The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Hour 1 - Mr. Unlimited Was Very Limited

Episode Date: December 28, 2022

In this hour of The Herd, Joy Taylor (in for Colin) examines Denver quarterback Russell Wilson's broken football season and whether or not he's fixable with a new head coach in 2023. Also, Joy argues, when considering the Philadelphia Eagles' win over the Dallas Cowboys earlier this season as well as the Cowboys' win over the Eagles this past weekend, remember that the losing team did not have its starting quarterback and those games should be viewed within a certain context. Plus, Joy thinks Miami quarterback Tua Tagovailoa should shut himself down for the remainder of the season to salvage his brain health. Finally, Josina Anderson of CBS Sports HQ and USA Today joins Joy to explain why Tua Tagovailoa was allowed to finish the game last Sunday and what's in store for the Denver Broncos organization after terminating head coach Nathaniel Hackett.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed Human. Another podcast from some SNL, late-night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer, Streeter Seidel, help an a cappella band with their between songs banter.

Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and friends on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque.

Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 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 tauntons and wampas on the ice planet hot, or the practicality and corporate business sense of the Sith ruling. of two. Listen to Stuff to Bole Your Mind 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.

What's up? Welcome to The Heard. I'm Joy Taylor. I'm Back. We're back. We're back. Myself and Alex Curry filling in for Colin Cowherd and Jason McIntyre today and tomorrow to join us this week. And then, of course, you'll stick around for the rest of our shows, Nick Wright and the gang on First Things First and myself and speak right after that. And it's a speak invasion to takeover on the herd this week. We'll have Emmanuel Acho and Lashon McCoy on the show later today. We'll also talk to Josina Anderson later on in this hour. But Alex, how is your holiday? Holiday is great. And I love this week.

I like to call it the in-between or the upside-down. The week between Christmas and New Year's, where if you don't work in sports, you really don't know what time it is, what day of the week it is, and you're just hanging and drinking with family, unless you're us and we're here to entertain you and talk about sports.

Yes, and we don't mind being here. No. This is a great time of the year. Relax. Enjoy yourself. I apologize if you were traveling at any point. I know there are a lot of people that are still stranded, so hopefully you're at least somewhere cozy while you're stranded. I didn't deal with too much of it.

I went to the East Coast as well, and I only had a delay on the way back, which I felt like, you know, I got to pay my due. Like if I'm going to travel during the holidays on Christmas weekend, I'm going to have something go wrong, especially when there was so much that went on with everyone traveling. So I had a three hour delay. My flight was late, so I got in very, very early in the morning to Los Angeles, three in the morning. Oh, and then straight to work Monday. Yeah, I mean, I got to sleep. I got to sleep. I'm not complaining.

It's okay. You did better than Colin. Colin missed the show Monday. Exactly, exactly. You were doing great. It could have been a lot worse. So I'm very grateful when I got to see family. So I hope that you all had a great holiday, a safe holiday,

and that you're enjoying the in-between, the upside-down, whatever this is. So we have a fun show today. There's actually a whole lot going on. We just saw that Tua is going to be out for the game this weekend, a game that they need to win. definitely talk about that today. I have obviously some strong opinions about what's going on with two of the dolphins and lots of other stuff. Luca had a historic performance last night. I want to get that dance down. We got to name a Cuban even tweeted. It's like we got to name this

dance. I mean, that was just pure, just unbridled excitement. Yeah. We'll talk about that later in the show as well. But let's get started with what's going on in Denver. The Broncos think that Russell Wilson is fixable. I don't know that I agree that he is fixable. I'm hopeful that he's fixable, but if I had an $82 million cap hit, or I got to fix him, I'm going to say that he's fixable. I'm going to speak that into existence. I'm going to give that side of the story some life. Look, I don't know what happened with Russell Wilson this year. I don't have an explanation. I don't have the answers. I'm not surprised that Nathaniel Hackett was fired. I don't think any of us are. I don't know what other choice you have when you invest what you did in Russell Wilson,

not just monetarily, but obviously also with the draft picks. You have no choice. You've got to make Russell Wilson work. And obviously now that Nathaniel Hackett has been let go, along with several other coaches on the staff, the Broncos Brass is trying to realign the messaging and put out the plan for next year and moving forward with Russell Wilson. and let's take a listen to what they have to say about where they are right now. He'll be the first one to tell you he didn't play up to his standard, didn't play up to our standard.

