The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Best of The Herd: 12/18/2018

Episode Date: December 18, 2018

Colin thinks Cam Newton is the Russell Westbrook of the NFL because he is a talented yet inefficient player that is becoming increasingly injured. He thinks Andrew Luck is the MVP of the NFL and explains why. Plus, former NFL QB Drew Bledsoe talks about why rookie QBs have had so much early success and why he didn't have the luxuries they do. 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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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.

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What's up, fam? It's Isaiah Thomas. And I'm C.J. Toledano. 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 harmed. You just understood.

That's how personal it got. Wow. Then after that game seven, Marquis, 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. So listen to Point Game on the IHeartRadio app,

Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 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 SportsRodio.com or stream us live every day on the iHeartRadio app by search heard. 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 live in Los Angeles, Iheart Radio, Fox Sports Radio and FS1, one hour from now are herd

hierarchy and it is crazy. It is the craziest herd hierarchy we've ever had. I strongly believe it. There'll be teams left out you won't believe, but these are the 10 best teams, in my opinion. And one hour from now, Joy Taylor is joining me as we get ready. Boy, next week is Christmas Eve on Monday and Christmas.

Last night, the Saints, it was a crazy. It was a remarkably fascinating game for the lack of offense. I thought it was fascinating, but it was not very artistic. It's very bizarre. It was rough. It was rough around the edges. And I want to start with this. I'm into winning.

I've never been into, you know, a lot of the awards and stuff. but I like winning. Cam Newton doesn't win enough. Cam Newton doesn't win enough. He's never had back-to-back winning seasons, and he's not going to have one now. That's virtually impossible when you have his talent. Think about this.

He's on a six-game losing streak. The Raiders, the dysfunctional Raiders, haven't lost six straight games this year. The Buffalo builds, rebuilding their entire offense with the rookie quarterback, haven't lost six straight games. the perpetually dysfunctional Tampa Bay Buccaneers haven't lost six straight games. Cam Newton's on a six-game losing streak.

In his career, Russell Wilson's longest losing streak is two. Andrew Luck, bad coaches, bad GMs, bad O-Lines, longest losing streak is four. Big Ben, four. Aaron Rogers once lost five, but that was his first year as a starter. Tom Brady's had a losing streak of four. Even Andy Dalton and Kirk Cousins drive me nuts. They've never lost more than four straight. Well, he's heard.

Oh, Camso was a victim. Oh, he's hurt. By the way, same head coach for years, continuity. He's had eight offensive pro bowlers the last seven years. McCaffrey will be nine. The defense has been in the top ten, five of the last seven years. He's on a sixth game losing streak. And by the way, they face Atlanta at home on a short week and at New Orleans.

It may become an eight game losing streak. Cam Newton doesn't win enough. But you know what? It doesn't matter because Carolina is absolutely trapped. Carolina has become the Oklahoma City Thunder of the NFL. They have an iconic superstar in a small market who's hard to coach, doesn't play well with others. He's completely flawed, but he's got that one MVP year and one trip to the Super Bowl slash finals,

and they're trapped. And they're keeping him forever until the arm falls off. Carolina and Oklahoma City, small markets have never had the courage to move off the iconic flawed superstar. Local fans would freak out in Oklahoma City. They would completely freak out. Privately, Oklahoma City will tell you they trust Paul George more late in games right now than they do Russell Westbrook. And they know Russell's hard to coach. And they know his style of basketball, which is he can't shoot so he has to relentlessly,

athletically drive to the basket, meaning more injuries, is not good long term. They had the best of him so far. He's eroding quickly. And privately, Oklahoma City knows it, but publicly, they'll put their arms around him because the fans would freak out. They've already lost Durant and James Harden. And similarly, privately, I know, because I have it sourced for years. Carolina, Cam Newton drives Carolina people nuts.

But they're not going to say that publicly because it's a small market. and he's an icon. And just like Paul George is more trustable now late than Westbrook, Christian McCaffrey's the guy through a touchdown pass last night. He's more trustable now late than Cam Newton. But they're trapped. I mean, if you look at Westbrook and you look at the six or seven things that have happened to Westbrook, he can't shoot. That's undeniable. He's not a great shooter. He's a great score. He's aging increasingly hurt, very expensive, tough to coach, and relies too much just on sheer athletic ability. That's Cam.

