The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Colin Cowherd Podcast - Texans Blowout Browns, CJ Stroud Already A Top 10 QB, Chiefs Throttle Dolphins, Tua’s Limitations Exposed

Episode Date: January 14, 2024

Colin’s instant reaction to the first two AFC playoff games! He lauds CJ Stroud’s nearly perfect performance in his first playoff game and says Stroud is already one of the ten best quarterbacks in the league (3:00). He also pours some cold water on the Browns by reminding them that at this point, Joe Flacco is a better story than a quarterback. (5:00). He points out that the Dolphins’ play calling showed a lack of trust in Tua’s abilities in cold weather and that his limitations as a quarterback were exposed (15:30). He also makes his predictions for the remaining playoff games (22:00). (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements.) Follow Colin and The Volume on Twitter for the latest content and updates! #Volume #HerdSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed Human. Another podcast from some SNL, late-night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer, Streeter Seidel, help an a cappella band with their between songs banter.

Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and friends on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque.

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

In 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. The Volume Draft King's Sportsbook, an official sports betting partner of the NFL is bringing you, yes, an offer that'll help you win money in the NFL playoffs. New customers, bet five bucks, that's it, five bucks, that's it, five dollars, any game, and get $200 instantly in bonus bets. Are you kidding me?

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and Resort, KS, licensee partner, Golden Nugget Lake Charles, 21 plus age varies by jurisdiction, void in Ontario. Bonus bets expire 168 hours after issuance. See sportsbook.draft kings.com slash basketball terms for eligibility and deposit restrictions, terms and responsible gaming resources. All right, instant reaction on the Texans thrashing the Cleveland Browns. I had said, I picked Houston to win. I said Joe Flacco had become a better story than he was a quarterback. He had eight picks and five games before today. Now he's got 10 picks and six starts. Flacco was a really good story for a dysfunctional organization, stepping in on their fourth quarterback. Stafansky doing a marvelous job, but he's not a great

quarterback at this point. He always threw a lot of picks. He was generally very good in the wild crowd round, big, strong guy, big arm. But I don't think anybody ever thought he was a great quarterback. You know, he was a notch below the big bends and the Brady's and the mannings, you know, his contemporaries. But the obvious story today is C.J. Stroud. And it's interesting about C.J. Stroud. So when he came out, I tend to lean on my scouts and my sources. And so one of my guys that I don't consider him a source, he's just a friend, Lance Zerline, works at NFL.com, and he's a scout. And he had said C.J. Stroud's comp is Jared Gough. And I always felt with Jared Goff. He's really, really good. I think he's a top 10, 12 quarterback, but he's not good

enough to overcome nonsense. And so I thought it was a good comp. I thought C.J. Stroud had some Jared Goff abilities, but wasn't good enough to overcome nonsense. Well, what's really interesting about that comp? So Jared Goff, first year, was a mess with the Rams. But in his second year, when they got him a left tackle, Andrew Whitworth, and Sean McVeigh, 28 touchdown, seven picks, and a 62% completion percentage. C.J. Stroud's first year numbers, 23 touchdowns, five picks, 64% completion percentage. The difference is C.J. Stroud inherited a great left tackle as a rookie, and he also inherited a really good coach in D'Amico Ryan's. So Goff was a mess until he got the right coach

and the right protection left tackle. So C.J. Stroud didn't have to go through that year. But their numbers are very similar. The first time Jared Goff had like legitimate protection and a good coach, he put up similar numbers. And so I think CJ's been terrific, obviously better than most would predict. But I think what's important as I watch C.J. Stroud, obviously, if you get the coach and the quarterback right, you know, you're not, you're not going to lose that many games in the NFL. Even if you don't love the coach, if you love the quarterback and you like the coach, you're going to be a playoff team most of the time. But what C.J. Stroud or guys like Andrew Luck create is clearly.

clarity. You're going to argue for Justin Fields watching C.J. Stroud. Justin Fields in his third year and C.J. Strat, Daniel Jones. You know, these people that argue for their like second-tier quarterbacks, it's like, I don't want to hear about drops. You know who had the second most drops in the NFL? C.J. Stroud. Number one was Patrick Mahomes. Everybody has receivers that drop the ball. Is that when you get a C.J. Stroud, it creates clarity for all these fan bases and GMs to go, well, this guy can win with an imperfect roster. Now, I do think Houston, and I said this during the offseason, I thought they had a great summer. I thought they had a great draft. So, CJ, this may have been a messy organization, but Nick Casario from New England,

sharp guy, D'Amico, I was told two years before he became a head coach, he's going to be, he was only at San Francisco for three or four years. They moved him from controller to position coach, coordinator, boom, he's out. But I think, I think, I think, CJ ensures, if Damiq O'Ryan stays, that they're going to be interesting for a decade plus. And that's all you can hope for. Super Bowls, who knows? Jared Goff got to one, may never get to another. Who knows?

