The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Hour 1 - Sean Payton, Colin vs. Tyreek Hill

Episode Date: December 28, 2023

In this hour of The Herd, Colin cuts Broncos head coach Sean Payton some slack over the mess of an offense he inherited in Denver. Also, Colin responds to Dolphin wide receiver Tyreek Hill's insult of him on Twitter. Later, Colin has some harsh words for Florida State football. Finally, Colin examines the success (or failure) of some of the biggest free agent quarterback signings in the last few seasons. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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You play fantasy football, you bet on football, want to get smarter at football, NFL meat sandwich, Greg Kosell breaks down the games. He told us weeks and weeks ago, open receivers in Denver, Russell Wilson's not seeing him. Pending trouble. Greg CoSell tipped us off a couple of weeks ago.

A lot of stories out there, J-Mack. I'm reading this morning. Jordan Schultz, says a friend of our show. Russell threatened with the Broncos benching him weeks ago. Some of the stuff's pretty ugly. Russell expected to be cut by the Broncos in March now. Tough for our guys, Sean Payton. Doesn't come out looking awesome.

But you know what? It's business. It's not personal, right? That's right. Well, Sean Payton didn't create this mess. He didn't give away two firsts and two seconds. He didn't give away three good players. He didn't write this contract.

What's he supposed to do? Let it ride. Yeah. No thanks. You inherit a mess. What do you do? You take over a business. You take over a show.

You take over anything and it's a mess. You're going to let it ride, fester? No. No, the contract stuff's ugly. There's so many things happening with contracts behind the scenes. None of us really know about. That just got leaked by Russell's side. The truth is, the Denver O lines probably the best Russell has ever had.

It's ranked 7th by PFF. And he still takes too many sacks. And that was a huge issue in Seattle and Pete Carroll. They're only 16th in scoring. With Jerry Judy and Cortland Sutton, two backs I like, a top seven offensive line and Sean Payton is a coach. Their offense scoring is behind Gardner Minshu, the Saints, the Reeling Jags. Sean Payton gave them a chance.

It's not week three. It's week 17. It's not working. They're 26th in the league in deep passes with Jerry, Judy, and Cortland Sutton. They don't throw the ball deep. They have no pop. Watch their games. Sean Payton did and just said, it's not good enough.

And, oh, by the way, patience is. is wildly overrated with quarterbacks. You can see great, average, and bad really quickly. Sometimes you get fooled after a year with a young quarterback, but you can mostly see it. And by the way, the Steelers have been patient. How's that working out for them? This is what offensive coaches do.

Andy Reid moved off pro-bowler, playoff quarterback Alex Smith. Shanahan moved off Garapolo, got him to a Super Bowl. McVey moved off Goff, got him to a Super Bowl. And Sean Payton's moving off of Russell Wilson, who's won a Super Bowl and been to two. This is what offensive coaches do. Do you know what defensive coaches do? Because offensive coaches, a good chef can size up a kitchen very quickly.

You've known a few, I've known a few. The good ones doesn't take very long. A top screenwriter can be two pages into a script. They know if it works or doesn't. offensive coaches can see ceilings and limitations quickly. Sean Payton was patient here. It's week 17. Defensive coaches, you know, like the guy in Pittsburgh who wins games, but it's, hey, I can win this way.

Okay, he's not a great quarterback, but we'll just run the ball and limit turnovers. Hey, we don't need a star quarterback. You know, just play good solid sound defense. It's called 1987. It doesn't work anymore. You got to score points. And offensive head coaches, this is very on brand. Reed, McVeigh, Shanahan.

Defensive coaches don't have a feel for it. The minute Josh McDaniels left, Mack Jones and Belichick was a tire fire. Brian Flores is a very good coach. He didn't think Tua could play. Mike McDaniel said, no, yeah, he can. And made him a pro bowler. Time and time again.

People bail on Gardner Minshu. Shane Steikin's like, I think I can get close to the playoffs with him. The Jets' defensive culture didn't see any talent with Joe Flacco. Kevin Stefansky did. I've been watching this for years, talking about it longer. Offensive coaches move off Super Bowl quarterback. They see it, they feel it. They're a chef and they size up the kitchen. Defensive coaches, give me Gino Smith. I can hoist a trophy with that.