In a precision analytics league, he's not really an accurate thrower. He's aging, increasingly hurt, very expensive, tough to coach, and relies too much on just sheer athletic ability. He's never gotten down the precision thing. And privately, both organizations know they're probably not a Super Bowl, probably not an NBA championship. Hard to play with. But they're trapped. They're trapped. I mean, last night was interesting because Carolina got the ball with a minute 44 left.

and I'm watching with my wife. And she says, oh, this reminds me of Brady and Ben the other day. I said, no, it doesn't. Carolina has no shot to score. This is not against that Saints defense. They're not going to do it. And they got one first down. And this is the reality of it.

This happens all the time in sports, and we never talk about this stuff, is that certain markets restrict you. And you get to one of these buffaloes in Carolina and Green Bay and Oklahoma City, and you get one of these FARV, and Cam and Westbrooks, you are trapped. You are trapped. You cannot get rid of him. And that Russell Westbrook's going to be a Hall of Famer.

I'd pay money to watch Russell Westbrook. I think he's fantastic. But now he's past his prime. Now he's expensive, hurt, tough to play with, hard to coach. And Paul George, I trust more down the stretch. And Cam Newton now is hurt more, expensive more, had more than enough support. Well, he's hurt.

You notice? When you rely on athletic ability, when you rely throwing the ball more on, you know, mechanically armed than legs, yes, it's hard for that shoulder injury to heal. Nothing against Cam, but this throw in the fourth quarter was indicative of his night on the final drive. Here it is. 63 seconds remaining. Here's some pressure now on Newton. Von Bell comes in.

And that was an awkward throw that was driven low and incomplete. Well, it's the thing about Cam Newton that puzzles a lot of people. He's an upper body throw. He doesn't really step with his lower body and generate power. And when you're in an upper body thrower like Cam Newton is, you're going to lead to a lot of inaccurate passes. Watch him get all his torque from his upper body. That leads to a lot of inaccurate passes.

Even when the ball got tipped from Cam Newton there. By the way, you criticize Westbrook. OKC fans go nuts. You can criticize Durant. I can criticize LeBron. My Twitter doesn't explode. I can criticize Brady. I can criticize Rogers.

I can criticize L. You criticize Cam, people go nuts. OKC and Carolina, they're trapped. Westbrook and Cam are going to be there until the arms fall off. What I tell you about getting in those mentions, Colin? I try to tell you. So let me shift to this. I'm not into awards.

I'm not. But this year, NFL MVP has me intrigued. They do not give out the Oscars in Hollywood in January. February, March, April. Excuse me. Let me say it again. They don't give them out in the summer. They wait until the big movies come out in November, December.

Then they give, they wait for the big movies to come out in Hollywood. Then they give you the Oscars. They don't do it in April, May, June. Nobody's talking about that. College football always wants to hand out the Heisman by week six. They're talking about it in like October. I want to see Alabama play Georgia, Alabama play Auburn, Alabama in the SEC Championship.

Can we wait for the big games? In Hollywood, you wait for the big movies. In college football, can we wait to see Alabama actually play somebody not named Citadel? But the time Tua played in the biggest game against Georgia, he was the third best quarterback on the field. From Jalen Hurd, then Tua. So in the NFL, everybody's given the MVP award to Patrick Holmes. Why? These are the biggest games.

The other day, I was driving home and I was thinking, why are we giving Mahomes the MVP? If they lose to Seattle in Seattle in a driving rainstorm this weekend, I don't hate Patrick Mahomes, but he'll be 0 and 4 in his four biggest games. Valuable? Most valuable? I'm not blaming him all for the losses. But I can't give the MVP to a guy that's 0-4-4 in his biggest games.

Let's stop giving out awards in football halfway through seasons, three quarters through seasons. It's a week-to-week league. I mean, every week in this league we're like, oh, I thought they were good, they're not. Should we have given the Rams a Super Bowl in week seven? Because they look like it. The Rams were the best team in the league through seven weeks. I sold them week eight. They were Bitcoin.

