The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Colin Cowherd Podcast - TNF Reaction, McCarthy’s Very Good Cowboys, Seahawks Not Better Without Russ, Sharp or Square

Episode Date: December 1, 2023

Colin reacts to the Cowboy’s shootout win over the Seahawks! He gives props to Mike McCarthy for turning the cowboys from a “pretty good” into a “very good” team (4:45). He also looks at the level of play we’ve seen recently from Geno Smith and Russell Wilson and questions the idea that the Seahawks “won the Russ trade” (7:15). Chad Millman, Chief Content Officer of the Action Network, stops by for a round of “Sharp or Square,” to help provide Colin with the sharpest betting advice for the Week 13 NFL slate!  18:40 - Chargers vs Pats 20:45 - Eagles vs 49ers 23:00 - Lions vs Saints 24:40 - Broncos vs Texans 26:20 - Cardinals vs Steelers 27:55 - Packers vs Chiefs 29:45 - Browns vs Rams 32:15 - Falcons vs Jets 34:00 - Dolphins vs Commanders (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. Hey, what's good, y'all? You're listening to Learn the Hard Way with your favorite therapist and host, Kear Games.

This space is about black men's experiences, having honest conversations that it's really not safe to have anywhere, but you're having them with a licensed professional who knows what he's doing. How many men carry a suit or armor? It signals to the world that you're not to be played with. And just because you have the capability that does not mean that you need to. Listen and learn the hard way on the AHA radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. The volume. In the NBA, the games can change in an instant, but no matter how the action unfold. Do you know that Draft King's Sportsbook has you covered?

This week, new customers can score $150 instantly in bonus bets by just betting five bucks. on basketball. How good of a deal is that from Draft King Sportsbook? Win or lose, you get the instant. W. Instant. Download the Draft King Sportsbook app. Now, please use the code, C-O-L-I-N. New customers, $150, instantly in bonus bets. For betting just five, the code is Collins, C-O-L-I-N, only on Draft King Sportsbook. Download the app, code, Colin. The crown is yours. Gambling problem? Call 1-800 gambler or visit www. www.1-800 gambler.net in New York. Call 8778-Hope-N-Y. or text Hope, NY 467369 in Connecticut. Help is available for problem gambling.

Call 888-88-78-777 or visit ccpg.org. Please play responsibly. On behalf of Boot Hill Casino 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.draftkings.com slash basketball terms

for eligibility and deposit restrictions, terms and responsible gaming resources. All right, time for an instant reaction. I thought Al Michaels and Kirk Herbstree were very good tonight because the game was very good. It's hard to do a bad NFL game when you get really poor quarterback play. There's only so much you can do.

And I think sometimes people are over-critical of Al Michaels and, you know, too consumed with his age. I thought he was sharp tonight, funny, quick-witted. That line at the end, another kind of tush push. When Micah Parsons was blocked by Lucas, the Seattle right tackle, and he backed into him. So I thought it was a really, really good product tonight, and I thought it was a really good football game. I mean, again, couldn't you imagine Seattle scoring 35 points if you've watched their offense in the last month?

And can you imagine Dallas's defense being that lousy against Gino Smith? It was a really good game. First, I want to address the penalties. There were too many flags. I had a head coach in the NFL and a couple executives text me during the game. They're like, this is brutal. I will say this, not in defense of the officials, because I just, I think, I don't understand, you should throw a flag when you see a penalty.

I think sometimes referees anticipate penalties. Call what you see, not what you anticipate. Now, I will say, Dan Quinn, who used to coach under Pete Carroll, is very aggressive, and Pete Carroll's defense can be very aggressive. So you had two of the most aggressive, defensive guys in the NFL working tonight. And what does that mean? It means you're going to have corners, safeties, riding tight ends and wide receivers more than average. Belichick, Pete Carroll, Dan Quinn, Tomlin.