No, I can't. They can't. Kenny Pickett's the answer. No, he's not. No, he's not. The reality is, you're watching, I'm watching. It's week 17. It's not working. No deep ball. Getting sacked too much. The O line's good. It really is. Seventh in the league. I think it's better than that. Maybe not Detroit. Maybe not Philadelphia. of Dallas, but it's good. And you still get sacked. I'm not for against anybody,

but I've seen it time and time again. This is very on-brand for the Reeds and the Patens, and the McVeys and the Shanahan's, guys that get to Super Bowl, that no offense, they see it, they feel it. Defensive coaches are always too patient, or just have no sense at all. They're tone-deaf for offense.

John Payton isn't tone-deaf. Greg Cocell's telling us time and time again. The film says, guys open, Russ can't see him. You think Greg Cocell's taking sides here? For years and years, Cocell has always struggled with Russell. Doesn't think he sees the field particularly well. Two is small or acknowledges sometimes you can't. Sean Payton on the move to bench, Russ.

We're desperately trying to win. And sure, in our game today, there are economics and all those other things. but the number one push behind this, and it's a decision I'm making, is to get a spark offensively. I can't replace the entire offensive line. I can't bring in five new receivers, and if it continues over a period of time,

then there'll be another guy here talking to you as well. Reed moved off Alex Smith. You didn't know who Mahomes was. McVeigh moved off golf. Who's good? Good. Shanahan moved off Garoppolo, Super Bowl. I'm going to trust Sean Payton here. It's what these offensive coaches do.

It's what they do time and time again. The defensive coaches, they want to win with running the ball, limiting turnovers, and punch you in the mouth. Awesome. The guy's hoisting the trophies. Go look at the last 12 of 14 teams in the playoffs right now. Offensive coaches. They got a feel for it. And I'm going to trust them.

All right, yesterday, this was hurtful. Tyreek Hill of the Dolphins called me on Twitter. Well, formerly Twitter, it's now called X. I don't go to it much anymore. He called me a thug. That's a first. I've been called a lot of names. Never been called that.

I don't really respond to people who respond to my opinions. I tend to think they attack the messenger because my message hit a little too close to home. Miami, 23 years, no playoff wins. Last nine against the bills, one and eight, and of the 14 current playoff teams, they have the lowest strength of victory. Fact, fact, fact, check, check. It took until week 16 for them to get a win versus a team over 500. Not sorry for not coronating you.

The truth is, I like Miami. I really do. I like their offensive-minded coach. I like their defensive coordinator, Jalen Ramsey, Bradley Chubb, Wilkins on the interior, Tyreek Hill's amazing, Jalen Waddle. I like Tua a lot. I think he's a really good guy. He's Dak, but a better, pure, softer thrower. A little smaller, better thrower.

I like Miami a lot, but the media tends to love the hip young coaches. I get it. I'm okay with it. Yes, I was wrong. I predicted Dallas would win convincingly. Okay. But you know what really happened this weekend when Miami? Miami played Dallas?

They beat themselves. That's what they did. Lots of flash. A quarterback we like Dacintua don't love. Offensive coach, a top five receiver, Tyreek and C.D. Lamb. They score a lot of points. And for decades, they have disappointed

if they ever get to the postseason. Miami and Dallas are both front runners. They're great at home. So, so on the road. both are pit bulls on a beach ball. They clobber inferior teams. And both are flashy offensively with a pretty good pass rush at times. And by the way, two great defensive coordinators. Miami beat themselves.

And if I don't love the last 23 years of Miami and none of us love the last 23 years of Dallas, I'm not going to go overboard on the win. I've seen this act before. They've got a star on the helmet. You have a dolphin. That's what you did this weekend. You beat yourself. And by the way,

yourself is pretty good. I like Miami. I thought I loved Dallas. And now I just like them too. Two teams I like played. I will say this about Tyreek Hill. I do love his game. All right. We got a lot to talk about.

I don't want to go too heavy. on the USC love, but that was pretty, pretty impressive. Was it not? Yeah, did I give that out during the commercial break to you yesterday, or was it on live on air? Because I said USC getting the points. I don't believe I heard that. Okay.

We did discuss it. It was seven, remember I told you it was coming down. Well, I got a bullpick for you later on in the show. It's called a tease in this business. Okay. I like, why it was fun to watch. Really? You were locked in on that.

I watched every snap. You know what I watched last night? What? Reacher. Have you seen the new season of that? Nope. Who's the star of that? I don't know the guy's name, but he's, I mean, it's awesome.

It's like, you know, battling and fighting and smarts. It's sort of a Keanu Reeves, Matt Damon, John Wick thing, kind of Jason Bourne thing. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's really good. You'll love it. All right. Amazon prom, I think. I'll try to work that in between the bowl games I watch.

