The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Best of The Herd for Oct 22, 2020

Episode Date: October 22, 2020

-Aaron Rodgers gets testy with the media and it's why the Packers go so up and down-There is no need for teams to put up with diva receivers like Antonio Brown anymore-The Dodgers did what Colin does for dinner when his wife is out of town-Teams in the AFC North weren't ready when the Steelers gave them an opportunity to win-The Eagles are set up for a big turnaround starting Thursday nightGuest: Greg Cosell, NFL Films 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. 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 podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win.

I don't care what you're 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, unfilled 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 iHeart radio app by searching Heard. This is the best of the Hurd. with Colin Cowher on Fox Sports Radio. It's Thursday, one of my favorite days. We are live in Los Angeles, and this is The Herd, wherever you may be,

and however you may be listening, Fox Sports Radio, right here on FS1, one hour from now like we do every Thursday. If you're a better, if you like fantasy football, or you just want to get smarter and love the game, Greg CoSell in one hour, NFL meat sandwich, Giants Eagles tonight. Joy Taylor is joining me. Joy, how are you this morning? I'm good.

Just to warn everyone, I have a bandage on my ear. I had surgery on it yesterday. Nothing dramatic, but if you see it, that's what it's there for. Now, you went to a doctor. You just didn't do stuff at home. I didn't do it by myself, no. All right. My ear ripped from wearing heavy earrings for many years.

Yeah, yeah. So it had to be sewed, but they have to cut it. and then they have to like sear it. So it's just got to stay dry. Are you on drugs this morning or medication? There's no drugs involved. So I'll be as crazy as usual. If you were a little loopy during Herdline News, we've got an excuse.

We can bake it in. Let's start with this. Oh, I am here for it. Grumpy, snippy, condescending Aaron Rogers is back. It is my favorite kind of Aaron Rogers. He is not in a good mood. They were blown out, strangely. again, last five losses all been blowouts. That's kind of odd. Anywho, Aaron was snippy with the

very nice Midwestern media. These are flannel shirt-wearing people, flyover country, and Aaron got very coastal. He got very snippy. Here's the first example. Hey, Aaron, do you think, you know, based on how Tampa defended you, that teams, you know, have a better handle on the maturation of year one to year two of your offense? So because of one game, what is it, the blind mark? Our team's figuring you out. One out of five.

It wasn't the best question. It did not end there. He got snippy again moments later from a very nice Midwestern reporter, just doing their job, have their backpack and their pens and paper and pencil, just asking questions to an American icon. Here we go. Are you okay?

Yeah, Rob. fine. You just seem a little down in the dumps as all. I'm definitely not down the dump, so don't project that on to me. That's not a reality. It's my favorite kind of Aaron. Oh, he's getting snippy. This is interesting.

So the NFL's got a bunch of young quarterbacks, and they're a little more inconsistent. Then it's got a bunch of old guys, and they got some limitations. But there's two great quarterbacks right in the middle. They're not young, they're not old, and their icons, and their first bout hallfamers. Russell, Wilson, Aaron Rogers. about as good as you're going to see. I've never seen a run-around quarterback as good as Russell, and I'm not sure I've seen anybody,

but Dan Marino throw a ball as well as Aaron Rogers. Of course, you think I love Russell, and I don't like Aaron. That's what you believe. No, I love what Russell Wilson represents, and sometimes Aaron Rogers drives me nuts by what he represents. I'll give an example.

I presented a stat this week, and even Packer fans, even people that defend Aaron Rogers, Trent Dilfer, Doug Gottlieb. And we're all friends. But they're like, I can't argue your stat. Why does Green Bay get blown out so much with Aaron? And why do they never come from behind? It's bizarre.

