The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Colin Cowherd Podcast - NFL Week 1 Sunday Reaction with Aqib Talib

Episode Date: September 13, 2021

Colin reacts to Matthew Stafford's debut with the Rams (3:00), the Bears taking one on the chin with Andy Dalton (5:00), how Baker Mayfield's weakness got revealed against the Chiefs (7:00), how Mac Jones reminded Colin of Dak Prescott (12:00), Aaron Rodgers' sloppy performance Sunday, and how it illustrates the difference between him and Russell Wilson (14:00). Then, Super Bowl Champ - and host of Catchin' Fades - Aqib Talib and Colin discuss the Browns' loss to the Chiefs (19:00), Mac Jones' debut (25:00), what Tua always seems to get right (26:00), if the Cardinals are a legitimate threat this season (28:00), the Packers sloppy performance against the Saints (30:00), the X-factor Jameis Winston brings to New Orleans (33:00), the Eagles' strong performance against the Falcons (35:00), and the team that Aqib says has looked the best so far (37:00).Make sure you 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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There is a contest for every fan. Fan duel, more ways to win. All right, everybody, welcome to the Monday morning podcast. Akeep T'Leave will stop by. He's got five games he wants to talk about. Let me off the top, talk about three games. Let's start Sunday night. Rams beat the Bears, pretty competitive game for about three quarters.

The Rams aren't terribly complicated in terms of why they acquired Matt Stafford. They wanted to be more explosive, more consistently explosive. And they averaged about nine yards of play for most of the game. They went and acquired Deshaun Jackson, home run hitter, speed, a receiver. They drafted a speeder receiver. So they got two guys that could run on the outside because Cooper Cup and Robert Wood, are over-the-middle guys, nine to 15-yard guys, they wanted some home-run threats.

Matt Stafford also throws, got a stronger arm, throws a great ball, over-the-top ball. And that's exactly what you saw last night. Big play from Sean McVeigh. Les Need and I have talked about this privately a couple of times. It's nothing against Jared Goff. You know, Jared Goff put up some pretty decent numbers. He had a terrible interception against the Niners, I think, in the second quarter.

But by and large, it was fine, given his protection. and limited weapons with the Lions. But, you know, the Rams got staffer for the reason you saw Sunday night. By the way, the Bears started Andy Dalton for mostly the reasons you also saw last night. They didn't want a rookie quarterback, SoFi Stadium. You know, they probably knew they weren't going to be able to contain this offense. They didn't want them in a shootout to get beat up, unraveled, exposed. And so you bring an Andy Dalton, who doesn't throw the ball down the field terribly well,

but for most of the game, for three quarters of the game, you sort of got what you get with Andy Dalton. This was a tough early opening game for the Bears, whether it was Andy Dalton or Justin Fields. My guess is Justin Fields is going to start, if not next week, the week after. I don't think Chicago feels like a playoff team to me. I have questions. I think their front office is pretty suspect. I like Matt Nagy. I really do. Protégé of Andy Reid. I think he's pretty clever. He got Mitch Trubisky to the playoffs twice. That in itself is quite an accomplishment. Mitch Trubisky, in my opinion, and the opinion of every executive or scout I've ever known is a backup quarterback should have never been taken in the first round. He was a late second, early third round quarterback.

So, you know, my feeling on Sunday night is you kind of saw, I thought it would be a closer football game. And for about three quarters it was. I didn't think Dalton was the problem. I thought the reality was Matt Stafford mostly had a lot of time to throw and picked apart a pretty so-so secondary for the Bears. But I thought you were looking at one of the six or seven best teams in the league and a team that feels like seven and ten. All right, let's go to Baker Mayfield against Patrick Mahomes. I thought the game, I'm 3426 was my prediction, fairly close on. that. You know, one of the things about quarterbacks in this league, the great quarterbacks,

the real difference between a good quarterback and a great quarterback, a competent quarterback and an exceptional quarterback, is just this. How good are you when everybody in the stadium knows you have to throw? Listen, Jared Goff got to a Super Bowl when he had a running game. Sam Darnold was pretty good yesterday with Christian McCaffrey and with a lead. The great quarterback, in the NFL play from behind. Russell Wilson, Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomes. So yesterday in the first half, I know Brown fans, look at Baker. Baker played with a lead.