Now they've crashed. Can we wait? Here's who I have for MVP right now. player. Andrew Luck. Andrew Luck, working with far less talent than Mahomes, in the last two weeks, has ended a nine-game winning streak by the Texans with a better roster and thumped the Cowboys with a better roster. Philip Rivers has a slight edge over Mahomes for second because he beat him in Kansas City, and he's won 10 of 11, and he's had two touchdowns in 14 to the 15 games, and their two biggest

games of the year were at Pittsburgh, they won, and they're at Kansas City, and they won. And Patrick Mahomes has a lot of great stuff, but, 0 and 4, 4 biggest games that they lose in Seattle. What's the hurry? What is the hurry? I don't understand this. The next two weeks, do you realize this week in the NFL, 14 of the 16 games have playoff implications?

For the record, Kansas City won their division last year, and Patrick Mahomes didn't play in any big games. If they lose in Seattle, They'll be a wild card team. They will have stepped backwards. Come on. I can't give the MVP to that. I'm not going to give an Oscar out in June and July.

I'm not going to give out the Heisman in week six because Bama beat Citadel by 90. December football games matter more. Let's let them play out. Right now, luck. Philip Rivers and Patrick Mahomes, with two huge weekends left. 14 of the 16 games this weekend can decide playoff ramifications. What's the hurry?

Luck is doing more with less and has won his biggest games with less talent around him. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd. weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific. Trust is really underrated. Ask yourself. My favorite quote ever, I've said it on the show. Love many, trust few. Who do you trust with your kids?

Who do you trust with your money? Who do you trust to tell a secret? Write down the names. The list. I'm 50, right? The list is small. Who do you trust? Vegas.

Vegas trusts what they've seen. They don't wave pom-poms in the desert. It's about lettuce. How can we make more? Want to build more big casinos. So Charles Woodson came out and said this yesterday about Tom Brady. He's absolutely right. We talk about Tom Brady.

I think over the years, we've just been spoiled. We've always seen him come back in those type of situations. I think the hits are getting to him. You see him trying to get the ball out of his hands to avoid taking those hits. I think he's right. Let's admit two things that are facts. Tom is aging. And unless he takes cattle steroids in the offseason, when he goes to Costa Rica, he's not going to be more dynamic.

He's aging. He's aging gracefully, but he's aging. Arms not going to get stronger, not going to get more dynamic. Tom is human. The second thing is, we have to agree with. Gronk's probably retiring. Edelman's no longer elite and Josh Gordon's not somebody to build around for five years. So let's agree on aging quarterback plus declining assets.

What does that mean? It's the most vulnerable New England team in 15 years. But yet Vegas in the AFC has them basically right next to Kansas City in favor to win it. Why is that? Love many, trust few. is that playoff football is about coaching, they still have the best one, situational quarterbacking, they still have the best one, and experience, nobody's close.

Let's be honest, you like Kansas City, but most of you don't trust Andy Reed. You like Houston, but they never deliver in the clutch. You like the Chargers, but they'll probably miss a key field goal. Let's be honest, Pittsburgh, do you trust Mike Tomlin's game plan against Belichick again. It's a trust issue. Chris Carter talked about this on first things first. Vegas has them right up next to Kansas City

because Vegas trusts New England in January and they don't trust the rest of the AFC. Here's Chris Carter. I would be naive to think, man, Tom Brady doesn't go out in some type of great fashion and a lot of it's based on a couple things. All these teams have warts. All of them do.

It's just a matter of which one. is going to come out when we get in the playoffs. The Patriot and the Patriot way, yeah, it might not have worked for November. Yeah, it might not be working for December. But who do you trust more? And I can't say right now I trust Patty Mahomes, Andy Reid, Kansas City fan base, scared out their mind. One of their fans right here, pom-pons under the table, kicking and screaming, ah!

Okay? Like, all of them have wards. And what's funny about it is, I like Lamar Jackson. You trust him in January. I like the Steelers, but Joyce from Pittsburgh, I'm not sure she trusts them in January. I love Andy Reid, but most fans are like can't win in January. I like Houston.

But has there been a team in the NFL? We've been waiting to win the big game more than Houston. So Vegas, and by the way, the Kansas City Chiefs, you know, they're like that guy that goes to the gym and just works on his arms and his parents. but he has chicken legs. Yeah, their offense, it is top all the league. And their defense, it's 31st, yeah.

Do you know no NFL teams won a Super Bowl with a defense in net yards lower than 25th? They're 31st. So Kansas City's got that, you know what they, the bartender build, where they go to the gym and they work arms and they work chest and they work shoulders. as I look great.