He needs to be better. I don't think we made a coaching move based on Russ. That wasn't what it's all about. That's not why we're getting a new coach to turn around Russ. It's about the entire organization. It's not whether Russ is fixable or not. We do believe he is. We do.

Like I said, if it's between Russ being fixable or an $82 million, cap hit, I'm going to go with Russ is fixable. When you invest in something like that, you're like, eh, let's try and figure it out. Let's do everything we can to make this work. And they should, and they have no choice. I can't imagine a world where Russell Wilson is actually this bad. But I also don't believe that Nathaniel Hackett is completely to blame for what's happened there. I mean, if you look at the hire of Nathaniel Hackett, it is a completely reasonable hire. It wasn't some outrageous move like Jeff Saturday. It wasn't some edgy decision. He had 13 years of NFL coaching experience. He was with Aaron Rogers for back-to-back MVP years, amongst many other

accomplishments on the offensive side of the ball. It was a completely reasonable hire. Maybe Russell Wilson is washed. I don't know. But you got to do everything that you can to fix the situation if you're the Denver Broncos. The expectations were probably outrageous, but I think reasonable considering the fact that Tom Brady left a dynasty and immediately won a Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Next year, Matthew Stafford leaves the Lions, immediately wins a Super Bowl with the L.A. Rams. So not that I expected Russell Wilson to win a Super Bowl, but I didn't expect him to be amongst the worst quarterbacks in the NFL this year.

Nobody did. So it's fair to have those expectations, and it's fair to be this disappointed, and it's fair to question if Russell Wilson is ever going to be that great again. But do you need him to be that great again? Or do you need him to just be what he was before he left Seattle, which was a player that missed a few games with injury and was still pretty much at the top of his game?

So you've got to hire a coach. This is what you should not do if you're the Denver Broncos, in my opinion, in my humble opinion. It's not time for another first time head coach. What you can't do is spend any time figuring out how to do this job. Because it wasn't just that Russell Wilson fell apart at the end of this situation with Nathaniel Hackett. The entire team was fighting.

You had incidents on the sideline outside of Russell Wilson. Russell Wilson is getting streamed at by players as he's coming off the field. everything was falling apart. You can have a bad situation and everyone not believe in what you're doing, or you can have a bad situation and everyone understand that it's a bad situation, but still play hard and still have some sort of energy and culture. That's non-existent in Denver, which is surprising because Denver is a well-run organization. They are a winning organization. They have a great fan base. They're not an organization I consider it to be habitually dysfunctional, even though they've had issues with the quarterback position. Who hasn't? So I really, really strongly believe that they should bring in a head coach that has had significant head coaching experience

and has been proven in the sense of being able to work with big names. These are my suggestions, and obviously everyone's going to go to Sean Payton. Got to be honest, I wouldn't be surprised if Sean Payton took this job. And obviously, we've seen Sean Payton work at the highest level with a quarterback similar to Russell Wilson. But Sean has options. Sean is chilling. Do you want to sign up for a project that you don't know

truly if you can fix? Now, I'm sure Sean Baton believes he can. And if there's anyone on any list, everyone's going to Sean Baton, and I would give him the grace that he could. But I don't know that this is the best situation. It's new ownership, which doesn't necessarily mean a bad thing. It's just an unknown.

We don't know if Russ is washed or if this was just a coaching situation. everyone's talking about how great the defense is, you're probably going to have to move some of those defensive pieces to shore up the offense for Russell Wilson, because at this point, everything you do has to be about fixing Russell Wilson. So don't get too attached to that Denver defense. Obviously, Sean Payton's at the top of the list.

Now, I'm going to throw two names out there. One is already very high up. I think it has the top odds on Fox Bet right now to be hired. And there might be some pushback from indie fans, which at this point, I mean, come on. Frank Reich should definitely. be considered for this position. Don't, don't pay attention to the fact that he was fired in Indy. Pay attention to what happened in Indy after he was fired. What have they done outside of beating

the Raiders, which was apparently their Super Bowl this year? He has an incredible resume. He's capable of working with big names. He doesn't need to learn how to be a head coach. He's a Super Bowl champion as the Eagles offensive coordinator in 2017. He's coached under other big names. He is qualified for this job. And he will be able to come in and steady this ship. Another name I'm going to throw out there is Jim Caldwell. Jim Caldwell does not get enough credit for what he did in Detroit and what he did with Peyton Manning. Those two names are names that should be considered if Sean Payton is not open to this position.

