The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Best of The Herd for Sep 23, 2020

Episode Date: September 23, 2020

-This Lakers team isn't great, we just trust LeBron-Dak Prescott vs Russell Wilson is one of the games we'll judge Dak on-The real reason Drew Brees and Tom Brady are struggling-Cam Newton might be a long term solution in New England-Trevor Lawrence headed to New York?-Colin plays "Ready or Not"Guest: Nick Wright, FS1's First Things First 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 IHeart 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 Clifers 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 iHeartRadio app by searching Herd. This is the best of the herd with Colin Cowherd on Fox Sports Radio. Ah, here we go on a Wednesday, raring to go. Live in Los Angeles, this is the herd. Wherever you may be and however you may be listening.

Thanks for joining us. This is Fox Sports Radio and right here on FS1. Nick Wright in 30 minutes, he'll argue with me. as does. Joy Taylor is joining me this morning. Joy, how are you? I'm good. That was a, that was a fun game last night. Well, so my wife at one point said, well, what's wrong with the Lakers? And I said, okay, so I've been watching this league for four decades. The better team wins the first two games, and then the better team comes out in game three and is completely flat. And it's like, this is the way it works. And then the Lakers made a mad dash at the end,

the better team, and they can't quite catch up. But I want to start with that because by saying that everybody in Denver's like, you don't give us any respect. That's a big thing for guys and teams. I can't speak for women. It's a big deal for guys. You can pay a guy $10 million a year, but if his rival makes $10.5, you don't respect me. You are not showing me respect. So Denver will say, well, where's the respect? It's not that I don't respect Denver, but this is the year of the duo, and Denver's duo is excellent, but it's not as good as the Lakers duo. It's just not. Denver's a really good team. Certainly capable. of winning the series.

But after all these years, don't you trust LeBron in the conference finals? You know, since he hasn't lost one in 11 years. It was Orlando. He was in Cleveland. Don't you trust LeBron in this space? I mean, the Lakers have problems that the Denver Nuggets don't even have. I can describe every single Laker except LeBron with these words. Old, unreliable, strange.

flaky, inconsistent in big spots. That's AD. Denver has none of those problems. There is no flaky nugget. There is no old guy. I mean, maybe Paul Millsap. The Lakers have all sorts of issues.

In fact, this morning I wrote, I always do this when we talk about big games. I put down the 10 best players in this series. LeBron won AD2. The next five I put down are all nuggets. Yokits, Jamal Murray, Michael Porter, Gary Harris, Jeremy Grant. Then we can argue over the last three.

let's not waste any time on that. I'll go, Coosma, KCP, Paul Millsap. Rondo, Millsap, old guys, but whatever. I'll take Millsap. It's a lot of nuggets. One through seven is five nuggets. And right now, Jamal Murray, at any given time, outplays AD. It's not that I don't respect Denver.

It's just after 10 years of seeing something, I just give you the benefit of the doubt. If you were a salesperson and you made your number, 10 straight years, I trust you'll make it in year 11. I mean, after a while, if I give my daughter money, and I say, I'm going to give you a little extra money here, don't burn it, bring some money back to dad, and she brings it back 10 straight years,

I trust she'll do it in year 11. Well, Brun hasn't lost a conference final in 11 years. I just trust he'll figure it out. Denver's capable. Denver doesn't have any flakes. Denver's not very old. Denver's not very unreliable. Their players have played better in the bubble.

bubbles all about young teams, Miami, Dallas, Phoenix, Boston, Denver. They've all overachief. The old guys are falling apart, except the Lakers. I mean, last night's classic Lakers is that Yokic can literally go to the bench for seven minutes and Denver goes on runs. Their young players go on runs. LeBron goes to the floor or like last night not really engaged early and the Lakers are like, you're just crossing your fingers. I mean, they need LeBron for everything and we need. no AD is one of the top five, six basketball players in the world. It is not a lack of respect. I mean, last night, classic Lakers, whereas they had, let me look up the exact number.