Baker had a running game. The defense didn't know if Baker was handing the ball off or throwing. That element of surprise makes almost every competent quarterback in this league look really well. I also thought that Brown's first half play calling. was magnificent. I thought Sean Payton and the Saints and Kevin Stafansky in the first half, great play calling, master's class.

But in the second half of that football game, Patrick Mahomes, everybody in the stadium knew he had to throw, and he was magnificent. Baker Mayfield in the second half when he fell behind, and everybody in the stadium on that last drive knew he's got to throw. Bad judgment threw a pick.

I didn't think Baker was bad yesterday. But the difference is Mahomes won a Super Bowl and trailed in every round of the playoffs, in fact, at 1.24 nothing to Deshaun Watson and trailed in the Super Bowl before he beat the Niners. What makes Mahomes special, the score is irrelevant. He's great when he leads. He's great when he trails. He's great when he trails 24-0. That's really the difference between Mahomes and Lamar Jackson.

Lamar is wildly effective with a lead. Not so much when he trails. Sam Darnold with Christian McCaffrey and a lead. Baker Mayfield. And I'm not saying Baker right now is in the same class as Donald. He has proven to be a better quarterback. But at the end of that game, when Kansas City and the stadium knows, Baker has to throw with two minutes left,

that's when I think he's a fairly average quarterback. That he's not a Rogers. He's not a Mahomes. He's not a Russell Wilson. He's not a Brady. he's probably not a DAC. In fact, if you look around the NFL in the tiers, remember that thing we talked about in the herd about a month ago?

Mike Sandow does the quarterback tiers. It's my favorite quarterback piece, quarterback ranking piece of the year. He talks to 50 executives. Baker Mayfield was about 15th to 18th best. He was in the Kirk Cousins range. Now, I think he has a livelier arm than Kirk Cousins, but I think that's sort of what he is. Dak Prescott was rated higher.

So in the end, Patrick Mahomes did what he does. Second half, everybody knew he had to throw. Linebackers dropped right into coverage. He is completely utterly unaffected. That's why he's Mahomes. All right, let's talk Mack Jones of the Patriots against Tua. That game pretty much looked exactly what I thought it would look like. One of the reasons I did not bet that game.

I said it's going to be played mostly between a 20. between two of the top five defensive coaches in the NFL. Both teams have excellent secondaries, pretty consistent pass rushes, and with Will Fuller out, the dolphins didn't have a lot of over-the-top weapons. To me, Mack Jones outplayed Tua, but Tua won the football game. Tua made a tremendously poor throw late in the game. It was intercepted by New England, but they couldn't take advantage of it. Also, first pro game for Mac Jones.

I think Mack and two are largely one of the same. They are at their best when they don't have to get in shootouts, fairly low ceilings, when they are asked to accurately throw a football, preferably on play action, to a schemed open receiver. I think they both have some leadership skills. I think they both throw a nice football. They throw a soft, catchable football. Neither is overly athletic. Neither has a huge arm.

Both are considered pretty accurate deep ball throwers. But they're kind of the same guy. If you watched Miami and New England play, and Miami has had New England's number last couple of years, if you watch them play, they're kind of the same football team. In fact, I predicted this year that New England would look a lot like Miami last year. The difference is I think Miami this year has more dynamic wide receiver options. Will Fuller, Jalen Waddle, they already have Devante Parker.

But that game looked a lot like what I think you thought it would look like, what I thought it would look like. Lower ceiling quarterbacks, accurate throwers, Tua made the bigger mistake, but wasn't punished for it. I thought Mack Jones overall played really, really well. There was an interesting moment when Mack Jones threw his first career touchdown pass to Nelson Aguilar. Aguilar chased him down and tried to give it to Mac Jones. He gave it back to Aguilar. Aguilar tried again to give it to Mac Jones, and he pushed it away. That reminds me a lot of Dak Prescott in his rookie year.