But you can't see their legs under the bar. And they got chicken legs. Don't skip leg days. Don't skip leg days. Kansas City looks really good above the belt. Woo! Flex, fireworks. Bang.

They can't tackle. I can't guard anybody. That bartender, once he leaves the bar, checking out at night, you're like, oh, you skip leg day last 12 years. Gun show, ripped, packs, skip leg day.

every day. 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. Heard hierarchy. Time is now, let's go. The top 10 NFL teams, according to college.

Number 10. Rams, I bailed on them big two months ago, and now I think you got a locker room full of marginally decent guys who are bailing on the team. The defense is allowed 30 plus points in four their last six games. Goff, his arm looks shot. He misses Cooper Cup. He's got the worst passerating in the league over the last three weeks.

It's at 51. And I don't love the locker room component. Go and getting big-name guys like Sue Akeb Talibu I do like as a player in Marcus Peters. And now they're on a losing streak and you got guys going into the stands. This team, we spotted it two months ago. A lot of it's a sales pitch with a new. $5 billion stadium coming. I think they won October.

I think they're a pretty good team now. I don't even think they're a good team. I think they're a pretty good team. They're at 10. Number nine. The Patriots. Listen, I trust them late mostly because I don't trust everybody else. Here's the biggest issue.

They're now not dynamic enough to win big road games. The thing I like about them, James White, Sony Michelle, their running game. The thing I don't like, they're front seven. offensively. They have one guy who can play. Trey Flowers. That is it. It's just a bunch of dudes. Again, they're a pretty good football team. Will they be better in January? Will I trust them if they have a home game in January? Yeah, but they've never won a Super Bowl without a buy. And right now, they're not getting a buy Patriots nine. Number eight of the Cowboys. I've had them close to this spot. Lots of things I like about him. I mean, there's six and oh when Zeke has more than

20 carries. And they're 2 and 6 when Zeke has less than 20 carries. So it's pretty obvious if you're a coaching staff what you should be doing every week. Let's get Zeke 20 plus carries. And by the way, their defense is still excellent. They've held six straight opponents under 25 points. And that's really an impressive thing, especially when you have a limited offense that gives the ball back to the other team's offense. So Dallas is a very good team. I think they have a low ceiling there at eight. Number seven. What do you know? Andrew Luck's good in December. He's 15 and six all time in December. He's really good in December. The story though of this team, yes, it's Andrew Luck number one. It's actually their defensive front seven is way ahead of schedule.

Even the people in that building thought were probably a year away defensively. They've held five straight teams under 25. Since week seven, they lead the NFL in school. boring defense. Luck is the primary story. They really thought they needed another eight players to 10 players from the draft, and they have a ton of cap space, but their defense is way ahead of schedule. Number six. Crazy Pittsburgh. I mean, they are second in the NFL and sacks. In the playoffs, you play the best quarterbacks. I like teams that can pressure the opposing quarterback. And by the way, the third and pass offense, fourth and total offense. Mike Tomlin drives me nuts.

Big Ben's a drama king. But again, here's something to remember. Like Dallas, they have not lost a football game this year when they've run for 100 yards. And so against the Patriots, they had some success running the football. So this is not a complicated team. Tom Brady's better with a running game now. Colts are better with a running game now. Cowboys better with a running game.

Pittsburgh's better with a running game. If they can get that consistently, I have him at six. Number five. Raven's my dark horse Super Bowl team. Listen, I didn't think, I thought Joel Flacco, you'd have to have him playing well to win a Super Bowl. I don't think they're a Super Bowl winning team, but I will say this. You can't run on them, and they run on you. The NFL is not about doing a bunch of stuff.

It's about having an identity and doing two or three things really well. they've held four of five teams under 260 yards. That is hard to do in 2018 in the NFL. And they faced all sorts of different kind of teams, and they're holding all of them to about 250 yards. And the other thing is, since Lamar Jackson popped in here, they lead the NFL in rushing.

And it's not just lead the NFL in rushing. It's not a running back thing. Lamar Jackson is Ad Libbon. People don't have a lot of tape on him. I wouldn't want to play Baltimore. I think they feel like the Chicago Bears a little bit. I got no interest playing Chicago. I got no interest playing Ravens number five.

