The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Colin Cowherd’s Instant Reaction - Divisional Round: Cowboys/Niners, Bengals/Bills, Giants/Eagles

Episode Date: January 23, 2023

Colin gives his instant reaction to the weekend’s Divisional Round games, starting with the Brock Purdy outplaying Dak Prescott in the Niners win over the Cowboys, if the Bills need to move on from Sean McDermott after another disappointing home playoff loss, why it’s clear Joe Burrow has separated from Josh Allen, how the Eagles blowout of the Giants exposed Daniel Jones’ limitations, and how Philly matches up against the Niners in the NFC Championship. Follow Colin and The Volume on Twitter for the test content and updates, and check out FanDuel for the best wagering and daily fantasy action! #Herd #VolumeSee 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. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care which 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 Clifers Show.

This is a place for raw, unfilled conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but the show. celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok's podcast network on TikTok. The volume. It's the Colin Coward podcast presented by Fandul. It's NFL playoff time. No better place to get in on the action than Fandul. FanDul app is safe. You get paid fast. A lot of ways to play. The spread, the money line,

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Time for an instant reaction on a Sunday night. Let's start with Dallas and San Francisco. Could I make the argument? I think I can that the four best quarterbacks all won their playoff games this weekend. Mahomes over Trevor Lawrence, although Trevor's really talented. Jalen Hertz over the completely limited Daniel Jones. Joe Burrow has elevated above Josh Allen. We talked about that on Fox last couple months.

and Brock Purdy absolutely outplayed Dak Prescott. People just kind of freak out because he's a rookie and because he got drafted as the last player in the seventh round. But this league has got a lot of really great players, Hall of Famers who are undrafted. I thought Brock Purdy, I think he's twitchier. I think he's quicker. I think he's got as good in arm, great self-awareness.

You know, Dak Prescott almost through a pick six late in the game after two earlier picks. You know, I've said this for years about Dak Prescott. He is Kirk Cousins with a better brand. He needs everything to be in place. He needs the brakes to go his way. He can't miss a Tony Pollard due to an injury and beat this team on the road. He can't have his field goal kicker in his head. I thought Mike McCarthy late in the game deciding to pop up.

hunt on a fourth and ten. You know, that's the coaching staff. That's very Kirk Cousins. That's the coaching staff telling you they have real doubts about Dax's ability to pick up first downs in key spots. So, you know, for years and years, I was a doubter early. I do think he has intangibles. But the pushback on Dack Prescott at this point, folks, he's now gone from a player who

didn't have a ton of turnovers early in his career behind a great O line, but they didn't ask him to do much. Well, now the Cowboys O lines been in a little bit of a rebuild, so doesn't quite have the time to throw. Now they ask him to throw more often in games in which they don't have a great consistent run game, and this is what you get. Kind of a B, B minus quarterback. That's what that is. Which is why when he signed that contract and everybody screamed, he deserved it, I said, you start paying people based on deserve instead of earn, you're going to be in trouble. So, listen, I felt San Francisco would win. The game looked mostly like I thought. I thought there was two excellent defenses. I don't always love. I think Mike McCarthy has

real reservations about completely turning Dak Prescott loose. It's why they don't go for it as much as I like. But the game kind of looked like, I think, what most people thought it would look like, which is San Francisco's the better team. Once Tony Pollard was out at halftime, you know, you're taking another weapon away from Dak Prescott against the best defense in the NFL. That's an uphill battle. Going forward, San Francisco at Philadelphia,

it's going to look a lot like what we just watched. I think it's going to be lower scoring, very competitive, keep our eye on Jalen Hertz's health. But Philadelphia is well-armed. That's going to be the two most. talented rosters in the NFC going toe to toe. You know, what do we say about Dallas going forward? Mike McCarthy's one back-to-back 12 win seasons.

They've got a lot of talented players, but no great units. The Niners have great units, a really great defensive line, excellent linebacker core. I think their secondaries underrated, a tremendous run game, excellent wide receiver and tight-in group. You know, the Niners have great units. The Cowboys just have some great individual players. So they have to hit it with another draft.

They have to find another elite corner. They're kind of a football team with one corner. I think they have to go to the offensive line again. I'd go draft another running back to go alongside Tony Pollard. At some point, Zique isn't worth the money. They have to get another wide receiver. And I do think you get to a point now where Dallas with those third, fourth, fifth round picks, you may want draft quarterback.

