The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Best of The Herd: 08/27/2019

Episode Date: August 27, 2019

Colin defends Colts fans after Aaron Rodgers calls them out for booing Andrew Luck.  He predicts the record for every single NFL team in 2019 and some of them are going to get fans upset.  Plus, former NFL WR TJ Houshmandzadeh talks about Luck's retirement and why the Quarterback has to be a certain personality to be successful. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed Human. 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. And we're going straight to the source, the athletes themselves, their locker room stories, their reactions in the moment, and the stuff nobody gets to hear. Listen to Sports Slice on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Sliced Life 12 in the TikTok podcast network on TikTok.

Another podcast from some SNL late night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smigel and friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer Streeter Seidel, help an a cappella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter.

Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and Friends on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. What's up, 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, 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 with 42. Hey, Wreck, my mama want you to weigh better. What? Hey, Ms. Parker. Listen to the Clifford Show on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast.

The story I told myself can then shape my behavior, and that can lead me to sabotage the possibility of connection. This Mental Health Awareness Month, tune into the podcast deeply well with Debbie Brown, If you've been searching for a soft place to land while doing the work to become whole, this podcast is for you to hear more. Listen to deeply well with Debbie Brown from the Black Effect Podcast Network on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

Thanks for listening to The Best of Heard Podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday from 12 to 3 Eastern, 9 to noon Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and FS1. Find your local station for the herd at Fox SportsRadio.com or stream us live every day on the IHeart Radio app by searching Herd. This is the best of the herd with Colin Cowher on Fox Sports Radio.

Ah, here we go. On a Tuesday, this is the herd. Wherever you may be and however you may be listening, we are live in Los Angeles, IHeart Radio, Fox Sports Radio, and FS1. Yes, my shirt has dots today. I don't wear shirts with dots much, but I

thought I'd roll it out a little bit today. Joy Taylor? That's a little disco flavor. This is as crazy as I get, Jo. I'm working a little disco flavor myself. You know. My nightclub look. Like once a year I wear dots. When was the last time you've been to a nightclub?

Early 80s. No. Listen, you know, I'm not really... It depends on what you mean by nightclub. A club. Do they have salmon and... No, there's no food in clubs. Oh, then it's been a long time.

I had a club sandwich about a month ago. that's not No. Anyway, here we go on a Tuesday. So Andrew Luck retires and let's do the chronological order of what happened. He retires, people boo,

he holds a press conference, people like me defend him, and then now comes the second wave of reactions. Steve Burline, 18 years in the NFL, excuse me, 18 surgeries in the NFL, football at Notre Dame from California, played in the NFL, now a broadcast

a very good one. He came out yesterday. He didn't like, and by the way, this takes guts, because everybody's petrified of the Twitter mob. Everybody is so PC now in sports that if you have an opinion that's contrary into the Twitter movement, you get crushed. And Berline came out yesterday, a guy with 18 surgeries in the NFL, and he goes, I'm a huge Andrew Luck fan, always have been. But I can't defend or justify. No scenario where retirement's in defensible. To do this to teammates, organizations, fans, NFL two weeks before the season's not right. I love the guy. This is going to haunt him.

Okay, he needs his team, needs him to make a run. I know rehab's tough. I had 19 surgeries. Eight over two years. It sucks, but he owes it to his team. It's just a lower leg injury. It will heal. Just give it a chance if it doesn't walk away from it this year.

The millions he walked away from affects only him. The decision affects the team, the organization, the fan base, the entire NFL. All had invested him him for this year, at least, walk away after the season. Okay, he needs, his team needs him. Okay, so, so by the way, I appreciate anybody on social media who's willing to have an opinion right or wrong that doesn't fall right in line with the masses because it's so PC and everybody's petrified to get run over by the avalanche known as Twitter. First of all, I'm good with Lux's retirement because of the circumstances arounding it. therefore I can justify it even with really bad timing. Obviously, it'd be way better at April to do this right before the draft.

Of course, the timing wasn't perfect. So to me, circumstances make this retirement okay for me. But I will say this, and I read this the last 24 hours. I heard all sorts of people saying, who were we to say this and who were we to do that? We're sports media, and there's political media, and there's tech media, and we have opinions. you don't have to like them. Don't tell me that all retirements are equal and that we should celebrate all players equally. I will celebrate luck because I thought he inherited a tire fire, took him to far greater heights than they deserved,

and now is living with some chronic current pain. I'm all in on him. But let me throw this out to you. Kansas City, Patrick Mahomes gets to the Super Bowl. They're playing the Philadelphia Eagles. and Patrick Mahomes Saturday night retires saying, I can't take

the stress. I am mentally exhausted. We all good with that. Leaders do not bail on the infantry heading into battle. This is why you ask when you draft a quarterback about mom and about dad and about family and about cousins.