A lot of that is circumstance. Is your team healthy? Who are you facing? Are you at home? You know, now Houston has to go on the road, and the quality of play and the quality of quarterback should go up. But Stroud is a terrific player, and I was counting this morning, you know, only about half the league has a franchise quarterback.

Now, I think Caleb Williams will come in and Drake May feel like both those guys could hit, could. But right now, and I didn't count, I don't know if I counted Baker Mayfield. I did count Tua. I did count Derek Carr. I did count Kirk Cousins off an injury. I think I counted Baker Mayfield, too. I only have 17 NFL teams at a 32 that have franchise quarterbacks. People that they could lean on and say, this is our guy.

I don't believe I counted Gino Smith. I didn't because Seattle wants to upgrade. But, I mean, before C.J. Stroud hit and Jordan Love hit. You know, you're looking at like half the league. Now it's slightly above half the league has a franchise quarterback. So it's hard. You know, it's, I just don't think fans, I think you mostly get it. But it is nobody. I knew two scouts that really like C.J. Stroud. And I have texted them throughout the course of the year. And they're like, when do he was this good? We didn't see this. And so what you have to do with quarterback play, you know, you cross your fingers, you look at traits. And the thing that jumps out was C.J. Stroud, he didn't have a lot of juice athletically. He doesn't run around a lot. But he is effortlessly and unmistakably accurate. He just throws a beautiful, accurate ball. He doesn't miss very often. He missed on one deep ball today, but the receiver stopped running. So I don't necessarily blame that entirely on him. But he's just kind of a quiet, confident kid. He can throw setting his feet. He made a, he missed a throw and didn't miss a throw. He had an incompletion near the goal line in the first quarter. I think it was first quarter. And it was just, it's a non-decent. It's a non-decent. discreet play that won't get discussed, but he rolled out to the right into the goal line, and the ball was batted down. But running to his right, he threw a ball low, nobody could get it. As they always say in the NFL, near the goal line, throw it low, at the end of the end zone,

the back of the end zone, keep it high, so it doesn't get intercepted. But his ability to move, quickly roll and throw it in this little football-sized space, now it was knocked away by a Cleveland corner. But it was literally a perfect throw in this small, little area that you don't direct many passes in down in the dirt. And that's a play that it doesn't end up in the box score. It's an incompletion. Nobody cares about it. Nobody discusses it. But he makes it look so easy on screens, drag routes. The stuff that should be easy for him, it's like Mahomes. It's just layup drill time. So it's exciting for Houston. They got a great baseball franchise, and now they've got a star quarterback. And, you know, he's obviously right now playing as a top

10 quarterback. But, you know, and, you know, I like Kyler Murray much more than most people. I like Jared Goff much more than most people. But, and Trevor Lawrence regressed this year, maybe I've been too high on him. I've always thought of him as a top seven quarterback. I like Herbert, think he's a top five or six guy. Again, he has to get a legitimate coach. But I think you can say with some confidence, C.J. Stroud, his ability to sit in the pocket, throw accurately his size, his mechanics. He looks like a top 10 guy. Maybe you're the bottom of it, but it looks like a top 10 guy. I don't, I don't think that's being hyper, or overstating anything.

He's just a big, tall, accurate, easy thrower. It's got a good solid body. It's fun. This stuff is fun. Once you stop worrying about being right and concentrate more in getting it right, sports is a lot of fun. I love making predictions. I thought the Jared Goff comp was reasonable.

But left tackle, coach, they hitting a couple of draft picks at wide receiver. Texans are a fun team. It's not easy to get in over 40 points in a playoff game. Meanwhile, for Cleveland, they're a bit of a mess. I don't even want to talk about Cleveland. I mean, I like their coach and I like their GM, but the Deshawn Watson situation. You know, I'm sitting there. You know who I was already thinking about watching this game beyond the Texans?