I have a great parlay for you this weekend. Thanks to Draf King Sportsbook. New users use the code heard, H-E-R-D. That's me when you download the app takes about a minute. Now for my parley pick of the week via Draft King Sportsbook. Cowboys at home minus six against Detroit. I like Detroit, but they're hot and cold. Never as good on the road.

Cowboys have to get good and get right. I'll take them to win by a touchdown. Steelers plus three and a half at Seattle. Let's be honest about the Seahawks. They've been outplayed and won the last two weeks. I'll take the hook at three and a half Pittsburgh. Broncos minus five hosting the Chargers? Listen, it's the season.

Russell Wilson may get moved out of town. If he plays poorly again, I get a coaching and a quarterback edge at home, Broncos minus 5. If you want to take the herd parlay, check out Draft King Sportsbook. New users, the code is heard when you download the app. 21 plus in most eligible states, but age varies by jurisdiction. Eligibility restrictions apply. Gambling problem. Call 1-800 gambler.

In New York. Call 8778-8-Hope-N-Wire. or text Hope N. 467369. See show notes for full details. Thanks for listening to The Heard podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday on Fox Sports Radio in noon to 3 Eastern 9 a.m. to noon Pacific. Find your local station for the herd at Fox Sports Radio.com or stream us live every day in the Iheart radio app by searching Fox Sports Radio or FSR. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast, Superhuman, documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year.

Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. Yep, that's me. Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits.

the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast.

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

And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tap Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye says, 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 camp?

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

Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. You're now entering the No Bull Zone, sponsored by credible great rates, none of the Bull. So USC, 4228. Impressive win. Miller Moss, a sophomore, hot knife through butter against Louisville. So I have two takes on this game, actually maybe three or four.

Number one is USC in the eyes of most underachieved. They were missing 20 players in this game who opted out for various reasons and had freshmen playing all over the perimeter on offense. And they ran up the score on a Louisville team that gave Florida State fits. the same Florida State outfit and those loser Florida politicians that whined about not being included in the playoff against Michigan, Bama, Texas, and Washington. Thank God they're not in it because this Louisville defense handcuffed Florida State and USC missing 20 players with Miller Moss, freshman, true freshman receivers everywhere, three and a half hours went up and down the field. Louisville looked totally outmatched in the secondary.

JV against varsity, not even close. So thank God Florida State's not in the playoff. That looked like a scrimmage for USC offensively. My second takeaway, and this is a big one, is the transfer portals dicey. I like the fact that Miller Moss, already a Trojan, already in the program, appears to have won the job. Stability. They're already making major coaching and defensive shifts with personnel,

I like that they have their quarterback in-house. Good kid, met him, L.A. kid, confident, accurate, poised, seize the field. Ran just enough to work for mate. And number three, let's be honest. You want to know Harbaugh's best team at Michigan? It was in year nine. And Brian Kelly's best Notre Dame team was in year nine. And even at football juggernaut Clemson, his best team, Davosweeney's, was in year

eight or nine. Lincoln Riley, through two years, has averaged nine and a half wins, and USC over the last two years is the number one scoring team in the country. They got the offense figured out. That's better than most of college football and most of the big ten they're entering. You watched Michigan State's offense, Nebraska's, Iowa's, Wisconsin's. You'll watch that stuff. USC's the number one scoring team in the country,

and they just signed a recruiting class that was the biggest in years. It was light on corners and receivers and heavy on linemen in size. Thank God. First time I've seen that since Pete Carroll left. Enough corners and receivers. Get guys that are big and strong and powerful. Big guys beat small guys. Ask Bill Parcells.

Take a deep breath. If you've got to be late on a side of the ball, it's defense. Okay. Even the great Georgia teams and all the defense, Stetson Bennett completes a lot of throws to a lot of NFL-wide receivers. Bama. Oh, Nick Saban's defense. No, it was the quarterback throwing a last second play to beat Auburn that got them a chance to beat Georgia.

You got to have players. You got to have guys that can run, catch, make people miss. I don't think so far Lincoln Riley is happy with where they're at. Yes, they lost a two lane in that 11-win season. But if you watch USC and know what he inherited, it was an absolute four-and-eight tire fire. Yeah, the end of this year was disappointing. Caleb Williams got into himself a little too much for my taste, but they're going to be fine. They've got their quarterback.

They're bringing in size. They're moving to a conference where half of it can't score. They're going to be fine. As for Florida State, thank God they're not in the playoff. J. Mack with the news. No, no, no, no, no. Turn on the news. This is the herd line news.

I like that little FSU dig at the end. Let's be real. Louisville's garbage. Come on, they're not. They don't belong in the same field as USC last night. Sure look good against Florida State. Well, yeah, in the slop against FSU's third string guy. USC young kid looked all right. I'm not going to go overboard.