How will you handle the money? How will you handle the stress? This is why we blame Big Ben for some of Antonio Brown's pushback. We hold quarterbacks to different standards. We pay them more. We ask more brutal questions in the draft process. This is why. Not all retire. If Russell Wilson, you know, Joe Buck calls the World Series for us and Joe Buck calls the Super Bowl for us. One of the reasons, and there's thousands of great play-by-play guys in America. One of the reasons

we pay Joe that is we know four minutes before the first pitch, he's not going to go, I'm freaking out. I can't do this. You pay for a lot of things for quarterbacks. Not just, he's got a big arm. And wow, he can really run. You pay for maturity and leadership and toughness and guile and mental and durability. And sometimes you don't get an A plus with all of those.

Andrew Lucks retirement is justified based on what he inherited, what he overcame, and what he is now dealing with. But if you look at the history of Hall of Fame quarterbacks, they have one thing in common. It is not size.

It is not arm strength. It is not mobility. It is not dominant in college. Hell, half of them we didn't even see play in college. It is not you went in the first round. With all of them, with no exception, they were all great leaders. And leaders don't bail on their men, Schwartzgopf, to Patton, to Kobe, to Michael, to LeBron, to Brady, before battle. Unless, unless, like Andrew Luck, it is justifiable physically, which in my opinion, it is.

But if Andrew would have retired a couple of days ago, because the stress of playing is too much, he would have deserved criticism instead of deserving what he received overwhelmingly, which was condolences for the injuries, we feel terrible for your decision. This is actually courageous. Go get them, man. Not all retirement should be treated equally. Quarterbacks are defined by leadership quality. qualities and leaders should never, if at all, physically possible bail on a team right before

the big mission. Let me switch to this. So Aaron Rogers talked about, and he's obviously going to be a first ballot hall of famer, super, super talented guy. He did not like how Andrew Luck was treated by the fans in Indianapolis. when the announcement came in late in the game? I thought it was pretty disgusting. You know, he's making a really tough decision.

And even before that, you know, he makes a decision. I don't know why that doesn't stay in-house to kind of protect them a little bit. Although when I think about it, I thought it would have been, you know, more of a standing ovation type thing and a thank you than booze. Aaron, you're a smart guy. You're smarter than this. Sudden, jarring, bad news always equals confusion and usually equals initial anger.

Throw in four bud lights and you expect fans to contextualize it perfectly in the minute. Okay, go to social media for five minutes. Reaction without context. That is Twitter. The fans who were at that game were hanging around in the fourth quarter of a preseason game. Those are diehards, okay? Those aren't fans. Those are the diehards.

They've named all their pets after Andrew Luck. Okay. So I find the reaction to the fans' reaction equally ridiculous. A, organizations and the NFL and stadiums and teams encourage fans to drink. When you're in a stadium, Budweiser, Bud Light, Coors, Coors Light, Miller, Miller, Light, drinks, this, that's everywhere in stadiums. It's everywhere outside of stadiums. There's this beer truck and that beer truck and this tailgate and that tailgate.

Then those commercials. So, fans drink. That's why marketing works. That's why we can charge so much for commercials. Secondly, there is something called the mob mentality. Psychology, look it up. I'm not making it up. People tend to be more aggressive when you put them in groups.

If you put groups of men together, they get a little more courageous and a little more aggressive and a few more cat calls. These are real things. So, fanx, alcohol added, a mob mentality in the fourth quarter of an NFL game. And you expected people to give a standing ovation of sudden, jarring, really terrible news for people who pay a lot of money to go to NFL games. media, get off your high horse. Aaron Rogers, you're smarter than that. I mean, by the way, Aaron says I wish it didn't go public. I bet the Packers wish sometimes Aaron Rogers issues didn't always go public.

But Aaron's initial reaction sometimes is to talk to the media. And deep down, he probably wishes, why did I say that? Folks, media. Give the fans a break. after they listen to the press conference, after they read the local columnist, after they could add some information and context to it, everybody supported Andrew Locke.

He's going to be fine. But this people's reaction to the fans' reaction to me is equally ridiculous. We don't hold the fans to the same standard that Joy and I are held to. We come in, we do three hours of prep. We read a bunch of stuff. We can take a break, have breakfast. Think how should I address this? How should this land?

