The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Colin Cowherd Podcast - Cowboys Worst Team In The League? 49ers “Leaking Oil”, Rodgers Has Become “Wizards MJ”, Bears Are A Trainwreck

Episode Date: November 11, 2024

Colin’s joined by John Middlekauff, host of “3 and Out” to break down the week 10 Sunday action! They start with the 49ers dominating the Bucs but barely pulling out a win in a showing that proved the 49ers are “leaking oil” and why their poor special teams could cost them (4:00). They move on to the Steelers finally finding their offense with Russell Wilson and why the Commanders are a better story than team (10:45) They break down a lifeless performance from the Jets against the Cardinals and why Aaron Rodgers has become “Washington Wizards Michael Jordan” (18:45) and explain why the Chiefs last second win said more about the Broncos and why Sean Payton finally has his Drew Brees in Bo Nix (33:00) They parse another disastrous offensive performance from the Bears with Caleb Williams regressing and debate whether Matt Eberflus should be fired in-season (40:00). Colin declares the Cowboys are the worst team in the league (54:00) and they debate which head coaching opening in 2025 is the best (01:03:00) Finally, they dive into college football and discuss why the regular season doesn’t have the same sense of urgency with the 12 team playoff and why the transfer portal has created a power imbalance between coaches and players in a way that’s bad for the sport (01:22:00) (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements.) Follow Colin and The Volume on Twitter for the latest content and updates!  #Volume #Herd #3andOutSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Oh, my God. Oh, my God. So good. All right. It's Sunday. We got a lot to break down. There's a lot of moving parts today. We got Aaron Rogers has become Michael Jordan with a wizards, among other things.

I want to start with a game. I thought it was the lock of the year. San Francisco by a touchdown over Tampa. San Francisco beats Tampa 23 to 20. At one point, I was rooting for Baker Mayfield. He was playing so hard. They're grabbing his face. I mean, the kid was just, and the Niners special teams are so bad.

I think it cost him total 16 points today. I could be missing. And Brock Pretty had a wonderful last drive. But this game wasn't close. I was just looking at total yards. San Francisco had double. Average almost double per yards per play. Brock Pretty was 25 or 36, 353 yards, two touchdowns.

The fact, it was close to me as an indictment on Shanahan. These special teams now are in the running for the worst in the league. And you know the Niners as well as anybody. What did you make of that mess? Yeah, I just think it's an overall embarrassment. And, you know, Debo gets into it with a long snapper when he just tells the guys to lock in. like I'm sorry, the long snapper and the kicker, or like the, to me, they are, in theory, should be the most irrelevant, never should be heard of or seen guy in the company.

And yet with the 49ers, their special teams unit always somehow overshadows the offense and the defense. And to me, it's on the head coach. Like he does not care about special teams, which most people don't, right? If you're going to go to the driving range, usually don't spend any time putting. But you probably should. But no one ever does. Just like every head. Think about McVeigh, LaFleur, and Kyle.

The three top young offensive guys, all their special teams usually are pretty bad. Yeah. Why? Because they do not care. Who are the two old guys? Andy and Belichick. What did they always take really seriously? Special teams.

Because this is not college, where if your team is so good, it doesn't really matter. All these games, the majority of them, unless you're the Jets, are close. And today, to miss the field goals, If the guy's not healthy, he rolls his ankle, he can't be out there kicking field goals, Colin. Now, I understand you draft him in the third round. You're not going to cut him. But, like, that's a pretty big injury for a kicker.

Yeah. A high ankle sprain. Clearly, he was not ready. It wasn't even close. They got very lucky that he made that game-winning field goal. Yeah. I also think there's a coach, Liam Cohen, the offensive coordinator for the –

I hear all these names. That guy should be on everyone's interview list. Because for that, I thought them and the Chiefs, were both the Broncos and the Niners today coming off that Monday night game, both teams exhausted. Tampa threw all their chips in the middle of the table in that game. The Chiefs are just exhausted, whatever, home game against the Broncos. That both would really be flat.

The Chiefs kind of were what we expected. Oh, yeah. The Bucks were fighting their ass off. I mean, how well Baker's played. He's dramatically better than he was last year, and he was good last year. So I just think the 49er special teams is a reflection of their head coach who does not care. It'd be like if we had audio issues right all over the volume. Like eventually it's like, wouldn't that be kind of on you?

Like, okay, it happens, whatever. But Colin, he does not care. And it's every single week now, their special teams are killing them. I also thought about something because Brock Prudy and the fourth was fantastic. 10 of 14, a touchdown, over 100 yards. Brock kind of saved him. Played really, really well down the stretch. But Ricky Pearsall had a game today.

And my takeaway was, I don't know how great he'll be. But with all the, I mean, George Kittle, that play in the back of the end zone. God, George is great. How does he been this season? He makes plays every week for them. I mean, he's like old gronk. Whenever you doubt him. I mean, Travis Kelsey, same thing.

But the Brandon Ayuk signing now, is that what they miss? Ricky Piersall's here. Kittle's still an elite tight end. Christian McCaffrey back. you know, he wasn't great today. I just thought they averaged 6.8 yards per play. Tampa averaged 3.7 yards per play. How it's close is remarkable.

And when I would tell you. Penalties too killed them. I mean, they had so many defensive penalties, hands of the face, face masks, that were just killers, Colin, on third down. They gave them life. It's, I know Kyle Shanahan is a good coach, but I do feel like this organization leaks a lot of oil and we don't call them out a lot because they mostly went

I mean, wasn't this the first time they'd won back-to-back games all season? I mean, it has to be. They're five and four. To me, coming off a buy with a team that is running on fumes that just played in an overtime game on the road on Monday night whose best players, I mean, their best player on the team is on the sideline with a hamstring issue. I would say one of their other top five players shattered his ankle.

They have no wide receivers. And for this game to be close, it was really pretty embarrassing. And this is a game that I would say the last three years coming off a by, the 49ers getting healthy. I think they win by 20 plus points. I mean, I expected this to be like 35 to 15 or something like that. Same. I thought it was my bet on the year. And the kicker situation, I think it was very reflective.

the kicker and then the long snapper getting in with Debo's like, hey, guys, Debo's made huge plays in this game. Let's just keep our mouth shut and try to make a field goal. Like, you're not in the position to be over there yapping around. Like, you are losing this team games right now or putting them in position. Because if they would have lost today with Arizona, I mean, just absolutely mauling, they would have been in major trouble, right? They would have been four and five.

You have the Cardinals now at six and four who look like, I don't know, playing as well as And top five team in the NFL in terms of the way they're playing today, right? And the Rams are now healthy. Are getting healthy, yeah. So it would have this, this was must win for the 49ers. They get Seattle next week, who they've owned. But they do not feel anywhere near the team that was a legit Super Bowl threat these last three years. They got issues.

And it's not Kittle. And it's not, you know, Purdy's playing well. It's not Trent Williams. It's all these weird, Bosa's playing well. Fred's playing well. Yeah. But for some reason, they dominate teams. and you look up, you're like, it's 13 to 10.

What the hell is going on? Yeah, the numbers are incredible. Okay, Steelers beat Washington, 28, 27. So I went today and I said, and I watched Russell. So the Steelers are 3 and O with Russell Wilson, averaging about 30 a game. It's the first time in several years they have the offense moving. And I went back and I took Russell Wilson with Pete Carolyn, Seattle, Russell Wilson, the one year with Sean Payton, and Russell Wilson.

Wilson with Mike Tomlin. The three times he's had competent coaches. And you know what he gives you? He moves 64% completion percentage, a passer rating over 100. He doesn't miss any starts. He's not great from the pocket, but he throws a really nice deep ball. And when I watch what he's done to Pittsburgh, he has brought, it's a little big Ben. He's a totally different player. He's brought the deep ball back to the Steelers. So now you have veteran, just say it out loud. veteran coach, great defense, tough at home, solid run game, good deep ball offense. That's a pretty good football team. That's a pretty good team. Yeah, to me, that that stat that they show that they were averaging 20 points with fields and they were averaging over 30 points with him.

I mean, that's a pretty big difference. That's a pretty, and what do they get a game winning touchdown on? The deep ball throw to Mike Williams. Yeah. What are their three best wide receivers now, adding Mike Williams with baseball? pickings and they're tight end. Big guys, throw them up, give them 50, 50 balls because they're not 50, 50 balls with those guys right there. Seventy-five, 25 balls with those guys. So I thought at times a day, like, this is where you got to be careful about writing your takes down at halftime.

