The Herd with Colin Cowherd - HOUR 1 - Jets, CFP, Lakers

Episode Date: November 23, 2022

Thoughts on the Jets benching QB Zach Wilson Colin discusses the current College Football Playoff rankings It's the perfect time for the Lakers to trade Anthony Davis   Guest: Greg CosellSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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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, unfills of conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

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Find your local station for the Hurt at Fox Sports Radio.com or stream us live every day on the iHeart Radio app by searching Hurd. Now let's get this party started. You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. Oh, it is a already busy, breaking Wednesday. We're live in L.A. It's the herd wherever you may be, however you may be listening. IHeart Radio, Fox Sports Radio, FS1. We have a loaded show.

Greg CoSell this hour, Joel Clatt started next hour, Terry Bradshaw last hour, J. Mack joining. You know he's a Jets fan. You know he lives for this stuff. three weeks ago Robert Sala glowing in his defense and praise of Zach Wilson today hit the bench Mike White you're starting for the Jets against the Bears defense with lots of holes J. Mack I do have a little green in my shirt today just a tidy amount because listen it's tough to find a franchise quarterback in this league a lot of teams know that and the Jets are still looking let's just put it that way All right, so let's start with breaking news.

Zach Wilson to the bench, Mike White starts. Probably not the move I would make. You can lose a guy. So my takeaway is, first of all, I never like Zach Wilson. I thought he was too loose, too casual, did not play with urgency. He relied heavily on the spectacular. That's not it, man. That's college.

That's Mountain West football. That's the schedule BYU plays, right? That's not SEC football. That's not NFL football. You've got to do the mundane really well. He's heavily reliant on hero ball and the spectacular. Peyton Manning is a great example of how to do it. Every play felt like surgery.

Peyton Manning, they called him a teeth clencher. Every play mattered. In the NFL, it does. So if you're going to air, air on the side of Peyton Manning, not Drew Locke. Don't be casual. Zach is casual. Second thing is intangibles for quarterbacks are huge. Maybe not middle linebackers, maybe not guards, maybe not safeties.

But for quarterbacks, Joe Burroughs got them all. coachable, toughness, likeability, reliability, reliability, emotional discipline. I talk to Burrow every week in a podcast. He avoids getting in trouble. He knows what to say. When to be supportive. When to have an opinion.

That stuff matters a lot. You are the face as a player. You're the coach on the field and the face of a franchise. Zach's not good at that stuff. Third, words matter by quarterbacks. Like a word. no. Are you to blame for the loss? No. What would Eli Manning have said? Eli Manning was legendary, to use another Manning. Eli, whenever the Giants lost, always available to the press. When they won, he preferred other guys to go out and speak for the team. Eli's really smart. Payton's really smart. They got it. Words matter. Do you think it's your fault, Zach? No. No, lost the room.

A couple of things to really think about here. Robert Sala defended Zach Wilson three weeks ago. Called anybody who questioned him idiots. I have, I must be one, right? And now he bails on him. So that means over the course of three weeks, he's lost a locker room. He's lost players. He's lost veterans in that Jets defense that, you know, are given everything they have.

And he's lost some of those guys. Don't kid yourself. Robert Sala probably contacted, you know, a couple of veterans privately and said, fellas, what are you here in the locker room? I'm sure Sala did that. Something else to think about. If you look at the jet schedule, a lot of tough road games coming up, and they're a fringe playoff team. The next two games after Chicago, at Minnesota, at Buffalo, they're going to be underdogs in those. That means Chicago and a bad defense is a must-win game. because Buffalo and Miami have better rosters. And it's fair to say that Belichick is the better coach than Sala,

although Sala's had a good year. So Chicago is a must win game. They've also got later in the year at Miami and at Seattle, 3,000 mile flight over to the Pacific Northwest. So you start looking at the schedule. This is an incredibly winnable game for the Jets. I like them this weekend. Now I'm not so sure, but the staff is looking at film.

and Mike White, to them, can win a game they really, really need to win. Two other things. And this is not a shot at Robert Sala. I think it's a reality. He's highly emotional guy. I've seen a lot of swings. Support him, bench him. He's very emotional.

I tend to think that when you're a quarterback or a head coach, you've got to kind of play 30,000 feet above. They call him walk-around coaches in the NFL. Pete Carroll. Jimmy Johnson, Bill Parcells. They're called walk-around coaches. They walk from unit to unit to unit. See a little there, a little optimism there, a little critical thinking there, a little

criticism there, a little positivity there. They walk around. Sala tends to be all in, very young, very passionate. His emotions week to week are really on display. Don't love it. I think he'll grow over time, but I don't love that part. The second thing about Sala, and I had real doubts coming in. I didn't like Zach Wilson.