Do you guys remember this when he walked by a garbage can on the sideline, and he threw a cup at it and it didn't go in the garbage, and he stopped in his track, turned around, grabbed the cup, and threw it in the garbage with nobody really watching. And it was this sort of conscientious move. You know, they always say how people act when nobody's looking is kind of who they are. Now, you could say to yourself, we'll call it. What do you mean nobody's looking?

Well, the fact there's a game going on and Dak throws a paper cup, a Gatorade cup, it misses, and he walks over and puts it away. It said something about conscientious, his preparation, how he wants to be viewed by people, how he wants to be thought of, and how he acts. I thought Mac Jones taking the game ball and giving it to somebody else, I thought sent a message. And what he's basically saying is, listen, I'm paid to throw touchdown passes. It's early in the game. It's insignificant.

I don't matter. We do. It's not a big deal. But it does, like Dak in the Paper Cup, it does tell you about sort of a conscientious, responsible adult view of their position. I liked it a lot. Mac played better 201.

That's why the NFL's great, folks. The best-looking team I saw a weekend was the Philadelphia Eagles, and the worst-looking team I saw was Aaron Rogers and the Packers. That's why the NFL is unpredictable and incredible. Speaking of Aaron Rogers, I think something has to be addressed

about Aaron Rogers and Green Bay's performance. Of all the teams I saw lose, they look totally unprepared. Now, think about this. The team that was displaced, the saints look completely buttoned up. So Russell Wilson and Aaron Rogers both had a dispute with management at about the same time. Russell Wilson got it closed, amended, fixed within two weeks. He then had what his agent Mark Rogers told me was the greatest three months of preparation for a season in his career.

and we know he already works hard. Aaron did not, after his dispute, solve it. He went to Hawaii, he hung out with friends, tried out for jeopardy. It's not saying he doesn't work out. But he acknowledged he did a lot of things that weren't football. And there's an old saying among basketball coaches. Players win in the offseason, teams win during the season, meaning the guys who come most prepared,

that's your classic Tom Brady, who have their legs. I mean, Big Ben has never worked out terribly hard. What happens? Starts the season fine. Week 12, 13, 14, he loses his legs. There's fatigue. Aaron Rogers and Russell Wilson had the same dilemma.

One guy, and people think with Russell, sometimes it's corny. He's Mr. Optimistic, Mr. Rara. Too collegiate. Whatever. He looked fantastic. He looked to be totally focused. Seattle's offense was on the road completely slick.

Offensive line running game. Russell, Tyler Lockett, Green Bay, unprepared. This falls on Aaron. Aaron spent the entire offseason reminding everybody that he doesn't truly need football. He just decided at the end to come back. Well, football doesn't need Aaron either. It's better with him. But let's be honest, most of you watch Cleveland and Kansas City, the ratings show that.

So, you know, I think this has always been my issue with Aaron Rogers. Aaron can pretend he's the team guy. Aaron's into Aaron. Aaron's about Aaron. And this is why Vegas only had them as a 10-win team. It's why I only have them as a 10-win team. I don't really see them as a Super Bowl contender. and I think Russell and Aaron are two totally different personalities, and both were illustrated right up front yesterday.

Russell was completely focused. Aaron was a bad body language mess. I know you all love Aaron, but, you know, the longer I see him, the more I see him, it's one of these. He's telling you how much he really cares about anything beyond himself. And it's not much. I said this when he complained this offseason. What are you telling your teammates when you announce publicly, I'm 50-50 I could retire? Are you kidding me?

What are you telling me as a rookie? What are you telling me as a receiver? Sometimes you keep things to yourself. And Aaron can really be a hypocrite. So he announces this offseason that the loudest guy isn't the right guy. There's wisdom in silence. Yeah. How about eating those words?