No, he looks like he's a starting quarter. You think he's a starter next year? He looks like a very good quarterback in the Big Ten if he's got those star receivers. All those freshman receivers. Kobe Lane, Deuce Robbins. Robinson, they're all coming back. Yeah. Speaking of a Pac-12 Love, I laid it with Arizona against. Well, that game means much more for Arizona and Jed Fish than it does Oklahoma.

So again, if Oklahoma loses, let's not overreact. No. But for Arizona basketball school, this is a massive bowl game for the Wildcats. I like the coach their quarterback. I got a lot of good pieces. All right, let's get to the NFL, Colin. Ravens currently the top seed in the AFC. They got a big matchup with the number two seed Miami Sunday.

That's a 1 p.m. game. really good game for the 1 p.m. window. Lamar Jackson doesn't want his team to get caught up at any outside noise. Keeping the level ahead is the most important thing for us right now. Because now it's the narrative is changing.

You know, it was just, you know, this team is the Ramers, we don't know about the Ravens. Now it's, oh, they're the number one team, so we're not playing no mind in that. Into that, you know, I feel like that's bait. You know, that's clip bait. And like I said, we're trying to make it in February. So we're going to take it a game at a time.

So something to remember, we had been saying on this show that the NFL is all situational except the Niners. And then we found out this week, it's the Niners too. Every week is a different week. We know who the good teams are, the good coaches are, and the good quarterbacks are. But who did you play last week? Situationally, Miami's got the edge. Because Baltimore goes on the road. They're the talk of the league.

They blow out. blow out San Francisco. They're going to come home more flat. Miami wins, but make some mistakes. You can coach them hard. So the number is bet Miami this week. I think Baltimore is the better team, and they'll be the better team absolutely in January and February.

But situationally this week, I would take Miami as the side. Agree. I will say Miami's coming off a game where they had to prove it against Dallas, right? There was a lot of doubt. Oh, they haven't beat anybody with a winning record. That was a big prove-it game. comes out of that, well, we proved it. And now you guys are so bashing us.

I did look at the injury report. Kyle Hamilton, who was tremendous against the Niners, banged up. We don't know, early. Jalen Waddle is the guy to watch for Miami. If he's out with this ankle, you know, they should be able to kind of cover Tyreek Hill, and then who else scares you on Miami?

Like Braxton Barrios? Like, I just, I'm on Miami, you know that? It's come down to three. I just, it's a tough one. It's not an auto play. Like, sometimes we think, You got a fade. No, no, it's actually not one of my blazing five picks.

You're not even touching this game. No, I want to watch it. Smart. I just, I want to watch the game. You know, the games I like. I think Dallas is an interesting side this weekend. I thought the Giants was a really interesting side. That numbers come down, but it's going to be sloppy weather for the SoFi Stadium Rams on a heater.

Tyrod Taylor is better than DeVito. I think the Giants make it close. Don't win but make it close. That was a side. It is a weird week of numbers. with almost no matchups between franchise quarterbacks. So I don't want to get Miami fans nervous, Colin. If Miami loses to Baltimore, Buffalo wins against the Patriots are 12-point favorites.

They're going to win. That final game, Miami Buffalo, is for the division. And Miami could have gone from, hey, we're in the mix for the number one seed, to holy cow, we've got to go on the road to, you know, whoever. Maybe Kansas City, Miami might have to go there. Like, there's a big, big one for Miami. Ravens are locked in. They're going to make the playoffs.

You know, it's all good. I don't know. There's a tough one for Miami. How about just watch it and enjoy it and don't bet it? Come on. You can't just watch a game. Got to bet it. Next up, Kansas City Chiefs, they're underperforming.

Holy cow. Uncharacteristic errors across the board. It's penalties. It's drops. It's the little things. So during the Kelsey Brothers New Heights podcast, remember, not only is he dating Taylor's right, now he's a podcaster competing with you and I.

Okay. Travis made it very clear that the whole group needs to step it up. It's not just one guy. It's not just me playing like dog shit. It's not just us not being able to get the run game going. It's not just us not being on the same page passing wise. Everybody's in this thing together. Everybody at some point isn't being accountable.

It hasn't been a well-oiled machine like we've been in the past. And we just got to get everybody on the same page. Not of venom there. Yeah, I think people are overplaying the distracted angle and underplaying the, this is the way it works when the quarterback gets the bag angle. Right now, Mahomes is the number one cap hit in the league. And the things they would have wanted to do at the trade deadline, they just can't afford to do.