I wasn't sure on Sala. I do think Sala's had an excellent year, and you can see his coaching. So today, I believe, like Justin Fields as the Bears quarterback, Robert Sala as the Jets coach, I think you got to win her. Now, they've got to win games. Justin's got to win games eventually, and Robert's got to win games. But I do think they've both turned a corner as a quarterback and as a coach. They've turned a corner.

The other thing is, and this is undeniable, and I have talked about this. multiple times. These defensive coaches and young quarterbacks ain't good. Belichick, Mac Jones, ain't good, bro, regressing. The defensive coaches, mistakes by quarterbacks drive them insane. Well, young quarterbacks make mistakes. Mike Tomlin saying yesterday about Kenny Pickett, yeah, we'd like it to go faster. So I'm going to go faster.

He's a working quarterback. I have seen over and over and over defensive coaches. Mike Zimmer and Kirk Cousins. Now Kirk's flourishing. It's not that Mike Zimmer can't coach. He's a great coach. Pete Carolyn Russell couldn't get along. Belichick and Brady.

Now Mack Jones is regressing. You got to be patient with young quarterbacks. He played BYU, Provo to New York City. Go look at BYU's schedule. They played four good teams. Utah twice, Washington, and a coastal Carolina team. They went 0 for four. It's going to take some time.

Never thought Zach Wilson was the guy. Never did. In this moment, I just get the most out of them, see what we can do. But that Bears game is really winnable. They got to go to Seattle and Miami and Minnesota and Buffalo and Salas saying, we've got a playoff defense. We got playoff special teams. We got a playoff coaching staff.

We got some playoff pieces on offense. I'm not throwing this season away. He's just telling you, I don't trust Zach Wilson. I trust Mike White over Zach Wilson. Yee. Now, again, not all of this development in year two is shocking to me. I had Trent Dilfer on earlier this week. He sees the same stuff with Zach Wilson.

He sought in college too. He is very loose with his technique. And then he's loose with his laissez-faire approach in the post game. That bothered me. I think it bothered all of us quarterbacks that have had stinkers that have had an entire locker room look at us in disgust because we lost him the game. Listen, I was not a fan of him being drafted this early when he came out.

I did see the talent. I saw the horsepower. I saw the flash and sizzle that went with him. But I cannot tell you how much I agree with you. I do not think you can coach this out of him. I see Jamarcus Russell in this. I see Ryan Leaf in this. I see an immaturity, a lack of professionalism, and a lack of structure.

This is for years and years, I always talked about the hat on. backwards that drove me nuts. But really it was metaphorical for something else, is that when you are the face of the franchise and you go to that Tuesday or Wednesday press conference where they've got the logo of your team behind you and like in Kansas City it's a bank or in Philadelphia, it's a bank. It's a huge sponsor. They pay $10 million a year to the team and they put their logo all over the stadium and the Wednesday press conference. It always drove me nuts when quarterbacks had their hat back on and kind of casually walked up there. And I'm like, no, no, no, no, no. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.

That is the moment of the week. Those 12 minutes of comments are going to be columns all over the city. They're going to be sound bites on ESPN and Fox. You think it's 12 minutes. If you take it casually, I wear my hat on backwards when I'm cleaning the garage. I don't do it for a business meeting. I wear my hat on backwards. If I'm sitting around there with a putting green, I'm sitting around, you know, something in somebody's backyard.

I don't do it for a business meeting. That little press conference, when I always used to say head on backwards, people would send me pictures of Brady, do it. And that little press conference, it matters. Brady-O-was got it. Peyton-Owas got it. Herbert always gets it. Burrow always gets it.

I talk to Joe Burrow every week. He gets it. Your words simply matter more. Your actions matter more. How many times did Baker-Mayfield snarkily whiff during that press conference? difference. Picking a teammate, call out the medical staff. It's like, Baker, this is not a frat house. This is 12 minutes of really serious stuff. You're the face of a franchise. If you're the lead actor for a movie and you go on a talk show, it could be Kimmel, it could be Colbert.

You're talking for the producer, the director, your co-stars, the staff, the people funding it, the movie studio. You're the face of that movie. Right? No. that that 12-minute guest on Conan or whoever it is. It's a real moment here. You're speaking for many people. So I just think, I saw it with Johnny Mansell. I saw it with Drew Locke. I see it was Zach Wilson. It's this sort of loose, casual, too cool, snarky. Man, this is a grown-up job. And it's really unfair in America that we asked 23-year-old kids from small towns to basically be the face of a franchise. It's really unfair. You know, most of us, like me, we make a lot of mistakes in our 20s, finally get a pretty good job in our 30s, go into a great job in our 40s.

