The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Best of The Herd for Oct 13, 2020

Episode Date: October 13, 2020

-Justin Herbert is a star but will the Chargers screw things up with him?-Matt Ryan can no longer elevate a franchise-Stop making excuses for Drew Brees-Russell Wilson is the MVP, not Aaron Rodgers-The Cowboys need a rebuild but won't admit it-The Herd Hierarchy, Colin's top ten teams in the NFLGuest: Brian Westbrook, former All-Pro RB 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. Another podcast from some SNL, late-night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer, Streeter Seidel, help an a cappella band with their between songs banter.

Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and friends on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque.

Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. On the Look Back at it podcast.

For 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84 was big to me. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a year, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. With our friends, fellow comedians, and favorite authors. Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s.

84 was a wild year. It was a wild year. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th.

You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfills of conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeard radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes,

follow at Clifford and at TikTok podcast network on TikTok. 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 Sports Radio.com or stream us live every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching Heard. This is the Best of the Hurd. with Colin Cowher on Fox Sports Radio.

Oh, it is a loaded jam-packed Tuesday live in Los Angeles. This is The Hurd. Wherever you may be, and however, you may be listening, we're on Fox Sports Radio. And right here on FS1, one hour from now, the herd hierarchy, rich, packed with flavor. Ten playoff teams. What do I do with Brady in the box? They looked awful against Chicago. What do I do with Seattle worst defense of all time, statistically?

Joy Taylor is joining me. It appears, Joy, we talk about this all the time. All the quarterbacks are getting better. We appear to have another new star at quarterback. He didn't see it coming, but he is, he has arrived. He is really good, folks. I don't want to hear about Michael Thomas wasn't there for Drew Brees. Stop.

Okay. Justin Herbert's a rookie. Okay, he didn't have his starting right tackle, his starting right guard, his starting running back, and his best receiver, Keenan Allen, got hurt into the first quarter. And he went on the road against Drew Breeze and was a better quarterback, and it wasn't close. Passer rating, the kid, without two of his offensive linemen, and the Saints have one of the best pass rushes in the NFL, 123 passer rating. Four touchdowns, no picks.

You can do so much more with Justin Herbert than you can do with Drew Breeze. They moved the pocket out. He's got a rocket arm. You can throw it deep, short. it doesn't matter. The question now is will the charger screw it up? That's the question now. Because where you land matters in the NFL,

Sam Darnold, punctured by his team, Josh Allen, you'll watch tonight elevated by his. Look how long it's taken Baker Mayfield to finally get a grown-up as a head coach. Oh, Baker looks pretty good. Where you land matters. And the chargers have a good GM and a lot of talent.

But what a shock. Last night, the coaching wasn't good, and the special teams lost the game. This kid has led in the last three, four weeks. He's led Mahomes, he's led Breed, he's led Brady in the fourth quarter. And they can't make a kick or they go conservative with play calling. This kid's a rock star. But this organization historically has gone cheap. Is Anthony Lynn the coach?

Well, let's look at his own division. In order to win this division, Andy Reid, Patrick Mahomes. Can Anthony Lynn out duel them? Forget Belichick in the AFC. Forget John Harbaugh on the AFC. Forget Mike Tomlin. Forget Sean McDermott. Forget Mike Vrable.

Is he as good? As daring as John Gruden? He's schematically clever like Andy Reid. All I know is this. Justin Herbert is wow. The only two quarterbacks in the league that have this talent, this size, this arm, this escapeability. The two of them are Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen.

And Patrick Mahomes got a easy. to sit behind Alex Smith. Josh Allen was awful his first year and a half in the league. This kid is great now. Will the charger screw it up? Is Anthony Lynn right? Is Anthony Lynn good enough? He wasn't last night.

And if they decide he's not, will Dean Spanos, the owner, go out and pay $10 million for Lincoln Riley or $10 million for Urban Meyer? Not some retread coach like the Cowboys did. Will you go out and spend big boy money to get a job? John Harbaugh, to go get a rock star head coach. Because we know in this league, if you give Lamar Jackson, John Harbaugh, we know how it turns out. Really good.

And if you give Josh Allen a Sean McDermott, excellent young coach, we know how it turns out. You'll watch the night. Really good. We know that if Mike Rable gets his hands on Ryan Tannahill, what happens? Average quarterback than better than average. Because I'm watching Justin. I have questions about this staff. they watched all these practices.