I don't think they should get another first-time guy. They had a very qualified guy in Nathaniel Hackett and he couldn't get it done. Now maybe that's just Nathaniel Hackett, but you're in a very desperate situation. Keep in mind, Russ is 34 years old. So next November, he's going to be 35. If by next November you have a new head coach who still hasn't been able to get this together, now you've got another year and another year older with Russell Wilson. So this hire has to be very, very intentional.

And in my opinion, it should be a very experienced coach on the offensive side of the ball. And again, don't get too attached to the defense over there. All right, the Dallas Cowboys, they played tomorrow night. and everyone is reacting to this Eagles game. I actually like I'm wearing the perfect color. I'm contrasting as I'm talking about the Eagles and Cowboys today. It's perfect. Yeah, I didn't plan that. The Dallas Cowboys are not better than the Philadelphia Eagles.

I know Cowboys Nation thinks that I'm just habitually hating on them. My mother is a Cowboys fan. We have extensive conversations about the Cowboys all the time. She's actually a reasonable Cowboys fan, which I only believe exists because she's my mother. so I've experienced it. It was a nice win for the Cowboys. It was a good win for the Cowboys. Just like earlier in the season, when the Eagles beat the Cowboys

with Cooper Rush as the quarterback, it was a good win for the Eagles. Because any division win is a good win, no matter how you get it done. The two teams know each other. You play twice a year. There's a lot of experience. There's edginess because this is a rivalry.

It's a good win. Yes, Jalen Hertz wasn't out there, which is why it's not a complete win. everyone keeps pointing to what happens with the Dallas defense who has been great all season long and how great DAC played can we pay attention to Gardner Minshu who for some reason everyone keeps saying he played a good game i don't understand how do you play a good game if you turn the ball over three times three times yes Dallas defense made a great play on two of those turnovers, but you had to put them in the position to make the great play, he threw two

interceptions and fumbled the ball. That's three turnovers. They had four turnovers on the day. Guys, that's an outrageous amount of turnovers. That's outrageous. And a divisional matchup, stop saying they had a good offensive day. They did not. Now, that doesn't mean that the Cowboys shouldn't be happy about this win, that it wasn't a good win for the Cowboys. But just, let's just simmer down. We really can't learn a lot from the two matches. this year with the Philadelphia Eagles and the Dallas Cowboys, which is wildly unfortunate, because these are two great teams, and we missed out on head-to-head matchups with them this year because of the quarterback injuries. It's unfortunate, but we can't take too much away from it.

And before Cowboys fans start losing their minds, this sentiment is not mine alone. It be your own people. I mean, can we get the quote? Can we get the quote? I'm not making this up that this wasn't a great Eagles performance and acted everything that he was supposed to do. the Dallas defense did everything that they were supposed to do. But the Eagles turned the ball over four times. Calling the Eagles, the better, isn't an insult or clickbait. Philadelphia owns the NFL's best record. So saying they remain the better team, even after a Dallas victory, should not be viewed as blasphemy.

That is from the Dallas Morning News. I didn't write it. I didn't make it up. I'm not saying you shouldn't be happy about it, Cowboys fans. You should. You got a big division win at the right time in the season. You're trending up. Lots of good things to be excited.

about. But let's not rewrite the narrative, just like we shouldn't have rewritten the narrative after the Eagles beat the Cowboys earlier in the season with Cooper Rush. Be excited about it. It's a good win. Dak played great. Only turned the ball over once. That's improvements. But let's not get ahead of ourselves here. The Eagles have been the most consistent team all season long, and it's okay to say we got a good win, but we didn't beat them at full strength. I can't. I like, But please, please, sports gods, give us this matchup in the postseason. Please let it happen. We deserve it.

We missed out on it twice this year. I don't have anyone in the fight. I just want to watch great football. But I can't walk away from that game thinking that the Eagles played their best with a backup quarterback and the Dallas Cowboys stomped them out. That is just simply not what happened. All three turnovers occurred past the Eagles. Eagles 40-yard line.

Three turnovers from Gardner Minshu and one fumble. Let's just simmer down. It's a nice win, Cowboys. Feel good about it. It doesn't catapult. You pass the Eagles. We are going to talk to Josina Anderson later on in the hours. Lots of news on Tua and some other rumors around the league.

I'm here with Alex Curry. It's Joy Taylor filling in for Colin Cowherd and Jason McIntyre. 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. Straightfire 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 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 I-Hard radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined.

