The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Colin Cowherd Podcast - Big Ben's Bad, The Brady Way and Cowboys Big Week 2 Win Reaction with Matt Mosley

Episode Date: September 20, 2021

Colin reacts to a wild Week 2 NFL Sunday. Hear why Big Ben's days with the Steelers should be numbered (3:00), why Sam Darnold's Carolina reboot is an indictment of the Jets (5:00), the biggest mistake the Dolphins have made since drafting Tua (8:00), and the new mind-blowing Tom Brady stat that should terrify the NFL. Then, longtime Dallas Cowboys writer - and host of The Doomsday Podcast - Matt Mosley and Colin discuss Mike McCarthy's questionable time management (23:00), why Justin Herbert reminds Matt of the early Troy Aikman years (25:00), why the Cowboys look much different than last year (28:00), how Tony Pollard is taking the spotlight from Zeke (31:00), how Dallas stacks up against the NFC East (36:00), and which coach on the Cowboys staff has become a major in-game liability (38:00). Make sure you follow Colin and The Volume on Twitter and YouTube for the latest content and updates and check out FanDuel for the best wagering and daily fantasy action! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The volume. 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. Hey, what's good, y'all? You're listening to Learn the Hard Way with your favorite therapist and host, Kear Games. This space is about black men's experiences, having honest conversations that it's really not safe to have anywhere, but you're having them with a licensed professional who knows what he's doing. How many men carry a suit or armor.

It signals to the world that you're not to be played with. And just because you have the capability that doesn't. not mean that you need to. Listen to learn the hard way on the AHA radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. On the Look Back at it podcast. From 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84 was big to me.

I'm Sam Jay. 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 IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Your Valentine's Day shouldn't start with a Hail Mary. We've got you covered on the big day when you order flowers and gifts from Proflowers early this year. Head on over to Proflowers.com to get 15% off our entire collection of blooms, gifts and more for your cutie with promo code Crush 15 until February 14. The clock is running out, so don't wait until everyone's rushing the field for those last minute. gifts on February 14th. Be the MVP this Valentine's Day and go to proflowers.com to save 15% with code Crush 15 at checkout. See website for more details. Colin Cowherd podcast brought to you by FanDuel. It's never been easier to play fantasy on FanDuel. Whether you love basketball, golf,

soccer, or any fantasy sport. There is a contest for every fan. Fan duel. More ways to win. Hi everybody and welcome to the Monday morning podcast. So a lot to talk about. I want to touch on four things before I get to the Cowboys Chargers game. A lot to talk about in that game with Matt Mosley, who's been covering the Cowboys for 15 plus years. I want to start with the Steelers. It is week two. And it's understood that veteran quarterbacks over the course of a season get arm fatigue. They get hit a few times.

What you're concerned about with an older Brady, you know, Breeze in his last couple of years, Philip Rivers is, how are they post Thanksgiving? They're usually pretty fresh early. It is week two, and Big Ben looks like something from the Jurassic era. He has no mobility. He has never been good pre-snap. The Steeder's offense with a rebuilding offensive line is basically throw it deep to chase Claypool and cross your fingers. Naji Harris appears to be a really nice player.

But this offense, I mean, Big Ben through two games, I mean, folks, he's completed 40. 35 a 75 passes, a couple of touchdowns a pick. This is not a team that can get to the playoffs. As good as that defensive front seven is, they were taken apart by Derek Carr. If you watch that Steeders Raiders game, Derek Carr was so far superior playing on the road to Big Ben. Accuracy, deep ball, managing the line of scrimmage, and the Steeler operation has coddled Big Ben. So they really haven't, over the last two or three years, aggressively drafted an elite quarterback in the first or second round. Green Bay did, and Aaron Rogers showed a slight decline.

Even Tampa last year, second round, they're going to go get somebody and Brady won a Super Bowl. The Steelers right now are not close to a Super Bowl team with this offense. And if you watch that game, Derek Carr was so much better than Big Ben. It was embarrassing if you're a Steeler fan. I want to talk about the best young coach in football, and it's not necessarily Sean McVeigh. It's clear that it's not only an indictment on the New York Jets operation, but what you're seeing with Sam Darnold in the Carolina Panthers is pretty remarkable.

The knock on Darnold out of college, they're two and O with two comfortable wins, but the knock on Darnold out of college, and I watched every snap, was his accuracy issues. What is he completing now? 70% of his throws. He doesn't make the mistakes. Total composure. It would be easy to just say this is an indictment on the Jets. But instead of just the negative side, let's look realistically at the positive side.