These are very aggressive defensive coaches. And officials get into situations where they want to set the tone. And so they start calling penalties early to set. the tone and Dan Quinn and Pete Carroll don't pull back. They keep telling their players to be aggressive. So the officials have already set the tone in the game and now they're going to keep calling penalties because they want to be consistent. I still thought they missed a couple. There were a tic-tack calls on the Seahawks corners, but that's my explanation for it. Dan Quinn and Pete Carroll are aggressive. Referees try to set a tone and then they realized we've set the tone. We've got to be

consistent. We just called stuff that looked like that earlier. We got to call. We got to call. this. You know, you have to be very careful about confirmation bias. We all have strong feelings about things, but over time, there's no one truth with anything. So when Aaron Rogers and Mike McCarthy broke up, I think the feeling was Aaron could be prickly and difficult, but McCarthy maybe wasn't up to snuff. And so they bring in Matt Lefleur. And for a couple of years, we just think, oh boy, Aaron's finally got his guy. Aaron has a better career playoff record with Mike McCarthy above 500 than he does Matt LaFleur under 500.

Mike McCarthy goes to Dallas. We don't love his situational coaching, but he has a winning record with Farr, Rogers, Dak, and Cooper Rush, and this is the best I have ever seen Dak Prescott. He feels a notch better than he's ever been in his career. Now, he's getting better protection from Tyron Smith on the left, who's healthy again. He and C.D. Lamb now is an elite connection. Ferguson, the tight end now is getting more and more productive. They don't have a consistent run game, but DAC was 29 of 41, three TDs, no picks, and 300 yards.

I thought he was excellent tonight. Excellent tonight. Well, Mike McCarthy gets some credit for that. And Aaron Rogers had arguably his best year with Mike McCart. And Farve's last year, he was 13 and 3, and Cooper Rush looked like kind of a quasi-starter with Mike McCarthy. So four or five years ago, we view Mike McCarthy as one thing, and now we have to look around and go, you know, he, Pete Carroll, John Harbaugh, Doug Peterson, Sean Payton,

all have a Super Bowl, all have a second job in the NFL and are building a winning program at that NFL franchise. So to me, Mike McCarthy is Harbaugh, is Pete, is Doug Peterson, is Sean Peyton. Second time around, winning again. You know, and speaking of that about our initial perceptions. So what if Sean Payton gets the Denver job doesn't do TV for Fox, and Nathaniel Hackett never does? So our initial perception is, yeah, Pete really pulled it over. John Snyder and Pete really pulled one on Denver. They got Gino Smith. We got Gino Smith. They get Russell Wilson. He's washed. But if Sean Payton doesn't do TV and just takes that Denver job, Russell Wilson looks exactly precisely like he looked in Seattle. 100 plus passer rating, twitchy, playmaking, moves out of the

pocket, makes big throws, very few turnovers. And we don't view that as Pete Carroll and John Snyder getting one over on the Broncos. We say, you give up a better quarterback in a quarterback league and you have Gino Smith, right? Last five weeks, Peyton and Russell Wilson looked like Seattle Russell Wilson, who is an A quarterback. So I look at Seattle now, and you got yourself a 500 team with one big win this year at Detroit. That's a nice win, but now the Rams are playing better. San Francisco's clearly better. Dallas is better.

Philadelphia is better. you know, keep your eye on, I still think Detroit is better than Seattle. They certainly are now. And keep your eye in Minnesota and the winner of the NFC South. So what is Seattle today? A 500 team that needs a quarterback to get to the next level. What is Denver today? The hottest team in the AFC with a franchise quarterback and a Hall of Fame potential coach and a lot of good players.