Most millionaires are minted in their late 50s. But pro sports is weird and football is different. And we ask 23-year-olds to act like 43-year-olds, and it is hard. That's why we care about Wonderlich, and we do these interviews and ask about your parents. It matters. A simple, singular word. Is it your fault? No.

Lost the room. One word, two letters. No. Hit the bench. One word. So when you go to that press conference, all you young guys out there, I criticize James for immaturity. Johnny, Drew, Zach, Baker. My track record's pretty good.

About five for five on this stuff. Like you can be rigid. Like Justin Herbert doesn't say much. Joe Burroughs kind of reticent to give you. you a lot. Brady was boring for decades. Air on that side. Eli Manning. You know, he would just kind of talk in circles for decades. He got it. He understood it. It matters. So that's where we are. Mike White, good luck. I tell you, boy, they, he must have really lost the locker room. Zach was five and two as a starter this year. And the Bears defense stinks. Before the season,

Colin. Something's happened in three weeks. He definitely lost them after that game. No accountability. We talked about it this week. He lost that lock. One word, two letters. And the problem for him is Mike White now faces the 30th ranked defense in the league in the Bears and then Minnesota, 18th in the league. So Mike White could win both those games or be competitive. Never a don't moment with these guys, huh? Look at you laughing. You're relishing this. I am not. Very serious. It makes the Jets Bears game fascinating.

Oh, yeah. Absolutely fascinating. I'm spending four years, four days eating and watching football, the Bears Jets got really, really captivated. This is not a corner TV game. This might be center stage, 1 p.m. Can't wait? All right.

Some thoughts on the college football playoff. We are packed today. Got a lot going on. 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, 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, 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 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. Hey, this is Robert from the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Joe and I are both lifelong Star Wars fan,

so we're celebrating May the 4th with a brand new week of fun, thought-provoking Star Wars-related episodes. Join us as we tackle science and culture topics from a galaxy far, far away, such as the biology of tontons and wampas on the ice planet hot, or the practicality and corporate business sense of the Sith Rule of 2. Listen to Stuff to Blow Your Mind on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tap Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do with Little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it.

Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill, waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 is big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack 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. 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. All right, great to have you back. I saw something interesting last night in the college football playoff.

It was the elephant in the room nobody wanted to talk about. So here's, here are the rankings as of this morning. Georgia 1, Ohio State 2, Michigan 3, TCU 4, then LSU 5 and USC 6. Bama is 7. So here's a reality with ESPN is because they have the SEC contract and college football fans are loons. They're crazy. and I love them, but they're nuts. There's this sense that ESPN has this overwhelming SEC bias.

It's the best conference by a mile in college football. Big 10 is a two-person conference. Michigan, Ohio State, little Penn State. I'm not even sure there is a great team in the Pac-12. Big 12 is a mess. ACC's a mess. SEC's the best conference. So you should lean SEC is the best conference because they are.

But ESPN and their commentators, Reese Davis is a great job. Smart guy, but he's from L. Alabama and all the other guys. Nobody wanted to mention the elephant in the room. Bama can still get in. Why not? Two close losses, both against good teams, both on the road, both in the buzzer.

They'd be favored over every single team above them except Georgia and maybe Ohio State, but I think they'd be favored over to Ohio State in a neutral field. The reality is Georgia has a chance to roll LSU. See ya. Michigan's going to fall behind Ohio State have to pass. They can't and could get whacked by Ohio's, uh, by Ohio State. See you, Michigan.

USC off their biggest emotional win in eight to nine years, faces a surging Notre Dame. Could they lose? Yep, see ya. TCU wouldn't even have to lose, although they've won close game after close game after close game and certainly could lose. But Alabama, the nightmare scenario that nobody wants to admit,

the final four being Georgia, Ohio State, TCU, and Bama. Now, let's say Michigan lost super, super close, and overtime, played their butts off against Ohio State. maybe they'd go three, lose, go to four. But generally, if you're three and you lose, you're out to five or six. Nobody wants to mention. Bama also has an advantage. If you're going to count everything, and I count schedules,

TCU played a ridiculous non-conference schedule. They played something called Tarleton State. No idea, and I love the sport. Michigan played Hawaii. Alabama went to Texas. Yeah, we'll go on the road and face Texas. Power 5, a lot of four-five star athlete. Is Texas great?

