The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Colin Cowherd Podcast Prime Cuts - Lamar Jackson Is “1 of 1”, Saquon For MVP? Sean Payton Found His Next Drew Brees, Betting NFL Week 13

Episode Date: November 30, 2024

Colin’s top takes of the week! He starts with Lamar Jackson putting on a clinic against the Chargers on Monday Night Football and explains why Lamar is “1 of 1” at the position (3:30). Then, he reacts to the Eagles beatdown of the Rams powered by a career night for Saquon Barkley and argues that Saquon should be in MVP contention (16:30). He’s joined by John Middlekauff, host of “3 and Out” to break down why the 49ers need to enter rebuild mode (27:15), why Sean Payton has found his next Drew Brees in rookie QB Bo Nix (34:30) and why quarterbacks Bryce Young and Will Levis have earned the opportunity to start for another year (46:00) Finally, Chad Millman, Chief Content Officer of the Action Network and host of “The Favorites” podcast, joins Colin for a round of “Sharp or Square,” to help provide Colin with the sharpest betting advice for week 13 of the NFL slate! 57:30 - Steelers vs Bengals 59:00 - Cardinals vs Vikings 1:01:30 - 49ers vs Bills 1:03:15 - Titans vs Commanders 1:06:30 - Texans vs Jaguars 1:08:30 - Chargers vs Falcons 1:10:45 - Seahawks vs Jets 1:13:00 - Buccaneers vs Panthers 1:14:30 - USC vs Notre Dame Follow Colin and The Volume on Twitter for the latest content and updates!  #Volume #Herd  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Listen to Wicked Words on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. The volume. There's only one place I go for tickets, and it's game time. They have a new feature called Game Time Picks. It makes getting tickets for your favorite live events even easier. Game Time Picks filters out the fluff to show you only incredible deals on great seats. You don't have to waste time searching through thousands of tickets.

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You want to know what Lamar Jackson is after a loss, the last three seasons. 10 and 1, 16 touchdowns, four picks. And there are just certain arguments you just got to give up on. He's really good. Does this count as a big win? This felt like a big game for me. Monday night football, John versus Jim Harbaugh, I felt like kind of a big win.

I lose track. I'm trying to keep track of all the big wins and not big wins for Lamar Jackson. I'll be honest with you. It's going to be a two cigar night. And I like the chargers. I got friends with the chargers. But basically, Baltimore is the adult chargers.

Remember a couple years ago, and you're like, God, the Ravens need more dynamic playmakers. They drafts A Flowers this offseason. They get Derek Henry. What do the chargers need? Probably a more of a star power running back. At least two more offensive playmakers.

Quentin Johnson can't catch. Three drops tonight. So, like, they knew when they let go of Keenan Allen and Mike Williams, they knew they were going to be perimeter light. So they wanted to get Quentin Johnson as good as he could possibly be. Nice deep threat, but can't catch. Ladd McConkey, nice slot, average tight ends. They lost Gerald Everett, you know, to the Bears.

So you kind of knew that the Chargers were ahead of schedule. I mean, last year, they lost the bad teams. This year, the Chargers are 6 and 0 against losing records, and they're one and four against teams with winning records. So this is what the Chargers are right now. It's a really good football team that is perimeter light. They need two more playmakers. And it kind of feels like the Ravens when it was very, very Lamar Jackson reliant.

Mark Andrews was great. but you were like, they need two more wide receivers. Then they draft eventually Zay Flowers. Then they add Derek Henry, and you're like, okay, Lamar, it's a little bit like Josh Allen before they got James Cook the running back, drafted Kincaid first round out of Utah. They keep drafting wide receivers. Now you look at it, and you're like, okay, Josh Allen's their best player, but they're not totally Josh Allen reliant.

Tonight, Derek Henry big runs, Zay Flowers, big catches. Zayflowers is great. You can give them a drag route for eight yards, turns it into 28. He can beat you over the top. So the chargers are a little like Josh Allen pre all the weapons and Lamar Jackson pre the weapons. Those teams eventually meet a Kansas City. Even if a quarterback's great, Lamar and Josh Allen, Justin Herbert, you can't do it yourself. You can see the interior protection tonight was not good for Justin Herbert.

So in the second half, the guard center guard for the chargers getting pushed back. And not a lot of separation by the receivers. Ladd McConkey is a twitchy quick players. Not a burner, though. So you don't get a lot of separation. It makes Herbert play a more perfect game. Whereas as A. Flowers, you could dump something in the flat, something underneath. Boom, makes it into a big play.

It can also beat guys over the top. So it's just like the Ravens are the grown-up version of the Chargers, who are way ahead of schedule, by the way. The other thing that jumps out to me is that, you know, the Chargers were number one in total defense, top three and third down defense. So they're great situationally. And yet, what did Lamar do tonight? Three for three on fourth down, 50% on third down, 3171 yards, 7.1 yards of play. It's the first quarterback all year that worked the Chargers, Lamar Jackson. And, you know, it's just like so many great golfers

played during Tiger Woods Prime. Phil Mickelson's an all-timer. Take out Tiger, he's got six more majors, probably, and nine more tournament wins. So I just think, you know, the quarterbacks to me that jump out in this league, there's about six of them, and Lamar and Josh Allen have been sort of marginalized at times because they can't beat Mahomes. Well, good luck. But this felt like a big game, and Lamar was, you know, the centerpiece of it. The other thing is, there was a couple of thoughts. Number one, aggressive works. This game really changed when the Ravens go for it in their own 16. Get it and leads to a touchdown. Aggressive wins. And I talk about that all the time in sports. If you have the, if you have the pieces, go for it. They did turn the game around.

Secondly, there was a lot, you heard the young media lamenting. Nobody cares about running backs. Running backs aren't getting paid. You know the top three rushers in the NFL right now, we're all free agents. Teams aggressively went out and got Sequin Barclay, Derek Henry, Josh Jacobs. Teams eventually pursued top running backs. They're not going to get top of the market money, but analytics tells you you probably shouldn't sign running backs to a second big contract. That's just analytics. I mean, if you're one of these Ivy Leaguers who loves the analytics, part of the analytics is you shouldn't be paying running backs after like a fourth or fifth year in the league. Okay, that's part of analytics.

The other thing is, you know, I've said this about Lamar. Don't really compare Lamar Jackson to anybody else. Lamar is an outlier. He's a unicorn. They are going to be a kind of a run first team in big spots as long as Lamar Jackson is their quarterback. It's, you know, it's no different. If you got a fastball pitcher, that's your out pitch.

Don't throw breaking stuff and big at bats in the World Series. Lamar Jackson on big downs with Derek Henry, run the ball. When they move away from that identity last week or in the playoff game, that's what I worry about Baltimore. Lean on Lamar and Derek Henry in that offensive line. So right now, running is cool again. Look at the teams that lead the NFL in rushing. Philly, Steelers, Lions, Packers, Ravens.

What are they? 43 and 19 or after the night, 44 and 19. And part of this is, again, Defenses, linebackers are smaller. Why? Because the game's more about space. Like the NBA game, it's more about space. Linebackers now are faster and smaller. Safetys are faster and smaller. What does that mean? Get powerful run games. So that's the beauty of sports. That's what I love about sports and football. It's very, very cyclical. Running backs were going nowhere. Running backs create the right tempo. Running backs, Detroit's a great example. Running back's value is often not the

play. It's you have a lead and they kill the clock. Detroit is going to lead 99% of the games they play, including potentially the Super Bowl. What makes Detroit so lethal is that when they get a lead, they can play keep-away. They've got two great backs, and they'll just, with that offensive line, they'll go on an eight-minute drive, 11-play drive. So running backs aren't just about the home run. They're about playing with a lead. And I mean, you start looking at these teams. You start looking at these teams right now. That's why Detroit and Philadelphia could absolutely win the Super Bowl stacked rosters, but the ability to lead, yes, hit home runs out of the run game, but basically

keep a Patrick Mahomes or a Josh Allen off the field. That's a big component to it. So, you know, I just, with Lamar Jackson, I think sometimes, you know, there was no other Michael Jordan. I mean, Kobe Bryant was like Michael Light, but there was no other Michael. There was no other Charles Barkley. There was no other Karene. Nobody else had the sky hook down.