Number four. Number four. These are my four best teams in the NFL, and I think they're pretty close. Bears. Okay, they lead the NFL and takeaways. They're 10 and 0 when they can hold you under 24. It's real simple. They can't get into shootouts.

They barely can't. Mitch Trubisky, they have some decent backs. Alan Robinson, decent receivers. They don't, you know, Anthony Miller, this is not a star-studded offense. Pro football focus says their eight best players are all on defense. They cannot get in shootouts. Now, the good news is, you know, this defense, especially if they're playing at home and windy weather, probably won't have to get in a lot of shootouts. There's a certain way they have to play, but I have them at four. Number three. The Saints. At home, if you could guarantee

home field advantage, they still have a tough schedule. They've got to play Pittsburgh and Carolina again. I would put them at number one if I knew they were playing at home. I will say this. They're number one in point differential. That generally means you'll end up in the Super Bowl. But there is a real thing about the Saints that needs to be discussed. They can't throw the ball down the field. I mean, Ben Watson last night, the ageless tight end, it felt like their number one deep threat. They do not throw the ball down the field. They have big plays because Alvin Kamar is amazing, but they got a little hole in their game. I'll put them at three. Number two. I'll put Kansas City an inch ahead of them. Listen,

Kansas City lost to the Chargers. Chargers are real good. I do think their defense will be a problem. I do think their defense is a liability. But I have these final four teams all bunched up. I had Bears, four, Saints, three, Chiefs, two, and number one. Number one. I think

it's the best roster in the NFL and a Hall of Fame quarterback playing the best he's ever played. They've scored 20 plus points in every game this year. They've won 10 of 11. They're healthy defensively. as long as Keenan Allen can come back by the playoffs at wide receiver and Melvin Gordon is back. It's the deepest roster in the NFL.

They have a hole in their game too. They have no home field advantage, although this weekend will be crazy against Baltimore. But we have been on this joy sometimes because I live in Los Angeles. People think I'm a homer for L.A. teams. Well, and you were in the Chargers draft room. I was. But I bailed on the Rams two months ago. Yes.

And I embraced the Chargers two months ago. all the executives in the league that I talk to, all the scouts when I asked them, best roster in the league, last year they told me Philadelphia, this year they all say L.A. Chargers. They don't have holes in this roster. Their rookies, Derwin James, and safety is first or second best safety in the league right now. So there is the herd hierarchy. Hey, what's up, everybody? This is John Middlecock of the Three-N-Out podcast, brought to you by the Colin Coward Podcast Network. If you like Colin's show, you'll like mine. We talk all football. Cam Newton's arms falling off.

Carson Wentz's back's falling off. Jared Goff's confidence has fallen off. Brady's youth has fallen off. They got major issues. And we're talking about them all on the Three-N-Out podcast with me, John Middlecough. I have a line store. Best cab in my wine store comes from the doubleback

winery Drew Bledsoe doubleback.com It's incredible. It's a great cab. You're having one of those smoky nights. You want to be seductive with your wife, pour a big glass of cab, big piece of beef. Drew Bledso started that winery years ago

and it is not some celebrity hot shot never hangs out in the winery. You're at that damn winery all day, aren't you? The asphalt, some guys have to go you know, do blending trials with wine, you know, everybody's got their lot in life. That's funny. It is a great wine, by the way. You've come out with all sorts of different stuff in Walla, Walla, Washington, and I go all the time. I actually, I look at your winery all the time as a picture of your beautiful family and your wife, and you're looking over the hills, it looks like it's like summer, August, and you're looking over the hills in your winery. You picked a great second career. I got to play quarterback for a long time. You know, kind of like what you've done, Colin. I mean, you're just going to sit around and talk sports all day. You never had a real job. No.

So it's a pretty good life. And right now, just right now, we're dipping on Bledsoe family wine for the holidays, which you need some wine to either enjoy it with your family. Right now, you go order it. Doubleback.com. I've been a member. In fact, I've got a buddy of mine in Portland, Bill.

I've got them all signed up for doubleback. Okay, a couple questions I've got to get to. First of all, people are killing me because I'm like, listen, most valuable, what Andrew Luck's doing in Indy, with rookies on the offensive line, best defensive players a rookie is more impressive than Patrick Mahomes. Kansas City made the playoffs last year. Am I nuts?

