The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Colin Cowherd Podcast - Lincoln Riley to USC Reaction, Mike Silver on Rodgers, Brady, Niners, Week 12

Episode Date: November 29, 2021

Colin reacts to USC's blockbuster Lincoln Riley hire, why it took him by surprise, and the ripple effects it will have on college football (3:00). He also discusses why he didn't buy into the Matthew Stafford hype (13:00), and the one thing Patriots haters probably don't want to hear (15:00). Then, longtime NFL writer Mike Silver and Colin discuss why Brady's Bucs looked different against the Colts (20:00), why Aaron Rodgers sometimes looks "supernatural" (22:00), the major downside of having great QB arm talent (26:00), if the Niners have re-entered the conversation as a playoff threat (32:00), which teams could be dumping their QBs after the season (39:00), how the Seahawks can fix their mess, and the head coaches that could be looking for work soon (46:00).Make sure to Subscribe and follow Colin and The Volume on Twitter 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.

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Sign up. Please use the promo code Colin so they know we sent you. Please use the promo code Colin. C-O-L-I-N. Fandul Sportsbook app, sign up. Hi, everybody, and welcome to the Monday morning podcast. Mike Silver and I chop it up in about 15 minutes talking about the NFL games that matter. The big breaking news yesterday, bigger than the NFL, was Lincoln Riley to coach USC, to Grand Slam higher.

So let me take you back about two months after they fired Clay Hilton. I called Mike Bone, the USC athletic director. I called a couple of significant boosters in the USC family. And I said, I just want to remind everybody that when Pete Carroll coached USC, there were no NFL teams here. The Clippers were a joke. The Dodgers didn't draw four and a half million and were not this good. There was not an LAFC team. The Silicon Valley money was not as substantial.

People are now more distracted. The market's more distracted. I said, you have to go big. Luke Fickle and Matt Campbell is not the answer. This is not Norman, Oklahoma. This is not a small town where the university is the centerpiece of it. USC is a huge brand in Los Angeles. But you will disappear very quickly in this city if you can't cut through.

We need a superstar coat. So I told people connected to USC, go pro, go get a big professional coach who's not a control freak, who understands the LA market. Because eventually USC is such a high glamour job. Whoever succeeds here, five or six years, USC's coach, often John McKay, John Robinson, Pete Carroll, gets lured by the NFL. We don't need a college lifer. We just need to have a culture that's legitimate. It's been hurting since Pete left. So I, of course, had no idea Lincoln Riley was a possibility.

In fact, I laughed at the suggestion he would leave Oklahoma for LSU. I think Oklahoma is a better job than LSU. I do not think Oklahoma is a better job than USC because of the geography and the conference is much easier. So I just thought USC had to go big. So the night before, a source who I trust, way up the line at USC said, Don't report anything. A lot of this Matt Campbell stuff is just simply not true. He may get a great job.

It won't be ours. And then, you know, the story broke early in the afternoon that Lincoln Riley had told his players at Oklahoma he was leaving and going to USC. USC because of geography is a better job than Oklahoma. It hasn't performed as well as Oklahoma recently. But when USC is rolling, regardless of who Oklahoma's coaches, you will see USC will have more NFL players. when you look at why Lincoln Riley left Oklahoma.

A, it's a much easier path to go through Oregon and Washington and Utah than it is to go through Bama and Auburn and Florida and Georgia and LSU. It's just a much easier path. Secondly, what USC sold Lincoln Riley on was this. This is the entertainment capital of the world. We know how to market, promote. build and help stars flourish. And you are a superstar coach.

There is no reason you should ever have to take a backseat in any conference to anybody. And I think Lincoln Riley understood that, that when you come to Los Angeles, you will be the most discussed coach in college football. Remember, television networks are dying to put USC on. Texas A&M doesn't have a national fan base. It doesn't give you Dallas or Houston as a market. When USC is rolling, the second biggest city in America is watching.

And that is why networks like to put the Dodgers on and the Lakers on and the Rams on. And especially in a sport dominated by smaller rural towns, the USC Trojans on. So, you know, networks are doing backflips over this. The minute Notre Dame or USC with massive national exposure and potential get the right coach. They want them on every weekend. The other thing about Lincoln Riley is that California, they call it a brain drain when a lot of college graduates leave an area of the Midwest and they go to New York or L.A. or, you know, Dallas, Atlanta, and they leave the Midwest for cooler cities, warmer weather, more opportunities. Well, California's had a recruit drain because UCLA has more

basketball school than football power. When USC's not right, the state high school football stars leave. They jettison California. They want to be seen. I mean, Alabama's quarterback, California kid. Clemson quarterback, California kid. You start looking around the NFL and how many quarterbacks, Brady, Aaron Rogers, are California kids.

