The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Hour 1 - The biggest factor

Episode Date: February 7, 2024

Colin points out the biggest factor people aren't considering in the 49ers - Chiefs Super Bowl matchup that could determine who ends up winning He shares his "Patrick Pyramid" ranking the top QBs in the NFL right now   Guest: Daryl JohnstonSee 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 IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win.

I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifers Show. This is a place for raw, unfilled conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but the show. celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok's podcast network on TikTok.

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. We're listening to Fox Sports Radio. Oh, here we go on a Wednesday, inching closer and closer. Super Bowl 58, Chiefs Niners. Live in Los Angeles, it's the hurt.

Wherever you may be in, however you may be listening, thanks for making us part of your day. Steve Young, the Hall of Famer, joining us next hour. We'll be heading this point forward. A lot of our guests will be in Las Vegas at the Super Bowl. I can't wait. Next year, Fox has it in New Orleans. But this is a biggie.

And it's two, two big brands. But Jamak, the Chiefs brand is mostly offense. Mahomes Reed Kelsey. It's a big offensive brand. The Niners is on a defense. Offense is good, but defense. Would you agree with that? The Bosa and the defense for the Niners, we think of them as physical.

We think of Kansas City mostly as a fireworks show over the last. six years. Yeah, although in the playoffs, the Niners' defense has been leaky and the Chief's defense has been amazing. Yeah, so I want to start with that. There's this automatic belief that more expensive is always better. I don't believe it. And that name brands are superior, much better than store brands. I don't know. I bought a lot of Kirkland stuff. Works for me. The Kansas City defense, put it in perspective, their brand is offense. But Kansas City's defense, The playoffs allowed 13.7 points. That's against Mike McDaniel to a Tyreek Hill.

Josh Allen, Stefan Diggs, Lamar Jackson, number one rush offense. Shut them down, three for three. The Niners defense, the name brand off a buy at home, allowed 21 points to first year starting quarterback, Jordan Love, and over three. 130 yards. What's better? Lamar Jackson, Tua, Josh Allen, mostly shut down. Jordan Love eats.

Niners defense off a buy, two weeks to prepare. I don't think people understand how good Kansas City's defense is. It's just young. Think about this. Think about, we all know this, you know this certainly. The quarterbacks in the AFC are much better than the NFC. So here's some of the quarterbacks the Chiefs face this year. Regular season. Russell Wilson twice, Justin Herbert, Kirk Cousins, Jalen Hertz, Trevor Lawrence, Jared Goff, Josh Allen, Tua.

And they finish with the fourth best pass defense in the regular season in the NFL. The Niners in the weaker quarterback conference, the NFC. Here's some of the quarterbacks they face. Drew Locke, Gino Smith, PJ Walker, Josh Dobbs, Sam Howell, Carson Wentz, Daniel Jones, and Kenny Pickett. And their past defense was 14th. name brand defense Niners Yeah the store brand is Kansas City So all season

All these great quarterbacks Against Kansas City's defense Young defense you don't know their names Never allowed 30 points The Niners did three times Kirk Cousins Eight the Niners defense up Stafford Joe Burrow big Sundays

So San Francisco's defense Is just the name brand There's Bosa There's Fred Warner. You know the players. Armstead. Chase Young. The better defense easily,

especially on the back end, the past defense. Is Kansas City. Also had more sacks, significantly more hurries up front. Andy Reid talked about the youth that many people just don't realize how gifted they are

with the Chief's defensive side. Brett Veach has done a nice job of bringing an influx of young guys into the program. Those young guys, of them were in that secondary and they've gotten better here with time so we took some months and bruises early last year but they've gotten better they got better towards the end of last year and then they just picked up on it and have done a nice job working into this year but

i would tell you brett the job that brett does between free agency and the draft on the second and not yeah the defense shut down three high productive offenses, two on the road in the playoffs. During the regular season, they only allowed 17 and a half points a game. I think that was second best in the league. Again, I've bought a lot of Kirkland stuff. It's good, too. So I see Christian McCaffrey will be, in my opinion, the second best player in the Super Bowl.

Mahalms the first. And running backs still matter a lot, especially to the top coaches. Jim Harbaugh, John Harbaugh. Kyle Shanahan, Sean McVeigh, Mike Vrable, a lot of the best coaches in the league. Use running backs and love running backs have traded for running backs. And there was this moment during the season. Jay Mack and I talked about this a lot. I thought that the NFL media, there was a lot of pandering.