If you gave me horrible news about one of my kids and it was bad news and it was sudden and I didn't know it was coming, guess what? My reaction is going to be, and by the way, add four bud lights. What do you think my reaction would be? High horse, media, stop already. The fan's reaction was precisely how most fan bases would read. react. And for the record, 80% of the people, 90% of the people weren't booing. A little less than half reacted that way. Wasn't the whole stadium? It was 40 or 50% of the people who had stuck around for the fourth quarter of preseason game for Bud Lights in. Chill out. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific.

Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind. Highlights are trending, opinions are flying, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where Sports Slice comes in. I'm Timbo. Every episode, we're cutting through the noise, breaking down the plays, the controversies, and the stories behind the headlines. We go straight to the source, the athlete themselves, their locker room stories, their reactions, the stuff nobody gets to hear. The laughs, the drama, the triumphs, the moments that never make the highlight real.

From viral moments to historic games, from buzzer beaters to controversial calls, we break it down, give you context and ask the questions everybody wants answered. Sports Slice brings you closer to the action with stories told by the people who live them. Listen to Sports Slice on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slic Life 12 and the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. 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, 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. 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 with 42. Hey, rec, my mama want you to wave at her.

What? Where's she at? Hey, Miss Parker. Listen to the Clifford show on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. Hey, I'm Deanna Maria Riva. smother, lover, and a Gen X woman walking through life one hot flash and hormonal crying jag at a time. You ladies know what I mean. I'll bet you a parameda apostle chin here you do. So let's talk about it. Join me on my new podcast. How hard can it be with the Adamania Riva,

where I call on my Gen X squads from Ohio to Hollywood as we navigate Midlife's most fantastic BS. All of a sudden I'd had hanginess happening on my own. I was like, what the hell is that? I was married when I had her, so I didn't even consider how empty that Ness was going to be. Mood swings, night sweats, fupas, sex drive. Wait, what sex? Dating at 45. How high can it be, getting naked at 50 with the new guy? That one's kind of hard. Well, that's lighting.

They say we can't polish a turd, but we're sure going to try. So let's get blunt with laughs, tears, or tears of laughter, and dive into it, unfiltered and unbothered and ask, how hard can it be? I cannot believe I'm about to say this out loud in public. Listen to How Hard Can It Be with Diana Maria Riva as part of My Cultura Podcast Network available on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. NFL teams exhaust every avenue to find players. They get them out of college and they draft them. And then when the draft is over immediately, they sign what they call undrafted free agents, kids who didn't get drafted.

Half the league is that. Then there are free agents. You get players off the waiver wire. Sometimes you'll get a player occasionally from Europe. The Canadian Football League will have the XFL debuting on this network, Joy, in February, players from that league. So an NFL general manager's job is to just find players. In a couple of weeks now, there's going to be thousands of players on the market because of the waiver wire. Everybody makes their final cuts.

That's another way you find players. I think we have another avenue coming. and that avenue is going to be players who retired come back more often. Jason Witten, Marshawn Lynch, Ryan Khalil just did it for the Jets. Gronk was talking about his body and his mind mentally. He is not there yet. Football was bringing me down and I didn't like it. and I was losing that joy in life, like the joy.

I'm sorry right now, but when that time comes down in the future, if I have the desire to play football again, if I feel passionate about football again, if I'm feeling like I need to be out there on the field, I will go back to football. But as of right now, that is not the case. But it's interesting to note here. There's something happening in the NFL.

We've talked about this on the show. People don't practice two a day. They don't practice as hard. The L.A. Rams have become a very attractive spot for older players and free agents. They don't wear pads much during the season. So we got three things working here that didn't used to be. Players are, A, retiring early. B, when they retire, they are not as broken down.

These are not old wheel barrels missing a wheel. Not all players now play through a football. fourth contract. And C, head coaches, the smart ones, are now loosening up and lightening up practice significantly. It didn't make a lot of news, but the Jets got a pro bowler after eight months of retirement to come back, Ryan Khalil. They said, here, we're not good at center.

You're good. Won't make you play in the preseason. Eight and a half million dollars. We have a really good backup center. We'll make him do all the practice, make him do all the games in the preseason. You can step in. Ryan Khalil is a massive upgrade. They probably overpaid him a little.

But I think this is the new avenue. This is what we're going to see. Jason Witten's like Jerry Jones said, hey, not going to make you wear pads in the season. We're not going to grind yet. We've got a bunch of young tight ends. We're going to make them do all the preseason work. You just show up and play. Maybe half, one pads eight times this year.

This is what the Rams are doing. So I think you're going to see more and more of this. More players retiring early, no question, because of the money and because of the transparency of health issues. But you're going to get more guys coming back who can play. And they're going to come back to their favorite team or their college coach who's now in the pros. Or Ryan Khalil says, I went to USC.