So there has been a fast train out of Los Angeles for about six years with some of the nation's best talent. So if you can retain that, I would say about the middle of year two, and that's what it took for Pete Carroll, the middle of year two, the program started to take off. The good news for Lincoln Riley, there's some talent here. It's mostly on the perimeter. They need a star running back. They have to rebuild their offensive line, and they need more. They have some. They need more big NFL bodies on the defensive front. But there's some corners and receivers and tight ends. They have a young quarterback Jackson Dart. who will, you'll know who he is by next year if you've not watched him play.

There's already stories now of multiple Oklahoma recruits and multiple California kids looking to enter the transfer portal and to join USC. So this is an announcement that will be made Monday, the press conference, either early Tuesday or late Tuesday at the Coliseum. They've already booked a spot there. I've been told the school has. So it's the right hire. You've got to go big.

You've got to cut through. This is a wildly competitive and distracted market in Los Angeles. Matt Campbell is a perfect fit in Oklahoma. It's the only game in town. He'll win games. He won at Toledo. He won at Iowa State. He's a perfect fit.

But I don't think, nor did I ever think, he would be the perfect fit for USC. A couple of things to note here. One of the first calls to congratulate USC, I'm told, Pete Carroll. Once a Trojan, oh was a Trojan, Pete Carroll called the athletic department Mike Bone and congratulated and was so happy and so optimistic about what Lincoln Riley could do. The second thing is one of the advantages Pete Carroll had when he was at USC is the conference was down and then later Chip Kelly entered at Oregon and Jim Harbaugh at Stanford. But the same thing is going on outside of Oregon, Washington's looking for direction, Utah and UCLA have the right

coaches and they're solid, but they won't contend with USC once the recruits start piling in. The conference now, the Arizona schools are okay. Colorado is just okay. Stanford and Cal now are a little off the rails. The conference is built to take over very, very quickly. Something else that was thrown out is, you know, I can't believe that Lincoln Riley wasn't loyal to Oklahoma. Well, remember, Oklahoma wasn't loyal to Lincoln Riley. They broker that deal to go to the SEC. They didn't ask Lincoln Riley to do that. And the truth of the matter is, it can be a little bit of a cesspool in recruiting in the SEC. There's a lot of schools, and I don't include Alabama in this, but a lot of the schools chasing Alabama are handing players the bag. There is a lot of ugly recruiting

going on in the SEC. Lincoln Riley, a little concerned. Oklahoma could get lost. He doesn't believe he should have to take a backseat to anybody. He may not fit the Southern culture as well as he fits the Western culture in the PAC 12. Also remember, Lincoln Riley could go to the NFL anytime he wants. Stan Crunky is great friends with Jerry Jones. I would not be surprised if Jerry Jones and Lincoln Riley did not have a discussion about

this opportunity. And I can guarantee you, Jerry told him, go west young man. So this is a real opportunity. The number one college football program west of the Mississippi in the number two market in the country, networks vying to get USC on. They've got the quarterback in Jackson Dart for the next two years. Outside of Oregon, many of the top programs like Washington and Stanford are reeling. it's a perfect hire, it's the perfect time, and it will not take long to turn it around. You know, one NFL take that I'd like to get out on this podcast before I get to Mike Silver, I thought it was very interesting when it was announced that Matt Stafford was going to the Rams. The over-under for the Detroit Lions did not change, and the over-under for the Rams win total changed only half a game.

You are seeing the downside to Matt Stafford, third straight game of the pick six. He misses open throws. He can be erratic. He's inconsistent. He isn't always in the biggest games, the best quarterback. Once again, Aaron Rogers looks like a different level of quarterback. The Rams and Stafford are not completely healthy. But that's not an excuse because the Green Bay Packers have been the most injury-depleted football team in the National Football League, I would argue, for the last three weeks.

They won missing 11 starters in Arizona. They could have won in Minnesota missing their top tight end, running back, left tackle, corner, and linebackers Adairius Smith. I don't want to hear injuries. I like Matt Stafford. But it's remarkable how he was sold as the savior of the Rams. And Carson Wentz was much malign going to the Colts. Is there that big of a difference? Wentz is bigger, as good an arm, is more athletic.