Oh, I can't believe the running backs aren't getting paid. This is really outrageous. Guards have never been paid. Safeties don't get paid. Tide ends have been undervalued and underpaid my entire life. But there was something about the running back position. really worked up the media. So it's interesting to go back.

Google it. Go back to the reaction when the Niners, needing a running back, gave up a late second, a late third, a late fourth, and a late fifth for Christian McCaffrey, easily the best back, top to bottom the league. At least 50% of the reaction from the media is, whoa, that is way too much.

Ah, so which is it? Are running backs worth of fortune? or are they not worth a second and third late round pick? Fourth and fifth round picks in the NFL on a Niners stack roster don't start and may not make the team. So you were really giving up two semi-premium picks for Christian McCaffrey. Again, the Niners roster, there's not a lot of room for late, fourth, and late fifth rounders to even make the team. So which is it, media? And this is where I think the media got lost in all this drama, is that running backs, depending

on the situation and the team have tremendous value. When I watched people rip the Detroit Lions drafting Jamir Gibbs, I understand the sense is that's a first round running back. But, sorry here. There we go. Breakfast. Jamir Gibbs had a great O-Lon in Detroit, guaranteeing he'd be good.

A quarterback in golf that's excellent and better in play action and a clever play caller. there was virtually no chance for Jemir Gibbs not to work in Detroit great O line top rated in the league veteran quarterback who with a little running game has gotten to Super Bowls and a clever offensive coach and by the way a coach and Dan Campbell that likes to run the ball

of course it hit he added production and value Christian McCaffrey when he went to the Niners brilliant coach whose dad loved to run the football whose son Kyle loves to run the football a very, very good offense, but so-so at quarterback. All quarterbacks are elevated by starbacks. And the other two offensive stars, Debo Samuel and George Kittle, were injury prone. So you needed another star.

People freaked out. Whoa, second, third, fourth, fifth. Which is it? Are they valuable or not? The idea that Christian McCaffrey is not worth a few. late round picks with Kyle Shanahan and so-so quarterbacks for one of the top brands in the league makes absolutely no sense. Running backs, it's just like you and me. Our value is based on the situation, on the company. Jamir Gibbs, you knew that was going to work. Christian McCaffrey,

you knew that was going to work. Do you know late third and fourth round picks are going to even make the team? Take a deep breath. You can't tell me running backs are extremely valuable in the media, and then look, who can't draft them in the first round. I set on the air at the time. Atlanta should draft Bejan Robbins, didn't I? Set it on the air. It was the best running back since Ladani and Tomlinson.

Block, catch, defend, or block, catch, run fast, run past you, run over you, totally coachable and never fumbled. It was a terrific, terrific pick. For a young quarterback, a young star running back. So Christian McCaffrey, proving once again in his career, running backs have value, they've always had value. What you don't want to do is the New York Jets. Levian Bell takes a year off, you have a terrible offensive line, and then you pay him a fortune. Of course, that's what the Jets did. But Kyle Shanahan, the front office of the Detroit Lions, proving.

The right situation. Running backs are high first rounders, absolutely worth it, and worth trading four picks. J-Mack, I'm getting very, very excited. I told you, my favorite prop is the under 47.5. I do think it's a fairly low-scoring game. I think the number's about right, 47 and a half, 48-5. But I do think it's a fairly low score.

I think we have a great defense in Kansas City versus a good quarterback, and I think we have a good defense against a great quarterback in Mahomes who's got limited weapons. It just says to me, low scoring. Yeah, I think that's the consensus chiefs in a low scoring game.

Have you found anybody yet that likes the night? Other than myself and I think one other guy here at Fox likes the Niners, that's it. Nobody seems to have any faith in Brock Purdy. It's almost the recency bias of the Niners' struggles in the postseason are really seeping into the mind of everyone.

Funny how that happens. They dominate the regular season, complete juggernaut, And now it's like, no, no, they look bad the last two games. Well, you know, playoff games matter more. Oh, yes. I have a great parlay for you this weekend, thanks to Draft King's Sportsbook. New users use the code herd, H-E-R-D when you download the app. It's quick and easy.