And I think Lamar Jackson, you just have to take him for what he is. He's the most athletic quarterback I've ever seen. He's wildly entertaining. He is a significantly better passer of the last three to four years than anybody gives him credit for. And once again, he wins a big game. In the AFC, if you're playing Sunday night football and Monday night football and the late window on Fox or CBS, You know, it doesn't matter what network. You're paying those standalone games could be Amazon.

Those are big games. I mean, the idea, this isn't baseball. You got 17 of them in 18 weeks. They're big games, especially when you get to November and December and January. So I never bought into Lamar Jackson's not a big game player. Yes, in the playoffs. He has struggled against the Chiefs. So is Josh Allen.

It's the Chiefs. Arguably, if they win three straight, nobody's done it in league history. A lot of people lost to Tiger Woods. A lot of people lost to Jordan that were great teams. So Lamar tonight, I think these are final stats, 16 to 22, a couple of touchdowns, 177 total yards, and that's what they asked of him. They don't need him to throw 34 times a game. That's not what Baltimore is.

I worry about when Baltimore throws over 28 times a game. They get away from their identity. Tonight, ran the wall. Lamar made, as usual, big throws when he had to, big throw over the top, great on third down, perfect on fourth down. A couple other notes here to throw at you. People will look at the chargers. You know, and you hear this, well, I mean, Justin Herbert can't win the big game.

One of the things I would say is when you watch Justin Herbert, how often are his receivers truly open? He's having to throw him open. And when his past protection's not great and in the second half it wasn't as good, I think they're pretty good at tackle. They're not necessarily as good guard, center guard. there's not a lot of separation. And, I mean, there was a lot. For Lamar Jackson tonight, a lot of it was underneath.

There were open guys. There were a lot of open guys. And Lamar found him. Now, he missed on a couple of sideline routes. He had an open receiver. One time, I think it was in the, I think it was first half, second quarter, may have been third quarter. You know, because Lamar's often on the move when he throws.

He can miss people. But I don't know how anybody can watch Lamar Jackson and not think he is one of the top five quarterbacks in the NFL. Everybody's got different gifts. Everybody's got different gifts in life. I don't care if you're a broadcaster. You're working a hospital or you're a quarterback. The great ones all have different styles.

And I just can't quit Baltimore. Owner, front office, coach, quarterback. They've added playmakers last couple of years. I said this today on FS1. I feel like there's four teams that feel Like, they should be favorites to win the Super Bowl. Kansas City, Buffalo, Detroit, and Philly. But I'm sorry.

Baltimore is, it may be 4A, but it's, when you watch Baltimore go on the road, dominate the second half, playmakers all over the place, Derek Henry, icing it, man, it's hard not to like that organization. There's just, this is not a bad night for the Chargers. It's a night of growth for the chargers. It shows you exactly what they need to beat the best teams. They have got to get two more playmakers. And for the record, moving off Keenan Allen was the right move for them.

He's perfect for Caleb Williams. He was excellent yesterday against Minnesota. But he was beat up and he was expensive. And they wanted to keep Kaleel Mac and Bosa. They wanted to keep their rush ends. And they're paying Herbert. I get it. You know, you're trying to create a.

physical culture. So Harbaugh and the front office guys are like, let's move off their receivers. And that's their weakness. So step two next year, I can guarantee you. Quentin Johnson, that's not it. They're going after, they're going to draft one, maybe two receivers, maybe get one in free agency. They'll probably, you know, look to get a little younger at running back. You know, you worry about J.K. Dobbins. He's had a couple of big injuries. I like him a lot, but he's had a couple of big injuries. They'll probably go get another tight end. You can see the plan. And would Jim Harbaugh, you got about two more drafts where he's going to have an advantage on the league because coaching at Michigan, they had, looks like a very good draft this year. He's probably

got two more of those, maybe three, where he's going to have recruited a majority of the guys he's drafting. It's just a big advantage. You know, it's Bill Belichick's an all-time great coach. Is he spending Saturday watching college football for 14 hours? Because Jim Harbaugh was spending 300 days a year, 340 days a year recruiting all these kids he's going to draft last year. in the next two to three years. So the chargers are fine. They're just, they're, they're like the eighth grade version. Kansas City is a senior.

And then Baltimore's like a junior. And it's like the chargers are in eighth grade. They haven't gotten into the high school hallway yet. They just, this is step one. They've got moves to make. They'll make them. They're six and no against losing teams. They're one and four against winning teams.

They're Baltimore three years ago, two years ago. They're just going to add some pieces offensively. It feels inevitable. Philadelphia and Detroit in the NFC championship. Those are stacked rosters. The Rams actually have a great coach, excellent quarterback, nice weapons, and a really strong defensive front. And it was completely worked tonight, almost 500 yards for the Eagles, 255 yards for

Sequin Barclay. The Eagles offensive line and the Lions offensive line are so much better than the rest of the NFL. Four of the five Eagle O. Lineman, I think, could get honors. Just dominating performance. And again, the Rams have some talented young guys up front. You know, and a lot of this, Howie Roseman, the GM, this league is, front offices are so important. Teams like Cincinnati just don't make deals.

And so it's Joe Burrow, a couple of your receivers, and they're just a limited roster. Philadelphia is constantly trade deadline usually, not necessarily this year, but big players at the trade deadline, offseason, free agency, draft day deals. And you see the value of it. I mean, even without Devonte Smith at wide receiver because he's banged up, they lost Slay the corner during the game. And every unit, the Eagles have a great, great player. And, you know, I talked about this before the season. I said, the idea of letting your best player go, the New York Giants, to go to the Eagles, is insane. I mean, can you imagine, you know, I know it's not perfectly analogous, but the Chiefs, you know, letting the Chargers have Mahomes in his prime. Now, the Chargers have their own quarterback, but the best player on the New York Giants was allowed to go to their primary rival. Sequin Barclay, think about this, has 12 touchdowns this year. The Giants have 16 last in the NFL. Sequin has 10 plays this year of 30 plus yards. That's the same as the entire New York Giants offense. Giants let him walk.

I think there's an argument. MVP this year, boy, after tonight, I mean, rookie of the year has got to be Bownecks, at least offensive rookie of the year. I would not have a problem. problem with Sequin Barclay being MVP. I would have no problem. I mean, the guy is, he is separated from the league at running back. Again, McCaffrey last year, fully healthy, but McCaffrey this year is not the same. Yeah, Sequin Barclay is, uh, there's just nothing like him. I mean, every single carry looks like he's one broken tackle from going the distance. And he did it, you know, twice the night. Sequin Barclay is on pace to set the NFL rushing record and scrimmage yards record. So if you're thinking to yourself, man, he's having like a credible year.

Yeah, the most incredible year ever potentially for Seyquan Barclay. It has like a KD to the Warriors feel where you're looking at a team that's good enough to win the title. And it's like, you know, we're just going to we're going to throw in this. this guy that is, you know, the best at his position. And he'll finally actually have teammates that can help him and, you know, a staff that can help him. And a quarterback who's a threat to run as well. So you can't just hone in on him. It's just insane.