Not only has Matt Rule made Darnold more comfortable, this defense has 21 quarterback hits and 10 sacks in two games. What does that tell you? The culture of the Carolina Panthers is headed in the right direction. It also tells you this is a remarkable stat on Matt Rule the coach of Carolina. Going back to the beginning of last year, you will not believe this. Carolina leads the NFL with the fewest three and outs. That's with Teddy Bridgewater and a start with Sam Arnold. Now think about that.

Not Mahomes, not Lamar Jackson, not Don Brady, not Derek Carr, not Matt Ryan, not Russell Wilson, not Aaron Rogers. No, the fewest three in outs. Matt Rule, Teddy Bridgewater, and Sam Darnold. But this is a offensive line that outside of right tackle graded poorly, left tackle all the way to right guard. What Matt Rule is doing with this suboptimal offensive line, the scarce number of three and outs, the revamping, rebooting of Sam Darnold is really mind blowing. You know, you hire these college coaches and you cross your fingers. really know, but he appears to be a, I know it's early. You know, I know it's like 18 games, but watching Sam Darnold play the comfort in which he plays the position now is stark.

It is obvious. Third thing I want to talk about. I like two out of college and then before he started, I went on the air and said, I think two is going to be a big miss. My belief with quarterback's is you got to give me some special size mobility arm something Joe Burrow swag confidence so I said before Tua really played I said I just don't see it I think he's going to be a miss and in the NFL it's always sort of understood that a GM who drafts a quarterback in the first round does not want to acknowledge I missed on my quarterback the Arizona Cardinals GM Steve Kime deserves a lot a credit. They went and got Josh Rosen and the following year, Steve Kime put his ego aside and went and drafted Kyler Murray, acknowledging I whiffed on our first pick. Well, Kyler Murray has

obviously been an MVP-level home run selection. But I said the dolphins had done a great job. Chris Greer, the GM and Brian Flores, but I think they missed on their quarterback. And last year was a great quarterback class. And I said, I think they have to acknowledge. we kind of whiffed on the quarterback. I mean, Tua was six and three, but threw for under 200 yards multiple times. Injury history, small. You know, he's an accurate thrower when a play is designed perfectly, but that's like saying your house has a good foundation.

That's the minimum you need to have a house. Like the foundation has to be solid or you pick the wrong house. Accuracy is important, but it's sort of a given in this league. But the other thing to think about is Bill Pullian told me this years ago, that when he drafted Peyton Manning, it changed the way he drafted for years after that. He said, we knew with Peyton Manning we'd be playing with the lead. So we went and drafted pass rushers, knowing that we would have second half leads for most of our games. You also have to draft based on what's in your division.

If you're in the Seahawks division and Arizona's division and you face Russell Wilson twice a year and Kyler Murray twice a year. You know, the Rams need to realize we have to draft athletic linebackers and athletic defensive linemen. We have two of the cageous, most active mobile quarterbacks in the league. When I'm Miami and I look at Josh Allen walk into my place, forget the score, forget the domination. You knew last year before the draft how gifted Josh Allen was. 6-6, huge top two, three arm in the league, great mobility. Now think about that. Over the next 10 years, you'll face Josh Allen minimum 20 times.

If Tua is your quarterback, you will go into those games 20 for 20 at a decided athletic size and arm disadvantage. I think the Dolvin's made a big mistake not drafting another quarterback to watch Josh Allen pick apart that Miami defense. And nobody blames athletes for getting hurt. Tua got hurt again. But this has been the stigma with Tewa. his health. He's a smaller athlete. And we know this. I mean, Big Ben, Cam, Justin Herbert, they can take more hits. He got sacked a couple of times yesterday. He got hitting the ribs. Two is out. So the injury question surfaces again. Miami has done virtually everything right.

But in this league, if you get the quarterback wrong, it doesn't matter. I want to talk about this. We always talk. about how hard it is to find the right quarterback. But I want to talk about the Titans and the Atlanta Falcons and Arthur Smith, who was the offensive coordinator for Tennessee, took a job with Atlanta. That if I said to you who are the top seven to eight coaches in the league, virtually all of them would be veteran coaches, John Harbaugh, Pete Carroll, Bill Belichick, Sean Peyton, Andy Reed, overwhelmingly older guys.

