The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Blazing 5 - Week 3

Episode Date: September 26, 2020

Colin talks with RJ Bell of Pregame.com & Fox Sports Radio about his Blazing 5 picks to find out which ones the sharps in Vegas agree or disagree with. This week's games:Rams @ BillsRaiders @ PatriotsBengals @ EaglesTexans @ SteelersBuccaneers @ BroncosPlus, Colin gives out a bonus pick not in his Blazing 5 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. 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 Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok's podcast network on TikTok. On the Look Back at it podcast.

For 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 authors. Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s. 84 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. Hi, everybody, a Saturday morning podcast. RJ Bell has been really hot so far. I'm 4 and 6 on the year. Pregame.com, the founder, RJ Bell also. You hear them on radio every day. Fox Sports Radio. All right, everybody, before we get to RJ Bell, here's my Blazing Five.

That's a hot one. Let's blaze it up. Fire it up. It's Collins, Blazing Five. Rams at Bills. I'll take the Bills minus two and a half. This is a really strong play. Like it, I love it.

Buffalo is a home favorite. It's 12 and 2 in the last three years. When they have momentum in the right team, they're pretty darn good. They're the only team in the league, top five off. defense and defense. You see on the screen there the improvement of young Josh Allen. Only the Patriots allow fewer points per game than the bills since the start of last year. And their run defense is absolutely exceptional. And that's what the Rams rely on. The Rams will not run it like they have the first two weeks forcing Jared Goff on the road to throw more than he's

comfortable with. I'm taking the bills minus two and a half to win 27, 21. Raiders at Patriots. I'll take New England, the number now minus five and a half Patriots. Oh, by the way, the best team in the NFL, New England, after a loss, 27 and 8 in the last decade. Easily the best in the league, all right? The Raiders are on a short week. They played Monday Night Football, half to travel cross country, maybe the biggest Raider winning years, highly emotional. and the Raiders do something very poorly.

They allow six and a half yards of play. They don't give a ton over the top, but you can slice them up six yards at a time. What does Cam and the New England offense do well? Get six yards at a time. New England's not going to burn you over the top much. They don't have a vertical threat. This will be a dominant New England time of possession game.

Cam, six yards. Nikiel Harry, Edelman, They'll six yard, the Raiders to death. I take the Patriots, winning by more than a field goal. 34 to 26. Bengals and Eagles. Upset of the week, I'm taking Cincinnati plus five. Remember, no fans in Philadelphia.

This is not the same Philadelphia for a young quarterback Joe Burrow. He's not facing a rowdy eagle crowd. He's getting five points. And Cincinnati played on Thursday. So the young quarterback gets three extra days of prep. Carson Wentz has been all over the board in the last six games. Eight sacks, four picks this year, both tied for the most of any quarterback. I don't know if Philadelphia's locker room is good.

They also have the most giveaways this year. This is a Philadelphia team that is in flux. It is a strangely confident Owen 2 Bingle team that feels great about itself. They upset the Eagles in the fanless stadium in Philadelphia. 2724 Cincinnati. Texans at Steelers. I love Houston plus four and a half in this spot. Not sure they win the game, but think about this.

So we're judging Houston because they lost to Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson. Everybody's going to lose to Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson. The Steelers still make too many mistakes. They have at least one giveaway in 25 straight games, at least one. their offense, now this, a lot of this is backup quarterbacks, but the Steelers offensive line run blocking this year has been atrocious. What does that mean? You're going to give to Sean Watson 12, 13, 14 possessions,

and the number here is just simply too big. Houston's going to feel desperate. They've lost a great team. Pittsburgh is not a great team. They're a talented but limited flawed team. Pittsburgh wins, but I'm taking the four and a half points, 27, 26 Steelers. Bucks at Broncos. Like it, I love it.

Tampa Bay minus six. Does everybody understand? Here's what the Broncos are since the start of last season when Drew Locke doesn't play. Three and eight. They have a winning record when he does play. They're not a good football team. They can't score without it. Nine touchdown seven picks.