The Lakers had like, yeah, 27 assists. LeBron had 11, 25 rebounds. LeBron had 12. They've got the Lakers, I've said it all year. Flakes, old, unreliable, crazy guy, limited guy, falling apart guy. Denver doesn't have any of those issues. But if you keep showing me something for a decade. I just trust LeBron will figure it out. I think Denver's got more players that contribute. They've got less baggage. They've got fewer issues. They're more athletic. Their top seven players are more trustable. Denver, Denver, Denver, Nuggets, Nuggets, Nuggett. It's all Denver. You do something for a decade. You make your number for a decade. Sales guy, saleswoman. I trust you're going to make it the next year. Here's LeBron. And by the way, last night, LeBron not as engaged early. Then they get all

fired up, you know, race back. And, you know, Jamal Murray, he's a great player, hits a basket, and they put him away. Here's LeBron after. And we understood we had 12 minutes left to try to make a game of it. We was able to do that. You know, when you dig yourself a hole like that, you know, every shot that they make, every shot that we miss, you know, it feels like the game is collapsing. So, you know, we play this, you know, some pretty good ball in the fourth quarter,

but those first 36 minutes I heard was obviously. Obviously, still like the Lakers, still like LeBron. In fact, I really don't like the Lakers. I like LeBron. I don't like all the Lakers stuff. I said it all year. I don't really like them. I just like LeBron.

I didn't even like AD until he played with LeBron. Now I like A.D. None of you like Frank Vogel until he coached LeBron. Now we all kind of like Frank Vogel. I'll take the Lakers still. All right, this is an interesting weekend in the NFL. It's kind of a cool weekend where you get two young good quarterbacks, Jared Goff, Josh Allen.

Oh, my gosh. We get Patrick Mahomes against Lamar Jackson. We get two icons. We get Aaron Rogers against Drew Brees. Well, it's interesting, right? Let's say it, interesting weekend. And then we get Dak and Russell Wilson. Now, a lot of you think I like Russell Wilson way too much.

I mean, I've been hearing this now for three years. Oh, get off it. You and Russell Wilson. What is it? It's ridiculous. And I also hear simultaneously, you're very, very rough on Dak Prescott. That's why this weekend's important. Now I want you to think about that as Russell Wilson faces Dak Prescott.

Dak Prescott, Tyron Smith is back, has a better offensive line this weekend. He's got the star running back. He also has a better trio of wide receivers. He also has, Dak has the better defense. Seattle now has allowed the most passing yards in the NFL by a lot, and they have no pass rush. So Dak has the better O line, the better star back, the better trio, of receivers and the better defense. And Russell Wilson's favored by five and a half.

But he's at home. Oh, wait, no, they don't have any fans. If fans were allowed in the stadium, the five and a half point spread would be seven. Because Seattle, New Orleans, Green Bay, tend to have the best home field advantages, according to Fox Bet and, you know, the guys that gamble for a living and make lines. This is the difference. Is that Russell will, if this, we went into this game and we said,

Russell Wilson's got the better three receivers, the better running back, the better defense, the better offensive line. This would not be a fascinating football game. What makes it a fascinating football game is that DAC has better assets everywhere. Now, by the way, Dak's going to get all sorts of stats in this game. Why? Because he's going to trail and have to throw. Number two, Seattle has no pass rush.

Last in the league, they have no pass rush. So, Dak's going to throw from a clean pocket. All quarterbacks in this league that start are pretty good with clean pocket. Also, Dax's got good weapons. He's got good weapons. You can't C.D. Lamb, Michael Gallup, Zeeke can catch, Amari Cooper. Even their young tight ends are fine. They're not great, but they're fine.

And DAC through two games, once again, is giving us all sorts of stats. But the difference is Russell Wilson tends to make his greatest plays in the biggest moments. Dax greatest stats are often early when the game's not in doubt. or late when they're catching up. And it's not a play to win the game. It's a play to get back into the game. But I think it's very interesting for those of you who think I am two pro-Russell Wilson and two anti-Dak.

There are three games this year, really fascinating games that DAC is in quarterback battles. So this is the first Russell Wilson. And they're contemporaries. They're not rookies anymore. They're not kids. These are guys that have seen every defense. This is the first.

Then DAC is going to go against a baby, Tyler Murray. That's coming up. Keep your eye on that. And then DAC's going to go up literally a contemporary. Lamar Jackson, they've both in the league roughly about the same time. Very interesting. Those are the three matchups I want you to watch for those who think I'm far too critical

of Dak Prescott. This is the first of three. He faces a legend, a Hall of Famer. Russell Wilson, then a young kid, Kyler Murray, and then a contemporary Lamar Jackson. And my guess is, after all three, DAC will have stats in all of them, he'll have losses in all of them, and you'll feel he's the second best quarterback in all three of them. For those who think I'm too rough on it, I don't think I am. You do, I don't. Want more herd? The herd streams 24 hours a day, seven days a week within the IHeart radio app.

Search her 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-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 you're 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 Podcast,

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 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 80s. To be clear, 84 is big to me, not just because of crack.