Now for my parlay pick, via the draft king sports book, I'll take the Chiefs plus two in the Super Bowl against the Niners and under 47.5 points. And Brock Purdy under one and a half touchdown passes, he'll have one, but it's a low-scoring game, I think they'll lean on Christian McCaffrey. You want to take the herd parlay, check out Draft King's sportsbook, new users. Code is Herd, H-E-R-D 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-Y 467-369. See show notes for full details. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all,

embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what 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 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 Podcasts, or wherever you get your Podcasts. I don't know when the word good became a pejorative, but it did on Brock Purdy. So that's always been my take. I think Brock Purdy's good. It's good.

I mean, if somebody asked me, what'd you and your wife do last night, and I said, we went out to dinner. How was it? It was good. Whoa, slander. You didn't like it? I thought it was good.

My wife came home and said, he said, how was your day, honey? That's good. Are you okay? Sit down. What went wrong? Good is not a pejorative. I think Brock Purdy's good.

But the athletic today had a story on Drew Brees and Brock Purdy comparing them. Oh, boy. The most accurate quarterback ever. Second all time and touchdown passes. Sixth highest passer rating ever. Top 10 quarterback last 25 years indisputably. Second all time in passing yards. By the way, touchdown, passing yard, just to Brady.

That's where we are with Brock Purdy. Instead of just being satisfied with my take, which was, that is good, that is not good enough. Colin, what does he have to do to prove you wrong? I don't know, not got outplayed by Jordan Love, have a complete game, one of them. Mahomes has had three good ones. He's yet to have one good one.

He's had occasional good drives. But I guess now good with quarterbacks just doesn't work. It's unreasonable. It's a hot take. So this morning, reading the Brock Purdy Drew Breescom, I thought to myself, and this is totally unique to FS1, I thought, let's do something that's never been done. How about we call it the Patrick Pyramid? And I will list what I believe is a reasonable based on talent, ceiling, overall play.

big games how much do you rely on the talent the coach how much is you so let's go to our Patrick pyramid Patrick's at the top of it nobody argues that I think the second level

Joe Burrow has beaten Patrick Mahomes in a playoff game only Brady's done that I think Josh Allen and Burrow are the closest that can go toe to toe in shootouts Joe Burrow hurt Alan may not beat Patrick has in the regular season.

Let's go to the third row. The third row to me are different players physically. Lamar, Herbert, and Stafford. Stafford, Patrick Mahomes now acknowledges he started copying Stafford the arm angles. Stafford, as we've noted on this show,

was on a heater last year for about 10 games. He was the best quarterback in the league for about two and a half months. I think Herbert, with Harbaugh, you're going to finally see the kid that broke all the rookie passing records. And I think Lamar Jackson for all the criticism, there's nothing like him in the NFL, he wins 76% of his games. The next level, and now it's inches not feet, is C.J. Stroud, who I think shows signs of being a top

five quarterback in the league. Jalen Hertz, in the MVP running, got to a Super Bowl, went toe-to-toe with Mahomes. Jared Goff, two conference championships, top five, six thrower of the football, and you know how I feel about Kyler Murray. They say the best high school quarter, quarterback in Texas ever got Arizona, poorly run Arizona, to the playoffs. Let's go to the next part of the Patrick Pyramid, the final, the foundational piece. Trevor Lawrence, number one pick, Dak Prescott wins 12 a year. Aaron's off an Achilles surgery, but he has to be somewhere in this list. I think Jordan Love had a remarkable 10 weeks, and then two has gotten MVP boats.

I don't think that's unrealistic. I don't have Kirk Cousins in there. who has been a B-plus quarterback for seven years. He doesn't make my list. Aaron's on the last piece. And the athletics got an article comparing Drew Brees and Brock Purdy. I'm sorry. I think he's good.

I think all those guys are better than just good. Kirk Cousins didn't make my pyramid, and I think highly of him. Here's Brock Purdy on the Drew Brees' comps. I think Drew Breeze, I've said it before, just in terms of his height and everything, I knew I wasn't going to be a big guy. And I loved Drew Breeze's footwork, his anticipation, his leadership. I'd seen clips of him and guys, you want to go to war with that guy. And so I looked up to Drew Breeze.

All right. He's good. It's not hate. He's good. Dinner was good. How was your day at work? Good. J. Mack down the hall after the show.

How do you think they show us today? Good. that's not a criticism. Great is really rare with anything. J-Mac with the news. No, no, no, no. Turn on the news. This is the herd line news.

That was the top five segment you've done since I joined the show. That was so good. So many awesome lines. The problem with the, hey, how was that restaurant? Good. What if that was a Michelin Restaurant based on the last year? It got graded as a Michelin Restaurant, Brock Purdy, the stats said he was the top five quarterback all season.

