The Herd with Colin Cowherd - HOUR 1 - Bills-Rams, Wilson, McVay

Episode Date: September 8, 2022

Preview of Bills-Rams tonight The fallout between Russell Wilson and the Seattle Seahawks The moment Rams HC Sean McVay had enough of QB Jared Goff   Guest: Jordan PalmerSee 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.

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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 Clifers Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered 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 I Heart 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. 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 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. 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. 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 Heard. You're listening to Fox Sports Radio.

Oh, it is Thursday. The NFL season begins tonight here in Los Angeles, a Super Bowl preview, perhaps Rams, host the Bills. Live in L.A., it's the herd, wherever you may be, and however you may be listening. Iheart Radio, Fox Sports Radio, FS1. How grateful are we? Does anybody have it better than us?

J. Mack is joining us. Greg Kosell, one hour from now. If you bet football, you like fantasy football, you just love the sport and want to get smarter. Greg Kosell, 42 years working in the business, breaks it all down. All right, Jay Mack, kind of feel like the Rams getting a little disrespected tonight, right? Underdogs at home, they just won the Super Bowl. I had liked the bills earlier in the week. I think I'm with you.

I'm on the Rams tonight. I like the over, though. All right, so let's start with this. Sean McVeigh, offensive coach, 5-0 in openers. like Andy Reed, who's great in September. He brings in a few new offensive wrinkles. Nobody's seen in the league. The bills are without their top corner.

Yeah, I probably think the Rams win tonight, but I think it is a Super Bowl preview. But here's why I trust the Rams to not be another one of these Super Bowl teams, winner or loser that has a hangover. Love their owner. Love their GM. Love their coach. and love their quarterback, but it's more than that.

It's that they didn't bring back the entire roster. Tampa did, every coach, every player back, and what happened to Tampa last year? They didn't have the urgency. A little apathetic. Philadelphia Eagles brought like 17, 18, and 22 starters back. What happened to that Doug Peterson Eagle team? Didn't play with the urgency, still celebrating the following year.

The Rams didn't do that. Vaughn Miller wanted the bag. We love you. go get that money in Buffalo. Cornerback Darius Williams thought he was getting the bag. Ram said, we didn't like how you played post Thanksgiving. We're going to draft another corner. Cam Acres, two costly fumbles against the Buccaneers.

We like you, Cam, but we drafted another running back, a kid out of Notre Dame that doesn't fumble. Linebacking crew, good, maybe a weakness. They brought in Bobby Wagner. Robert Woods. Hey, I was injured. I am back. Yeah. And we're moving on.

on. Alan Robinson, upgrade. OBJ wants his money. We'll see. We'll see if you get healthy. It's just that little energy and anxiety, the Rams. This is very Belichickian. You think you're part of the plans, but you got to produce. Aaron Donald produced. He got paid. Matt Stafford produced. Came from behind three times. Got money. Cooper Cop Unstoppable. Got his money. Darius Williams didn't. Cam Acres now is going to back up the little play. Bobby Wagner's now going to get the linebacking corps shaped up. Alan Robinson replaces Robert Woods.

That's how you do it. Von Miller, somebody else had to pay him. This organization, it's not just that I like the owner, the GM, the coach, the quarterback. They didn't get apathetic. They were not content. Jared Goff got him to a Super Bowl. we think we can do better. That's my kind of football team.

When Tampa Bay brought everybody back, let's face it, it's Tampa, they don't win much. It's like, we've got to pay everybody. Everybody gets a car commercial. Remember Philadelphia? I kept joking. Everybody got a book. Everybody got car commercial.

That parade must have lasted three weeks. Didn't have the same urgency. Rams create. Rams are loyal and Rams like you. But they make it real clear. You got to produce. You've got to get the big sack in the Super Bowl. You got to come from behind like,

Stafford. You're going to be unstoppable like Cooper Cup. Then you get it. You get banged up. Can't trust you physically. You fumble a little too much. You're bad post Thanksgiving or you're a little old. We've got expectations here. We're not paying everybody. That's why I've said about OBJ. I think they're just kind of sitting, looking, waiting, seeing how these young receivers play. And if they're good, you say all the right things, but you maybe don't have to pay them that eight million dollars or whatever it is for a single year. So I trust this team so much. I think they're in a really good spot all the while the entire time this is happening

in the offseason. The rest of the NFC is declining. Dallas's offensive line is in a free fall outside of right guard. Tampa's offensive line, guard, center guard, kind of a mess. San Francisco, they re-signed Garapolo. They don't know what's going on at quarterback. Green Bay, Devonte Adams left. They don't have a number one.

