numbers, were average. His regular season stuff in the warmer weather was unbelievable. But you roll your coverage over playoffs, you take him away. It's crappier weather. You play in snow, you play in hail, you play in wind in Foxborough. So are you sure? There is something about bringing a star wide receiver to a team that a quarterback feels I've got to get in the ball. It's like when Kevin Durant doesn't play for the Warriors, the passing's better. You don't feel like you have to have go when ohcho was in his prime for Cincinnati and you were there did you sometimes feel like Carson you almost had to feel like on big plays you had to go to ohcho no it was different because

this just go back to my situation in Cincinnati was by play call I knew where the ball was going by coverage and so I could look at the coverage lined up and say oh the ball's probably going to go here because we're one high, we're throwing a ball here, we're looking to go here, too high we're going here. We had to win because the ball was coming just by coverage. With that being said, it's, you go to OBJ in Cleveland. Freddie Kitchens, what he's going to have to do is when you script your first 15 plays, you're going to have to get Odell at least two looks. Driver's Slandry, two to three looks. Even if they don't get the ball, they know by the play call, this ball is designed to go to me. Coverage can

change that. But at least they know he's trying to get me the ball because that kind of alleviates the heartache, the, as you would say, the dysfunction that you could cause because you know

they're trying to get you the ball. As long as he does that in attempts to get them the ball early, whether they get it or not, they'll be okay. So Ocho, if Ocho felt you were trying to get on the ball, whether he made the catch or not, it appeased him. Yes. Yes. And for the most part, it was,

Chad was going to get the ball regardless. I mean, we're going to look to him to get the ball. And back then, we were throwing a ball so much. Everybody was going to get an opportunity. It's just a matter of when. And as long, once you've been in the league long enough, you know, my opportunity is going to come. But with Odell there, Jarvis Landry and Joe,

and even Calloway, Calloway can play. He'll be in his second year. The receiver in Cleveland, he can play. They got so many weapons. You got Kareem, huh? You got Chuck, you got Nick Chubb. You have so many guys that you have to get the ball to. Freddie Kitchens is the standard for Cleveland is here now.

If they don't perform, what happens? Because everybody's, they're like, they're Cinderella now. Everybody loves them. They're the new sports car, as you would say, and they have to perform. Finally, you coach youth sports, and you've got daughters who are Division I athletes, and you are a Division I athlete. And so I'll just, I'm kind of shocked. by the number of people who are watching Zion Williamson in the media and picking apart his game.

Because I watch him and I think, oh, this is one of the easy ones. Like when you watch LeBron, you're like, oh, yeah, that's good. He's going to be a star. When you watch Tiger Woods, I saw him in his juniors in Portland. He played a junior. You're like, oh, yeah, that guy's going to be great. Bryce Harper in high school hit a 509 foot home run in high school. It's like, when I watch Zion Williamson, I'm like, oh, that's 26 a game in the NBA.

That's an all-star. What do you see? Pretty much unstoppable. All you can do is compete against the competition that you're faced, that you're faced against. And he's dominated. Duke is a different team when he plays and when he does not play. I mean, there are a different team. He's dynamic.

He's not only big. He's quick. He's agile. He passes the ball well. You watch some of the games. Like he hustle backs hard on defense. He's a difference maker. If he doesn't make seven, eight all-star games, I'll be surprised.

Thank you. I'm shocked by it. We do this in the media. We watch a college kids game and we pick it apart. You can do that about everybody. Everybody has flaws. Every player that's ever played the sport has flaws. Every player.

When LeBron came into the NBA, he had no low post game for like seven years. He developed one in Miami. And by the way, he wasn't much of a three-point shooter, his first four to five years in the league. That's LeBron James. Michael Jordan, for his first six years in the league, didn't pass. pass, like was not a good passer, then started getting guys of all Phil Jackson had a sit down. What do you want to do, score 60 and not win or score 30 and win? Right.

Like, it's amazing how we pick apart these college kids. It's like Zion Williamson, look at his size and his speed. And by the way, clever, you know, he's just a clever player. I love watching. If Duke doesn't win, I'll be disappointed. I'll be shocked. I mean, they got four NBA guys. I'll be shocked.

