The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Hour 1 - The Cowboys are on the right track

Episode Date: December 11, 2023

Colin gives credit to Jerry Jones for the team he's built as the Cowboys are starting to look like real Super Bowl contenders He tries to diagnose the issues the Chiefs are having as they've now lost 3 out of their last 4 games Could Broncos HC Seay Payton win coach of the year?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Oh, here we go in a very, very busy Monday. Lots happening live in Los Angeles. It's the herd wherever you may be and however you may be listening. Thanks for making us part of your day on a Monday one hour from now where Colin was right, where Colin was wrong. There's plenty of both a big game Sunday, two Monday night football games tonight, but a big game Sunday. A lot of teams smushed in the middle.

It doesn't appear to be outside of the night. and maybe the Cowboys' great teams in the NFL. But interesting stuff happening in both conferences. Arguably the greatest weekend of the season for both of us, Colin, with the picks. And giving out winners left and right. And then, of course, we've got Bill's Cowboys next to me. Very spicy. Well, I'm trying.

I'm trying to think about something with the Cowboys I don't like. Daxo has been a good quarterback. he's having a great year. The offensive line, old and new players, really, really strong. Pass rush, ditto. Weapons, C.D. Lambs become a star, an emerging tight end star. And now they have a great kicker that never misses, which has taken a huge burden off late game field position and situational football with Mike McCarthy.

Just send out the kicker. He'll hit one from 59 yards. So it took Jerry Jones and Stephen Jones. it took him a while post-Jimmy Johnson to create a well-oiled machine, 27 years to be precise, but that's what they look like. You know, there's a lot of new owners in this league, and they're very, very impatient.

Jerry Jones is not. The Mike McCarthy hire, he kept believing in it. The move off Kellyn Moore, Jerry was talked into it, still defending, paying DAC big money, and getting rid of Zeke, 4-4. the only question now appears to be, can they beat the Niners? And they even have that sort of going for them, the revenge factor, after getting humiliated the first time they met in the Bay Area.

So the Eagles looked old and slow and a little lost offensively, and the Cowboys look fast and young and in their prime with an absolute laser focus on what they do well. Pass the football and rush the other quarterback. I said for years and years, I always thought Dallas was pretty good. And I was right. They're fans, the media, always claiming they were elite. And I was like, no, they'll be pretty good.

They'll a winning record. They're well run, not brilliantly run. They're well run. But I think they've turned the corner as a franchise. And again, with all these new, impulsive, rich, wealthy owners, fire, fire, fire, fire, fire, always got to be something new in the building. Jerry's been old school money. Jerry's like, I believe in my choices.

I believe in my draft picks. I'm going to mostly nibble occasionally and go get a Stefan Gilmore for a fifth rounder. But I believe in my coaches. I believe in my head coach. I believe in my quarterback. And I'm going to stick with it. And you know what? They've been right.

Dallas always felt like they had good players. Now they've got very good players, a handful of great players, and tremendous chemistry. The offensive line is a mix of old guys like Tyron Smith and new young players like Tyler Smith. They've got an old veteran quarterback and a new young star cornerback they got in the fifth round. They've got an old receiver. They've got a new receiver. They've got a new tight end. It's a mix of old and new.

And again, it goes back to for years and years. Jerry stuck with Jason Garrett and nobody liked it. But they won a lot of games with Jason Garrett. And then it's Mike McCarthy. And we were all upset with Mike McCarthy. And Jerry's like, no, we're going to tweak the staff. I'm going to get the best defensive coordinator, in my opinion. in the league. I'm going to stay with Mike McCarthy. I'm going to keep paying DAC. And Jerry's

not loyal to a fault. He moved off that linebacker, Jalen Smith. He moved off Zeke. But Jerry's always been more loyal than a lot of the new money. The David Teppers in Carolina, new coach, new quarterback, new picks, trade this, trade that. Jerry's always like, no, no, no. And Jerry and Stephen are risk takers. And they view themselves as as good talent evaluators. And today they get the last laugh. Most of the moves worked. Stephon Gilmore for a fifth round or it looks brilliant. He's great in big games. Brandon Cucks, we're like, oh, please, he's bounced around the league.