When he came into the league, now remember, he was the biggest, well, I mean, since like 1993, right? Yeah. And I think people have overlooked what happened because they started out kind of slow and they're right on, they're kind of on the bubble. But I'll tell you what, everybody wants to play. They need some help to get in. But if they get in the tournament, they're going to make some noise.

Yeah, their defensive players are, they're ahead of schedule on defense. and their GM, I know nobody knows who Chris Ballard is. He had a great last two drafts, a bunch of young guys. They're not paying a ton to, and they're going to have a ton of cap space, so I hope they can get Andrew Luck some more weapons. By the way, it's weird. Carson Wentz is great, and Nick Foles is eight, to me the best backup in the league. But something's happening.

Wence gets hurt. Foles comes in, and the offense is better. Explain it to me. Two things that I would point to. Number one, you've got to realize that Carson Wintz, He's not a 10-year-year-year. Yeah. And so missing all of training camp, missing spring

and missing preseason those first few games, that's all, and still coming and be effective. So that's going on there. The other thing that happens, though, to play a little bit better, teams will mentally dump us. But when the backup comes in, even when somebody has accomplished as Nick Foles.

Yeah. You know, I was thinking about this the other day. I never, listen, you guys make what you can make, right? You take a beating, make what you can make. But Aaron Rogers is sitting there. Aaron. Aaron's real smart guy. And he knows if he takes $33 million, they're not signing big free agents. He knows that.

And Green Bay has never been a big free agent hotbed anyway. Would there ever be a time in your career? I mean, Aaron makes a lot of money in commercials. You know, he's got a guy that's going to make money post football. Would there ever be a time, knowing the way the league is set up, that you would say, you know what, I'm going to take a little less money so I have a better offensive line? or would you not trust the people upstairs to deliver those players and just take the dough? It can happen in New England.

Tommy's playing on an undermarket contract and has for quite a few years, and it's allowed them. What it really does if you take a little bit less, it's not necessarily the starters, like the free agent starters. Now you can pay backups. So if somebody gets on errand, but you lose six defensive starters, and all of a sudden you have, you have fewer opportunities, you have to go, you have to march the ball 80 yards instead of getting some really,

matters and I think it gets overlooked a lot of the time. By the way, I don't love DAC as a prospect. I never love Mitch Tribisky as a prospect, but they're having success. Why are young quarterbacks, all five of the rookies this year, all have had great Sundays. Lamar Jackson's 4-1, could be 5-0. Josh Allen, who's got a little big band, got a little Drew Bledsoe, can move around, got a little big arm.

Darnold was great Saturday. Baker's had a great month since you left, and Rosen's getting beat up, play. Why are all these guys working now right into the league as a rookies? Well, first of all, I don't know what's that have happened, especially for young quarterbacks. It used to be when a young quarterback came in, man, they tried to rip our heads off. I mean, I remember the first sack that I, that I, that I used to be rich at him. I think they've even changed it since then. But Bruce Smith came in and he put his helmet right, man, he'd been thrown out of the game if he hit somebody like that as much. And that matters.

it's not a toughness thing. It's just that that matters. And then the other thing is with what's happening where they can't hit receivers in the secondary. Yes. I don't know if people even realize that it's changed the way they coach in football that you don't run through zones. And he's running through a zone defense and the quarterback throws it.

Receivers, they just run through zones. They've changed the rules. They don't have that rule anymore because, you know, you see some of these plays, some of the catches that are made. You know, you go back a decade, those that are made and some of the catches they make. I heard, I heard it was on a, I didn't hear the podcast. I read about it. I think the podcast was Mike Valentes, a Detroit sportscaster. And he had, who was that big mussely official in the NFL, Ed Hockley on?

And Hockley said, listen, you guys are all complaining about too many flags. He goes, I want more flags. He goes, I'm an in shape guy. I'm in a game. I'm seeing two or three times a game. A guy get hit. And I'm like, oh, my God, he's not going to be alive. that Ed Hockley said the game is so big, so strong, so fast. He doesn't want to reduce flags. He wants kickoffs to be safer, puns to be safer. Over the last month, there have been a lot of games where there is laundry flags on every punt. Put it. Where do you go on that?

