The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Best of The Herd: 09/06/2018

Episode Date: September 6, 2018

Colin says that Le'Veon Bell made a choice a long time ago to be a running back and that has consequences like not getting guaranteed money long term in the NFL. He does hist first Herd Hierarchy ranking the top ten NFL teams including a huge surprise in the top four. Plus, Greg Cosell of NFL Films talks about the Falcons/Eagles season opener and how the Panthers will attack the Cowboys. 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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Ah, this is the herd. NFL season tonight, baby. Wherever you may be and however you may be listening live in Los Angeles, Iheart Radio, Fox Sports Radio, FS1. Joy Taylor sitting alongside. We are ready to go. Eagles hosting the Atlanta Falcons tonight. What a day.

What a season that starts tonight. quarterbacks outside of Carson Wentz all ready to go. Can't wait. Morning, Colin? Morning joy. Well, well, well, well, well. Levian Bell said, I'm not going to show up for the Steelers. He's a great player. And yesterday, Pittsburgh Steelers, right after my show, all the offensive lines started

ripping LaVie and Bell. It's cats and dogs living together. It's crazy in Pittsburgh, and I love Pittsburgh, but it's a zoo. Lavian Bell made a choice. 14 years old. chose to be a running back. Twenty of them were drafted this year. Another eight will make the NFL that are undrafted.

Tom Brady has been the only steady in the Patriots dynasty. They have had nine different leading rushers. You have to be mature earlier than you usually want to. 14, 15 years old, you can make decisions that will end your life or extend it. Be ready, I tell my kids. I was 14 years old. I wanted to be in the media. I read the newspaper, front to back, and I watched local TV.

So when I was 14 years old, I set up a meeting with the local newspaper, and I drove there. And I drove to my local newspaper, and the parking lot had beat up cars. And I went inside the newsroom, and it smelled like old newsprint. And people weren't well dressed, and they were grumpy, and their head were down. There was no energy in the building. A week later, my dad set up a meeting with King's Day. TV in Seattle. That was a TV station I watched. I loved King TV in Seattle. And I met with them, and I pulled into the parking lot. And there was a beautiful woman getting out of a cabriolet, which at

the time was an amazing car. Not so much now. And I went into the lobby, and there were flowers and attractive people, and the energy was great. And I went into the newsroom, and people were laughing and high-fiving and watching TV and having fun. And at 14 years old, I made a choice. There's a lot of different jobs in the media. I'm doing the TV radio thing over the newspaper thing. and it has done well for me. Levian Bell was 14 years old, could have picked any position. He was that talented.

He chose the one that's a pinata in which there are dozens upon dozens of running backs every year that come into the league. Second round, third round, fourth round, fifth round, fifth round, sixth round, seventh round, undrafted, and become great players, Alvin Kamara. These are the choices we make.

This is happening all over in America for young men and women who are very, very smart. They are choosing tech. Wall Street over medicine. Why? Because they don't want to be on call 24-7. They don't want to get out of college with $300,000 in college debt. They don't want the horrible hours and staying in college for eight years and watching blood.

They want to go and create new things. And maybe they won't save people, but maybe they will. They'll make an app that'll save people. And it's fun and it's better energy and you don't have that college debt. And you make that choice at Fort Worth. and 15 years old. If you make it at 38, it's too late. It's the downside to youth.

As Winston Churchill said, it's wasted on the young. You've got to have it together, baby, at 15, because those choices end of life or extend a life. I tell my kids, figure out what you love and pursue it with passion. But take a while to figure out what you love because it's going to reshape your life. Yes, Libby and Bell is unbelievably talented.

And talent doesn't always mean you're the highest paid. Daniel Day Lewis is considered a greatest actor. He chooses art. He chooses to play Lincoln. Four school and seven years ago. He goes into character for nine months. He goes home at night. His kids are like, Dad, we're playing basketball.

You want to be the ref? A house divided against itself cannot stand. Dad, we're just playing basketball. do I not destroy my enemies when I make them my friends? Dad, can't you just be a dad? False score and seven years ago, he chooses art. The Rock chooses action, and he plays himself, and he makes double Daniel Day Lewis.

We all make choices. Don't complain about the choices you make. They're yours, and yours singular. You want to choose art? You may end up waiting tables in Hollywood for nine years. You choose action? Yeah, a lot of those movies. Make a lot of money.