How about not acknowledging publicly? I'm 50-50. I was going to quit. I'm going to play. I said it when he said it. I said it in the herd. I said it on radio. I set it on TV.

Jaw-droppingly bad judgment. If wisdom comes in silence, you don't have to tell us everything you're thinking. Do not announce your 50-50 on retirement. And I thought Green Bay looked like. Aaron acknowledged he was 50-50 on retirement. That's what they looked like. They were the only team I saw.

I mean, we know Jacksonville's bad. They didn't look unprepared. They're bad. Green Bay looked completely unprepared. Akeb to leave stopping by today, the multiple time pro bowler got a Super Bowl. Let's bring him in. All right. Akeb to leave.

So let's first address Cleveland, Kansas City. And, you know, Akib, sometimes fans don't think about, you know, adjustments and halftime adjustments. So Cleveland, with excellent play calling, had the chiefs totally on their heels. And then they came out in the second half, far more aggressive. And then Cleveland got a little conservative. And it's a different ball game. But when I watched it, you know, my takeaway was that's a tough spot for Cleveland. They don't have a winning franchise.

Their lead at halftime, this is the most dynamic offense. And I thought Cleveland got a little conservative in the second half with their play calling. What was your takeaway? I mean, I think it's hard not to get conservative when you got those backs, right? It's hard. With that O-line and them backs, if I'm up like the bronze was up, how can I not get conservative, right? That's kind of what we was doing to get to this point, play actions,

faking it like we was going to get to these guys. So, man, it's just hard to beat the Chiefs, man. They can score like this. You had the botched punt, you know what I'm saying, and gave them the short field. So it's just hard to beat the Chief. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games.

Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'll say. Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way,

this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes

of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment. And the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast. It's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tapped Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people.

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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 for finishing that sentence.

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Access content from each service separately. Terms apply. See the Disney bundle.com for details. No, you know, the thing about Cleveland is that, as you know, you can't overcome bad coaching. Like, I do feel like Stefansky, when I watch them, they're generally, they have, they play with a purpose. I can tell what they're trying to do.

I mean, they picked on the right side of the Chiefs defense. front for most of the game. That was all, and it worked, by the way. So, I mean, I, you know, with Kansas City, is their offense so good to you, Akeb, that, like, as a defender, when you played a great offense, and maybe you only played two or three in your career, does it change the way you defend? Did it change your game plans? Hell yeah, change your game plan, because you got to have multiple game plans to

stop the multiple offenses that they can run, right? So it take longer to get ready for those kind of offenses. And you just got to be prepared for them. And preparing for them is so hard because they can attack you in so many different ways. So it's hard to play zone against them. It's hard to play man against them because it's definitely going to change the way you prepare for all. So I want to pivot to Miami, New England. I actually thought Mack Jones played really well for a rookie. Now, again, again, unless if you didn't watch that game, you don't know that Tua made a terrible interception late, but it didn't cost him.

When I sat and watched that game, and kind of my takeaway was, Mack Jones was the best rookie quarterback I saw. I thought he played, I got to be honest, Brian Flores' defense, they're corners. They take away your receivers. I mean, you've got to do other things. I thought Mack Jones was surprisingly good for his first NFL snaps. He definitely, he definitely was the best quarterback on the first. field. And he had the game

won, Colin. He had it won. Xavier and Howard pulled the fumble out, but if he would have had that game winning drive and the win, he would have had a much better Monday than he going to have. But he definitely came out and played his butt off man, and he showed he could be the starter. So,

like what seemed for Mac Jones as well. What do you make of Tua? Would you make, I mean, listen, it's he's obviously capable. He's accurate. But they're just, boy, I don't see a lot a special. I just see it's got to be designed perfectly. Man, I think I always say winning is a skill. That's what I always say, right,