So let's just talk Russell Wilson and Aaron Rogers. Russell Wilson has a mental strategist. I interviewed him this week in my podcast. Trevor Moad. And he's trying and it's working last several years to make Russell Wilson neutral. That's what he has tried to make Russell Wilson. Russell Wilson wants to be neutral, meaning no peaks, no valleys, no huge celebrations,

no down in the dumps. And I believe Aaron's the opposite. And Green Bay is the opposite. And I believe teams become their quarterback. So with Green Bay, you get these massive blowout wins in a lot of ugly losses. With Aaron Rogers, you get Glib funny Aaron on the Pat McAfee show, very funny. And you get snippy Aaron. On the field, you get discount double check Aaron.

And then you get, ooh, bad body language Aaron. None of these, of course, are deniable. And what does it translate to? Aaron's been blown out 19 times in his career, 10% of his games. Double Russell Wilson, Mr. Neutral. Since the start of last year, Russell's come from behind in the fourth quarter, times, three times as often as Aaron Rogers. Because when things are great for Aaron, he is on top of the world. He is condescending. He is glib. He is discount double check. And when they are bad,

he is moody and bad body language and snippy. And I don't want to talk about it. Teams become their quarterback. This explains it. Now, Aaron is now in a bad mood and Green Bay is going to take it out on Houston. Because if you go look at Aaron, Aaron gets really high during the winning streaks. And then last year they go to the Chargers and just get walloped. And Aaron said publicly, we got a little too into ourselves.

And then Aaron this year, Green Bay got off to a great start. And then they get beat by Tampa. And Aaron comes out and goes, we got a little too into ourselves. Or maybe Aaron, you got a little too into you. But you never hear Russell Wilson say that because he's seeking. neutral. No peaks, no valleys. This is why Seattle is such a great come from behind team. That is why Russell Wilson almost never gets blown out, despite having the last three years a

horrible offensive line. And this year having the worst defense in the league, teams become their quarterbacks. Aaron's either snippy, celebrating, sulking, fist pumping, blowouts, awful losses, up and down and up and down because that's Aaron's personality. And Russell is neutral. You don't see the highs, you don't see the lows. Remember when he threw that Super Bowl interception? I mean, that's the reality you become your quarterback. And so Aaron now is snippy Aaron.

And I am here for it. And I do believe Green Bay is going to roll this week. But if you're trying to figure out why does Aaron have so few fourth quarter comeback historically. It makes no sense. Why does this team lose they get blown out? That's your answer. Moody people, moody teams. Dad's moody, family's moody. Mom's moody, family's moody. Because you have to like walk on eggshells for the moody leader of the family or the moody leader of your team. Well, I saw this this morning speaking of the Seahawks, Antonio Brown, who is a marvelous town at wide receiver, but is difficult. Seattle is one of the teams looking for.

Now, let me start with this. I've always been able to separate art from artists. You can create great music and be an awful human. I can still enjoy your music and think, I don't want any part of you to do personally, but you do create great art. I've always been able to separate the two. I'm not looking for perfect artists. I think what creates art is often what creates dysfunction. So I can separate Antonio Brown, not a guy I respect, and Antonio Brown, damn good wide receiver. Secondly, talent is a commodity. We know this. Sports is about winning now, and he can help some teams.

But I do believe this is something I live by. Be nimble, be adaptable. I talk about this so often, it irritates you. Life changes really fast. It is your problem if you can adapt. I'll give you commercial real estate. One of the great investments last 20 years. Buy big buildings, rent them out, get rich.

A lot of people in America are rich. Own commercial real estate. Oh, it was good in January. And then COVID hit. And there's Zoom meetings. And there's just nothing but empty commercial buildings for the next decade. It's not a good investment. Be warned.

Life changes fast. Uber killed parking garages. My entire life, parking garages are what rich guys. owned. Uber. You don't take your own car. Life changes fast. Something is happening in football. And like usually is the case, young people in America create the cultural changes. The fashion changes, the music changes, the athletic changes. So what is happening in the NFL is talent at wide receiver is exploding. Just this year, two of the top seven receivers in the NFL yards are rookie wide receivers.

Why is that happening? There's three reasons. An explosion over the last 10 to 15 years of seven-on-seven drills. Well, what does that mean? Well, seven-on-seven drills have not only helped the quarterbacks. Who are the quarterbacks throwing to? Wide receivers. Wide receivers are exploding in this country.