Like the gab, Jaden looked way better. Their offense was rolling. But Russell, there is something to be said. I think he can be kind of corny and kind of just stupid the way that he comes off like a politician at times. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But he is very steady Eddie. You know, he doesn't go into the tank when it looks, it just looked off early. That's right. And Fields, he also can make the throw, that lob touch throw that won them the game, that a handful of the average to below average quarterbacks can't make. It was a problem with Trubisky forever.

You know, Fields is a more talented Trubisky, but cannot make that layered kind of lollipop throw. And at this point in time, that is Russell's go-to throw. And even back when he was better, when did his game, like when he got D.K. Metcalfe. So you give him these big targets, Sutton, like they had some plays in Denver, right? Throw it up, let them go make a play. That was a big win for Pittsburgh, Colin. Yeah.

Because I thought I was thoroughly impressed with Washington. I'm like, this is going to be a great win. And then Russell drives him right down the field. Even his calmness, there is something to be said on that game winning drive that he led them on. When those guys look at him in the huddle, like this ain't his first rodeo. That's right. Say what you want about him. He's not near the same guy.

like you look at him in the huddle, you go, this guy has been in this moment, you know, 50 plus times in this career on Sunday night football, on Monday night football in the playoffs. So it's, he did, there's a calmness to him that you can't really dispute. I'm not the biggest fan, but there's the numbers speak for themselves. Yeah. I mean, again, with Russell, Pittsburgh dominated time of possession. Because again, if you. Well, their running game now is a lot better, it feels like with him in the game. And Washington had no run game. So again, the, the early highlights from the young player with a great offensive coordinator. At half, I wrote down, wow. Wow. Jaden makes Russell look small. And then all of a sudden, you look at the last three or

four drives, Pittsburgh establishes physical. You know, a lot of teams' defense plays well early. But those 300-pound guys, if the other team's running on you in Pittsburgh was, those 300-pound guys, seven-play drive, nine-play drive, 10-play-drive. Those guys don't have the same pass rush. And all of a sudden, in the second half, that pass rush that had really stymied Pittsburgh in the first half, now you're not getting the same juice. You're not getting the same energy. And in the end, I thought, I mean, it wasn't that Jaden was bad, but I, I mean, it was, you have a hundred and forty. I don't think his numbers reflected. I thought he was fantastic.

In the first half, I thought he was really good. I thought, you know, for a guy who throws these kind of frozen ropes, he hits his guys in stride and gives them the ability. to keep on running. His touch down the sideline is fantastic. End of the third quarter, Terry McLaurin. He also does something that Russell has found Pickens. That is his guy. At Jaden Daniels, Terry McLaren. Like, it's really important. It didn't take Jaylon and Russell long to figure out. You got to have a guy. Well, and I'm sure we'll get to the Bears. One thing that can't be argued, and you see this in that game, for your star-wide receivers to believe in your quarterback and like the guy,

like George Pickens clearly is on board with this move. Why it benefits him. Terry McLaren, who has, you know, overachieved, given who he's played with for the last couple of years, feels like he's, you know, hit the lottery right now. And you can see it in his play, just how much he smiles. I saw it with the 49ers forever. They didn't believe in Tray Lance.

Debo Samuel, those guys didn't like, they didn't think he was good enough. Right. So, and I think you're seeing it in Chicago, some of these guys, starting with DJ Mort, or kind of turn it on them. And it's very reflective. Like, clearly the Steelers, I don't know if this is true.

You'd have to see their heart monitor. Feel like they're playing a little harder on offense for Russell Wilson. And Washington, it's an incredible story. I know they lost today, and they're playing the Eagles. They easily could lose again on Thursday. But, man, what an impressive year by Dan Quinn in that operation, isn't it? Yeah. So they've lost, Washington's lost to the Ravens and the Steelers.

And the Bucks when the Bucks were healthy. So I kind of feel we're getting a little bit of a reality check. Washington's a little bit better story than they are a team. Yeah. Coming into this game, I felt they were both good stories. The Russell Wilson story, the Washington story. I think Pittsburgh's the better team. I mean, let's be honest about Pittsburgh, too.

They had that fake punt didn't work. And they fumbled at the one. Pittsburgh really did themselves no favors in this football game. So whereas Washington got, you know, it took advantage of Pittsburgh special teams blunder. And that's not to say it was a lucky win by Pittsburgh or to, you know, marginalize what Washington is. But I do feel like once you look at Washington against Baltimore, Pittsburgh and the Healthy Bucks, they're a great story. They're a good football team. They're a good football team.

I think Pittsburgh going on the road today, my takeaway is if you just take out that fumble on the one yard line, it kind of felt like they can. controlled the clock, I mean, the dominating time of possession. Well, to me, where it's huge is they play the Ravens this upcoming week. So you win that game instead of having the same record as them with three losses, you have a game advantage on them. And that little buffer, I mean, today, same thing with Washington, right? Clearly the Eagles, we're going to dominate this underman cowboy team. Will you go into this Thursday night?

God, that's Thursday night football. Commanders at the Philadelphia. And that's a pretty big game. But I think like what you're saying, I think most people, if we take a deep breath, go, the Eagles should win that game. Yeah. You know, the Eagles are going to be favoring that game. And they probably will win that game. And that's if Washington ends up 10 and 7 or 11 and 6, but with a lot of losses to these playoff teams, it's an incredible story. Yeah.

And also Washington played their starters to the last snap. Philadelphia's resting guys in the second half. Kenny Pickinson, like, start of the fourth quarter. So, I mean, literally, Philadelphia's got their starters are playing 42 snaps. has played 65. So I think Philadelphia Thursday is to play. Time to take a look at this weekend's tastiest matchup. Sunday night,

food ball brought to you by Uber Eats. You know, it's funny. A lot of the games that were lobsided are actually great stories for us. So Arizona beat the Jets 31 to 6. And I'm looking at my, I'm looking at Aaron Rogers now. And when you put him on the same field as Kyler Murray, and we've been saying this now for several weeks, Arizona's got dudes.

offensively. How about McBride today? That move running over Jets players. At one point, Kyler Murray had 17 straight completions. So I have two takes. Number one is errands become a little like the Washington Wizards MJ, called out a teammate, Kwami Brown, Mike Williams, had a buddy as a coach, Hackett, Doug Collins, had a buddy as a player, Lazard, Charles Oakley, under 500, and there were moments for MJ and Aaron, but he looks like an old man, and that Jets offense is an old man offense. So that's my first take. My second take is they blamed Robert Sala. This defense has gotten progressively worse. Salah was the best coach on the staff. They couldn't have gone, they weren't going to beat Buffalo. But this organization,

it's almost like in politics. If you lose an election, you have to identify what went wrong. You can't point fingers. You got to go, here's what we did wrong. Democrats will figure this out eventually, but that's the job.

When you're losing, you have to identify why we're losing. The Jets said, it's Sala. No, bro. The defense now stinks. And it's got good personnel. So, I mean, to me,

31 to 6, I look at this, Kyler was Aaron Rogers in the first half to for 40 yards. Now he got junk in the second half. But you know what it feels like a little bit? I do hold quarterbacks responsible for energy and body language. And because, you know, it's like in the NBA, you follow the lead, the work ethic of the best player. Some of this is just on Aaron. I see no energy. I don't love

the body language. I see no juice. And I'm watching that Arizona team. Those guys, they like playing with Kyler. Whatever you say about the VALS. video game stuff. They're like playing with them. Well, I think at this point in time, you know, there can't be that many players who are playing better than Kyler Murray right now. Since he returned from that injury, including last year, they are nine and nine. Like, that's a real football team. Yeah. You know, and this team, I don't see how you watch them the day and last week, they're dominating bad teams, like killing them. To me, they are, they sure look like a playoff team to me. And the Jets look like

what I thought all along, a team full of mercenaries, a team with Z. zero connection to each other. Hassan Reddick since the moment he came back only because the owner ripped up his contract and did, as I think Schefter said, no one has ever got a rework contract who held out as long as him and basically got the fines thrown away that did not get a contract extension. It's unprecedented in what happened. And that reflects everything that's going on. They show Woody Johnson that the organization's a mess.