The stats did. Cullen, how was that Michelin Restaurant? Good. You'd be like, that's it? That Michelin Restaurant was just good. Well, he was the last pick in the draft. I view him closer to Chick-fil-A than Michelin Star. He's much closer to In-N-Out than Michelin Star.

And by the way, like Purdy, I like Chick-Firte and like In-N-Out. They're not a Michelin Star. It's good. Right, right. Okay, go to Mastro's Steakhouse around the corner in Beverly Hills. Yeah. That's high end. Peyton Manning, number one quarterback high school college pros.

That's Michelin. Chick-fil-A in and out. Good. I had... Chick-fil-A recently? Didn't even need sauce. A couple chicken fingers. It was good.

Wow. And by the way, I came in the next day and told you. I told the staff I went there. Hey, guys should go there. It's good. That's it. Brock Pretty's good. Okay, let's start with Andy Reid.

Colin, this story is a little bit under the radar, and he keeps dodging a certain question. Okay? Reed, is he going to retire? I think Mike Florio's been driving a lot of this from Pro Football Talk, but when Reid was asked about it, he referenced his parents' advice, who told him, you'll know when it's time. Reid added, somewhere you're going to know it's time.

Today's not the day. Well, why do we think he's... Very cagey responsible. He's not retiring. I don't know. The guy's been through a lot off the field family-wise. He's in his mid-60s. I thought that shot of him.

He looked good. He does look good. Nobody's denied. He does look good. And then everybody said, why would you leave Patrick Mahomes? Well, our staff looked it up here. Obviously, Bill Cowher left when he was kind of on top. That was a really surprising move, though, wasn't it?

And Mike Holmgren had Farrv. They had won a Super Bowl. He bounced. So it's been done before. Obviously, Mahomes is better than Big Ben and Fav. Well, no, but they're all great. So, no, there have been situations. I thought about a year ago, I saw Andy on the sidelines, and he looked gray.

And I thought for that day, I was like, is he okay? I reached out to people, somebody in the building, and I'm like, hey, how's Andy? But I think he looks good. I think he's happy. I think he's at the top of his game. This is something that people in all industries think about all the time. When's the right time? The right time probably isn't when Patrick Mahomes appears to be singularly the best

player in the world at his position. And I think Mahomes has added a dimension that I saw in the playoffs that's really important. Like he doesn't make mistakes now. Like he can dial it back. He doesn't need to prove to the world like in year two, three, and four. Or sometimes it's like, I don't care if you put too deep. I'm going after it. Mahomes has really figured out how to not just be a quarterback but play the quarterback

position. Game manage it. No, no, no. In fairness, Tony Dungey left Peyton Manning, though. Bill Cowher left Big Ben. It has happened. Oh, that's a good one. Tony Dungee. I forgot. So that it has happened.

I just don't see if somebody else has information. And I have people in the building I communicate with in Kansas City regularly. I have not heard it. Well, we wondered why Mike Vrable weirdly did not get a job this cycle when he's considered one of the better coaches out there, does more with less, wins as an underdog. And it's weird. And I had speculated, I think you were out that day, that I think Vrable would be a perfect.

Remember, he ended his season, his cruiser. career as a player in Kansas City, not with Reed, but if Rabel's out there, that's a good opportunity. Some people have said Matt Nagy, Eric B. Enemy now is currently, I believe, unemployed. So they'll have guys to fill in. I just wouldn't shock me if Reed said, you know what, I'm done. Like, NFL is, they had a long year in Kansas City. I know people are, lost. I know, people are, lost over, Colin. He's got a lot of things going on. A lot. So he's got a young GM, hard to give that up. A quarterback prime. He also has, something that's not discussed.

It's very, very hard to keep an elite coordinator in this league. But Spaggs did the head coach thing, failed. Oh, Spags, yeah. So Spags is arguably one, two, or three best defensive coordinator in the sport, and he doesn't have to replace him. It'd be one thing. Andy's had to occasionally replace an offensive coordinator. But that's Andy's side of the ball.

Like McVeigh's moved off, guys. It doesn't have any influence on the offense. It's when you have to keep replacing. placing the other side of the ball and you have a miss or two, Spags isn't going anywhere. The defense is young, cheap, and only getting better. He's not interviewing it. I think it'd be different if the defense was getting old. Like, you know, you can look at like a Philadelphia or like Philadelphia's got some old players leaving.