Why? Because you think quarterbacks are a roll of the dice. about 25% of coordinators named head coach hit. Sean McVeigh hit. Sean McDermott hit. Brian Flores, I believe, hit. Arthur Smith is a fascinating test because clearly Ryan Tannahill is struggling without Arthur as his OC. So the Titans did beat Seattle, but Tannihill had no touchdowns, and Derek Henry was mostly the entire

offense. Regardless of the win, Tannehill does not look the same as he did the previous two years with Arthur Smith. But he goes to Atlanta, and this Atlanta team has real offensive weapons. Russell Gage, Mike Davis, the running back, Kyle Pitts, Calvin Ridley, Matt Ryan has been an MVP. Two ugly blowout losses. This organization, Atlanta, looks completely lost. And, you know, it points to something that we know this in our politics. There are just vice presidents who are not presidential. And I look at Arthur Smith and two people suffered, Atlanta and Tennessee. Right now, Atlanta is in the running with the Jets and the Jags as the worst team I've seen so far.

Also wanted to throw this out about Tom Brady. During the offseason, Russell Wilson put his name out there for several teams. that he would be willing to go to. And there was this argument or debate, how many first round picks with Russell Wilson be worth? Well, obviously, if you look at the mayhem in Chicago with Andy Dalton, Justin Fields, Matt Nagy's probably not going to make it through. The GM's going to get fired.

Russell Wilson would be worth, despite his loss yesterday. It would be worth, to me, five first round picks. But I find it fascinating watching Tom Brady. How small the market was for Tom Brady. Do you realize Brady with 14 more touchdown passes will end up with more touchdowns in his 40s than in his 20s? Now, what does that mean? Is he better than he was in his 20s? No, the game has changed.

And it is remarkable that only the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the L.A. Chargers, this was pre-Justin Herbert draft, were aggressively pursuing him. Now, those are two of the best GMs in the league, Tom Telesco of the Chargers and Jason Light of the Bucks. But it's pretty remarkable that in an offensive league, when we know the value of the quarterbacks, that only two teams made a run at the greatest quarterback of our lives. And, you know, the thing that's amazing about what quarterbacks do. Now, again, Russell Wilson lost yesterday, but Pete Carroll had been fired twice and had a losing record in season. Seattle. And if he stays coaching three to four more years, he will end up in Canton as a Hall of Fame coach because of Russell Wilson. Did anybody talk about Jason Light, the GM of the Buccaneers before Brady got there? Now we laud him as one of the great talent evaluators in the industry.

Bruce Ariens, retired, did broadcasting. That didn't work. Goes to Tampa struggling. And now Bruce Ariens, if he wins another, we'll wear a gold jacket. If you get the the quarterback right. Everything else just works. Look at how we view Tampa this morning, the GM, the coach. Look at how we view Antonio Brown. It's remarkable. Only two teams aggressively pursued Tom Brady. And again, he's going to end up with more touchdown passes in his 40s than his 20s. I don't think he's as good as he was in his late 20s. But the game has so changed the rules are so offensive-minded that from this point forward, when we get into these discussions about what is a quarterback worth? Well, forget the ownership position on merchandise sales and

television appearances. I mean, that Buccaneers now are a prime time team. They're going to double to triple their merchandise sales if you own it. But there really is no cap on what Tom Brady is worth. You tell me, what is he worth to the Glacers? What is he worth to Jason Light? What is he worth to Bruce Ariens? Is he worth a gold jacket? Russell Wilson's going to get Pete Carroll a gold jacket. Tom Brady is going to get Bruce Ariens with another title, a gold jacket.

And so anytime we get into these discussions, how much can you give up? How much is this aging quarterback worth? It's like the old commercial, priceless. There is no market for what Brady's worth. There is no market for what Russell Wilson has done to Pete Carroll and John Schneider's legacy. I just watched Brady and I think to myself retire. To what? A beach?

I mean, Tom Brady right now, I watched him against Atlanta. And my takeaway is Brady not only chose the right franchise in terms of weapons. They obviously had, you know, Tom, when he interview with Jason Light, came out and said, Listen, I know Chris Godwin, you know, I know Mike Evans, you guys do need a right tackle. I mean, he told them what they needed. But it is almost as if this is why people retire to Florida when they get over 60. Brady looks healthier because he's in that humidity constantly. And I think it's loosened him up physically.

I think it's loosened up as personality. I just watch Brady right now and I'm like, I just can't get over it. 32 teams, 30 weren't interested. They look like the best offense in this league in the NFC. I mean, this morning, who challenges them in the NFC? The Rams? Maybe. I think there are several steps ahead of Seattle, San Francisco, Green Bay. Remarkable.