Man a lot of money, but play yourself. Get big muscles go to a gym. You'll never be respected by the critics. And you'll never be respected by the artists. But I think Rock seems pretty happy. Last time I heard from Rock, you wanted to be president. And considering who's there now, he may be. Who knows?

But Levy and Bill made a choice. He made a choice. We all make choices and take your time and choose wisely because it's going to shape your life. And the Steelers offered him, I mean, depending on the story you read, the franchise tag 15, 16, 17 million bucks? It's not like they're saying, here's some top ramen enjoy your season. You know, go down to the cafe where, you know, we're not asking here for double, you know, to basically giving you nickels and pennies and, you know, old beat up furniture. We're giving you like $16, $17 million. dollars. But by the way, I love you, Lavian Bell, but weren't you the guy that got high in a car going to a game with a teammate?

Aren't you the guy that's had some baggage? Those were also your choices. I'm not against Daniel Day Lewis and Abraham Lincoln. I am not against Lavin Bell. I am not against kids who choose medical careers. But those are all choices we make and we make them early and they matter. Don't complain about them. Don't complain about him. Running backs are incredibly replaceable in this league. I mean, the league right now has got four great quarterbacks. Four! The Steelers are saying this morning, we have two great running backs.

One won't show up, and we're going to show you how good the second one is. Make choices. They're yours. Don't resent them later. So there's a reason I am not a super-tenth. techie guy, but I do upgrade my phone regularly, the iPhone thing. And I, you know, I see myself as not super techie, but I got kids, so I got to pay attention to the devices and what they're on and, you know, make sure nothing crazy is going on.

But I will spend money. I will on the iPhone. I'll update it every year and I'll spend money. And the reason I do that is because it saves me money elsewhere. Because my iPhone means I don't have to have a newspaper subscription. I don't have to have an alarm clock. I don't have to have a watch, a high-deaf camera, a roll-a-dex, a voice recorder. It is all in my phone.

I don't need a calculator or a music player or a video game or a flashlight or a notepad or a computer or a GPS. So I overspend on the phone and they're way too expensive in my opinion, but I do so because they save me elsewhere. The Green Bay Packers, I contend and I said this yesterday, should have gone for it with Killele Mac. Now instead they'll face him two times a year. Aaron Rogers will feel that breath. At least a dozen times a year now for the next several years. A guy off, by the way, two collarbone surgeries. The Green Bay Packers have wasted years of Aaron Rogers.

Because like the iPhone, you don't have to give him the best offensive line. You don't have to give Aaron Rogers the best running game. You don't have to give him Hall of Fame tied ends. You don't have to give Aaron Rogers amazing wide receivers. You can give him C plus B minus across the board and he elevates everybody to another level. Brady does the same thing. So there's no excuse for New England not to spend money on defensive stars. I've been critical of them.

And there's no reason why if the L.A. Rams, who were also interested in Khalil Mack, can pay five and six guys huge money, the Packers can't play two guys huge money. Okay, don't tell me, well, you can't, I mean, you can't pay like a quarterback and a defensive end, all that money. Rams are paying guys a ton. Well, same league, same salary cap.

Rams also wanted Khalil Mac. When you have the iPhone, it allows you not to spend big money elsewhere because it elevates your life. When you have Aaron Rogers and Tom Brady, there is no reason to spend a fortune on tight ends. You just have to have good, solid players around you, and then they'll elevate everything, which allows you the freedom to overpay a little and take risks on pass rushers. There's no excuse. To me, this idea that, yeah, you can't just spend all this money on, why not?

It's a salary cap. Once you have a guy as good as Brady or Aaron Rogers, you can save so much money on the offensive side, it allows you to overpay for the next Lawrence Taylor. I've said it before and I'll say it again. Would you rather have your superstar quarterback who's had two collarbone surgeries, probably physically now, not in his prime,

slightly on the 10th or 11th hole, face Khalil Mack, face the vice. Vikings defense or just face them in the locker room as they both head to the shower on the same team. I think it's obvious. If the Rams can pay for five or six stars and they wanted him, the Packers can certainly pay for two. 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. We've seen, we've talked about this ad nauseum that I'm just a big believer. that most of the people I've worked with in my life in sports, in the media,

they got a little chip on their shoulder. Somebody told them, no, you can't do it. And I love hiring those kind of people. I love supporting those kind of people. I think the white picket fence, you know, private school, that's great. Congratulations. But I have overwhelmingly seen people at every corporation I've worked at who started in the mailroom, who didn't have rich parents, who didn't get all the breaks.