I'm down to talk about crack all day, but just so you 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 Hardway 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. Trip Fontaine, Ryan Clark.

Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we, are in possession of the thing, and we're still chasing it, and we don't know when we've done enough. Because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross, because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth, or are you a good person because you're afraid? Because that's two different intentions, bro. Absolutely. And that's two different levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Keer Gaines, is we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast,

learn the hard way. Open your free iHeartRadio app, search learn the hard way, and listen now. I was really tough on Drew Brees yesterday, and I said, listen, he's Kirk Cousins now. He's accurate. He's good at the line of scrimmage. He looks a lot more like Kirk Cousins

than Patrick Mahomes to me. Of course he does. He's 40 years old. I was told yesterday, the Saints had to talk him back into playing. He was ready to go. And Sean Payton said, you've got to give me one more year.

Is he all in? don't know. But Brett Farve said yesterday, stop picking on Drew Brees, stop picking on Tom Brady. Here's the legend Brett Farr. It's way premature to think either guys over the hill. I think physically speaking, they're fine. You're not asking Drew Brees or Tom Brady to be Pat Mahomes or Lamar Jackson or Russell Wilson. What they do, the way they play and how they play for so many years, they still have that. They're not asked to be very mobile. If you can protect them, they'll pick you part. There's no difference today than eight years ago, other than the age, based on how you ask them to play and how they play. You know, what I'm talking about is more mental. No, there is a big

difference. It's called the league. Here's the two-oh quarterbacks in the league. Notice a trend. I want Russell Wilson Mobile, Lamar Mobile, Patrick Mahomes Mobile, Aaron Rogers Mobile, Big Ben extends plays, Josh Allen Mobile, Tanna Hill was a college-wide receiver. We know. never, ever doubt Tanna Hill can run. It's always been the throw. Derek Carr. He's very Tony Romo can move. Kyler Murray, Mobile. Mitt Tribesky, mobile. Jared Goff. Colin, Jared

Goff is not mobile. Oh, but yes, he is in the Rams offense. Because the Rams, 70% of the time, the Rams, enjoy to my witness, you is my witness. Nobody moves the pocket more than the Rams. They move it more than Baltimore and Lamar Jackson. They roll out every time. They're multiple. No team in the league moves the pocket more and manipulates it

at a dizzying pace like the Rams. So in this offense, and by the way, Gough throws very well on the run. He's not Matt Ryan at all. He throws very well on the run. He's not Dwayne Haskins, whose accuracy dips when he moves. Gough's a very good thrower, especially throwing to his right side. So that's mobile. Even Mitch Trubisky, who most of us think is limited, do you realize in the NFL that it's so catered now to mobile quarterbacks, he's 21 and 10 under Matt Nagy? He's 21 and 10. He's 25 and 18. that includes the rookie year with John Fox who didn't know what the heck he was doing with him. Joe Burrow, Justin Herbert, the two quarterbacks we've seen we like.

What are they? Oh, they're mobile. Next year, Trevor Lawrence, Trey Lance, Justin Fields, the top three quarterback prospects. What are they? Mobile. Now let me give you a list of many of the quarterbacks who are Owen to. Matt Stafford, Matt Ryan, Teddy Bridgewater, Kirk Cousins, Daniel Jones, and Ryan Fitzpatrick. They run out of necessity.

They are not mobile. That's the league. That's why I can't buy into the Saints as a Super Bowl team, did not last year. It's why I can't pull the trigger on Tampa Bay as a Super Bowl team. It's not, not only are Breeze and Brady old school, they're old guys and old school. The league is demanding more. Tribesky is a quarterback Chicago. People in Chicago don't believe in.

He's 21 and 10 under Matt Nagy. this is too much data to disregard. The league is changing. Mobility at quarterback is 70% of it. Pocket guys unless they have, you know, and by the way, DAC,

DAC is one in one. But for those who like Dak, DAC is mobile. Like, so it's nothing against Breeze and Brady. They're old school guys who are now old. But the league seven, eight years ago, was not this. You could not go and I could not give you a chart and say, oh, all the mobile guys are

are two and oh. It was often the opposite. The guys that ran around a lot, you're like, yeah, they've got to be a pocket guy. I just think the league's changing. It's only two weeks, but we have evidence. I cannot consider the Saints a Super Bowl team. And as much as I like Brady, I think their story is really right now much more defense than offense. And I don't know if they ever click. I think they get better, but it's very tough in 2020 in the NFL to be old school and old. Catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1 and the IHeart Radio app. All right.