And like Stafford, makes the reckless mistake. I like Matt Stafford. But this idea that he was going to be the savior for the L.A. Rams, he's better than Jared Gough. But what you're seeing is what Lion fans saw for years. Great talent, not a super athlete, not wildly mobile. He's not going to spin it like Aaron Rogers. He's not going to move around like Kyler Murray. He's clearly not the winner or pre-snap as good as Tom Brady. He's an upgrade over Jared Gough. But the idea there's this massive gap between Matt Stafford, who the media thought would change the Rams and Carson Wentz, who everybody thought was a dubious,

acquisition by the Colts, I think Stafford's slightly better, but I don't see the huge gap. Aaron Rogers, missing five of his best players, was clearly playing at a different level with a bad toe and limping around than Matt Stafford. Sometimes there's things you don't want to hear, but you have to come to terms with them. Right now in the AFC, New England Patriots look like the best team. There's a lot of good football in the AFC, but everybody's got a major liability, the Ravens secondary, the Browns quarterback, the Steelers offensive line, Cincinnati Bengals lack of experience, the Buffalo Bills run game and pass blocking offensive line. No team in the AFC, including the Kansas City Chiefs, checks more playoff boxes than the New England Patriots. Nobody.

Coach best in the league. coordinators, fantastic. Defense gives up few big plays. Disciplined, few penalties, when it's time of possession, top 10 offensive line, run games top five in the NFL. Their quarterback doesn't make the big mistake.

They don't have the over-the-top offensive component, but let's be honest. You start looking around the NFL and the Josh Allen Stefan Diggs, Tyree Kilpatrick Mahomes' relationships are rare. I look at New England and the AFC, And if there's eight boxes you have to check to win a conference, they check seven. I'm not even sure Kansas City does.

The only one they don't check in New England is quick touchdowns over the top, which again is a luxury. DeAndre Hopkins in Arizona, Stefan Diggs, that is uncommon. That is not common. So you got to come to terms with it. I know it drives you nuts. but Belichick once again may have lost the divorce in the first year, but by year two, if you told me Brady ends up facing Belichick in a Super Bowl, would you be surprised? Not one bit.

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21 plus and... Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games

and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win.

I don't care which I'll say it. Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement

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Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tap Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do with Little Kim?

Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam Jett. 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, so. Thank you for 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. Trip Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing. And we're still chasing it. And we don't know when we've done enough. Because people scoreboard watch.

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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. Shopify.com slash C-O-L-I-N. Look through your children's eyes to see the true magic of a forest.

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So let's start with this. It is amazing to me as I sat there on Sunday and watched. You know, to be a great quarterback in this league is so rare. You're either too young or too limited and you watch the Aaron Rogers and you watch Brady and you're like, it's so rare. It's even the great ones. Like Herbert's a huge young talent. He struggles.

He still gets lost. But you know what's remarkable in this? This is where Aaron Rogers is different. So I'll get to Rogers in a second because I think Green Bay is the best team. the league. But Brady with a healthy gronk, Mike, is so different. When you give him a decent running game and a healthy gronk, that is his, that's his life preserver. He is not the same quarterback, the goat without gronk. And I watched him and I thought, why is he fighting for gronk? It doesn't matter about Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, A, B. Gronk's healthy. He's a completely different

player. And, you know, Byron Lefich is quietly doing some stuff over there that I don't know if the casual fan notices. And honestly, I don't know if NFL owners who have openings are going to notice. But, you know, we kind of underestimate Byron Lefich collectively. We did it as a player. He's got that horrible long release and he's kind of slow. And, you know, he just looked like a plotting guy. So he had his moments as a quarterback, but a lot of times people thought, you know, he's just, you know, he's not my kind of quarterback. And now as a coach, you know, Bruce Ariens is telling us, he's like, look, I'm not running the office. Byron Lefich is. I'm not even at the meetings. He's doing all this. And obviously they have Tom Brady and obviously they have all that talent you just referred

to. And yes, Grunk makes a massive difference. But I, we've seen Tom Brady not look awesome during various times since he's been on Tampa. Byron Lefich is doing a lot of this. And yeah, when you talk about Rogers, I mean, I'm watching that game Sunday and I'm thinking, well, we're hearing suddenly about how hurt Matthew Stafford is. And I'm not deny or I'm not trying to doubt that he is, but it's weird that after a by week,

we're now hearing about all these ailments. And every time Stafford does something wrong, they're saying, well, he's clearly not right. Well, we know Aaron Rogers isn't right. He's coming off of COVID. He has a broken pinky toe. And he's taken a shot for it that seems to wear off during games. And he looks amazing.