And by the way, the other player, the Giants let go was a safety who now leads the NFL and interceptions. God, the Giants are so. poorly run. But, you know, Barclay, I've said before, I think the best running back I ever saw was Walter Payton, Barry Sanders probably too, Christian McCaffrey's dexterity and his ability to do so many things, probably puts him third. But McCaffrey does not look the same this year. And instead, Sequin Barclay was always an excellent player. But he is, and there's no other way to say this, his ability to start and stop has improved. He's just faster and quicker this year.

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We invented a podcast? Well, we didn't invent it. We just contributed to it. We're the first people to do podcasts. Pretty, yeah, pretty wide range of podcasts. starting a trend. But this one's extra special. So how do we actually come up with a name Hey Jonas guys?

I honestly don't remember. I think it was on a call about what we should call it and... Well, we were thinking I'm originally calling it one of the early names of our band before Jonas Brothers. This is how you guys remember it going down? Yes. I have a very different memory of this. We were talking about a thing, a bit for the podcast where people could call in and say, hey Jonas. And then I wrote down on my little

Notepad, Hey Jonas, and offered it up as a potential title for the podcast. But thanks for remembering that, guys. Listen to Hey Jonas on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Just listen. We don't care where you hear it. 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. What's up, fam, it's Isaiah Thomas. And I'm CJ Toledano, and our podcast Point Game is about defying the odds.

Like LeBron heading into the playoffs without Luca and Austin Reed. And finding ways to win no matter what. He's the smartest player to ever play the game. His IQ is at a level that we've never seen before. And he knows without Luca and Austin Reeves, I got to manipulate the game. We get a player's perspective on the challenges of the playoffs. I think Joker's going to be exhausted this series

because when they don't have Rudy in the lineup, he has to really guard guys like Nas Reid. He has to guard Julius Randall. And then he has to give us everything he gives us on the night-to-night basis on offense. And when IT's friends stop by, like Quentin Richardson, we dive into some playoff history too. Steve Nash would get that thing.

That man, hell get the flying. He running up the court, licking his fingers while he got the ball. Like, after you go through a training camp with that, Iza, you figure it out real quick. Get your ass up and down the court, and you're going to get the ball. So listen to Point Game on the IHeart Radio app,

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Wait, what sex? dating at 45. How hard can it be getting naked at 50 with the new guy? That one's kind of hard. Well, that's lighting. They say we can't polish a turd, but we're sure going to try. So let's get blunt with laughs, tears or tears of laughter, and dive into it unfiltered and unbothered and ask, how hard can it be? I cannot believe I'm about to say this out loud in public. Listen to How Hard Can It Be with Diana Maria Riva as part of my Cultura podcast network

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All right. Time for another Sunday hour and a half pod with John Middlakov, former NFL scout. I don't remember having a Sunday where I was on the wrong side of virtually everything except the Broncos game. What a crazy. Every favorite I like, every dog I like, failed to cover. Every favorite I was gun shy on covered. Let's start with Green Bay 38, San Francisco 10. So, I mean, you knew it was trouble. Bosa out, Brock Purdy out, Trent out. But as I was watching this, it was more than that. Because, I mean, Green Bay gave them opportunities. I think you have to have a hard look in the mirror. And it's hard in the NFL when you still have really good people in the locker room. I think this franchise needs a complete reboot. If you look at the Detroit's, the Green Bayes, Buffalo, Kansas City, the Chargers are up and coming. San Francisco is like an old fighter, John.

They're like an old boxer last year. You know, they were hanging on, had one last good fight. Stop drafting receivers, rebuild the O lines and D lines. Bosa's hurt, Kittles hurt, McCaffrey's hurt. You know this organization well, but listen, Green Bay was going to win this game. You could tell two series in. I think San Francisco has to hyper-aggressively reboot the franchise. Well, it's tough when you're paying all these guys all this money.

They've recently best, I think the best thing that could happen to them, because they're not making the playoffs. Keep losing these games. I said, you know, today was not a great day for Dallas. Like they're not going to the playoffs. You win and ruin your draft position. If you're the 49ers, you want to be drafting 7th, not 15th, right? Because we know quarterbacks usually go, and that gives you an opportunity to get one of the best players on the board. They play Buffalo next week.

That's a loss. You know, the Rams, they still play the Cardinals. Like, they could lose these games. And I would imagine they do. So, I mean, I think you're looking at best a seven-win team. And I think right now, you know, not winning maybe one more game the rest of the season. This pretty thing, it was well reported today. Like, they're not even sure what's going on.

Bosa hurt one hip, then he heard another. Trent's just a weathered, you know, older player. This team, you know what they need? They kind of need to get bounced in the first round. Or, I mean, you know, not even make it to the first round of the playoffs and get extra time off and get to reset. It happened to the Warriors. Remember, they had 2020, 2020 was really rough couple years. Then they were fresh and they won a championship.

Well, remember, the Niners' last Super Bowl loss went six and ten were injury ravaged. Yeah. So to me, the best, easiest way for them to get players, they're not going to have a lot of cap space because of all the big cap, you know, hits they have with players, is to have like the eighth pick in the draft. because it's not just the first round, it's every round. And they've proven to be able to draft really well in the fourth, fifth, sixth round. When you're drafting in the top ten, you know, there aren't really many excuses to miss like when they're drafting in the late 20s. So I think the best case scenario, roll out the team they're rolling out,

and their schedule's hard. I mean, they still play the dolphins who look good right now. Obviously, they got the bills next week. They're just going to naturally lose a lot of games, which I think is really going to benefit them long term. Well, you know, it's interesting. I was watching Caleb Williams today, who was just saying, he's such a talented guy. Bow Nix looks fantastic. Jaden Daniels has hit the cliff Kingsbury Wall around Thanksgiving. Even in college, his teams tended to swoon late. And I look at Brock Purdy. They're going to keep him, right? I mean, you can't pay him 50 million, but they're going to broker a deal here probably in the 40s. Is that what you think? Do they have to, though, Colin? Why? Why are we always in such a rush? Like, he's not struggling to put food on the table. He's making millions of dollars off the field. It's an incredible spot for him with Kyle. If you win six or seven games, and listen, this hasn't been his fault necessarily, but why are we in a rush to

spend 50 million when clearly what? There are four or five guys in the league that you feel really good about it. And then the next five guys making that much money are somewhat of a roller coaster. Yeah, I would have no problem giving him that. I don't know, Kirk Cousins, Daniel Jones, 80, 90, and everyone's like, well, he'll never take that. Well, then we won't do a deal. You know, if he would have got me back to the NFC championship game this year, you wouldn't have a choice. But they're not sniffing the playoffs. He's injured now. We're playing it out.

Like, the problem with Dallas playing it out is you knew how it was going to play out. Why can't we just take a deep breath and see what happens? Where is he going? What's the better situation? Who's lining up, one, he's not a free agent, but who's lining up on the open market to give him, let's just say, $150 million a year? Who are you bidding against? Yeah. So they regret the IU contract.

They have to. If they could do that over again, they would have traded them before the draft. I mean, 100%. There's not even, so let's take a deep breath. Let's just play it out. And that's what I,

it, I would say most of my life, what, up until the last four or five years, that's usually how business used to happen, unless your name was like Peyton or LeDaney and Tomlinson or some like all-time great player. Most players usually had to fight for their cash.

And now just because the league's flush with it, we just give it away. And again, I have no problem giving it to the elite guys. Hell, Trent Williams, you need a boost. I'll give you a boost. Rock Bertie, like, let's just take a deep breath, everybody. And that's been my stance all along is why can't, what was the rush to pay Trevor Lawrence? Does any team regret a contract more than the Jags like five weeks into the contract? At least Tua as proven, like, but again, your Tua's not making 200 plus.