Just bring on my buddy last week. You know, sometimes, why do I bring him back? I mean, I just get criticized. It shows you that I must be very secure in myself because it's just, I sit here for 10 minutes and I'm a speed bag for Nick Wright, first things first, joining me, brought to you by Mercedes Ben's the best or nothing. So I think we're going to agree on the first thing. You know, people are so ridiculous.

Like even Michael Jordan didn't sweep series. Nobody sweeps anybody in the conference finals. That's stupid. So I don't really care that the Lakers lost last night. Do we agree on that? Yeah, of course we agree on that. Folks are out of their minds. Like, weird thing happens.

The most popular pick for this series was Lakers in either five or six. That means they're going to lose once or twice. Yet as soon as they lose, folks are like, oh my God, I think LeBron's old. He'd just hit that game winner, but he didn't have a rebound. Jeremy Grant, if he goes for damn near 30, again, they're in trouble. Here's a fun stat for you, Colin. In the last five years, there have only been three playoff winning streaks longer than the one the Lakers just ended.

The Warriors had one, obviously. The Cavs with LeBron had one, obviously. And, oddly enough, Joy Taylor's beloved Miami Heat had one earlier this year their first seven games. you don't go on five, six, seven, eight game winning streaks in the postseason. The Lakers didn't play well in the second half of game two and they escaped. They didn't play well for the first three and a half quarters yesterday and they, of course, didn't escape. They almost came back.

But they're going to be fine. They're going to win Thursday. I think remember when Moses Malone, Colin did foe, foe, foe, talking about the Sixers sweeping their way to the finals. I think the Lakers are going to go five, five, five, five, five. I think they're all going to be five game series this post season. I've been saying that for about a week now. I think the wins game is four and five and be fine. Yep, I agree.

Let me shift to Cam Newton. I'm just, I mean, listen, Cam drives me crazy. But here's what I like. You're wrong. I believe in structure. Antonio Brown is talent. He left great structure and he's no good. Where I'll give Cam credit, he is totally embracing.

Hey, I can be independent and do the Superman and be crazy outfits and have funny comments and ad lib. but he's buying the structure, right? This is why this is working. It's not because Cam's the world's get his quarterback. He's buying into the Patriot way. You can acknowledge that, right? No, I can't acknowledge that. I will acknowledge nothing on Cam Newton

until you stare straight down in the barrel of the camera one day and say, not only was I wrong about Cam Newton, but I deeply apologize to Cam and his family. Until you do that, I will give no, I will give not a single inch. This was a guy. who was just available. Your good, you know, it feels to me like you have good friends in the cult's organization.

They give Philip Rivers $25 million. You love that move. Cam's just sitting there hanging out. Chicago Bears, they trade a pick and then give Nick Foles 20-some million guaranteed. Oh, that's fine. Cam's just hanging out. Oh, is he healthy? I don't know.

Do you have access to Instagram? He was posted videos all summer look totally healthy. And now he's in New England and he's killing folks. First game he did it with his legs, second game he did it with his arms. And while he didn't score on that final one-yard run, it shouldn't have come down to that. If Julian Edelman can catch the perfectly placed, pardon me, touchdown pass, he threw two plays prior that Edelman just dropped. He's been awesome. He's been a great teammate.

He's been a leader. They're playing Kirk Franklin at Patriots practices. Everything's coming up New England somehow. and I hold you and others like you personally accountable for this even happening. The Patriots were supposed to stink. They were supposed to have Trevor. What's his name? Jared Stidham, pardon me.

They were supposed to be tanking for Trevor by playing Jared. But because you guys all depressed Cam Newton's value like you were insider trading on a stock, Belichick gets Cam Newton. It's infuriating. It's absolutely infuriating and you owe him an apology. Like it's insider trading. That's funny. Yeah, that laugh was of a man who maybe has done some,

and so that made me a little nervous how much that resonated with you. It is funny. Okay, let's go back to something we agree on. Listen, all the things everybody likes about Drew Breeze, Kirk Cousins has all of them. He was Kirk Cousins Monday. There was no pass rush from the Raiders, and he still kept dropping it off to his running backs.

I mean, Drew Breeze will win some games, but we agree. Like, it's Drew Breeze is, you can't win a Super Bowl, with that offense. You can't. Listen, he's old and he's showing it. He's one of the greatest quarterbacks ever. But, I mean, he's 41,

and an old 41, if such a thing exists. Like, he turns 42 during the playoffs this coming year. So I don't want to kill him for it because he's playing better than any 41-year-old not named Tom Brady has ever played, but that's still not very good.