Outside of Travis Kelsey, who I think has, I think Travis has a year left and then he may, beyond Taylor Swift, he's had 10 surgeries, he's made a fortune, ads everywhere. I could see Travis Kelsey telling Andy Reid privately. and his brother, by the way, I think he said he retired. I could see both those brothers doing one more year and both retiring. Travis has had some surgeries. And don't forget the Chris Jones factor, the best defensive player, was a bit of a headache at the beginning of the season. Not anymore.

Sounds like he's going to be gone as a free agent. You're the Cadarius Tony nonsense. I just think there's a place. I can see somebody leaving. Like with Belichick, if he had not been let go, you don't have the quarterback right, you don't have skill people, you don't draft it particularly well, and you don't love your staff, then you leave.

Well, look at Nick Saban in college football. Like, come on, I'm rolling. Yeah, but NIL transfer portal. And George is the new kid on the block. Here come Texas, Oklahoma with bigger collectives than we have. I think Nick picked a perfect time. But nobody saw that coming, right? No, no, no.

People, I had a connection to Jimmy Sexton and his agent. Alabama felt last year that it was getting close. So that's why they had Kalin DeBoer earmarked. Remember I was on Twitter saying, Keep your eye on Kalin DeBoer. I was told a year ago it was getting close. The minute Nick resigned, I was told Kalin DeBoer was first or second choice.

They would call Sark because he was in the program and they had respect. They knew Sark wouldn't take the job. But Kalin DeBore was their first choice. Bama fans don't want to believe this. He was. So Bama, more than people think Greg Burns saw it coming. final thing. He's got nothing left to prove. Win or losers who roll. I said he's

on my Mount Rushmore for all-time coaches, top four. I don't know if you have him there. Bill Walsh, Belichick, Shula. I would put Andy Reid. There's arguments Joe Gibbs. Yeah. But I will push back on this. You think Andy Reid has nowhere to go. Let me throw this at you.

Because Andy has won with multiple quarterbacks. If Andy wins Sunday and wins one more, and that gives him four, And you look at how Belichick won with one player, Brady. Didn't win in Cleveland. At the end, it was a disaster.

Didn't win first year and a half with Bledsoe. That Belichick's wins are tied to a player. Andes aren't tied to anything. Super Bowl with McNabb, five NFC championships, Alex Smith playoffs, that I could make an argument that Andy Reid was never beholden to a singular player, that he was a better overall coach. Because remember, you can talk about championships. most wins. We've never said Don Shula is the best coach and he has the most wins.

So it's not a most wins. Belichick has more. That's not what it is. And you say, well, it's most Super Bowls. Is it for coaches? Why is Chuck Knoll never mentioned among the top coaches? Don Shula's considered more than Null. Nol's got the rings. So it's not just most wins or Super Bowls. You have to contextualize it. I think Andy Reid with two more. I have no problem saying that's the best coach. He and Bill Walsh are the best coaches I've ever seen. You know what that sounds like? Exactly my LeBron versus Jordan argument. Jordan here would be Belichick, LeBron would be Andy Reid, right? Jordan only won with his perfect setup with Pippin and Phil Jackson, and that was it, six years.

Before that couldn't win, after that couldn't win. Listen, I think that's a great argument you made. That entire thing lines up perfectly with LeBron. Don Shula has been considered here Chuck Noel gets talked about, but not in the elite category. Chuck's got all the trophies. Yeah. All right, let's get on to Kyle Shanahan regard as one of the NFL. best coaches. He's coached in two previous Super Bowls, both ended with brutal defeats.

Heading in the Sunday, Shanahan is eager to exercise his Super Bowl demons, just like his dad did before him. Remember I always seen my dad as a coordinator and stuff after those three Super Bowls when he was in Denver and I was younger and how hard it was on him. So I think any time you get that close and you lose it the last one, that's definitely the hardest. I've been able to coach in two Super Bowls and you lose either one of them, both of them were heartbreaking. So in terms of pain, I've broken my arm, my collarbone, a lot of things. So those are more painful, but those things last a while. But it's all about getting back there again, and that's what I'm excited for today. Yeah, he is just a fantastic coach.

He's going to be to many Super Bowls. Regardless of what happens, he's still an elite coach. He's going to be around for a lot. Name a coach that's gotten to this many Super Bowls now. Two now, two. Three, if you count the coordinator, without a superstar quarterback, especially in today's game. Matt Ryan was very, very good, won an MVP. No, that year, he was insane.