They have a toughness about them. We've seen this in the NFL. Aaron Rogers had to go to a junior college, dropped in the draft. Tom Brady, six round. Drew Breeze was too small. Wouldn't go in the first round. University of Texas ignored him.

Oklahoma ignored him. Had to go to Purdue. Russell Wilson. His coach told him you can transfer. He goes to Wisconsin. Dominates. You're too small. You run too much.

Big Ben grows up in Ohio, doesn't get an offer to Michigan or Ohio State. I mean, you can go up and down NFL quarterbacks. 99% of the kids. 99% of the good ones have been told outside of Peyton Manning, you're no good. You're not tall enough. You're not this enough. You're not that enough.

I also love teams like that. And I think there are four teams in the NFL this year that come in with a chip on their shoulder. Now, in order to love you, you got to have the talent good enough to win the Super Bowl. And all four of these teams do. And there's about 12 teams in the league that have the talent to win the Super Bowl. About a third of the league, maybe 11 or 12. Maybe not that many, but close.

It's about a third of the league. But so if you can give me talent in that chip on the shoulder that you've spent the entire off season being told, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. I'll give you four teams. I'll start with Atlanta. I love Atlanta this year. Atlanta's got two massive motivating factors. They led the Patriots two years ago, 28 to three in the Super Bowl and blew it and had to live with it.

They lost their top coordinator and were told they're no good. They come back last year and they have the Philadelphia. Eagles in Philadelphia, they go all the way to L.A., beat the Rams, dominate the game, go back home to Atlanta, practice, go up to Philadelphia, nine yard line first and goal, get down to the two. This play is the difference

between this play. I'm showing you on FS1, facing and beating the Minnesota Vikings going to the Super Bowl. They have had to live the last two off seasons being this close. And Philly gets all the love, and Tom Brady gets all the love and the fame and the endorsements and the intention, and they are just

sitting there for two years seething. Their offensive line now is really good. Dan Quinn's clearly a great coach. Steve Sarkisian's second year working with Matt Ryan. Key picked up at a wide receiver spot and defensive positions. Love Atlanta chip on the shoulder this year. Second team is Baltimore. Baltimore was the most impressive team to me. First of all, they draft Lamar Jackson to push Joe Flacko. He looked great in preseason. This is a Baltimore team last year that was going to make the playoffs. but Andy Dalton, Andy Dalton, Andy Dalton, fourth down prayer, touchdown pass out of the playoffs. They've had to live with that in the wait room every day since then.

They were also five and two down the stretch. Their last five losses last year, all five, one possession losses. Baltimore is going to rebound big. Every workout this offseason, they're thinking about that Andy Dalton prayer and a wasted opportunity. The third team is the L.A. Chargers. They started the year 0 and 4, and then three of the four games outplayed the opposition,

and two of four out gained them. Why? They couldn't get down the field goal thing. It was brutal. They ended the year winning 6 of 7 and 9 of 12. They were as good as anybody in the NFL not named the Patriots and Eagles at the end of the season. Their only losses at the end of the season came against playoff teams.

they addressed all their draft needs. They have to play in a soccer stadium. They have a major chip on their shoulder. They don't really get home games like everybody else. This is a loaded roster. Vegas even gets it. They're only 18 to 1 to win the Super Bowl. That is a team last year that was better than a couple of the teams in the playoffs.

They think they've solved their kicker issue and have addressed their defensive needs. And the fourth team that playing with a chip on their shoulder that I love this year, maybe you remember them and maybe you remember how their season ended the New Orleans Saints Now 10 seconds Kienham steps into it passes

Case Keenham has just taken the Minnesota Vikings to the NFC championship game in a game none of us will soon forget Yeah that leaves a mark I'm going to say they've been pretty salty in New Orleans

They've been a little salty in New Orleans for the last five months. Is it wrong with me that when I watch these plays, I never enjoy the excitement of it. I just feel this like drop in my stuff. I immediately feel for the people. Oh, my God. So much more than I feel happy for the winners. Drew Breeze had as good a year as he's ever had. He's got two great ones left.

