The Herd with Colin Cowherd - HOUR 1 - Bills, Packers, Niners

Episode Date: October 31, 2022

Colin looks at the Bills win over the Packers and explains why he's worried about Buffalo's ability to win big this season The 49ers have a chance to dominate the NFC The Seahawks have surprised all of us When you leave a good culture for a bad one   Guest: Joe ThomasSee 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 IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

On the Look Back at it podcast. For 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84 was big to me. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a year, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. With our friends, fellow comedians, and favorite authors. Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s.

84 was a wild year. It was a wild year. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 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 Clifford 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 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 podcast network on TikTok. Thanks for listening to The Heard podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday from 12 to 3 Eastern, 9 to noon Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and FS1. Find your local station for the herd at Fox Sports Radio.com or stream us live every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching Hurd. You're listening to Fox SportsRod. Sports Radio.

Here we go on a Monday. Happy Halloween, everybody, live in Los Angeles. It's the herd wherever you may be and however you may be listening. IHeart Radio, Fox Sports Radio, and FS1. One hour from now, plenty of both, where Colin was right, where Colin was wrong, the Halloween festivities began this morning when I walked into the studio, J-Mack joining me.

we go all in on Halloween at FS1. You'd love to see it, Colin. Halloween ain't great. It should be a national holiday, right? We should have no school tomorrow for the kids. It's going to be a late night of trick-or-treating for you, right? You know, when you were a kid, if you got seven or eight candy bars, that felt like a great. It felt like a great night.

Come on. Kids come back with bags of candy. Yes. You have to pull it off them, say no, put that in the freezer. You get one piece tonight. Oh, geez. Give me a break. Well, so Buffalo, let's start with Buffalo and Green Bay.

So Buffalo won the game. Buffalo's really talented and deep, and everybody's really excited about where Buffalo is. But, you know, I'm watching Buffalo last night in the second half. And for years, I called it low sports self-esteem. When you never have a ring, you never want anything really. And then you get good, maybe even really good like Buffalo. And you're already getting Super Bowl tattoos. and you've got nothing to show for it.

You're already building Super Bowl shelves for the trophies. The players are in Buffalo. You got nothing to show for it. What have you won? See the trash talk last night for Buffalo? Green Bay is rebuilding. It's a makeshift offensive line. They came into the game without their top receiver.

They lost three starters during the game. And yet when you look at the box score this morning, Green Bay had more first downs, was better on third down, had the longer time of possession, had fewer turnovers, more yards of rush, more total yards. Buffalo was rested. Buffalo was at home. Buffalo sat there and prepped for Green Bay. Green Bay is falling apart physically, barely has a functional passing game, and they outscored Buffalo the last two and a half quarters.

Yeah, Buffalo is better. They had a 24-7 lead. But what worries you about Buffalo is they, let you back in. Remember? You thought you had Kansas City dead to rights. Right, right? Buffalo last year beat Kansas City, feeling themselves lost the next week. Buffalo last game beat Kansas City last night, second half trash talking feeling themselves. Led 24-7. And then we're outscored by a franchise in Green Bay missing multiple starters. I've never seen their offensive line this bad, yet it pushed Buffalo all over the field for the last two hours.

The Buffalo Bills, with all that talent, scored three points at home in the second half against the Green Bay defense that was not only depleted, but that has really underachieved all year. If I'm Green Bay, I come out of that game with a little bit of an identity. We need to run the ball more. That Green Bay team is interesting, and it's not too late. But this Buffalo team, it's the old low,

sports self-esteem. Cleveland had it a few years ago. Now, this team's way better than Cleveland. The superstar at quarterback. Cleveland got really cocky because they made the playoffs. What are they now? A mess. And Buffalo last night wasted so many opportunities in the second half.

Just came out of Kansas City when fans are all jumping on tables and getting those bills winning the Super Bowl tattoos. This team is sloppy. And unlike Philadelphia, in the NFC, Philadelphia will take a lead on you, and then the Eagles will run it down your throat, push you around, eat the clock, and you wake up and you lost by three touchdowns.

Buffalo's different. Buffalo gets a lead and they bail on their run game. Is there any team in the league that's good and bails on a competent run game? Singletary having a good night, they bail on it. Suddenly Josh Allen's the run game. Josh Allen is an amazing talent, but they are so Josh Allen reliant. They are so seduced by his talent.