That's right. That's right. So and the Purdy thing was being talked about, well, it's the Trevor Lawrence. And it's like, well, I'd give them $140 million right now, but that's not the ballpark that has been discussed. Yeah, I mean, it's such a big decision. I'd peel off some of the players. I would have moved off Debo last year. I wouldn't have paid Ayuk. I think they've been a little negligent on the offensive line. They've attacked the defensive line. I think they've been a bit. negligent on the offensive line. I just don't. Colin, they're not negligent. They've been, Kyle and the offensive line coach have been open about their philosophical belief of skill players are more important than offensive linemen. Oh, you can tell. They believe in that zone scheme that I can take mainly average guys, obviously Trent is their outlier, but how'd they get Trent? They got him for a third round pick, right? And the only reason he didn't go to Minnesota, who was offering way more is he refused to go there because he wanted to play before his guy, Kyle. So they've openly said, yeah, we don't take offensive linemen if we believe a skill guy's on the board higher.

The football I was around growing up, you know, with Coach Hill, who came from Belichick and then Andy Reid and Howie Roseman, they would laugh at that. They would take offensive linemen in the first round and then they'd take them again in the second round. Bo Nix has completely surpassed Jaden Daniels for offensive rookie of the year. Like, it's not club. I mean, he's to the last six games. It's not close. Bo Necks looks confident, accurate, poised, athletic. Jaden's loss is fastball. And so, you know, I talked to Steve Kime. I said, you know, can you explain the Cliff Kingsbury College and Professional swoon in the second half of the season?

And Steve just said he's a very smart, creative guy who works in the summer to come in with new stuff. And maybe the league catches up with him, that he doesn't pivot to the second pitch after he's brought in new stuff. But Steve didn't really have an answer. But, you know, he said, hardworking, clever, smart. He does come in every year with new stuff. But I was sitting there watching that thing today. And by the way, Washington almost pulled it off. But once again, Washington missed PATs.

They missed a field. Golf special teams in this league are, I don't remember a year that special teams decided more football games. They're just terrible. But I looked at this and I thought to myself, today if you could redraft all the quarterbacks. And you have to consider Sean Payton and the Bowdoinx Steel. If you could redraft the quarterbacks, would you draft them differently? Forget the teams.

Would you redraft them differently? Well, I think Caleb's at least quieted. And listen, I was starting to wonder, what the hell are we watching? These last two weeks make you feel a lot better. I mean, today he made the rows where you're like, that's what a number one overall pick looks like, no disputing. here's where I will defend Jaden Daniels. Because today he was running around pretty well. I came into this season.

I know you picked him to make the playoffs. I thought this was more like a six or seven win team. It was going to be an impressive operation. But wins loss were not going to be what it looked like they were going to be three weeks ago. I don't think they're that talented, Colin. I honestly, I don't think their teams that good. Yeah. Terry McLaren is.

Terry McLaren's good. They're running backs getting banged up. Brian Robinson is a good player, but he was in and out. So if they're not running the ball well, and here's the one thing, and I always thought this about Chip Kelly and, you know, Mike Leach never came to the NFL, but Cliff's a good example. The spread offenses, right, early on in the season, rapid fire, defenses aren't as dialed, take advantage of it. As the season goes on, weather changes a little bit, it gets a lot more physical. Well, what Dallas happened today? Parsons is back now.

Like, their defense is a little bit more, I would say, legitimate. with him in the game. And they were just ready for a brawl. Like, they got pride. I mean, they got a lot of high-paid guys. And Cooper Rush is accurate, moves the ball. For sure. And it was a physical game.

Yeah, I think sometimes the more physical you are with more of the quote-unquote spread offenses, you can shove them around a little bit. And I think that's really what's happened in my opinion. Now, you know, one stat I saw on the Denver game is Bo Nix hasn't turned the ball over in 14 quarters. One pass was on a Hail Mary, but Jane Daniels had three picks a day. Yeah. Right. So it's like you start turning the ball over. You start forcing things. Games are a little closer. The other thing is in the NFL, you know, regardless of records, I've always thought, you know, as the season goes on, like, where do you get a lot of upsets in the NFL are division games in November and December with a good team versus a bad team? We see it every year.

Yeah. Like today, who in their right mind would have given Dallas a shot? But you can tell halfway through, you're like, this is a real game. This is going to be tough. Well, the Titans played great. Yeah. No, it's, it's, you know, I think when I looked at that game, I'm like, oh, Dallas just screwed up your draft spot. Yeah, I think, I think to your point, I think we have to take a deep breath. Washington replaced everybody. They came in with a new quarterback and a new offense and Cliff Kingsbury's history of

starting the first six to eight weeks quickly, but then eventually regression to the mean. whereas Denver is better than people think. Denver's got some really good players. Denver has an elite offensive coach. Denver has a college quarterback with 61 starts. And Denver has Cortland Sutton, who like Terry McLaurin, is just a big target that's open all the time. And I want to pivot to that game because we haven't talked a lot of Denver on our Sunday podcast.

So Denver beats the Raiders 29-night teams. The only game all day, if I would have bet every game, I think I would have gotten right. So Bo Nicks, his last eight games, John. 15 touchdowns, two picks, and a 104 passer rating. In those games, they're five and three. If a field goal is not blocked against the Chiefs, they're six and two. Like, we have to acknowledge now, Denver in dead cap money hell that sacrificed draft capital, I think this is a good team.

I watch them again. The Raiders don't have a lot of quarterback, but they've got some talent. I think we have to be honest about this. I think Denver's pretty good football team. Well, Colin, I think we could be seven days away from them being officially, I guess, unofficially a playoff team because they play Cleveland this week. And Miami, who's obviously got it together with Tua back, a lot of people think that they are alive and well, well, they play the Packers this week.

So if Miami loses and they are then five and seven and Denver wins, they would be eight and five. Like, I have a hard time seeing Miami catch them. So this is a massive week. I think Denver's in the playoffs if they handle business this week. Because all of a sudden you start doing the math. Like they're getting a nine, no doubt. But I think they end up with 10.

And they basically doubled their win total. Like this has been a huge year for Sean. Honestly, it's been a win-win for Russell and Sean. Yes. Some marriages break up, go other places, happy as hell with your separate significant others. That's how it's worked out here. So it just, it was never going to work. you thought it. We all thought it. Anyone with a brain that knows these two personalities,

even if you don't know them personally, you're like, this isn't going to work. And they broke up and it's gone well for both. Listen. Right. And Sean Payton, I think was pretty lucky that, you know, there was six quarterbacks in the, you know, because a lot of them were going high. It just happened to be a very unique draft because it's not like they were drafted fourth, right? So he needed some of the stuff was out of his control and it worked out perfectly the type guy that he would like is the last guy off the board in the top 15. I mean, it's, it was a historic draft, right? Six guys going the top 12, 13 picks. We might never see that again. And Denver has, in nine of the last 12 games, and this is so big for a rookie

quarterback, they've held opponents under 20. So when Bo Nicks, it maybe struggles today a little bit in a couple of drives, they're not giving up points. So their DBs are good. I mean, every time I look up, obviously Certains good. They have all these. other guys. This is why Vance Joseph, which Sean deserves credit for, because you give up 70 points in the game. I would have been like, Sean, you might have to fire this guy by midseason. Stick it out by the end of the year last year they're playing good defense. This year, I think that has to be the most surprised unit of the league. They feel just on the I test, one of the best defenses in the league. I know Gardner Minchu today, but the score was a little closer. It never once crossed my mind

that the Raiders were going to win that game today. No, but they've been doing this now for two months. I mean, go to the Kansas City game. They outplayed the Kansas City Chiefs. And so on the road. That's where I think, you know, depending on how this Denver more than likely would probably be the seven-seat though Baltimore. Yeah. Baltimore already has four losses. But if you're telling me two of the three wild cards are Denver and the Chargers, like anytime you play your wild card weekend, you're playing an excellent defense.