So Atlanta, Baltimore, the L.A. Chargers, and the New Orleans Saints. This is a league in which the great quarterbacks all play with a ship, chip on their shoulder, all overlooked, too small, too short, run too much, and they all rise. Big Ben, Breeze, Beatty, Rogers. That's the league. Matt Ryan, none of the big programs recruited him. None of the big programs recruited Breeze.

Big Ben, Tom Brady, couldn't even start at Michigan. Aaron Rogers, go to a junior college, drop in the draft. Same for teams. Those workouts for six months. When you're salty, work a little harder, a little more focused. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific. I think structure and stability matter, even in very, very creative fields. This is why artists and musicians get completely worked by corporations,

as because they're considered flakes and they're considered artists and corporations have rated them for years. But then occasionally you'll get a band or a Mick Jagger or a Bono or a Beyonce. And they've got some structure and they've got some stability. And that's when artists get rich when they can add structure to their life and structure to their band and structure to their business and structure to their talent. Even in artistic fields, in comedy, Jay Leno and Seinfeld are the two kings, huge net worths. They're in the funny business, but stability and structure, dependability, accountability,

accountability is sustainability. Okay. When I see what's happening with the Pittsburgh Steelers, and I got offensive linemen shouting out Lavian Bell, this has been my knock on Mike Tomlin. The messaging is scattered, multiple voices, lack of communication. And this is what I see. By the way, the last time the Steelers finished with a better record than New England,

when Tom Brady was healthy, was when Bill Cower was coach. I like Mike Tomlin, but he's Pete Carroll. Pro player. A lot of different people talking about people. Anonymous quotes. Too much talking. New England's got structure and stability.

And Seattle, that dynasty, it should be still, it just now should be tapering off. We got about two years of it. We should have five and six. But you had players ripping Russell Wilson and ESPN, the magazine. People getting political. and I understand it's 2018. Players want a voice. I get it.

But man, that dynasty just got, it went red hot to, oh, oh, to done. They're picked third in their own division now. And they don't have an offensive line. So good luck blocking Indyaman Suu and Aaron Donald with the Rams. Remember when they did that anthem thing with Villanueva, the offensive linemen? What was the big problem there? Alejandro Villanueva said he never intended to stand alone during the anthem. He said it was embarrassing.

It was a botching of the team's game plan. Every time I see that picture of me standing, I'm embarrassed. We butchered our plan. Why? Lack of communication. This is what it always is with the Steelers. Different messages. And by the way, New England, 18 years, one message.

The minute they've had a little strife in their messaging, New England had issues. It's just, you know, James Harrison came on our show. And again, it was communication. James Harrison sat in this couch and I said, you know, there's some bitterness here, how it ended. What was your biggest complaint? Here's what he said. I feel like it needs to be more disciplined. Some of the things that they do coaching-wise, I feel like some of situations that we were in when we were there as far as time management, calling of defenses, you know, we had a situation where we had double-call defenses because, you know, one thing was said,

then someone said something else. I mean, it's always the same thing. When you look at managing a team, you're really managing people. Yeah, people. You know, 53 different personalities, plus the coaching staff, plus the training staff, plus the executive staff, plus the owner. So if you're the head coach, you really actually have to have one message because you've got literally hundreds of people who all need to be on the same page. So when you tell one person this and then you tell someone else that, of course the lines

are going to get crossed. And then if you have players who clearly have no idea what's happening with Leveon, who were under the impression that he was going to, be there yesterday and are now angry, which is why they're saying in the media that they're fed up with it, because they clearly don't know. And Nick is right. It's really not Levion's fault. He is a professional. He should be trying to get as much money as

possible. Yes, the idea is that you want to win and you want to be a team player, but those other guys aren't paying Levion's bills, not that he's broke or anything, but this is what he's here to do. He only has this amount of time at this moment in his life to make this kind of money. So however he's being advised to do that is what he

he should do. He's a grown man. This is what he's supposed to do. But would you want, do you really want multiple offensive linemen the day before the season starts firing at him? No, you don't. But I would say that that's Mike Tomlin's fault because he should have all of them, Ben included, because Ben is talking also. They should all be on the same page. This is what's happening with Levion. This is what we would like to happen. He is not going to be here. We're moving forward without him. I don't know what you're hearing from him. This is the message. The media loves Pete Carroll. They fell in love with Pete Carroll. I mean, remember when Seattle got hot. I mean, it was like, I grew up in the Pacific Northwest. Suddenly, my team was the hottest

team in the world. And it was politics and talking and players and outspoken, and it unraveled. And that's what I've said about Philadelphia. A guy, coach got a book and Lane Johnson talking this. And it's like, you know, I know everybody in 2018. I've said this yesterday. Nobody's ever walked up to me and said, Colin, name your top five senators. They ask me all the time, name your top five NBA players. Is that that's why I stay out of politics. My audience tells me what they want every day, and it's not my ideas about... Well, if you were a political commentator, then they might come up and ask you that. That's right.