I mean, Tom Brady every other year, Belichick drafted a quarterback. If I was Minnesota, Kirk Cousins, if I was Dallas with Dak, you get to about the third, fourth round, I'd roll the dice on quarterbacks. If for no other reason, you'd have a young, cheap, very capable backup.

But I think Dallas is eventually what we thought they are. They're a good football team, not good enough to go on the road and beat Brock Purdy who just doesn't make mistakes. And I just almost did. Came close to doing it. But he made a half a dozen big time throws. One to George Kittle. One to Brandon Ayyuk.

One to Christian McCaffrey. I think one to Debo Samuel. Over the middle. Pass rush in his face. Fourth quarter, teeth of that defense. Brooks Pretty is pretty good. It's not great. It's not Borough.

Not Mahalms. Nobody says that. He's not going to have the career, I imagine, of Trevor Lawrence. But when you watch him on the field with Dak Prescott, did you feel there was a big gap in talent? I didn't. I didn't. Maybe there is. Maybe over the course of time, you'd see it.

But he moves well. He's accurate. He put velocity on the ball. His decision-making, his cognitive discipline was excellent. His self-awareness is strong. for a rookie. Now, Dak was very good

as a rookie, 13 and 3. And I said this about, I think Dak at the time, this was years and years ago, that you got to

look at his ceiling like Mac Jones very quickly. Because of the maturity of a Mac Jones or a Dak Prescott, you get to his

ceiling very quickly. That could be the case with Brock Purdy. What you're seeing is what you're going to get. This is it. But this is it, it's pretty good,

especially with this roster and this head coach. Let's talk Bingles Bills. That was an embarrassing performance by Buffalo. So I've been on this now for two years, and I know ad nauseum,

it's getting tedious to some of you who watch me. I think you have to hire offensive coaches. I mean, Tom Brady, you know, makes jokes about Belichick, the best football coach in the history of the game, about his lack of offensive understanding. Multiple stories about that. But the fact that Cincinnati came in

with an absolute identity and a game plan with three backup offensive linemen, short, crisp, passing game, pick up first downs, protect a banged up offensive line, eat the clock, get rid of the ball quickly. Of course, that's Burroughs specialty. Three, four steps. Bang, bang, accurate deliverer distributor of the football. But there was a real identity. The counter punch was the run game often going outside. you could sense it from the first series on. They weren't just calling plays. Zach Taylor crafted a game plan knowing with backup offensive linemen he leaned into Burroughs precision and accuracy and they did it for three and a half hours. The Buffalo Bills called plays for three and a half hours. Their first drive, three and out. All week, three and out.

I don't know what's going on with Stefan Diggs. and Josh Allen, but he was throwing too often to Gabriel Davis, who's not close to the same level of player. By the way, they ate the Buffalo defense alive. I did not see any adjustments in pressure. I didn't see any adjustments offensively. Sean McDermott of the last eight coaches, one was a defensive coach. That performance was completely embarrassing. They didn't make adjustments. They didn't really have a game plan. They just called plays. I've said this multiple times.

They're the Chargers also have a defensive coach. They're just calling plays. What are they? And like the Chargers, Justin Herbert regressed a little this year. Josh Allen regressed a little this year, especially post- Thanksgiving. The further away, the longer he was away from Brian Daibald, more interceptions, a little less accurate. Here's an example. You could say, well, Colin, what do you mean

that didn't have an identity? So Greg Kosell talks about this all the time, how the Niners offense meshes. Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Kansas City, their offense with an offensive coach, meshes with their run game, pass game. So in the first half, Buffalo didn't run Josh Allen.

When you take Josh Allen's rush yards out of Buffalo's attack, they're 30th in the league in rushing. I didn't use them in all in the first half. I mean, you start falling behind 14-0. It's one of the most lethal weapons Buffalo has offensively. Go to it. Now, they went to it in the first offensive series of the second half and used it effectively.

But it took so long for Buffalo to kind of come to terms with, wow, we need to make a big in-game adjustment from our game plan. defensive coaches are always slow to do this for the record. Love Mike Tomlin. Can't get his offensive line right in five years. Sean McDermott can't get his offensive line right in five years. Andy Reid did it in an off season. So, you know, I know everybody loves Sean McDermott. But that was such an absolute coaching mismatch for almost four hours.

the game plan, the adjustments by Cincinnati, it was jaw-dropping to me. And I can like a guy, I can like a coach. But every year, due to safety concerns, the league continues to push for more safety measures, less extreme hitting, more things to give the quarterback the O-line advantages. It feels like the gaps getting bigger every year between offensive coaches and defensive coaches. Sean McDermott, that was a complete swing and a miss. For the record, they haven't developed a dependable run game in five years. The weakest unit on the field is their offensive line.