Arizona noisy, noisier, noisiest. So as the NFC powerbroker start declining, the Rams, the Super Bowl champs with the best owner, maybe the best GM, the best coach, maybe, maybe the best quarterback in the NFC said, well, I'm going to keep tweaking. Keep tweaking. Keep getting better.

Not paying everybody that wants to get paid. My kind of team. Well, well, well, we have a story today that is quite interesting. So I am from the beautiful Pacific Northwest. You know that. I grew up there. Love it there. Love the foggy wet mornings at SeaTac Airport.

I like Seattle. I know privately I'm not supposed to root. But when the Seahawks got Russell Wilson, won a Super Bowl, my sister finally liked football, and it was kind of cool. But I've been on the Seahawks for the last three years. I'm Mr. Negative now. That's how I'm viewed up there. Hometown kid goes to L.A.

high of himself. He just crushes the Seahawks. That is not true. Still a place in my heart for Seattle, but all the blame owes goes to Russell Wilson. Well, well, well, interesting what story came out today. ESPN's Brady Henderson published a very in-depth feature Wednesday on what wrong with Russell Wilson and the Seahawks. And what do we have here? But ammunition proof that I'm Colin was on to something. According to the story, multiple sourced. The GM John Snyder, who I've been very critical of,

went to Patrick Mahomes Pro Day at Texas Tech and would have drafted him if he was available. All right, all right, Mahomes pretty good. Oh, he went to the pro day of Josh Allen and would have drafted him if he was available. All right, all right, those guys are pretty good. The story also says

in 2018, four years ago, they would have shipped Russell Wilson for the number one pick to Cleveland. Now, that's interesting because Russell Wilson's agent found out about it four years ago. So let me ask you. I know if I was discovered four years before my contract is out, they wanted to replace me. Wouldn't I have a right to a little bit of animosity, especially if I delivered a Super Bowl, delivered big ratings? I'd have a little animosity, a little chip on my shoulder.

So my takeaway on this story is, A, if you are going to draft Mahomes, or if you are going to trade Russell, as a general manager, you tell nobody. You don't tell your scout. You don't tell anybody. You tell the owner, that is it. That is privileged, covert secret information. Never leaks out. It leaked out.

Russell Wilson found out about it. Secondly, if you're going to talk about this and, think about it, do it. I mean, listen, I like Russell Wilson more than Jared Gough, but the Rams moved off Jared Gough, and it caught us all by surprise one day. Didn't leak out. Their GM, Les Sneed didn't leak it out. McVeigh didn't leak it out.

So my takeaway here is the Seahawks have had five or six of their last drafts, maybe seven, have been atrocious. So right now, here's what I know about the Seahawks front office. They can't keep secrets. they pissed off their star quarterback four years ago, and their drafts have gone into the tank. That doesn't sound like a Russell Wilson issue to me. That sounds like a John Snyder issue.

And this is something I talked about years ago. When Paul Allen, before he died, last couple of years, got very sick. He was removed more from the front office. Pete Carroll and a power grab took control. Russell Wilson was playing football. John Snyder was a young executive. Pete Carroll was the Super Bowl winning coach. He took control.

and it has been a power struggle. Pete has disrupted early draft picks, where scouts will say, take this guy and Pete's like, get me that running back or give me this defensive player. I've got that source from two different people. Pete had too much power. So my point is this. If you want to draft a Holmes, keep it to yourself.

Don't let it out and go draft him. But all this is ammunition, this is proof of what I've been saying is everybody wants to blame Russell Wilson. The minute Paul Allen got sick and wasn't there in a day-to-day basis, his leadership void was clear. It became a power grab. I've said this multiple times. Pete Carroll won.

I don't have a problem with my coach having some power. Sean McHennyman has some power. Kyle Shanahan got some power. Andy Reid got some power. I don't have a problem with Sean Payton and Bill Belichick having some power. Too much power, though, corrupts in the NFL and in business. And so now, there is a. silver lining to those of us who grew up in the Pacific Northwest from this story today.