Let's get to Matt Mosley. The NFL is back in Fandul's Sportsbook wants you to get the most out of every play. That's why they're giving everybody a $10 risk-free bet every week. All you have to do is bet a same-game parlay bet with three legs or more. And if your bet doesn't win, Fandul pays you back, up to $10. Same game parlay. Look for that. The same-game parlay icon to know what markets are eligible for same-game parlays. Fandul, easy to use, America's number one sports book, no feeling like nailing a same game parley bet.

New to Fandle sports book, they're offering a $1,000 bet, if you prefer that, sign up, promo code Colin, first bet loses, get up to $1,000 back in sight credit. That's promo code Colin. 21 plus and present in Arizona, Colorado. 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 beings. potential. Either way, the podcast Superhuman documented it all embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble

stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me. Cliver Taylor the 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 had... They 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 doubly talking about crack all day, but just so y'all know. I mean, at this point, this is the second episode where we've discussed, correct. 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 therapy. Careers, 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. Indiana, Michigan, Jersey, Tennessee, or West Virginia refund issued as a non-withdruable site credit that expires in seven days. Max refund $10.5.00, $1.7.com.

Same game parley available for multiple sports in all states on mobile slash web. Gambling problem. Call 1-800 gambler. Visit fandul.com slash RG in Colorado, Jersey, and Virginia. Or call $1.809 with it in Indiana. 1,800-7-1-1-1-7-8-9. Tennessee redline is 1-8009-8-9-9-7-8-8-9. Or go to 1-800-Gambler.net in West Virginia. Or call 100 Next Step or text next step to 53344-2 in Arizona.

It's the sound of another sale on Shopify, the All-Fi. All-in-one commerce platform I love to start run and grow your business. Shopify gives entrepreneurs the resources once reserved for big business. So upstarts, startups, and established businesses alike can sell everywhere. Synchronize online and in-person sales and effortlessly stay informed. I love Shopify. Have for years the tools and resources that make it easy for any business to succeed from down the street to around the globe. Shopify is more than a store.

Connect with your customers. Drive sales. Manage your day-to-day. Reach customers online with an ever-growing suite of channel integrations and apps, including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest and more. More than a store, Shopify grows with you. Go to Shopify.com slash Colin. All lowercase.

Shopify.com slash Colin for a free 14-day trial, full access at Shopify's entire suite of features. www.com slash C-O-L-I-N. Look through your children's eyes to see the true magic of a forest. It's a storybook world for them. You look and see a tree. They see the wrinkled face of a wizard with arms outstretched to the sky. They see treasure and pebbles.

They see a windy path that could lead to adventure. And they see you. Their fearless guide is this fascinating world. Find a forest near you and start exploring at discovertheforest.org. Brought to you by the United States Forest Service and the Ad Council. And we're live here outside the Perez family home just waiting for the... And there they go. Almost on time this morning.

Mom is coming out the front door strong with a double-armed kid carry. Looks like Dad has the bags. Daughter is bringing up the rear. Oh, but the diaper bag wasn't closed. Dipers and toys are everywhere. Ooh, but Mom has just nailed the perfect car seat buckle for the toddler. And now the eldest daughter who looks to be about nine or ten has secured herself in the booster seat.

Dad zips the bag closed and they're off. Ah, but looks like mom doesn't realize her coffee cup is still on the roof of the car, and there it goes! Oh, that's a shame. That mug was a fam favorite. Don't sweat the small stuff. Just nail the big stuff. Like making sure your kids are buckled correctly in the right seat for their age and size. Learn more at nhtsa.gov slash the right seat. Visit NHTSA.

dot go slash the right seat brought to you by nitsa and the ad council all right let's start matt with the interesting coaching in the end of regulation um i didn't quite understand it i thought they should have run another play instead of hoping for a 56 yard field goal what was your takeaway and your kind of thoughts on the coaching at the end is that a kellen more thing a mike McCarthy thing where they just let the clock run out. You cross your fingers. It almost felt like they survived the Cowboys coaching. Yeah, I thought the kicker, Colin, build them out.

And I think it's a case of, and I've seen this for a few years now, it even predates to McCarthy. But I thought there was some panic that set in. They had enough timeouts. You could tell they sort of wanted to force a running play. what happens to this coach is that if he gets even close, and you saw him in a previous game do this, I think it was the first game, in fact, maybe before the half,

if they get to where, like, he possibly could make a kick, they just want to slow it down and are scared of doing anything at that point. So I do think some panic set in. You know, I think it's helpful when you do have a quarterback who can take cold, control that situation, but you need to coach, the head coach, to be in control of the sideline for years. We got on to Andy Reed for some of his game management when he was with the Eagles. I think McCarthy does some of the same stuff. And if they miss that field goal and they lose that game, that was going to be an enormous talking point. I thought, you know, overall, I thought

Justin Herbert basically had to overcome a couple of iffy officiating calls, but overcome more than that as teammates. About 13 or 14 penalties, he had a bad red zone pick. But as I watched that game, I thought Dallas sort of dominated the first half. They didn't make a lot of adjustments in the first half. Dallas was gashing them for yards. The penalties were just, I mean, it's so chargers. It was so insane. Herbert did have a bad pick six, although I think he's a remarkably gifted young talent.