They watched all this game tape. And it wasn't until last week the Chargers went, yeah, we think Justin Herbert's better. What are you watching? I mean, there are things in life that are subtle and nuanced. Justin Herbert has a massive arm. This kid, everybody nitpicked him at Oregon. So I watched a lot of Oregon football games because I used to work in Portland.

So they have an offensive line coach as a head coach, very conservative, and they don't have great weapons like Clemson, Ohio, State, Alabama, LSU. It's Oregon. They don't have five-star wide receivers, right? And so Justin Herbert, it was a very conservative offense. And at the end of the year, Joy was here, they decided at the end of the year in the Rose Bowl, we got no games left for Justin Herbert. Go for it.

And did you watch him against Wisconsin? Wisconsin had a great defense. They couldn't stop Justin Herbert. It doesn't take much. This kid was a dean's-less student in college, and he majored in biology. It wasn't like a lot of athletes who, you know, you find a lot of athletes who, you know, you find the major that kind of works for your ability to not like go to practice and stuff. He majored in biology.

He was a dean's lister. We've had people of this network who have covered Oregon, interviewed him. They're like, oh, kid blows you away, the wisdom for like a 21-year-old kid. But I wonder about this. Can the Chargers elevate him? Because last night, I mean, when they doint that field goal, you were all watching that game saying the same thing. Oh, gosh, the Chargers. When they went conservative with their play calling.

all saying the same thing. Oh, this is the pressure is not on Justin Herbert. It's been, it's been, he's played four games. First game, again, five minute heads up. You're playing against Patrick Mahomes. I don't know, a little intimidating. Can you imagine five minutes you're fighting Mike Tyson?

Five minutes, you have to face Messi. Five minutes, Patrick Mahalms, a little nervous. He outplayed him for the first half of that game. He outplayed Tom Brady, first half of that game. He outplayed Drew Bray. breeze last night. Are the chargers good at the pressure's not on Herbert? It's on the organization. Because the organization has a history of being cheap, screwing up special teams, and they got players. Don't kid. Don't kid yourself. It's not, whoa, it's me. Justin Herbert's got real receivers.

I mean, this is a real football team with real players. But four games. The first one, a touchdown a pick. Second one, a touchdown a pick. Third one, three touchdowns a pick. Last night, four touchdowns, no picks. Cameron Hayward of the Saints, great player on a great defensive line said, oh-oh, watch out this kid's special. He's a baller. Young kids out there taking a lot of hits today. I think our D-line, I think our front seven got after him pretty well. You know, he made a lot of great plays down the stretch. And that's something, you know, that he may be a force to be reckoned with for the years to come. He's showing us some huge potential. Cameron Jordan, my bad. All right, let's shift to this. Yesterday I said something to

joy during the show. And it wasn't, I wasn't trying to be a hot take, but I watched Matt Ryan this weekend. And I'm watching the NFL in 2020. And I'm like, Atlanta fired everybody. They fired their GM. They fired the coach. And I'm like, I think I'd move off Matt Ryan in one year. Cap space. You got to keep this year next year. But if I could draft the Trevor Lawrence, if Atlanta keeps losing, if I could draft the Justin Fields, I draft him. Very interesting. The owner of the Atlanta Falcons, Arthur Blank, said we're not quite sure what we're going to do at the quarterback situation with Matt Ryan. Matt has the ability to play at a very high level, even at this age, whether that's going to continue or not, I'm not sure. I appreciate his willingness to consider

doing that and the level of what he's played for for us for 13 years, which has been incredible. So I will have to say, but then again, that's going to be a decision at the end of the day. that'll be part of me be up to the player and part of it would be up to the coaching staff and whether or not, you know, Matt can keep himself together. And I hope he's going to be part of our plans going forward, but that'll be a decision that I won't make.

Not exactly a vote of confidence. Matt Ryan's not bad. We all know that. Matt Ryan's not special and dynamic. We all know that. He's Kirk Cousins with an MVP. Would you move off Kirk Cousins? Kurt Cousins gets talked about a lot

because Kirk Coussons wins and got that initial big contract. But Kirk Cousins is actually more mobile than Matt Ryan. You can roll the pocket out with him. Kirk Cousins actually throws a better deep ball than Matt Ryan. What do you do with Matt Ryan? I watched Matt Ryan this past weekend. When everything's set up for success, it can be nice.