Number two is, young people are the ones that start cultural changes. Young people 10 years ago? The money's for the quarterbacks and the money's for the the wide receivers. Who wants to get hit? That's why it's hard to find great boxers and great running backs. Who wants to get hit? Young people figured it out and said, dude, I can catch. I'm going to go be a wide receiver, make more money, and last longer. And the third thing that's happening is college football now is throwing the ball more. What does that mean? It used to be that a college receiver could come out of college with 80 catches. They come out of college now with 250 catches. Everybody's

throwing the ball 44. Alabama is now defined by wide receivers. So what does it mean? The NFL, this year alone, there are seven wide receivers making a major impact. Why would you roll the dice if you're Seattle on Antonio Brown? You're good at receiver. You have great chemistry. I'm not doubting talent. I'm not saying he's not a commodity. And I can separate art from artist.

But I don't get this one. There's probably places he'd work. But I'm looking right now at the last three NFL drafts. I'm looking at a piece of paper. 27 wide receivers I would put as a lot. very good and impactful. 27. And I'm not counting the other 34 who are developing, have their moments,

but are not ones or maybe high twos yet. This I don't get. The world is changing. I'm not saying a troubled wide receiver doesn't have a spot in the NFL. But boy, you better be very careful because I've watched Antonio Brown at three different places and the last three,

New England, The Raiders and the Steelers, it was a mess. 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. 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. 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.

A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care which I'll say it. Yep, that's me, Cliver 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 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-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 J.

And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick it 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 of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so you 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 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, Kier 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 iHeartRadio app.

Search Learn the Hardway and listen now. So the Dodgers lost last night. In game one, they threw Clayton Kershaw. They won. In game three, they're going to throw Walker Bueller, their ace. They'll win. But last night, they didn't have an ace. So they tried to MacGyver it.

You know, they just threw a bunch of relievers. Their bullpen's not very good. Inning or two. And at the end of the night, it wasn't terribly satisfying. Satisfying. And the Dodgers lost. They didn't have a single ace, a single elite pitcher throw. And the race had their ace in one.

But they knew that because they had Clayton Kershon in game one. And they have Walker Bueller in game three. And so this reminds me of what happens when my wife, leaves town for a little while. When my wife, before she leaves, like we have dinner together, we commit to each other. She can cook, I can cook. We use plates and stuff. We use recipes. It's like kind of an event. We sit down and we talk and have a glass of wine. It's a real dinner with like proteins and stuff and vegetables. And then my wife will leave town and knowing that when she gets back, we're going to use plates and stuff and have real dinners.

What do I do when she's gone, knowing that I just had great dinners and I'll have great dinners again? I ma'iiver it. Last night, my wife's out of town, and I had top ramen, and a bowl of cereal, and a tortilla with hot sauce on it, and some chocolate almonds and a cocktail. And like the Dodgers bullpen, I sort of magevered it. And by the end of the night, I realized that was not terribly satisfying. I tried to talk myself into it, but woke up this morning starving. that's what the Dodgers did. The Dodgers knew Kershaw was great and they feel good going forward and Walker Bueller's their ace.

So game two, you just go to the bullpen. And last night as a guy, I just went to the pantry. I did not use a single thing out of the refrigerator. And the Dodgers did not use a single elite pitcher. I thought they could kind of cobble it together. So did I. But let me tell you, a bowl of cereal and a trucker. tortilla with hot sauce.

It's not great. I don't even know if I thought it would be great. And Dave Roberts probably knew deep down, this isn't going to be great. This is the World Series. They're good. But I'm not worried because my wife's coming home and we'll cook together and we'll use plates and stuff and recipes and we'll be back on nutritional supplements. It will be a great life and we'll have chicken and stuff and broccoli. It'll be like a real rice peel off.

And Dave Roberts knows. We went to the pantry last night. We're going to be okay. You still feel you're in control of the series? We feel great, Dylan. We've got Walker going. We've got Julio going, and then we've got Clayton. And if you look at kind of where our relievers are set with the off day tomorrow, we're in a great spot.