You don't probably see him as much as we do here in Los Angeles, but your interpretation of what you saw Justin Herbert do today against the Cowboys defense. I love this quarterback, and I did last year, I just made it a point to watch him week after week because you could see the development. My wife commented late in the game, Colin, she said this is a poor man, it's Brad Pitt. So I don't know. That was one of the comments that came out of our household. But I really think he's just a tremendous quarterback. Now, Aikman did this early in his career.

There's something he does that I think he'll grow out of. The pick you're talking about in the red zone, Alan got tripped. This guy's so on time and his throws are so great, he stays on schedule no matter what. sometimes he doesn't like let play out what's happening in front of him. And he ripped that ball to where he thought Allen was going to be. That was just a weird and that was some kind of bad luck. Now, I thought the Cowboys, that's a game that Cowboys usually lose, which makes you think, okay, what could be at work?

And to your point on what a horrible, like we're almost to the point. You know, all these quarterbacks got hurt in the first set of games, an early set of games, early window. It's almost kind of like they told the refs, hey, if anybody even gets close to the quarterback, shut down the play. Yeah. Like, we're sitting there wondering all of America and the officials and, excuse me, the broadcasters, we're almost like, okay, was that a grounding?

Was he out of the box or whatever? And they shut that play down and they call that thing a sack. Now, that was a smart play. What they did to just get some yardage back and settle for the field goal. But that's almost always something that happens to the Cowboys down there to see those kinds of things happen to an opposing team. I'm talking about holding penalties. I'm talking about some strange, strange penalties. And you're right.

There were some things. I mean, think about what the Cowboys overcame to win this game today. Both starting defensive ends out, putting a rookie out there to play a position he is unfamiliar with and line him up at defensive end. They were down to, they were, they were very, I'm talking about down safeties. They were down, you know, defensive ends. This was, and again, who knows once this season plays out. But this, this seemed like a game for the Cowboys Collin that leaves every possibility open for them. And so I guess what I would say is this win was way more important to the Cowboys than it would have been to the

Chargers. Yeah, there are two things that jumped out to me, Matt. Number one, I thought the Cowboys generated a pretty damn good pass rush against now, not a terrible offensive line. Herbert made a lot of it look effortless, but Justin was on the move, Matt, almost the entire game. Without Gregory, without DeMarcus Lawrence. Michael Parsons goes to the left, completely worked the right tackle from the Chargers on an inside rush multiple times.

But let's talk about that. this cowboy team was decimated up front defensively and had injuries in the back end. I thought they generated a really, again, Herbert, if this was Kirk Cousins, you would have really noticed it. If this was Andy Dalton, you would have noticed it. Justin Herbert was on the run on virtually every pass attempt. He was pushed out of his comfort zone on virtually every dropback. I thought Dallas got a great pass rush. Yeah, it isn't that wild.

that missing those players, they were able to do it. The one thing it causes defensive coaches to do, first of all, they don't really know some of these young guys. Odigizawa, who was in there today's a rookie. Some of these guys are getting way more reps. Doran's Armstrong usually gets 10 to 12 snaps a game. He was in there constantly. To your point, number 92's who I'm talking about,

you remember him dropping back and getting his hands on some of those screen passes. And the Cowboys defense was extremely fast. Now, what did the Parsons having to line up a defense Vind do? Well, it caused a former first round pick to get a lot more snaps. He got like 10 snaps last game. Who did you see a lot? Van Derich. He got a sack.

He was racing around. There was a guy named Curse out there. Jaron Curse, and I thought he was, he played. I mean, you heard the broadcast. The instincts were good. He was making a lot of plays. I guess that's what I would say is from a schematic standpoint, this defense, even with inferior talent today, under Dan Quinn, is so much more sound than what it was last year.

Yeah. So they could hold up with all that chaos. Yeah. And then maybe we saw we overreact to things is what we do. But the first game against Washington football team, I believe we had. everybody like, oh my gosh, they didn't get any sacks. They didn't get any pressure. The chargers must be great on the old line. No, probably not. Probably not. They're still going to have some issues. Even Slater, who has had some really good moments.