So I'm not saying that every other injured quarterback should be able to do that. But you're right. It's supernatural sometimes. No, I mean, Aaron is, you know, he didn't practice. And he comes out. And it's funny. Right. I said this about staff.

I said this about Stafford is Stafford goes to the Rams. He's a savior. Wentz goes to the Colts. It's a dubious contract. Wentz is bigger. Wentz is stronger. Wentz is more athletic. And they both have a propensity to be reckless.

But it doesn't stick to Stafford. It sticks to Wentz. And I was watching Stafford. And I never forget this. He goes from Detroit to the Rams. The over-under goes up half a game. Vegas didn't buy into this, this Messiah. And I like Matt.

I really do. And maybe he's hurt. But come on, give me a break. This whole league's hurt. I mean, Trent Dofer used to tell me this years ago, he's like, October 1st, everyone's hurt. Nobody's healthy. Especially him. Yeah.

Right. And I'll take it even a different level because it's only recently, and by recently, I'd say, the last year or so that people are even doing this to Wednesday. For a long time, he could do no wrong. You know, to go back to gambling, which I don't usually do, you look at the MVP odds on Carson Witts in any given time since 2017. And it's always like, huh? Like, are you watching the same thing I am? He's so highly regarded. And so I would throw golf in the equation.

And it's not a popular thing to do given how bad his team is and how rough it has been for him this season with very few weapons. but Matthew Stafford just did something that hasn't been done since Matt Schaub. He's thrown pick sixes in three consecutive games. And when Schaub was doing it that year, it was like the world was combusting. And a guy who had a pretty good career until then, it was like, oh, my God, this is a nightmare. Stafford does a lot of good things, but he's now doing the things that the Rams gave up so much for just to rid themselves of the fact that Jared Gop was doing those things, turnover wise. And Jared Gop did a lot of good things there too.

And so I think it goes back to the first thing you said. It's not a perfect, you know, we wanted to just be like, oh, this quarterback's there. So now it's always good. And it's very rare that that happens. Russell Wilson for most of his career has been that way. You know, I think Lamar has shown vestiges of it. Josh Allen has shown vestiges of it. DeShon Watson, when he has.

has played, has shown vestiges of it. Mahomes until recently has been like that. But it's not a normal thing for someone to just always look like they're in control. Yeah. Well, you know, my sometimes I remember talking to Chris Carter, the Hall of Fame wide receiver about this. He said, when you have a gift, it could be your singing voice. You're going to sing in the shower. When you have a gift, you're going to want to show it.

Stafford has a gift. He has a J. Cutler arm. Just high school, people were like, oh, it's an NFL arm in high school. Yeah. And because of that, and Josh Allen has this. When you have a great arm, Brady has a good arm. But Brady realizing he has a good arm is really consumed with his mechanics. Right.

When you have a great arm, there's a propensity to get a little sloppy. Mahomes does it? Josh Allen does it. Stafford does it. Brett Barves. Yeah. Very loose. Yes.

Yeah. Michael Vick. You get very loose. Farrv did it. Randall Cunningham did it. You know, as great as some of the moments that those people have provided us. Eli Manning is a guy who tried to force a lot of balls in there because he knew he had that arm. And so, yeah, it's an evolution.

And listen, as much as I, you know, as much as I talked about last year, how, okay, well, that whole Brady Belichick thing is kind of put to bed. given the Brady just went to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and what a Super Bowl. You know, Brady was also coached in a very, very good way that way, right? Belichick and certainly Josh McDaniels, like, let's give these guys all that credit to Charlie Weiss before that. You know, Bill O'Brien for a while. But when it's pounded into you that you don't have to wow us with your gift, the singing and the shower equivalent, then that probably helps to. Yeah. So speaking of Belichick, you know, my takeaway is if I gave you, Mike, eight boxes that it usually takes to get to a conference championship. You know, excellent coaching, generally top end coordinating, health, the ability to run the ball and control the clock, a defense that is at least situationally good.

hopefully you generate a pass rush. You don't need big sacks, but make the other quarterback uncomfortable. Quarterback play. Yes. Quarterback play doesn't have to be great. Joe Flacco is an example. Right. But it has to be.