No, but that's a big boy game. Texas thought they were great in the first game. Got a lot of confidence, didn't have any big L's yet. I give Saban credit. Saban's like, yeah, we'll go on the road and face Texas. And they beat them barely. But they played them. There was no tarot and state on their schedule.

So if it comes down, you know, Alabama's got a couple of close losses and it came down to a one-lost team, I'm going to look at that Texas game. So nobody wants to mention this at all. Is it Alabama outside of Georgia? Georgia would be favored over Alabama. I'm guessing five or six points. Ohio State's coin flip. I would make Alabama one, one and a half point favorite.

I'm guessing I could be totally wrong. But they'd be favored over Michigan, TCU, LSU. Yeah, LSU beat them last play in Baton Rouge. It's in Tuscaloosa. They don't win that game. I love USC, but I think they're a better story than they are a team right now. It's pretty much a two-headed monster. of a brilliant coach in Lincoln Riley and an unbelievable talent

at quarterback in Caleb Williams. They have one NFL draftable guy on defense. Bamma's got about four, five. Then another seven, that'll get drafted the following year. But I thought it was interesting watching the coverage. I have great respect for all of ESPN college football guys. I was texting a couple of them because it's on tape. A lot of that stuff is a little bit on tape.

And so, you know, they don't want to mention the elephant in the room because everybody thinks ESPN's got this huge S-EUG. bias. The SEC is the best conference. Who's the third best team in the Big Ten? Who's the second best team in the ACC? I mean, come on. But I do say, I criticize Savin for years because he wouldn't go on the road to play an out-of-conference game. I ripped him for years. This year he did, so I'd be a hypocrite if I didn't give him credit. That win at Texas means something. And if it's go either way, I have no problem losing to LSU, Tennessee. at the buzzer on the road.

Those are really good teams. J. Mack with the news. No. No. No. No. No. Turn on the news. This is the herd line news. I actually love that, Colin. You know, Clemson versus Alabama.

Clemson, honestly, Colin, is unwatchable. Alabama. They're not a good football team. As Dennis Miller once said, Alabama would stomp Clemson like a narc at a bikers rally. Okay, babe. No, it's not even competitive. Yeah.

All right, Colin. We're going to start with the Jets news. benching Zach Wilson. Super depressing. It happened during a team meeting this morning. They were informed that Wilson will not be the starter. Yes, he's five and two as a quarterback this season. Quarterback records don't matter, as you know. Only two losses were against the Patriots.

Colin, a lot of controversy for not taking accountability. I am curious. Bill Belichick has now killed two Jets quarterbacks. Sam Darnold with the ghosts. And now Zach Wilson. I don't know. Where do the Jets go from here? There is a report that Zach Wilson may not even be active.

for this game. It might be the Mike White Joe Flacco show. That's unconfirmed as of now. Wow. So that tells you that Zach Wilson, they don't even trust his discipline as a backup. It might be that he hasn't apologized to the team for not taking accountability yet, or they were waiting for him to step forward and be like, hey, I screwed up guys. It was on me. I don't know, but Mike White against the Bears, the Jets should have an opportunity here. Yeah, I don't, you are a Jets, devoted Jets watcher and viewer. Mike White had a really good game a couple years ago, then followed it up with a couple of average games.

Beat the Bengals. Yeah, I mean, that was his big win, right? There's some talent there, but I think how he's viewed, this is my guess, you know it better than I do. He's viewed as coachable, likable, a team guy with limitations. Is that how he's viewed? Pretty much. I would say that's Mike White in a nutshell.

Taylor Heineke, guys like him, could win you a game or two, but you're not going to build around it. He played well against a Colts, but they got destroyed and gave up a lot of points. ultimately he's not the guy and I think later in the show we'll probably talk about Jets Opsons and free agency because there are two big names we discussed I had a buddy with the Packers trying to say

hey what about Aaron Rogers with the Jets won Aaron Rogers I said get out of here I will not buy Jets and Aaron Rogers All right Colin next story here Denver Broncos switched offensive play callers last week quarterback's coach Clint Kubiak took over the job against the Raiders they're sticking with him going forward Russell Wilson thought Kubiak did a good job

stepping into that role. He's a great offense of mine. He's, you know, he's in the QB room every day. Obviously, coaching us up every day. So, you know, we're always talking. And throughout training camp, he called plays too, some. And just, you know, especially in practice and stuff like that. Just now can call plays too as well.

Obviously, Coach Hackett, too. So we got three guys that can definitely, you know, call it up for us. And they mix it up in practice. And, you know, but I thought this week, Coach Kubiak really did a great job of doing it. Hmm. Yeah, that's going to solve everything, right? Clint Kubiak, calling plays. Listen, I saw Hamler pop up on the injury report, Jerry Judy.