So did Sam Darnold. I love this kid. And by the way, I wanted to buy a vacation house in South Carolina. And you paid me $8.5 million. bucks and my wife's like can we buy a beach house and I'm like you know what I'm going to play one more year I'm not going to have to hit much in practice I'm going to buy that vacation house I think I don't think grunk will play but he didn't say no there he looked great and he did not say no there don't be shocked in November if he considers it strongly what's up everybody how you doing

this is john middle cough that's me three and out that's my podcast brought to you by Colin Coward and his podcast network. Coming up on this week's show, we dive into every angle of Andrew Luck. Why now? How injured was he? How good are the Colts moving forward? Chris Ballard, what's his next move? The ripple effect for the rest of the NFL.

A lot to digest. We talk about it all, three-in-out podcast with me, John Middlecock. We both love NBA Free Agency. And then NBA Free Agency ends, and we had about six weeks of, you know, kind of treading water, right? Now we're into, it's football season. Like Andrew Luck just retired. These are big boy stories. Cam Newton got hurt.

You know, I do a kind of a summer NFL prediction segment, but today I got everything I need. All the starters are done playing in the preseason. I've got a retirement in Andrew Luck and an injury to Lamar Miller and Cam Newton. I have all the free agents in. I've seen enough of the good rookies like Devin Bush is going to be a real player. I've got holdout, still holding out. I do think Zeke and Melvin Gordon will return.

So to me, today, hold me to these predictions. These are my NFL predictions. Now, I always give myself a day or a one change going into the season, you know, and somebody else retired. But by and large, what I'm going to do for the next seven, eight minutes, maybe longer, these are my predictions for the NFL seasons. I got all the information I need now. None of the starters are playing anymore.

I don't think we're going to get any key injuries. I mean, the Jets' offensive line, the starters haven't played any games. So, like, people are just resting their piece. So John, here we go. Let's start with the NFC first. All right, NFC East. Philadelphia wins it at 11 and 5. Dallas battles to the end of the season for the playoffs at 9 and 7. Giants, I still think if Eli starts, you've got the third best quarterback in the division now at 6 and 10, and Washington's in a tweener year at quarterback. I have them at 5 and 11. I do think Washington has some real players, and I like Jay Gruden.

I just think this is a bad spot for him. Listen, Philadelphia, when Carson Wentz returns, in my opinion, should be the favorite in the NFC to get to the Super Bowl. They have a very good owner, Howie Roseman's, perhaps the smartest GM in the league. Carson Wentz is a special talent. By year two, he was in the MVP race like Patrick Mahomes. Doug Peterson has surprised me his ability to step into this organization and win. in big games.

O-line, D-line, full of talent. Now, I do think by next year, they're going to have to start drafting on the O-line again. They're getting a little long in the tooth. They do not have superstars in the running back, but like New England, just a lot of dudes everywhere. Let's go now to the NFC West. I'll take the Rams to win it at 10 and 6,

San Francisco to be a very competitive 9-and-7, Seattle 500, 8, and 8, and Arizona, a wildly entertaining 5 and 11. Let's start with the Rams. Listen, they've got Todd Gurley is going to play less. And I do think they're getting old on the offensive line. This could be Whitworth's last year. There's a lot I like about them culturally.

They've got spectacular players in the positions I like. Left tackle, quarterback, very good wide receiving court, tremendous defensive line. better at linebacker through the draft. This is a very good operation. The NFC is just so crowded now. Ten wins to me in the NFC is a really, really good football team. I'd probably say they're the second best team in the NFC. San Francisco, don't take a ton from the preseason.

They have very young wide receivers and did not play tight-end George Kittle, who's a monster. This is an offense that is going to pop. San Francisco is going to double their wins. It's the safest double your wins bet in the league. I think Seattle's good. They're going to need a couple of their draft picks to pop. Cross your fingers with that Arizona fun, but not great 5 and 11. NFC North, boy, is this division packed.

I'll take Green Bay to rebound and win it at 10 and 6. It has my third best team in the NFC. Chicago battles like Dallas to the end, week 17 playoffs, 9 and 7. Minnesota, again, Kirk Cousins, big spots, better but not good enough, 8 and 8, and 8, and Detroit's 5 and 11. Listen, the Bears, I'm pulling back here. Their schedule's brutal.

Even games you'd think they'd win at Denver in week two, go-ass professional sports betters. Never bet against the Broncos in September at home. High altitude, teams aren't ready. The middle of their schedules brutal. Then at the end of the year, the Bears last four. Dallas at Green Bay, Kansas City at Minnesota. It is a brutal schedule, and I think Tribisky has a ceiling. Minnesota, again, love their roster.