Colin. That winning is a skill. Some guys just, in my own care how I look, they always seem to come out with W's, whether I don't know what it is about him, but he just know how to win games, Colin, and today he got another win. He ain't played that good, but he ain't played bad enough to lose the game, neither. And that's going to be one of the best defenses in the league. The Patriots, got a good defense. That defense is going to get better and better as the season go on. They got a lot of athletes, a lot of bodies on that defense. So, to it, he just

know how to win games. We know that New England will get, Mack Jones will get better over the course of the next 16 weeks. Do you think Miami can get better or what we saw? That's pretty much what they are. I think they'll get better. Everybody

will get better. As this thing get rolling, the teams who stay healthy, they'll get better. The teams who who get worse, should be the teams who lose guys and, you know, stuff like that. So the dolphins will definitely get better. Arizona, Tennessee,

my big concern was Ryan Tannahill was this, is that his career, you know, he was kind of flailing, and then he got Arthur Smith, the offensive coordinator. And, you know, listen, coordinators matter. You've,

I mean, you're talented enough that a coordinator isn't going to change the trajectory of Akeeb to Lebe's career. But for a quarterback that's solid, if you get a McVeigh or a Shanahan or maybe an Arthur Smith, it changes the trajectory of your career. So he leaves and he takes the Atlanta Falcons job. Now that doesn't mean he's going to win immediately as a head coach, but he was a hell of a coordinator. And when I watched Tennessee today, maybe it was the lack of returning starters. Maybe it was just Kyler Murray getting in a lead and putting pressure on them.

Like what jumped out to you? really I thought it was Arizona stopped the run they did a good job stopping to stop in Derek Henry early he didn't have big runs to I think like third quarter maybe he didn't have too many big runs so I get credit to that Cardinals defense man Xavier and Collins was in there Isaiah Simmons was moving around everywhere Chandler Jones JJ Yott came and played the hell out the run so you really can see the change in their defense so throw JJ White on that D-line.

You know you're going to be able to stop the run. So I think that's what the difference was. Arizona was stopping Derek Henry. And, you know, it made them do other things. Do you like Kyler-Marie? I love Kyle Murray, man. I love Kaler Murray. Put on another show today.

This Cardinal team is special, Colin. You see, I keep on talking about these cardinals. They're special. They got something going. I think they've been right there on the cusp. But, you know, as he played with King's, And just their third year together, I think, you know, they on their way. Now, they finally turned that corner.

And Kyle is special. This is going to be an MVP-type season for Kyler, I think. Well, they also have, they do have some players that are like different level. Kyler, DeAndre, Chandler Jones, JJ-Wod. Yeah. They got like five dudes that are elite dudes. So they're like Seattle. Boda Baker.

They got like six dudes that are pro-bowl-level dudes. Right. And they're a little like Seattle. I don't know how deep they are, but their top six to seven players are complete ballers. I mean, that line is better. Beachham went down today. But look, Beecham went down to you got Justin Murray could come in. He had a guy who started games who played, guard, tackled.

So I think they deep. You got two running backs. You got four receivers, really, AJ Green, more, Kurt and Hop, of course. So I think they're pretty deep. So long as Kyle is in there and he could run the show, I think they got all the rest of the pieces. I was nervous about their cornerbacks. That's what I was really nervous about,

how was the cornerbacks going to play? And their cornerbacks came out. They tackled good. And they played good enough coverage. So I like it. Next up, Packers Saints. So I'm going to throw something at you. So both Russell Wilson and Aaron Rogers were pissed at management.

Russell buttoned his up in a business. about two weeks, immediately pivoted to what his agent Mark Rogers told me was the best off season of his career. He said, Colleen, he's never worked this hard. And Russell is like Brady. He's totally committed. So he had an issue with management. They solved it quickly. He pivoted to Mr. positivity and worked his butt off. Aaron had a problem with management. He's still talking about it two days ago. He didn't work terribly hard. He said he wanted to get away from football. and I honestly, when I watched them today, I didn't think Aaron played particularly well.

I didn't think the team looked prepared. Now, maybe it's, but I mean, Russell and Aaron, about the same time, had an issue. One of them, solve it. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential.

Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all. embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win.