It's sort of like marriages. Everybody gets along on the honeymoon. The kids are at camp for the summer. No in-laws around, and the money's rolling in. But how's the marriage when the money's tight? In-laws are in town. Kids are melting down. That's a real marriage.

That's what all of us go through. Matt Ryan is great when everything's set up for him. But it's 2020. Nothing's set up for anybody. Justin Herbert, Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson. Those guys make plays. when the world isn't perfect. Matt Ryan plays in a dome.

There is no wind. He plays in a warm weather division. If he played in Pittsburgh, you'd see even more issues. He is largely protected. Julio Jones plays in a dome. But this is the real question. Your marriage, it's tested when the kids melt down, not when they're away at camp. And in 2020, what's your quarterback like when you're missing a left?

tackle. Your top running back is out. Your number two receiver is out and your back is killing you because he got sack five times the previous week. And that's for Matt Ryan territory he can't elevate. I'm watching the NFL right now and there's about seven teams that I would say would not draft Trevor Lawrence. About seven. Everybody else, that kid at Clemson, I'd take him, sit in for a year in Atlanta and move on. If you want to be special, you've got to have a special quarterback. Matt Ryan is special when everything is set up to succeed. As you watch the NFL going forward,

when is everything perfectly set up to succeed? The answer, almost never. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all,

embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying.

Yep. That's me, Cliver Taylor the fourth. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated.

One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast, it's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to the Clifford Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok.

Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tapped Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do with Little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam Jek. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we picket here, unpack what went down,

and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill, waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 is big to me, not just because, a crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so y'all know. I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack. So I'm starting to see that there's a through line.

We also have AIDS on the table right now. Thank you for finishing that sentence. Yes. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your

Podcasts. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hard Way with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Keer 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? 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, our heart radio app, Search learn the hard way and listen now.

This excuse I am tired of officially. I'm getting, you know what I mean? I don't like excuses to begin with. I tell my kids this all the time. Don't want to hear victimhood. Got a good life. Granite countertops. We're all good here.

I don't want excuses. I don't want to hear Michael Thomas is not available for Drew Brees and that's the problem. That ain't the problem. Michael Thomas is worth one point in Vegas. That's what he's worth. NFL scoring has never been higher. I saw a stat this morning last year.

There were like 25 games where they scored over, you know, like combined 50 points or something. We're already at like 22. Michael Thomas is worth a point. Okay, there's four old quarterbacks in the NFL. Let's be honest. Two can't play and two can't. Philip Rivers and Breeze right now can't win big with them.

Big Ben and Tom Brady, I think you can. But Breeze needs to outsmart you. And he's great at it. But Sean Payton is one of the smartest offensive coaches of my lifetime in the NFL. He's on a short list. When he wants athleticism or a deep ball, he brings in Taysam Hill.

And everybody's complaining last night on Twitter about Taysam Hill. Oh, the Saints' offense doesn't need Taysam Hill. Hell, it doesn't. Their first six possessions last night against the Chargers who were a beat-up mess defensively. You got no, Derwin James, Brandon Ingram's out, Bosa's Limited. Their defense is a wreck right now.

They're all banged up. The first six possessions, Drew Brees, lead, punt, punt, field goal, punt, interception, punt, and the field goal was an 18-yard drive. And their only touchdown of the first half, they basically got it at midfield. You're not smarter than Sean Payton. Sean Payton's watching practice.

Sean Payton's like, we got to throw it deep, we've got to bring in the other guy. We need an athlete, we're going to bring in the other guy. And I love Drew Breeze, a first ballot hall of famer. But at some point, I'll be on the air, and I'll have no more teeth left, and I'll be hacking and wheezing, and you'll be like, ah, it's over for Colin.

You can't win with Colin. Right now, still got a shot. Still got a shot with me. But, you know, this is not about Michael Thomas. This is a pop gun offense. I mean, the offense is Alvin Kamara. Little dump pass make it work. It's not a knock on anybody.

This is an elite defensive line, a very good offensive line. Camaro's a stud. But there's four old quarterbacks in this league, and Philip Rivers and Drew Brees. Your eyes aren't, they're not fooling you. Okay, what you're seeing is Justin Herbert. You can do a lot more with Justin Herbert. You're going to watch Josh Allen tonight. You can roll the pocket.