But that's not the story with New Orleans. And I can't believe I feel like I'm just a one-man campaign to try to get people to start talking about this. The best player on their team the last three years is Michael Thomas. Why wasn't he out there Monday night? Because he suffered a high ankle sprain. Why did he suffer a high ankle sprain?

Because Sean Payton, who's known to be a bit of a jerk, not necessarily in a bad way, but a bit of a jerk, and like to run up the score and like to stick it to his opponent, Sean Payton, when they could have taken knees against the bucks, They were in a kneel down situation. He wanted to get to 40 points. They were at 34. He wanted to hang 40 on Tampa to remind them the division still goes through New Orleans.

And with a minute 20 left in an 11 point game at the 8-yard line with the Bucks having no timeouts, you're still running offense. And the best player in your team gets rolled up on. He missed last week. He's going to miss this week against the Packers. When he comes back, he won't be 100%. The Saints have put all their future salary cap. eggs in this year's basket. And the fact that it is now at least partially derailed because their coach was trying to run up

the score, we saw in week two, Colin, how brutal the NFL can be just regularly. You can lose guys at any given moment. If you have the ability to take knees, take the damn knees. Sean Payton did it. He's getting a pass for it. Michael Thomas should never have gotten injured. And especially with only one buy coming out of each conference this year. it severely hampers the Saints ability to compete for a championship this year.

Good take. By the way, I saw a column this morning kind of made me laugh. This whole let Russ cook thing, a columnist come out and said, let Dak cook. And I thought, oh, that's not really the same at all. All right, so Dag's put up through two games. He's, you know, 68% completions, a lot of yards. Are you moving off your criticism of DAC, which has been very consistent,

for three years now. Well, yeah, listen, I, I moved off it enough to pick them to go to the Super Bowl, even though I don't think he's going to be one of the 10 best quarterbacks in football. I think that I underrated DACs slightly, not drastically, but slightly. It does appear, and I've long been a Carson Wentz over that guy. Carson Wentz right now got to worry about being better than Daniel Jones, and then maybe he can compete with Dak the way he's playing so far. But, no, I mean, I don't think, I don't think, I don't think DAC is.

part of the problem in Dallas, far from it. And I think he is playing well and he's about to make a ton of money. But with all that said, let's let Russ cook. Russ is the second best player in the whole sport. Let's not conflate what Russ should be doing in that offense with a limited offensive line and a limited running game, the best way for Seattle to win. And the Cowboys, a good offensive line when they're healthy and Ezekiel Elliott. To me, those are two very, very different situations.

But yeah, listen, DAC has proven over the last couple years, I think he can be the quarterback of a really good team. And if Dallas gets their act together, maybe he will be this year. Yeah. Very good today. I think we can stop right there. We had two. Thank you. Can I say one more thing?

Just real quick. Sure. Just real quick. I have to say something, too. All right. The NBA already, for some reason or another, won't give me an awards vote. I submit a ballot. They send it back to me every year.

They just mock me. And now, I was talking. I'm not eligible to be in the virtual fans. And then I hear Joy Taylor say she's going to be in the virtual fans. I can't get a vote. I can't even be a virtual fan. The hell's going on. Well, who did I offend in the NBA office?

What's happening? All I do is rep the beautiful sport. And Joy's going to be there waving her heat pom-poms. I'm going to be watching from home again. This is what loyalty gets in. By the way, I was offered it and turned it down. I was. All right.

You're a bad friend. I'm leaving. You're a bad friend. I was a week ago. Bye-bye, everybody. That's Nick Wright. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific. I'm shocked by the cam thing.

Not going to apologize to him, as Nick Wright offered. But I am surprised by it. But what I like is a lot of players in professional sports do not understand the value of culture. And I said that earlier this week, talent without culture is what, Brown's career looks like right now or OBJ. Well, you've got all sorts of talent, but they're in cultures that historically are weird. Or, you know, Livian Bell, who I like. He went from the Steelers, great offensive line, great GM, great quarterback, didn't value

culture, went to the Jets, and look what he is now. And he's talented, but his career is irrelevant. OBJ is kind of irrelevant. AB right now is irrelevant. Cam's not, because Cam has the self-awareness. go, oh, this culture thing with my talent is really valuable. And he talked about this on Boston Radio yesterday. I do admire and love the culture of the Patriots.

And it's been a place for me that's been therapeutic. This is a place that has been kind of rather challenging for my growth and it's making me better. And also, you know, it has been a place that has given me everything for my need at this particular point of time in my life. So it's really cool. A very independent rock star is saying, you know what, I need the orchestra. And it's cool.