And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment. And the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast. It's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream,

this is right where you need to be. Listen to the Clifford Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at Tickford. TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tapped 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. Clearly, 84 was big to me not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so you all know.

I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack. So I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now. Thank you for finishing that sentence. Yes. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really? Yeah.

For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast. or wherever you get your podcasts. Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific. Welcome back to The Herd. Joy Taylor in for Colin Cowherd alongside Alex Curry and for Jason McIntyre today. And the Upside Down Week. The In Between.

The Upside Down or In Between. I've been calling it the In Between, but then it also kind of feels like Stranger Things, the Upside Down. But I also call that the In Between because I always forget that it's called the Upside Downs. It's a weird time of the year. The day is sort of blurred together until the new year. But I hope you're enjoying the holiday season. I hope that you were not stuck in any of the travel chaos. Or if you were, you got to spend more time with your family.

And there was a bonus to it. We will be in today and tomorrow. And we'll be joined by Justina Anderson later in the show. And we will have to ask her about this news, which is Tua is out this weekend against the Patriots with another confirmed concussion. Mike McDaniel spoke with reporters today. So he is ruled out for the week 17 matchup against the Patriots. And here is Mike McDaniel talking about Tua status.

In regards to Tua, it's a very, I've been advised by medical professionals that it's critical that Tua worries only about the day that he's currently in. and nothing else is a private time for him to focus on his health. And that's all I really want to get into. It's unfortunate, of course, that he is dealing with this again. He obviously missed parts of three games, two solid weeks, due to a concussion earlier this year, as we all remember. And this is his third head injury, second confirmed concussion in the last three months. his first one, which, like, obviously he hurt his head in the game against Buffalo because then he got a concussion the week after and the doctor got fired. So call what you want. He's had three head injuries and two confirmed concussions in the last three months from September 25th to December 25th. And now he is not playing this weekend and is safe to say indefinitely with another head injury. Now we spoke about this.

yesterday and the day before when the news came out that he had self-reported his symptoms, Tua did, to the doctors. We spoke about this on Speak. And Lashaw McCoy was the first to go there. And I don't think it's a crazy notion that Tua should consider possibly retiring. Now, I don't think that he should play again this season. And again, none of us are doctors, even if you got your online degree over the last two years. We're not medical doctors. We're not neuroscientists, we're not too as doctor, and we are not too as family. But I'll speak for myself. If this was my brother, one of my brothers, one of my nephews, someone that I know that plays football, and Tua, who I don't know personally, I don't think that you should consider coming back this year

at the very least. This is not a hip injury, which two has had. This is not multiple knee injuries or toe injuries or an elbow, you can get those things replaced. You can live without toes. You only get one head. And I think it's very convenient for all of us to sit here and talk about player safety and get outraged when we see to get carted off the field. And I'm not saying that you weren't genuinely outraged or that you didn't feel awful for him seeing him in that space, because I'm sure you did. But now's the time to put up. Now's the time to really back up all those things that we're posting on social media and that we say that make us feel good that we're backing the players up. Maybe he doesn't need to retire.

Maybe he just needs to sit out for the rest of the year. And that's obviously unfortunate for Dolphins fans and whatever. This is a human being who only gets one brain and one life. And your quality of life can be damaged from all those other injuries that I mentioned. Did you watch the interview with Dion Sanders and Shannon Sharp? Did you see what was going on with his leg? in his foot, that's his quality of life from playing football. And he can still coach. He can still live his life because he has his brain in a healthy space. Now the rest of his body's banged up

and that hurts his quality of life. But he's still Dion Sanders. This is a very serious situation. When we talk about Tuo, we say, okay, he's had three head injuries in a year. It's not been a year. It's been a three-month span. It's not even been an entire NFL season. The season's not even over. and he has missed parts of three games due to head injuries and has had two confirmed concussions. I don't think it's an outrageous thing to suggest. And I don't think it's an outrageous thing to suggest for any player that's dealing with this. It's not what I want. I'm devastated for him.