You can throw deep, intermediate. I mean, Josh Allen and Justin Herbert are the kind of guys. Justin Herbert was getting the crap knocked out of him last night. I mean, he was throwing off balance. He was throwing while getting hit. He's got two offensive linemen out. He doesn't have his best running back. Keenan Allen gets hurt.

And they are a field goal away from beating Drew Breeze. So I don't want to hear about Michael Thomas. Great player. He's worth a point. Okay. You got two offensive linemen out. for the Chargers. We all know what quarterbacks need.

Good coach, good offensive line. That's just as valuable. 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. So I saw some, it's unfortunate, the media has never been worse.

And I've seen these Aaron Rogers should be the MVP stories in the last couple of weeks. And it's like, stop. Let's stop. Let me give you some perspective on this. There's no story here. Russell Wilson is 5 and 0. This Seattle defense this morning is statistically the worst in league history.

In league history, here's the worst four defenses. For our radio audience, Seattle's won. They're 5 and 0, including a win over Belichick and Cam. Atlanta's is now the second worst. They just fired their GM and their coach because of it. Drew Brees, 2012 Saints, third worst defense. They were seven and nine. Remember, they had the best offense in the league?

Drew Brees couldn't get a winning record with the best offense in the league when he had a bad defense and the 81 Colts were awful. You cannot win in this league with a historically awful defense. So let's start with that. Aaron Rogers, much better defense. Here's the other thing. I mean, Russell has scored 35 against Belichick, 31 against Brian Flores, and 27 against Mike Zimmer this weekend in a driving rainstorm,

three good defensive coaches. But ask yourself this. Offensive lines, do they matter? Do you know the number one rated offensive line in the NFL this morning? PFF? Green Bay. Green Bay also has a top five running back in the league, Aaron Jones, a top five wide receiver, maybe a top two wide receiver in Devante Adams.

Green Bay also has an offensive coach. That obviously helps. I mean, you don't think Jared Gough had a defense. coach than an offensive coach, kind of a difference. The only advantage Russell Wilson has over Aaron Rogers, Russell Wilson's number two wide receiver, Tyler Lockett, is better than Aaron Rogers' number two wide receiver. Most valuable is the ability, this is what LeBron just did, to take a lot of disparate

parts or average parts and elevate all of them. Aaron Rogers is number two in the voting, like Burger King is number two to McDonald's, but it's not close. Okay, it's not, it's not close. Aaron Rogers could not take this offensive line and this defense and be 5-0. Aaron's in a easier division with a better defense, an offensive coach, the best offensive line in the league, a better number one receiver, and a better number one running back.

It ain't close. Seattle's 5-0. Worst defense in league history so far. And they haven't even faced, you know, damn, and he would face some of the more dynamic offenses they'll face. All right, Jerry Jones, owner of the Cowboys this morning on Dallas radio. And the big questions now, what are you going to do with DAC? How are you going to pay DAC?

Is DAC the future of the NFL in Dallas? Jerry Jones, ever the businessman, doesn't generally like to talk publicly about money. Totally get it. If I own a team, that's how I would act, said this about DAC. We've got to be anything you want to put on a piece of paper, relatively speaking. He's to evaluate what he can do to him. help us win championships. We've got to make it work.

So what am I saying? I'm saying exactly the same thing that I said the last time we asked about this before the season started. It's a part of the game is the business and the contract part. What's interesting about Dallas to me is the DAC injury is going to allow potentially Dallas to have excuses. Well, I mean, we lost our quarterback. We're six and ten.

We're seven and nine. But let me offer this. Dallas is rebuilding. They just don't know it. You watch the Giants and Dallas this weekend. We know the Giants are rebuilding. It looked like the same team. One had a really good defense.

One had a really good offense. One had a bad offense. One had a bad defense. I mean, hear me out here. Offensive line now is bad. Defensive line is old and not very good. Secondary, outside of Trayvon Diggs, not very talented. Linebackers, expensive, overrated.