A lot of big games on that schedule. I don't think Kirk pulls him through. I do like Delvin Cookback, though. Boy, is he fantastic. There again, a wildly entertaining team. Okay, let's go to the NFC South, which has always been a difficult division to predict. Third to first, a lot of different winners here. I'm going to go back to Atlanta.

This is not a popular pick. I had them in the Super Bowl last year. Okay, they upgraded their offensive line twice in the first round. That was a real issue. They get Devante Freeman back. I think they've upgraded coordinators. They had traumatic cluster injuries last year in the secondary and at linebacker. Healthy guys back.

Key people, key coaching spots. I think they have upgraded sometimes slightly, sometimes significantly. I'll take Atlanta as the fourth best division winner in the NFC in a tough division 9 and 7. I think the Saints pull back. I think Drew Brees looked tired at the end of the year. I think their offensive line is exceptional. But again, I think there's that emotional edge of the cliff. They're at the very edge of it.

I think their schedule's tough. Carolina, Cam Newton is now hurt coming into the season. I don't think Cam's that long from one more injury and getting out of this sport. I love elements to Carolina. But I do not trust them week to week in this league. They are too hot and cold for me. Some of that's Cam. And I think Tampa Bay, they are what they are, 5 and 11.

That's the NFC. Philly, Rams, Green Bay, Atlanta win their divisions. San Francisco, Chicago, and Dallas battle for two playoffs. Spots, wildcard. Let's go to the AFC. All right, the easy one. New England's going to win their division. I think this is the most athletic Patriot team in several years.

Bill Belichick has told people, we're better than last year. They're younger. They may make more mistakes. and I am worried about Andrews, the center, and the blood clot issue. But they're the best team in a dysfunctional division. The Jets at 9 and 7 will battle for a playoff spot. No team in the NFL gave their young quarterback a bigger boost. We go from no running back to Labian Bell.

We go from sporadic offensive line to massive upgrades at guard and center, defensive coach to offensive coach, and a good slot receiver, Jameson Crowder. this offense is going to be a real offense now still needs a number one receiver they even have a good two-back tie montgomery they also have stars all through the middle of their defense jamal adams c j mosley Leonard williams they will not be as good on special teams and i think that will be their undoing at the end of the year i think buffalo is fine seven and nine still rebuilding dolphins are a mess four and twelve a fc west i'm gonna go with kansas city wins it at eleven and five i think new england kansas city are really good super bold potential teams. There's nothing I don't like about him. There's been rumors about a Tyreek Hill trade to get a better corner like a Jalen Ramsey. Regardless, I think the coach, the GM, the quarterback, the offensive line, I'm in.

Chargers, pull them back to 10 and 6. I got a holdout and Derwin James injury, he's the best athlete on their defense. I don't know if he's their best player. He's their best athlete. I know inside the Chargers organization that Derwin James injury is rough on the organization. I also don't trust them, by the way, against Kansas City. Kansas City's been very good against the Chargers. I think Denver is a tough out at 7 and 9.

I think Flacco's fine. I think they'll have some success early. I don't know if they have the depth I'm looking for. And I don't quite know what to get Joe Flacco. You know, he's fine. But in this division with Mahomes and Philip Rivers, he's the third best quarterback or maybe the fourth best quarterback to Derek Carr. I have the Raiders at 6 and 10.

I think they'll be a wildly entertaining mess. I think they'll be fun. they'll have some upset wins. They'll go through a four-game losing streak. They'll make a bunch of noise and they'll be a bunch of fun, but I don't see them as a great football team. AFC North. The best team I have seen so far in the preseason is the Pittsburgh Steelers.

I think they have made multiple upgrades to their defense through free agency, through the draft, through the AAF, 11 and 5. I think noise left the building. I think the positions they draft well, a wide receiver and linebacker are positions that needed to be a draft. and they just happened to land a great receiver two years ago and a great linebacker, Devin Bush this year. Cleveland 9 and 7, like the Jets and the Chargers,

we'll be battling for a playoff spot late into the year. I have concerns about their offensive line. It's not good at tackle. It is really good at center. They have one injury on the interior of their offensive line, and they're in trouble. I also think Odell Beckham and Olivier Vernon, Vernon's production, bigger name than production.

Odell Beckham, bigger name than health. I think of Denzel Ward stays healthy. Odell stays healthy. Olivia Vernon's production goes up. They could be a playoff team. I think Baltimore's 8 and 8. They're going to be the Seattle of the AFC. They can be anybody on any week.