I don't care which I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Clever Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators,

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

you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-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 a little kill? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick it here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it.

Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill, waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 is big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so 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 for finishing that sentence. Yes.

I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. The story I've told myself about love or relationships can then shape my behavior, And that can lead me to sabotage the possibility of connection. This Mental Health Awareness Month, tune into the podcast deeply well with Debbie Brown

and explore the journey of healing, self-discovery, and returning to yourself. We explore higher consciousness, emotional well-being, and the practices that help you find clarity, peace, and self-mastery in a world that can feel overwhelming. The world is becoming lonelier. We're not becoming more social and social. connected. We're becoming more individualized, but we actually meet people in connection. If you've been searching for a soft place to land while doing the work to become whole, this podcast is for you to hear more. Listen to deeply well with Debbie Brown from the Black

Effect Podcast Network on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Let's go get in great shape, full steam ahead. The errands bagging on the packer two weeks ago. He's backing on him last week. And to me, Akeb, there's something there. Like, you got, this game's too hard to be worried about anything other than playing the game. Exactly. And building that vibe, man.

If the vibe not really there, you ain't been here. You can kind of feel the friction in the air. It's hard to win like that, Colin. It's hard to, it's hard. That's why you see them championship teams be the teams who the closest. They act like college teams, right? So you can get, they just, look off a little bit. You could tell the Packers were just off a little bit. It was, no, it's lethargic a little bit. So Saints came out and they was ready to go. The Saints looked like a team

who went through the whole offseason together, and they got great camaraderie. They're playing fast. They celebrating together. So that's how you win football games right there. Now, that's interesting. You say celebrating together, because I thought James played really well. Yes. James played great. And he, and, Akieb, he was playing his ass off all offseason. because he was trying to win the job. So he's in the best shape of his life. That's the best shape I've ever seen James Worthen in his career. And I thought, you talk about celebrating.

I thought the camaraderie. Yeah, it was great. It was great by the Saints. You could see it in the side. That's something that's going to bring to the team. That's a plus that come with James. They know you're going to have great camaraderie. You're going to have that on the sideline.

So James, no man, started in the offseason. You got to win the job first. Now he's trying to really win the job and get that future deal and be the Saints quarterback going forward. And you know what comes with that. That's shit like 200 mil at this point. So shit. We know what James is playing for.

He know what he's playing for. All right. Finally, Philadelphia, Atlanta. I said this. The NFL's crazy. Buffalo and Green Bay got manhandled. And Philadelphia was brilliant. Yes, sir.

And, you know, it's so funny. We know they have good tight ends. Like we do. And we know their offensive line when healthy is strong. But I got to tell you something. I thought they looked crisp, well coached. I thought Jalen played really well. I thought they're young receivers.

Like they can play. Rieger can play. Devonthe Smith can play. You love Philadelphia today. I love Philadelphia, man. I've been on Philadelphia and the Cardinals. Them of the two teams, I think, is going. They're going to surprise a lot of people this year.

But with that O-Line in Philly, if that O-Line is healthy and Jalen Hurts is under the center, man, they're going to be able to run the ball like they did. And they're going to protect them. he's going to be able to throw the ball around. He got young guys, like you said, who can make plays. Devante Smith, they got a real number one receiver now. So I like what Philly got going, man. They got Slay on defense.

As long as you got somebody who can continue with your number one guy, Slay can follow your number one guy around, slow him down. They got a great front seven. So, and I, I, I love what they got in Philly. I like what they got going, long as they stay healthy. You know, I'm not, the coach has never been a play caller before. I don't know how good their coach is. but I will say this, that generally speaking,

it's hard to be a bad team with a good offensive line. And today, I thought the offensive line controlled the game. Like, by the way, I thought the Seahawks offensive line was better than the Colts today. I thought the Chargers offensive line. They got that ball with six minutes back, six minutes to go. They never gave it back to Washington. Today was a day where offensive lines won the day. the Saints offensive line today, Akieb.