Jeff Driscoll's one in seven as a starter. But this is about defense. New England has totally shut down Alvin Kamara. Last week, they shut down Christian McCaffrey. What are the Broncos right now offensively if they can't run the football? They're Jeff Driscoll. Tom, a lot of times a touchdown favorite goes on the road as a little laxadaisical. Nobody's focused like Tampa Bay right now.

they think they are not playing well, and their defense has actually been absolutely on fire. I think this game could get ugly by the second half. I'll go Bucks 2717. I think I'm being a little conservative on that. I think we could have ourselves a blowout, but I will take Tampa Bay and Tom Brady TB to win and cover. So here we go in our Saturday podcast.

This is one of my stronger plays. I'll start with this. Rams at the Bills, Buffalo minus two and a half, I love Buffalo in this spot. First of all, go back three years. They're 12 and 2 as a home favorite. Secondly, they're the only team in the NFL that's top five offense and defense. In fact, only the Patriots have allowed fewer points a game than the bills since 2019.

I'll easily at home lay the two and a half. I like the bills here to win by a touchdown. Wise guys agree or disagree. Agreement. And let's think about this Rams team. there was a sense entering the year that it was over for the Rams, that it was a failure, that the GM and the decisions that were made by the Rams just killed this team.

I generally agree with that, but this is the last year. They're probably going to be viable, meaning these contracts, Ramsey, all these contracts are going to be a problem. This year, though, not so much of a problem. They're thin, but viable. But even so, week one wasn't that long ago. Week one, the Rams were a three-point home underdog, home against the Cowboys.

Now, they're an even team versus the bills. Now, by the way, in that Cowboys game late in the week, a lot of Rams money came in. But for multiple months, the Rams were plus three at home, and no one was all that excited about it. That's why they were plus three. I think McVeigh's schemes are awesome. There's some element of surprise.

Now it's week three. I'm not sure there's much surprise left, and McDermott is a great coach. Funky travel, funky travel for the Rams. They were supposed to go play Philly, stay back east, then play Buffalo. They decided late to fly back and then back again. Another advantage for Buffalo. Last thing. The bills have actually been up at halftime in these two games combined, 38 to 13.

and their yardage edge, 260 yards, and their negative turnovers on the season, meaning the bills have had a lot of things go against them. They're still winning agreement bills. Okay, this is my second favorite pick. New England minus six and a half hosting the Raiders. First of all, the obvious stuff. The Raiders are on a short week, then have to travel all the way out east. Big Advantage Patriots.

Secondly, the Raiders have one major issue. They allow almost 6.7 yards of play. The Patriots may not have a great vertical threat, but with Cam Newton, what we know they can do, we saw it against Seattle and Miami, is pick up five and six yard chunks at will. The Patriot strength is the Raiders' weakness. They're going to own the clock,

control the line of scrimmage, may not get a lot of over-the-top plays. They're not built for that right now in New England. They have no vertical component receiver or tight end, but I'm going to take the Patriots, comfortably here minus six and a half. What do the wise guys think? Okay, agreement, but I have one caveat,

which is just later this week, late in this week, there was some sharp money on the Raiders and it moved this line to five and a half. So one, you know, five and a half obviously lay and it's better, but two, sharp money in a spot that's not obvious.

But that said, I see what you see. One, I'm Belichek. I mean, just history tells us that. Two, how does Belichick tend to win these games? He usually exploits the weakness on the other team. And Gruden, let's give him credit, has been able to hide some weaknesses. But man, oh man, against Belichick, I don't think he's able to.

And by the way, awful loss. Because though Cam played well, a lot of optimism off out Seattle game. What's Belichick off a loss? Since 2003, 69% against the spread the next game. 40 and 18. That's insane. Yeah, he does not like to lose. And you mentioned the short week and all that,

but also a very emotional win on Monday night, first game in Las Vegas. So at five and a half especially, agreement, Patriots. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented.

it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care which I'm saying. Yep, that's me, 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 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 a little kill? 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 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, 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, 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, is we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, Learn the Hardway. Open your free iHeartRadio app. Search Learn the Hardway and listen now. Okay, Bengals at the Eagles.