banged up. Outside of the wide receiving core, which is substantial and the running backs. I like Pollard and Zeke. Outside of that, what do you mean rebuilding? Because most of us know, Detroit is rebuilding. The Giants are rebuilding. Washington is rebuilding. I'm not denying

that. But there's also these teams, and we also know Green Bay isn't rebuilding, and Baltimore's not rebuilding, and Kansas City's not rebuilding. We know that. But then there's these teams in the middle that are, and you're like, they just don't want to talk about. it. Dallas is rebuilding. What does rebuilding mean? If you go into a draft, the next draft,

and you've got half or more of your units need somebody, a playmaker, because you're not making enough plays, offense, or defense, you are rebuilding. And again, there's seven, eight teams not rebuilding. Dallas needs two offensive linemen. Minimum one, maybe two defensive linemen. Another linebacker, a safety, one to two more corners. They could really use an elite tight end. Again, they don't need a running back. Zeke and Tony Pollard, nice dimensions there. Like them both, actually. I think Pollard's a little underrated. Zeke right now is still really good. Wide receivers, they're loaded. They don't need to draft a wide receiver for two years. They are all good at wide receiver. But that is why the CD Lamb draft pick to me was so weird. Like you just paid Amari Cooper a ton of money.

You want to get him touches. Michael Gallup is becoming a star. And you had Cedric Wilson in practice. And all I know is when I watch Cedric Wilson, I'm like, that's one of the better third receivers potentially in the league. So I think the DAC injury gives Dallas opportunities and say, you know, we're, you know, we were going to be blank. I think Dallas is rebuilding. I think they're a rebuilding team. You go into a draft. Six units need a playmaker. You are rebuilding.

And I feel Dallas is. What's up, everybody, John Middilcock, three and out podcast. Go subscribe right now. You like Colin Show. You like football. You will like this podcast. We talk a ton of NFL, ton of draft, a ton of college football. Coming up this week, Justin Herbert, a star is born, Drew Brees,

Izzy Shot, Mike Tomlin keeps on rolling, Dak Prescott's ankle and his future with the Cowboys. We cover it all. Three and Out podcast. Subscribe wherever you listen to podcast. Heard hierarchy. Time is now, let's go. The top 10 NFL teams, according to college, number 10. Cleveland Browns, Kevin Stephans.

is my early leader for coach of the year. They finally got a smart coach who's a grown-up, very mature. I love what he's doing. They not only lead the NFL in rushing, but they lead the NFL in 10-plus yard rushes, meaning that's a big play rush offense. They'll hit you over the top as well. Baker Mayfield worries me,

but he does have multiple touchdowns in each game. I'll probably know more after this weekend against Pittsburgh, but the Brown's defense scares me on the back end, but they have forced 12 turnovers this year. Number one, Baker worries me in big spots, but I got Cleveland number 10. I love their coach. Number nine.

Pittsburgh Steelers. Listen, you can't run on them, so it's going to be Will versus Force this weekend. Cleveland's run game against Pittsburgh's run defense. Their upcoming schedule, Browns and Ravens will tell me a lot about Pittsburgh. I've still got some doubts. They're only 24th in the NFL yards per play.

Big Ben's not making. mistakes, 70% completion rate, but the Steelers have beaten teams with a combined record of 3, 15, and 1. They've beaten a bunch of nonsense. And so I have my real doubts this weekend. I got them at 9. One spot ahead of Cleveland, and I'm not sure if I voted on this tomorrow, I'd feel the same. I think it's a toss-up with Cleveland a little more explosive offensively. Number eight.

Rams, 4-0, but it's against the NFC East. They are beating up in the Giants and the Cowboys. Number one in yardage differential. That's a real thing, meaning they are explosive. Their defense has the most sacks this year. That was a real point of contention in the off season. We're not getting the quarterback. Todd Gurley's gone.

They've done a nice job. They got camakers. Henderson, they've got nice running backs now. I think it's a real good room to be in. It's a good team going forward. I think there's some limitations. if Goff senses pressure, but the reality is Goff has won two games for every game he's lost with Sean McVey

and I got the Rams at 8. Number 7. Tampa Bay have some concerns. Leonard Fernette still banged up. Chris Godwin's still out. I would like to see this team when they're healthy against Chicago. They have, you know, they've got their tight end, best tight end out for the year. Fernette's gone.

Godwin. Mike Evans. Here's the good news. Love Todd Bulls, the defensive coordinator. They have the number one rushing defense in the NFL, and Mike Evans, when he's healthy, he and Brady have a relationship right now. So this is a team that should get better, but I keep them at seven because they look like garbage against the Bears.

He got Brady barking at people, and frankly, their protection wasn't very good. Number six. Buffalo Bills, not much to dislike. Josh Allen, they have 30 plus points in each of their last three games. I have them this low because coming up, they face Tennessee, the Chiefs. the Patriots and the Seahawks. So I feel like in the next month, I'm really going to get a sense of what they are. I have said this before.