And this is what dynasties look like when they segue from stage one. quarterback doesn't cost anything. You load the roster up when they pivot to stage two, which is now the quarterback's a massive cap hit, and we're going to have holes on our O line. By the way, their O line's not as good. That's because Cincinnati took their left tackle. Kansas City is now not as good at left tackle,

not a good at wide receiver. Bang on Juju Smith-Schuster, he's productive. So this is what a dynasty looks like, pivoting first year into the next stage. So, Colin, we've been friends for a while. You got me a nice Christmas present I put it on my IG I'm not going to talk about it here

We're doing this weird thing Not just you but a lot of people Boy Patrick Mahomes doesn't have any weapons I mean these guys can't catch a cold They stink oh my He doesn't have any weapons Brock Purdy loaded with weapons Well he's got the best weapons in the league

Brock Purdy stacked Who couldn't win with those guys We do this weird thing where If you've got too many weapons Hey it's the weapons And then if you have none Well, Patrick, look, I'm not comparing the Holmes to Purdy. No, but what you're doing, though,

you're taking the team with the best weapons and the team with one of the weakest. So, yes, in this instance, I think it sticks. The chargers don't have great weapons or terrible. But I think San Francisco's weapons are Debo, Ayuk, Kittle, McCaffrey. Yeah, those are exceptional. And Kansas cities are an aging Travis Kelsey,

a downgrade at left tackle, running backs that are guys and wide receivers that can't catch. It's not a very good group. Agreed. Now, the Chargers started the season with one of the best skill position crews, right? Echler, Williams, Keenan Allen, that falls apart and you look at the Cleveland Browns. Lose their quarterback. Lose Nick Chubb. They're handing off to somebody named Ford.

They're throwing into Amari Cooper and Joku, guys, you never heard of. And Flacco's got them in the playoffs. It's just, to me, is kind of sort of strange where we either, overvalued the weapons or undervalue them. And I think Baltimore is the perfect test case, right? Like, Lamar never had any dudes. Now he's got dudes, right? Dave Flowers looks awesome.

Even Bateman's catching stuff. Aguilar. Baltimore suddenly looks good. They lose all their running backs. Number one seed. They just took down the best team in the league. So is it the weapons? Is it the quarterback?

It's never black or white, right? There's always a middle ground. Yeah. And I don't know, I'm rambling here, but it just feels to me like Kelsey is kind of sort of sitting on everything when they don't have any weapons. It's tough to win when you're not doing. He's had, according to him, 10 surgeries. He looks like he's near the end of the line.

I mean, he's an old gronk now. And gronk could still make plays occasionally in key situations. But I don't know the last time I watched the Chiefs game where Travis Kelsey wasn't hobbling. He's a dude that's gone. I mean, he said the other day, like I can see the end. I can feel the end. I've had 10 surgeries.

He's old. He's gronking. Tampa. In a big game, he'll make plays. But the end is really close. I do wonder, Kelsey, his brother in Philly talked about retire. Remember, there was some maybe is he going to retire? So now they're doing a podcast together. They're setting themselves up for post career, right? I didn't know who Kelsey's wife was before. Now she's like famous and all the huge deal. I could see them both moving on after this year. Uh-huh. Absolutely. James, James sat here yesterday and said Philly's one and done. Who is more likely to be one and done in the playoffs?

still TBD. Eagles or Chiefs? Now think this over because... Well, no, I would say Chiefs, because I do think with Baltimore, Buffalo on fire, Miami's offense, I think there's really big landmines in the AFC. And they're unknown. I mean, it's Miami for all my misgivings,

I just compared it in Dallas. Miami has these games, especially if they're at home and win the division. Miami can go to Arrowhead and win. Baltimore can go there and win. I don't know about like the Minnesota Vikings. I'll be honest.

I'll be honest. Cleveland with Flacco can absolutely go there and win. Absolutely. I think Kansas City's in some trouble for potential one guy. But I think I buy into Philly. The rest of you guys are selling your Eagle stock. No, no. It's not also. I'm taking over afternoon drive 96.5. The fanatic pretty soon.

I took some profits end of the year on my Eagle stock. I'm going to just let the rest remain. Final story, Cowboys, back-to-back L's on the road versus the Bills on the Dolphins. AFC's elite. Smash, Miami, Dallas, sorry. If they have another tough matchup against the Lions Saturday, but they're at home, Colin, that's huge.