Instead of just running that thing for two hours, ending it and getting out of town with a 24-7 lead. They let Green Bay back into this thing. None of us thought Green Bay was going to win it. This thing shouldn't have been close. But when you don't run the ball in the second half and you got Josh Allen around the goal line throwing passes and it gets intercepted, that's letting people off the hook. Buffalo, your standard now is different. winning games over a depleted Green Bay team with extra rest when they're falling apart is not impressive.

Sorry, that's the downside of success, which you've had very little of. But once you're really good, we tax the rich guy more, we judge the rich guy differently, right? We do the same with sports teams. Buffalo, you haven't won anything yet. And the standards and the stakes are now high. Josh Allen, to his credit, owns it. Green Bay Out played Buffalo for two and a half quarter. quarters, had no business when that game started in the first quarter.

Didn't it look like a 41-13 game? It should have been. And instead, 27-17, Buffalo, tons of mistakes, didn't put the foot down. Just like Kansas City last year, thought they had it. Here's Josh Allen after. They all count the same. Obviously, that second half, which we had a few things back. Got a little out of groove and just did some uncharacteristic things.

You know, I can't make those decisions. can't put our team in a situation where, you know, the only way that team gets back in it is by turning the ball over. And two stupid ones that really had no business to throw in. Second one was just really trying to dirt it and just didn't dirt it. It's not just about winning for Buffalo anymore. That's not it. It's winning close. Details matter.

It's beating teams soundly when they're down. The fact that Green Bay, with a refigured makeshift O line, no Alan Lazzol, hard, depending on rookie receivers that Aaron doesn't really truly want to throw to, and they made it competitive. I'm Green Bay. I'm like, I think I found an identity. And if I'm Buffalo, I think I do have an identity. I should have more hardware for all this talent.

We'll wait and see. Speaking of talent, San Francisco, you know, therapists will tell you, it's a happier life if you live in the moment. If you live in the moment forward and you don't get paralyzed by the past, you'll be happier. Live in the moment. There is no team in the NFL that may have issues down the line that are big, lack of first round draft picks, don't know who their quarterback is, but San Francisco is happy now.

They are living in the moment. And the moment is Christian McCaffrey. Last year, they really found themselves when they said, we're going all in on Debo. Now, Debo wasn't there yesterday. They have decided now we're going all in on Christian McCaffrey. We're not going to worry about draft picks. Christian McCaffrey is the right piece at the right time for the right roster right now.

It is a big swing. A lot of draft picks will be realized by Carolina and I don't think they care. Because deep down, when I watch San Francisco play, I mean, the Rams won the Super Bowl and they've got talent. they were completely physically outclassed by San Francisco. The Rams have some star players. The Niners have a star in every unit. Secondary, linebacker, defensive line, offensive line, tight end, wide receivers, running back.

And yet, Jimmy Garapolo. He's won 72% of his game and he owns, he owns the Super Bowl champion L.A. Rams. Yesterday, he was virtually flawless. He's not mull. Holmes. He's not Josh Allen. But I'll say this. If you look at the numbers, when Jimmy Garapolo plays clean and yesterday he was nearly perfect, I don't think anybody in the league can beat this team, including Buffalo. I think the roster is just adding pieces. People are getting healthier.

They've got stars in every unit. And unlike the bills, they've been in a Super Bowl. Kansas City is the only team I'd worry about. Philadelphia, Dallas. Really? Kyle Shanahan, Mike McCarthy, home field to San Francisco potentially? I'm not taking Dallas. Philadelphia is good, really good. Adding Robert Quinn helps a pass rush to get Jimmy G. But Nick Sariani and Jalen Hertz, what have they done in the playoffs? I thought yesterday you got to look at the happiest way to live in the NFL.

Live in the moment. Christian McCaffrey caught a touchdown, ran for a touchdown, pass for a touchdown. They're not worried about draft picks. They're not worried about Trey Lance. They're not worried about tomorrow. Right now, right piece, Kyle Shanahan after. I remember Thursday night when we were doing the Red Zone,

me yelling down the office, the room, just anyone will answer. Does anyone know if Christian can throw? And then Brian Flurry emailed or sent through text. A video of him throwing like a 53. yard or a few years ago. So when I saw that, I felt he could throw, and we were up to in practice the next day, and he did throw good then and threw a great today. That is a really, really good football team.

It's interesting. Buffalo's really good, but they let you back into the game. Kansas City's really good. No, they're just really good. And San Francisco's really good, but can Jimmy play clean and can they be healthy? and Philadelphia is really good but untested. Only thing I would worry about if I was San Francisco that I look at and I think, I don't know if we can match them is Kansas City.