Starting from the owner, the quarterback, like he is always what he's been. And anyone in the league will tell you, listen, for a lot. long time people, the Packers kind of rolled their eyes. But he was arguably, beside Peyton Manning and Tom Brady, the most important player, one of them in the league. Yeah. And he was more physically gifted than those guys. Yeah. And his fundamentals weren't like those guys. So as he's aged, what happens? Today there was a play. I forget the D-Linman. He was a rotational D-Lyman for him. I looked him up. He weighs almost 300 pounds. He ran Aaron Rogers down. Rogers ended up getting rid of the ball, but ran him down with ease.

This is not a 240-pound linebacker running them down. This is a guy that weighs 300 pounds and got within a couple steps. Rogers used to be able to kind of do his version of what Lamar does so well, kind of backwards scramble, runaway. Can't even dream of doing that anymore. And that team, do you know the Cardinals, a defensive coordinator, is 32 years old. He was born in 1993.

What we witnessed today was a clinic put on by a guy born in 19, 1993 against this 40-year-old future Hall of Famer, Adam DeVante Adams, I've been hearing about Breece Halls, the greatest thing since Barry Sanders or Walter Payton. Give me a break. The hype on this team far exceeded the realities, even if things went well, what happened today? Tyron Smith, who's had a bad year.

Legendary player, over the hill player, got hurt today. He gets hurt a lot. So it's like they were so dependent on all these guys. They signed Mike Williams. Remember everyone was so excited. if they signed Mike Williams for a, it's not even Thanksgiving. He's on another team.

And performing. Yeah. So I just think this Jeff's situation was, I think you saw an organization that just has a direction, has a coaching staff that's real against a team that has an NBA mercenary feel to it. No one cares about. And like you said, the players aren't near what they once were.

I mean, Devante Adams, who let's face it, is not near what he once was in the peak of his powers. Rodgers a shell of himself. The Reddicks. I mean, how about Sauce Gardner? You know, you talked about Trey McBride.

He looks like Kittle 2.0. He threw Soss Gardner off him like he was me or you. He didn't even like have to put his hand to go to the ground. He just kind of shoved him off. This is supposed to be a $100 million corner. He's had a horrendous season. What usually happens with younger players? Like younger people.

Most young people are followers. And when you have a lot of disconnect, coaches getting fired, a bunch of weird stuff, it's easy to kind of stray. And Breece Hall, Soss Gardner, like it just feels like they're all over the map.

I don't even put it on them. I put it on the organization. You think Soss Gardner would look like that if he was playing for Andy Reed? No chance. But that's what happens when you put talented players in dysfunctional places. They usually fall apart.

Yeah, I, it's... The Jets stick, Colin. I mean, they are bad. They got... We haven't talked since the Thursday night game. Two of their touchdowns came with Garrett Wilson. He didn't... use his left arm. I mean, that's pretty big outlier, right? I mean, they easily could have lost

that game if it wasn't for one of the greatest catches we've ever seen. Yeah, I think, and the question becomes, does Aaron come back? It's when Brett Farv went to the Jets, he had a lot left in the tank. He went on to Minnesota after that and had a couple of huge years. Aaron's done. He just, there's just nothing there. And he never had the gamesmanship or sort of the foxhole quality of Brett Fav anyway. When you get to be an older radio host, an older quarterback, or an older CEO, you'll have diminishing skills. You'll have less energy. What you want to do is be able to kind of galvanize the group, rally people around you because you can't put in 80 hours a week. You can put in 65, but you have to rely on people. I've always said, Aaron's not a galvanizer. He's not a foxhole guy.

He's a bit more of a bailer than a baller. He's a guy that if he, That's why it was so few career come from behind wins. If you go back to 2022, Kirk Cousins has, I think, 15. Aaron has six. You know, and they're both old guys coming off of surgery. Both have had two teams. Cousins isn't cool, so you don't think he's a great coming from behind quarterback. He's outstanding.

Aaron's not. He's living, you know, he's the band now touring, and, you know, he's doing old songs. There's nothing new, and I don't feel there's a good, I don't think there's a ton of energy. That was this week's Sunday night Football brought to you by Uber Eats as the official on-demand delivery partner of the NFL. Uber Eats has the best game day deals all season long order now

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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 fourth. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show.

This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life. mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast. It's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be.

Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Hey, this is Robert from the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Joe and I are both lifelong Star Wars fan, so we're celebrating May the 4th with a brand new week of fun, thought-provoking Star Wars-related episodes. Join us as we tackle science and culture topics from a galaxy far, far away,

such as the biology of taun tons and wampas on the ice planet hot, or the practicality and corporate business sense of the Sith rule of two. Listen to Stuff to Blow Your Mind on the iHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Podcasts. 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 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 on day, but just so y'all know. I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack. So I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now. Thank you 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 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, 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 iHeartRadio app. Search Learn the Hard Radio. hard way and listen now. I want to talk about another game. Let's go back to an interesting game.

Kansas City beats Denver 16 to 14. And I just, I wrote, what Kansas City's become is a great moments team. Two for two on fourth down. Block to kick. Great on third down. Only three penalties. They're still trying to figure out what the hell they are a little bit offensively. Like they don't, you know, they, they know.

They're this, Colin. Is this ugly? Just keep us in the game. and we'll just try to win it with five minutes left. But when you have the best coach, the best quarterback, arguably the best defense, the best third down offense, that's enough. I was thinking about this about two weeks ago. About every six years, I went back and looked at it.

It was about every six to seven years, a great team wins the Super Bowl. But mostly, it's a really good team with no huge hole that coaches can pick on you. In a two-week layoff for the Super Bowl, when Mahomes didn't have both tackles, he gets routed. If he'd had one, it would have been a game. Kansas City's not terrible at anything. They're beat up. They're trying to figure out the receiving core. But because Mahomes is so good and Andy Reid is so clever, it's functional.

It makes plays when you have to. I thought this was the game I did not pick in Blazing Five. It was my last pick. I thought Denver had a chance to win today. Same. But the takeaway I had beyond Kansas City doing that, Bo Nix, that final drive, 13 plays, a little bit like Brock Purdy. You're like, I mean, he had eight different receivers today, 22 or 30, 245 yards, a couple of touchdowns, great final drive.

I think all those college starts. Like, I think he may have a lower ceiling, but I think Denver is a five drafted players away and maybe a free agent signing from being a pain in the ass to people. I think Denver's pretty interesting. Yeah, I thought this game was way more about Denver than Kansas City. I mean, Kansas City just does this every week. They're going to go 15 and 2 or 16 and 1 and everyone's going to go how the hell they do it. Well, they do it because like you said, it's the organizational competitive character, their know-how, their experience. I mean, they're missing. The best receiver who tore his ACL. They're starting running back. Like Kareem Hunt's been an awesome story. There's a big drop off between Pacheco and him. Huge. So, I mean, you get him back, hopefully in December. It's a broken leg. So, you know, that'll be a big boost for them.

Because they're going to win like this, right? 21 to 17. But to me, Denver went in there, as they should have. Short week, Kansas City, a little gas, and they came in ready to win. And Bo Nix hit Sutton on the beautiful touchdown pass. You're like, it's going to be the game. I thought, like, you know, it's finally the Chiefs just lose 28 to 15 or something. And they just find a way because defensively they're good.

Obviously, the home crowd is pretty special. But I think Denver, this was probably one of their more impressive weeks of the year, even counting their wins, just because, like, we'll have to see how it breaks out. Like that, that's seven seed when you look, like obviously the jets are done. Colts are in major trouble. You know, when you look at the AFC playoff, the Bengals are screwed, you basically have the Steelers and Ravens. You know, one team's going to win the division, one team's going to be in. Steelers Chargers, Denver. The Chiefs and the Chargers are in.

Yeah, Steelers. I think Denver could get the seven seed. Colin. So do I. I think the top is very good. Buffalo, Baltimore, Kansas City. And then I think the wild card feels like... Do you throw Pittsburgh in there too, though? I do. I think... Let's say Pittsburgh become... We'll find out when they play each other this week. Yeah. And Baltimore at their best is better than Pittsburgh at their best. Agreed. So I think the wild card teams, and they don't feel quite as good. Chargers, not a ton of juice offensively, but a good team. Denver, rookie quarterback and Pittsburgh.

You have some limitations, I think, on, you know, I think Russell from the pocket, there's limitations if he was trailing in a game and he put big heat on him. But I will say with Denver, I mean, Mahomes last two games, no picks, first seven games, nine picks. So what Kansas City has basically done, they've gotten those ugly, remember the start of the year we're like, Jesus, Mahomes has like one or two, just horrible pick. They've gotten out of that space. the win for Kansas City is harder than you think because of the short week.