If they don't win, I'll be shocked. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd. days in noon eastern 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports Radio FS1 and the IHeart Radio app. Well, the Big Ben story today, somebody claiming four years ago that he fumbled intentionally during a game despite the offensive coordinator, it's pretty damning to say the least, kind of a jaw-dropping claim. I don't think I've ever heard that. You have to go back to like the 50s and 60s and Paul Horning

or, you know, that whole Green Bay thing, guys suspended. Just odd. But I thought in our best to last today, there are 10 quarterbacks for different reasons that are going to face real scrutiny this year beyond just winning games. So let's go our best for last. After almost three hours, Colin apparently hasn't gotten to the point yet. Quit holding out on us, cowherd. It's the best for last. In ascending, ascending order of pressure this year, number 10, Lamar Jackson. Number 10. Okay, Joe Flacko's gone. Bro, it's your franchise. Also, he only threw for over 200 yards once, 204 yards.

So this league is not about just throwing on third down. It's the ability to throw when everybody knows you're throwing on first down. Now, everybody's got a year of tape on Lamar, an offseason to digest a very contrarian run first offense. Baltimore likes him, but we'll find out more about Lamar Jackson, number 10. Number nine. Similarly, Mitch Trubisky. I've compared him off into Lamar.

Never going to be a great thrower. I felt when Chicago lost that playoff game, there was a palpable sense that Matt Nagy had done everything he possibly could, smoke and mirrors, to elevate Mitch Trubisky, who was a limited-armed talent.

He's entering his third season. So's Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson, and they are caring teams. Mitch Tribusky 9. Number 8. Dak Prescott, listen, I'd have him higher on the pressure list, but Jerry likes him. It's a contract year. Cole Beasley's gone.

Offensive lines not as dominant as it was. They still need tight-end help. He's got a new offensive coordinator, Kellynne Moore, and a new quarterback coach, John Kittner. Not too much pressure, though, because Jerry loves him. Jerry's going to sign him. It's all now about the number. Number seven. James Winston, a really talented.

mounted knucklehead, who's always getting in trouble, college and pro. Nice arm, good size, move a little. Bruce Ariens now is his coach. Well, Bruce Ariens coach, Carson Palmer at worked, Big Bennett worked, Peyton Manning at worked, and Andrew Luck. Everywhere Bruce Ariens goes, the quarterbacks have great years. Okay, so now he's got James Winston. And this is a Bucs offense. There's all sorts of players here. I mean, Mike Evans is a stud. You don't watch him play a lot because he plays for Tampa. but I think there's real pressure on James Winston. If he can't work with Bruce Ariens and tear it up, they're going to move off him

because he's just had too many incidents off the field. Number six. Derek Carr, I'm not sure Gruden loves him. I like him. I'm not sure John Gruden does. Now you got Antonio Brown. Raiders went 4 and 12. Now, the good news for him, he completed 69% of his throws. He and Gruden, for all the complaining,

we're actually pretty good together last year. He had over 4,000 passing yards, 69% completions, but there is a sense now. Okay, I got you Antonio Brown. I got you another receiver from the Chargers. I'm John Gruden. If you want to be a franchise guy, you've got to light it up a little. I've said I think Derek Carr is very similar to Tony Romo.

Probably not a Hall of Fame talent, but there are days when he's really good and there's no way in the world. I'd trade him. There's no way in the world. they're not a guy in college that's as good as him that I see next couple of years. Number five. Jimmy Garoppolo. First of all, he's been hurt twice. So one more injury, and you've got to be honest about this.

Kyle Shannon and John Lynch are going to have a meeting, and they're going to be thinking that we picked the wrong guy. He's in year two of a massive contract, and last year he got paid, didn't play. So the downside to making all that money, five years, $138 million is you've got to win games for us. I like him. I think he's a really talented guy.

In fact, I think this is what the Bears would hope Mitch Trubisky is, but he's not. Garoppolo's got a real arm. And I said a couple years ago, if the Patriots would have moved off Brady, I would have totally understood it. But there's some pressure on this dude. He's getting paid a fortune, and he can't stay on the field. Number four. Kirk Cousins. Second year of a three-year, $84 million deal.

Chicago Bears now have a better roster. The Green Bay Packers have massively elevated their defensive team in free agency, and Kirk's got to win big games. I mean, Kirk is 5 and 13 in primetime games. It's like Kirk, we love you. And it's funny. Kirk is kind of the classic guy. Oh, you can win a bunch of games with Kirk.

You may be able to even win your division with Kirk. But when you're paying a guy $84 million at that position, it's not about winning your division. You've got to put playoff wins up. You've got to win those big TV games. A lot of pressure on him, number four. Number three. Aaron Rogers. He's 35. He's the best quarterback talent, maybe the last seven or eight years.