I have often said, I'll throw this at you, Drew, that if there is a play and a flag is thrown and that you deduce, when the play is over, it was a. away from the action, then you just pick the flag up. If it's a holding by a right tackle on a left sweep, you just like, let's not slow the game down, let's not put a quarterback in a second and 30. Do you think there are too many flags, not enough for the game's violence? Where do you fall on that? What they've done with the game, talk about it, and I feel the same way. It's been the most exciting NFL football. Rule changes they've made have been in healthy. Rule changes have been really good. I do think at times, though, some of the penalties are, you know,

They're giving them too much automatic first down. Right, right. So you work so hard, you get a team. So some of the penalties, you know, to me, like a defensive holding penalty for the defense, call and make it like college where it's, you know, 10 or 15 yards, rather than one. You know what? I think you're pointing to too punitive. Like, let's not make the pass interference that punitive, where it's a 48-yard penalty

or a defensive holding, you know, let's say if it's third down in 10, it's not an automatic first down. It's third down in five. So I agree with you. I think holding, when you get these 10-yard penalties for holding, good God, second and 20? That quarterback...

Yeah, you know, it kills the drive, you know, and on every single play if they chose to. And I do think they do a pretty good job of only calling, you know, holding penalty state. And I just, so thanks for coming up with a punitive word for me. But I do think that some of the penalties, they're games. Yeah.

I mean, you know, you shouldn't get a, on third and 20, a little ticky-tag holding penalty in the secondary, and all of a sudden, instead of, you know, third and 15, it's a first down. I think that's too punitive on the defense. Doubleback.com. It is a great, great winery in Walla, Walla, Washington from Drew Bledso. They've got a discount right now. He gives us 12, 15 minutes, a couple times in the football season. We love it and appreciate it every time.

It is great talking to you. Northwest and actually come to see us, man. I'll come for you some wine at the winery. Oh, by the way. I'm coming to Spokane in the next two months. Okay. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the IHeard Radio app. Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delaney joins the chorus of leaders ready to explore college football's playoff.

This is from The Athletic. That's that subscription thing, right? Yeah. So basically, the Big Ten got left out this year until the commission. Commissioner's like, yeah, we got to expand this thing, which is pretty predictable. I want to bring in Joel Clatt, lead college football dude in our network, former Colorado quarterback. So let me start with this.

Do you think it's a good idea? Eight team playoff. Okay, so I don't think expansion is very good. I think that there's some pretty severe unintended consequences that would water down the regular season, and that's not what we want. You know, I don't want to move towards basketball. Everyone says basketball is this utopian society. of postseason that while March Madness is great, look what March Madness does to the regular

season of college basketball. Does anybody care about the regular season in college basketball? No. No, of course they don't. So while it wouldn't water down completely the regular season, I'm going to give you a couple of examples of what an 18 playoff would do and would have done this season. First of all, the SEC championship game would not have mattered at all. At all. Georgia wins, them wins, who cares? Why even play it? I guess that's for them down there. Michigan, Ohio State would have not mattered at all. Now, you could say that it didn't matter because Ohio State didn't make it in, but I would argue that both teams would have been in,

and the result would not have mattered outside of pride in an eight-team playoffs. So those are just two of many examples that I think would ultimately hurt the sport, Colin, because let's be honest, I think one of the things that football, college football has, I think, is that it has the best regular season, the most important regular season in all of sports. across sports anywhere on the globe it's the most important regular season and i'd love to try as best as we can to retain that and let me also preface this by saying not even preface let me just add on real quick Colin we at fox i've got no dog in the fight to not expand everything that would be good for us at fox and me personally would be if they went to eight because then we would have a chance

to get involved so without a dog in the fight i still hold this opinion there's been some conversation out there that it's just the rights holders and it's just certain networks and certain people that hold this opinion, I feel like I break that stereotype because everything that an 18th playoff would do for me personally and for our network would be beneficial. And yet I still hold this opinion that I think aid is the wrong way to go. But do you think it will happen? That's a great question. I'm glad you asked because yes, I do believe that that's the direction that is going. And I think that the tipping point is sitting in that article that you just referenced from the athletic, from Nicole Arbock, who wrote about Jim Delaney. Jim Delaney, I've always thought,

was the tipping vote. If you take a look at like the Supreme Court, there's a tipping vote. In a five autonomous kind of structure in college football, the five commissioners are essentially the Supreme Court of college football. And Jim Delaney has been the one that's on the fence. You've got the Pac-12 and the Big 12 that have done always clearly. in the pro-playoff, pro-must-win-your conference, pro-expansion type of conversation. You've got the ACC and the SEC on the other side of that. We're going to do it, R-Witt, and Jim Delaney has been kind of the middle vote. He swung a little bit towards the ACC-SCC at the creation of the playoff.