Yeah. No, I mean, you're a Shanahan guy, right? How could you not be? He's the guy's incredible. Final story is Dallas, where the Cowboys have a new defensive coordinator expected to be named by the end of the week. They've been busy interviewing candidates, according to Josina Anderson. Here are the names that are supposedly the finalists.

Ron Rivera, Mike Zimmer, and wait for it, Rex, Ryan. That's my God. You mentioned him. Last week in some capacity. I don't remember what it was. I would hire. I think Mike Zimmer feels a bit more current. But I think Rex Ryan...

How does Zimmer feel current? He's out of the league. Zimmer was a head coach very, very recently. Just a couple of years ago. I think Mike's excellent. He's getting close to 70. Rex brings it... Mike Zimmer's a good coach, but like Brian Flores,

there's a sense that he's a little rough. So don't make him a head coach. Put him on the defensive side. Zimmer's excellent. I think Rex Ryan, though, with Dallas, if we're in the interesting business, I like that he got an interview. And we're in the interesting.

Okay. Well, I mean, I think Rex Ryan to the Cowboys with McCarthy in his last year is fascinating. Just for the record, Seattle goes out and hires Mike McDonald's, I believe, 36. Atlanta goes out and hire as a head coach. A young guy in Rahim Morris, like a lot of these younger,

under 50 coaches are getting hired everywhere. And now Dallas is interviewing coordinators who are north of, you know, 55, 60, 65. Like, come on. I just don't totally understand what they're doing. here. Is McCarthy? What's the agenda, Colin? I don't get it.

Well, you're not going to get top of the food chain because McCarthy's viewed as a lame duck. So for Rex Ryan, for him to go get like a two-year deal, go back to TV. He's well-liked that ESPN. I think it's interesting. J-Mack with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Herd Lie News. Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd Weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m.

on Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the IHeart Radio app. Hey, gang, this is Jay Glazer, host of Unbreakable, a mental wealth podcast, and every week we will have on leaders from sports entertainment like Sean McVeigh, Lindsay Vaughn, Michael Phelph, David Spade, Guy Fieri, and also those who can help us in between the ears, anyone from a therapist to someone like Ed Milet or John Gorton. We've all been through some sort of adversity to get to the top. we've all used different tools. Listen to Unbreakable with Jay Glazer and Mental Wealth podcast

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

Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what 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 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 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. It's a win for fans and a win for football as the USFL and XFL merger is official. The United Football League will begin play March 30th with the USFL champion, Burman.

Hingham Stallions, taking on the XFL champion. Arlington Renegates, the United Football League this spring on ABC, ESPN, Fox NFS1. Spring just got stronger. Moose Johnson, he'll lead the football operations for the new UFL, Fox Sports Analyst, three Super Bowl rings joining us live from Las Vegas. A guy can get in trouble in Las Vegas, but I have this feeling, Moose Johnson would not get in trouble, and he is joining me live. He's been around the block.

He's going to bed early. Let's start with this. Three Super Bowls. So I imagine the first Super Bowl you were in was the youngest team. So when you look at San Francisco outside of Brock Purdy, there's not a ton of youth. It's a lot of veteran guys. I mean, Trent Williams, Debo, Kittle, Fred Warner, these are grown-ups. Kansas City's defense is Chris Jones.

He could babysit. It's kids. I think they're incredible. But go back to your first Super Bowl. When I imagine that was a younger cowboy team, were you more nervous? Did it get into your head? Go back to that if you could.

Yeah, the youngest team in the NFL at the time that season going up against the Buffalo Bills who were playing in their third Super Bowl in consecutive years. And I always remember this moment. We were a little bit nervous, but more kind of that good nervous, right? Excited, you know, not anxious. And when the Jets flew over, the Rose Bowl,

our sideline went nuts. And Buffalo, we looked across the field and it was just ho-hum here we go again here comes our third super bowl so i think when we took the field the emotion that our team had and that youth and that that greatness of you don't know what you don't know at the time really really helped us because if you remember we had a block punt and fell behind seven-nothing very early in that game and it was no big deal to us yeah what was jimmy johnson just like andy reed veteran coach is probably messaging the young kids you're that you're going to have energy coming out of your, you know, pores.