Like, you could lose. You know, this is not a three, seven game series. all of a sudden you have a shitty half, you're down 14 to 3 in the third quarter. We've seen this every year. So you've got two teams separate from, obviously, Herbert's, you know, an elite player. But even with a rookie quarterback, we have seen rookie quarterbacks have success in the playoffs because they don't have to do that much. And that's kind of, you know, Bo Nix, as long as he didn't turn the ball over and their defense played a high level game, why couldn't they win it 17 to 14 or 15 to 13? They're very comfortable playing that way.

Think about this, and I watched them today. Sean Payton does such a good job of two things, defining. He gives Bo Nix about eight layups. He gives him a lot of easy stuff. And then Bo Nix deserves credit because he is constantly seeking Cortland Sun. And Cortland Sutton is a basketball player with a helmet. I mean, he's big. Great touchdown today.

Oh, in the corner. Jesus. Big, long athletic. I've always like Cortland Sutton. So, and Mims is, it can be a burner. I like their backs. but you can see that he gets bow necks easy stuff and then bow like russell does with george pickens bow just attacks courtland sutton but take out annie reed just take annie read just take annie read out

bellichick's now not coaching on any given sunday i'd argue sean peyton's as good a coach as the league has i absolutely believe that on i think andy reeds the best maybe arguably ever but now that bellic checks out take out andy read he can go toe to toe i mean i love sean mcvay they've had some bad offensive halves when people are healthy. So I think a lot of this is, you know, it's just funny because Sean's done things to alienate people. He's outspoken. Remember, he took a shot at the Jets.

He was right, by the way. You know, he took a shot at Nat Hackett. He was right, by the way. But, you know, when you lead with your chin, you offend a lot of people. You cannot watch Denver and not see the coaching. It's, I mean, to me, if you gave coach of the year today, I don't know how you'd I don't know who you'd pick. I think Sean Payton is now, after that Tomlin timeout mess, clock management mess, I think I'd give it to Sean Payton.

You know, I think it's the one award that honestly, as time goes on, is irrelevant, right? Like, Belichick, Andy Reid, they don't even have that many. Andy Reid doesn't have one as a Kansas City Chief's head coach. Like, Jim Harbaugh took over a team that won five games. They're probably going to win 11 or 12. And I think the way you just described Sean, I think Jim is definitely mellowed out in his older age. But he was a lot like that early on in Michigan indefinitely with San Francisco. And both, I mean, look at those two guys.

If you would have said that the Chargers in Denver, whatever the odds, if you would have parlayed those two teams to make the playoffs, Colin, they might make the playoff. They might be resting starters by the last week of the season. And it's not a coincidence that those guys, here's the other thing. And Sean, once he hired Dennis Allen, their defense was excellent the last three or four years with the Saints. Jim, both offensive guys, former quarterbacks, value defense. Right. And we'll pay for it and invest in it.

And that really matters. And I don't think it's shocking. And this is why you're watching the Raiders today. You're like, can you imagine being the redhead stepchild of your division when you're in that, you know, with those three coaches? Like, what do you even do? Like, you better hope Belichick picks up your car. call this offseason because if he doesn't, you got no shot. I watched Bryce Young today, who's arguably the best quarterback ever in Southern California high school history, who was

dominant in college. I ran into his high school coach the other night at modern day, a legend who's retired. And I said, best player you ever had, you know, first second name out was Bryce Young. He's like, he's just a remarkable player, great kid. I don't think Carolina's going to draft a quarterback. I think the class is too weak. I think they think Bryce. is better than anybody outside of Shadur Sanders. I think Carolina is going to give Bryce Young another year. What say you? Yeah, I would say he's done a lot, like his version of what Caleb has done these last

couple weeks, you know, over the last three games for him. He's looked like a real player. Now, if you could do it all over again, would you have mortgage what you did to get him? I mean, I think probably not. I would not. But he has been more than respectable these last three weeks. And he, you know, confidence is a powerful thing for you.

young players. Listen, he's not, he's a little small, not a great athlete, but he does have a natural field for the position. And that's what was so head scratching when they essentially had to bench him is he was inaccurate, he was making awful decisions, he just looked lost. And maybe sometimes, like, you just take a reset. Listen, I think Anthony Richardson, even the day, they kind of got worked, just has looked a lot better. I thought he looked a lot better today. Take a deep breath. I don't know if Bryce needed to be humbled like Anthony Richardson, but he definitely like just take a step back was probably healthy for him. And he looks like a real NFL quarterback. Now, their team, a lot of question marks. Is their coaching staff good enough? Is their talent?

Long way to go. But I'm with you. Like, what are you going to draft Cam Ward or Quinn yours? Well, the same thing in Tennessee. They beat the Texans today. And so that's, I mean, this is not a game that's riveting. But the Titans 32, Texans 27. So listen, the last six games, C.J. Stroud is really struggling. They went got Stefan Diggs. Should have probably. addressed the interior line. C.J. Stroud is hurrying everything. He is struggling. He has a 74 passer rating in his last six games. He is really struggling. But I watched Will Levis today. And my take is with Bryce Young and Will Levis. I'm just keeping him. I'm giving him another year. I mean, hell, the Giants paid Daniel Jones. I don't think Daniel's as natural as Bryce Young. I don't think he's as,

I don't think he has the arm of Will Levis. And my take watching Will Levis today, the last two weeks. I'm kind of like Yeah, they got boat race by Detroit. They don't have the same level of players. But I watched Will Levis and Bryce Young, and my take is, we like C.J. Scrowd, and we see what he's going through. And Houston's got better players than the Titans. I thought Will Levis today bought himself absolutely another year. I mean, you can go get Sam Darnel the market.

I think they're just going to stick with him. Yeah, I mean, you know, Will did give you the one pick six. No, he did make some fantastic. rows down the field. Something is really off with Houston. I mean, they have not looked good in a while, even in their wins. It's just they looked a lot different. Maybe it was their schedule last year.

Obviously, you know, protecting CJ has been a problem. But they look, they look like a lock to be a one and done. You know, if you tell me they're playing the Chargers or the Ravens in the first round, the way they're playing, I'd say Sionara. But I hear you, like this is, this league's hard. And I think sometimes, you know, these teams get. so caught up on these shiny targets. It's like, let's use digs for an example.

So you're telling me the bills. And listen, I know people with the Texans, they like digs. Yeah. But even like he hasn't been a personal personality problem, but let's just talk about the player standpoint. The bills who have been one of the best operations in the league, minus like the cheat for the last four years, are completely out on the guy. You already have Nico Collins and Tank Dell who are clearly a good young nucleus with Schultz. You're going to add a running back. Like your offense is not, line of scrimmage, line of scrimmage, line of scrimmage, yet you go do that. I think that's one where you're like, we didn't need to do that.

That's right. It doesn't make sense. We should have been extra aggressive for another guard, for another center, for another detackle. That's where we're going to separate herself in the line of scrimmage. They felt like they wanted to go more and be the spread-around team, and that's kind of what they look like now. They're just kind of soft. Yeah. And their offense gets shoved around today.