Everything else, I take the Niners. And by the way, if you were at SoFi Stadium yesterday, it appeared to be a home Niners game. The San Francisco 49ers, they've been great since John Brody. So they have a massive fan base. They won with Brody and they won with Steve Young and they won with Joe Montana. They won a lot of games. with Kaepernick. They're winning a lot of games now

with Jimmy Garapolo. The fan base out west for the San Francisco 49ers, if you didn't know how substantial it was, you should have been at SoFi yesterday. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the IHeard Radio app.

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

of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast. It's a space. For honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me, or you're just chasing down a dream,

this is right where you need to be. Listen to The Clifford Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-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 a little kill? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick 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 on day, but just so y'all know.

I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack. So I'm starting to see that there's a through. line. We also have AIDS on the table right now. Thank you for finishing that sentence. 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.

Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hardway with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Kear Games. And in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking. Trip Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing. And we're still chasing it. And we don't know when we've done enough. Because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross, because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth. Are you a good person because you're afraid?

Because that's two different intentions, bro. Absolutely. And that's two different levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Kear Gaines, is we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, learn the hard way. Open your free, our heart radio app. Search, learn the hard way, and listen now. So there are stories that we can all predict.

Green Bay wasn't going to be as good without Devante. You could predict that. There are stories. Kansas City is really good again. You could predict that. Then there's the Seahawks. Pete Carroll, the GM, John Snyder, the Seahawk receivers, their fans.

They are feeling it today. Pete Carroll's always had a reputation. College and pro, but mostly pro. He's great with young players. Young players are less cynical. They don't have as much money. and they buy into Pete's relentless energy. And Pete's also great with young players and when he's the star.

We don't look at Pete like Andy Reid, this offensive spengali. Even defensively is the schematic genius of Bill Belichick probably not. But he teaches, he motivates, he builds cultures, and he brings this incredible energy and the young players in the NFL feed off it. And Russell Wilson, he wanted to cook, he wanted to star, he wanted to lead. and I thought Pete Carroll was nuts to have a backup planet quarterback called Gino Smith and Drew Locke.

Well, I got the Drewlock part right. Gino Smith looks great. Big, strong kid. Now, New York, they're not good enough to overcome special team blunders. So the Giants to the Seahawks, some real favors in this game. But needless to say,

what Seattle and Pete Carroll, what he is creating is what, it's a formula. It's what he does. Go back to the first version of this. They found a star running back. Marshawn Lynch, now it's Kenneth Walker. You know, they had these young, active linebackers in corners you'd never heard of. Richard Sherman later rounds. Now they've got a guy from University of Texas, San Antonio, fifth round.

He's a star. It was a defense that was long and fast and athletic and they're running around and Pete's got the energy and the guys are buying into it. And it kind of looks like and feels like and sounds like they had a quarterback with a chip on his shoulder in the third round Russell Wilson. This team has a quarterback with his chip on his shoulder. Gino Smith, we all buried him, myself included. But Pete creates this self-belief and this swagger and this attitude. It's what he did the first time.

It's what he did now. How long can it go? What's the ceiling? I don't have any idea. But I'll give Pete credit. He took a swing. He didn't care what anybody said. he's been saying this team's better than people think we are not tanking we can win games we can win

a division i didn't buy it but it's a formula a lot of the pieces of the previous formula you can see him now working and while it's working and russ isn't necessarily cooking tyler locket in the entire organization wants you to know why it's working it's amazing what we can accomplish when nobody cares who gets the credit you know my high who coach used to always talk about that basketball coach. And when you look at this team that we have, I mean, we have a bunch of guys that are willing to buy in. We always talk about building a foundation

and just being able to lay different bricks, like, you know, brick by brick. It might not always be the best outcome, but sometimes you can learn from the bad things as well. And so I think we're doing a great job, man, just trying to take one week at a time, getting better, not getting comfortable, and it's starting to show. Yeah, that was a message to somebody.

Russell Wilson, who did win in London. Most people didn't see it, but Russ did cook a little. Okay, it was late. Fourth quarter, couple drives. J-MAC with the news. No, no, no, no. Turn on the news. This is the herd line news.

I think I finally learned my lesson betting against the Seahawks. That's the third time this season they got me. I was against them this weekend. Well, this is the craziest story in the NFL for sure, right? Yeah, it's not only the Seahawks, which Pete said, were better than you think, but there is no precedent for Gino Smith, a bust, a backup. He's always been big and tall, but, you know, some young people learn at different intervals in different times, and he's way more mature. People had questions about his work ethic, his maturity.