I think it's the best young coaching staff in the NFL. This is it. That and the 49ers, best young coaching staff in the NFL. They've done a miraculous job with Josh Allen. But the truth is the next three, four games. Number five. Patriots. I would take the Patriots with Cam Newton over the bills this morning if they played.

Still the best coach team in the league. Keep your eye on Damien Harris emerging as a star at running back. The second best rushing team after Cleveland, their defense has allowed one rushing touchdown. Again, with Cam, I think they're a nightmare to face. I think they match up with Kansas City very well. You know how Kansas City is sort of Baltimore's kryptonite? Belichick and this team with Cam Newton could possibly be Kansas City's kryptonite. I think they would have beaten them.

They run the ball. They've got an emerging start running back. You can't run on them and they're the best coach team in the league. Number four. The Seahawks. it's mostly I'm voting Russell Wilson fourth. It is a historically pathetic defense. Now, Jamal Adams has been banged up.

They do have Bobby Wagner and Jamal Adams. But if you look at most games, game-winning drives in the first nine seasons of the NFL, Russell Wilson is first all-time. Now, again, they've got to go to Buffalo, and they've got a game against the Rams on the road. So we'll get a little more clarity. But at this point, they've got playmakers. Russell's a playmaker. Jamal Adams a playmaker.

D.K. Metcalf's a playmaker. Bobby Wagner's a playmaker. They've got flaws, but they've also, when you can get out played and win, like they did against Minnesota, that speaks well of you. They got outplayed and won. Not a lot of teams in the NFL can say that. Number three. Ravens, I like them.

I think we're selling too much of our stock. Highest yards per carry in the NFL. Again, that's very Cleveland. They not only run the ball, but they'll pop runs. This is an aggressive home run. running game. They can pop stuff. They lead in scoring defense. I thought last week Lamar looked a little banged up, so I didn't take a ton from last week's performance. So don't sell your Ravenstock. If you're selling it, I'm buying it. I got them at three. Number two. Kansas City is number two.

Listen, the loss of the Raiders snapped a 13 game winning streak. But I will say this about this team. They can be maddeningly inconsistent, even offensively half to half. They can have. They can bad halves, bad series. They're just not as consistent as I'd like offensively. They don't have a ceiling. I mean, when they're on, lights out. Good night. Thanks for flying United.

But they don't get to that point a lot. And I think Andy Reid's concern is, hey, we've got to button up some stuff. When we're great, nobody's beating us. But we have some real holes and real droughts and they did against the Raiders. Number one. Green Bay. There's some really interesting. numbers here, and he faces Brady this week, but here's some numbers that you can't deny.

They're averaging 6.8 yards a play. That is a Vegas number. Vegas loves that. If you're averaging almost seven yards of play, well, why are they doing it? The offensive line is ranked number one in the NFL. Aaron hasn't thrown a pick. They're not getting penalized. They're not turning the ball over.

I think their defense is probably a little better than we give it credit for because Aaron is so fantastic. We pay so much attention to Brett Fav and Aaron Rogers and Green Bay's offense that their defenses are rarely bad. I think it's a good, solid defense. Certainly, there's some bad defenses in the NFC. I think Green Bay's

the best team right now. A few as sacks allowed, no interceptions, seven yards of play, a better defense, their special teams are reliable. If Devante Adams is healthy and he's got some injury history, I think it's a Super Bowl winning team. Be sure to

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

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

this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment. And the next, we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast.

It's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to The Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tap Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people.

I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do with Little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam Jette. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a here, unpack what went down. and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill,

waxing all about crack in the AIDS. To be clear, 84 is big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so y'all know. I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack, so I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now, so. Thank you finishing that sentence. Yes.

I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hard Way 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. 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. 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. Brian Westbrook played for a decade in the NFL a multiple-time Pro Bowl. He was just talking to him during the break. He went to Wharton, Villanova and Wharton. So he's officially the smartest guy in this current conversation coming up. Brian Westbrook is now joining us live. Wharton. Who gets Wharton on their resume?

God, guy, you Wharton guys, Lord. He's just trying to make your work out here in this real world that we live in at this point. Retirement is not always the easy place to try to find a job, so trying to figure life out. Well, congrats. It's incredible. So during the break, we were saying, I'm, and you have a business background, I believe in structures. So I tend to look at the NFL. what's your structure like and who's your quarterback? And that's how I pick my division winners.