I mean, one thing the Titans have had all year long is their defense is pretty good. Yes. You remove that game against the Lions where they scored 75 points. Like the Titans defense has not been the problem. And now Will Levis, I think statistics over the last couple weeks have been a lot better. And what have they been? They've been a lot more competitive. Yeah, I mean, I think you have to strongly consider this quarterback class where Shador Sanders is the best project prospect.

But it's not great. I mean, he's got, there's some ego, there's some emotion. He holds on. I don't think he would have gone if you put him in this last draft. Yeah. He doesn't go ahead of Caleb. No. He does not.

Jayden's more physically gifted. I think there's, I would say, above a 50% chance that they still would go with Drake May in New England. Yeah. Bigger arm, cold weather, like that factors in. So he wouldn't have even potentially gone, definitely in the top two, but probably in the top three of this last quarterback class. That's not even a shock. I mean, Drake May was, Nick Saban tried to give him $5 million the previous year. Yeah.

So I think sometimes we act like Drake May was just. this overdrafted scrub, and they got their butt kick today. But he was, he's a legitimate prospect coming out of college. Well, and I think Sean Payton identified very early, Bo Nex was his Drew Grease. So Chedure is benefiting greatly. Cam Ward is a lot of backyard football, a very edgy personality. And I'll just, I'll leave it at that. He's a very edgy personality, not for everybody. Jalen Millroll is not very fluid, big, strong kid, great parents, wonderful kid, completely coachable. He's Anthony Richardson, but better at this point. But he's not a natural. Like he can make great throws, but he doesn't feel like he's played enough

quarterback. Like he needs a lot of work. So my take is if I got Will Levis and I look at it and I think, well, maybe Will's not Shador Sanders, but if I've got five wins and I'm drafting nine, I'm not moving up for Shador Sanders. I'm just staying with Will Levis for a year. Hey, it's us, the Jonas brothers. And guess what? We have some big news. What's the news? huge news. We created our own podcast called Hey Jonas. We invented a podcast? Well, we didn't invent it.

We just contributed to a... We're the first people to do podcasts. Pretty, yeah, pretty wide range of podcasts throughout there. But this one's extra special. So how do we actually come up with a name Hey Jonas, guys? I honestly don't remember. I think it was on a call about what we should call it. Well, we were thinking I'm originally calling it one of the early names of our band.

Before Jonas Brothers This is how you guys remember it going down? Yes. I have a very different memory of this. We were talking about a thing, a bit for the podcast, where people could call in and say, Hey, Jonas.

And then I wrote down on my little notepad, Hey Jonas, and offered it up as a potential title for the podcast. But thanks for remembering that, guys. Listen to Hey Jonas on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Just listen. We don't care where you hear it. Another podcast from some SNL,

late night comedy guide. 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, S&L's Mikey Day and head writer, Streeter Seidel, help an a cappella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and Friends on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. What's up, fam, Isaiah Thomas.

And I'm C.J. Tolodon. and our podcast Point Game is about defying the odds. Like LeBron heading into the playoffs without Luca and Austin Reed. And finding ways to win no matter what. He's the smartest player to ever play the game. His IQ is at a level that we've never seen before. And he knows without Luca and Austin Reeves, I got to manipulate the game.

We get a player's perspective on the challenges of the playoffs. I think Joker's going to be exhausted this series because when they don't have Rudy in the lineup, he has to really guard guys like Nas Reid. He has to guard Julius Randall. And then he has to give us everything he gives us on the night-to-night basis on offense. And when IT's friends stop by, like Quentin Richardson, we dive into some playoff history too. Steve Nass would get that thing.

That man, hell get the flying. He running up the court, licking his fingers why he got the ball. Like, you go through a training camp with that, Isaiah, you figure it out real quick. Get your ass up and down the court, and you're going to get the ball. So listen to Point Game on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you. you get your podcasts. Hey, I'm Deanna Maria Riva, actress, mother, lover, and a Gen X woman walking through life one hot flash and hormonal crying jag at a time.

You ladies know what I mean. I'll bet you a perimenopausal chin here you do. So let's talk about it. Join me on my new podcast. How hard can it be with Deanna Maria Riva, where I call on my Gen X squads from Ohio to Hollywood as we navigate midlife's most fantastic BS. All of a sudden, I'd had hanginess happening on my own. I was like, what the hell is?

that? I was married when I had her, so I didn't even consider how empty that Ness was going to be. Mood swings, night sweats, fupas, sex drive, wait, what sex? Dating at 45, how high can it be? Getting naked at 50 with the new guy. That one's kind of hard, you know?

Well, that's lighting. They say we can't polish a turd, but we're sure going to try. So let's get blunt with laughs, tears, or tears of laughter, and dive into it, unfiltered and ask, how hard can it be? I cannot believe I'm about to say this out loud. Listen to How Hard Can It Be with Diana Maria Riva as part of My Cultura Podcast Network available on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is Saigon, the story of my family and of the country that shaped us.

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Saigon, starring Kelly Marie Tran and Rob Benedict. Sting, here's madness. The world should hear about it. this. There's a fire coming to this country and it's going to burn out everything. Listen to Saigon on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. All right, it is time for another edition, the Thanksgiving edition. It's a tasty one, Sharper Square, Chad Millman co-host of the favorites, all odds provided by draft kings. So this line I didn't understand. There's a couple lines this week I didn't quite get. So the Steelers are a much better football operation than Joe Burrow and the Bingles.

And I've talked about this before. The Bingles moved off Joe Mixon and defensive players before they paid T. Higgins and Jamar Chase. They're just a cheap franchise. Pittsburgh, awful loss, is going to be feisty. Pittsburgh as a dog is great. Burroughs wonderful, but not when he's sitting on the bench watching a run game dominate time of possession. I like the Steelers as a dog plus three. It's a much better team, Sharper Square. Yeah, of course it's the sharp play. It makes no sense that the number is even close to three. I don't get it.

It's been bouncing around. It opened a two and a half, got that up to three, came back to two and a half. Because the wise guys know, Mike Tomlin, as a dog, 62% on the road. He is the best coach as a dog this generation, 20 years. He is 62% as a dog in the division on the road. 64% when the spread is between 1 and 3. I do believe that a lot of people are just enamored with how Joe Burrow has been playing this year.

He's putting up pinball numbers, right? But this is a terrible defense. And while they've been off for two weeks, the Steelers have been off for 10 days, and it's a rah-rah Mike Tomlin spot. He makes these guys believe. And they're still in a position where they could win that division. So you're not going to want to lose an in-division game. I'd bet the Steelers on the money line. Another dog I like is Arizona plus three and a half, the Vikings.

So off a buy, Arizona was a mess. And a lot of it was Seattle got a consistent pass rush. I don't think Minnesota's past rush will be that formidable. I also think Arizona, when they can run the ball, is a really, really effective team. I think they'll have a better chance to run the ball here. Arizona is inconsistent, but this is a team that has for the last five weeks. I mean, they went to Miami in one, and they went to Santa Clara in one. I think their personnel is better than people think they have elite players, Buda Baker's elite,

Connor's elite. McGride is a tremendous tight-in. Kuyler Murray's elite. They don't have big names on the interior D-line, but they play well. They play above their weight. So I just think, I think this is a close game. Minnesota doesn't really bury people.

Go look at the Jacksonville game. Go look at the Chicago game. They're not Philadelphia. They don't blow over you. They make mistakes. They're missing their great left tackle. They're a good team. They're not special.

They're well-coached with some nice playmakers. But you watch the Minnesota game. That's a go-either-way football game. It doesn't look like either team is significantly more talented. And one is in turmoil. And you're like, I don't know, they kind of look the same. I'm taking the three and a half with Arizona, sharper square. Eh, it's kind of an ish.