I can't imagine my career, something that happens to me that's completely out of my control and people coming to me and saying you can't do what you've worked for your entire life. you can't keep doing what you dream of doing every single day for something that's completely out of your control. But Mike McDaniel just said it. We can't encourage him or ask him or say anything to him. Just get better. That's what this is right now. So I think it's very convenient when we talk about player safety, when we talk about protecting players, when we talk about being pro player and defending them and sticking up for them. And then when something like this is suggested, it's like, whoa, what's this? Now, hold on a second. Or we still want to watch football.

here. You can't regulate the brutality and the collisions and head impact out of football. That is the game. You can't expect every time someone's head is hit for them to pull a player out of a game. That's unrealistic. And what's scary is, Tua has been in games with a concussion. After everything that happened this year, earlier this year, the outrage, the firing. him going into the protocol, him being carted off the field, and they still can't sell. This is terrifying. It's genuinely scary. None of us want to even imagine the worst that this could, the scale that this could get on the bad ends.

So why don't we be safe rather than sorry? Obviously, he's out this weekend. I don't know how he sees a field again this year. I don't know how you justify that. I don't know how you sign off on that. It certainly makes me uncomfortable, and I don't care if I'm being like a little snowflake about it. This is a serious thing.

I think you need to make as a team and as a league an executive decision at this point, especially since the world saw it. The world saw his last three head injuries. We've been talking about it. It's been top news. The positive side is he reported it. He went to the team and he told them that he was having concussion

like symptoms and put them in that protocol. That's the positive. But now you look at it, as you mentioned, three months. It's not a year. Whatever the exact other two, we know there was for sure one concussion, the other two head injuries, whatever they may be. No, this is his second confirmed concussion. There you go.

If you want to argue about the other head injury, have at it. So he's had two concussions in three months. This is bigger than the game. This is his life you're talking about. This is your brain, your head. and it's scary. Of course, someone who's worked their entire life to get to this moment and to be playing at the highest level and accomplishing your dream, they're going to want to be on the field. If you say and you give them an inch, yes, okay, I got cleared. I'm going to go. I think there should be an executive decision made to sit him for the rest of the year.

Well, I mean, he's certainly not going to play this weekends, obviously with the concussion. And I would imagine he doesn't play for the rest of the regular season. and obviously the dolphins still have to clinch a playoff spot, so that will determine if he's going to come back for the playoffs, if they even make the playoffs. But I think it's a bigger conversation that needs to be had about it. And, you know, obviously he has a family, and I'm with you. I'm glad he self-reported it so that he's taking, you know,

his health seriously as well. But, you know, I think it's very easy for us to talk about player safety. And then when it really comes, when the rubber meets the road, where do you stand? Because I thought this would be a consensus. this conversation and they're still pushback. Let's get to Alex Curry with the news. No, no, no, no, turn on the news.

This is the herd line news. Will the Eagles need to win one of their next two games to secure the NFC East title? And after Jalen Hertz sat out last week's 40 to 34 loss of the Cowboys, many are wondering if he'll return to action in the regular season. Now, Nick Siriani isn't ruling out a return Sunday against the Saints and here's what he had to say. We'll see one day at a time. here. You know, how much he wanted to play the other last week and how much he did to get his body ready. And again, with Jalen, it's just his body heals different than yours and mine, Josh,

right? He's going to be, do everything that he can do to get himself healthy. And if he's healthy, he'll play. Now, the positive thing here for the Eagles is we saw that they can play a great game without Jalen Hertz. Yes, Gardnery Menjew needs to limit. the turnover that happened in that game. I just don't like the word great. I hate to, I hate to pick at it, but I just don't like the word great. They can hang. The team. They can hang. Yes. Yes. They need Jalen Hertz to be great. Yes. But they can accomplish a goal of playing a strong game. Let's change it to great to strong game. They can play a strong game without him. I'm in a situation here where I'm like, if you can give Jalen an extra week or two to rest his shoulder and be that much better for the postseason in the playoffs, isn't that what you want to do?

Isn't that the most important focus? You're already in the playoffs. Yes, obviously you want that top seat. But you're already in. Rest him. Oh, I'm with you. Rest him. I mean, that's why I'm so confused to the reaction to the Cowboys game and why I pushed back on saying they played great.

The Cowboys played a great game. Yeah. They played a great game. Could have been better. Could have been better. You forced four turnovers. Yeah. You played a great game.

Yeah. You lost, Eagles. And you turned the ball over four times. Whether the Cowboys forced you to turn it over or not, we know Jaylon Hertz doesn't turn the ball over. Don't get caught up in that Chicago Bears game. That's an outlier. So you need Jaylen Hertz.