Playoffs a few weeks away, Dak Prescott says it's time for the Cowboys to lock in. It's just been about for everybody to be accountable, look themselves in the mirror, say what more can I do individually? And then understanding if we do that, commit to that collectively, we'll continue to get better.

and we'll get over this. We know what we want to go at. And right now, Tom, we know a couple, we've had two more weeks, I guess you can say, is promised. Then after that, we've got to sacrifice. So, so we've got to be willing to sacrifice now, understanding that we should be playing with the backs against the wall mentality right now to get ourselves ready. You know, it's funny, I was looking over the playoff teams this morning. And outside of the Colts, everybody feels like a playoff team. I mean, every team I looked at, I thought, oh, you could win a game. I kind of feel like, you know, Seattle, the way they play, sometimes they're lucky,

but Seattle could win a game, the Rams could win a game, Philly, Dallas, Miami, Buffalo, Cleveland, absolutely, Baltimore. As much as we argue week to week, outside of the Colts, who I think that's mostly coaching, they have a decent O-line D-line combo, but I don't feel in these a playoff team that can win games. Outside of that, I kind of feel like I looked this morning and I'm like, yeah, these are the teams that should be in as they're currently constructed. Indy hosts the Raiders this weekend.

Weirdly, somebody out there is betting the Raiders. I don't see it. But if the Colts lose and the Texans get Stroud back and they're able to win or even the Steelers win, I don't think Pittsburgh wins. Colts would then fall out? They do hold the tiebreaker against Pittsburgh, but I'd rather see C.J. Stroud in the playoffs. Oh, that's a great point.

No, no. Houston, I don't know if they could win a game, but let's be honest, this is a television show. if I said to you Nick Mullins or C.J. Stroud in the playoffs, you would want to go watch a rookie sensation quarterback. The problem with Stroud this concussion? Like, I don't know if you saw the report. I mean, Mullins over there in Minnesota,

I don't want to see that team in the playoffs. We don't have to worry about it. I'll be honest with you. It does, like when these Minnesota and these kind of Atlanta, I'm rooting kind of against them. But C.J. Stroud over in the AFC. Now, that's a team that, I don't know if I'm thinking it would. a game, but it's a way better broadcast.

They got a lot of injuries. Will Anderson, the kid from Alabama, who's been playing good. He's hurt. Tank Dell's out. Like, they got a lot of injuries. And this CJ Stroud concussion, there's some stuff out there. Not like reports, like facts. Like, he couldn't go to a charity function because of the concussion, like two weeks in. So I don't, I just, I don't know that he's going to be ready to go this week. We could get Minchu, but the good news is we get Stuyken.

And I think you and I agree. Shane Stuyken's been phenomenal this year, one of the best young coaches in the league. Jay Mack with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Heard Line News. If you want to know, there were a couple of plays this week in the Dallas-M Miami game, the Micah Parsons, Bang Bang Play,

and then the Wilkins falling on Dak, Dak pulling him in. If you want to know why officials are so pro-quarterback, go look at the schedule this week. There's only four games where you get franchise quarterback on franchise quarterback, Lamar and Tua, obviously, Goff and Dak, obviously. You go look at all the games. Then there's Baker against Derek Carr.

Okay. Look at these games on the schedule. Matt Stafford against a backup. Kyler Jalen Hertz is the fourth. Only four games on the whole schedule. Franchise starting quarterback against franchise starting quarterback. So when you watch those Miami Dallas plays where like the Micah thing was bang, I don't know how Micah's,

supposed to stop there. Like, I don't even get it. And Dak pulls Will continue him and they get the flag and you can complain. But last week, by the way, only four games. So this one, obviously Dak's pretty he kind of pulls him into him a little bit, a little bit, all right? And everybody freaks out. And then this one, again, where's my, I don't even know what he's supposed to do there. But that's why. The last two weeks, you've had eight total games for this week, four previous week, where you have franchise quarterbacks facing franchise quarterback. That's why I'm saying, I'm rooting for C.J. Stroud to get in over a Gardner Minshue. Because CJ is a franchise quarterback and a sensational rookie. It's better TV.

It's nothing against Minnesota on their 11th quarterback. But, you know, the Rams with Stafford is good TV. Gough, Hertz, DAC, that's good television. But that's why they're calling this stuff. Look at the schedule this week. Google it right now. Look at it up. It is a lot of bad quarterback matchups. listening to The HARD podcast, be sure to catch us live every weekday on Fox Sports Radio in noon

to 3 Eastern, 9 a.m. to noon Pacific. Find your local station for the herd at Fox SportsRadio.com or stream us live every day on the IHeart Radio app by searching Fox Sports Radio or FSR. Hi, this is Jay Glazer, and you may know me for the world of football or fighting or even shows like HBO's ballers. What you don't know is for my entire life, I have lived in something I refer to as the gray depression anxiety so now i'm coming out with a new podcast unbreakable a mental health podcast with j glazer where each week while we talk about mental health i hope to describe it give it words listen to unbreakable with j glazer on the i heart radio app apple podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts imagine an olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged it's the enhanced

games some call it grotesque others say it's unleashing human potential either way, the podcast Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'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 Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tap Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do a little kill? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at It podcast. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English.