So McCarthy, Russell Wilson. Gino Smith, got to be careful about having really strong opinions and not being willing to look at a story as it evolves and changes. And stories change all the time. I can feel strongly about a political candidate one year. He makes some missteps. I don't feel the same. I've said this before. You can have a stock and a company. And then all of a sudden, the company, Apple, make some missteps. I used to own a lot of Starbucks. Don't owe as much now. Nothing against Starbucks. Great company. But over the course of time, I've had it, sold it, had it. Had it. it, sold it based on the momentum of the company. You know, so you've got to be willing to look at stuff and be honest and not be stubborn. And, you know, the Seattle, Denver trade now, I'd rather have Russell Wilson than Gino Smith. Now, Seattle may draft Bo Nix or Michael Pennix than a year. I feel again like Seattle won. But if Denver doesn't hire Nathaniel Hackett, that never looks like a landslide that it did briefly. Let's go back to the Cowboys.

So the knock on the Cowboys was going into this game, they'd beaten the Giants twice, the Jets, Washington, New England, Carolina, beat up Rams team in the Chargers. Well, Rams are now pretty good. Chargers are talented. You know, Seattle's competent. Washington's always in most games.

They're a 9 and 3 football team. I don't think they're as talented as San Francisco, but I do think they present some things where you can argue they can go toe to toe and beat Philadelphia. And the number one reason is the Cowboys have seven blowout wins. And over the last decade, nine of ten Super Bowl teams have averaged seven to eight blowout wins. Dallas has seven. Philadelphia has two.

So San Francisco and Dallas are the two teams in the NFC that blow people out. They flex because they can. Philadelphia would love to blow people out, but they can't. They're back end of their defense is weak. offensively, Jalen Hertz is terrific, but he has become a very good second half quarterback and can struggle in the first half. They've trailed their last four games at half. So I think if you're a Dallas cowboy fan, I've always had the kind of the same feeling about the cowboys for the last 25 years. I always say, Tony Romo was pretty good, the Cowboys are pretty good, Jason Garrett was pretty good, Mike McCarthy's pretty good, Dax pretty good. And I'm always right. They always win about nine or ten games, maybe 11, 12, but I never feel that our Super Bowl team. I do believe if C.D. Lamb stays healthy and Tyron Smith, the left tackle, stay healthy. Because Dak's having a good year, and McCarthy's obviously elevating Dak, that if they can stay healthy with Tyron Smith, Ferguson's, you know, productive, and C.D. Lamb, they can win shootouts. And they're good enough defensively. They'll be a good team playing with a lead because of the pass rush.

I do wish they went and acquired like a Derek Henry at the trade deadline. I think what they really miss is they have a lead in the game and I just want to eat the clock. They want to power run it. And they're not really, that's not what they're built to do. They can score. They can score quickly. They can score a lot. But I don't feel I feel like they miss sort of that power offense where they could just hand it off to a Derek Henry and just say six minute drive. Let's pick up first downs. Never drop back to throw. So and I think San Francisco can do that. Philadelphia can do that. the better teams Baltimore can do that, the better teams in the league can do it, and I don't think Dallas can. But we have to be honest about Mike McCarthy. We have to be fair and reasonable.

And Mike McCarthy has taken Dak Prescott, you know, a couple years ago, pretty ugly injury. Michael Gallup's never been what they thought. Brandon Cooks isn't what everybody promised he would be. They lost Dalton Schultz. They couldn't afford him, Amari Cooper. And you look up today, Dallas is a good football team. And I've been calling them pretty good for 25 years. I think they're very good. I think they're a very good football team. And I haven't gone pretty good to very good on Dallas many times.

But you can't get too caught up on the fact that their defense gave up a bunch of points tonight. Listen, it's the NFL. It's a college football. D.K. Metcalfe was a huge matchup problem. Seattle's got Lockett, the rookie receiver. No offense, a huge body. DJ Metcalf. And I thought their offensive line tonight,

you know, created some holes already, especially on the ground. Seattle's got a lot of talent. They've Shane Waldron's a respected offensive coordinator. You're not going to throw shutouts, right? The defensive rules don't allow it. You're not keeping talented teams and veteran coaching staffs to 17 points every week. It happens.