You know, they could put some moves on it. I mean, you saw a guy 54 today chase down. It was a big play. It looked like Herbert was going to get on the outside. Camara is that guy's name. The only way you would ever know him is because Hard Knocks did a deal on his family and all that. we never thought we would see him, but they're so far down in their defense, these guys are getting on the field. But yeah, I mean, I think this was a, this is, yeah. They look athletic. The Cowboys look faster, rangier, and more athletic, whether it's schemes or their draft picks in the two games I've watched Dallas. Even as Tom Brady moved up and down the field, I commented this, there were not a lot of Buccaneer receivers that were wide open.

they contested many of those throws. They look athletic to me. They did not, at times last year, they looked slow. Forget the schemes. They look slow. Dallas looks quick. You don't get it. Hey, listen, Keenan Allen, they had one open receiver that was called back.

There was a penalty. Shocker, the Chargers had almost 15. But I think Dallas, I think Dallas looks much rangier and more athletic than a year ago. I think you're right. And when you talk about that speed, I think we need to mention Tony Pollard and running back, going for, I believe, 109 yards today. And while this coaching staff and Mike McCarthy has been maligned about not running Zika as much, I think you have to give him credit today for saying this other guy's got the hot hand.

Yes. He's ripping off seven or eight per carry. and this is a home run back is what he looks like. I mean, he had like a 30-yard run. I mean, this guy hits the hole in a hurry, and then you can almost use Zeke to kind of bludgeon the defense a little bit. Let him lean on people and get them tired. But what do you do against the guy like Bosa?

I thought what they did that was smart was, we've always heard this. It's an old coaching thing. run at, run at him. When they have some unbelievable pass rusher, who's so great, we talk about, he is a great player. But sometimes if you run right at, and they would do that some today. They were cutting back, going at him, and he seemed a little out of sorts at times when they would do that. But I thought that was a good. 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 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, Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from Bats, 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 all day, but just so y'all know. I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed cracks. So I'm starting to see that there's a through line.

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

Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hard Way with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, 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. Strategy today. They didn't force seek. I mean, they hammered him in. there's some. Yeah. But they said, you know what?

These Pollard's a great matchup. They had nobody that could stay up with Pollard speed. Yeah. And I thought that helped. But it was funny, like you said, when you say they dominated the first half, it was really the first quarter. I think I saw that they had like 13 first downs in the first quarter. And then it just leveled off.

Yeah. And they didn't do a whole lot the rest of the game. I do think this when I watch Dallas. This offense, DAC has never been an artistic thrower. Zeke has declined for several years. My concern with the Cowboys would be this. When Zach Martin and Tyron Smith are healthy,

this is a very formidable offensive line. Both were featured on TV today. They're very, very good players still. They've taken care of themselves. Tyron's going to be a first ballot hallfamer. Zach will probably get on the first vote as well. What I would be concerned about if I was Dallas is old offensive lines, you know, week 13, week 15, week 16. As I'm watching Dallas, my takeaway is they're going to have a chin.

They're going to score points. This is a team that doesn't win any other way, but shootout mostly. I do worry about their offensive line because I still think Tyron Smith and Zach Martin are their best offensive linemen. Do you trust their other young offensive linemen? You know, I don't trust their backups, but I can't say as I look around the league that I see a lot of, you know, the bottom line is if these guys are really young and talented and great, they're going to be starting.

So I don't think there are a ton of teams. We even saw the great chiefs fall apart at the biggest moment in the Super Bowl and they couldn't hold up. So I think any team is susceptible. The best thing for the Cowboys, and of course, this guy had to miss a game for heat exhaustion, you saw the other day. But this InSeki is a veteran who can play both tackle spots. And then the guy you saw out today has grown a lot in his second year, Terrence still. So I do think they are set up in a better fashion if they were to have some injuries to be okay with it.

The one thing I would say that bodes well is that Tyron Smith, if he's going to miss games, generally misses it with back and neck issues. And for whatever reason, via surgery or whatever it is, he seems to be in a much better place and he looks very dominant right now. So, again, I don't, so I'm not saying book him for the next 15 games. I'm just saying I feel a lot more, I feel a lot better about this line than I did last year or even the year before. They could stand up to some injuries. Valentine's Day is almost here and you know what that means.