They haven't developed a consistent number two receiver. Josh Allen is regressing. They don't really have an identity. They just sort of call plays. Those all fall on the head coach. Those all fall on the head coach. Even if you're a defensive coach, you've got to hire the right people. Belichick for years, Josh McDaniels, Dante Scarnacia.

He knew what he didn't know. So there's some soul searching going on. I'll say this about Joe Burrow. The perfect comp is Brady. We never thought Brady in his entire career. He wasn't the biggest. He wasn't the most mobile. He wasn't the strongest.

He didn't have the best arm. but he made it look so easy, accuracy, late in games, late in downs, late in a series, right before half. Just this effortless accuracy in crucial situations. Burroughs the comp. He's got Tony Romo's athletic ability, Tom Brady's self-awareness and precision,

little Joe Montana precision as well. But Kansas City's going to have their hands full. I've been saying this all year. The Bengals are the one team that match up really well with Kansas City. My gut feeling without researching either, I'd probably take Philadelphia at home close. I don't know. I think I'd probably take Cincinnati close. But those are tough.

I don't want to take up too much time. Eagles Giants was a shocking mismatch. I felt like the giant players almost. quit defensively, but there's real limitations here. We've just got to be honest about Daniel Jones. There's just not much there. Jason McIntyre and I on like Friday, I think we listed Thursday or Friday, we listed one to eight the quarterback rankings. And I think we had Daniel Jones eighth. I think Brock Purdy is more accurate. I think he's twitchier. I think Daniel's bigger and probably straight line faster. But I just, I don't.

see a lot with Daniel Jones. He wasn't that accurate in college. Duke, he's gotten better, but I don't trust them in big spots to be accurate delivering the football. He's not twitchy. And I think Philadelphia played him like they didn't respect him and forced him to make big, tough throws. Yes, he could use another tight end. Yes, the O line for the Giants isn't great outside of left tackle. But remember, Justin Herbert walked into this league with a bad head coach and an atrocious offensive line and through 31 touchdowns and 10 picks as a rookie.

Burrow got to a Super Bowl with an atrocious offensive line. Josh Allen, 41 wins last three years. Bad offensive line. Daniel Jones is simply not productive enough. He's just not productive enough. You've got to be able to overcome stuff.

Go back to Herbert's rookie year, Burroughs' second year. Even Kyler Murray and his first couple years. They had a terrible old line in Arizona. You got to be able to overcome. Philadelphia really put the hammer on them. I didn't quite know what we'd get with Philadelphia. You know, last year, the two teams that got to buy both lost. Jalen Hertz was not 100%. Lane Johnson, actually, you saw him already in the game, kind of limping. He's not 100%. But I got to tell you something. Last 20 years, is there a coach that has been more?

shockingly effective than Nick Seriani. I mean, he didn't have that much responsibility with the Colts. Like, it was kind of a late hire. He had butchered the opening press conference. I mean, I remember reading four or five different articles in Philadelphia, in Indianapolis. Big concerns if he was ready. I tell you, he coaches with confidence.

That was amiss by me. His first press conference was as bad as anything I've ever seen. He just stammered. Apparently, he jokes about it. but that team he's got kind of a physical presence kind of a bigger guy that team plays hard they play downhill and what he's done with jalen hurts is nothing shy of remarkable Philadelphia is San Francisco is going to have their hands full because that's the only team in the NFC to me that lines up body for body up front that's it Eagles Niners is exactly what we all deserve in the

NFC and Bengals Chiefs. Likewise, two best teams, two best quarterbacks on the face of the planet today. Instant reaction, fun weekend. See you tomorrow on FS1. Iheart Radio. The volume. 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, Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this plastic.

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.

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1877 H-E-N-Y, or text H-O-P-E-NY 467-3369 in New York, Tennessee. Redline, 1-800-8-9-9-Tennessee. Visit 1-800 gambler.net in West Virginia. Another podcast from some SNL late-night comedy guy, not quite, unhumor me with Robert Smyl 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 headwriter, 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 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 Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I 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, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfills of conversations with athletes,

creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to The Clifford show on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok podcast network on TikTok. This is an IHeart podcast.

Guaranteed human.