John Snyder drafted Russell Wilson and he loved Mahomes and Josh Allen. So he's got a good eye for quarterbacks and the Seahawks are drafting one next year. That's the silver lining. But this is proof and ammunition for what I've been on for three years is that there were stuff's getting out that shouldn't get out. Of course Russell's ticked off. You would be two if you knew three, four years out, they were going to ship you to the worst franchise in the National Football League

after you brought him a Super Bowl? You'd have a chip on your shoulder, too. Keep that stuff to yourself. And by the way, draft better. Is Russell Wilson's been carrying the franchise, draft better. Keep secrets and draft better. So good stuff. Read the story. Greg CoSell in 45, 50 minutes, top of the hour. Can't wait for that on a Thursday. Rams hosting the bills tonight. Listen, I think it's a Super Bowl preview. Goes either way. McFay is yet to lose a season opener. Those offensive guys come in, first game, throw you some wrinkles, some schemes, some looks you haven't seen,

catch you off guard, probably lean Rams. I think it's going to be a great game, though. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the IHard 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, 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.

Yep, that's me. Clipper Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skisks. hits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated.

One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast. It's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to The Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tap Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people.

I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do with a little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we 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 is big to me not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so you, I mean, at this point, this is the second episode where we've discussed, correct. So I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now. Thank you 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 Facebook. 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, 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? 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 hard way. Open your free, our heart radio app. Search Learn the Hardway and listen now. You're now entering the No Bull Zone, sponsored by Credible.

Great rates, none of the bull. When you get to the top of any industry, regardless of what people say publicly, they're very competitive. Brady and Peyton Manning, their buddies, they get along, they golf, and then you see Tom Brady's phone during the flight gate. Right.

Michael Jordan and Magic, high five, respect his game. Then they go have Olympic trials for the dream team, and Michael wants to establish, it is my league, it is not yours. Disney, complimentary, using some Netflix stuff. Good friends, respect their game. Then we find out Disney creates a streaming service to go right at the heart of Netflix. It's the way the game works.

The best offensive coach in the league, when he broke in and got Jared Gough to the Super Bowl, everybody went, Jared Gough, best young coach. But there was one other coach that gave him fits named Kyle Shanahan, They're in the same division. On the surface, they're good friends. But when did Sean McVeigh bail on Jared Gough? It wasn't a random game. Oh, no, it wasn't.

It was not a random game. It was losing to Kyle Shanahan, who started Nick Mullins and beat Gough. The stories came out six months later. McVeigh lost his mind. He lost to his rival, who he always said. wonderful things about they're just chatty in public. Don't kid yourself. McVeigh and Shanahan are Manning and Brady for the next decade.

Who's the genius? Who's the great offensive coach? Matt LaFleur can't win home playoff games. He ain't the guy. Those guys are getting to Super Bowls with golf and Garoppolo. LaFleur can't win home playoff games with Aaron Rogers. Give me a break in a weaker division. So what is this?

have to do with my topic. Well, Trey Lance is not the captain of the team. It's not named captains. It's not the end of the world. You know, when Tua wasn't named captain, I didn't love it. Sent a message. We later discovered Brian Flores didn't trust him. And I think Kyle Shanahan, the message is, well, we've got a lot of other great players that could be captain.

If Justin Herbert was your quarterback or Joe Burrow or Kyler Murray, they'd probably be your captain. What's going to be interesting about Trey Lance, and this goes back to the rivalry. The Rams and the Niners play twice in the first eight weeks. First eight weeks twice. Rams go two and O. There's your out. It's not a captain.

Shanahan loses twice. You're not going to sit there and go, well, you know, our roster. No, it's a Super Bowl winning coach. That's a Super Bowl winning roster. It's going to be very interesting. If I had to guess today, if I look at this schedule and had to guess today, they lose to the Rams, go 0 and 2 against the Rams, they've got to buy, they move to Garoppolo against the Chargers at home. That's if it doesn't work. Now, Tray Lance may be better than I think.

Trey Lance may work. I'm saying if it doesn't work, O and two against McVeigh's rival. Folks, this is, oh, everybody says nice stuff publicly. I'm a public figure. You always say nice stuff publicly. The conversations I have with executives and agents behind the scenes, a totally different conversation. You always say nice stuff.

McVeigh and Shanahan, Brady and Manning, this is all, you know, rainbows and pots of gold and birds chirping. These guys are, this is what they're, this is the gold bar. McVeigh and Shanahan are the two geniuses for the next 15 years in this league. And if you don't think it is a cutthroat business, and I do think they're the best two young coaches. The best two young coaches in this league are Shanahan and McVey. I think they're unbelievable.