Remember he got into a fight? He got punched by a teammate. And like now, he just, he's embracing who he is. And don't forget, Seattle has two first, two seconds, two fourth. They, it looks like Jason, they hit, hit on five draft picks. Like stars, five stars in the draft. They win passing. They win with Kenneth Walker on the ground. Now they're winning with defense. They got a little lucky that the Giants guy dropped two punts.

Yes. Thank you for that, Richie James. All right, let's get to the first story. Philadelphia Eagles kept the undefeated season alive with the route of the Steelers, 3513. Wide receiver, A.J. Brown, unbelievable game, six receptions, 156 yards, three touchdowns. Also, he's on my fantasy.

team. And I don't know if you saw this. He said this morning that he was drug tested this morning by the league after that phenomenal performance. Eagles now 7 and 0. It's a little early to start talking about can they go undefeated. But Colin, as we talked about last week. You talked about this a month ago. Well, we were on this in August. The next three quarterbacks they face. Davis Mills this week, Taylor Heineckee, Sam Ellinger. So should we pencil in 10 and O for the Eagles? Well, the other thing they do that Buffalo doesn't do as well is when they have these opportunities to close you out and again I think Buffalo's got a superstar quarterback I think the Eagles have a quarterback that's emerging and ascending but the way they beat you where they just start running it and eating clock they get a lead

and they kind of like let's we got a lead let's get out of town or let's get to the locker room and it's smart football get the lead Jalen hurts and then eat clock get out of here you want these games, by the way, like Buffalo 24-7. What you want to do is run it, eat it, get in, uninjured go. You saw many Green Bay Packer players last night got hurt. Three starters are out. Yeah. So Philadelphia is really important. We thought they'd be good. I don't think we thought this. I feel like I can say with some confidence, the NFC title game will be in Philadelphia, right? They're going to have home Philadelphia. That's fair. And they will face the San Francisco 49ers. That is going to be a tremendous game. That's what it feels like to me.

Vikings are good, but I think they're a little Fugazi, right? They're a little luck involved. They win all these one-score games, Colin. Come on. And then who's the other team? The Dallas Cowboys, I mean, seven touchdowns yesterday? They look pretty darn good. Well, they did yesterday, yes. But I think Eagles Niners lock it up NFC title game.

Next up, the New York Jets, Colin. Listen, I'll let you tee off here, but... I called you yesterday. I asked you one question. Can Zach Wilson really play? I don't want to reveal my answer on the show just yet, but they were four-and-o with Zach Wilson. until he was putrid in the second half, an abomination.

Two interceptions in the second half, three for the game. He's not very disciplined, which was the knock on him out of college. Listen, at least he owned it afterwards. Here's what he said about his many mistakes. Yeah, regardless of what it looks like, I feel like each game I'm learning, getting better. There's always plays I'm going to want back. You know, there's always things that, you know, happen. And sometimes you sit there and you wonder, why did I just do that kind of thing, you know?

But it's a part of football. You've got to move on. learn. I'm not going to say, hey, he was down with like his backup defensive line running for his life a lot. But the decisions were just bad. Colin, on my podcast today, I looked into the best quarterbacks from the 2021 class last year. Okay. So he's probably four or Trey Lance is five, because Trey Lance has played yet, yeah. Justin Fields, Trevor Lawrence, are miles ahead of Zach Wilson at this point, right? Well, they're also, they played in better conferences, surrounded by NFL guys, they're bigger, stronger players. I mean, my knock on Zach was always, he is small.

He's got some Johnny Mansell where he's going to run himself into bad decisions. He's a little undisciplined. And when he did play good college opposition, he was undressed a little. I'm not saying he's not talented. This league is so beyond who's talented. There's 30% of first-round picks are kind of whiffs. I just, I don't see it. I see the talent. The thing that surprises me is how many people fell in love and were seduced with the arm. Wow. He's a small athlete. That's what we do with the draft.

Who's got the cannon arm? Who can throw it 60 yards? But the reality is he can game manage you if it's 10-3. And listen, the Jets did lead 10 to 3. And they had a pick 6. Briefly. They had a pick 6 that was called back due to a roughing the passer. If they're up 17-3 against the Patriots, they win that game.

Because Mack Jones, by the way, and I know you're with me on this, he's average at best in the league. He was very bad yesterday. Yeah, he did. They won in spite of him. They kept, Zach Wilson kept throwing interceptions and the Patriots could settle for field goals. It is amazing to watch New England.

When you watch them, if you just inserted a great quarterback into what they do, because they, you know, it's classic Belichick. Yeah. They eat young quarterbacks alive, good special teams, tackling solid, run the ball, a lot of efficiency. But you take out, in this league, you take out the quarterback with the next level, and you're just, that's how New York has, that's how New York has, That's how New England has to win.