But I think I'm going to go from pretty good to very good for the Cowboys, and I have not done that much. and Mike McCarthy deserves credit, and I've been critical. But decks 29 of 41, 300 yards, 3Ds, no picks. That's Big Boy Football. How about them, Cowboys? November is here. We are in the heart of the football season. Hockey and basketball just starting up. Best way to get tickets to any of these games is on Game Time,

the fastest growing ticket app in the United States. Game Time. It's obsessed with finding ways to help you save money on tickets. That's what they do. You can find exclusive flash deals, ways to help you save money, sponsored deals on games and concerts on a daily basis. Pretty sweet. With zone deals, you pick the section you want and game time picks the seat, big time savings there. And with a game time guarantee, you'll always get the best price. You'll find tickets in the same section, same row for less. Game time will credit 110% of the difference. So take the guesswork out of buying tickets and go with GameTime, the fastest growing ticket app in the United States. Download the GameTime app. Create an account. The Redeem Code is Colin. That's me, C-O-L-I-N, $20 off your first purchase.

Terms apply. Again, create an account, the Redeem Code, C-O-L-I-N, $20 off. Download Game Time today. Last-minute deals. priced tickets guaranteed. 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 you're saying. Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined.

And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast, it's a space for honest conversations,

stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to the Clifford Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok podcast network on TikTok. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tap little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do with Little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look

Back at it podcast. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode, with Mark Lamont Hill waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 is big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack all day, but just so you all know. I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack. So I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now.

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

I did not do Thanksgiving picks. I think I would have been about two, two, and one. I didn't think Dallas would cover the spread, missed on the Lions, but had a couple other picks. So let's just start with this week. I've been taking more favorites, I think is the season ebbs, better quarterbacks because there's so many injuries, can overcome, banged up rosters. So my first take is Chargers minus five and a half at New England. I do not believe the Patriots want to win.

I believe they want the third pick. How do I know this? Because of some of the moves they've made in the secondary with players deactivating them and releasing them. They did not want to beat the Giants. They play. They don't announce the quarterback. I don't love the Chargers.

But you have a staff playing for their lives. I'm taking the chargers minus five and a half, sharp or square. Number one, Colin, if you didn't make any picks, you wouldn't have gone two, two, and one. You would have gone five and one. That's just the way it goes. Number two, on this one, the wise guys are against you. The line was at six. It's moved down to five and a half.

This is not about the Patriots. You're not finding wise guys who are saying, boy, I'm really excited to bet on Bailey Zappy. and I think this team is really primed to do something great. It's fading the chargers. You say this team is, this coaching staff is fighting for its lives. I think it's already over. I think the wise guys think it's over. It's not a team that's in playoff contention.

It's not a team that's going to make the playoffs. It's a team with an incredible amount of talent that continues to not be able to execute. There's no reason for this team to be a six point, now five and a half point favorite on the road. It's not good enough defensively. They haven't proven to be good enough offensively in terms of executing. Keenan Allen has 97 receptions.

He's second in the league in receiving yardage. It's the quietest, most irrelevant combination of great stats you're going to see from a wide receiver on a team that doesn't matter. It's not the best number. I thought the bet of the week was the Niners plus points at the Eagles, But extra time to prepare for San Francisco, healthy little revenge edge, and the number of snaps Philadelphia's defense, not very good to begin with, was on the field.

I'm still going to take the Niners. I think they could win by 7 to 10. By the way, Super Bowl champs dating back seven years, on average have eight blowout wins. Philadelphia has two. We think they're a Super Bowl team because they're very good in these one possession games. so was Minnesota last year. The Seahawks two three years ago. The Cowboys three years ago.

Those teams get eliminated fast in the playoffs. San Francisco is the better team. They win here by seven points, sharper square. Totally sharp. The wise guys were on this. Look, Sunday night, it was moving from two and a half. Before the Bill's game was over, it was down to San Francisco plus two and a half, San Francisco plus one.