Anybody on any week. But they're going to be depending on some young players in key spots. They're a 500 team. Cincinnati, to me, has to make some upgrades at quarterback. They're 5 and 11. A lot of that is they just not going to win many games in their division. They're not going to beat Pittsburgh or Cleveland, in my opinion. They're going to go 0 and 4 with those guys.

And finally, the AFC South. Big changes here because of Andrew Luck's departure. I gave Houston another win than I would have in the summer, 11 and 5. Lamar Miller's injury is something, but they have Duke Johnson. I also think in the waiver wire you can find running backs who are, you know, B minus C plus complementary. Their offensive line is better. How much we'll find out. I think Deshawn Watson's spectacular, not sure why everybody doesn't embrace him.

I think the big winner in this division, too, is Tennessee. They could not beat Andrew Luck. They were 0 and 12 against him. They could not beat Andrew Luck. They're going to go from 0 and 2 to 2 and 0 against the Colts. So I think Tennessee, like Cleveland, like the Chargers, like the Jets, vise for a playoff spot. I don't think it's man overboard for Indianapolis.

I'll put them at 8 and 8. I think they're going to have, I think their ceilings lower, but I think this is a really good roster. I think they're going to run the football more. Their tight ends are excellent. They upgraded wide receiver. They upgraded corner. It's a really good roster.

And Djagobi Berset's a big strong kid. He's not special. He's not transformative. He's fine. He's been there. He knows the system. So I don't think this is his man overboard. I think they're going to lose those close games that Andrew Luck pulls you out in the fourth.

About three times. But they'll be fine. They'll be in that playoff picture week 13, week 14. Jacksonville, I don't buy Nick Foles. I don't buy the organization. Do like Tom Coughlin, 6 and 10. There you go. There you go.

Strong stuff. We'll see if it's strong. I'll be very high on the Steelers. I like that. Very high on Pittsburgh. Best team I've seen in the preseason. Doesn't mean they're the best team, but they've been their defensive side of the football,

they have been noticeably more athletic. Chris Collins were set at Sunday night. He's like, they don't look the same. They look younger, faster, more athletic at linebacker. Remember, they led the NFL in Sachs last year. So this is a team that gets after the quarterback and protects their quarterback. So Tennessee, I thought, looked overrewarding. overwhelmed against Pittsburgh, and Tennessee's a tough out.

I mean, Tennessee crushed New England and Dallas last year. That game wasn't close. That game was not competitive. And that was the game starters played for the first half. So I like Pittsburgh a lot. One more herd? The herd streams 24 hours a day, seven days a week, within the IHeard radio app.

Search herd to listen live or on demand whenever you'd like. Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind. Highlights are trending, opinions are flying, and nobody's telling you exactly what happens. That's where Sports Slice comes in. I'm Timbo. Every episode we're cutting through the noise. Breaking down the plays, the controversies, and the stories behind the headlines.

We go straight to the source, the athlete themselves. Their locker room stories, their reactions, the stuff nobody gets to hear. The laughs, the drama, the triumphs, the moments that never make the highlight real. From viral moments to historic games, from buzzer-beaters to controversial calls, we break it down, give you context, and ask the questions everybody wants answered. Sports Slice brings you closer to the action with stories told by the people who live them. Listen to Sports Slice on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slic Life 12 in the TikTok podcast network on TikTok.

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. Trip Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing. And we're still chasing it. And we don't know when we've done enough. Because people scoreboard watch.

Life becomes about wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross, because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth. Are you a good person because you're afraid? Because that's two different intentions, bro. Absolutely. And that's two different levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person.

Join me, Kear Gaines, as we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, learn the hard way. Open your free iHeartRadio app. Search Learn the hard way and listen now. What's up guys? This is Clifford Taylor the 4th.

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? Quarterback on office blue 42. Hey, rec, my mama wants you to wave at her.

What? Hey, Ms. Parker. Listen to the Clippers show on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. What's up, fam, this Isaiah Thomas. And I'm C.J. Toledano, and our podcast Point Game is about Defendant. the odds. Like LeBron heading into the playoffs without Luca and Austin Reed. And finding ways to win no matter what.

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

He has to guard Julius Randall. And then he has to give us everything he gives us on the night-to-night basis on offense. And when IT's friends stop by, like Quentin Richardson, we dive into some playoff history too. Steve Nash would get that thing. That man, hell get the flying. He running up the court, licking his fingers while he got the ball. Like, after you go through a training camp with that, I said, you figure it out real quick. Get your ass up and down the court, and you're going to get the ball.