Philadelphia, I like their owner, I like their GM, I like their coach, and I like Wentz. But you know that city well. Villanova kid, you played for the Eagles. I wonder, you look this morning, some think Wentz too many injuries, lost the right coaches, he's lost his confidence, way in on Philadelphia. We're really, really early. and I'm hearing some bailers on the Eagles right now. Where do you stand on them this morning?

Well, I saw an offensive team last week that put up 29 points against the Pittsburgh Steelers. I saw a team that doesn't have Deshawn Jackson, doesn't have Alshon Jeffrey, doesn't have Dallas Goddard, doesn't have their first round pick, Jailing Rager. And really, the only receiver that they had was a practice squad guy that they cut a couple times got cut by different teams than Travis Fogham. And they were able to put up 29 points on a very good defense of the Steelers in at a hinds field. So I think, you know, this football team has a ways to go. They don't have a bunch of talent.

They're not a talented at the skill position like the Dallas Cowboys. But what I am seeing is a quarterback that struggled early on in the season with interceptions, bad reads, bad decisions, just errant throws. And over the last couple weeks, and I probably say the last six quarters, I think Carson is starting to figure it out. He's using his legs a little bit more. You saw that in the 49ers game. He's able to get the ball in the right position. We saw that last week against the Steelers. I feel like he's starting to figure it out.

And he struggled, again, he struggled mightily at the very beginning of the season. But I think he's coming out of that just a bit. And once you get some more talent around it, once you get any of those guys that I named before back, I think it's going to give Carson an opportunity to exploit some holes and some defenses. Right now, they're just so ravaged by. injury and those types of things, it's just hard to see how good of a team they really are because of the injury. You know, I was saying in the break, Brian, that I watched the Giants and the Cowboys play this weekend, and I saw two rebuilding teams. We just all know the Giants are rebuilding. One

had a good defense. One had a great offense. And I look at Dallas, and my theory behind rebuilding is if you go into a draft and at least half the units on your team need a playmaker, then you're rebuilding. I don't care. I don't care. I don't care if you acknowledge it. We know teams that are Baltimore is not rebuilding. We know Kansas City, Green Bay. They're not. And we know New York is. But I look at Dallas. Offensive lines

old. Defensive lines old. Linebackers are, to be honest, a little overpaid and overrated at this moment. They need a safety. They need another corner. They're tight end. They're not special. Outside a receiver and back, I got questions everywhere. Is it possible?

I look to the Giants in Dallas, Brian. They look like rebuilding teams to me. I wrong? Well, you have to ask yourself this. Will Jerry Jones ever allow his team to be in a total rebuild? Would he ever allow his football team to say, you know what? We're tearing everything down. We're going to be irrelevant, irrelevant for a couple years, and then we're going to come back stronger. I just don't, I don't see that happening. I think Jerry says we have three good wide receivers. We all know what they can do. We know what Zee can do. We'll be serviceable at the quarterback position with Annie Dalton. Now we can find a way to get our defense not to be terrible.

And what we've seen from their defense all season long is them getting dominated at the line of scrimmage, them showing a lack of urgency, a lack of toughness. They're just being lazy so many times on the defensive side of the ball. They're getting beat down the field. I mean, they have a bunch of holes on the defensive side of the ball, and they paid a lot of guys over there, a lot of money as well. And so they shouldn't be at that bad. They shouldn't be rebuilding on the defensive side of the ball. But just as you mentioned, they have a lot of holes. They have to fill those holes.

So I don't necessarily think that Dallas is in a total rebuild. I just think they have to sharpen their tools on the defensive side of the ball. It starts with effort. They can show a little bit more effort, which I think they did this last week. I think they can win some games. But they're a long way for being one of the better teams in the NFC. Brian Westbrook, nine years, two-time pro bowler. You know, I said this last night.

There's four old quarterbacks in the league. two of them don't look like they can really take me to the place I want to be, Rivers and Breeze. Two of them, Big Ben Brady, can, but they're not as special as some of these young guys. So, you know, as you start looking around this league at quarterback, and Josh Allen is really good, really fast, and Lamar's really good, really fast. And oh, my God, Joe Burrell's really good, and Justin Herbert's really good. And then you get a bunch of guys like Matt Ryan, and I'm like, ah, Jimmy Garapolo. Ah, so let's start with Garapolo. This weekend, a mess.