But the bigger point is we live in a time where everybody has a personality and everybody is able to give their opinions and everyone's able to have their own platform because of social media, players included, so they have their own brands. But the brand still has to be one thing. And that's boring, but that's just, that's the reality. There's too many people involved. You can have a spark. You can win one championship with that.

What's amazing is you got Ben, ripping the coach and you got players ripping the teammate and it's just all scattered go and I know the media loves when all the players but football's built differently. Well yeah, we love it because it's content. Football's the only sport where you practice six times more than you play. Football is hard. You get tackled. You don't get tackled in baseball. You don't get tackled in football. I can literally do the play perfect and if the left tackle moves is pinky finger flag. We all go five yards back. have to be unified in football. There's a different culture.

It is not star-driven. Even Brady plays by the coach's rules. Pittsburgh's a mess. Seattle's a mess. It feels like they're unraveling. What's up, everybody? John Middlecock from the Three and Out podcast, brought to you live by Colin Coward's

podcast network. Big show this week. Obviously, diving right into the Killeleel Mack trade, talking about college football rankings, and how, on God's Green Earth, Does Lamar Jackson get beat out by Robert Griffin to the 30? If you like football, if you like Colin, you'll like my show because I'm talking a ton of it.

Subscribe wherever you listen to your podcast, three and out with John Middlecastle. Heard hierarchy. Time is now, let's go! The top 10 NFL teams, according to Colin. Number 10. All right, New England Patriots number 10, 29th in total defense, 30th and past defense. Now, they do get to the quarterback. They were seventh in sack.

It's not necessarily their losses in all of them. I do think Nate Solder at left tackle is going to be an important loss for an aging quarterback that's not overly mobile. Brady and Nate Solder were very tight. It's not Danny M. Andola. They'll find another slot receiver, Malcolm Butler, or Brandon Cooks. But I do think we have a little bit of a rebuild left side of the offensive line. I don't think they have a dynamic wide receiving core. And Gronk is giving me about 10 and a half games a year over the last half.

decade. My favorite thing about the Patriots right now, they're division, and they're going to win their division because of their structure and stability, and they have the best football coach probably of my life. But I just do not see the dynamic perimeter athletes, the dynamic pass rush, and players that other teams have Patriots at 10. Number nine. Minnesota's good, and by the way, from nine to about four, it's really jumbled up. I'm going to have them pull back a little. First of all, this is a big deal. They lost Pat Schumer offensive coordinator. What happened to Atlanta a few years ago when I lost Kyle Shanahan? They weren't the same football team.

They were good, not great. They added Kurt Cousins. I like him better than Case Keenham. But again, new coordinator. Aaron Rogers is back in the division. They were bizarrely healthy last year. This is a very good football team. They will be in the playoff hunt and maybe a playoff team.

I like them. But last year, Rogers is out. You know, you start looking at quarterbacks banged up. Theirs was healthy. Perfect offensive. coordinator. Defense didn't get banged up. It all kind of worked perfectly. Now they have a first place schedule. Good, not as great. Vikings 9. Number eight. Listen, everybody in Vegas I talk to says the best long-shot Super Bowl team is the L.A. Chargers. They won nine of their last 12 and six of their

last seven. They added Mike Pouncey. So they got Russell O'Koon left side of the offensive line, had a good year. Now they add a Pro Bowl center in Mike Pouncey. They also had a defensive weakness right up the middle. They went and got Derwin James. I've been watching the practice video. He is tearing it up. Going to be a pro bowler at safety in no time. They solved their one issue on this football team was right up the middle. Safety linebacker and nose tackle. This is a football team. If you look at that division now, they get John Gruden twice. They get rookie Patrick Mahomes, and he really is a rookie a couple times. We got Denver, that offensive line case. Keenham. I think the division has weakened in the last year, except the Chargers.