That's the only way they can win games. 100% of it. And listen, that's the only way that Jets can win. Defense special teams, which was awful yesterday. But Colin, this is what makes me so depressed about this Jets lost. Next up, Buffalo Bills. There are 13.1 underdogs. Then the by week and then more Belichick.

All right. So probably season over for the Jets. And finally, the L.A. Lakers got their first one of the season last then. I don't know how much did you watch. You watched it? West. I didn't watch it. but I virally kind of read about it.

Russell Westwood was doing a lot of trash talking out there because he came off the bench and played well. A little bit much, Russ. It's one win. Let's settle down. Lakers afterward doused their coach in the locker room like they won game seven. LeBron had 26. Anthony Davis, really this back thing looks like it's about to flare up. He could not stand for the post-game interview.

He had to sit down and do it. Colin, this is not great. The bottom line is they made three-pointers. They made 13-3s. That ain't going to happen every night. I'll give Anthony Davis credit. He did not shoot any threes. He was only in the paint, but that bears watching.

And Miles Davis is, Miles Turner of the Pacers is out there today on a podcast talking about why the Lakers should trade for him. That's a real thing, Colin. I'm not even kidding. But congrats to the Lakers' last team in the NBA to get a win. Are they really? Yeah. Orlando has a win. Sacramento Kings, my Kings.

Orlando's got a couple of good young players. Boncaro, Jalen. Sugs. I got a 14-win team, Colin. Okay, all right. Amak with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by.

The herd line news. Now, I always think, you know, you don't want to, for organizations like the Miami Dolphins that have not won a lot. All right? They get very defensive. If they win, they want you to just shower them with praise. But before the season, I said, here's what's going to happen. By getting Jalen Waddle and Tyreek Hill together, these are the, this is the fastest receiving

combo of all time. They're going to have a lot of yards, and a dilemma is going to be created, is that Miami's going to win games and get into the playoffs. I predicted this. And everybody's going to be like, we got our franchise quarterback. And Tua is small with an average arm. And what's going to happen right now? Miami, this Miami team is built to win in September and October.

They're built to win in a dome. They're built to win in warm weather. But the AFC, they're going to have to go on the road in the playoffs to Buffalo, Kansas City, Cincinnati, and Baltimore, and it's cold and it's windy in January. And you know how it's going to end. Miami yesterday, once again in a dome. Two has got weapons as really smart head coach. You bring that surfboard, though, to the Rocky Mountains.

You'll see how limited you are. And I watch Miami and I'm like, I know how this is going to end. This is exactly what we predicted. Smart head coach, spent a lot of money on weapons. the fastest wide receiving combo I've ever seen in my like, and proof of concept with what I'm saying, is going to be December 18th, this team at Buffalo. It's going to be seven degrees in raining and windy sideways. January 1st, Miami at New England, is not all teams.

Years and years ago, there was a team the Phoenix Suns. They had Steve Nashy won the MVP. They were so built for the regular season. and then they would get into the postseason and they didn't have much interior defense. And, you know, they relied on a lot of fast break points where in the regular season, people don't get back. And in the end, that Phoenix team that was so much fun to watch, scoring 120 a game, they didn't do anything.

They'd go up against San Antonio and Tim Duncan. They wouldn't do anything. And when I watched Miami and they're all going to get defensive, we predicted this. They're built for domes. They're built for warm weather. but eventually in the AFC you're going to have to go to Cincinnati or to Baltimore or

to Kansas City and two Buffalo and it's going to be 30 mile an hour wins and this small quarterback with an average arm and all these fast weapons are going to be reduced to sitting on the sidelines and watching the big strong quarterbacks do their thing. It's not that it's not fun

but it is predictable and you've got to be careful about being seduced now because we said what's going to happen to is going to win a lot of games, going to get a lot of yards. And that's exactly what is happening. And I watched them yesterday, and Detroit's up and down the field on them. And then eventually Detroit's defense is awful, and Detroit's pretty bad.

And here comes Miami flying back 100 miles an hour. And I will say this, so much fun to watch. I mean, that team is just blazing. But that is a team. That's the Phoenix Suns. They are built for September, October, and early November football. It's going to be really interesting to watch how this puppy plays out. I want to see them in Buffalo.

I want to see them in New England. I want to see them if they go to the playout because they're not one in this division. So it's a wild card story. And this is a team. You know, some team, we've said this about Kyler Murray in Arizona. They're not built to go north. Right, right? And divisions matter.