Like, there's no consensus, not a lot of interest, to be honest, from the wise guys. There's some games on the board that the wise guys have planted a flag in the sand on. This is not one of them. A lot of the wise guys liked Arizona last week. feel a little burned by what happened in Seattle. You still don't know. We said last week, they put all their cards on the table, right? Pun intended.

And they come off the by. Kyler kind of looks disinterested. So what are you going to be getting the second week going against Minnesota, which still has a lot to lose? And you're right. They gave it away against the Bears. Like the Bears should not even have been close to turning that game into an overtime game. So they come out with a little more intensity this week.

It's just a hard one handicap. I think the line is kind of right exactly where it is. Okay, a favorite. I like Buffalo at home minus seven. Well rested in waiting for a Niners team. Bosa didn't practice. Trent Williams didn't practice. I'm not sure if that locker room, I mean, if Bosa doesn't play, that's a very average D-line.

Buffalo's rested. They're healthy. You know, they're a team. that they're playing for the number one seed here. And by the way, Alan, the backup for San Francisco, that's not going to work. That's just not good enough. And Brock Prudy, who never has a great arm, is now dealing with a shoulder issue. Again, this is not a guy with a whip to begin with.

This is the rare, I think the Niners are living off reputation. I just don't think they're a very special football team, five and seven in their last 12. I'm going to lay the seven. I like Buffalo, Sharper Square. sharp. I mean, the wise guys had been bet in Buffalo. It opened at six and a half. It's got up to seven. I think the real question why it sort of hasn't exploded. And we saw this last week with the Packers is Brock Purdy. What's his status going to be? So no one's going to overinvest until they get a real sense of whether or not he's going to be playing. I agree with you about Nick Bosa. If you watch that game against the Seahawks, he was the difference when he was playing. They were in control of that game. Gino Smith was harassed.

He was making bad decisions and bad throws. When he was no longer playing in that game, Gino Smith goes on a drive in the final two minutes that wins them in the game. And now all of a sudden is propelling saddle into Seattle and everyone thinking they're a super special team and they can potentially win the NFC West. Nick Bosa not being there. And Trent Williams, those are, those are massive, massive missing pieces. I like the Titans plus five and a half at the commanders. I think Cliff Kingsbury does this.

He single guy, a lot of time in the summer, play some golf, and comes up with a new offense. And I think it fools people. And then all of a sudden, about mid-October to late October, if you look at his history in college or pro football, people catch up. And then you're left with a September offense in November. And I just don't think the commanders, I mean, Jesus, it's like the Cowboys had the commander's playbook. They would flush Daniels out of the pocket and there were guys just waiting for him. And I think Tennessee is really good upfront defensively, very disruptive. I think Will Levis still makes, he's got that Will Levis, Carson Wentz, reckless gene.

But you know what? I think he's played himself into another year starting. And I think you can sense it. I think he doesn't feel as apprehensive. I just don't, I'm not giving up five and a half points for anybody against the commanders. I think they're just right now, an average roster, they have laid out their cards. Everybody's seen them. I'm taking the five and a half.

I think Tennessee's a tough physical team, as Houston found out, sharper square. Yeah, you nailed it. It's totally sharp. The interesting thing here is the line moved from six and a half to six to five and a half early in the week. And for what we're talking about here, early in the week was really Monday. And that was a consensus professional move. I bet it at five and a half. It moved up a little bit to six, six and a half again, and now it's come back down.

I couldn't agree with you more. The Cliff Cliff, the Cliff Kingsbury Cliff midseason is real statistically, right? Texas Tech, they would get to the middle point of the year, they would lose. Cardinals, they would get to the middle point of the year, they would lose. If you unpack that, it's somewhat circumstantial, right? You could look at Texas Tech and be like, okay, they play Patsy's in the beginning of the year. They get into the conference, the schedule gets harder. That's right.

And the Cardinals, a couple times he had Kyler Murray injured, didn't have the full scope of his talent, and all of a sudden the team isn't as good. But it's happening again. It's happening this time because Jane Daniels is injured and has been playing injured. And after that rocket start, the first four weeks of the year, he's very very, very, completing 70% of his passes. After start with he was completing 80%, right? You look at the flip side and yes, Tennessee, they have a very good defense.

They've been playing better. Last week, they gave up eight sacks and Will Levis had a pick six and they still beat Texans who have a better quarterback than the Washington commanders. And I do think that this is going to be the worst defense Will Levis has faced this season.

And he has an opportunity here to be pressured a little bit less and get the ball, push the ball down field, which is what he's really good at. And that's when he's most comfortable. So, well, as guys are with you, that's a sharp play. I don't know how many people will watch this.

I like the Texans minus four at the Jags. I don't know what the Jags are playing for. I think it's kind of a ugly, toxic locker room where people have bailed. I think the Texans off one of their worst performances of the year. It means a lot. They're playing for more. They're pissed off.

They have an issue with protection, guard, center guard. But they've got just simply better players playing for more. And frankly, a better quarterback. If Trevor Lawrence plays, he's not close to 100%. I think they have a coaching advantage, a coordinating advantage. This feels like my second favorite bet of the week. I'm going to take the Texans minus four at the Jags Sharper Square. Well, I wish you hadn't said it was your second favorite favorite.

The wise guys are all over the Jags in this game. They love the Jags. They've moved from five to four and a half to four. Wow. Yeah, it's an interesting one. For me, personally, I agree with you. It's a pass. I think the wise guys are looking at C.J. Stroud and thinking...

He's average. It's not that he's not progressing. It's that he's... The protection's terrible. Well, he's playing like a normal quarterback, right? And, like, his interception percentage was so low last year that it doubles this year. sudden it's at league average and everyone thinks, oh my God, there's something wrong with him. They're playing different defenses again. It's him. So his coverage is different. And he hasn't had

his best players. So I, and, and the offensive line protection is terrible, truly terrible. You can tell he's letting go of everything a second early, everything. Yeah. And he's also a gunslinger, right? Like he likes to let it go. He's not going to stop being aggressive. As he said last week, you ought to shoot your shot. So I think that the wise guys are looking at this and saying, division game, on the road, Jags' last chance to make a stand. If Trevor Lawrence is playing, they're sort of betting on the opportunity that he might be playing, and they thought the number was a little bit too high. So they're taking a piece of that while they can.

I always have a game every week. I want your expertise. So I think the Chargers are a better team than the Falcons. But I also think the Falcons are rested. They're at home. And I think they're more explosive offensively. I feel like with the Chargers, and I've seen this now a couple of times, times this year, because they don't have playmakers, Quentin Johnson officially can't catch,

that they score basically on big drives, nine play drives, 10 play drives, 11 play drives. Well, you're asking for perfect football. You know, Philadelphia can have penalties, Sequin Barclay rips off a 57-yarder, A.J. Brown over the top. You need freebies. You can't live on 12 play drives. And that's what the chargers have to do. And the middle of their interior of their old line isn't good enough. So they get holding calls. They don't have receivers that separate. I'm guessing the sharps like Atlanta plus one at home. Back and forth. The line actually moved up from one and a half to two to two and a half. And I think that the sentiment is that people were actually impressed with the Chargers and that the

difference in that game against the Ravens was J.K. Dobbins leaving the game. And it completely changed the tenor, and you're right about the offensive line, especially the interior of the offensive line, that's where the Ravens were getting pressure. The Falcons can't get pressure. They're not the Ravens. They really can't get any pressure at all. And so that's not expected to be a factor for the Chargers. I will tell you, it's sort of, and now the line has come back down, which tells you that

the wise guys felt the line had gotten too high, and there's been some buyback. And by the way, this is a very common thing. there are a lot of professional betters who might like the Falcons and want the line to be a little bit different. So early in the week, what do they do? They bet on the chargers, say, five grand, ten grand, whatever, move the line up. And then when it gets to a certain point, they bet 50 grand, 60 grand on the Falcons, right? So they're paying a little bit of a premium to get the line to move so they can get better price on the team they really want. That could have happened this week.