To me, I don't, obviously having home field advantage in a buy is. is huge. It is. But what's bigger, what's huger to me is Jalen Hertz being healthy. So to me, I would just, I would make sure he's as close to 100%. Your goals are not to win the division. Your goals are, you know, if you want the number one seed because of the buy, of course. But if you're not going to get that, as many home games as you can, your goal is to win a Super Bowl and you're not going to do that without Jalen Hertz. And the Eagles have a lot of other injury problems as well. So,

you know, Jalen is the, is the, typically of the iceberg. And they just need to win one of their last two. So at least sit him this weekend, give him that extra week, and then maybe he can pick up that last one of the regular season and get that first place spot. All right, moving on. The commanders enter week 17 as a seventh seat in the NFC, but they'll be making a big change for Sunday. Ron Rivera announced that Taylor Heineke will remain benched after being pulled in last week's loss to the 49ers, and Carson Wentz will be brought back in the fold to start against the Browns. I don't know if I'm, like, surprised about this move.

When you look at both of Heineke and Wentz's stats this season, obviously Heineke's played more games, but it's not too far off, I guess. I mean, win-loss, Heinekees, 5-3-1, Wences 2 and 4. Completion percentage is 62.2% for Heineke, 62.9 for Wentz. Their passer rating is 89.6 for Heineke and 86.3 for Wence. Yeah, they're about the same. There's not a huge guess.

between it. The problem is the last few games, it's started to fall apart. They've gone 02 and 1 in their past three games, and they've had a real hard time in the red zone. Yeah. So, you know, you're in a position where you can possibly make the postseason.

If you, you know, make a change and you get a spark, Wentz is coming in with something to prove, I suppose. I mean, it's the same guy to me. I mean, I like Taylor Heineke a little bit more. I think he's a little more efficient and consistent. Wentz is going to insist on turning the ball over at some point and, you know, in a bad spot. I don't know that this is inspiring news to me, but I guess if you want to try and provide some sort of spark for a team that feels like they've hit a wall, then why not? Yeah.

I'm rooting for Ron Rivera, so. And go off Wentz. Everyone loves a good comeback story. Come on. I'm not so confident. I'm not so confident. That's what we're about to watch. But I'm here for it.

We're heading to the postseason. Give us stories. All right, well, here's a big story. Let's talk about the star of last night where Luca Donchitz dropped a historical line on us, leading the Mavs to a 126-1-21 comeback win in overtime against the Nix. Now, Luca put up 60 points, 21 rebounds, and 10 assists, the first ever 60-2010 game in NBA history, including a game-tying tip at the end of regulation.

Now, here's the call from 97.1, K-E-G-L Mavericks Radio Network. On the way, hit it hard, rebound, batting around. Now, Luca scored and assisted on 85 of Dallas's 126 points and broke the franchise record for points in a game. But I got to say, he topped his legendary performance with an even more legendary post-game interview that went viral and off on social media last night. In his interview, he said, I'm tired as hell. I need a recovery beer. And I don't think anyone spoke anything more true this year. It might be the quote of the year from Luca.

I mean, he looked exhausted. He looked like he put up this stat line at the end of the game. And I don't know what a recovery beer is. I'm not a massive beer person. I can drink one beer. And then I'm full for the rest of the day. So I could do like a recovery wine. Yeah.

I'll do like a recovery spritzer. Yeah, whatever your drink is. Sure. Whatever you need. Clearly, Luca is a beer guy, which I respect. Look, that was a... Insane.

That was... There really aren't words to describe that performance last night. I mean, historic, obviously. But Luca is just a... He's a treasure. I mean, what a gift that we get to watch him play basketball.

And his dance moves? Well, I don't... Can we talk about a celebration? That was an unplanned, just a visceral response to sending the game into overtime. It was like... It was like all over the place.

Yes. It was amazing. It was amazing. In the past 20 seasons, all 13,884 NBA teams that have trailed by nine points with 35 seconds or fewer remaining have gone on to lose the game. So there you go. One more historic line for Luca Donch has an unbelievable performance last night. We are blessed to be able to watch that young man play basketball. He's really fun.

And man, Nicks. Yeah. Ouch. Loves to be a problem. I love to be a part of something like that. That's Alex Curry with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by.

The herd lie news. Joy Taylor and for Colin Coward, Alex Curry, and for Jason McIntyre today and tomorrow. When we come back, we'll talk to Jacina Anderson. Tua is out this weekend. The Denver Broncos have fired their head coach and lots of other stuff going on around the NFL. So we will check in with Justina Anderson

when we come back on the herd. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds.