What is the line currently, RJ? That one's six and a half for six or so. So I think you're in the right range. I're at six and a half. Okay. So I like Cincinnati in the points. I think the Philadelphia Eagles have internal issues, offensive issues, and I think they have turnover issues. I think Cincinnati has got three extra days to prepare.

So they played on Thursday. So this is a team that's very well-rusted, healthier with a very confident, capable young quarterback. Philadelphia right now is, if it wasn't, for like the Jets and the Giants. Philadelphia is a bad football team. And I do think it's hard to face an offensive capable team getting almost a touchdown. Again, this is not Philadelphia in November. Weather is not an issue. This is my upset of the week. I'm going to go Bengals 27, 24. What are the wise guys think? And by the way, looking at the updated odds, and I had a little bit of a brain spasm there. Bengals are down to four and a half in this game. So Eagles, four and a half, which

means, if anything, Colin, a lot of sharp money on the Bengals here. Here's one thing that confuses me on this game. And I'm going to do a slight disagreement with you. And here's why. But there's one thing that makes me lean. Well, let me just say it like this. Teams that are 0 and 2 straight up and 02 against the spread. So that's Philadelphia. You lose both games and you don't cover either of them. The last 30 years, 61 percent. against the spread. So you're thinking, oh my gosh, well, that's Eagles all the way then, right? Because, I mean, they're going to redeem themselves. They're going to be focused. But those teams that were favored actually are about 500. So on one hand, I could say, oh, it's a

great trend. On the other hand, I could say, yeah, but just for the underdogs. And I think that's maybe the point here is, do you believe, and let me ask you, do you believe that the, Humping enough to go in because Burroughs been impressive. I agree with you against an Eagles team that, quite frankly, there's seasons on the line. Do you really think come Monday that Philly season is going to be over? I guess I know you're a big fan of Wednesday. The division is so bad. I don't think it will be.

I think this division is going to. Yeah, I mean, I think Dallas is going to lose this weekend. The Giants are going to lose. So I don't think O and three in this division, the worst in football. O and three in most divisions, it's over. I just don't think in this one. Yeah, I think in Philly, though, who knows? They might be over because they burn down the building around the Eagles.

So I'll say this. I'm going to go slight. This is a close one for me, obviously. I'm going to go slight disagreement, but I will say this. The sharp money so far this week has brought it from six and a half to four and a half. So they agree with you there. At this number, slight disagreement. I'm going to take the Texans plus four and a half at the Steelers,

and here's why. I think this is a value play. The Texans have faced Patrick Mahomes and they've faced Lamar Jackson. Those are probably the two best teams in the league. Deshawn Watson, after a loss last year, was magnificent. He was 5'0 and 114 quarterback rating. This is still an incredibly gifted quarterback,

and this is a team with talent. The Steelers' offense is very, interesting. They're all banged up, first of all, in the offensive line. Secondly, they have one plus giveaway in 25 straight games. They're still sloppy. And their offense, I watched them last week. It's just out of sync. It's not great with details. They could not put away Jeff Driscoll with that defense. So this is a value play for me. I think Pittsburgh wins by a point or two, but I'm going to take the four and a half here. No fans, no great home field advantage. and I just think Houston looks so bad

because they face Baltimore and Kansas City. I'm going to give you an agreement here. I thought you were going Steelers. I'm happy about this. This line, though, what a story this line tells is, let's say Homefield is two during COVID with, you know, the limited fans or no fans in many cases. So this means Texans are only two points worse than the Steelers.

That's showing an 0-and-2 team a ton of respect. I think you're right about that. You know, by the way, this is another team, Houston, that falls into the 0-2-0-2. 0-2 straight up, 0-2 against the spread. Now, here's what's beautiful, though. They're an underdog. So you literally have a 61% 30-year trend backing you up. By the way, Houston against the two best teams in football, only outgain combined by 112 yards.

Yeah, no, they haven't finished well. Again, I don't know if it's a brilliantly coached team. But let's be honest about this. We all love Deshawn Watson. I'm still, I'm not sure right now with the ability for Pittsburgh to consistently run the ball. I just have a lot of questions about Pittsburgh. I just, four and a half with no home fans feels like a ton of points for a star quarterback. Yeah.