What was Jimmy's messaging for that first Super Bowl against that veteran Bill's team? The best thing that Jimmy did and our entire staff did was keep our preparation schedule as close to what we did in Dallas as they possibly could. There's obligations that you have when you get to the host city. But if we could keep it consistent as possible, the same as we had it when we were in Dallas, that was going to get us into that comfort zone.

And he was remarkable of doing that. He told the guys, hey, listen, if you go out on Thursday night, go out on Thursday night. Whatever you do week to week to get ready for the game, don't change this this week during the course of preparation. Yes, it's the Super Bowl, but we're going to approach this like just an ordinary game. Forget about the hype that's there. So Mahomes has been virtually perfect in the playoffs, and I think he's added a dimension to his game, Moose. He's always been hyper-talented, but he's really learning how to play the position. He just doesn't make mistakes in big spots.

He's much more willing to throw it away, complete stuff underneath. And that's the process of being a quarterback. Now, maybe Troy had that very quickly as a quarterback. But when I watch Mahomes, I'm like, man, he's growing up in front of us. He doesn't make more spectacular plays. He just doesn't make any mistakes. Do you think, let's go to your third Super Bowl. So now you're the vet.

You've been there. You're going for your third ring. Mahomes now. is a vet. His mindset going into this, your mindset, you're a grown-up, I think you're favored, you got two rings in your pocket, take me to your mindset in that week. Well, that was a different season for us, Colin. That was really challenging. That last Super Bowl that we won, we probably played some of the worst football all season long in the month of December, which is contrary to what you want to be doing. We had some things fall our way

on the final weekend of the regular season that allowed us, if we go out and beat Arizona, in Arizona, we can secure home field, we can be one month away from coming back to this exact same stadium to defend or to compete for a Super Bowl championship again. And so it was a really different mindset for us. We were really week to week at that point because we had just not had a lot of consistency.

It was one of those seasons where we started off really, really well, and then kind of faded at the end and then kind of got everything sorted out, very similar to what's happened to Kansas City this season. Yeah. They started out and played really well. They had that bump from October to Thanksgiving, and now they're playing good football again at the end of the year.

The knock on them was, listen, you've played really well in the postseason, but it's always been at Arrowhead. What are you going to do when you have to leave Arrowhead? To go win in Buffalo, to go win in Baltimore, those are huge, huge confidence builders for this team. And I think you're exactly right. When Patrick Mahomes had Tyree Kill and all that skill around him, He was very aggressive down the field.

He's adjusted to how he plays. He knows the mistake is going to be the thing that prevents the Kansas City Chiefs from winning the game. And I think that we hear this game manager style of football. That's exactly what the game manager is. He looks at his team. He assesses what's the best way for us to win. And Patrick Mahomes has been phenomenal at that this year. And the other area that I think he's really stepped up, I love his leadership through the entire season,

especially when they weren't playing well, when the receivers were dropping footballs, when there were things going on that were outside of his control, and yet he put it all on his shoulders and challenged his guys to get better. I think his leadership has been phenomenal this season. So you played in 16 career playoff games. You only lost four. I know I'm pressing your memory here, and we both have some gray hair. So I don't want to set you up to fail here, but here's the tough question.

Was of the four playoff losses for you, out of 16 games, was there a common thread in the losses? Was there something that almost always doomed you? Now, I don't remember if they were close or not. But when you only have four losses in 16 games, was that age? Was it injuries? Was it turnovers? Do you remember those losses?

Were they a collective or all totally different? I can't remember where I put my keys in my wallet, but I can remember every game I played. So here we go. Detroit in 91, just a young team. Didn't know what we didn't know. And we did not match up well against Detroit at the time. The silver stretch gave us fits.

They had beaten us pretty good in the regular season. They beat us worse in the playoffs. And I'm so happy that Detroit won a playoff game, because I don't have to hear about the last victory was in 1991 against the Cowboys. The second one is San Francisco in the championship game after our two Super Bowls. Played the worst six minutes of football that that group ever played. It was 21-0 after six minutes in the first quarter. we fought back

we almost got back into that game we could never get it inside 10 points I think if we did get it inside 10 points that we actually pull off a huge comeback from being down 21 I still say Dion Sanders interfered with Michael Irvin inside the 10 yard line that would have got us inside 10

we lost to to Carolina in 95 that was a team that was beat up we lost all our stars we were not healthy that game and then the last one was Arizona And that was just, you know, that team was starting to go down the backside of the hill. So it's youth and inexperience in a bad matchup.