Each episode, we pick it here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 is big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so y'all know. I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack. so I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now. Thank you for finishing that sentence.

I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. The race for the NFL postseason is on Fox. As Matthew Stafford and the Rams continue their puts for the

playoffs against the Giants or the Shehawks try to keep their hopes alive as they host the Steelers. Check for the game in your area only on Fox. So Russell Wilson probably not traded. He's going to be cut in March. That's the feeling by the Denver Broncos. Russell Wilson has told people that. So I was thinking about the big swing that Denver took, draft picks, players, massive contract up front. So let's go back to the last six or six. or seven big, big swings by teams on star quarterbacks. Russell Wilson, a whiff. Aaron Rogers, to this point, total chaos.

Deshawn Watson, at best, weird and messy. Derek Carr, disappointing. The two hits are Stafford and Tom Brady. So let's go look at Brady. Struggled in year one. A lot of turbulence, but a great finish. than just good year two, bad year three. And that's one of the hits.

Stafford, great year one, hurt year two, very good again here in year three. There's an argument that Stafford, of all of them, has been the best. You got the trophy, he's still good, the team's overachieving, and he's got his health. So why did it work with the Rams and virtually nobody else? Even Brady was bumpy. Four things the Rams did. One, Stafford was still close to his prime, 33. Aaron Rogers is old.

It's never going to work. Secondly, he has a brilliant offensive coach. Aaron's got a defensive coach and a defensive culture. Third, one of the richest, if not richest, owners in the NFL who can buy their way out of drafting or free agent mistakes. And number four, the Rams didn't pay Stafford until he won the bag until he won the trophy, unlike desperate Cleveland or desperate Denver who paid the quarterback too much up front. So this whole go-buy-buy-grate quarterback works very, very infrequently.

It has worked in Los Angeles because quarterback still close to his prime, the offensive coach is a wizard. The ownership's got a rich owner who can buy out of some mistakes, and they didn't pay him until he won. It mostly does not work. Aaron Rogers is old, impulsive owners, awful offensive line, defensive culture, only one weapon, and in a tougher division than most.

It's not going to work. On average, the big swing, you're better than drafting and developing your own guy. You are. You're better drafting and developing your own guy. Stafford is the one absolutely worked. Now, year two, he got banged up. Year two, he got banged up. Andrew Whitworth, you know, the left tackle leaves. They've been struggling ever since at that position. Kind of stabilized it this year, but it mostly doesn't necessarily work. So I was thinking about this this morning, little MBA. So I thought the Phoenix Suns would be very good this year, but I didn't think they'd be great in your, you know, you know, right out of the shoe. So they won last night.

They are 15 and 15 on the year, and everybody's freaking out. And there are reports by Woj, a very trustable person and reporter that Durant's not necessarily happy. Durant has pushed back on that. But let's look at what's happening in Phoenix. They're not bad. They're 15 and 15. We're only about halfway to the trade deadline. Kevin's been great.

Played almost every game averaging over 30. Booker's been great. He plays a lot averaging 27. There's a lot going well. Well, the issue, of course, is Bradley Beale's never healthy. If Bradley Beal was healthy and giving you 29 minutes a game and 22 points, this would be a 15, this would be a 20 and 10 team, not a 15 and 15 team, and everything would be okay. But we have to be realistic about this.

All four Clipper stars, four, not three like Phoenix, four, all were healthy and they were awful to start. Even LeBron D-Wade Bosch in Miami with the best coach in the league, Eric Spolstra, were in their prime. It was really bumpy year one. These teams that are built quickly with stars, Brooklyn last couple of years before this one, the Lakers, the Sons, the Clippers. This is always bumpy. It's always bumpy. Think about Boston. This is year seven for Tatum and Jalen Brown, 2,8.

players in their prime. And it finally looks like in year seven, this is it. And even then, we don't love the coach and we don't like the bench. This stuff is hard. Yokic, the best player on the planet. Won his title in year nine. Milwaukee's Yonis, the best player on the planet pre-yokic. One is title in year eight.