I tried last night. Kind of. Sort of. Dodgers are fine. They'll win game three. They throw the race. They're the better team. catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon eastern 9 a.m. Pacific.

So I'm not a big pet peeve guy. I'm rarely outraged. I'm the opposite of Twitter. I'm almost never outraged. And I'm not a big pet peeve guy. But one of the things that aggravates me are people that waste time. If you can't have a meaningful conversation, I don't care about the weather. I just time wasters. They drove me nuts in college. They drive me nuts. Now, let's be ready to operate. I don't want to ask you a question or ask for something or you ask me for something and I'm just not prepared. Like be prepared in life. Be a grown up. Be an adult. Doesn't mean you have to be rigid. Doesn't mean he can't be adaptable. Time waster. So Joy, give me a pet peeve. I'm irritated just listening to you talk about those people. That's very close to my top.

I think similarly people that just constantly have problems. Drama. Yes. Like you just, every day it's a problem and it's like, oh, I thought we solved that yesterday. It's the same problem? or you have a new problem. Great. Like I can't deal with people that constantly have problems. We're not talking about you, Goulae, by the way. What is your pet peeve? Besides you not pointing the microphone at your face, which is my number one work pet peeve.

My biggest one is people who, if you're habitually late, I have no patience for people who are always the five minutes, ten minutes late. I can't stand it. Boy, Gottlieb never better host this show. We are not on good terms because of that. Okay. So, and the reason I say this is,

I tell my kids this all the time. just be ready to go. Be ready to go. Because in life, Amazon may come up, offer you a job one time in your life, give you stock options, you're retiring at 42. And you're a screw off and you're backpacking around Amsterdam. You're not ready to play. Be ready to go in life.

Doesn't mean you can't have fun. I have a cocktail almost every night. I go on great vacation. Be ready to go. Prime example. Pittsburgh Steelers last two years. And this is rare. Had drama, A. B. Lavian Bell, had injuries to Big Ben.

They were kind of a mess. The last two years, the Steelers, 17, 14, and 1. That's bad for the Steelers. Who was the one team in their division? The minute the Steelers hiccpped was ready to go. Baltimore. Baltimore's well-run. It's grown-ups.

It's Harbaugh. Steve Boshaddy. So the minute Pittsburgh, the iconic franchise in the division, the minute they stumble, Baltimore's like, let's go, ready to go, let's go. We got our quarterback. Let's go. Move, flackle out, get Lamar in, let's go. Cleveland and Cincinnati for the last two years, this rare opportunity in your division, Pittsburgh gets an unfortunate injury. They have real drama for about a year and a half, like real locker room stuff. Cincinnati was 8 and 24, and Cleveland was 13.000. 18 and 1. This is why maturity matters from my quarterbacks. Why I don't like police videos. Calling out the medical staff. Be ready to go, Baker.

Let's go. Time to grow up. Lamar came into the league, ready to go. Not refined, not polished, not perfect. Lamar was ready to take over a franchise. Joe Burrow is ready to take over a franchise. Joe Burrow is ready to take over a franchise. Now, he didn't have much to work with.

But Cleveland's got all this talent the last two years. But there's such a dysfunctional mess, so much drama that when the Steelers hiccpped, and God, they almost never do. Baltimore, the grown-ups in that division, boom, seized it. Number one seed last year. They don't want to win a Super Bowl, ready to win the division.

Cleveland, Cincinnati, constant drama. not enough grown-ups in the room. And I'm not just blaming Baker, but it's a prime example. And now, this morning, what do we have? Pittsburgh's back. Steelers Titans this weekend. Fifth time in NFL history. Fifth time, that's it.

Two unbeaten teams face in week seven. The winner of it has gone on four times to make the Super Bowl that year. So Pittsburgh was a Super Bowl team. Then they hiccpped. Cleveland, Cincinnati didn't have their crapp. together, Pittsburgh's back. This is a Super Bowl level team. And that's why I tell my kids, you don't know when the best thing's going to come.