I don't think you can bet this team in the worst part of all this. Broncos don't have their first round pick. It goes to your Seattle Seahawks. This is trending to be like a top five pick. That's massive for Seattle is going to have two ones, two twos, a third and two fours. And those Denver picks are up near the top of these rounds. So Seattle gets the best of both worlds. They don't have to worry about their pick, right?

They can just play to win. And I think this morning they feel, if you look at Seattle's schedule, they feel like a playoff team. Go look at their schedule. It's way easier than you think it should be in that division because Arizona's flaming out and the Rams are bad. So suddenly Seattle's schedule is like incredibly workable. Yeah, I don't want to put you on the spot,

but I've been trying all morning to think of a fall of a quarterback like Russell Wilson, a guy who, two Super Bowls, Hall of Fame trajectory. Very, very good quarterback. And then all of a sudden it's like, whoa. And he's like 30. This is not the same guy. How old is he? 34?

Like Peyton Manning fell off a cliff, but Peyton had had four neck surgeries and was like 38 or 39. I mean, Wilson had the injury last year and I think he was it a finger? Yeah, but yeah, it was a finger. He came back about a week too soon. But the four previous years, he had a passer rating over 100. And now he's now awful. Yeah.

There's no. People can use the Peyton Manning argument, but it's not fair because Peyton was older. beat up. You could see Peyton could barely move at the end. Russell Wilson still runs around, still runs around, and is effective when he does it. We're trying to project forward. That's what we do. That's why people enjoy this. I can see him bouncing back next year. I don't think this is a case of a guy being watched. And Russell Wilson's work ethic, pretty legendary, you know, from the high stepping on the plane, but I can see him this offseason just being like, I'm not taking. There's no way I'm ending my career going down the tubes like this. I can see him bouncing back next year.

And we'll chalk this up to maybe just tough new start, new coach, new offensive coordinator. You and I are on an island, but I agree with you. I do agree with you, but I think we are on an island. It's just too good to completely fall off a cliff and end. All right, final story. Panthers, by the way, they're making a quarterback change. And there may be a third one we'll talk about next hour if it happens. But, uh, oh, someone who wants to do a victory lap.

No, I'm not going to. No. Okay, no grave dancing over here, folks. Carolina has announced Sam Darnold gets the start over. I couldn't hear you. Who was that? Sam Darnold, former USC quarterback, gets a start over Baker Mayfield. Donald's first start of the year, first action since returning from that high ankle sprained. He was going to be the starter. Then they trade for Baker. Baker wins the job. Darnold gets hurt. Now Darnold will play this week. Your thoughts on Sammy D. He's kind of a forgotten guy.

Remember, what, four years ago? The hype for Sam Darnal was he could be really fun. Well, yeah, I think nobody's going to build their franchise around him, but he's an NFL athlete. I think he's a great kid. He's tough. Little reckless, slow delivery. That's why you're not going to build around him. But I like to see him get the opportunity. Bigger, stronger, more athletic, more coachable, I think, than Baker.

Baker's got the better arm talent. But neither one was as good as people projected. I was more Darnold than Baker, but neither one really worked out. Do you think Darnold can stick in the league longer? I think we both agree. Baker Mayfield's not built to hold a clipboard. There's a reason Chase Daniel keeps getting paid. People like him.

Everybody loves Darnold. Very likable guy. I don't know that Baker... He made his money. Is Baker Mayfield on an NFL roster week one next year? If he wants to be, I'm not sure he wants to be. I think Baker Mayfield could go and be an unbelievable college analyst for any network. I think Baker is a star in the making on TV, a huge star.

And I'm talking like a $6, $7 million a year star. Like, I think he's that good. He's not Herb Street or Clat yet, but he... He's not Brock Heward, who I think is. great. Could he be Tony Romo? I think there's a possibility he could be a, I have, I'll represent him if his agent doesn't. I'll make calls for him. I think he'd be a great broadcaster. Can you wear another hat at this? I mean, you've got a lot going on. I don't think you can handle being an agent for Baker. I'm not smart. I'm not smart enough to be an agent. All right. Jay Mack, you done? Jay Mack with

the news. Yeah, yeah, let's wrap. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. Okay, I want to go, I'm going to think I'm crazy on this. So last night, Lakers lose again, they're terrible, unwatchable, but Anthony Davis had a huge night. And so this Anthony Davis story was incredibly predictable. This is not me trying to gravy train it here like I talked about this before the season, is that all last year off season, he got ripped for his lack of commitment, his lack of passion, his lack, his uneven play. And so he was going to work his tail off this off season, come into shape and crush.