But I think to your point, I think you look at Sean Peyton and Bo next. And I think we could both say, he found his Drew Brees. He found his guy. I don't know if he's as good as him, but he found his guy. Yeah, well, I mean, he's definitely made strides because it was early. I think I didn't put as much stock into some of the early games in the fourth quarter when he played well because it's like, I don't, the context of that, the defense gave up. but I do think the last couple weeks you feel a lot better about it. And let's face it, like there are some rookie quarterbacks playing.

And obviously, Jaden Daniels, it couldn't have gotten much better. It's one of the great, like, I mean, we saw one of the greatest rookie seasons of all time last year with C.J. Stroud, I would put Jaden Daniels right there toe to toe of like, geez, it can't be this good, can it? And then you have like Drake May, who's on a team that's so shitty. But you're watching me go, well, there's something there. Oh, yeah. I would take that guy. And then you watch Bo, who doesn't have Drake's physical characteristics, who's not as talented, why one guy goes three, the other guy.

Most people thought was overdrafted, but you go with this coach, with this infrastructure, their defense. I mean, that's the one thing. Like, if Sean Payton has a defense, as he did in New Orleans, Withrewbrees, they were elite, right? So if you just give a defense, like, he'll figure out the office. Most teams are not Kansas City. To me, I think they get to nine wins and they would be the seventh seed. Now, the difference, though, is, you know, depending on who they play, right? If you're the seventh seed, you're playing the two seats.

So you're playing Baltimore or Buffalo. Like, no one's betting on Denver. I would say no one's going to want to see the Chargers as the six seed. Like, if you're Baltimore, Pittsburgh, that will be a team that, like, well, they're a five-point underdog. Like, who, I think Harbaugh would be a team that people would believe in. Or Denver, there's nothing wrong with it, one and done team in the playoffs, probably like the commanders. And you tip your hat to it. You feel good.

Yeah. If you look at their schedule, John, Denver now hosts the Foulouse. the Falcons, dome team, cold weather. Then they face the Raiders. Then they face the Browns at home. Then they get the Colts at home. And then they go to the Chargers.

I think they match up. It's very close. So to your point here is, you know, preseason we're like, oh, you know, you look at some of these teams. Then the Broncos end with the Bengals. And by the way, they host the chiefs in the last week, week 18. Kansas City could be resting guys. at that point. They could be just... And I'm looking at it right now.

Technically, at 5 and 5, they are in the 7th spot trailed by Indianapolis, who, let's face it, I don't blame them. I think they did the right thing, but the Flacco, Anthony Richards thing's all out of whack. Now, flacco looks terrible. Terrible. And the Bengals who have this quarterback who can't play any better, and Jamar Chase, who looks like Jerry Rice in his prime, cannot win games. So, you know, you don't feel very...

And just because of the division they're in, it's just a lot harder when you've got to play Pittsburgh and Baltimore, right? then they don't get the Raiders. Even Cleveland now, throwing in James as a real team with real players. I would much rather play the Raiders and the Browns. So that was a pretty devastating loss for the Bengals the other night. And that could be the difference why Denver gets the seven seed and the Bengals end up eight and nine. I mean, it could just be the different.

One team's nine and eight, the other team's eight and nine. That's it. It's that big of a difference. Yeah. And I think Denver's schedule right now looks very formidable. Okay. Let's talk a game that wasn't nearly as captivating, but it made a statement.

New England 19, Chicago 3, 21 straight drives for the Bears without a touchdown. Third straight game, no offensive identity. Caleb under 54% completion rate third straight game. He's lost. One for 14 on third down, pitiful.

At Drake May, again, seven different targets. They didn't ask him to do much. You know, they averaged five and a half yards of play without, you know, much to work with. But I think the story here is, and I've said this, poorly coached teams, Brandon Staley last year, start the year. Remember that brand, I think it was last year.

They almost beat Miami to start to wild, crazy game. And then about week six, you're like, man, they're not well coached. And then by like week 12, the players have quit. A poorly run business can fool people three or four or five weeks. I mean, that Tennessee win, I mean, they were outplayed by the Titans at home in week one. It was a Will Levis mistake, or that's an L. I think what you look at this team now is you look at a poorly coached team. There's a lack of belief.

There's absolutely no identity offensively. They averaged 2.4 yards of play. Ryan Pohl said last week, we're not making coaching changes. This is not Jacksonville. Chicago is a loud media. Do you fire Matt Eberflus during the season? I mean, I think there's a decent chance by the time, you know, we wake up or before lunch on Monday, he's relieved of his duties.

You can't go back-to-back games like they have just had when they were a play away from looking like, is this team about to win 10 or 11 games? And it now feels like if I told you they win one more game the rest of the season, we've talked about their schedule, they're in shambles. Their coaching staff's an embarrassment right now, and it's going to get absolutely destroyed by every Bears fan and rightfully so. Yeah. But I also think that, like, Ryan Poles, Bears' responsibility, he drafted Roma

Dunesay, who we all like, their offensive line is pitiful. And there were countless offensive linemen on the board at Pick 9 that would have, who's Jim Harbaugh take? He takes an offensive lineman where it's like, take a receiver. He's like, no. Who would Andy Reed have taken in that spot? He would have taken a guard or a tackle because you have to protect that guy. And they took a wide receiver when they already got multiple wide receivers.

And let's face it, they got a problem on their hands because DJ Moore, who for like a five straight year stretch, everyone in the NFL, I was like, listen, I don't know. This guy, it doesn't matter what quarterback he's playing with. This guy's a stud. People liked him. He's high character. He does not like Caleb.

Yeah. Like, they have an issue. They have an issue. And they just extended him. Now, obviously, it's not like if you have to pick one or the other, they have no choice. They're all in on Caleb Williams. But that is a problem for them. And I saw this with the 49ers.

And I'm not comparing Caleb to Trey Lance. He's obviously a much better player. But they never believed in Trey Lance. Not the coaching staff, not the front office, the players. why they wanted Jimmy, why they had no problem going to Purdy, because they see every day in practice. I think we were talking before you jumped on about like, I think Nick Wright had a take about like just go with Tray Lance right now because maybe you get something. And best case, he just sucks and you lose. You know why you can't do that?

Because Micah Parsons and C.D. Lamb would be like, what the fuck are we doing? Right. Because they see practice. And I think you have this Caleb Williams situation. Everyone's going to point in Shane Waldron. who I actually always kind of liked, but clearly this is not going well for him, and Iber Fluss overshead is going to get fired. But there are plays to be made for Caleb, and he doesn't look remotely close.

Like even if you are a Caleb supporter, which I, with you, like most people, I would have drafted him number one overall. But like the draft happened. Now we're 10 games in. There are plays. It's not all his fault. But I think we also have to acknowledge, like Drake May plays in an organization that's in turmoil.

The former head coach, who's one of the most legendary sports figures of all times, ripping Gerard Mayo like three weeks ago. Everyone's ripping the owner. The coaching staff's more than questionable. There's not that much talent. You watch Drake May. You're like, God, he was the best quarterback by a wide margin on the field. No question.

And the other thing, Colin is, like, let's use Jared Gough as an example. Remember that rookie season, it felt like, is this guy, this guy, even an NFL player? But the one thing you knew Jared Gough could do in college was like he was a pocket quarterback. So he was never going to have to run. He's a pocket. protect him, he can play in the pocket. There is just a question with Caleb, like, can he play within the pocket? That was a question coming out. Like, it's not something he's comfortable doing. You don't just get to freelance all the time in the NFL. So it's like, one, two, three, get rid of the ball. Now, are his receivers not getting open all the time? Obviously, some plays. But I do think there's a legit question of like, what offense to make this guy successful? Like, I watched Drake May. It's like, I think that guy could fit in a lot of offenses. Yeah. You know, I thought Jaden was like, I think he's going to have to play in like more of a Lamar style. I'm watching. I'm like,

what Lamar is now, what Lamar was when he was really young, not the version now. And you watch Jaden right now, it's like, this guy's awesome in the pocket. So I just think there's question marks on Caleb that you look at this job, like, this is why I'm like Mike Vrable. Like, I'm not looking for Caleb to throw 40 touchdowns anymore. Maybe that's not his game. Let's just kind of go what Pete Carroll did in 13 and 14, like, hey, we're going to run the ball, we're going to have a tough defense.