And then it's just bad football and turnovers. The third one is injuries. And the fourth one is on the downside of a great dynastic team. So finally, I loved Mike Shanahan. Think he's a Hall of Famer, often duplicated, copied. I think Kyle's terrific. I'm such a big fan of Andy Reid. But I do.

I tend to root for coaches who I think are great. but have lost a lot of big games. Like after McVeigh went to that Super Bowl and it just had a bad performance, the next time I'm like, I want to see Sean win this thing, nothing against Burrow. Do you find yourself, is there a part of San Francisco

or as a former cowboy, do you love the misery that San Francisco's going through in these big game losses? No, no, I don't wish misery on anybody. And I've got too many people that I respect out in San Francisco that I would not wish that upon them. I would love to see John Lynch win a Super Bowl as a general manager. Kyle Shanahan is one of my favorite coaches to meet with during the course of the season.

If you ask him hard questions, he gives you great answers. He doesn't hide anything. It's a pleasure to sit down and talk with him. Steve Wilkes has been fantastic. I love to see Steve Wilkes get a championship. Andy Reid is quite possibly my favorite coach outside of the coaches that I've played for. I've never played for Andy Reid, but I think he's one of the greatest human beings, not just coaches, but one of the greatest human beings ever.

Andy would let me come up to Kansas City and spend three days with him in training camp when I was thinking about moving towards kind of a front office type position and sit in on all the meetings and get an opportunity to see how the Chiefs were functioning behind the curtain. And I've always cheered for Andy Reid, you know, whatever the setting is. So for me, this is going to be a fantastic game for me to watch because I'm going to be happy either way, whoever wins this game. And I think it quite potentially could be one of the better Super Bowls that we've seen in the last few years. and we've had some fantastic games.

I truly believe this could come down to, does Patrick Mahomes or Brock Purdy have the football in his hand on the last drive to win the game? Moose Johnson, he's going to be leading football operations for the new UFL quality guy. That made me laugh. You forget where you put your keys this morning, but you remember the losses.

You are a true football icon. I swear to God, you guys never forget. The wins blur. The losses stick with you forever. Moose, it's always great to see you. Thanks, man. Yeah. I talked about Troy with this one. Do you enjoy winning more, or does the hurt of losing bother you more than the joy of winning? And that's one way that Troy and I are wired the same way. A loss, we can't shake and a win goes away in five minutes. Well, that says a lot about your success post football as well. You know, you've got high standards.

Moose, great seeing you. Yeah, I remember covering years ago, the late Jerry Tarry, the late Jerry Tariff. Canaan at UNLV. He did not lose a lot. I mean, he was a regular season. He was winning 30 games. And I remember it was a moment I was sitting with him. I think it was at Tark's place. And he was just a celebrity everywhere in Las Vegas. And I got a moment just kind of between, and I was a young sportscaster. And I'm, you know, we were talking about winning and losing. And I said, what was your best win? And he couldn't remember it. And I said, what was your toughest loss? And he rambled for about six minutes at Santa Barbara. a time and he knew, it was like encyclopedic. And I'm like,

Park was a great coach. He remembered every loss. I mean, the, anything. The wins all sort of just blur together. Because he expected to win. That was his standard. I win. I'm paid not to lose. A lot like gamblers. A lot of sports gamblers I know myself. I can remember those losses. They sting. I had won this year. I remember I'm not a great sports gambler, but I had a doink this year. The Saints game where I lost it on a doink. Literally one inch, the ball goes in. Doink losses are tough.

Yeah. What about playing sports? Do you remember any big dubs? One. One. One. When you play in the rain, it's all muddy and blurry. I don't remember a lot of it.

But I had an over time. I never asked you, do you ever get any concussions when playing? No, I didn't run fast enough to have collisions of that magnitude. I plotted at best. All right, good stuff today. We got a show. Steve Young's going to be joining us next hour. We love that.

water that never runs out go tankless with navian right now new high efficiency tankless water heaters with local rebates that's good news find the name of your navian contact tractor at tankless made simple.com tankless made simple.com you will not believe what the chicago bears could potentially get for justin field i could not believe this hour two around the corner good stuff steve young too in L.A. It's the hurt. Another podcast from some SNL, late-night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and Friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier.

This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer, Streeter Seidel, help an a cappella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and Friends on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 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, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifers Show.

This is a place for raw, unfilled conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok podcast network on TikTok. This is an IHeart podcast, guaranteed human.