Was it injuries or just Jimmy G. struggling? What did you see? Well, I saw a quarterback that was struggling. I would initially think it was because of the injuries. He didn't seem like he can step into any throws. He didn't seem confident. I don't know how much practice time he got in the past week. He just didn't look confident in any of his throws.

He didn't know how to pull the trigger and let the ball go. And then when he did step into it, A lot of his throws were sailing all over the place, and that's why he ends up getting pulled. When you're losing the amount of games that the 49ers have lost this year and you're supposed to be a good team, sometimes when you're injured, you kind of force yourself to get back in there when you're really not ready to play. And I don't think Jimmy G was ready to play this past weekend, and that's why Kyle pulled him out of the game. He'll come back. But again, Jimmy G wasn't special special last year.

He had a great defense, and he had an offense that knew how to run the ball. And when you have the ability to run the ball on anybody, you can get some play action passes going. And then the throws that you're making are too wide open wide receivers and tight ends. And, of course, we know what George Kittle can do with yards after the catch. So when you're talking about an average quarterback to start, then you add injury to that. Without that dominant defense, you're seeing what you're seeing for the San Francisco 49ers, and it's not a very good sight. You know, I was just thinking as you were talking, it's funny, is that Joe Burrow and Justin Herbert and

Josh Allen, especially Herbert, is so good quickly, and Joe Burrow is so competent quickly, it makes me think if you're Miami, you put two in in three weeks, and you give him eight, nine games, and he's just okay. Do you revisit quarterback in the NFL? Are you going to have Justin Fields? I mean, it's funny, Brian, but Justin Herbert and Joe Burrow are, boom, they can play, period. And I got three world-class and the dolphins, by the way,

going to have Houston's first round pick next year. They got two of their own picks or they got one of their own and Houston. So they're going to have two top ten picks out. What if Tua comes out? Is it ever happened that your rivals, the culture changes? There's so many special young guys.

What if Tua comes in and plays eight games and looks mad? Do you go get another guy? I don't want to make Joy get her too upset here. it's talking about her dolphins. But I think the answer is no. You got to give two an opportunity to get used to the league. And they've struggled a little bit with Ryan Fitzpatrick. But of course, when he struggles, he comes back keeping stronger and throws the ball.

You have to give two an opportunity. You picked them, you draft them way too high to be able to say, you know, he struggled at the end of the year, and now we're not going to go with him. Now we're going to move on. You've done that too many times in the past. At some point, you've got to settle in and say, this is our guy, and we're going to go with him despite some early struggles. And there's not going to be a bunch of young quarterbacks that go out there and light

the world up like Joe Barrow and Herbert. There just doesn't happen every single year. To him may be one of those guys, he may be one of those guys that gets better by sitting on the bench and watching and coming in in the second year with all the practice reps as far as the offseason and OTAs, he's a much better quarterback. We never know. We won't really know until he gets that opportunity. But I don't give up when a quarterback after their first year.

I think that would be foolish. Yeah. Finally, Andy Dalton. Can you win a division with Andy Dalton at this point in his career? Absolutely. You can win a division because we've mentioned it earlier. You have all the weapons. The division is just bad. The NFC East is absolutely terrible. But more importantly, it's their schedule. It's the teams that they're going to play. And when you look at their schedule, you're talking about teams over 500 at this current point. They're only going to play two more of those teams. That's the Steelers and the Ravens. All the other teams that they're going to be facing, the Cowboys will be facing, are under 500. So, I mean, when you talk about what is he have to do? Well, he doesn't have to, all he has to do is not turn the ball over, hand the ball off to Z. Make sure that the receivers touch it. And if he does that, I think that helps his defense out a little bit too. Get your running game going. Get your defense off the field. And if you can do that, that helps them win football games. And the schedule dictate that they don't have a hard road in front of him. Yeah, no, if he's a distributor,

he's the point guard that passes, not shoots, you can win a lot of games without receiving Corrin Zee. Good stuff. Brian Westbrook. Love having you on. 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. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games.

Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

On the Look Back at it podcast. From 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84 was big to me. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a year, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. With our friends, fellow comedians, and favorite authors. Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s.

84 was a wild year. It was a wild year. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Listen to Look Back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me.

Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifers Show. This is a place for raw, unfills of conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to The Clivert Show on the IHeard Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get

your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok podcast network on TikTok. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.