You're going to play within my system. That's what? We're taking the cooking utensils away from your hands. That's what Philadelphia is done with Jalen Hertz. Jalen Hertz today is throwing 24 times, and it's very effective. He throws a good deep ball. They're not letting Jalen Hurtz. And by the way, outside of a Mahomes or a Josh Allen, I don't want my guys throwing 42 times.

I don't want my offensive lineman backing up 42. I want him going forward 42 times. It's interesting because... Jalen's a little less hirky jerky, though. Caleb, I think it's a little shorter area. I think Jalen's a better runner, but a little more quick twitch. And to me, his herky-jerkiness throws everything off. And part of it's young.

He's kind of seeing ghosts. But it's just, I don't know if we've seen something this. Like, this go back to like Sam Darnold Jets. Like, this is a train wreck going offensively. Well, when he was coming out, I talked to every scout I could. And they all had the same concern. There were two concerns. Number one was accuracy.

People said, I think we could clean it up, but he gets really erratic. Every game with USC, they're like, he gets real streaky. And then he just has, you know, a Notre Dame game where it's just nothing works, you know, like for an entire half. The second thing they said is, you know, guys said, didn't love the fingernails, didn't love jumping into the crowd with mom, really emotional. It doesn't mean he's a bad kid, but he's really emotional. And really emotional players tend to be high and low, especially when they're young. So you're going to have to deal with a very emotional kid with some accuracy issues. And it kind of goes back to my say it out loud.

Those aren't great. Highly emotional player accuracy issues. You know, Bo Nix is very stoic. Accuracy's not an issue. It just sounds better. It's Russell's defining characteristic. I'll just kind of fake optimistic. It feels like he's, but it works.

It works for him. And I think, so I think with Caleb, he can be a bit moody. I remember the game at USC. It was the, I think it was year one with, they went to Corvallis. He had a terrible first half. He got really moody on the sidelines. I think they came back to win that game. But it was the first time I thought, yeah, dude, you're on TV.

This is a big TV. game. Come on, get it together. And I think that was real. I feel like he goes in the shell more now. He just like sits by himself on the bench. Like that's guys, we got to work together and figure some stuff out. You can't isolate in this position. Yeah. And I think that was a Jay Cutler issue, by the way, in Chicago. Culler was a guy that would just go by himself hanging in the corner. Isolation. And it's not what you want. Now for a segment called Making It Look Easy, brought to you by Morgan and Morgan America's

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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

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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 Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick it here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it.

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

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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.

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Join me, Kear Gaines, is 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 Hardway and listen now. Okay. Philadelphia 34 Dallas 6. terribly ineffective first half, four total turnovers in the first half. I think we were just waiting for Philadelphia to take over in the third, and they did. In the third quarter, the Eagles had 116 yards.

The Cowboys had three. And again, they didn't ask Jaylen Hurst to do much. I'm looking at it right here. 14 for 20, 20, 20 20, 20, 20 20, a couple of touchdowns. Trey Lance came in third quarter. This was a really predictable blowout. I watched Caroline and the Giants to start today. I believe what I'm going to say is true that Dallas is the worst team in the NFL right now.

I really believe that. I think they're the worst team in the NFL because at least the Giants have Daniel Jones and Brian Dable. They could engineer a good drive. I think the Cowboys have two excellent players, Micah Parsons and C.D. Lamb. And I think Zach Martin was great. Now he's, you know, he's a good player. I'll go back to something I said before the season. If I can identify this, how could the Cowboys not? It is the worst running back room in the league. It is maybe the thinnest wide receiver room in the league. The offensive line is in a rebuild. Dak is hurt again.

And their defensive players, a couple of my like, tend to be, it feels to me, a little overhyped and a tad injury prone. I could spend a lot of time on Dallas. But on the other side, I looked at Philadelphia and I thought, I'm not a Siriani fan, but they are playing formula football with that offense. And that formula with those players feels like it's working to me. What's why I picked him at the beginning of the year to win the division just because the talent on the roster is just immense.

And the quarterback does not need to be what Joe Burroughs doing right now. Adding Saquan Barkley, who I would say is, I mean, him and Derek Henry have been two of the great cheap acquisitions and like the history of the NFL. But one thing that they look a lot better on, and this is why you pay a guy $5 million, there was a scheme. I don't want to say disagreement, but it was just different from the players they had to what Vic usually likes. So there is going to be some time that it takes to get things figured out. Well, what's happening over the last month, Jalen Carter, the premium player in which they draft has played a lot better. I'm watching a day, Nacobi Dean making plays all over the place.

Nolan Smith has come on. They have just some of these young players have just slowly made more plays the season. He goes on. Why? Vic Fangio knows what he's doing. Now, he's an intense, a lot different than what they had last year with the Patricia Desai situation. But they, and listen, obviously they're playing the Cowboys today. But I would just say over the last month, they have looked like a much more capable defense.

Yep. Early on in the season, it was like, this is not possible. That's my question mark with Baltimore. You can't play that bad a defense in Winstruble. It's not possible. Can't do it. Especially in the conference in there and playing Josh Allen and Patrick Malmes and probably Justin Herbert as well. But you watch the Eagles if their defense is just solid, when healthy, A.J. Brown, Devante Smith, Alice Goddard and Sekewan Barkley, with Jalen, passing and running ability.

It just doesn't get any better in the NFL. Is Philadelphia, I watched them today, as I was kind of disappointed in San Francisco. I think Philadelphia has the best roster in the league. I think offensively, definitely. I think offensively, definitely. I think defensively, they have players. They're young. Some of their best players are young.

Yeah, I think offensively, when Jaylen's playing like he has the last month, there's no, you can't even compare. And when the left tackle is healthy, their offensive line is excellent. Yeah. They have a top, I don't know, two or three running back. Yeah. They have a quarterback who's played like a top six, seven guy all season long. They have a high-end, tight end.

They have elite two wide receivers. So, and listen, I know Kellan Moore takes a lot of shit. I followed his career since he was a player. I think he's a pretty bright guy. Yeah. I mean, he was pretty good for the Cowboys. We can nitpick them all we want. I do think when you watch Dallas,

you know, NBA coaches talk about this a lot. Like when you play a team and their star player goes down, like the day before you play them, your team just like, oh, Janice is out. You don't take him serious. All of a sudden you lose. Like, I thought that first half was the Eagles, like, how could they take the Cowboys as seriously

once Dak rips his hamstring off the bone? And they felt like they were sleepwalking through the game for about the first 25 minutes. And then they realized, okay, this is, this is JV versus Farsi. They flipped a switch. And basically 15 minutes they scored what felt like 30 points

and it was over in a heartbeat. I also think Dallas, we talked about this last week with Zeke. They had to leave him at home because he was being late. And, you know, for an older player who's supposed to be like a high level leader.

And then today he's playing and he fumbles in the end zone. Like in what world, and this is, you know, obviously Jerry doesn't want to cut him. You can't tell me Mike McClure. McCarthy, if he's willing to leave a veteran player who's clearly not on board, then would play him the next week. Why don't you just cut a player like that?

Like what's the point? And then look today, he fumbles. It leads to a score. I just think the Cowboys are all out of whack from the hierarchy. And we talk about this all the time, the parallels with the, you know, that late post-Grued and Al Davis, where you have this owner who's also in charge of the personnel, who's just in charge of the money. And it's just like, the Eagles. You know if a guy's on the field, you know who's in charge? Howie, the GM.

who works hand in hand with the coach, right, with the Niners. It's Kyle and John. Was like, yeah, why is Zeke playing? Oh, Jerry. Jerry likes them. You know, goes, like, what are we doing? Jerry's 82 years old. Yeah.

It's just, this season clearly was going to get away from him. But it's, and now they're better off, Colin, because they're going to have a new coach. You know, the Chargers won five games last year, which led to McConkey and Alt. So aren't you better off here, the Cowboys just losing all these games? Well, yeah. To end up with a fourth pick and then you could just revamp your roster. I think. Listen, there's two games left.

They have a chance to be favored. Carolina looked pretty good today. That rookie receiver, Chuba Hubbard, Bryce Young. I think I take Carolina in that game if they played next week. Yep, I think Bryce Young. At the end of last year, Bryce was okay in the last like four games. Bryce looked comfortable today. You know, I think we both like that coach, Canales, they brought in like a smart guy.