It's time to make her blush with fresh blooms and gifts from proflowers. This year go to proflowers.com to use code crush 15 to get 15% off through February 14th on all the best blooms and gifts. See website for details. What grows in the forest? Trees? Sure. Know what else grows in the forest? Our imagination, our sense of wonder, and our family bonds grow too,

because when we disconnect from this and connect with this, we reconnect with each other. The forest is closer than you think. Find a forest near you and start exploring at Discovertheforest.org. Brought to you by the United States Forest Service and the Ad Council.

What grows in the forest? Trees? Sure. Know what else grows in the forest? the forest, our imagination, our sense of wonder, and our family bonds grow too, because when we disconnect from this and connect with this, we reconnect with each other. The forest is closer than you think. Find a forest near you and start exploring at Discovertheforest.org, brought to you by the United States Forest Service and the Ad Council. You know, it's interesting as I look at the NFC East this morning. I think the giant's offensive line,

and Daniel Jones' inconsistency is simply too much to overcome to be a playoff team. I think the Eagles defensive front is formidable, but Jalen Hertz, I mean, he is highly unproven, but their defense will keep them in games. I think Washington's using clearly a backup quarterback. As I sat through week two, I've now seen Washington twice, the Giants twice, the Eagles, twice, and the Cowboys twice. In 2021, it's an offensive league. I pick Dallas to be a wildcard team and finish 9 and 8.

I think if I was to redo the NFC East, I think I would put Dallas ahead of Washington. I think Washington was pretty fortunate to beat the Giants on Thursday. The one thing I'm seeing from Dallas, I'm seeing explosiveness with Tony Pollard, CD Lam's a real star, DAC, shoulder, shoulder. is not an issue. Offensive line is healthy. It's an offensive league. I will say, Dallas is about what I thought they would be, but I think they are, I think they're a little bit better up front. If I was to redo it, I think I would pick the Cowboys to win the NFC East, not by many games over Washington, but they're a little better than I thought at one-in-one.

When I watched them today, I know that Cowboy crowd would probably 70-30, I came away today thinking, listen, we can blame the chargers for all those mistakes, but good, good teams force other teams into mistakes, the tempo, the speed, the strength. Dallas is a little bit of what I thought. How do you view them from your perception before the first snap and now your perception after the second game? I do think they wish they could play in that stadium more. I thought they function better.

with those fans, they seem to go on the road and play well. The one thing they have to shore up, they have a problem with their special teams coach. You guys on the West Coast are familiar with John Fossel. And he is an intriguing, sort of engaging character. He has become a problem with the Cowboys. he is so closely connected to McCarthy that he has full dominion over a lot of things. In fact, maybe Dan Quinn and then Fossil as far as like who has the biggest say in things. And so they end up doing very curious things like for no apparent reason before the half,

the first half, going in there trying to block a punt and running into the kicker. There's always some head scratching silliness with special teams. that goes back to last year. For whatever reason, McCarthy is convinced that this is the best special teams coach ever. He, I mean, it's like they're just little buddies,

and they just spend a lot of time together. So they need to sort of figure that out. But I would probably right now, even though I'm the first to go after Jerry when I think it's appropriate, from what I've seen, and boy, Hertz, who I really like,

I watch him in Oklahoma, watching Alabama, that mess they threw out there today where you just drive after drive and they can't get anything done. And they have their wide receivers need to be guys that have time to do double moves, get open downfield. Rager is not a guy who's going to break tackles. He's just an explosive receiver. I would say, unlike last year, the Cowboys have a chance to win this thing by two or three games. I think they really do.

And last year, it was just a joke of a division. I think it could be a joke of a division this year. But I do think the Cowboys are the class of this division. And I know Jerry and everybody associated with him enough to know that they viewed today's win as enormous. This was the biggest win they've had in two or three years. That is the way they're going to. to come out of this thing thinking. I promise you.

You know, it's interesting. You note that on the special teams coach. I'll give you my theory on that, is that special teams coaches often get marginalized as the least important coordinator, right? Even a great D-line coach will get more press than a special teams coach or a great young offensive line coach because there's very few elite offensive line coaches. So special teams coaches to stand out. have to take big risks, Gunther Cunningham for years, you know,

in the league, John Harbaugh. And that's not to say that I like some risks in special teams, but sometimes to be respected and to go from special teams coach to head coach, you have to be seen as spectacularly creative or wildly effective. Well, how do you do that? Blocked punts.