My daughter's gone on a great trip. She vacations. We vacate. You can have a lot of fun in life, but be a grown-up. I tell my daughter, backpack on somebody else's time. College is when you can grow up. But the second you're out of it, the job offer of Microsoft may come. Be ready to play.

college is four years. I've seen your class schedule. There's plenty of times to have a cocktail. There's plenty of times to party. Ends, we ready to go. So it's interesting. We all talk about, oh, the talent and borough and Baker is, you may have had your two-year window and you blew it.

Because Pittsburgh is back. They beat Tennessee. They're back, back, back. One more herd? The herd streams 24 hours a day, seven days a week within the I-Hard Radio app. Search Herd to listen live or on demand whenever you'd like. 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-Hart Radio. 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, 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 Cliverts Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you're 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 J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick it 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 was big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack all day, but just so you 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 IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hardway with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Kear Games. And in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking. Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we, are in possession of the thing. And we're still chasing it. And we don't know when we've done enough. Because people scoreboard watch.

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

I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Kear Gaines, is we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, Learn the Hardway. Open your free, our heart radio app,

search Learn the Hardway, and listen now. Again, around here, around these parts, I am known as Mr. Optimism. I mean, that's what people call me. They don't even call me calling. Hey, there's Mr. Optimism.

I picked the Eagles to win this division. Nick Wright picked the Cowboys to win the Super Bowl. That is not working out. No, I said Tampa Bay and the Super Bowl. I kind of thought Baltimore. I still got a shot. Those are two of the four. or five best teams. Here's Philadelphia. Everybody's freaking out in Philadelphia. Settle down.

Settle down. Number one, in the NFC East, the division they're in, they absolutely have the best general manager and the best quarterback, and they probably have the best owner and the best head coach, probably. That's four for four in the four things that matter. The other thing is the other three teams in that division have new staffs. Translation, less continuity. Look at the standings. You look at The schedule is perfect for Philadelphia. Just take care of business. If you asked an Eagle fan this morning, what do you need? You'd say the Giants twice a buy and the Cowboys.

Oh, what do you know? That's what you get. You get a Giants team tonight at home. Your favor, they can't score. It's just what you need. Then you get a cowboy team the following week that's in utter disarray that can't defend anything. Then you get a buy. Then you get the Giants again.

And by that time, you're healthy. And you've got some real teams. You've got to go to Cleveland, you take Seattle, Green Bay, the Saints. Okay, it gets tougher. But the reality at that point, you should be a healthy football team. And if you win, you deserve to. And if you lose, you deserve to. But this is, you know, I'm a glass, mostly full guy.

Philadelphia is fine. They just got a win tonight. They got the Giants twice, the ailing Cowboys in a bye. That's exactly what, if you had to script that out, you wouldn't want to face Washington because they have a good defensive front. You'd want to face a couple of teams with no offensive firepower, a team with bad defense. and a buy. That's what you get. Philadelphia, I think, wins by a touchdown tonight. Let's

bring in Greg Kosell, 41 years NFL films. NFL meat sandwich. You bet football. You're a fantasy football player who's the best in the business. Let's talk about Philadelphia. I think it's kind of fascinating. I still think this is a talented team. I think they get a little bit of a scheduling break. I think Carson Wentz making Travis Fulgum a number one is fascinating. and when you look at them on film, if they get healthier, when you look at film, do you think they've got some pieces here, health attrition is the issue? Well, we'll see what happens at wide receiver. That's a big concern right now.

So is the offensive line. That is the bigger concern because Carson Wentz has been hit, Colin, way too many times the last two weeks. And Wince is an interesting player, and I like Carson Wins, as I know you do. but Carson Wentz, even at his best, he's a certain kind of quarterback. He's not a true precision player. He's a playmaker type quarterback who can make big plays. He will always miss a few.