Warriors. With all those great players, Steph won it in year six. We tend to think, when it comes to winning titles, it's really always a slow, roasted Christmas hand. And everybody wants to use the microwave. It doesn't work like that. It takes time. If Bradley B. was healthy, this would be a good team. Even when all the Clippers four stars were healthy.

And they have a bench. The sons don't. There's a mess early. So, Katie's playing the games and great. Bookers plan the games in great. They won again last night. They're 500. There's a long way to go.

Bradley Beal is 30, and it is concerning the last three, maybe four years. I googled it this morning. I think it was the last four. He's been injured more than a 27, 28, 29, 30-year-old should be. But I think this is one of these things where the expectations were the microwave, and these star-driven teams are always slow-roasted. It just takes some time. You got to let it bake.

These are stars. They have their entitlements, things they want, styles they play. They need the ball in certain spots. And it takes a while to get this stuff figured out. This is not the Brooklyn KD team where the players were like odd and weird. Booker is money. I think Bradley Beals are grown up.

Kevin Durant a bit of a wander. He's playing these games every night and average in over 30. He's been fine. Take a deep breath. It's going to be okay. I still think Phoenix has a chance to end up in the Western Conference final. The Lakers are a move or two away. Golden State's not working.

I still don't trust Sacramento, not enough scores. I think they're going to be okay. J. Mack, I know I'm on a bit of an island here, and I do trust Woj's reporting. But I think if you look at Kevin Durant's career, he's often been a bit impatient. He's been willing to be vocal. he's been sort of public.

He's not covert. He doesn't hide his emotions. He's right out in front with how he feels. And so it gives us content. I just think it's a Bradley Beagle issue. Yeah. It's interesting. I like your little rant about, you know,

people think you could just microwave a championship. Every year, right, like January, February, March, as college kids are getting ready, I get a billion questions. Jay, Jay, how do I get where you are? How do I get, like, your job? How do I get on track for that? I'm like, you know, this took me like 20 years in the end of it.

I was oriented newspapers. I created a website. Then I was magazines. By the way, do you know the story of Matt Damon? People think Ben Affleck and Matt Damon with Goodwill hunting. They just wrote it over the weekend. Go look at Matt Damon's history.

I could be wrong on this, but I think it was 16 years of banging around L.A. for two Boston guys. They tried to sell that script all over town in L.A. And nobody would buy it. And everybody's like, well, Matt Damon looks like he's 20. No, Matt Damon looks young. Matt Damon and Affleck.

And by the way, those are brilliant people. Affleck's one of the smartest guys in Hollywood. He's a brilliant guy. They were banging around for years trying to get this right. Bradley Cooper, also another great. I mean, his story is amazing. He was like a non-factor for like 25 years. And then he gets a pop and boom, it's over.

So my, this was a preamble. But in sports, we want everything to work instantly. So this is a crazy stat for the Suns. Are you ready for this? The big three in Phoenix through 27 games. Beale, Booker, and Durant have played a total of 24 minutes together. That's one half of basketball in 27 games.

It's insane. And Katie and Booker are having great years. They're having great years. We don't think that Phoenix has a bench. Who cares? Boston doesn't have one. Denver doesn't have one last year. The best bench in the league last year was the Pacers.

You need like a good 25 games together leading up to the playoffs and then you get, if you go to the finals, it's like 20. 20 plus games, right, with all those series. So I think they're going to be okay. As long as they don't dig too deep of a hole right now, you know, they're the 10 seed. But here's the thing.

The West is so jumbled, they're only like four games back of the number four seat. Like it's too early in panic. And they've lost because chemistry with all these teams is always clunky. It was with D. Wade and Bosch and Spol. I mean, think how good Spolstra, D. Wade, LeBron, Bosch, how smart those guys are. Took them like 18, 19 games and you're like,

and they were playing together every year. night in their prime, great coach minutes. But this is just thrown together with guys, two guys past their prime. So Lakers fans are now hearing this and saying, well, wait a sec, Jay, you guys are saying, be patient with the sons. What about us? Be patient with us. You've had LeBron and AD for like every game. And you're one over 500. Rees has played all the games. Like, the Lakers could panic. I don't think Phoenix needs to yet.

Yeah. All right. Greg CoSell, around the corner. 15 minutes. Fantasy football, betting football, want to get smarter in football. It's a Thursday. Greg Coasell NFL films 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, S&L's Mikey Day and head writer, Streeter Seidel, help an a cappella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and Friends

on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year.

Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 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 it'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? 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 and learn the hard way on the IHard radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. This is an IHart podcast. Guaranteed human.