It helps. And then I would say it also helps to be able to be dynamic, occasionally getting over the top touchdowns. New England, if there's eight boxes, check seven. And they may be so good at the seven. I look at them today, Mike, and if you told me 401K, you got to bet it in somebody. I like Buffalo. I hate their offensive line. They have at times abandoned the run game.

There was a moment in the Bill's Saints game where Josh Allen on back-to-back plays, had he been Matt Ryan, would have lost eight yards twice back-to-back. He runs, makes positive games. Gains. And I thought to myself, like, we just don't understand how bad the Bill's O line is. because of how gifted Josh Allen is. Right. And I look at New England today, Mike,

and if I told you, New England against Aaron Rogers, New England against Brady and the Super Bowl, I'm not, I wouldn't be shocked. I mean, I would have, until,

and I know Tennessee was depleted, but until I saw what they did to Tennessee, I would have probably tried to throw some water on that. And they have a stretch coming up with bills and Colts and, you know, we're going to find out more. But,

you know, it's not far fish. Now, I brought back my column 32 questions previously at Yahoo and NFL.com. Now it's at Bally Sports. And I had to rank somebody won last week, that first week. And I ranked the Ravens one. And we talked about this on TV. But I kind of trust them in the end.

They play so many close games. They tend to be really clutch. You know, you and I feel very similarly about Lamar and the steps. he's even taking now. They've had some injuries that are real significant Marcus Peters. I do believe that Don Martindale will find a way to get that defense

in playoff shape. And so that would be the team if I had to look at the AFC, but you're right. We may not know what's going on to the AFC till early January, you know, because it's just a weird year. And, you know, we thought the Chiefs were like, and now you're kind of looking at them going,

that whole divisions bunched up and they've won a couple of close ones and they do have Mahomes. So, you know, I don't know. We were both feeling pretty good about the Colts, I think, going into Sunday. And then not like they just completely laid an egg, but it was weird. I mean, their identity recently has been Jonathan Taylor. And it's like they, something happened. Like they forgot he was on the team for like an hour. It was really weird.

Yeah. You know, I want to ask you about a team the same. San Francisco 49ers that you know well. So we both know John Lynch. I don't know Kyle particularly well, but I know John really, really well. Covered him. He used to work at Fox. Yeah.

Yeah. And, you know, we talk about all these young quarterbacks. And Mack Jones, I think it was understood. That was the best landing spot. Whoever went to New England, that's a good spot. You're not asking him to do it. He doesn't have, Mac doesn't have to overcome anything. Right.

Right. Everybody else is overcoming something. But the winner in this may be Trey Lance. Because like Mahomes, he's got this kind of accomplished veteran. He's not playing. The system's fairly complex. And I watched the Niners kind of dismantle with some injuries of their own Minnesota. And it happens every year, Mike.

A team pops like a week or two before Thanksgiving. Yeah. They get a little healthier. And I watch the Sanford. Because I think Minnesota is really good. I think they're really good. And I watch the Niners. Just meet the backers.

Yeah. Yeah. And I watch the Niners are the Niners. are the Niners that team? Do you buy them next six weeks? I do. And listen, I basically kicked dirt on them three weeks ago because I went to watch that game against the Cardinals

where Colt McCoy was, you know, doing Joe Montana things on that field. And I don't think, I love Colt, but I don't think it was just because Colt suddenly became Joe Montana. They just, they didn't look like they had any juice. They looked, they had gotten some guys back. It just didn't look good. And then I thought, you know what? Everything I thought all offseason and all season is wrong.

They're not good. I thought going into the season, they were the class of the NFC and clearly the class of that division. And obviously I was wrong about the Cardinals. So that's a separate topic. But I just, I was sure. And then after that game, I was like, okay, got it wrong. Kind of like what you're saying about the bills right now and what could be happening. But like I got that one wrong.

And then as soon as that happened, they played the Rams. look different and it continues to look different. So yeah, I think they're the best football team in California as we speak, which is weird because the Chargers were coming up a big win and the Rams had a good start. But I think they could be that team. And when you go back to Trey Lance, like, let me take you on the whole roller coaster. So they make that trade, which is a dramatic thing to do. They gave up so much.