For years and years, the reason the bears want to Jay Cutler, strong-arm cold weather, the reason Aaron Rogers or Joe Flacco or Big Ben are great in northern divisions. It's windy. It's cold. Kyler Murray's great in a dome. Kyler Murray is great down south. But if you put Kyler Murray in Baltimore, you put him in Chicago, maybe doesn't look the same or play the same.

So I'm not anti-Maiami, but I feel like watching this team, I can see how it's going to end. But congrats for the numbers, they're impressive. Brown's Bengals tonight, Cincinnati is rolling top of next hour, where Colin was right, where Colin was wrong. Again, that's top of hour number two on a Monday. Catch live editions of The HARD weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific. Hey, it's me, Rob Parker.

Check out my weekly MLB podcast Inside the Parker for 22 minutes of pipe and hot baseball talk, featuring the biggest names and newsmakers in the sport. Whether you believe in analytics or the I-Test, we've got all the bases covered. New episodes drop every Thursday, so do yourself a favor and listen to Inside the Parker with Rob Parker. on the IHard Radio app or wherever you get your podcast. Imagine an Olympics

where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes

for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the iHard Radio, app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win.

I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me, Clivert 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 Clivert Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you

get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok podcast network on TikTok. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-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 Jay. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick it here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with, Mark Lamont Hill waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 was 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 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. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hardway with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Keer Games. And in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking, Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we, are in possession of the thing,

and we're still chasing it, and we don't know when we've done enough. Because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross, because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth, or are you a good person because you're afraid?

Because that's two different intentions, bro. Absolutely. And that's two different levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Kear Gaines, as we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose. on my new podcast, Learn the Hardway.

Open your free iHeartRadio app, search Learn the Hardway, and listen now. You know, I saw an interesting stat yesterday that LeBron and the Lakers and Kevin Durant and the Brooklyn Netsra combined one for 10. And there are two of the top five players in the league. But if you look in the NBA and it's a really good thing for basketball, basketball, the industry of basketball is so seduced by talent. And even great talent needs to be part of. a collective. So the best moments in Kevin Durant's career in terms of winning, he joined a

great culture of the Warriors. LeBron, the most dominant he ever was when he joined a great culture. Pat Riley Spolstra de Wade in the Miami Heat. Both leave that. LeBron's now on a mess of a team going to Instagram to say he's unhappy and Kevin Durant once again is trying to put out another Kyrie Irving Fire is that basketball, it's all about the talent. It's all about the stars and the NBA. No, it's not. Boston's got a culture. Milwaukee's got a culture.

Golden State's got a culture. By the way, Phoenix had one, but there's little tears at the Phoenix culture, right? DeAndre Aiton, Monty Williams, little tears at the – it's not the same. And so I look at LeBron and Kevin Durant and combine one for 10 is, you know, they got rich, and they got famous and they got their deal and it's their team. How rewarding would it be to play for Brooklyn or the Lakers right now?

I'd take less money. I'd take fewer shots. It's a long NBA season. That is minimum like 42, 43 flights. You're sitting on flights, flying places after another loss. You can have all the money in the world, no matter how great you are. The reason Janus works, good coach, good GM,

good culture, they got him Joe Ingalls. you know, Chris Middleton's gotten better. They've added pieces. There's a lot of awful in the NBA right now. There's a lot of great players on some really bad, bad teams. Harry Irving, the Nets owner. You want to be in that locker room? What a mess.

Well, it's interesting now. So now we're entering, you know, you got week eight. Trading deadlines coming up. If the Cleveland Browns lose tonight, they got good players. should they start moving off players? Tonight they host Cincinnati. I think it's going to be a close game. Joe Thomas is the only offensive lineman ever.

Ten consecutive Pro Bowls. This feels like the season to me. They're two and five. It feels like the season. Now Cleveland has lined up very well with Cincinnati for whatever reasons in Burrow. Why have they had success against Burrow in the last four meetings? Well, it's been all about the turnovers, right? they were able to get interceptions, take interceptions back to the end zone on Joe Burrow.

And they were able to get pressure on Joe Burrough, specifically with Miles Garrett. Yeah. He does a great job of pushing the pocket. But then when he gets to Burrow, it's not just about the sack. A lot of times, it's the sack fumble. And those are the plays that change the dynamic of the game when you're able to get those turnovers, especially with Burrow. When he's got the football on his hand, he's so dangerous pushing it down the field.