Before the game was over, literally I was. trying to make a bet on Sunday night, on the Niners at plus one. And before I could click, done, the line move from plus one to minus one. Niners. And then it's gone up to two and a half. Every time it goes up to three, the wise guys take the Eagles of plus three. Then the other wise guys take the Niners at minus two and a half. You said something really important. The Niners are blowing teams out. When Debo Samuel and Trent Williams are playing, this team is eight. This team is 8 and 0, they're winning by an average of 21 points. The team has not played in 10 days.

They're as healthy as they've ever been. The Eagles, as you noted, had a lot of snaps. They played 95 snaps in a really bloody war against the bills in a rainy, rainy Sunday game. They have not had as much time to get healthy. And I was listening to other podcasts like NFL players. They talk on these podcasts. They made a one of those, Chris Long and his podcast made a really good point. Every hour counts when you are trying to recuperate for the next week.

This is not a good spot for the Eagles. This is why the wise guys have been all over the numbers. Not getting the best number at all. I like the Lions minus four, but I'll take a minus four and a half. I think Dennis Allen is in the race for the worst coach in the league. I think they massively underachieve. Derek Carr, you know, I always saw him as a life preserver to the Raiders. Maybe he's just checked down Charlie and not very good.

Lions have been beaten now, not feeling good about themselves. I don't think the Saints can beat them at their weakness. I think Detroit humiliated, extra time to prepare bounces back. I'll take him to cover not the best number, sharp or square. Yeah, there's not a consensus on this game. The wise guy's lean, saints. It's why the number has sort of stayed where it is because the majority of the action,

the public action, is all coming in on the Lions. And we saw it, like, and it's been at four basically since Monday. And when there's that much money coming in on one side

and the line really doesn't move, it's because the wise guys are sort of anchoring it in place, right? And so you know that the wise guys have been taken the Saints here. It's not like it's going to be their biggest bed of the week. There are other games

that the wise guys love a lot more. but they like the number here, not because of what the Saints can do or necessarily what the Lions can't do. The last couple of weeks, Jared Goff hasn't played as well, right? And Dan Campbell, who's a brilliant football coach, also has an incredibly good offensive line, and he's got two really good running backs.

And playing against the Saints, he has an opportunity to control the clock and let those guys run. It shortens the game, but it also means potentially less scoring, so it just might not be as big of the margin, which is why the wise guys left the same. A game I'm betting solely because of the number, I think the Texans probably win, but I would take Denver plus three and a half. I worry about the regression of the turnovers, which have gone all Denver's way in the last month, but they've

also created many of those. The thing about Denver is their defense now is a story and their run game. They don't make mistakes. They keep it very much in the fairway. Houston's still young. C.J. Stroud is still young. He will face pressure. I think it's a field goal game, but the hook I'd take Denver plus three and a half. You know, at this point in the year, you take the hook if you feel strongly about a team. Denver's won five straight. It's not luck. They're creating a lot of their own opportunities.

Russell Wilson now making more plays, running more. Run game is very solid and both can also be active in the screen game. I'll take Denver in the point sharper square. The coaches you want to bet on the past 20 years, Colin? Mike Vrable, Mike Tomlin, John Harbaugh, Sean Payton, and before the past couple years, Bill Belichick, those guys cash tickets. They are profitable coaches.

By the way, Dennis Allen, I meant to mention this, 143 coaches the past 20 years, he's 142nd as the least profitable coach. So one more reason why you might be right to bet the Lions. But I think that the hook, what you're talking about, getting the hook, is the right side here. Wise guys have been a little bit all over this one. Like, he bet it hard when it was at two and a half for the Texans.

It's gotten a three and a half. They've come back a little bit on the Broncos. I think they are just playing the number. If it's below three, they're playing the Texans. If it's above three, they're playing the Broncos. I would take Cardinals plus five and a half at the Steelers. I think Kyler Murray is so much better than Kenny Pickett. It's hard to imagine.

Also, they were humiliated. The Rams pushed them around. Some of that was injury-related. Pittsburgh probably wins. That offense is not worthy of five and a half points. I'm going to take the cards sharper square. I just mentioned Mike Tomlin, one of the most profitable coaches the past 20 years. That's because he wins so often when he is an underdog, not just covering the spread, but winning outright.