And they're in the same division. And at one point, it's like McVeigh had it early, and then Shanahan started beating him with Nick Mullins. If you don't think that was driving McVeigh nuts, you're out of your mind. And now McVeigh's got Stafford. And now the other guy has got the young quarterback with all this potential. So if the Tray Lance thing goes sideways, and I don't know, I kind of think it's all going to figure itself out and work that second Rams game into a buy.

That's where I think they'd make the move. J. Mack with the news. No, no, no, no, no. Turn on the news. This is the Herdline News. Colin, to further your point, did you see that the Niners had named Jimmy Garoppolo a captain three years running? The last three years. Trey Lance couldn't get it this year.

Jimmy G, the last three years, was a captain of the Niners. Very interesting. That's a nice nugget. Yeah, it's a little surprising there in San Fran. First up today, Aaron Rogers and the Packers seeking their fourth straight NFC North title. There's some questions about how the offense will stack up this season. They open up with the tough matchup against the Vikings. I think that's going to be on the Blazing Five tomorrow.

Very excited for that one. Rogers not concerned about their chances in the division talking a little trash. Just like all the other teams in the NFC North, it seems like every single year. You know, I think their fan base and their teams feel like this is our year to win the North hasn't really been the case during my time for the most part. Little late season Kobe Bryant there. That's the era. I like that.

That's the error and I like. A little combative. Not even just a little, you know, he's winning. He's right. Listen, the lions and the bears are in that dumpster fire of the division. Okay, these Vikings are not those bad guys. No. I can't wait for the game. I think it's the best game of the.

To me, this is the game I'm most fascinated. It's the best quarterback matchup by far in a week one. Yeah. I mean, we know Aaron's better. But remember, I think the record is Aaron in his 14 games or something like that in Minnesota, 7 and 7. 6 and 8, I think it is. Yeah, I mean, so Minnesota's held serve at home pretty good in this battle. This Alan Lazard injury is real.

I mean, we're looking at rookies on the outside. All right. Next up, Lamar Jackson still negotiating a contract extension with the Ravens. apparently his mom is acting as his agent. We both decided that's not a great deal, but talks may be stalling soon. Lamar Jackson said he does not want to continue discussing the deal during the season. Now has set a deadline for getting it done at tomorrow. Colin, any chance that this gets done by tomorrow.

Yeah, I don't, you know, he's doing, he's going an unconventional route with his mom as the agent. So I'm not saying it's impossible to do, but it is unconventional. So when you do things unconventionally, it can be more bumpy. So he's going to play. He's not going to sit out. He's going to have a good year. They feel, they're Cincinnati and Baltimore feel clearly like the teams in the division. So I will say this.

I think this is the way to do it. I think Lamar is doing it the right way. I'm going to give it one more day in negotiations, but I'm not going to talk about this until after the year, kind of betting on himself. That's what Joe Flacco did. You know, Flacco's like, I'm not going to talk about it. I'm going to bet on myself. We're going to go through the playoffs.

Flacko won the MVP, I think one of the MVP of the Super Bowl, Flacco got the bag. So I think this is the way to do it. Like once the season starts, you don't want to be involved in all this nonsense. You just want to play football. My guess is today is 75, 25, 25, they don't have a deal. But I don't, you know, I think they'll sit down and talk. The mom and the organizational talk. I think they like him and he likes them, but it's unconventional.

This is not the way it's usually done with a mom being your agent. And again, I've talked about this before on this show. He's leaving money on the table, Colin. the kicker of the Ravens, Justin Tucker, has more TV deals regionally in Baltimore, in the Baltimore D.C. area than Lamar Jackson. He's leaving money on the table, and this could be another example. I feel bad if this guy gets hurt this year, it's going to stink for Lamar Jackson. Well, he hasn't mostly, if you look at his college and pro career. He mostly doesn't get hurt.

I mean, Zach Wilson gets hurt more than Lamar gets hurt. All right, Colin, final story. Philadelphia Eagles got a dynamic weapon when they traded for A.J. Brown earlier this year. coming over from Tennessee, obviously. He and Jalen Hertz already had a close friendship before becoming teammates. And now A.J. Brown is super stoked for getting the season started. Listen to this. I'm ready to go to war for Jalen Hertz.

I'm ready to go to war with him. This upcoming Sunday, I'm excited for the season. We definitely put in a lot of work this off season and this camp. We're in a good place. We're ready to go. Eagles high expectations to win the division. They're now favored over Dallas, a lot of late money on Philly. Yeah.