But you can get it sideways and they just haven't had much of a running game, especially when they played against the Browns. Um, did you think they'd be here at two and five? Did you think this is what they would become? No, I think that most people that followed the Browns kind of expected they'd be about 500 until Deshawn Watson came back. And they've been close in every game except for the Patriots game. And really you could, you could do the fan thing and say, well, they should have won almost

every single one. They should be sitting here at first place in their division, but a lot of teams can play that game. However, they really had a lot of these games won. And they're only two, two games out of first place in that division. if they're able to win tonight. So this is a better team than their record shows. However, they've got to be able to do the little things

and pay attention to the details and have the focus in the fourth quarter that you need if you want to be a team that can make the playoffs year and year out with a young roster like the Browns have. Okay, Stefansky, listen, this is what happens. There's been chaos for years with this organization. And I'm on Twitter like everybody else on Sundays for about four or five hours, and boy, there's a lot of

Stefansky hate out there and he can't do this. And my takeaway is nobody, I mean, what Seattle's doing with Gino Smith is unprecedented. Jacoby Brissette is not a 70% winning quarterback. There's limitations. Is Stefansky still safe, well thought of,

highly regarded in Cleveland today? I think all of those things and the people that are running the organization, they remember that Jacoby Preset's their backup quarterback. And we realized that expectations have been sky high, especially going back a few years ago when Kevin Stavansky won coach in the year, and they put together this really good young roster with a

really good talented defense. And they've been underachieving this year. There's no doubt about it. But we've got to remember, they're playing with their backup quarterback. And think about the perspective that we would have about the Cleveland Browns right now. If Deshawn Watson was playing this entire season, certainly they would have won a couple more of those games. They'd still be probably sitting in first place in the AFC North right now, talking about the great job that Kevin Stafansky has done and how they still haven't been playing good football, but they're in first place and they're just set up for a perfect stretch run. So I think the people that are in charge that are going to be making the decisions on Kevin Stofansky,

they understand and they keep it in mind that, hey, this is Jacoby Brissette, and this is going to look a lot different when Deshaun Watson comes back. We kind of get a sense on who's really good, who's pretty good, and, you know, who's kind of a have-not. There are some surprises. Atlanta, Seattle, giants, no question, the Jets. So it's interesting. I was saying this with Miami. I can see how this is going to end. Two is going to have to be as a wildcard quarterback.

Go to Buffalo, Baltimore, Cincinnati. He's going to have to go as a small quarterback, windy, cold. I can just see it now. Marino through the years had a few struggles when he went up north. Do you get the sense sometimes that we're at that part of the season where some teams are built for September, October, and that it's a totally different brand of football going forward. Yeah, I really worry about Tua when the weather gets cold

because quarterbacks that don't have big arms that are not big guys that don't have big hands, a lot of times they struggle because it's just much more difficult to grip the football and it's much more difficult to spin the football. And really what Mike McDaniel has done to unlock this offense is giving them the deep threat, even though Tua can't push the ball down the field like a Patrick Mahomes, the way he's designed these plays for Tyreek and Waddle to back those safeties up to make a lot more open space in those intermediate throws, which Tua is so good at.

Now, if you're not able to push the ball down the field quite as effectively because it's windy, it's cold, you've got to go to Buffalo or you've got to go to Baltimore and it's nasty up there. Like, it's a different ball game when you don't have those safeties on their heels backing up because they're worried about that deep throw. And then all of a sudden, you're going to revert to seeing what we saw from Tua in the previous years where it was a lot of dink and dunk stuff. And they were getting off the field because they couldn't convert third down because they were always stuck in third and six or third and four plus.

And then the defense can just really close down on the line of scrimmage and take away a lot of those short throws and dare you to throw it deep. You know, it's interesting. I watched Green Bay. They have a makeshift offensive line, really a very, a completely limited passing game. And they go into Buffalo in the second half. and they run it right down Buffalo's throat. And I said to myself, Buffalo, I've always compared them to Mike Tyson, really good in the early rounds.

You force them to the later rounds, the details, they don't have much of a jab. There's not a lot of nuance. Now, Buffalo this year has gotten better at close games. But I watched that game last night, and my takeaway is they're up 24-7. It's not competitive. And they let Green Bay hang around for two and a half hours. Green Bay outplayed them for the last half of the game. And that's missing three starters they lost in the game, a makeshift offensive line, no vertical passing game to speak of.