I don't know. I haven't heard that. But it's possible. So there's no, it's a long way of saying there's no real consensus here on what this, what this game should be. Okay, Chad, and there's always one that I missed. Seahawks at the Jets is interesting to me. I kind of like Kansas City big favorite over the Raiders. I'll stay away. What's the one I missed? Well, look, the wise guys like the Jets. I'm sorry to say. It's so interesting because on one New York team, you've got locker room tournaments. You've got quarterback intrigue.

You've got players who are frustrated with the coaching. You've got an owner who is incredibly frustrated with how the personnel has sort of fleshed out. And then you've got another New York team where the owner is basically entering his Montgomery Burns phase, right? He is taking a helicopter, landing it on the field. The GM is standing next to a coach when the heliore. helicopter lands and said, if I don't come back, it's been a pleasure to serve with you. And then the GM actually gets fired.

And this is after the coach, the owner had fired the coach without telling anybody, and after the owner had traded for a receiver without telling anybody, and openly opine should we be bentzing Aaron Rogers. And yet the wise guys, they've been betting the Giants, but they like the Jets a lot more against Seattle. I think part of it is like, this is the time to grab a number that is overinflation. later on Seattle as much as anything else. So they're on that.

The wise guys, of course they're going to be on the Raiders. It's not even a question. They were on the Raiders when the line was at 13 and a half, 13, 12, and a half, 12. It got that back up by the public because Aiden O'Connell was announced as the quarterback. The wise guys are now just going to wait, see how much more they can, how much of a better price they can get between now and kickoff on Friday. they're going to buy the Raiders. One team that I asked you to look at last week,

Carolina Panthers. What's the line? What's the line? The line is six. So the Carolina Panthers. Tampa Bay hosting the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. So the Carolina Panthers at home plus six against Tampa Bay. Yes.

Well, I mean, Tampa. The wise guys like it. I don't tell you. Well, Baker played perfect, so they come back down to Earth. I'll be honest with you. I think both Will Levis and Bryce Young for Tennessee and Carolina, respectively, in a weak college quarterback draft class, have extended their starting franchise career one more year. I think Bryce Young and Will Levis looked like, hey, let's give him another year.

I think that's 100% accurate, which is what Bryce Young has been the past few games. And so, you know, in that Kansas City game, he was throwing darts. and keeping them in the game. And every time you looked up, they were driving. And the Bucks defense, it's not as good as Kansas cities. They're playing at home. Six points in the division is a ton. You're getting an inflation on the line because of what the Bucks just did to the Giants.

So the wise guys like the Panthers. And look, I love the Panthers to start the year and they burn me consecutive weeks. So I sort of stayed away from them and even public. talking about them. I went back on them big last week, and I was glad that I did. I'm a little anxious going back to the well and the Panthers again, but I have bet the Panthers at plus six. I just feel like it's still a right spot. It's going to change, but I'm hoping that it doesn't this week. So I don't throw your curves, but I want to talk USC Notre Dame, Notre Dame getting plus seven and a half. So early in the week, I like Notre Dame. Riley Leonard,

has cleaned up his game, no turnovers. They are a team that runs the football. USC not great defending the run. And I think they're well-coats. I like their culture. USC is playing a quarterback who started the year on the bench, completes about 55% of his throws, much looser and mistake prone than Miller Moss,

but much more athletic. They can move the pocket, which Lincoln Riley historically likes. USC's got some really nice perimeter weapons. They're at home. no pressure. I mean, I mean, and I think USC, they beat LSU, they beat UCLA, and they had Penn State beat. They're not bad. Every USC game looks the exact same. It's close. They lead in the fourth. Then they even lose to Maryland. So my take is, I've gone back and said, you know what, they're going to lose, but I'm taking the hook. I'm taking USC plus seven and a half. What are the sharp saying on that? Yeah, if you're getting the hook at home, you should be taking it. That's sort of the tipping point in a game like this.

The challenge with everything you've said is the college football playoff. Notre Dame is now fifth in the college football playoff rankings. Every game, every win, every margin of victory, every optic is going to matter going forward. And I know, like they're locked in with Oregon and Penn State and our own. Ohio State and Texas, like those are the teams that the college football playoff is really thinking about as one through four. But Notre Dame is still playing for something that matters in terms of positioning with the people, with the teams behind them.

So that's what scares me a little bit about this game. And USC, you're not wrong, but some of these games you're talking about, they were earlier in the year, and they were a different team. And there's been a lot of turmoil with that organization. the past month between the changing of the quarterbacks, between the fines, you know, people, the recruits who have been decommitting and going to other places. You know that USC team and culture much better than I do, but that feels like an organization where they need this to be a competitive game in a different way than Notre Dame does. And Notre Dame is playing for something right now that feels much, much bigger to me than what USC is playing for. I'm waffling here. You take the hook, but it's not a game I want any piece of. All right.

That's fair. Yeah. It's funny about this transfer portal. Colorado, LSU, and USC have used it a lot. And all three of them, the seasons always end disappointing. Why? Because in my opinion, this is one of my theories, that you can use the transfer portal to plug holes.

It's very hard to build a culture with all the interlopers and new companies. And so what happens over the course of a season at USC, LSU, and Colorado when you face adversity is when you need a great culture. And they have better talent, but they don't have great cultures. They don't have guys that have been together for four years since high school. And so LSU, Colorado, USC heavy transfer portal. Whereas in Notre Dame, very little transfer portal, great culture with Marcus Freeman. they had an early loss that was awful. They've gotten stronger because their culture is better.

So you look at these teams that had early setbacks, and setbacks can splinter locker rooms. And these heavy transfer portal teams, they all get bad at the end of the season. A lot of people start going their own way. The NIL guys are looking at the pros. So, Ole Miss, by the way. Everybody loves Ole Miss.

Yeah. What happens against an inferior Florida team? They don't play well. Guys now are going to start heading in their own directions. So that's what I think I've found from the transfer portal. I can think two things. I like it, but I wouldn't want to build around it. It's important, but I don't want it to be my primary infrastructure.

I'm going to give you an example that supports both sides of your theory. Indiana Hoosiers. I went to Indiana. Yeah. I love them. I've been so excited for this team all year. Obviously, Heavy portal. They used the transfer portal heavily. But what they did was they basically took the entire team from James Madison and plugged them in. So yeah, it worked for them. But the reason it worked

for them is because they maintained a culture that existed with Kurt Signetti from where he was before and then brought it to Bloomington, and that's translated in a very successful way. And what's more interesting to me also about this is I think there is an opportunity for teams like Indiana who have been middling teams to get the fourth, fifth year seniors who want to keep playing college football. They might not be great NFL players, but they're incredibly effective, productive, workmen like college football players and they're adults.

So instead of the sophomore five star who's not getting any playing time and is transferring from Texas to Ole Miss, they're getting the fourth year Mac quarterback who was really good and is time to see if he can stretch his game to the next level. And he's an adult.

And that's just a different kind of player in college football. I'm not saying, now, Indiana has a ceiling on this. We saw it against Ohio State. You got to get athletes and people on the edge and all that kind of stuff. But I think you can build a really successful program through the portal if you're getting guys who are just great college football players

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