They are playing in Detroit Sunday. Is there start of something big for Philly? Well, listen, they struggled. Howie Roseman, I think, is a pretty sharp GM. He missed on a couple of wide receiver picks. He missed on the kid White Side from Stanford. He missed on Jalen Rieger. So he decided I'm just going to go into the market.

You know, Belichick's done this couple times. Like, I'm going to go get Randy Moss. I can't draft the receivers. And I do think receivers are, I mean, Jemar Chase was an easy one, but nobody thought Devonte Adams or Cooper Cup would be. this or DeAndre Hopkins. So I think what Howie Roseman came to terms with, and I respect this, is, listen, I may have a little bit of hole on this.

I'm not getting the receiver right. I missed on a couple of big receivers. I'm going to go buy one. And I think it makes – first of all, they run the football well. I think Philadelphia is – I don't think they're a Super Bowl team, but I think they're a playoff team. And some of it is. The division's weaker.

But I think momentum's a real thing, and I think you can really change the direction of a franchise in an off season. I really do. I think you really can. And I think Philadelphia deserves a lot of credit. I think they had a three or four year period. The Nick Seriani hire was weird. And then you're about five or six weeks into it.

And you're like it's kind of working. And I kind of feel like Philadelphia had momentum with Nick Fowles' title, lost it for like three years. I feel like they've regained it. And I kind of like their story. Yeah, they kind of pivoted to what their strength is running the football behind that great offensive line. Last year down the stretch, I think they had like three, 200-yard ground games. got them into the playoffs, but you saw that game against Tampa. Hertz was so limited.

Yeah, well, that's not what they are now. Like there are teams, you know, I said it, there are teams like the Raiders last year got into the playoffs. That defense is not, you're not going to win multiple playoffs games on the road with that Raider defense. That's just not, you're getting into the playoffs for the Raiders or the Eagles, that's the step. You saw that last year, you'll see it in the NBA where a young team, a Denver a couple

years ago, they get into the playoffs. Dallas right now. A big run. Gets into the playoffs. It's not a complete roster. Lucas is still a kid developing. Philadelphia last year getting in, I thought it was a huge. I thought the Raiders in Philadelphia were huge success stories.

I didn't expect them to win playoff games. That's AJ Brown quote reminds me of what Tyree Kill is doing with Tua, right, with the Miami Dolphins, hyping up his quarterback. Like Jalen Hertz and Tua are kind of on the same path. I like Jalen Hurts to have a big year, Colin. There's some MVP sneaky value in Jalen Hertz here. running, passing, Eagles win the division. It's going to be a 12-win team.

Jay Mack with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Hurd-Lie News. Nick Chubb is one of the better running backs in the NFL for Cleveland. And I think, you know, Baker Mayfield had Nick Chubb in Cleveland. Christian McCaffrey now in Carolina, though Chubb tends to be more physically reliable. And, you know, a very good friend to a young quarterback is a star running back.

Chuck's fantastic. So Baker was a brown, now he's a Panther, coming back this weekend to play the Browns. And Nick Chubb had kind of a brutally honest answer on what he expected, what he expects from Baker Mayfield. We all know Baker, so I don't know what to expect. So he always has that underdog attitude, so I'm sure he'll be ready. We all know Baker, so we don't know what to expect. Being a quarterback, things that sound boring like discipline and reliability and predictability and consistency. I know those aren't lit. Those are really big factors. I'm not sure what we're going to get Sunday is a quarterback. Mitch Trubisky, Baker Mayfield for different reasons that doesn't get an extension with a team that drafted them. I think there's a couple of reasons for

Baker's lack of consistency. Number one, a little bit too. A little bit too. much ego, got to win the press conference. He tends to start fires instead of like the Brady's and Mannings putting them out. And the second thing is I think there are some athletic limitations. I think he thinks he's a little better athlete than he is, tries to tackle his safety after an interception. He's a pretty marginal athlete by NFL quarterback standards. I think, you know, and part of it's his hoodspun, his ego, he kind of thinks he's a little better athlete. Zach Wilson, same thing, a little better athlete than he is. You get hurt. But I do think this, at this point in his career,

this would be a big win for Baker. And it's a much better story. I'm in the story business. It's a much better story if Baker beats Cleveland. And I think they're going to. And the reason I think Carolina and Baker are going to win is this. Baker has always had the ability to channel that emotion for a singular game and be great. Remember in college, the Ohio State Revenge game?