And I said this Monday morning when I came on. If this is the cam I got seven years ago, I'd be pro cam. I've always compared him to Westbrook. I'm not doubting the talent, but can you bring it down? Can you understand structure and culture? Otherwise, you're just talented guy running around. This is really cool. And I think most of us, and myself included, have thought this is a rental situation.

but there's a couple of things going on here. It may not be a rental situation. And can we at least, at least let's be honest about this. Belichick's the best coach Cam could get because he's the best coach in the world. So Cam being here may not be perfect for Belichick. Maybe it is. But it is perfect for Cam. This is where he could flourish.

You're never going to get better coaching, better defense, better structure. So I think deep down, Cam's like, I'm kind of digging this. This is pretty good. I like this. There's not a lot of places better for, I mean, Chicago could go pay them in the offseason, but the Bears have a history of dysfunction. You know, maybe the Colts could go out and pay them, but they got Phillip Rivers.

And, you know, I mean, they're not New England, right? A couple things working for Cam. Number one is New England appears to be way too good to get a top six-seven pick. They appear to be. Now, maybe the wheels come off, Edelman gets hurt. You know, maybe something happens, but they appear to be way too good. and their division appears to be, as usual, awful of dysfunction. Number one.

Number two is, never forget this. Cam was great against Belichick. He was two and oh against him. Look it up. When Cam signed with New England, it was that day or the next day I went to YouTube, and I went and watched the Patriot Panther games. Cam made him up. He couldn't stop Cam.

Two quarterbacks in this league, he's faced a handful of times. Russell Wilson and Cam, he couldn't stop him. Bill could not stop him. So in Bill's world, okay, he was really hard to defend. And oh, wow, it's like we don't miss Tom or anything. So, and even if Belichick thought he has had some injuries, I am running him a lot, it may not be a long story, wouldn't you love to have Cam Newton there and draft Justin Fields, who may drop to five or six, maybe you can move up to that?

I mean, you're not moving up to number one. I mean, you're just not. You're not, and New England's not going to be close to the number one pick, but if they ended up with the 11th or 12th, could you get a Trey Lance? Could you get a Justin Fields? You're not going to get Trevor Lawrence and have him sit behind Cam, an MVP and a pro for a few years? I don't know.

I just, this was always a rental to me, and now I look at it and I'm like, well, hell, New England's way too good to get a top six-seven pick. And by the way, the teams that need a quarterback are not going to let New England, you can give them nine picks. If you need a quarterback, you're going to get a quarterback. Just tough to think about. And I do like that he's embracing structure because I think talent without it, I've seen it my whole life. It's just out in the first round of the playoffs or you don't make the playoffs.

So this is interesting. This is a story that's really happening. The New York Giants hope that Daniel Jones' growing pains end soon. The organization's getting frustrated with him. Okay, now he's had 14 starts. And by the way, 14 starts with a fired coach and an unproven one. The hell? Just think about this, how the world's changed.

There's so many good young quarterbacks now, everybody's impatient. Eli Manning's third year, and Eli is going to be a Hall of Famer, third year in the league, he completed 57% of his throws, had a 77 quarterback rating, 24 TD's 18 picks. But Colin, he won a Super Bowl in his fourth year. Yeah, he led the NFL in interceptions and still completed less than 59% of his throws. Eli Manning took forever and ever. The guy had 60 interceptions, 70 interceptions, 80 interceptions, until he won a Super Bowl.

We're all like, okay, okay, okay. All right. Again, the Jets and the Giants are in a very interesting situation. The television ratings for both are in the tank, meaning they're not selling jerseys. Nobody's watching it. And when COVID ends, how do you know the stadiums? There's not much interest right now for either franchise. You don't know if you have the right coach.

You don't know if you have the right quarterback. My guess is right now in the NFL, Washington's defense is too good to not win three or four games in that crappy division. Jacksonville's offense is too good not to win three or four games in that dysfunctional division. The Jets don't look, look at their schedule. The Jets don't look like they got two wins on this schedule right now. And the Giants may be worse. At minimum, these teams have the top. two or three draft picks. From what I've seen through weeks one and two, these are horrible

football teams. Would you, let me ask you, Trevor Lawrence is available. Would you bail on Daniel Jones right now? Would you bail on Sam Darnold? Because Trevor Lawrence is the best quarterback prospect since Andrew Luck. That doesn't mean he's going to be as good as Lamar Jackson, but as a prospect, he's better. As a prospect, he's Andrew Luck. He's John Lowe. I've said, He is one of three college quarterbacks I've seen coming out. There's no miss. Elway was the first. Luck was the second.