I talked to Kyle, and he was influenced by Stafford and not getting Stafford and what the Rams keep doing. And he's like, we got to do something big. The Siags do it. We got to do it. But then I believe he talked himself out of Mack Jones. I stand by that reporting, even though the outcome didn't, you know, end up being that way. And there are good reasons to talk to yourself into Trey Lance, very, very good reasons. And then what happened in training camp was the first week. They freaked. They were like, well, Jimmy's having his best camp, but like, Trey Lance is getting it so fast. He's so smart. They knew he was smart. They just were like, he's crazy smart. Like, we've never seen this. And so about a week in the camp, they were like,

we, the plan is Jimmy, but maybe we just have to play him now. And then what happened to Tray Lance after that was what happens to many, many, many young players, which is not some dramatic like, just like, okay, well, look, it's hard. Kyle's offense is hard. The NFL's hard. He's leveling off a little bit. And when he started to level off, he, it got in his head a little bit. He wasn't as loose.

He wasn't as confident. Meanwhile, Jimmy, to his credit, ascended and was given them the best they'd seen of him. And so instead of, we got to play Tray Lance now, it was the original plan, which is play Jimmy, try to do the Bahams thing. And so, yes, the answer is, I think they're good. I do think he's in a great situation, Trey Lance, and I do think it could end up being really, really special. Yeah, and I don't see a need or a priority.

It's almost like when Andrew Wiggins went to the Warriors, he was seen as a trade piece. And then all of a sudden, you're like, you know, he gives us 24 points about every third game. Yeah. I just keep him. Yeah. I think with Garoppolo, you look at it and you're like,

you know, there's some limitations. But when the running game's jellell, Mike, Garapolo lead you down the field. He does. Well, I mean, he is, he is very, very loved in that locker room as a player and as a guy. And he is obviously tough, though he's unfortunately for him been injured a lot. I know in some ways he's not the perfect quarterback for Kyle at all. I could, I could do a whole segment on that. But in one way, he is the absolute perfect quarterback for Kyle. and I've talked to a lot of players about this there and coaches. He can handle the venting, the tantrums, the negativity.

Kyle's a perfectionist. Kyle gets angry during games. Kyle gets angry during practice. He can get after you and some people don't handle that well. Jimmy, because of how he's made up, he's fine. It bounces right off him. And, you know, that there's something to be said for that. And listen, he does throw one of the.

of the most beautiful balls with the best releases in this sport. It's not, you know, there's no debate about the physical talent. It's, I know people go, well, is he, like, no, he really throws one of the elite balls. Every year, I talk about this on the herd. I say, gosh, we're reaching a saturation point. There's so many great quarterbacks. We don't even need them anymore. And then I look up and I watch Big Ben and I watch Cam and I'm like, no, 10.

teams need a quarterback there's no question yeah and you know what's interesting mike and you'll have insight on this so it is i i talked to an NFL general manager yesterday i was dry had a 30 minute drive i called him he was available and we talked for 28 minutes on this and i asked him about picket kid at um Pittsburgh yeah i'm curious i'm curious to hear this answer yeah yeah i asked him about uh you know the liberty kid i asked him about you know uh the liberty kid i asked him about you know you know I'm not sure if I asked him about the kid at Reno that everybody likes. And he said, you know, a lot of these guys are talented. He said, but nobody jumps off the tape.

And this GM said, we looked at Pickett two years ago when he was a sophomore. And we liked him, but he plateaued. He's the exact same quarterback. There's nobody that's twitchy enough. They're just guys that if they go at 17th and sit a year, Maybe they're Kirk Cousins. But they will all get talked. The three guys will be talked into top five.

That's how it works. Now, if they could find a loophole and get Caleb Williams into this draft, that would solve a lot of problems. Well, you know what he said? He said, when you have a bad draft, somebody will do an E.J. Manual. They like the kid. Yes. They like the kid. Yes.

And you know, you talk yourself into E.J. manual. Who, by the way, I've met him. He's wonderful. guy. Great guy. Yes. And he said, this is going to, he said, Colin, this is what's going to happen. People are going to talk themselves because of desperation into it.

So let me pivot. Let me, Mike pivot to this is that I think Aaron should stay in Green Bay. And I think they're going to rip his contract up and resign him. And I think they are. Russell is not happy. That's fluid. Deshawn Watson, Denver feels right to me. He goes where he goes.

But it's really interesting when you look around, Mike. we got 10 teams that need a quarterback. There's no great college quarterbacks. I wonder, give me your insight on this. If somebody came to Seattle and said seven first round picks and a starting corner, do you think they'd move him? Russell Wilson? Yep.

I don't think it's going to take that. I mean, I'm curious in many ways about Seattle because I went through this in 2017. I went up there before they played the Rams late in that season. And you'll remember it was a changing of the guard game. The Sean McPerry, Jared Garlandz came in and just smoked him. And I remember telling Eric Donald, he was so good that game. I remember telling him after the game in that little locker room, you should have walked off the field like in the third quarter and demanded to renegotiate.