And again, remember the Watson had a win total entering the year of seven and a half on Houston. So there has been pessimism in general. you mentioned something that was so on, I think. If you look at pro football focus, they grade offensive lines and their ability to run block. Number 32 run blocking team in the NFL, the worst, Pittsburgh.

Wow. And last thing, Houston, minus three in turnovers, minus three in turnovers on the year. So to be against the two best teams to be minus three means if they were plus three, they probably have won at least one of those games. In general, turnovers, even out

throughout the year. Yeah. So they were minus three, but they only were out game by 100 or so yards. So Houston played better than it seems. O and two, trend, agreement, Houston. All right. I'm going to take Tom Brady for the second week in a row with a big number. I'm going to take Tampa Bay minus six.

And everybody says Tom doesn't play well in Denver. But this is interesting. If you go back to the start of last year, Denver is bad when Drew Locke doesn't start. They're three and eight. Now, they have a winning record, four and three with him. But they're a bad team without it. Jeff Driscoll is one in seven as a starter in the NFL. That's the worst record of any quarterback with eight plus starts since 2018.

And here's the story of Tampa. Their defense, eight consecutive games holding opponents under 100 rushing yards, they force Jeff Driscoll to throw. I'm going to take Tampa winning by 10. What are the wise guys think? This is going to surprise because this is. is probably not sharp, but I'm going to give you agreement here, and here's why. We've talked about this trend for years, which is road favorites off a buy do exceptionally well.

Now, you might say, RJ, there's no buy here, except what does a buy do? A buy says you're focused because you had the week off, and the main fear on road favorites is they're not going to be focused. There's so much better than the team, they're not focused. Well, we know Tampa Bay is going to be focused here. Brady's not happy with how the, you're not going to be focused here. Brady's not happy with how he's playing. So if you have the focus, that's a big thing with road favorites. And this is my favorite insider tip of the week. Driscoll, he's been bad, but not horrible, but he holds the ball too much.

In his career, a 9% sack rate. Literally about one out of 10 times he goes back to pass, he gets sacked against Pittsburgh. It was a 15% sack rate. Tampa Bay has the fourth best pressure line, pressure generating. team in the NFL, I'm going to predict you're going to hear something like, oh, my God, a strip sack, Driscoll goes down. And if so, this game's a sweet game because if we get one strip sack, we know we got it. And last thing, Denver, lost Von Miller not that long ago.

Now you lose not only Locke for some time, but Cortland Sutton. Yes. I think emotionally it's a tough spot for Denver. Agreement Tampa. 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. A win is a win. A win is a win.

I don't care what I'll say. 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, or wherever you get your

podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tapped Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do with Little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam Jett.

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 y'all know. I mean, at this point, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack. So I'm starting to see there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now.

Thank you finishing that sentence. 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

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

RJ Bell, founder, pregame.com. Check it out. Also, of course, straight out of Vegas. Every day, Fox Sports Radio Monday through Friday. Okay, this is the game. It's the bonus pick. And we always give, you know, we give our kids who listen a little dessert at the end of the meet. So this is a game, is that I considered strongly.

My bonus pick is something I considered strongly. I generally don't like picking Monday Night Football Games. There's a lot of reasons. It's the only game. There's a different pressure to it. And I just, I, you know, initially I think they, betters used to use this as the catch-up game, right? Oh, bailout, bail-out game.

Yeah, I just, I mostly stay away from Monday Night Football games. They're the only game. There's a unique pressure in some teams fold. Like Kirk Cousins can't win. He's a good quarterback. He's awful on Monday Net football. So I would take the Ravens minus four here. I would take the favorite.

25 straight games with over 100 rushing yards. I believe the way to beat Mahomes is keep him off the field. And I think Baltimore's offense will keep him off the field. So I would have taken Baltimore minus four, you know, to win by about a touchdown in a highly competitive game. What would the wise guys have said about my bonus pick? Hate that game. Disagreement, biggest disagreement of the week. And think of it like this, Colin.