He's the third. So even if you have a quarterback that you like Sam Darnold, and I think in the building they like Sam Darnold, he's not that, and he's not winning games, not with his coaching staff. So it's funny, I thought this morning, what would I do? I would move off Daniel Jones because although I've seen glimpses of competence, and glimpses of he's better than I thought,

I've seen no glimpses of great. Sam Darnold, I'd keep and I'd get a bevy of picks. You could get five picks. If you had the number one pick, you could easily get five, six, seven picks and, you know, substantiate your Darnal pick. Because with Darnold, though I've seen inconsistency, behind a bad offensive line and a suboptimal receiving core,

I have seen glimpses of great. I saw one of it this weekend. He had a touchdown throw. on the Jets website, there have been moments with Sam Darnold where he's like, this was a play this weekend. He is just running for his life and you're like, how did he do that? You get about two of those a game. I mean, watch it here.

This should not, this should be a sack. It's not a sack. He's going against his body. I mean, he gives you that stuff. And he gives it to you once or twice a Sunday with a battle line outside of left tackle and a suboptimal receiving court. And right now they have no running backs and a coach nobody likes. So I think I would stay with Darnold, and I would think about it, though.

I want to see the rest of Sam Darnold's season. This morning, I would keep Darnold and trade all the picks. And I'd get a bunch of picks. Because let's be honest, if there's a team that really needs them, there's not many left in the NFL. There's about four teams that need a quarterback. In New England this morning, you can't say they need a quarterback. Jacksonville, they'd take him, but they don't need one to score. They're scoring 2530 a game.

So it's very interesting. There's no marketable players right now in New York. I mean, who's marketable? Sequin's done. Who's marketable? Darnold's about it. And again, how marketable are you when you may be the worst football team in the league? I mean, they're a 10.5 point dog to the Colts who lost at Jacksonville.

That is a bad football team. One more herd? The herd streams 24 hours a day. seven days a week within the iHeart radio app search heard 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 ten days i'd put on ten 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 what you're saying. Yep, that's me, Clivert 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 Jek. And I'm Alex English.

Each episode, we pick a here, unpack what we'll be here. went down and tried 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, so.

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, 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, Keir Gaines, as we have real. conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, learn the hard way. Open your free iHeartRadio app. Search Learn the hard way and listen now.

We're going to play in best for last. Ready or not ready? We're two games in. Some things look pretty obvious. Joe Burrell's pretty good. Gardner Minchu's better than we thought. Tribisky's still struggling. There's other things that are not so obvious.

Is Dallas this much of a mess or will they get it together or the Rams this good? We're going to play ready or not ready with 10 different topics. Here we go, Joy. The 49ers are done for the season. Ready or not? Not ready. First of all, they still run the ball, top five running team. They don't turn it over.

They have one turnover this season. They're getting Garoppolo may play this weekend. And outside of Bosa's injuries, these are people that are coming back. Their schedule is actually fine for two or three weeks. They play the Giants this weekend. win. It's brutal week six through 13, but outside of Bosa, all these guys should return by week five or six. Justin Herbert should start for the Chargers, ready or not? I'm ready. Listen, I like Tyrod Taylor. He has one 300-plus-yard passing game in 47 career starts. Justin Herbert has one start and pass for 300

yards. This is an operation in the Chargers in Los Angeles between the Dodgers, between the Lakers, between the clippers, between the options for people, the beach, the mountains, doesn't have much of an identity. They're the second most popular NFL team in the same stadium. Herbert gives them juice. And just watch him. He's a big strong kid with a big arm can move. He's got a lot of burrow. He's got better arm than burrow. So let him play. The Jets should move on from Adam Gase, ready or not. ready yet, but in two weeks they play Denver at home. You better win that football game. They do have an egregious amount of wide receiver and running back injuries. They have no starters. Everybody's

hurt. Labian Bell, Jameson Crowder, Breschard Paraming, Denzel Mims. Now they're centers out. The Niners and the Jets literally have lost combined a dozen good players. But in two weeks, Denver at home without Drew Locke, if that game's not competitive, it's time to get rid of Russell Wilson will win his first MVP, ready or not. I'm ready. Remember the last two winners, Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes, have had great September's and got off to a lead. And as you know, MVP's about story. It's hard. I remember when Carson Palmer in college won it and nobody talked about him for the first seven weeks. And it was shocking because it was the last time I remember a Heisman winner that nobody discussed

three quarters through the season. Then he got really hot late and everybody and he won. usually the way the MVPs go, you get a lot of discussion early, you get a lead on the discussion, and you either pull away or you hold everybody off, and Russell's September is going to give him, plus the narrative he's never gotten involved. I would say he's easily the front runner. Tua should start for the Dolphins, ready or not?