Like, that's how good he was. You know, I wrote coming out of that game, I said, listen, they're blowing it all up. The Seahawks, as we know them, are going to be gone. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year.

Within probably 10 days I'd put on 10 pounds, I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're 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 IHeard radio app,

Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tap Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do with Little Kim?

Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam Jay 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 At this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack So I'm starting to see that there's a through line We also have AIDS on the table right now So

Thank you for finishing that. sentence. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts,

or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hard Way with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Kear Games. And in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests,

I'm talking. Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing. And we're still chasing it. And we don't know when we've done enough. Because people scoreboard watch.

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

levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Kear Gaines, as 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. We're talking Bennett and Sherman and eventually Earl and other Cam is going to go, April, you know, with injuries. And I said, you know, they're going to rebuild around Bobby Wagner on defense as the centerpiece and Russell. And then I said, does Pete Carroll want to stick around for this?

And it was a fair question. I mean, he was late 60s at the time. And, you know, Pete's been so good. Does he want to stick around for a rebuild? Now, he did. They did rebuild on the fly. And they were amazing. They got back to the playoffs and, you know, right away.

And, you know, now they're in maybe an even, you know, more glaring place where you could argue for the rebuild. And if Russell doesn't want to be there and you want to rebuild, and I think they have a phenomenal GM and John Schneider, if you're Pete, are you like, I don't know, man? Now, I know Pete has so much confidence in his ability to find those guys, the Richard Sherman's and the camp chancellor along with John Schneider and to fit them into his defense and to make it cool.

But he already got rid of, you know, he's already done staff turnover a ton, including last year. You know, Russell had one foot out the door last off season and they patch that up. I think they maybe organizationally, I could see a scenario where Pete and Russell are gone. I don't know. It's interesting because I said the other day, I'd move Bobby Wagner. I'd get a third round pick. I'd go to Russell and try to renegotiate his contract.

I'd keep Dwayne Brown. If I could move Jamal Adams and get the right trade back, I'd do it. but they are so bad on the right side of the offensive line, center, right guard, right tackle. They're so weak at corner. You know, the defensive front is hit and miss. You know, there are a lot of times in the NFL, there's a team that's rebuilding that doesn't want to acknowledge it's rebuilding.

Yeah. I mean, it feels like the giants are a prime example. They're actually rebuilding. They think they've got players. They're rebuilding. They really don't have the players. Seattle is rebuilding. Well, and by the way, if you miss on the quarterback,

that means you're still rebuilding. lots of giants. Like if they had hit on the quarterback and talk about talking yourself into someone and, you know, drafting them high in Daniel Jones, if that was a hit, it wouldn't matter. They'd be like, they'd be the Bengals, right? They'd be like, well, you know, we don't have everything, but we can win now because the quarterback's so good. But they have Daniel Jones. So it's like, who can we fire to keep Joe Judge employed another year? Adoption of teens from foster care is a topic not enough people know about and we're here to change that. I'm April Dinwiddie host of the new podcast, Navigating Adoption, presented by Adopt U.S. Kids.

Each episode brings you compelling real-life adoption stories told by the families that live them with commentary from experts. Visit AdoptuSkids.org slash podcast or subscribe to navigating adoption presented by Adopt U.S. Kids. Brought to you by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families and the Ad Council. If I could be you And you could be me For just one hour If you could find a way To get inside

Each other's mind Walk a mile in my shoes Walk a mile in my shoes Walk a mile in my shoes We've all felt left out And for some That feeling lasts more than a moment We can change that

Learn how at belonging begins with us.org Brought to you by the ad council Walk a mile in my shoes 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. Diapers 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.gov slash the right seat. Brought to you by NHTSA and the Ad Council. You know, so finally, Mike Silver here, finally, I went back and looked at the last like 15 years in the NFL. On average, seven coaches get replaced. So we know the Raiders are going to have a new coach. That's one. And I said, Vic Fangio and Matt Nagy feel like two and three.

Yep. But, you know, Fangio beats the Chargers. They hang around. I think they needed a quarterback more than a coach. I think they'll go heavy after Deshaun. John Watson. And am I missing something here? So now he's probably out.

Raiders absolutely have a coach. I think Fangio, they probably go young, progressive, offensive mind. But Lincoln Riley is now off the market. He's at USC. Is there any coach I'm missing here that's on the hot seat that I'm not mentioning? Because it averages seven a year. Yeah. Well, first of all, there's always a surprise.