They're at eight. Number seven. Green Bay Packers. And again, this is really tight. They went out and they got three corners in the last couple years. They drafted a couple. They go in free agency. Aaron Rogers is back. Now, there are things about this team that drive me crazy.

I think they should have gone after Khalil Mack. I don't think it's a glamour market where they can get free agents star defensive players. But Green Bay, to me, plays in a division. now that's really good. This is why I lower them a little bit. Chicago's defensive front is nasty. Minnesota's roster is nasty. And Detroit's got Matt Stafford. So I like Green Bay, but that division's tough. You can make an argument. There are Sundays that looks like the best division in football. Green Bay at 7. Number six. Again, very close New Orleans. And one of the reasons I don't have them higher, Atlanta's good, Carolina's good. Yeah, a lot of tough Sundays in the NFL in that division.

They traded up in the draft to get Marcus Davenport. So they want more of a pass. rush, not like they had no pass rush last year. They did lose Willie Sneed. They did lose Kenny Baccaro, but they had the offensive and defensive rookies of the year. Listen, this is a little like Brady Belichick in the AFC. I get the brain of Sean Peyton. I get the brain in the town of Drew Bree.

They're going to win a lot of football games, but a very, very tough division, unlike Tom Brady. And I think right now I like Atlanta more than I do. New Orleans. In that division, I have the Saints at 6. Number 5. Little Super Bowl hangover for the Philadelphia Eagles. Carson Wentz isn't ready to play. And they bring

Michael Bennett, hello to Nata, I like that. But you know, you start looking out with Sean. Jeffrey's not ready to play. Some running backs are dinged up. I think the division's better. And frankly, I think there's a reason, on average, four teams that didn't make the playoffs, make them the next year. Last year, we had even more than that. I think it's tough. I think there's a bullseye on their back. I think Philadelphia teams from the Phillies to the Sixers to the Flyers. Philadelphia is a puffier chest town. When you wing, when you win there, it is a pat-e. And teams tend to in Philadelphia slide back down. Malcolm Jenkins came out and said, get that goofy banner out of our locker room.

Again, I don't have Carson Wentz. And stop telling me Nick Foles is almost Carson Wentz. You compare an Air Force One and a prop plane. They're different players. Philly at 5. Number four. My underrated team in the NFL, the Baltimore Ravens. Again, if it wasn't for an Andy Dalton walkoff, they wouldn't have been a playoff team.

They won five of their last seven. Their last five losses were all one possession. They went out and drafted two tight ends, and they added nice spark players on the outside wide receiver john brown michael crabtree willie sneed joe flacco's always played better when motivated that's why they overdrafted in my opinion lamar jackson baltimore looked tremendous in preseason in those first series both offensively and defensively this is the best team in the league playing with a chip on their shoulder the way the season ended with an inspired joe flacco and a coach on the hot seat baltimore number four number three you know what pittsburgh i love their talent

I just, I love, I love Pittsburgh, but good Lord, could they have a week when they're not in the news? I got a locker room now that's all splintered offensive lines banging on Libyan Bell. They've got a couple of linebackers. I like Bud DePri's really good. But Ryan Chazier did offer range and speed that I don't think you can duplicate. Like Sean Lee to the Cowboys, it's just there are certain players in this league. Luke Keekley, you lose them at linebacker. You're not the same football team.

There's just something about certain players, the communication, the speed, the range. Again, I like this team. Big Ben's not as efficient as I would prefer. He's not as efficient. That is dipped in recent years. Still like him a lot. Don't love him like I do, the top two or three guys in the league. Steelers three.

Number two. Listen, I told you LeBron was coming to the Lakers. You said I was an L.A. Homer. You're going to call me an L.A. Homer because I do my show in L.A., but the Rams are ridiculous. Folks, they were 11 and 5 last year with a rookie head coach. Jared Gough, now coming back with McVeigh. They had a good receiving court.

They added Brandon Cook. They had Aaron Donald, they added Endomic and Sue. Their cornerback, they had Trumane Johnson. Okay, they lose him, but they had Sam Shields. They had Marcus Peters, who may be the best pure corner cover in the league in a key to leave, a really good veteran tough guy. They also have the best punter and the kicker in the league. The best special teams in the league. I'm telling you, I think we're undervaluing them at two.