That's the way he plays. I'm not going to compare him to Brett Far who's a Hall of Famer, but stylistically, that's what Carson Wentz really is. He's a big play type quarterback. So the offensive line is an issue. But when you look at what they've done the last two weeks against arguably the two best defenses in the league. They've put up 29 and 28 points.

The defense, and maybe that's not a factor tonight against a Giants' offense, that's clearly not very good, but the defense has been a little bit of an issue. It's very hard, no matter how well Wenz plays for this team to consistently put up 30, 35 points on a weekly basis. So Green Bay, you know, it's a weird stat, but they've been blown out. Aaron's been blown out, 10% of his career, blown out.

And this is one of those games. He throws a second pick. His body language isn't great. He doesn't throw downfield as much. It was very windy in the stadium. But Tampa did something to slow down this freight train of Green Bay's offense. And what did the film tell you Tampa Bay's defense did? You know, I can't speak to those other 10 games.

I can just tell you what Tampa did. And not every team is equipped to do this, nor would every team attempt. to do this. But what the Bucks did was they were very multiple with their front looks. They were very multiple with their pressure schemes. When you're very multiple with your front looks, Colin, what you're trying to do is you're trying to make it difficult for the five offensive linemen to sort out who they're going to block before the snap of the ball. Because protection rules don't change in the middle of the play. The protection rules are set pre-snap. So they did a really good job kind of messing with protection rules, then it became very, very difficult to sort out.

Plus, they were willing to be extremely aggressive in terms of blitz and coverage. On third down, they had three snaps of what we call cover zero with no safety in the middle of the field and all out pressure. So Todd Bowles pretty much put the pedal to the metal and said, we are going to be very, very aggressive. We're going to attack. As I said, not every team is equipped to do this, but I'm not a blueprint guy. Aaron Rogers has been in the league a long time.

So I'm not going to sit here and say, well, now every team's going to do that and they're not going to be any good. That's not going to happen every week. But the Bucks did a really, really good job. So this week we saw Kansas City meet Buffalo, two of the strongest armed quarterbacks. And my two takeaways are, let's start with this. Let's start with Josh Allen. last couple of weeks he's faced Tennessee and Kansas City a little unraveled anything you see with Josh Allen they're very dependent on him now because the defense in

Buffalo is not the same anything anything that concerns you about Buffalo and Josh Allen he's regressed a tad well there's been there were two different defensive concepts I thought he did not play poorly against Tennessee but what Tennessee did was a lot of disguise and late movement to get to zone coverage concepts. What Kansas City did was they did some disguise as well, but they played more man coverage, more match zone where they matched up to receivers, and they were more aggressive with pressure. The game on Tuesday night, was a Tuesday night or whatever night, it was Monday night, I guess. That game, Josh was not very good at all. He missed way too many throws. He was inaccurate.

They started the game with an easy throw, and he missed it to Beasley, just a throw to get him comfortable and in rhythm in the game, and he just threw it into the ground. And then the second throw, he airmailed over John Brown on a shallow crosser. So he really struggled throwing the ball against the Chiefs. And we'll see where he goes. We know that there's a narrative in many people's minds about Josh Allen. Let's see where he goes, because he was very, very good the first four weeks. Kansas City, meanwhile, they get Lavian Bell, who could be Clyde Edwards-Hallair's very good,

but he's not as great goal-to-goal situations. He's not a big thumper like Alavian Bell is. But do you see Andy Reid tweaking this offense a little going forward and making it less reliant on Patrick Mahomes? 29 throws, not 39. Do you see any of that? Well, people may not be aware of this, but through the first six games of the season,

Edwards Elair has averaged 18 carries a game. He's second in the league in rushing. So this is not a case where Edwards Allaire gets the leftover crumbs. I mean, Andy Reid's always been a past first coach, and when you have Patrick Mahomes, you're certainly going to do that along with that speed. But this is not a case where Edwards Eilier has not been a factor. 18 carries a game is a lot. I think that Levyon Bell is mostly going to be a factor in the past game,

because that's what he's still very good at. The last number of years, going back to his final year in Pittsburgh, before he sat out, He's not been the same back. He was those two or three years where he was outstanding. So, you know, it is interesting. I have said this. I said if Cam plays well against Denver and Cam plays well this week against San Francisco, New England's probably going to be too good to get a high draft pick because nobody's going to give it to him, that's for sure.