I think Carolina can move the ball. I think that wide receiver they picked early as a hit. He's a really, really. Carolina guy. He's like a D-Bo. He can play. And now, New York, they probably win. But that schedule is, it's L's. And my take is, where you want to get. So your Giants will probably have the number one pick. New England's playing. New England can reel off two more, three more wins. They're not going to be number one. And they

don't need a quarterback. And I think Gerard Mayo, now forget Brissette. Drake's their guy, Drake May. They're going to, this locker room is young. They're going to fight their ass off to win games. and Giants are going to have... I would buy some stock. Now, we'll see if the coaching staff... Drake May is a pretty interesting player called. Yep.

He's hard to watch and go, there's something there. Well, a lot of coaches would want to work with that. Yeah, his comp was Justin Herbert. He was an unpolished Justin Herbert. You can completely see it. You can absolutely see the movement, the size, the arm. He's just, his feet aren't quite as good. I mean, Herbert looks like the league logo.

He's got that perfect wide stance. How good does he look right now? Oh, my God. But my takeaway here with Dallas is if Carolina plays well and they'll have something to play for here. I think they want to keep Bryce Young and keep him healthy. I think the Cowboys could have the second to third pick in this draft. Again, if Chicago was worse, they got a quarterback. If New England was, have a quarterback. You start getting into that three or four spot.

Right now, they're a three-win team. Let's say they finish with four, John. somebody's going to move up for Cam Ward. Somebody's moving up for him. And I think Dallas could get a couple seconds, a couple thirds. That's how you read. That's what do a Houston. You know what I think makes it really hard for Dallas.

Obviously, Mike McCarthy was in the last year of his deal, had to have success to keep his job. He's going to get fired. But if you look at the resumes when they fired Jason Garrett and hired Mike McCarthy, Mike McCarthy was just a way better coach than Jason Garrett. Like, what are the chances that they are going to upgrade for? firing Mike McCarthy. Like, is Belichick lined up to work with his 82-year-old GM owner? Probably not, even though their relationship and their roster has a lot of questions. Like, honestly, the only thing they're going to have going for them, because they never have

cap space, is going to be their high draft picks in every round. But in terms of coaches lined up, like, is this something Belichick and Vrable are interested in doing? Now you'd have to look around. Like, Jacksonville is kind of a weird place. The Bears aren't as desirable if you question Caleb's ability. So, listen, you could just, it's the NFL, it's the Cowboys, but. But I wonder if a lot of people are going to be a little reluctant. And it's like, is Jerry just going to give Rabel or Belichick $15, $18 million? Like, give Spanos credit. He finally said, okay, me, Jim Harbaugh.

Okay, so it worked. Let's look at the jobs that could be open. Okay, Jets is not a premier job, impulsive owner, 40-year-old prickly quarterback. I don't think Dallas is an elite job. You're tied to Dak Prescott. It's a very weak roster in a quickly improving NFC. Let's think of the other job. A Chicago. Jacksonville. Jacksonville, Chicago, you know, Trevor Lawrence, it just, I,

how many times does he want to go in rehab? I'm not, I'm not, I mean, today it was Vikings 12, Jags 7. Sam Darnold, they were 0 for 5 in the red zone. That game could have been 30 to 7. It, Matt Jones can't play. Two picks, 100 yards, he can't play. So, I mean, that Jacksonville has quit. There's just nothing there. Their defense is pretty interesting, but they got nothing offensively. I think Trevor Lawrence getting injured. And, you know, I think I saw Jay Gruden said, and he had worked there. He's like, I'd heard the guy needs surgery.

That could easily come out in the next couple of days that he goes under the knife. I think they would have been better off. It's like, you know what? Trevor Lawrence is just shitty. And some coach, these coaches are arrogant. Like, I can fix this. Now it's like, well, he's crappy. And he's missing a ton of time with major injuries.

And they just paid him Dak Prescott money. I'm out. Yeah. I can't do that. Because you can't get rid of the guy. What is the best job? None of them. They're all terrible.

It's why these jobs are open. It's why the best teams never have job open. I would say Seattle was a pretty unique job opening. Pretty level-headed organization with talent, a good GM, Mike McDougat. That's a pretty rare job. But when you just look at jobs consistently, it's like the Packers five years ago. That's not normal. That's the best job.

The Packers five years ago, Matt LaFleur was the best job. Justin Herbert Chargers, some can push back on the Spanos family. That was the second best job. So about every four years, you get one great job opening. That's about it. And I think it turned out. And it's always easy to play Monday morning quarterback when we have information. Like, you would have loved it to invest all your money in Amazon 15 years ago if we would have known.

But people don't know. But I would say Washington, Ben Johnson has to lose some sleep occasionally, knowing that he turned down a quarterback that, like, everyone with a straight face can go, this guy could be one of the best two or three. three quarterbacks in the league during his, you know, the next 10 years, right? He has that ability. You don't turn down a job like that. And it's like, Dan Snyder's no longer there. So you get an owner. Those basketball teams weird, but that's because of more he's into that stuff.

It's like he's just a high level owner, pays money, will pay for people. Like, clearly, like, that's a really, really good job. And that was only because the guy sold his team and gave the, you know, Adam Peters and Dan Quinn. Like, I think Dan Quinn got pretty lucky looking back that Ben Johnson. Johnson hung up on those guys when they were flying to him because that's a game changer. But you know what? And this goes back to got every industry in the world.

But when Washington got rid of everybody, I predicted Washington would make the playoffs because I liked Adam Peters history. I like Dan Quinn. I like Cliff Kingsbury. I like Jayden Daniels. My take is if everybody's new, it's okay. If everybody they replaced was awful and they were. And, you know, for Washington to turn it around quickly and for Houston last year to turn it around quickly. I think it highlights

John something about the NFL that I think fans don't think about like we do because we do this for a living, but we look at the NFL and we think, okay, there's like five great quarterbacks and five pretty good ones. That's the same with

owners, GMs, and coaches. Everything in the league across the board. Washington right now has a top three offensive coordinator. They may have one of the top GMs. They have one of the better owners. Dan Quinn's one of 11. Look at Dallas's defensive numbers without it. Dan's one of the five best defensive coaches. Jaden Daniels, we could be looking at the best rookie quarterback in a decade. The reason Washington feels even different than Houston is, because I think the owner in Washington's better than the owner of the McNair's in Houston, is if you know what you're doing in the NFL and you can align, you know, I've always had this rule. If you're in a, even an A minus,

at four things. Owner GM coach quarterback. Your Super Bowl, Baltimore will be in the Super Bowl conversation every year. Harbaugh, Lamar, Steve Bouchetti, and their front office.

It's just they're all really good. Kansas City, great. The truth is, Washington right now, they just hit, they hit on everything. Coach coordinator, GM, it's not a fluke.

They're not ready yet, and it also highlights. God, John, half of this league doesn't know what they're doing. I think you're low. I think it's closer to 20. And it really crystallized when I went to the Combine. I'm lucky enough to, you know, know, Andy and Howie, and you just see these organizations like,

it's football. Shit's going to go wrong. You never know adversity's going to hit, whether a guy gets in trouble, whether a coach underachieves. But like the Ravens, the Steelers, the Eagles, Andy and the Chiefs, like the same team. Kyle's, this is the worst season of all time for Kyle Shanahan. He's going to end up at minimum 10 and 7, you know.

So it's like McVeigh, shit hits the fans. Like, oh, he's going to be in the playoffs again. Look at this. Harbaugh comes in to a tire fire. Their defense is mostly the same. Their offense arguably is worse because Michael Williams and Kenan are gone. He's relying on a right tackle and a slot receiver that are rookies. The defense has gone from the worst in the league to top five on coaching.

Minter, Jesse Minter. enter and harball. Like, that tells you there are, there are any one time, there are five coaches in this league who are coordinators. They have no, I mean, Jets have one right now. Chargers had one last year. They're just not head coaches. Well, it's November 10th, Colin, and they have, the Chargers have more wins than they did in 2023. It's November 10th. I mean, we're still several weeks away from Thanksgiving. And they're going to more than double their win total from last year. I also think, like, look at Rogers and Devante, who, were in first class

relative to the NFL. It's like they were in first class and they were complaining the blanket wasn't quite soft enough. Right. And then they went to the Raiders, they went to the Jets and then Devante for some reason, the Mancy goes to the Jets. Do you guys know how good you had it? Do you guys know how good you had it in Green Bay? No matter

who you are. And I've said this forever like about what I do for living because people always ask like you have the dream. Eventually a job becomes work. Yeah. Right? Like no matter what you do, whether you're a football player, whether you talk about football, whether you're a architect, but like when you like it, you do have to like sometimes be able to take a step back and realize like some spots and some relationships, some partnerships, like, I don't

want to screw this up. I have it pretty well. And even Belichick and Brady for a long time butted heads. But I think for the most, it took till Tom was 42 to draw a line in the sand, which again, 20 plus years. Those guys both started making a stink through like, what, what are we talking about guys? Like, if they would have stayed, it wouldn't have been as good, but it would not. Their careers wouldn't have gone what they've experienced. And now Roger's career is going to end with him playing for the Jets. Like that's forever the Packers make fun of the Bears.