Now he's more swinging towards Bob Bolsby of the Big 12, which is why I do believe that eventually, I think maybe in the next two and a half years, you're going to start to see the structure outline for an 18 college football. football playoff. Devil's Advocate. Alabama, Georgia last year, Alabama, Georgia, Alabama, Alabama, Clemson, excuse me, last year, year before, next year this year, Alabama, Alabama. Alabama. I love the sport. Even I'm tiring of the potential final game. It's becoming very regional. Devil's Advocate, we go to eight. I'm guaranteed a PAC 12 team. I'm probably guaranteed a Big Ten and a Midwest team. Notre Dame with a better shot to get in.

a fun little goofy team to get in. Maybe it could be a, you know, years ago it was Boise State. Couldn't I argue just to give, you know, just selfishly to create more regions, less southern, less same four teams, same two teams now, because next year number one and two, Bama and Clemson again. Can I just argue to include more, parties are more fun when more people get invited to a party. Eight makes it a bigger party. Okay.

And I hear that, and I think that there's a lot of sense in that. That's rational. And I certainly understand that argument. I think, though, what I would say is, at your eight-person party, aren't the two coolest people still the coolest people, regardless of if there's four or eight or 16 or 32? Yeah. I would say that there are. Now, you're saying about just interest, I think.

Yes, yes, yeah, yeah. From a regional interest perspective, it's getting very southern. Is that what you're suggesting? Yeah, I mean, and I'm not blaming anybody. They deserve it. I'm just saying, I think when sports, I don't want Duke winning every year. All dynasties are not the same. Tim Duncan's dynasty was boring. USC Pete Carroll was fun. Miami Hurricanes were fun. LaBroad and Miami was fun. I think New England's getting fatiguing. Not all dynasties are the same. Bama and Clemson, it's a little stale. Sure. I don't, I don't disagree with that. I certainly.

I certainly don't. I've got some fixes that I think might inject more interest into the sport. All right. Give me two of them. Okay, so real quick, I would do away with divisions in every single conference. I'll put the top two seats in the conference championship game. And then Colin, all I would say is you have to win that conference championship in order to go. Okay. In order to be selected as far as top four. That way, two years ago, think about it, the Iron Bowl would have prevented Alabama from going. See, I think that may be better for the sport. It increases the importance. importance of the regular season. And in a weird way, it actually increases the access for teams that you were talking about, like the Boise States and the Utah's and the UCFs of current day, because, because we'd still be throwing one champ out. Now, if you say you have to win your conference in order to go, let's say, let's just say, stake of argument, Texas were to have beat Oklahoma, I think that the committee would have put UCF in over Texas. So I think you're increasing the odds that a UCF gets in,

Whereas right now, it doesn't matter what happens in those conference championship games. They were never going to put UCF above Georgia, let's say, after they lost. They were never going to put them, you know, above Washington or if they were to have lost their conference championship game. Or maybe they would have. I'm not sure. But you know what I'm saying there. I think you can increase access. You can increase importance.

And you can also make the five championship games de facto quarter final games rather than just four on site. I think that you would increase the importance and value of those conference championship games as well. It's a little bit of a roundabout fix to what I think we all would desire, which is more access, more importance on more games and more teams involved. 30 seconds left. Can Notre Dame hang with Clemson? I think they can. Think about it from this perspective, Colin.

What's the one thing Clemson is weak at? Past defense. Yeah, they're terrible. through for 400 yards. Jake Bentley through for 500 yards. And I think Ian Book and Brian Kelly as a combination are very good. I think that Notre Dame will be able to throw the football pretty well. And I think that's the avenue if you're looking for an Irish upset.

That was good stuff from Joel Clatt. Set 12 Colorado passing records while at Colorado. I'm just reading that. Was one of them interceptions? Just kidding. It was. And don't short me. It was 44.

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