And he is crushed. His last four games, he's averaging 35 points and 18 rebounds. He played great again last night. And I said a month ago, this is precisely the. the time, yes it is, that you trade him. It's the perfect storm. LeBron is out, so Anthony Davis is getting tons of touches. The Lakers just faced a stretch of weak teams, the nets, the spurs, the pistons. Anthony Davis has heard his soft critic, so he's really worked as hard as he's ever worked. But the numbers don't lie. He peaked at 24 because of the bubble and a hiatus during the

season. He had a great bubble for a couple of weeks. In the end, ask yourself two questions. Are the Lakers close to a championship team? No. They need like three more B-plus guys. They got to get more dudes and ask yourself a second question. Will Anthony Davis remain healthy the rest of the year? You don't even, yeah, listen, he was hurt last night again. So you know the answer to that. So listen, Patrick Beverly, when he landed, was seen as a get for the Lakers. Laker fans keep telling me, Kendrick Nuns the answer. I'm going to go with. None. This is the time.

Buy low, sell high. Listen, you think he's untradable? Ben Simmons got traded. Westbrook got traded. You think he's untradable? There's a lot of teams out east. And they're looking at their roster thinking, how do we stop Janus?

There's about four teams in the east. They're going to have a Janus issue. Just saying, Celtics get Anthony Davis, Lakers get Robert Williams, maybe a player. I mean, I'm just making it, just throwing it out there. But this is what we predicted. He would have a monster start.

That's when you put him out there. Darry moved Ben Simmons. And Davis is twice the player of Ben Simmons. Just has an injury history. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific. He's by Carmen. I'm Dan Byard. we have a brand new fantasy football podcast called I Want Your Flex.

Twice a week, every Tuesday and Friday, we come up with new episodes to not only look back at what happened, what you need to do at that minute, and also look ahead of what's coming up in the fantasy football world. That's right, Dan. Every week we're going to scour the waiver wire to find the pickups to turbo boost your fantasy lineup. Sit, starts, fantasy football players' rankings to get you ready to dominate the competition. Listen to I Want Your Flex with Mike Harmon and me, Dan Byer, on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, and 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. with Greg.

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, Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football,

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

and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast. It's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast.

And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Hey, this is Robert from the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Joe and I are both lifelong Star Wars fan, so we're celebrating May the 4th with a brand new week of fun, thought-provoking Star Wars-related episodes. Join us as we tackle science and culture topics from a galaxy far, far away,

such as the biology of ton-tons and wampas on the ice planet hot, or the practicality and corporate business sense of the Sith rule of two. Listen to stuff to blow your mind on the iHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 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 Kim?

Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam Jett 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 yeah yeah literally 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

so 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. All right, welcome back.

Greg Kossel, 43 years, joins us on a Wednesday because we're off tomorrow. We've got about 12 minutes here with our favorite guy. So listen, Zach Wilson just got banned. I've said before those Tuesday, Wednesday pressers in front of the media or after games, you know what? You've got to fall on the sword. You got to be a grown-up. You know, Baker was snarky perpetually and it lost the room and lost the staff and the GM.

What's the tape saying, Zach Wilson? How bad is it? I would say it's pretty bad. You know, I'll start with a couple of things. Number one, I don't think he sees things very well. And if you talk to coaches, some will say you can teach that. Others will say not. But he definitely does not see.

things with the needed clarity. So he's not an eliminator and an isolator. And by that, I mean, he doesn't eliminate what's not there and isolate where he needs to go with the football within the timing and structure of the play design. Secondly, he's kind of reckless. He's undisciplined. He's loose. There's not a lot of discipline and precision to his game. And you can't live like that in the NFL. By the way, Mack Jones. Okay, let's talk about Mac Jones. So now they face the Vikings defense, which is very okay. You know, is he regressing? It wasn't like a showcase of his talent, right? Well, you know, I guess the way I'd answer that is when you look at specific

quarterbacks, you have to decide what makes them good if they're going to play well. So what does Mack Jones do when he plays well? He's rhythmic. He has to play with great precision. He has to be a detailed, nuanced player. He has to play the position as a disciplined craft. And when that does not happen for whatever reason, pressure, he's not comfortable, whatever the reason, then his limitations come out. And that's happened a little too often this year. Okay. So I thought it was a significant advancement by the bill's offense. They ran. Nobody bails on the run game like Buffalo. And I watched that game and I thought, okay, this can play post Thanksgiving. What did the film say on Buffalo's win? Well, you're so right.