You know, always. There's always a surprise. But, you know, let's see how the Vikings finish. That could turn bad fast, right? I like Mike Zimmer, though. I like him. I do. Love him.

Well, here's what you get with Mike Zimmer and Vic Fangio. This is the argument. They're so good schematically. And Fangio's like next level. Like, if these guys are so good schematically on defense that you might, they might not be your perfect head coach, but then you like having that. Like, even when the Broncos aren't that good, they'll, they'll be. be a tie. There'll be a couple games this year where you're like, like Dallas this year.

Like how did Denver beat Dallas? Vic Fangio got in, you know, Kellen Moore and Dak Prescott's head for that one game because he's just really good at that. But yeah, I think you look at, will Urban stay? Probably. I think you look at, you know, are the Lions for sure? going to roll with Dan Campbell, or are they going to try to get the other Campbell again and, you know, maybe succeed this time? You know, I, again, I'm not trying to start stuff. I'm just saying, here we are. There's a long way to go. Also, teams can tail off fast. And we could see, you know, a team we think is doing pretty well, all of a sudden just fall off the cliff. And by the way, it's a business. If the Giants won Sunday, good for them. The offense still

look crappy, but they did win. Awful. If they go four and 12 and fans are booing and it looks, or four and 13, and it looks really, really bad, are we sure Joe Judge is coming back? I would say no. I will say this, though. People bailed

on Brian Flores. Have you noticed Tua's got limitations, but basically their recipe is two is accurate, limit his exposure, when with defense special teams and run game. I watched Miami now back-to-back weeks.

I watched every snap today. And I'm like, you're not going to win a Super Bowl that way. You can win nine games in this league, 10 games playing that way. I get frustrated though. Like remember a couple years ago where like the Falcons finished strong and they're like, we're keeping Dan Quinn because they played hard for him and they finished strong. And I'm like, so he doesn't get dinged for their season being over in November because they were so unprepared and so bad.

And I like Dan Quinn. I'm just saying, you're right. the dolphins are play well, but I can't talk about floors without being like, what the hell were they doing? Like, how do you start that way? How do you, as a serious team that almost made the playoffs last year and, you know, and might have had they played Fitzpatrick the whole way, how do you, how do you start that way?

It's just, it's so bad. All right, Mike Silver, great stuff. YouTube channel. Check out Mike Silver all his takes. Also at the volume of sports, Instagram, rate review, subscribe, Twitter. I'm going to finish off my cocktail. It's great to see you, my friend, and we will talk very soon. Oh, by the way, I know you love Cal and Justin Wilcox.

Do you think he stays? I think it's an evolving situation, and it seems weird to be talking about it after Cal just got pummeled in a game that was pretty important to them, not as important as the rivalry game, which blessedly Cal was heavily on the right side of against Stanford. But, you know, I love my school. I love the program. I know that Cal has some parts of it coaching there that make it harder. And I think Justin Wilcox is a great person who doesn't complain about that. So if a school like Washington correctly identifies his very good coaching and says with a different set of priorities and resources, he might really thrive, I get that.

I would like to tell them to keep their grubby hands off by coach. I think we're on the verge of something as a program. And I would love for this not to be a recurring conversation, but it is an evolving situation. We'll be monitoring. I will tell you, Washington, my hunch is they hire Fresno State's coach. Kalon DeBores, I believe it is. I think they're going to hire him.

So I think Justin's safe. I do feel like you and I just like mess it around on a weekend and, you know, calling our people could probably solve like 18 college programs based on how things went this past weekend. Because it is pretty amazing. Like I'm at a bat mitzvah outside in Oakland and my phone rings or buzzes after the ceremony. And I'm like, oh, it's calling. What's up?

So I get that. And you're like, hey, can you like look into some stuff? And I'm like, yeah, sure, even though the person in question is currently on a football field right now. And, you know, later in the day, I was walking the dog and we had answers. So I feel like, you know, if you and I just wanted to go into like a consulting business for college programs, we'd probably be worth every penny. Great seeing you, buddy. You too. Thanks for having me. I'll see you soon. All right.

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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 I-Hard Radio app. Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

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 tontons 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 podcasts. On the Look Back at it podcast. From 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84 was big to me. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a year, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. With our friends, fellow comedians, and favorite authors.

Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s. 84 was a wild year. It was a wild year. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.