Dominated. Dominated. And by the way, the Browns dominated in the first half, the O-line, and the Chiefs-O-line was in the second half. Yep. But if you think about it, Colin, it's always like that. You can say that about every game. The team who win, the offensive line, probably set the tone and dominated that game.

So it all started up front, man. That's one of the little cliche sayings in football, but it's true. All the little cliches is cliches for a reason because they got a little truth to them, man. So it always started up front, and you could say that just about in every game. This episode is brought to you by AT&T Fiber, and we just want to say we know there's nothing better in the world than getting a great deal. Like getting upgraded to a better seat on a long flight.

We're getting a free dessert when you're a restaurant regular. Even that free latte you get when you fill up your punch card, a deal just makes it taste better. And now, as an AT&T wireless customer, you can get an exclusive deal on super fast internet from AT&T fiber. You'll get faster upload speeds and a great deal with AT&T fiber. That means smooth gaming, reliable video calls, and a quality work-from-home experience. It might not be as tasty as a free donut with your coffee, but it is pretty sweet.

You can learn more at ATT.com slash fiber offer. Limited availability in select areas. Restrictions apply. Adoption of teens from foster care is a topic not enough people know about, and we're here to change that. I'm April Dinnuity 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. What grows in the forest? Trees? Sure. Know what else grows in the forest? Our imagination.

Our sense of wonder. And our family bonds grow too, because when we disconnect from this and connect with this, we reconnect with each other. The forest is closer than you think. Find a forest near you and start exploring at Discovertheforest.org. Brought to you by the United States Forest Service and the Ad Council. Okay, Monday night football, Raiders Baltimore, Baltimore's had three huge losses. So you tell me, you have three stars.

starters lose in a week before a game. Can Baltimore overcome that? Some teams can't overcome that. That's super tough. But I think if any team can, man, it's the teams like Baltimore. It's those teams who on the rise. They've been there for a while. They got a good group of leaders on their team, nice vets mixed with young guys. That's kind of what Baltimore is. So if anybody can overcome it, it'd be hard. But a team like Baltimore, a team like Pittsburgh, they'll be able to do it. Finally, best team you saw, including Tampa Dallas Thursday, best team you saw, and we're doing this before the Bears Rams.

So I want to say that. Best team you saw this weekend. And why? Well, I would say Tampa, but I thought that kind of, you know, he put a little pressure on that secondary. I thought that secondary play a little bit better. But Dak is proven. He turned in that corner.

man, that doing something for real. So that took Tampa off. I got to ride with Arizona. I'm a ride with the Cardinals. I think their defense came out. They stopped Derek Henry. And the safeties didn't have to really get involved in it.

They kind of stopped them with the guys up front, JJ White, Isaiah Simmons and, you know, the young guy, Zavin Collins. So I think they did a good job on defense. We know what they got on offense.

Hop came out, did his thing like regular. Collin Murray came out, did his thing like regular. but I think that defense stepped up. Got a turnover today. Couple turnovers a day. Chandler Jones went crazy.

He showed he backed. He won't that check as well. So I got a ride with Arizona, man. They jumped off the tape to me. Think about them. Buda Baker, Chandler Jones, DeAndre Hopkins, J.J. Watt, Kyler Marie, A.J. Green.

That's like six elite players in this league. If AJ's healthy, that's as many as Seattle has. And they might have a couple. in six years, they're going to be around there. Azad Simmons and Collins and they got a, and Rondale Moore, they got a couple of guys who could be like that. You know,

Kyle Murray, you know what I'm saying? They got some young names who in six years could be those guys. All right. Akeep, good stuff. Good talking to you. Appreciate it, Colin, always. You bet.

Another podcast from some SNL late night comedy guy, Not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and Friends, me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer Streeter Seidel, help an a cappella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and Friends on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not. 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. A win is a win. Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement

to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to The Clifford Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes,

Follow at Clifford and at TikTok podcast network on TikTok. On The Look Back at it podcast. For 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84 was big to me. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a year, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it.

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