And maybe they give Cam. He goes from rental to a two-year contract. And then I watch this week and his mechanics are off and he's out of sorts. Now it could be practices. But, I mean, I saw him against Seattle and I'm like, I'm all in and I've seen regression. Is it a COVID thing? Is it a practice thing? What do you see with New England's offense?

All I can speak to, Colin, is what the tape shows. You know, practice, obviously practice helps everybody because people don't normally get better by working less. So practice helps everybody. But I can only tell you what the tape shows. And this offense, this past week against Denver, looked sluggish. They look slow. Cam was inaccurate. He was wild on some throws.

He left some throws on the field by not turning it loose on throws that were clearly there. So he did not play well, and the offense looked sluggish. They had no juice whatsoever. There's no explosive element to this offense right now. Yeah. So this is interesting. So I got into this debate with my staff because everybody in the staff is like, you know what? That's a perfect game for Jimmy Garoppolo.

And they did exactly what they wanted to. And I said, okay, maybe you can beat the Rams at home that way. But when I watch the Niners, this is what my eyes tell me. Kyle Shanahan is control. It's like a remote control. We call it remote control Carapolo. He's controlling him. And my thing is, you got to let Lamar loose.

You got to let Garapolo loose. You got to let Goff sometimes let it rip. And I feel San Francisco's offense has a, and I like their perimeter weapons. I like Brandon Ayuk. I like Debo Samuel. I love Kittle. There's some players here. I think San Francisco's.

Francisco, I think Kyle's lost some level of confidence. What is the film show? Well, first of all, I think you have to say that this was his first game back where he was pretty much healthy. They played against a defense that's pretty well defined. They play a lot of zone looks. Zone looks are much better for Kyle Shanahan to orchestrate and manufacture plays. They did a really good job with it. It was a game to get Jimmy G's confidence back, get him comfortable in the context of this offense. And we'll wait and see. I would expect that New England, who they play this week,

would probably play more man. But contrary to what a lot of people might think, New England has had a number of games this year where they've played a lot more zone coverage than man coverage. Now, that always depends on the opponent. But I think as a general point, Colin, I think the idea of a coach orchestrating an offense for a quarterback is what a coach should do.

I think you have to understand your quarterback's strengths, his limitations, and you orchestrate your offense based on that. I mean, this team got to the Super Bowl last year running a very efficient offense. There's nothing wrong with a coach doing that. That's what a coach's job is. Yeah. Just a quick question.

What do you make of the Rams? They keep beating the NFC East and nobody else. What do you make of the – because I'm a little confused with them. What's the film saying on the Rams? Yeah, I'm trying to figure out there. defense. You know, it's interesting what they're doing with Jalen Ramsey. I mean, Jalen Ramsey theoretically is a big time shutdown corner, not being used that way. You just signed him to a big deal. So, you know, again, I don't question coaches because they're there every day. I'm not. But they play more zone than man. Ramsey's not an outside corner on every snap. He plays inside a lot. He plays in the slot when they go to their sub-nickel or their sub-dime. Now they put him in this new star position at times, which is really a big nickel. It's a form of base defense. So I'm just trying to get a sense, as maybe Brandon Staley, as their coordinator, get a sense of his personnel and how they want to play.

So the team that I really missed on is the Steelers. I said they're going to be eight and eight. Big Ben doesn't have a legendary reputation of working hard in the offseason. He's not a breeze or like a Lamar where you see these, you know, these jumps. And I'm like, I don't know. I know their front seven's good. And I watch them just, they are terrible. terrorizing quarterbacks. But I, and that's obviously a huge part of it. Cleveland had a rookie left tackle. That's a tough matchup.