So listen to Point Game on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts. DJ Husbandadas joining us 11 years in the NFL, multiple pro bowler. So first of all, Andrew Luck retiring, how did it sit with you? I was shocked. When you retire, I don't even know if he was in his prime, he might have been approaching it. It's shocking. You don't see this happen. If you're injured, you rehab, and you come back and play.

But anybody that's played in the NFL has had major injuries or just major pain. If it's just relenting, it's day after day, year after year, he was worn out mentally. I can't do it anymore. And I wouldn't do it, but I don't fault him for doing it because I don't know the pain he's going through. Do you blame the fans for booing? No, I do not. That's a natural reaction.

Fans are fans. When their team loses, they're upset. A guy that they looked up to for what he did, not for who he is, when they get the news, that emotion comes out. I'm okay with that because that was their initial reaction. to reflect on it and look back on it. Now I'm sure it would be different. But no, I have no problem with it because that was their natural reaction.

Steve Berline came out yesterday. I applaud him for having the courage to go on Twitter and have a different opinion. He said, listen, I had a zillion surgeries. I think it's a calf injury. It's a lower leg injury. They do heal. I think you should have given it more time. What do you make to his reaction?

I read his comments. I thought it was irresponsible. No disrespect. Steve Berline played 14 years in the league. he was a starter for three years. And so does he really know what it feels like to game in and game out get beat up like Andrew Luck? Ryan Grigsden is the main culprit in it. You give up a first round draft pick for Trent Richardson.

You didn't surround him with games or won and lost up front. And they didn't do that with Andrew Luck. And for Steve Berlin, Steve Berlin's looking at him like, I was a career backup. There's no way I'm retiring. But Andrew Luck was just mentally worn out. His body physically took a toll on him and he just said, I couldn't do it. But Berline's looking at it like, I would never do it. Of course, because you only started three out of 14 years.

And so you wish you could have started 14 out of 14. And maybe his perspective would be different. Well, yeah, I do think there's a pain element here. I think, listen, it's dangerous. Andrew Luck's a smart guy. If you're on painkillers repeatedly, watch out. We've had athletes. We've had like politicians, governors, people get addicted to people.

painkillers. That stuff's scary. Colin, every, I had one surgery, but I would get shot up almost every game with a needle that looked like it was like a foot long in my ribs and back area, five, six times a year. And I had one surgery. And there's, I didn't get hit as much as quarterbacks got hit and getting hit now. And so I can only imagine the pain that I felt, if it's worse than that, I can see it. I want to talk to you about leadership. For years and years, people compared Brady and Aaron. And I always said, no, no, no. Brady and Breeze have the same temperament.

You can't find a player. They're combined 38 years in the league. You can't find a guy that doesn't like either. Their personality, their demeanor, very similar. Everybody loves Drew. I mean, Randy Moss had an ugly ending in New England. He still loves Brady. Ocho Sinko went there.

You know, big personality didn't work. He still likes Brady. Big Benzo has been Aaron Rogers to me. They get into public spats with players. So I want you to talk about There's different leadership styles. Some guys are public, some are private, some are flashy, some are stoic like Sam Darnold,

some are cocky like Baker. Big Ben to me has always been he admits in an article nine years ago, 2010. He's like, I wasn't a very good leader in my first two years in the league. Well, he also admits and he admits here recently, I wasn't very good with Antonio Brown. Just take me to the different styles of quarterbacks you played with and the different personalities

you dealt with. Go in chronological order, first and the league last day. First, when I get to Cincinnati, obviously, Scott Mitchell was a starting quarterback. Achilles Smith had just been drafted. Okay. Obviously, that didn't work with Achille. John Kittner comes in, and then they draft Carson Palmer. John Kedna, great leader, great person.

Carson, great leader, great person. I wasn't with Scott Mitchell and Achilles enough to kind of get a feel for him. And when I got into the league, that wasn't anything I thought about. Go to Seattle. you play with Houselbeck, and then I play with a Flacco. For me, Kittna and Carson, leadership-wise, were the best. Flacco was very young when I got there. In my opinion, as a quarterback, you have to be able to go from the front to the back of the locker room,

be able to sit down and have a conversation with everyone. And a lot of quarterbacks don't and will not do that. And when I said, offensive guys, they can do it with offensive guys, but can you go sit with the DBs and talk to him for 10 minutes? you sit at the lunch table with the linebackers and talk to them and have lunch for 15, 20 minutes, a lot of quarterbacks will not do it. And so when things get going tough and you hit a rough patch of the season and a quarterback gets up and talks, the guys are like, man, if you don't get out of here and sit down and shut up,

you're trying to talk to us now. You never talk to us. You have to be able to do that over the course of the offseason training camp, just have pockets of conversations with different groups because the locker room is always, divided with offensive defense, black guys, white guys. The quarterback has to be able to relate to everyone. And the ones that don't are the ones that had these problems. Yeah. Carson Palmer was, I always, I've used.