He was great. Remember that revenge game Texas Tech a couple of times? The team that moved off him, he was great. Remember that playoff game against Pittsburgh Division rival? He was great. Remember, Hugh Jackson goes to Cincinnati. He plays the Bengals. One of his best games is a pro.

Baker has always been able, he's highly impulsive and highly emotional. He has always been willing to channel that for a Sunday or a Saturday and be, great. And I think he's going to play really, really well and beat Cleveland and Jacoby Brissette. The problem is that impulsive nature and that emotion, he can't harness it. It's just who he is. And so he'll be great on one Sunday. Then Wednesday goes to the press conference, starts a fire, spends Thursday and Friday trying to put it out. It's in his head, and he plays lousy the following Sunday. But for this Sunday, one Sunday, revenge game to prove it, got the t-shirts.

I think he has a history in college and pro of channeling it, using it, being high, playing above himself, and I think Carolina, I think they're at home, beats Cleveland with a backup quarterback. My hunch is also, he plays pretty well. He's done it. I've seen it.

I saw the Ohio State game, the Texas Tech games, the Hugh Jackson game, the Steeler playoff game. He's got his moments when he can channel it. So Baker's the classic. His strength becomes his greatest liability. His strength is he plays with so much emotion. When he harnesses it, he's great.

But he can't control it. It's just, he's so emotionally lacks predictability and consistency. And Nick Chubb's bite says it all. We all know Baker, therefore we don't know what to expect. It's not a shot on him. He'll win Sunday. I really believe that. A lot of stuff.

Greg CoSell, top of the hour on a Thursday. In what is, you know, I've said this for years and years. The NBA knows everybody's home on Christmas, so the NBA has always done a good job to put a big slate on Christmas. One of baseball's issues has been for the last 10 years until networks like Fox went to baseball and said, would you take your schedule seriously? Yankees Red Sox should not ever plan a Tuesday and Wednesday.

Giants, Dodgers, that should always be a weekend series. Red Sox Yankees. So baseball now, for years and years, a couple of guys with a pencil and paper, I'm not joking, on Cape Cod, wrote the baseball schedule. It's insane. The NFL has always been very measured and calculated creating their schedule. Not a shock. The two teams favor to win the Super Bowl are playing on Thursday night. So this is one of the advantages.

The NFL, I've been on this since I worked at the other place. the NFL's always understood. Our money comes from television. We're a television show. Take television seriously. And over the course of the season, watch the matchups, the flexibility on Sunday night. Watch the matchup. The division rivals on Thursday.

Tonight is exactly what you'd expect from the NFL. Josh Allen, MVP favorite, defending champ. They don't put it in Buffalo. They bring it to glitzy Los Angeles. It's in Los Angeles. entertainment capital, make it big, the new stadium sofai, literally they picked. I mean, you could take Kansas City, but the team in the league were all kind of like, isn't it their turn, is the bills.

And the quarterback we're all kind of awestruck by. I mean, we've seen Mahomes. It's Josh Allen. And the city that does the best job in big events of putting on entertainment is Los Angeles. So what a shock. The NFL, Rams, Super Bowl champs. at home, SoFi, the big board, national TV, and here's the upstart bills. Everybody, go look at all the predictions, everybody's pick to win the Super Bowl.

Tom Brady against America's team, the Dallas Cowboys. Not a bad way to end the first Sunday. And Russell Wilson, going back to face the team that we found out now, wanted to get rid of him four years ago. Solid job. Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd, Weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Hey, this is Jason McIntyre. Join me every weekday morning on my podcast,

Straight Fire with Jason McIntyre. This isn't your typical sports pod pushing the same tired narratives down your throat every day. Straight Fire gives you honest opinions on all the biggest sports headlines, accurate stats to help you win big at the sports book, and all the best guests.

Do yourself a favor and listen to Straight Fire with Jason McIntyre on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you. you get your podcasts. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential.

Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the fourth. 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, 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 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, is we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and personal.

on my new podcast, Learn the Hardway. Open your free iHeartRadio app. Search Learn the Hardway and listen now. NFL kickoff week, sponsored by Las Vegas, your home for all live sports. Every game, match, race, competition. It is always on. Jordan Palmer, a coach at the Elite 11,

the quarterback competition for high school quarterbacks. Mahomes, Watson, Josh Allen, Burrow, Trevor Lawrence. He's somebody for years. I have leaned on from high school on. these guys, he's the one that told me, go watch Caleb Williams in person. I did. It was wow. I know it was Rice, but it was wow. So I want to start with this. People talk about this all the time. Like I was listening to a show driving in this morning. I have a pretty brief drive to work. And they were saying, you know, it feels like if Josh Allen doesn't win this year,

it's going to become Jim Kelly. It's like the window closes. And I'm like, that's a little quick. to you when you hear windows closing, what does that mean? What explain that to me? Well, we all know that you've got to have a quarterback and you've got to have these other pieces around to have what teams say is a window. Another window teams talk about is you got a really good team and you got a quarterback on a rookie contract. So you can fill the other huddles up with other talent from a salary cap perspective. But I think what a window is is you've got a quarterback who, and this might sound cheesy, but genuinely believes that they can win it because they have him.

Like, we got me, we can win this. But then you also need the other pieces. You don't need a number one defense. You don't need the best offensive line in the league. But at these other elements of the team, you have to have people who can, you got to be able to win a game with your defense. You got to be able to hit a field goal.

You got to be able to pin somebody down inside the five with your punt team. So you need these other elements. But some of these windows are wide open and they're panoramic, right? You look at the chiefs, you look at the bills, and it feels like a panoramic window here where, you know, I don't see the end in sight. The quarterback's young and these other pieces are there, and pieces are going to come and go. And so I think of a couple of teams, the bills is a perfect example of because of these two people, because of Josh Allen and the other person is because of Brandon Bean, with quarterback and the GM aren't going anywhere for a long time. Yeah. And so because those two pieces are in place, and the GM is the one who's set in this table, whenever Stefan Diggs gets old and one,

whenever the O line needs to interchange out, because those pieces are in place, there's a couple of teams that have that panoramic window. And then there's teams that it's smaller, right? I mean, they got a year or two or three because of contracts and the age of guys, and that's kind of like a kitchen window. And then there's teams where you go, like Tampa Bay, I go, maybe this year. I don't know, but it's really hard to think two years from now. This is like a bathroom window.

And it's hard to see a whole lot out of it because you have a very, very fixed amount of time. where those pieces are in place. Is there a quarterback, you know, I was saying earlier, Trey Lance is going to get some starts, but man, that division, that schedule, he's got to, he better look, he's got to win some of these early games like Seattle. He better win that game.

Is there a quarterback week one where you do feel there's some pressure? Yeah, I think just with everything that's been made about Tua, the hype coming out, he was a pick before Justin Herbert. there's not a whole lot of debate on which one of those two guys was a better pick and the success of Joe Burrow in his class as well. But now they've loaded up that roster with Tyree Kill and Waddle and all these guys around him. And a division right now that's really, I mean, the jets are rebuilding. And New England, you know, we don't know where they're at.

So it's really Miami's got a chance to just go head to head with Buffalo. Everybody's going to pick to win that. So I think Tua is a guy that this has to work. contractually, they haven't guaranteed him three years of being the start. This has got to work this year. So that's one guy where I go, because of what's at stake for him and who's in that huddle, the expectations are high. Another name that comes to mind is Ryan Tannahill.

He had to have had one of the longest off seasons in football. To have the number one seat and throw three picks, he's talked about it in the media, he's talked about from a mental and emotional standpoint, some dark times. The fact that he talked about that kind of tells you. you tells you a lot right there. So these pieces, and then all they really did was get rid of talented guys to throw to. So I feel like there's a lot of going to be a lot of pressure on Ryan Tanehill. And then with Josh Allen, I mean, very few people get to enter into the season with realistic aspirations, like a realistic goal is Super Bowl MVP and League MVP, where that's like

on the table and realistic. And actually Vegas thinks that's what's going to happen. So that's the, those are the three guys that come to mind. There's other players that, yeah, everyone has pressure. on them. You know, Russell Wilson's got pressure on him, but, but not like those three guys. And so with Josh, the way this season's starting off, also the way the fan base feels about him, it's different. It's not a, I want to take a picture and I want to get a selfie and get an autograph. I mean, these, these, this, those mafia is different. I haven't seen this type of love, an admiration over the top at times for Josh Allen. And so I think those three guys right there entering this season. these are three guys who want that pressure too,

but I think it's palpable in those three. So last year, five quarterbacks get taken, kind of bumpy, right? And I kind of feel like already, as we head into year two, things are emerging. I do think Trevor Lawrence, he's got the offensive coach, he's got some weapons, they spent a ton in free agency, the division's sort of wonky. I think he's going to emerge as a real talent. Tray Lance has a great coach and a great roster. So we're going to know by about eight weeks in if Kyle Shanahan has the patience for it.