By the way, Tennessee could be missing their left tackle. That's not good. But I'm watching Big Ben. And maybe it's Claypool. But he's not making the mistakes. He appears to be pretty dialed in. This team, I don't, I don't see a lot of weakness right now. I was wrong.

What does the film tell you? Well, what they do offensively in the past game, and by the way, their past game has become very rhythm-based. but what they do may be better than any team in the league is attack one-on-ones outside the numbers. They've done this for years because they've had very good receivers. So what they do now with Claypool, James Washington, is they attack those one-on-ones. And you get those one-on-ones, even if a team is playing zone, because when you're outside the numbers, you get one-on-ones.

So I think you'll see Claypool, you'll see Washington. They'll attack Malcolm Butler. They'll attack Jonathan Joseph. this is what they do to create their big plays. But they've also become very rhythmic in the passing game as well, and they've gotten enough out of James Connor to have a run game. So it's actually a pretty balanced offense, but they create big plays throwing it down the field.

Yeah, you know, it's funny. I was just watching these highlights. They remind me the Steelers when I was a kid. Great Front 7, big play receivers, star quarterbacked, can't really remember the guys in the secondary much. but they are playing that kind of Steeler football again where it's big plays, big presence at quarterback, and I mean, they are just, you just, I feel bad.

I think Taylor Lewin could be out for Tennessee this weekend, left tackling. He is. Oh, no, he tore his ACL. Okay. So the big question in that game becomes, how does Tennessee handle that when they have to throw the ball? Because you're always going to have to throw the ball. Okay.

Every team wants to get five out. But I think with Ty Sambrayal playing left tackle, he's a pretty good run blocker. so far he's struggled in past protection when he's had to play. And that's something that is a big, big factor in this game. So let's segue to the Titans. That'll be the play of the day. How are they making it work?

They are just, it feels like they're getting better. Last year, they kind of pulled the ball out of Tana Hill's hands. They've put it back in this year. What does the tape say? Well, they're a very defined offense. It starts with the run game. It starts with base personnel. Everything works off that.

They have a very good play action. game, multiple kinds of play action, quick game play action, downfield play action. So what they do is they get the defense when they can stay on schedule in predictable fronts, predictable coverages, and they attack that. And one of the key things is they've been really, really good in the red zone. And that's been so critical. That's why they score a lot of points. It's because when they get the ball down inside the 20 and the 10, they score touchdowns. And Tana hell is, I think, more talented than people think. He's a very good thrower. And since he came in last year, week six or seven, whenever it was, he has been really consistently accurate, Colin. So let's look at the play.

We have our big play with Tannahill. Yeah. This is a red zone play from last week. And let's run the play so people can see the touchdown to A.J. Brown. And this was a first down play. And that's really important to remember as we break it down. Because first down, you don't make mistakes. So here's Tannahill in the gun. They're going to have three tight ends on the field. Two of them are in normal tight end alignments. Where is the third tight end, Janu Smith? He's offset in the backfield.

Because what they want to do here is they want to run the angle route to Janu Smith. That's the design of this play. But remember, I set its first down. So what happens here as the play runs, and you can see Janu Smith running the angle route, is Tannehill sees the safety sitting there, Justin Reed. Justin Reed will be in position, as you can see, Reed right here, to potentially take this throw away. And you don't want to throw this on first down. So Tannehill leaves the pocket, which he's very good at.

And now what does he see? He sees A.J. Brown crossing the formation from the other side, secondary action movement, recognizing a receiver coming from the backside, and you get a touchdown. So a great example, Colin, of a first down play, a designed play that Tannahill did not believe was there because you don't want to make a mistake on first down in the tight red zone and then he's able to create. That happened a couple of times in this game and Tannenhill's very, very good at that. Yeah, he can also buy time, as you said. He was a wide receiver to begin at Texas A&M. So again, the Titans left tackle is out.

That is problematic against the Steelers. Yeah, big, big problem. So good stuff. Greg Kossel, NFL films over four decades. Thanks, Craig. Thanks, Colin. Appreciate it. Another podcast from some SNL late-night comedy guy,

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