Right. Think about this. Prior to this game, the bills had lined up in 11 personnel, meaning three wide receivers, on over 70% of their snaps. In this game against Cleveland, they lined up with three wide receivers, just over 40% of their snaps. They played in base personnel, and they ran the ball. Cook and Singletary combined for 29 rushes. 22 of those rushes, Colin, came out of base personnel groupings. and they were trying to get stability back to their offense. And the reality is when you're trying to gain stability with your offense, you don't throw more, you line up and you run the ball. And that's what they did.

And by the second half, Josh Allen clearly looked more like Josh Allen. He was more comfortable, where in the first half, you could tell he was still fighting his confidence a little bit. I want to talk Niners, because I think after Kansas City, to me, I think it's the most talented roster. I think there's a pro bowler in every unit. So let's first talk Jimmy G. They don't, I find it funny, Greg.

They don't throw the ball up the sidelines. They don't do the long steam route. You know what they're doing. It's death by a thousand cuts and schemes and blocks. But I think he played so well. I think he's had, he has been so good on big downs this year. That's what my eyes tell. Correct.

Okay, that's what you're seeing. On third down, they've won three in a row. He's been phenomenal on third down in each. of those three games. So cumulatively, the last three games, he's been great on third down. And we've discussed this, Colin. They ask him to make a lot of difficult throws, either by choice within the context of Kyle's offense or because they feel that those are the throws he makes best. But they ask him to throw between the numbers, between the hashes. Those are difficult throws. I thought the touchdown he threw to Ayuk this week. The first one was such a

good representation of Jimmy G. Because he wanted McCaffey. Jeffrey on the angle route and the linebacker was sitting right there and he came off that with poise and composure and he stuck it right on IUC on the backside. But he's playing at a high level and their run game is really unique. I mean, when they have an orbit reverse touchdown to Samuel, that is not a gimmick for them. Yeah. That is just an extension of what they do with the run game. And you know, it's funny, Bosa gets the headlines, but Fred Warner, Hufunga, the TAA, I mean, every,

the kid they got the corner from Kansas City. To you, what makes their defense special? Well, first of all, they've got remarkable depth on their defensive line. They can line up nine or ten guys and they all can play. Second of all, their linebacking duo, Fred Warner, to me, is the best three-down linebacker in football based on tape. And I think Greenlaw is a really, really good player, another complete linebacker who plays all three downs and has sudden explosive movement. So they may have the, again, I can't think of every team right now, Colin, but they certainly have among the very best nickel linebacking duo in the NFL.

Okay, I want to talk Bengal Steelers for a couple of reasons. First, I think it's remarkable. Joe Mixon's out. Jamar Chase is out. And Joe Burroughs like, all right, we're going to drop 37 points. Now, it took a while for them to get going, but I think that's understated people. If you take out a top back for the Giants and a top. top receiver, top back, your rhythm's off, your playmaking's off, your star power, your speeds off.

I was really impressed with that win in Pittsburgh by Cincinnati. What did you make of it? What did the film say? Yeah, it was a really impressive win because the Steelers had a specific defensive template in that game. They were going to be very challenging. They played predominant man coverage, Colin, with five-man pressure concepts. They challenged the pass protection with different blitz schemes. They challenged the receivers with man coverage.

and by extension you challenge Burrow because you force him to deal with pressure and you force him to make precise throws. And it was a little bit of a slog, even though the numbers were great. But I thought that Burrow and the offense handled it really well. The main issue for the Steelers was they had a difficult time covering one-on-one, you know, covering man to man. So that was kind of their downfall. But I thought Burrow played extremely well. He's as poised and composed in the pocket as any quarterback we've seen recently. and he knows where to go with the football.

Yeah, he does. Kenny Pick it. I don't see a lot of wow, but he does kind of have a see it and let it rip. He doesn't pause. He doesn't lack confidence. He sees it, let's it go.

I see a little something there. What do you see? I think he checks a lot of boxes when you study his tape. I think he's got plus arm talent. I think for the most part is ball placement's consistent and accurate. His throwing mechanics from his. his feet up to his delivery are repetitive. He's got functional intelligence and knowledge.

He can extend plays. He's mentally and physically tough. He can work through progressions. I think there's a lot to like about Kenny Pickett. And I'm really curious to watch his development in the league. Okay. The other game this week, the Eagles have the NFL's best record. They're going to host Aaron and the Packers.