If you stack up rosters, what don't I like? They even went after Khalil Mack. I could argue they need a pass rusher. Everybody in the league not named Denver and the L.A. Chargers could use another pass rusher. Rams at 2. Number one. I love the Falcons. I love.

Do you know they're the only team in the NFL without a single player in the IR as of tonight? They added Calvin Ridley to a loaded wide receiving core that plays on a fast track. They needed corners. They went and got one in free agency and drafted one in the second round. The biggest story, though. There's two big stories here. Sarks in his second year. I think that's a big underreported story.

Kyle Shanahan gets him to a Super Bowl, leaves. Of course you're going to dip. Now Steve Sarkeesian, second year working with Matt Ryan. Remember, Kyle Shanahan needed two years to click with Matt Ryan, too. And they also have the most underrated offensive line in the NFL. I love their owner. I love their GM. I love their coach, Dan Quinn.

I love their quarterback. And they got pieces on the perimeter. They solved their cornerback issues. Atlanta is my best team in the league as of this morning. One more herd. The herd streams 24 hours a day, seven days a week within the IHeart radio app. Search herd to listen live or on demand whenever you'd like. I trust his word.

If you're a TV or radio, listener or viewer, none better than Greg Coasell. 30 plus years at NFL films, the most objective NFL voice I ever bring on this show via the Coward Global Satellite Network. Greg Cocell is now joining us. All right, tonight, Greg, season opens rematch of a divisional playoff game. Nick Foles, Matt Ryan. What are Atlanta? What are they going to present tonight to turn the table with the Eagles?

Oh, and I mean, they can line up with two backs, and they'll put Coleman and Freeman on the field at the same time. They can line up with three wide receivers with the rookie Calvin Riddley, and they can present some issues for Philadelphia. They can also line up with, two backs, one being a fullback, and force the Eagles to play with three linebackers. And they've got some questions at linebacker tonight because Nigel Bradham will not be playing. That's right.

So there are really versatile offense that I think can really present a lot of problems with the unique set of playmakers at the skilled positions. Let's shift to defense. The bear's already a pretty tasty defensive view. They add Khalil Mack. Talk about somebody that can give you different looks. They also have a great defensive coordinator, Vic Fangio. What are the bears going to throw out Aaron Rogers Sunday? Well, think of it this way.

In terms of past defense, there's two things you'd really like to do with your secondary looks. Vic Fangio is a master at that part of it. The flip side is you want to speed up the quarterback with your pressure. So you want to speed him up physically, slow him down mentally. The bears are now in an excellent position to. do that with the addition of Khalil Mack. Yeah, he is, you know, people have compared him to Lawrence Taylor. That's a little quick, but he is a guy that tackles for losses.

You know, Deshawn Watson opens with New England. He started his great run last year against New England. Now they've upgraded their defensive front. What's he going to be looking at against the Patriots on Sunday? Well, I think one of the things you have to look at it from the Texans perspective, Colin, because they have not really upgraded their offensive line. And one of the things Bill O'Brien did a lot of last year was what we call seven-man pass protection concepts.

Oftentimes they only sent two receivers on routes and maybe a checkdown. And I think that was one of the things that helped them keep Deshawn Watson secure in the pocket. And I think you'll still see a lot of that because the O line is a potential issue. They'll do a lot of backfield actions, deception, misdirection, the kinds of things that define the throws quickly for Deshawn Watson. By the way, speaking of young quarterbacks, Jimmy Garoppolo faces a loaded defense. They have a pass rush. One of the best safeties in the game, athletic corners.

Jimmy Garoppolo, what's he going to see that could potentially give him problems with the Vikings? Well, that's a defense that's good at all three levels. But I think what you'll see, which is different from most NFL teams, Garoppolo started five games last year. played with a fullback on the field on almost 45% of their offensive snaps with Garoppolo. That's unheard of in the NFL. So the name to remember in the game Sunday, Colin, get this, Ben Gideon, he's the third linebacker for Minnesota.

He's going to play a lot of snaps this Sunday, and normally he does not play much at all. So you'll see a lot of what we call 21 personnel from San Francisco with two backs, and the fullback Kyle Hughescheck being the second back. By the way, do you like Garoppolo as just a pure thrower? I think he's one of those guys that has that quick snap delivery. The ball comes out with good velocity. He's a good thrower of the football, and he's very quick twitch in the pocket. So he's able to snap the ball off.