He is no good as a favorite of more than three. 37% against the spread in his career as a favorite of more than three. And let's not be fooled by the fact they gained 400 yards of offense the first game after Matt Canada leaves. Kenny Pickett is not an accurate passer. And they got the right team in the right spot with a backup quarterback. The Cardinals, while they got pushed around by the Rams, they did keep it close against the Texas. They covered against the Texas.

That was a five-point game. The scary thing here, and this was a lot of conversations I had with Wise guys this week, Kyler Murray is so good scrambling. Since he's back, he's averaging 9.4 yards per scramble. He's a first down every time he leaves the pocket. the one thing the Steelers will want to do is rush the passer. That is what they are best at as a defensive unit. Kyler Murray is able to combat that,

and it leaves the back door for this team wide open the entire game, because the Steelers won't be able to run away with it in terms of scoring. So that's why the wise guys are backing you and back in the cards. Okay, the Packers are the side, I would imagine, at plus five and a half, and Mahomes is a bad cover if it's over like four or five. I do think Kansas City found a little bit of their way in the second half. I think Rishi Rice is starting to look like a one. Jordan Love is overvalued.

The Chargers and the Lions secondaries are really, really bad. And Kansas City isn't. I'm going to bet the Chiefs. I know it's square. Comment on it. Well, it's square. It just is. But it's interesting.

It's interesting because this is a game. The wise guys have sort of planted a flag in the same. stand on. And they've decided that Jordan Love since week nine is a top five quarterback. And there are a lot of stats, a lot of the advanced metrics you can look at EPA, things like that. They will tell you that Jordan Love has been incredibly good the past five weeks. And you can also look at what the chiefs have done and take last week against the Raiders with a grain of salt. They have been terrible in the second half. Second half unders with the chiefs this year, 11 and O. They are not a team scoring in the second half. So what the wise guys are banking on is an improving quarterback against a team that has not

been scoring in the second half and the opportunity to keep the game close when they are at home as a big underdog. And especially these primetime games, they have been trending towards the under. And so when you have a game that is going to be low scoring, the bigger underdog tends to cover. All right. We do something I want you to talk me into a game. Rams look really good, so they'll, I imagine, pull back against Cleveland. So the Browns plus four and a half. Now it's at three and a half. All odds provided by Draft Kings.

My guess is the Sharps like Cleveland. But now Joe Flacco is a viable starter. That is not good. Their offensive lines beat up. Miles Garrett will play. I imagine the Browns are the side. Tell me how the wise guys think. Because I got to tell you, the Rams have solved their O line issues.

They're healthy now. Cameron Williams, it's a real run game. I think Rahim Morris is one of the most underrated coordinators in the league. That defense is kids. They are playing really sound football. I could see the Rams winning again. Tell me why the wise guys probably like the points here. Well, they do like the points here, and they like Cleveland and the points.

And part of it is luck. The Rams offensive line and their running game will be good no matter who the quarterback is, and that is something that will always keep you in the game. And Miles Garrett, look, there was no structural damage. He came out right away and said he's going to be playing. He'll take whatever pain killer he needs to take. I don't worry about Miles Garrett. Miles Garrett with one arm is still a tremendous playmaker. And don't forget, he's got help, right? Like, he's got help on the other side of the edge rushing line. He's got help in the defensive backfield. There's playmakers at every level for that team. And you know, Jim Schwartz is just going.

to call these insane aggressive schemes against Matthew Stafford. And you say the offensive line is improving. I say the offensive line is still struggling. And that is a real detriment for the Rams. This is not the Cardinals. The Cardinals are one of the worst defenses in the league. They can't stop the run. It made everything so much easier for Matthew Stafford and the Rams. And Kyron Williams coming back had the exact game that he expected, that everything. everyone expected him to have. It's why the wise guys were a little chalky last week, and they liked the Rams. They kept betting the Rams up. So that's why, also why the wise guys are on Cleveland this week. Give me a couple of games I missed you like. Try to talk me into something. Let's talk about the New York Jets plus two and a half against the Atlanta. I just mentioned this off the air to J-Mack yesterday. I thought it's interesting. Atlanta, you know, people want to have every coach fired. But when I watch Atlanta, I don't look at a poorly coached.