I think it's a fascinating game because I think the Vikings, my guess is the Vikings bounce back. You know, whenever you're here, whenever you're humiliated, you're, tend to bounce back. They'll beat New England. Dallas probably will pull back a little bit after the win and struggle, maybe beat the Giants, but it'll be a little chopy and ugly. But I want to talk about Philadelphia and Green Bay. So Green Bay, where are they at now? I do believe they are actually, strangely at their best, the less Aaron throws. The tape may not say that at all. Where do you see them right now? The tape absolutely says that, Colin. You're 100% right. The best

version of their offense right now is when they run the football. And that means now that their past game, and it's odd to say with Aaron Rogers, who may be the best thrower of the football we've ever seen, but strangely enough, now their past game has to work off their run game. And that's the way they create the explosive plays in the past game, not with Rogers just dropping back and throwing the football. So this is a team that has to run the ball for their offense to be effective and for the complete multi-dimensional offense to take hold. What's happening to the Eagles offense? Jimmy Johnson suggested the later the season goes.

People will see it for a second time. It won't fool people. I don't know. What's the film say? Yeah, I think one thing about the Eagles, and I thought Jalen Hertz obviously bailed him out this week and he's played well, but this is not an offense that runs a lot of different plays and concepts because of the Hertz factor and the stress and the challenge. as he presents to defenses because of the running element when he's in the gun,

which is most of the time, that makes it difficult to defend. But they're not a team that does a lot of things. So I think as teams see it, they start to defend those things. And also the loss of Dallas Goddard, because he's an individual who can win for you. And you always need that. Look, this league is a league of matchups at times. Scheme always does matter. But at times, it's matchups, Colin, as you know,

and they lose a really strong matchup element with Goddard out for, I guess, at least another three weeks. Okay, and finally, let's talk Dallas Cowboys. I do think I've said before, OBJ might not have a ton left, but I do think they could use a little juice, a little like the Rams last year. They had Cooper, and they had capable tight ends, but I felt like they could use a little juice, a little playmaker. I feel like Dallas's offense could use that, or are you satisfied? Because the Giants defensive front is a handful.

It'll be interesting to watch this. Do you think Dallas this offense is good enough to go through the playoffs? I would agree with you. I think they could use a little juice because I think Lamb ultimately works best when he's in the slot. I don't think he's actually that outside receiver that can dominate consistently on the edge. So I think they could use a little juice. You know, obviously Pollard has become a big factor in the past game as well because he's a very good receiver who can win match.

his long touchdown this week came when he was matched on the linebacker Hicks. But I think they could probably use a little help on the outside. They haven't gotten, I think, what they might have expected from the rookie Tolbert. He doesn't play very much. Gallop's been hurt in and out. He hasn't been the gallop of two or three years ago when he could be your boundary X and win vertically. So yes, I would agree with you.

All right. Happy Thanksgiving, Greg Kossel, to you and yours, your family and friends. and thank you so much for joining us on Thanksgiving E. Eve, I love the suit, the tie. You've got really boardroom Greg CoSell. Good seeing you, man. Thanks, Colin. Same to you.

All the best. All right. Cowboys, I would take the Giants and the points. I think Dallas pulls back, beats New York, but their defensive front is pretty good. I think the Vikings humiliated on television are one of the better bets of the week. They go in and beat New England, although it will be fairly low scoring. but the way the NFL, Jay Mack and I talk about this, any team that's capable at quarterback, capable, that gets humiliated,

the next week they come back in generally, they've heard it, and they play well. Vikings will play well. Speaking of humiliated, Zach Wilson was obviously humiliated. It's now confirmed. Sala said that Zach Wilson will be inactive against the Bears. So not even the backup quarterback. They're calling this a reset. Like he just needs to press the reset button, you know,

when you're playing a video game poorly, and you know it's a loss, you just click the reset button start over. Good luck doing that with a quarterback who you drafted two years ago. He's had 20 starts, Colin. One game over 100 passer rating and 20 starts. Movember, a global charity aimed at men helping them live healthier, longer, and happier lives. If you want to go the extra mile, visit movember.com. Donate to the cause.

Whatever you grow in November, we'll save a bro. All right, great first hour. clad around the corner. Terry Bradshaw, loaded Wednesday, it's the hurt. 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. 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, 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 IHard 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. 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 pampherson. 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. Hey, what's good, y'all? You're listening to Learn the Hard Way with your favorite therapist and host, Kear Games. This space is about black men's experiences, having honest conversations that's really not safe

to have anywhere, but you're having them with a licensed professional who knows what he's doing. How many men carry a suit or armor? It signals to the world that you're not to be played with. And just because you have the capability that does not mean that you need to. Listen to learn the hard way on the IHard radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast.

This is an IHart podcast. Guaranteed human.