The best. Let me tell you something. Carson Palmer is one of those guys. If you built a quarterback and said this is what his jaw would look like, his size, his arm, his personality, he got beat up a little early, didn't know his have the greatest management, didn't know his Carson was so good. He was so. Carson Palmer's one of those. If you gave him Kraft, Belichick, and Dante Scarnacchio, he'd still be playing.

Carson was unbelievably accurate. Great person relates to everybody. Big arm. You could do it all. Could do it all. All right. So I was saying to Joy, if you would build an NFL team, you draft players, then you have undrafted free agents, then you have free agents, then there's the waiver wire,

there's the XFL eventually, the AAF, the CFL. Every six year I get a European guy. I think we're going to have a new avenue to get players. So players now make more money, retire early, and most retire a little healthier. They're not broken down wheelbarrows. In the last year, Jason Witten, Ryan Khalil, Josh McCown, do you think it's possible because guys are retiring earlier and healthier? Jets call Ryan Khalil.

Want another vacation house? Eight and a half million. By the way, T.J. Won't make you wear pads. You do not have to play in the preseason. Ryan Khalil didn't take a snap in the preseason. Is it possible that we're going to see players retiring earlier, but a handful are going to come back for a year or two

because the money is good and the new wave, TJ, is what the Rams are doing. No hitting in practice. It really depends on a situation. I can see that 100%. McVeigh, my starters were not playing. I know what you can do. We got to get to week one healthy. That's number one.

If you're a vet with the Rams, you don't practice until Friday. Is that the word? Yeah. You don't practice until Friday. It was like when I went to Baltimore, it shocked me. Why? Wednesday and Thursday was a walkthrough. And I was like, huh?

Wednesday, we were getting IVs in Cincinnati for practice. And they're walking through in Baltimore. Well, you had a veteran coach, you had veteran players, you had a stable ownership. I mean, it's, you're, so in Baltimore. Different environments. Yeah. So there was like, we got to take care of our old guys. Isn't that interesting?

It was, it was a shock. And I was like, wow. I mean, did it change the way you drove to the arena? Did it change the way you thought about football? For me, it was once you practice, you go all out. You're going, you're going on. You're getting to the game, which is Sunday, fresh. I mean, we would be in Cincinnati.

Sometimes guys would be sore going into the games because we practiced so hard. And Marvin had to get a culture there established that this is what it's going to be. And it was the old school way of thinking on a lot of coaches. We're going to grind you, grind you, grind you, oh, you got Saturday off. You should be okay by Sunday.

I can see that if you can get to a team and a coach that I'm sure Jason Winton is not going to practice on Wednesday and is going to take care of your body, 100% I can see that because guys see the reward. of my body's going to be fresh. I'm going to Sunday's feeling good. If we have a plan, yeah, I can see that happening for sure.

One last question. Gronk possible return. Boy, I saw him yesterday. He looks good, looks happy. Do you think in November they give him a call will make you a past catching tight end? That's exactly what. If he can come back in a different role,

I'm coming back as Travis Kelsey. I'll do some cutoffs on the backside. You run away from me. And I'll cut off the end. end or the backer. I'll seal block. But as far as running behind me, I'll come back as Travis Kelsey. I'll be a pass catching tight end. 100% I can see that. Because he, grunk, you know, looking like Robocop with a big arm brace. And if he's dropped 15, 20 pounds and he can just come up and basically be a glorified big receiver. 100% I can see that. Good to see you, buddy.

The same, man. Enjoy it. 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 SportsSlice 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. And we're going straight to the source, the athletes themselves, their locker room stories, their reactions in the moment, and the stuff nobody gets to hear.

Listen to SportsSlic on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo SlicLife 12 in the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. 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 I-Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. What's up, guys? This is Clever Taylor the 4th. And on my podcast, The Clivert 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, this linebacker walks up to me. He goes, hey, ref, my mom wants you to wave at her. What? Come on out. Quarterback on office blue 42. Hey, Brett, my mama want you to wave at her. What?

Where's she at? Hey, Miss Palm. Listen to the Clivert show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. The story I've told myself can then shape my behavior, and that can lead me to sabotage the possibility of connection. This Mental Health Awareness Month, tune into the podcast Deeply Well with Debbie Brown if you've been searching for a soft place to land while doing the work to become whole. This podcast is for you to hear more. Listen to deeply well with Debbie Brown from the Black Effect Podcast Network on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. This is an IHeart podcast.

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