Not ready. First of all, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Buffalo's a good team and the good defense. Ryan Fitzpatrick once again was pretty good against Buffalo's defense. so Ryan can play. Also, and this is one of the reasons I picked Miami to cover the spread last week, in fact, I thought they would win is this was a really good team at the end of last year. We like them. And through two games this year, New England, if you just play into this argument,

New England's better than we thought, why wouldn't I look Ryan Fitzpatrick? I got another five games with Ryan Fitzpatrick. This team is going in the right direction. Just the schedule softens up in October, November. then if Fitzpatrick struggles, we can move to it in. The Eagles will miss the playoffs, ready or not? I'm not ready to go there. First of all, last year they started one and two, and they made the playoffs.

This division's horrible, or at least in the conversation for one of the two weakest in the NFL. We've got a lot of runway here. You get a lot of time to fix your problems. Also, they're without three of their top five offensive linemen. it's why the Steelers last week struggled a lot against Denver despite facing Jeff Driscoll, but the Steelers were missing three offensive linemen. So let's let Philadelphia's offensive line get itself right physically.

Then I can make more proclamations and have more conviction on what's wrong with it. Right now, Carson Wentz is off. Just give me two or three more weeks. Let the offensive line get help. And they have the Bengals this week. Yeah. Browns need to trade O'Dell Beckham Jr. Ready or not?

I'm ready. Okay, D'Andre Hopkins, Kyler Murray, worked instantly. Like, it doesn't take this long. I mean, by the way, Tom Brady and Mike Evans, week two, it clicked. So Beckham has gone, O'Dell Beckham, Jr., 12 straight games without 100 plus receiving yards, five touchdowns in 18 games. Now remember, with the Giants, he had 44 touchdowns in 59 games. And we didn't think at the end Eli was giving him enough love.

So I just think they have so many weapons. They're really going to become a power running team. That's what Cleveland's going to become. They're a power running team. I think they'll do very well. And so I just think they've got some issues on the back end of their defense right now. You could solve. Don't, don't kid me.

There's several teams in this league. I think Seattle and OBJ, New England, if you gave Cam one vertical threat, New England's a handful. There are people in OBJ. and OBJ, to his credit, has not been disruptive. He's been a good team player. I don't feel this situation where, oh, he's got to blow up this culture. O'PJ wants to win games and make catches.

When he goes into infrastructures that are a little loose, like the Giants of the end in Cleveland, he struggles with that. Brady shouldn't have left Belichick, ready or not. That's slow down. First of all, Mike Evans had a hamstring first week. Chris Godwin last week missed concussion protocol. Gronks just out of retirement. Let's let it work.

And also, again, as I said with Carson Wentz, if the Saints lose to the Packers this week, we know Carolina's rebuilding, and we know Atlanta's kind of a mess, and Dan Quinn's about to get canned, if the Saints lose this weekend, Tom's in first place if he wins, and this is not,

this division is not quite as good as we thought it would be. So we got time here to let this thing bake and work out. The Packers are Super Bowl content. ready or not. I know what you're going to say? You hate Aaron Rogers. I'm not ready. Minnesota's not good at all.

In fact, Mike Zimmer's on the hot seat now. They replaced, they lost two corners, their best pass rusher, and they've had injuries. And then they played Detroit. Well, I mean, they're a mess. Detroit's a mess. Matt Patricia's done. So give me two more weeks. By the way, their schedule coming up at Saints, at Bucks, at Niners, then we'll know more.

Cam is a good fit with the Patriots, ready or not. Yeah, I mean, I'm ready. Listen, the Julian Edelman-Cam thing was so good. You have to literally have blinders on or be anti-CAM to not acknowledge. Nikiel, Harry, and Cam works, and Edelman and Cam works. It's like, okay, if I can get those two to work, it's going to work. Because I know the defense is good, and I know they'll run with Cam. Derek Carr is the quarterback of the future for the Raiders.

Yes, let me give you a stat on Derek Carr. Third downs matter. He has 141 passer rating on third down this year. Derek Carr weapons at work. Stop hating. Derek Carr can play. Derek Carr can wing it. 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 Acapella 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 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 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's 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 offers. Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s. It 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.

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, 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 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. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.