The one I worry about is Justin Fields. The O-line's a mess. I went and looked up this morning PFF. They don't have an elite O-Linman. They have one receiver moody I like. The defense, they lost some, so he's going to have to win occasional shootouts. The defense is not as good. He's got a defensive rookie head coach.

So I don't think it's going to be pretty. but what do you need to see, Jordan? What do you need to see if he goes six and 11 where you're like, slow down everybody, this is good. This is not six and 11 man overboard. Let's get another guy. What do you got to? Because I think we both realize that's a fourth place roster in that division.

What do you got to see? You know, I think with these young guys, when they don't have a lot of answers, like you said it, I mean, the offensive line, there's a lot left to be desired. it's really easy to take one solid receiver out of a game from a defensive perspective. And I think Darno Mooney has been unbelievable for being a six-round pick, but he's not in anybody's top-10 receivers in this league on their list. And so it's pretty easy to take a person like that out of a game schematically from a defensive perspective. And then there's some guys who can, you know, Cole Commet, the tight end out of Notre Dame.

I mean, I'm expecting him to have some growth. I mean, there's certainly some other players who can step up. But with Justin, it's going to be not making bad plays worse, right? The guard misses a block and he runs in your face. That can't turn into a scramble pick or a sack fumble. So there's going to be a lot of things that happen to the Bears' offense that are not Justin's fault. Those can't become worse plays. He's got to use his athleticism to get out of those situations and to manufacture chunk yardage,

not to put his team in worse situations. And we've seen this out of young guys. I don't have a stats off my head, but we've taken. talked about it before, how many sacks Kyler Murray took his rookie year just because he was really mobile and athletic and ran into a lot of them. And so I think not making a bad play worse. And then he's just got to be able to weather the storm. Unfortunately, I think Justin Fields has had a great offseason from all accounts. He's gotten a lot better and addressed a lot of things. I just don't think the bears helped him out. I don't think they got a lot better. All they really did was lose a really good receiver

in Allen Robinson. A couple moves here. I don't know that they got any. better around him. So the second thing is he's got to be able to weather that storm. And what most people don't realize is the biggest media market in the NFL. New York and L.A. split. They both have two teams. Chicago is actually the biggest media market in the team. And I was a bear. I've, I've lived that. I've heard that. I've listened to players vent about it. So the magnitude of that can't get to him. And I don't think it will, but it's important that if this is a tough year, that that doesn't get to him and he continues to improve, regardless of how much improvement the team has around him.

Jordan Palmer's been doing it for almost a decade. It's called the quarterback summit. Mahomes, Joe Burrow, Trevor Lawrence. You have a young kid that can quarterback. He's the beginning. The process starts with him. He's also hosting a podcast co-hosting it called The Room with the Texans quarterback Kyle Allen.

As always, it's great to see you. You can check that out on YouTube, Spotify. You know where to get your podcast, peeps. Jordan, as always, it's great seeing you. Yeah, thanks for having me. You bet quarterback summit. He's the founder. does a great job.

Yeah, you can kind of see it starting to develop. And we were talking about this in our prep this morning for a couple hours. The Bears did him no favor. I mean, they went out and drafted a corner and a safety with the first two picks. If I was them, I'll say it again, before the trade deadline, I would move Roe Kwan Smith, the great linebacker, and I'd go get a tackle. I would go, when you have cap space next year, I would go pay for the best center on the market at the trading deadline this year. I'd get him a tackle. And next year, I'd draft two to three receivers.

I'd go in free agency. You got no time to waste. No time to waste in Chicago. Taking corners and safeties, ridiculous. That's not where you. I say before, some of these guys have almost no shot. Like Trevor Lawrence, say what you want about the Jags. They got him an offensive coach to weak division.

They spent a fortune on offensive pieces. They drafted a running back last year to go with a good running back. Trevor Lawrence has support. Hour two, Greg Cossel next. 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 I-Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, 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.

podcasts. On the Look Back at it podcast. From 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 Clifers 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 Clivert Show on the I-Hard 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. This is an IHeart podcast, Guaranteed Human.