And they currently do. Why? Because we're well run. They're not. They have more money. They're in a way bigger market. Yet we're one of the premier organizations for 30 years when it comes to television ratings and making all this league a bunch of money.

It's us, not them. Because we have cohesion with our GM and our, head coach. And, you know, Baltimore, the Chiefs, all the, I think, you know, listen, we can nitpick Sean McDermott some of his late game decisions over the, but he's pretty well established. He's a good coach, right? And him and the GM working cohesion with their quarterback, they are a high-level operation in Buffalo now. And they have been for four or five years. Listen, think of they're running circles around their division. Look at, look at Sean Payton. They're in cap hell this year and next year. They don't have their full, um, ammo of picks because of Russell. I mean,

Sean is coaching with a rookie quarterback. They have one elite receiver. Um, when's the last time they had a first round pick beside Bo Nix? Spent several years, right? Because I traded them away. This, that is a story of coaching. I mean, Denver now is a viable team. It is just coaching. And Harbaugh, it's, they have better players and they have more well-rounded roster than the Denver Broncos do. But for Harbaugh to walk in and Peyton to walk in, if you look at what Sean Peyton is dealing with now, I mean, go look up what they're still paying Russell this year and next. They don't have a full arsenal of pecks. It's a rookie quarterback. There is a freaking gap, the Grand Canyon wide, in coaching, coordinating, and it just happens. So happens.

The Jets have a D owner, probably a D head coach right now, a C. play caller and a quarterback, frankly, who's a seed that nobody wants to acknowledge. Well, if you put Jim Harbaugh on the Bears right now with Caleb Williams, assuming that's who he would have wanted, because I don't think there's any guarantee that's who he would have, maybe he would have liked Drake May. I wouldn't put it past him, you know, who knows. But let's just say he got Caleb Williams in this roster. There's no doubt in my mind, there's a wild card team. No doubt in my mind. Right. And they had the opportunity he played for him, but of course, like, oh, the Bears are too cheap. They won't do that. And I was always

really critical of the Spanos because it's like, guys, the paying a coach four or five million dollars in this modern day when you clearly have the money. This isn't 25 years ago when some teams had a lot more. Every team's getting three, four hundred million dollars. You have when you get the opportunity and this guy's, you have to cut the check. And they finally did. And they're paying mentors, probably one of the highest paid defensive coordinator. Obviously, Jim makes 15 plus million.

That equals success. Like one of the reasons for 20 years, basically since Marty, it's like, ah, they always left a little something. It was never their roster. I mean, the Chargers went from Drew Breez to Philip Rivers to Justin Herbert. That's not exactly far to Roger to love, but it's not far off. And it's like, ah, they just, no success really beside a couple of playoff wins. And now it feels like this team's going to be a Super Bowl contender for the next four or five years, right? As long as they can keep that quarterback healthy, they'll improve their roster.

Maybe they get a playoff victory this year, like some big upset in the first round. Watch out for the Chargers because they're coming. And some of these teams, like, do you have any faith that the Bears will get the coaching higher? right? No. No, they never do. I mean, let's circle back to that. What is the best job available in the NFL right now? In fact, I'll grab my phone. I'll do this to the audience. I want to look at the standings right now. So I'm going to say, well, do you think the Giants coming open or probably not? No, because it's one quarter. Not that that would be a good job, but. But I'm thinking right now. So Jets will have an opening, not a good gig. Saints have an opening. Raiders won't. I hear a lot of people. I don't, I'm with you. I don't think they will, but I think a lot of people in the NFL think Antonio Pierce has a good chance to be. They just fired four coaches the other day.

Clean house. I would argue the best job. God, it can't be the Jaguars. There is no good job opening in the AFC. No. So let's go to the NFC. I think the Giants will keep day bowl. So Dallas, just because you have a capable,

quarterback and a couple of stars isn't bad. Okay. Bears, I don't like that as a job. Saints, I'm not interested. Yeah, I'll make the, I'll make the argument. Hell, Tampa would be the best job, if available, because I get Baker. The Glazer family's pretty classy. I know them. Jason Light's an excellent general manager. One of the best. Is Belichick a sleeper there now? Do you think? I'll be honest with you. Him and Jason work together in the room? And I don't think Todd Bowles the issue. I think injuries are the issue. Same. I, to me, Tampa's the best job opening if it comes open. I think Todd will probably retain it. Glazers don't want to fire people. They're good people. And I don't, I think Todd's done enough. Like, you watch them. They're a well-coached team.

And they play hard. Now, I do wonder if some of these owners like, hey, we get Bill Belichick. Like, they're the type ownership. Once upon a time, they traded for who? John Gruden, right? They hired Bruce Ari and signed Tom Brady. Like, they're a sneaky, like a little splash. Listen, most of these, I would say the one gig that if you do believe in Caleb, that he can just be the Pete Carroll early version of Russell, they have a defense, they have pieces on offense, and because their record's going to be crappy, they're going to have high draft picks. And, like, I think that's a pretty intriguing job. The thing is, they love, they don't want to pay anybody. I mean, these coaches, Kirby Smart and Lane Kiffin are playing each other. They may combine like $25 million.

That's the SEC. You're the Chicago Bears. So if you, why wouldn't you call Belichick? Hey, we'll give you three years, $60 million. These are line items to people. I mean, honestly, to what these teams are making now, that means nothing. Mark Davis, who historically, the Raiders were the poorest NFL team, right? They just didn't have the cash flow. They have no problem paying guys to go away now. Why? He has unlimited money, which is scary for some of these owners who don't know what they're doing because they can just fire people nonstop. But the cash, whatever you want to offer Bill Belichick for all these teams,

you can offer them. You can just give them two years, $50 million. Just, hey, just come in and get us going in the right direction. But he's like, oh, could we find this coordinator maybe for $6 million? Like, what do you? Don't complain when you lose. Don't complain when you lose. So I feel bad for Bears fans because I would have, this season has been a train wreck.

It really has, given the expectations, and now feels, talk about a team that we talk about the Cowboys not winning many more games. Look at the Bear's schedule. I mean, they might only have one. win, especially if their players start quitting. Thursday night football is on. It's only on Prime Video. Best season yet. Pack with big rivalries and even bigger stars.

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We also have AIDS on the table right now, so... Then you're 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,

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on my new podcast, Learn the Hardway. Open your free Our Heart Radio app. Search Learn the Hardway and listen now. I want to end it with a college football topic.

So during the season, nobody's going to cry for me, but during the season, you and I don't get days off necessarily. I don't. I have a Monday through Friday show. We just work, Colin. Sunday we work.

So I gave myself Saturday off. I looked on the schedule. I wanted to watch LSU. Bamma. I watched the first half, and it was open. So I got a feeling pretty quickly that Brian Kelly's team just wasn't up for it. That's not how you should play at home in your third year against Alabama, your primary rival.

But I was thinking about this is that the concern for college football creating even a 12-team playoff that it would neuter the regular season. And it's interesting. If I said to you, what has been the best college football game this season? I think most of us would go Ohio State, Oregon was like unbelievable. But I can count on one hand the games I've said. Like I thought Texas, Georgia would be great. It wasn't. I thought LSU, Bama could be great.

It wasn't. I thought Penn State, Ohio State was fine. But I didn't think either team played particularly well. You know, they had opportunities. And I will say this. I love college football. USC Michigan was really fun at the time. It didn't age well, but that game at the time felt huge.

Yeah. Yeah, I agree. And there'll be close games. But I will say, whereas the NFL has 14 games a weekend, and usually about 6 to 7 are pretty damn good. I mean, we got some, I mean, Kansas City, Denver, Washington, Pittsburgh. Those were really good games. Hell, even Buffalo and the Colts for a while was good. San Francisco, Tampa was exceptional.

And I think Rams Miami tomorrow will be good. So you'll get six or seven NFL games every weekend at a 14. I do think it has changed my mindset is that the games don't feel as definitive or punitive. And so right now my take is everybody's going to have a loss. I'm not going a mile deep on a strong opinion on a loss. I think Texas is good. They had a really bad Saturday, got into their feels, Georgia was pissed off. Georgia lost Ole Miss, they're a limited team offensively.