Do you look at Buffalo and do you see some of those flaws, those little details that they let people back in a lot? Well, one of the conversations most of the season has been about how Buffalo is good at blowing people out, but if it's a close game, they're not quite as good. And I think it's interesting because I think that's just the nature of how they play. the way Josh Allen can make these tremendous plays down the field. And as soon as they get that big lead, they're a little bit more conservative with their playing calling. Josh Allen's a little bit more conservative with pulling the ball down and running with it and taking some of those chances that he does earlier on in the game.

And so I don't really get concerned when they let teams hang around, especially like with the Packers, because you've got a big lead on them. You know that you can basically score at will with Josh Allen at quarterback. And it's just a matter of let's get out of here with the victory. let's let him run the football. We really don't care about that. That's not where our bread and butter is. We're a get the lead and then rush the quarterback type defense, which that's worked pretty well this season. And I don't really think that any of the issues of letting teams hang around is something that's going to bite them later on in the season.

All right, Niners rolled the dice, brought in Christian McCaffery. I didn't care about draft picks. The bottom line, when you have a Super Bowl roster, you can add a great player, add a great player. You tell me, are you surprised how great he was? and he's been there basically 10, 12 days. I'm not surprised, right? Because we've seen this from Christian McCaffrey throughout his career. He's a dynamic playmaker. And when you combine him with an offensive coordinator like Kyle Shanahan,

who understands creativity and is constantly evolving his offense by stealing stuff that he saw in college, stealing stuff that he's seen other teams do with CMC, and then other dynamic players like that, it makes perfect sense that he's going to be able to plug in play right there, especially with as good at Jimmy Garoppolo is at throwing the ball quickly, hitting his backs and his tight ends. This really, to me, is like the key fob that unlocks this 49ers offense

is having Christian McCaffrey on the field because with Debo and Jimmy G, the defense kind of focus on, or with Debo and George Kittle, the defense is able to kind of focus on those guys, right? But now all of a sudden you put Christian McCaffrey on the field, and you can't allow him in any one-on-one situations in past coverage against anybody on that secondary. And so now you've got to account two defensive players for CMC, no matter where he is on the field. And you're going to start forgetting about Kittle.

So you can use some eye disguise from the offense, which is one of the things that the 49ers did on Sunday, where they'd move CMC all the way to one direction because they know all 11 guys on that defense are going to be watching him. And then they fire it back to Kittle or they fire it back to Debo, who, that's a terrible one-on-one matchup right there when they get the football on their hand. And so I think this is going to make defenses really have to think long and hard about how we want to defend the 49ers because it's not just a matter of taking care of Kittle and taking care of Debo Samuel anymore because CMC's now all of a sudden the biggest threat that they have. Good stuff, Joe Thomas at Joe Thomas 73 NFL Network. Browns hosting Cincinnati tonight. They've had their number in the last four or five meetings on turnovers. Joe, great seeing you again. Yeah, thanks for having me on Colin.

You bet. You know, it's funny, watch. The Packer fans get very defensive. This is not Aaron Rogers' fault. Well, he took $50 million, and he demanded to get Randall Cobb, and he won't show up in the offseason to work with young receivers. So whether it's his fault or not, it's his reality. He took the money, knowing there'd be limitations.

He wanted Randall Cobb, who's way past his prime and can't stay healthy, and he wasn't willing to commit playing preseason games or going to OTAs to work with the receivers. So whether it's his fault, it's Aaron Rogers reality. And by the way, this is where Brady and Aaron Rogers are very similar. They don't put trust in young receivers. Tom got sick of them in New England and went and got veteran guys in Mike Evans and he wanted Gronk and AB. So Brady doesn't like this either, but we give Brady a pass. He's the goat.

He's got all the rings. So whether or not it's Aaron's fault, you don't commit in the offseason, you take the money. You told the GM, get me Randall Cobb. shocking. You don't have a vertical passing game. So it's your reality. Did you see Cobb out, Lazard out? Christian Watson caught that pass in the first drive of the game, like two minutes in, gets a concussion. Colin, when Rogers threw that touchdown pass to number 83, Toray, T-O-U-R-E, I'd never heard of that guy, ever in my life. Rogers, that's his situation right now. He's got nobody. Sammy Watkins had, I think, one catch for three yards. They got nobody on the outside.

No. And by the way, Romeo Dobbs, I don't care if he's a rook. when he chucked it up to him a couple times, you have great catches. Can't just be there for the final result by taking $50 million, demanding Randall Cobb and not working out in the offseason. This is what you have. You've got to be part of the growth process. It's not easy. It's not fun.

It's your reality. Call right, calling wrong. 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 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 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 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. On the Look Back at it podcast. From 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84's big to me. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English.

Each episode, we pick you here, 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. 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 on a college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, 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 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.