team. When I look at the Saints or the Chargers, I look at a poorly coached team. I think Arthur Smith is fine. He just doesn't have a quarterback. So tell me the side. Well, it's the Jets. And there's a couple different factors here. Number one, you're talking about a team. Let's talk, let's talk from a trend perspective, right? Teams that have been blown out the previous week against teams that haven't been blown out the previous week, say 20 points or more in the blowout, they covered a 60% clip the past five years. So who are we talking about this week? We're talking about Cleveland.

We're talking about Washington. We're talking about the New York Jets. Right? So that's number one. Number two, let's look on the field. This Jets defense, the past few weeks, who have they played? They've gone up against Tua. They've gone up against Justin Herbert.

They've played really good quarterbacks. That is hard to do every single week. they find relief this week against Desmond Ritter. He is not an NFL quarterback. As soon as this season is over, you are not going to hear from Desmond Ritter anymore. And I agree with you, Arthur Smith. I think he's a great coach.

I love watching his offense. I think from a running scheme, it's as interesting and sophisticated as it gets in the NFL. But they don't really have the weapons that Desmond Ritter can't get the ball to his weapons. And so you've got an incredible defense. at every level going against a really bad quarterback outside on the road in what could be the last chance for the Jets to prove defensively how much pride they have. And who knows? Maybe they got a little bit of a kick from Aaron Rogers coming back to practice this week. But emotionally,

this is the spot where you want to take the Jets. Give me one more. Washington. Well, Washington's an interesting one, right? I'm looking at my notes here. Washington is the other one. Like we hit Arizona, we hit the Niners, we hit Green Bay, we just hit the Jets. There are two other games. Tennessee plus one, just because I like Vrable as an underdog. And I also think that Tennessee can run the ball against a Colts defense that Grover Stewart, who was in the first six weeks and has been out for the past month with his suspension, when he was in, that was a very good rush defense.

When he is out, that rush defense is near the bottom of the league. And so I think there is an opportunity for Vrable to keep the ball out of Will Levis's hands. So I like Vrabel as a dog at home, almost automatically anyways. What are you going to do with Washington, right? Sam Howell is having a brilliant year. And this Miami Dolphins team has struggled to cover big numbers on the road. They are great at home, but they struggle to cover big numbers on the road. So you're going to be on the road.

It's not supposed to be great weather. Could be windy, could be rainy. I think Eric Bien of me has been having an incredible season as an offensive coordinator. I think he's probably the leading candidate to be that. team's head coach next year when Ron Rivera is gone. And so you're going to have a chance to cover a big number because Washington's never going to be out of it. The challenge is their defense is terrible, right? And so you know that every time you get the ball, you're going to have to score a touchdown if you want to be in this game. The good news is you're down by 16 points late

in the game. It's over, but there's two minutes left. You got the ball on your 25-yard line after the Dolphins have just scored. Sam Howell goes down the field. You're coming through the back door. You lose by nine. You cover the number. Chad Millman. CCO Action Network all launch provided by Draft Kings.

Good to see you, buddy. Good to see you, too, man. The volume. Another podcast from some SNL late-night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smigel 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 headwriters, reader 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 I-Heart 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. Hey, what's good, y'all? You're listening to Learn the Hardweight with your favorite therapist and host Kear Games. This space is about black men's experiences, having honest conversations that it's really not safe to have anywhere, but you're having them with a licensed professional.

who knows what he's doing. How many men carry a suit or armor. It signals to the world that you not to be played with. And just because you have the capability that does not mean that you need to, listen and learn the hard way on the IHard radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. This is an IHart podcast.

Guaranteed human.