But I will say that the college football playoff, and it's done this to college basketball where the college basketball now is a bracket. It's got three great weeks and a lot of stuff that nobody watches. I see the numbers. I do think the playoff was necessary for the growth of the sport. But I feel, like Saturday I said, hey, I'm going to take the afternoon off, spend it with my wife, and just take a deep breath, exercise, just get out in Chicago. Let's go have a wild fun day.

And I do feel, I didn't feel I missed anything. Now, I love college football. You do too. Do you, do you, I'm feeling a little different that the regular season doesn't feel as urgent to me, but I think I'll get the payoff for the last month. You know, I'm not when it comes to sports topics, a moral high horse guy. You know, I'm not someone that like pounds my chest about certain things that bother people, you know, in terms of, it's just college as example, the NIL, the transfer portal. For the most part, I'm like, whatever, things change. You deal with it. Miller Moss was benched this week. And immediately, he just quits. I'm going in the transfer portal.

Like, that happened. And even Lincoln's like, yeah, he's just a new opportunity. This guy has been with these players now for years with the team. I do think something's really out of whack that that was like a symbolic moment that this guy finally gets benched. He struggled. And it's like, I just quit. I'm just leaving the team. And then you watch some of these games. Like, Georgia's not nearly as good as they once were. Because people just the moment it, shit gets tough, it's like, I just quit. Yeah. I think Brady talked about it in the off season was like, when I went to Michigan, like, for five years, it wasn't easy, shit gets hard.

But he represented every kid for the history of college football. Like, I want to kill my coach. I want to strangle my offensive coordinator. I just want to quit football. And you just couldn't. And I do think you watch the just, what's the, just what's, going on in college football. I don't know how to fix it. But like that that's just something's off. Like people get benched. It's football. You know, you were playing like shit. We're four and five.

We can't win a game. It's like I just quit. So it's like, does no one means anything? Clearly you're getting some money. Like it's just out of whack. It really is. And that's why I think it represents all these guys moving nonstop, which has its positives, but also has like that for me was a story like, I don't know. Something just feels icky. Like, there has to be. And I think whenever these college coaches say something, most of the media is like, you just, money hungry, you guys always had the event. Guys, yes, we get it.

They've always made money. They also generate all the money for the athletic department. Look at how much coaches making the NFL, their valuable commodity. Yeah. Players are too. But if Debo Samuel's mad today, he can't just go tomorrow. Like, I quit. I'm leaving.

It's like, no, Debo, you're under contract. Well, these guys are getting paid. It's just way out of whack. Yeah. And for the first time, it was just a moment. I don't care about Miller Moss. I'm not even, like, this USC team turns me off. But that moment, I do think, he's not alone.

I'm just, I'm not trying to pick on him. He represents a lot of guys. Happens all over. Happens with guys we probably don't know because he might be a guard or a safety. Happens at every program. You get benched in the middle of the season. It's like, I quit. I'm just out.

And then I saw the South Carolina has a defensive end right now, who's got a chance to be like Miles Garrett. He's an elite freshman. And I saw, you know, this week, maybe on like Thursday or Friday that like his value in NIL because of how good he is is going to go to like two to five million dollars this next season. Well, how does he know that? Because if you think about it, like Oregon, just look at the teams with all the NIL, they're already contacting him, which I don't blame. Like there are no rules. It's a lawless land right now.

But something's off. And I do think that some of these coaches like, listen, we got no problem people getting paid. paid. But there has to be, I can't just tomorrow be like, Colin, I'm out. Like, I don't know, we have contracts. Isn't that the way the business works? And I feel like the media roots for all these guys to get money, rightfully so. But like that, that's not how any business works ever. Like, there are contracts, people have to follow rules. There just are no rules. Yeah. Even the coaches, like, why Billy Napier not get fired? Well, because they have to pay him $25 million. They can. He's under contract. It's just, it is what it is. We're players just like the moment shit.

And I get it like if you're at, and listen, I came from Fresno State. We would have lost all of our good players back in 2010. Boise, they got very lucky to keep Genty. He was offered a million dollars and turned it down. But he was an outlaw. I just think the situation of like, I do think it turns, it's just out of whack. That's all I can say. I still enjoy the games.

Like Colorado is like one of the best stories. What Deon's done, Warren Sapp, that defensive line, I watched three games yesterday. Colorado, Ole Miss and Georgia, and I had a lot of money on LSU, and I turned it off basically in the third quarter. But those games, like, I still enjoy the pageantry between it all,

but sometimes you're just like, what's going on here? Yeah, I feel, yeah, I think. Like, what's Lincoln supposed to do? Not Bench Miller Moss? Like, people get benched. It happens sports. I mean, Lincoln and Les Miles are really good coaches

and both are really struggling. And I think it is really hard to build a culture when you have to walk on eggshells around players. I mean, Sean Payton can dog cuss a guy. Where are you going to go? Now, the NFL, you know, in the NBA, you have to walk on eggshells around pro basketball players. Yeah, they'll get you fired immediately. They don't like you. But in the NFL, you don't.

In college football, college football is becoming the NBA where coaches are terrified to alienate players. And so I think for guys like, you know, it's Harbaugh was really lucky. By the time he'd built them into a power, the world changed. And then he had a couple of years with NIL, but he had established a junior, senior, dominant roster, and then he left. And listen, Jay Wright and Roy Williams and Mike Kay, get me out of here. So Bill Self is having a deal with some of this. So I think college sports, the NIL, it is the dude of Virginia, who's like one of the highest

level guys ever, just quit. It's like this insane. Yeah, I think it's much easier to build a culture in the NFL and turned things around immediately. Harbaugh, D'Amico Ryans, because the coach has the leverage. College sports now, the star player has the leverage. And it's just simply, it's harder to build a culture when you're walking on eggshells. And I've known, I've known programs. I've talked to coaches about this.

that they can't announce, they have to wait until a certain date in August to announce a starting left tackle or a starting running back because they're afraid the player will transfer. So what happens is now college coaches are much less honest with the players. They won't give them bad news early. The depth chart, they don't want it published. So you're getting a really inauthentic, dishonest relationship between college coach and college player. because college player will bolt. And not even the great ones, the good ones will bolt. Well, I think Loxley told a story at Maryland that his third string running back came in after the spring game and said he wanted $200,000.

He said, Godspeed, go get it. What are we talking about? And I think going back to the coaching thing, I think you've been talking NFL players for decades. They will all say, my relationship, like they love their position coach or their coordinator, or especially the good ones, but you get to develop a real relationship so he can tell me good and bad, whatever. Well, how do I develop a real relationship if I'm terrified if I say the wrong thing? Especially, you're a, there's a difference of dealing with a 28-year-old and an 18- or 19-year-old. Let's face it, we're just, as men, we're not as mature at that age, much more emotional,

and even if something that is correct, I'm not going to listen to. So it's a much more difficult situation. And before all those guys, most of the older players in the NFL, they all attribute, like, the best thing going through some adversity, not getting a starting spot as a five star. I had to earn my way. It made me a better player. Now I'm out. See you. And that just can't be healthy for the development. I think it's something to keep an eye on for the draft. Is like these teams think the draft now are not as deep because you got guys bouncing all around. The development is not as streamlined. Yep. You know, it's just out of whack. And I'm not some. anti paying the guys or anything, but we have to, and I love football. I mean, I could watch football all day long as I do, lucky enough to get paid to do it. But when I saw that Miller Moss thing, I'm like, I don't know, something is just, this is not. Caleb, his coach left, followed him. I think you see a lot of times, like, Bo Nix was told we're going with, or no, Dylan Gabriel, like, hey, we're going with Jackson Arnold. Some things is like totally understandable.

And then there's like Miller Moss acting like, you think you're Matt Liner or something? your team's four and five, and you have been shitty in some of these big moments. And you have an offense, where are you going to go? Like San Diego State? Like who's lining up for you? Yeah. But I just thought that headline was just, I don't know. Something just feels a little weird.

John Middilkoff, his podcast is three and out, former scout with the Philadelphia Eagles, another robust dynamic Sunday. And we'll talk soon, buddy. See you, Colin. The volume. Thanks so much for listening. If you've enjoyed the podcast, take a moment, rate, and review. Another podcast from some SNL, late-night comedy guy, not quite.

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