And because of that, he's able to wait late in the down when there are bodies around him and deliver those kinds of necessary NFL throws. I think one of the most fascinating games for me, the Giants host the Jaguars. We know about Saxonville. We know about their pressure and their corners. I got Pat Shermer, and it usually, it always feels like to me it takes coordinators and offensive guys and quarterbacks about a year to mesh like Kyle Shanahan did in Atlanta.

But I got an upgraded left tackle. I got at least a home run running back, not sure how many carries Saquan Barkley can give me. Odell Beckham, I like their young tight end. I can't wait to watch the Giants. Do you think they'll be effective immediately against a team like Jacksonville? Well, I guess more generally, I don't think it'll take a year for Eli Manning in this offense to be successful with Pat Sherman there. I think it'll take less time. I think they've got some pretty good personnel on offense.

There's still a question on the right side of the offensive line. They took a problem at left tackle, and now he's a problem at right tackle. So they have some issues. I don't think unless Jacksonville changes what they did last year, I don't think you'll see specifically the Odell Beckham Jalen Ramsey matchup because Jacksonville a year ago was not a matchup team. They're a predominant zone team and Jalen Ramsey played the left side. So unless they change, which they could, but if they don't,

you're not going to see that match up that often. Yeah. There are some things you, I thought Baltimore looked interesting when their number one offense and defense was on the field in the preseason. and I thought, I thought Darnold looked, he played cleaner as a pro than he did at USC. I would agree. It was just,

you and I have talked about this off air. He just, he was cleaner. I don't know what I'm going to get, but I think I'll get, I think he's functional. I don't think he plays, it's funny, he plays less reckless with the Jets than he did at USC. What do you expect? Go with San Donald as he starts his NFL career

because he looked like a different player, which one can say is a product of great coaching, or maybe the sample size is not large enough yet and we don't know, which is clearly true. And we also don't know how he'll react to pressure in the NFL. We didn't see much of that in the preseason. But you're 100% right. He looked much cleaner with his footwork.

He was more accurate throwing the football in the preseason than he was in his last year at USC. Yeah, some of that could be Josh McCown. That's a hell of a quarterback room. I mean, the coaching matters. I mean, it does. Oh, more than people probably think. Okay, I want to go to your big play. Cowboys Panthers, we got Norv Turner entering a relationship with Cam Newton. I know what Cam does, and I know what Norm likes, and there are two different things sometimes.

Give me what you expect, at least whether it works or not, what are we going to see here in this relationship between the offensive coordinator, the veteran, and the veteran quarterback Cam? Well, it looks like you're going to see what Norve has done throughout his career, an offense that starts with a run game, and it appears. years, it'll be Christian McCaffrey. They really worked him hard in the preseason. Whether he can hold up as a quote-unquote foundation back is a question of speculation. But the one thing we will see, and this takes us right to our play, and we can start it now, is you will see McCaffrey as a receiver out of the backfield and certainly split as well. But out of the backfield, he is as good as there is. You know, he's, you have Alvin Kamara, who's terrific. McCaffrey is really good. And here you see him. He's all.

offset in the backfield. This will be man-to-man against the New Orleans Saints. You have the linebacker Craig Robertson. So what you're going to get is a man-to-man matchup. And you see McCaffrey's going to square up on him and he's going to beat him with a move. Great move here. And it becomes what we call an angle route or a Texas route. That's just really, really good. He is a really difficult matchup on these kinds of routes out of the backfield, particularly man-to-man on linebackers. And now you go to the preseason. This is now North Turner. as the offensive coordinator. This is a little different, but same concept,

man to man on a linebacker. But this time, Colin, instead of working outside, he works through the line of scrimmage, but you get the same one-on-one matchup against a linebacker. And this really is what they want to do to help Cam. They want to define quicker throws, get the ball out of his hands quicker, because Cam does have a tendency to want to hold the ball

and make plays down the field, and he can get himself in trouble. trouble. So McCaffrey will be critical as a runner, and he'll be just as important as a receiver. I'm really excited to watch that game. And I got to tell you, the NFC, I really don't, I really don't. I love Atlanta this year, but I don't know what I'm going to get out of the NFC. There's no days off. There's no weeks off. Greg. Oh, so, so good. Yeah. Greg CoSell, NFL films over three decades. Great talking to you. Can't wait for the year to start tonight. Thanks, Greg. Thanks, Colin. Appreciate it.

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