I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me, 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. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tapped 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 Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports

Radio, FS1 and the IHeart Radio app. Welcome back to The Herd, Joy Taylor, in for Colin Cowherd, alongside Alex Curry and for Jason McIntyre today and tomorrow. Lots of news around the NFL. So let's go out to Jacina Anderson, senior NFL insider for USA Today. CBS Sports, host of the crew and Undefined with Josina Anderson. Jacina, hope you had a great holiday. Thanks for joining us today. Listen, it's only you, Joy, that I'm coming out on my day off and having to do my hair when I was looking like, who done it? I don't know and had to put it together for you. But yes, I'm on here.

No, I didn't know you had the day off. I apologize. Yeah, this is the in-between week. Oh, no, I'm doing that for you. It's okay. It's okay. I'll pull out the crumper and the flat iron for you. It's okay. I appreciate you, sis. I know. That's a commitment. So we just got news about Tua that he is going to be out this weekend. I just spoke about it. I feel like he should not see the field again this season. I'm not a doctor, but what are you hearing around the league about this injury and how serious the dolphins are taking it or should they take it? Well, first of all, it's definitely worrisome that he is in the concussion protocol two times in this now leading to him being out this week. And it's also worrisome because I was hearing a

quote from Dr. Allen Sills, who's a CMO for the NFL, saying that part of the reason why the protocol wasn't initiated during the game is because he wasn't illustrating injury symptoms or concussion symptoms. But the fact of the matter is is that you have a spotter that's, you know, higher to look out for these things. And regardless of whether he's swaying or slurred speech or can't say two plus two is four, his head hit the field and that and that should have been caught. So for now, for the news to come out that the U.S., that the union rather, that the NFLPA is initiating this investigation as to why that protocol, Paul wasn't initiated, I think is necessary. And for all of the hubbub that happened in that game against the Bengals Thursday night football and for him to go to the hospital and all of this stuff and for this to be

occurring again, I just think is a real nightmare for the National Football League. So I agree with you, Joy, not only should he be in question for this upcoming game, but really for this season. I'm sure his family is concerned. I'm sure people around him are concerned. I mean, think about this. to a went to multiple specialists just to even get back and to make sure that he felt comfortable and medically clear to come back.

And for him to be in this situation again, I just think is worrisome. And then the last thing I would just say is that Cam Newton, I remember I was talking to him on his show. And one of the things that he said to me, just from his experiences of being in the NFL, is that per his own experience, because again, you're, you're not a doctor, I'm not a doctor. But he felt like every time he got, you know, a concussion that it became easier, you know, to have progressive symptoms with each occurrence. So just something else to think about. Yeah, and that seems to be the science on it,

that once you start getting repeated concussions, it becomes easier and they're more severe. And it just snowballs. It's very dangerous. So transitioning to the Broncos, obviously they fired Nathaniel Hackett. I have some names, not really very edgy, and Frank Wright and Sean Payton.

I also think that Jim Caldwell is somebody that they should consider. In my opinion, they should not go with a young, head coach. They tried that. Nathaniel Hackett was very qualified for the position. It didn't work out well. But what are you hearing about the direction that the Broncos are going to think about, obviously, want to go in and are thinking about for their next head coach? Well, first of all, really quick, just to address something that you were just saying in terms of not going with inexperience. A couple of things, because I was talking to a league source pretty late last night and just kind of getting an idea of the tone and certain things around this.

And one of the things I understand is that, you know, the NFL is going to be advocating for experience to be a big part of the criteria as it should, and that should be obvious, right, with regards to the picking of the coaches and not just because it's common sense, but just when you're looking at the landscape of certain coaches that got picked for jobs and even current interim jobs as well. But one of the things that I think should be a distinction, not only just between the experiences, when you're looking at a guy like Nick Siriani, who necessarily wasn't obviously a head coach and wasn't even a play caller, but the big key also there, Joy, is having a quarter. So when you have a quarterback and you come into these jobs, certainly it makes it easier.