Was the Pittsburgh Steelers. So just in the AFC now, you have C.J. Stroud. Joe Burrow, Lamar Jackson, Mahomes, Josh Allen, Justin Herbert with a legitimate coach, Trevor Lawrence. And Pittsburgh's sitting there with Kenny Pickett trying to convince themselves. Yeah, that's a guy, Kenny Pickett. Mason Rudolph looks better than Kenny Pickett. So again, that goes into the Daniel Jones, Justin Fields. You're trying to convince yourself stuff.

That's just not true. For C.J. Stroud to be this confident, this accurate, and this effortless, look at your quarterback. What year is he in? And it's not like the Texans. I mean, a year ago, we were laughing at them. They were the most dysfunctional organization in sports. Now, they hit on some right people.

upstairs, sidelines quarterback. But, I mean, C.J. Stroud, look around if you're the Steelers. That's another quarterback in the AFC. Big Ben retires, and it's like there was a long stretch between Bradshaw and Big Ben. A lot of years without Super Bowls. And when I look at C.J. Stroud, I'm like, oh, that's just another really good quarterback. Teams like the Steelers have to get through. And the other thing that's encouraging is so with C.J. Stroud and Jordan Love both hitting

this year, Jordan Love later in the season, we have two more franchise quarterbacks. And you know and I know it. Nothing is worse than watching football in the NFL or college with bad quarterback play. So it looks like we got two more young franchise quarterbacks, not even in their prime yet. Jordan Love and C.J. Stroud, probably a year away from their prime going into it. It's pretty cool. 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 huge. 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, Clipper 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-tap little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people.

I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do with a little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we picket 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's big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so you're just so you're not. But just so y'all know. I mean, at this point, this is the second episode where we've discussed correct. So I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now. Thank you 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. Well, instant reaction on the chiefs drubbing. of the Miami Dolphins,

I thought Miami would give a much better effort. It was really kind of waived the white flag early in the third quarter. And, you know, I can't really blame their defense because they're missing six starters. But so let me get this straight on Tua. He's small, doesn't have a great arm up to sideline, not athletic, has some injuries,

and now can only play in ideal conditions. So he has to have home games throughout the playoffs. to be formidable. So, I mean, it doesn't mean you're going to get rid of him, but I think you have to look to the future and understand what he is. I mean, his record in December and January is not good. His record in September and October is good. And that's okay. You know, he is a quarterback that's more than capable. I mean, he made a Pro Bowl over Josh Allen. Now, I think the Pro Bowl's nonsense. I think awards, Oscars, Emmys, I think a lot of it's nonsense. Plaques don't make the player. Everybody knows that. You know, I mean, I think you look at two, and it's like, what one skill does he have over Josh Allen?

Really? So you just have to know going forward, there's limitations to what he can do, especially late in the season. And Miami, to a large degree, again, I thought they'd play much better tonight. I thought it would be lower scoring. I thought the Chief's offense was highly functional, and I'll get to that in a second. But considering the conditions, highly functional tonight, especially after, you know, a couple rocky drives to start, players getting used to to the cold. Then I thought second half, second quarter, pretty good. But, you know, I think Miami was when I said they were all season. They're fun. I like watching them. I like their coach.

I like Tyreek Hill. Two is fine. They're a convertible sports car. They're just not built for December and January. You know, they're just not built for this type of weather. So quarterbacks, none of them love playing in this weather. Brady liked cold weather because he said when it was slippery defensive lineman couldn't get a pass rush. Most quarterbacks don't love it. But, I mean, the difference between the great ones and guys you don't give an extension to are, can you overcome? Can you play in bad elements? Can you play hurt? Can you play against the great pass rush? Can you play when your left tackles a swinging door? So I think Tua is just a quarterback that when everything's lined up perfectly, he can play. But you saw C.J. Stroud earlier today.

Bigger, stronger, better arm. Now, again, weather's different, but you look at C.J. Stroud, there's nothing you're really missing there. Big arm, sidelines, seize the field, get rid of it, can throw on the move, can move a little. There's just nothing you don't like. And with two, there's not a lot I love. He is a warm weather quarterback when things are ideal. He can put up some good numbers with a world-class receiving core and Mike McDaniel, who's a really smart offensive coach. But things have to be right. You know, it's interesting. when I was watching Tua, teams will tell you what they think of their players by the play calling. And so Mike McDaniel's play calling was super conservative in the second half.