tricks, changing the dynamic of games. And when you bring that up, it is interesting. I know because I live in Los Angeles, USC had a special teams coach John Baxter, and he had the same spell over Clay Hilton. Clay let him do anything. And about once or twice a year,

they would pull off a zany special teams home run. Just a crazy, crazy success. special teams, but they took, it was a resume filler. He was constantly taking big swings. And special teams are at their best. If they're sound, with a two to three times a year major surprise. It's almost like officials. When you don't talk about them, they're highly effective. When I don't know your special teams coach, he's highly effective. So it's interesting. I saw this at USC where John Baxter had a spell over Clay Hilton. And it was almost as if he wanted, as he aged, he was in his 50s, I want to get a head

coaching job where you're not going to get that with sound special teams coaching. You need to lead the country and block kicks. So I wonder if that's happening that this special teams coach who was with the Rams, now with the Cowboys, he wanted a head coaching job. His dad, Jim Fawsell was a head coach and how are you going to get it? Yeah. Big swings. That's just kind of my theory on what I've seen in my life in football.

I'm glad we went there. I've been wanting to hear about your special team's theories for years, in fact. Sorry. Okay, finally, is there, give me one other game you watched, because I was saying in my lead into you, I watched Derek Carr out play Big Ben, and the Steelers have coddled Ben for several years, right? They don't want to draft anybody in the second round of the first round, and that's always an uncomfortable situation. Coropolo to New England, Jordan Love, when you go out and get the guy. I watched Big Ben.

It is week two. He looks slower than Phillip Rivers. He looks so old. Now, he's never been great pre-snap. You know, he's never been somebody that we laud his accuracy. I watched Big Ben. Pittsburgh is in a bad spot at quarterback. I mean, that was the thing that jumped out to me today.

It's like, wow. he is a shot fighter. Their offense is just throwing it up deep to chase Claypool. And Ben, by the way, sometimes hits that. Was there any other game or moment or player you saw beyond the Cowboys Chargers that stuck out to you today? You know, I thought, I thought Josh Allen needed to reassert himself. And, you know, what we do is we sort of, Bill Parcells, I used to cover him when he was with the Cowboys. and he would talk about, you know, we poured the anointing oil.

And then we start wondering, did we do that too soon? Right. You know, Flacco got a 50, you know, the enormous, I think, $56 million signing bonus after that Super Bowl. And we're like, okay, he's automatically great. And I thought it was important for Allen to go out. And there was one particular throw. You'll remember this because you saw it on all the highlights, but just kind of reminded me, you know, and again, it's funny that you mentioned Big

Ben because he's a younger version of Big Ben who still can move around and still plenty athletic. And he rolls out to the right. And he did what coaches try to teach young quarterbacks not to do. But because he's got a massive arm, he just ripped it back across the other side of the field. I saw that. Yeah. Yeah. And I just thought that's a man. You know, that's a, that's the guy I remembered for last year. Yes. So I, I, It's not like I thought he had lost it, but I thought that was a good day for him. And a reminder that these friends teams like the dolphins

who were kind of like, oh, what about the dolphins? You just can't fall in love with that kind of team. Yeah. Yeah, that was a great throw, by the way. That was the throw of the day. One of the throws of the day was that Josh Allen running right threw a back across his body and an absolute rope into the end zone.

I mean, it was like one of those, about three guys in the least. Mehom's one of them, Aaron, that can make that play. Completely throwing against your body, crossfield. And to your point, he reasserted himself. All right, Matt Mosley, great 25, 30 minutes in the Cowboys, my friend. We'll talk soon. Okay, I hope you'll be listening to the Doomsday podcast later.

It's fantastic. Thank you. Okay. All my best. Bye. The volume. Your Valentine's Day shouldn't start with a Hail Mary. We've got you covered on the big day when you order flowers and gifts from Proflowers early this year.

Head on over to ProFlowers.com to get 15% off our entire collection of blooms, gifts and more for your cutie with promo code Crush 15 until February 14. The clock is running out, so don't wait until everyone's rushing the field for those last minute gifts on February 14th. Be the MVP this Valentine's Day and go to Proflowers.com to save 15% with Code Crush 15 at checkout. See website for more details. Another podcast from some SNL, late night comedy guy, not quite. On Humor Me with Robert Smygel and Friends, me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier.

This week, my guest, S&L'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. Hey, what's good, y'all? You're listening to learn the hard way with your. favorite therapist and hosts Kear Games. This space is about black men's experiences, having honest conversations that it's really not safe to have anywhere, but you're having them with a licensed professional who knows what he's doing.

How many men carry a suit or armor? It signals to the world that you're not to be played with. And just because you have the capability that does not mean that you need to. Listen to learn the hard way on the AHA radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. A win is a win. A win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying.

Yep, that's me, Cliford 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 Cliford 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 Cliford Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast,

or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifference. and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. This is an IHeart podcast, guaranteed human.