Now, Patrick Mahomes now, maybe the next Aaron. But I think Aaron's the highest paid player in the game now. And with that means you can't pay for a lot of other things. But the Packers did a very good job to elevate their defense in free agency. Now, they didn't spend a fortune, but Preston Smith's a good, good player. Surprise Washington and let him go. got a new head coach, Matt LaFleur, and there's, listen, when you get the coach run out of town, and let's be honest, that's what it felt like.

Well, the downside of that is if this doesn't work, if they finish second or third, now everybody's going to point at the quarterback and not the coach. Number two. I love Carson Wentz, but there's a reality. He's been called out by teammates. He went five and six. The Eagles went five and six with Wentz. five and two with Foles.

And the stories that came out is Nick was more coachable and more adaptable to coaching. Wentz is a super talent. He's also been hurt twice. So you get into that thing with he and Garoppolo, if you get hurt a third time, I'm sitting there if I'm Howie Roseman, I got to draft another quarterback. I mean, you just can't put your franchise. And I think Wentz is going to be a home run. I think he's going to end up.

He and Patrick Mahomes are the two most talented young quarterbacks to me. Patrick in the AFC, Carson and the NFC. The difference is Mahomes hasn't been hurt

and Mahomes got to the NFC championship and Mahomes absolutely elevates his teammates

to this point we don't know if Carson Wence does. Number one. Has to be Ben. I mean

it's just too much smoke too many stories. Purposeful Fumble A.B. Lavian Bell

Mike Tomlin. This by the way is his last year of the contract. He'll be an unrestricted free agent after that.

Now I'm not I'm not saying they would move off him because I think the Rooney's hold him in pretty high esteem. But you do get to a point with Big Ben that it starts to become kind of his legacy. Like I always try to think, what will we be saying 20 years from now? Will you be saying this? You know, Ben won a Super Bowl. It's just so much drama. And the reason he's not blank, blank, blank, he just was a lousy leader.

Now, Ben could change that. year. If Ben has a great year, and then you're like, well, maybe those stories, yeah, that wasn't really, that fumble was it, you know, that, but if he has another bad year, he starts getting defined by the bad stuff and not the Super Bowl, and I think that's where Big Ben is at. Car shopping can be confusing. Here's our list, by the way. Ben Wentz, Rogers, Cousins, Garoppolo Carr, Jamis, Dach, Mitch Trubisky, Lamar. To me, the facing, by the way, did you notice who I didn't Yeah, where's Baker? I don't think he faces any pressure.

What do you mean? Baker was very good as a rookie. Right. It's Cleveland. Right. I don't think there's any question. They'll win games this year. You can argue it's a declining division.

I could have easily put a ton of pressure on Baker Mayfield. But I thought Baker had a very, very good rookie year. It surpassed expectations. and he's well-liked. He is overachieved. If Baker came out and they went, let's just say nine and seven, he couldn't really clobber him, could you? I mean, can we be honest about this?

Cleveland finished in third. Can we stop thinking Odell Beckham makes him the Patriots? Well, I don't think I even think that he makes him the Patriots, but I definitely think there's added pressure on them this year. All right, so you do. Yeah, I would not Kirk down a few. Kirk Cousins? Yeah, and I'd probably take Mitch out as well.

But I think Baker definitely has, at the very least, expectations. Maybe I was trying, you know what, it's a new leaf. Maybe I was trying to be fair. Oh. It's the new me. Fair. Now, it can't be true because I went after Westbrook today. Yeah, that's true.

Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind. And nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where Sports Slice comes in. I'm Timbo. And every episode, we're cutting through the noise, breaking down the biggest moments in sports. and giving you the real story behind the headline.

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not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letter 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 I-Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. What's up, guys? This is Clivert Taylor the Fourth. And on my podcast, The Cliverts Show,

I'm bringing you conversations about all kinds of stuff. Like being an internet famous referee. We're in the middle of a game. This linebacker walks up to me, he goes, hey, ref, my mom wants you to wave at her. What? Time out. Quarterback on office blue of 42.

Hey, rec, my mama want you to wave at her. What? Where's she at? Hey, Miss Parker. Listen to the Cliverts show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. What's up, fam? It's Isaiah Thomas.

And I'm CJ Toll. It's our favorite time of the year on our podcast point game, the playoffs. We're digging into the biggest surprises of the season. And I'm looking back on some of my greatest playoff moments. If we didn't talk ever again, I was calling it. You just understood. That's how personal it got. Wow.

Then after that game seven, Mark keep coming to you. He's like, you know, I love you, dog. You know, it's all love. This was just playoffs. This was just basketball. So listen to Point Game on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.