Well, that's telling you. He doesn't trust him. So, you know, you can tell when you watch Mahomes and C.J. Stroud, their coaches trust them. They trust them cognitively. They trust them physically. They trust them, you know, in crisis situations, high leverage situations. I'm watching Mike McDaniel's play calling. he didn't want two in a throw. He didn't want him to sit in the pocket. His bubble screens. So that's a tell. In poker, that's a tell. You know, in terms of Kansas City, you know, we've said that Kansas City's receiving core, Rishie Rice has developed into a really solid one. He's not a profound

or a dynamic one, but he's a strong, thick, hard to bring down receiver. He is there one. Travis Kelsey's their one tight end. After that, you know, it's a bunch of middling guys. So I don't think it feels like a Super Bowl team. I think they would really struggle to go into Baltimore, play San Francisco and win. But smart people over time figure stuff out. And, you know, Kansas City's got some of the smartest people in the NFL, scouts, GM, coach quarterback in the league.

It's a really bright football operation. And they have figured out a way to make that offense. mostly work. I thought the second half, second quarter, second quarter, considering the conditions, I thought the chiefs look great, ran the ball, passed it effectively. I mean, you're throwing a rock around in that weather, but I thought it was pretty impressive. This is the best defense Mahomes has played with. They get a good pass rush. So, you know, smart people over time figure out how to make businesses more functional and operate them at a higher level. So I always trust the Baltimore's and the San Francisco's and the Kansas cities.

They've just got bright people everywhere. And I thought the Chiefs look pretty impressive. Considering the conditions, I looked at the Chiefs tonight, and I thought, wow, that is a much better offensive output functionality than I would have guessed for the weather. Miami just, and again, it's not like Miami made the playoffs. I had predicted Buffalo would win the division. Miami would be a wild card team.

And then over the course of the year, I said, I liked them, but they'll have to play at home. I just didn't really, I just kind of fun, fake, flashy. You know, I kept calling them the fake Gucci bag. You know, it looks right. It looks real, but in closer inspection, it's not. It's a fraud. I think that's who Miami is.

They beat one team, winning team this year, I believe, the Dallas Cowboys, a team that fumbled on a goal-line handoffer would have gone up 14 to 3, and a team Dallas that doesn't play particularly well against winning teams on the road. So I think if you look back at the season for Miami, it's an offensive-leaning franchise. Injuries, attrition, absolutely hurt them on the defensive side. That's not an excuse.

That's a reason. They had six starters out. There's nothing they can do. But it wasn't much of an effort offensively. Tonight, if I'm a dolphin fan, I'm worried about the offense. I mean, look at the play calling for Tua. They look terrified to have him throw with Tyreek, Jan Waddle, Wilson. So, and if you look at Kansas City, Baltimore, Kansas City, Buffalo.

I like Houston. I think their season ends next week. Baltimore, Buffalo, Kansas City. Pretty well-run teams in the last half decade. You know, I mean, well, even longer than that, but we're not surprised, right? All these games, all the weather, all the injuries. Bill's Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City, and Lamar Jackson and the Ravens

look like the top three teams. And a really fun surprising story, C.J. Stroud. You know, three predictable, one surprise. And so tomorrow, you know, we go into the NFC games. And again, I think Dallas beats Green Bay, a lot of scoring. I think the Rams slip past Detroit. I think we'll see some scoring.

And then on Monday, I do think we're going to see Philadelphia beat the bucks. I know what you're saying. Colin, you already have the bills beating the Steelers. Yeah, I know I do. Yes, yes, I know I do. I'm fully aware of that. I mean, you could take the 10 points, but, yeah, I'm going to go with Josh Allen over Mason Rudolph. So on interesting Saturday, one semi-surprise, certainly the outcome in Houston was a surprise,

and a surprising lack of effort by the Miami Dolphins. It's not like you cut Tua. You're not going to cut him. You know, he's an effective quarterback. You just have to take a deep breath and the expectations have to be more realistic. I think the people in the building have realistic expectations on Tua. I'm not sure all the fans do or the Miami media does. But I think Mike McDaniel and the guys upstairs in Miami, they kind of know what they have.

You can tell from the play calling, the play design tonight, they kind of know what they have. The volume. Another podcast from some SNL late-night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and Friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer, Streeter Seidel, help an a cappella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform?

We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and Friends on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts. or wherever you get your podcasts. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque.

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

A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me. Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media.

Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, the Cliford Show. This is a place for raw, unfilled conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to the Clippert Show on the I-Hard Radio app,

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