If you look at Lamar Jackson against everyone except Kansas City in the regular season, he's 21 and 1. against Kansas City, he's 0 and 2. It could be a coincidence. Andy Reid, though, a hack of a coach, and Harbaugh usually out schemes the opponents. I also think the following, and this is going to be under-discussed Monday, we'll get ahead of it,

which is there's only one number one seed in each conference this year. This game effectively is for the number one seed. What you could say is maybe Baltimore has more of a statement to make Kansas City might rest on their Super Bowl, Bowl trophy, but Kansas City does not want to go to Baltimore in the conference final, and they don't want to play the first weekend if they can avoid it. I think you get full effort from both

teams. We're getting over a field goal. Love the Chiefs. You know, it's interesting. Here's what worries me about Kansas City, and this is like a disturbing trend. Four of their last five wins for Kansas City have come after trailing by 10 plus points at some point. They're a very good come from behind team, but I do worry. If I could bet this game, I'd bet Baltimore scores first. They're a quick starting team, and Kansas City is a slow starting team. What I worry about is Baltimore's got a lead late and the ball. And it's just Kansas City is getting kind of into a habit, RJ, of just kind of kicking

it around. Pete Carroll's teams do this too much, that they just kind of, they just kind of roll it out, and then at half time he makes adjustments, and you ask Russell Wilson to be, you know, save the franchise. Now, this year, they haven't been like that. But it's always driven me nuts about Pete Carroll. He's a great adjuster. But Annie Reed's teams now are getting into big holes. Does that worry you at all? Well, first, I would say Pete Carroll, this year, he's been totally different. Yes, this year is an aberration for him. Yeah, and the question is, is he going to keep it up? Because if so, the analytics guys love the aggression they're showing early.

Here's what I wonder, and you watch these games very closely. I don't take too much of my watching the game in account. I try to block that out because I think that I'm not a professional at that, and like scouts are. And I know you've gotten away a perspective of a scout, which I'm always interested to hear your thoughts, is do you feel like it's Kansas City being laxadaisical, making mistakes that are schematic early,

let's say one or the other? Or is it, hey, things just went against them, and they were able to come back because to me, being able to come back is a great advantage. I just don't want them doing something deficient that puts them behind more times than not. So how do you see it? What do you think the cause is? Well, my cause would be this. People forget this.

It was either passer rating or completion percentage. Patrick Mahomes was 11th in the NFL last year. He is still ascending and developing as a pocket passer. He acknowledges. He just started being. able to read a defense last year. He's a kid. He is a kid. And he still can be really loose. And so I think when he's at his best, he's trailing. They put the ball in his hands and they say, go be magic. It's often when Russell Wilson's at his best. But I still think Mahomes leaves a lot

on the table and makes a lot of mistakes. And I think teams come out with defensive game plans and different looks. And I think he can struggle early in games. Because I don't, think overall he's the quarterback of Russell Wilson today. I just think he's a better quarterback talent than anybody I've seen in a decade. So I do think you can still flummox him early in games as he's learning the position at the line of scrimmage. I guess in that case, you've got to wonder playing Baltimore so much, does that help Kansas City? Or does it help Baltimore because they've seen him now so many times and Noah's weaknesses? But is there that many weaknesses or is it him being laxidaisical? And if anything, Lamar seems like the one,

if you get more familiar with, it's an advantage. But you know what? This is why the NFL is so amazing. I will say this. Here's why I don't think you can like Baltimore. I think you can not like Kansas City, but here's why I don't think you can finally like Baltimore. Is the line in this game last week,

so the look ahead was two and a half. The only thing that happened was Baltimore played one good game and Kansas City had a, let's say, bad game on the road against a very talented Chargers team. and then the line jumps from two and a half to three and a half. To me, that's the value. If this game was two and a half, I'd pass it. Three and a half, I think the value is KC.

Very good stuff. His name is R.J. Bell. At RJ in Vegas is his Twitter account. Pregame.com is the site. Straight out of Vegas is the radio show. We hope, as always, you enjoy our Saturday podcast. RJ, good talking to you. Well, when it's five minutes late, everyone on Twitter is going crazy,

so they must enjoy it, Colin. Thank you. 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. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying.

Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifers Show. This is a place for raw, unfills of conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to the 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. On the Look Back at it podcast. For 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 here, 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. I mean, 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. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.