Now, as far as your other question with regards to some of the things that are being looked at, obviously, as soon as Nathaniel Hackett got, you know, let go and he was departed from the team, you have these initial kind of flash conversations that are happening around the league, and that's kind of what I was plugged into. And it certainly makes sense for the Broncos to deeply consider familiarity with Russell Wilson and that connection, particularly after that, you know, rapport with Nathaniel Hackett ended up in him, you know, being gone. So when you talk about a guy like Dan Quinn,

albeit on the defensive side, obviously currently the DC for the Cowboys, and you're talking about a guy like Darry Bevel, who is with him in Seattle and is currently the quarterbacks coach right now for the Miami Dolphins. Things like that makes sense. And then you also talk about, you know, what seems realistic, what seems like it could happen for the Broncos. You and I can have a talk about whether the job is desirable,

but some other names that were coming up just in initial discussions, obviously that the pool could widen. Some people could also turn down being interviewed. But you're talking about, you know, Sean Payton. And yes, I do expect him to pick up the call. And obviously, you know, the ownership for the Broncos has the money to make you pick up the call and maybe two or three times, too. And Eric Beaniemi or Shane Steichen, who's the offensive coordinator for the Eagles.

but a lot of those names make sense when it comes to the offensive side and or having familiarity with Russell Wilson. Sticking with the coaches, there's always more coaching fires than we think are going to happen. I mean, we didn't think there were going to be anywhere near the amount of openings this offseason that there were. I know Chargers fans and the Chargers organization is riding high right now after clinching a playoff berth.

But there was a lot of talk about Brandon Staley early in the season. Is his job saying? just because they've made it to the playoffs? Well, it's always hard talking about people's job statuses, right, when they're currently in the job. So we certainly have sensitivity for that as we get ready to embark upon just the coaching carousel season this January. That being said, you look at the fact that Brandon Staley is,

what, like 9 and 8, 9 and 6 in the first couple years here, and obviously has done his part by clinching the division for the first time since 2018. Is there talk around the job? Yes. I think it was very smart for him to give the game ball to Dean Spanos after the game because, you know, that's playing politics. And certainly he deserved it. Help get the team into the playoffs for the first time since I just mentioned. And then when you talk about something else that I tweeted with regards to coaches who I consider top dog candidates like Sean Payton, you know, having their eye on, you know, a job like that as far as just having an affinity for that for that opportunity.

it become open the location of that, clearly the quarterback in that situation. We mentioned the same with the Cowboys. We just talked about the Broncos keeping an eye on the Cardinals, maybe looking into and researching the Texans as well. Obviously, you're going to do your research. That's what I'm hearing with regards to that. But yes, the eyes are still on that situation. It obviously is ultimately up to Dean Spanos, and that's quite an accolating achievement for Brandon Staley. However, there are certain coaches who possess the cachet, who possess the gravitas to make you rethink, even getting over certain thresholds as the one that they just came over.

Yeah, I totally agree with you. I mean, obviously, Sean Payton is the name that's floating out there that everybody wants and it's very understandable. I mean, I think Brandon Staley's done a really, really nice job with Justin Herbert. To me, that's the next step. I don't really need to see some dramatic run through the playoffs. with the chargers. You're progressing. You're getting better. They've clearly built a culture. So I think it would be a little dramatic, but, you know, we never know how things are going to go.

If they lose very dramatically and, you know, there starts to become a little fire around it, that could be something that happens. But I think they've done a great job. I mean, Justin Herbert is an emerging young star in the league. And I don't know that I would disrupt that. Well, you just have to sustain it. And when you're looking at the body of work, you know, with not only Sean Payton, but just being an overall general, of the program and the leadership and the cachet. Those are just things that are unique to his resume that yes, you have to, you consider.

We would be naive to think that Dean is not going to have, if not already had conversations just with regards to, you know, potential candidates that he's looking at to kind of walk around that gently. But certainly it makes sense. Now, I do believe that Staley has done enough to make a strong case for himself, But I really think really joy, the one that's even more interesting is just watching the Cowboys

because though Mike McCarthy has done an incredible job, particularly this season with the Cowboys, you know, it's still my understanding that they have to do a formidable job in the playoffs for there not to be wink-winks at other people. Well, the playoffs are approaching and I cannot wait. It's been an amazing, very interesting season with a lot of parody. so I'm looking forward to seeing how it all plays out. Thank you so much for joining us, Justina. Thank you for getting ready, just for us.

We appreciate you always and everything that you do. Check out Jacina Anderson. Follow her on social media at a senior NFL insider for USA Today and NFL Insider for CBS Sports HQ, host of the crew and undefined with Justina Anderson. Thank you so much, Jacina. Thank you, lady. Justina Anderson joining us here on the herd.

Joy Taylor in for Colin Cowherd alongside Alex Curry. I'm going to give my power rank. The rankings of the greatest football teams in the world. 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 outside. I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games.

Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the iHeart Radio. app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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 taun 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. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.