He's now becoming pretty important. That speed jumps out. That Tyler Smith, Cowboys have taken a lot of offensive linemen in the first round. A lot of teams won't. Tyler Smith now is excellent. Drawn Bland, that corner. You know, Trayvon Diggs goes down. We're like, oh, this is big trouble.

Not really. This fifth round kid is inexpensive and great. But I think a lot of it goes back to patience. I've talked about this a lot. Owners now are worth billions and billions of dollars, and so firing a coaching staff is a rounding air. Get a new quarterback. Fire a staff. Jerry is maintained.

He went a little longer with Garrett than you were comfortable with. He's gone with Mike McCarthy a little longer than you've been comfortable with. They've paid DAC a little more than you've been comfortable with. But that loyalty is starting to pay off. I always said for years, Dallas just loves their draft picks. but it does take longer for players, helps when they're in a stable organization. They've nibbled just enough at other players, Stefan Gilmore, Brandon Cooks, but it's mostly drafting, taking some risks.

They took CD Lamb. A lot of us, myself included, thought, you don't need a receiver. Well, he's become a star. Micah Parsons, that's a good pick. We'll see how it works. He's a star. They've taken offensive lineman, Tyrus Smith. Ooh, that's kind of a big risk, right?

Oh, he's become a star. So patience matters. These are young players, and you've got coaches trying to solve the riddle in the Rubik's cube of winning, and it takes time. And as crazy as we think Dallas and Jerry Jones are, they're actually a very stable franchise. They may not be the Steelers, but I'd argue the Steelers are loyal to a fault. Jerry's just loyal, not necessarily to a fault.

They keep winning. They stay relevant. Steelers now can't get the quarterback right. Dallas's quarterback's never played better. Steelers have a defensive coach. Cowboys have an offensive coach. Patience has mattered, and DAC has never played better. Dak has never looked better.

Dak has never held himself to as high standard as he is now, and he talked after the dominating win. I hold myself to super high standards. Yeah, if I play my best game, we're putting up 50 out there. I'm my biggest critic. I don't think I played. obviously not my best game I'm a completion's guy I want to get

completions I want to get it rolling there's a streak there that was I mean I don't know it felt like 7 to 10 or so that a few incompletions in a row but then we got it going we got it back going got it back on track so obviously did enough to win but I always want to be better

all right let's talk Kansas City they're the reigning dynasty and dynasties go in stages the first stage Patrick Mahomes was cheap the second stage, Patrick Mahomes is expensive, and the rest of the team needs to get cheap. That's where they're at, and the margins are shrinking. Now, we all acknowledge the NFL calls too many penalties, but the penalty they called

yesterday, if you really take a deep breath, you know, Cadarius Tony was off-sized. It wasn't particularly close. It's not particularly close. But this comes back to once you paid Mahomes the big money, you got to get cheaper elsewhere. And that means to get cheaper, you've got to get younger. and when you get younger, you make more mistakes. In Kansas, that he now beats themselves. Cadarius Tony, there's a reason the Giants got rid of him.

Young receiver, lines up off sides. Rishie Rice, young receiver, very talented, had a key fumble. So when Mahomes becomes the number one cap hit in the entire league, and that's what he is, you have to get cheaper elsewhere. That means you can't keep Tyreek Hill, and you can't keep left tackle Orlando Brown. What did Greg CoSell say last week? Patrick Mahomes does not look comfortable. He doesn't trust his tackles.

He didn't have to come out and say it. You don't have to come out and say a lot of things in life. They're true. So you don't have somebody as explosive as Tyree kill. You had to get rid of a very good corner. You moved him off to San Francisco, Ward. So that's the reality. Tom Brady's the goat for a lot of reasons.

One of them, beyond work ethic and talent, he was never a big cap hit relative to his talent. And so even in the NFL, you get what you pay for. And once you pay Chris Jones, he's worth it. Travis Kelsey, he's worth it. Patrick Mahom, he's worth it. You got to go bargain shopping.

Now, some of the bargain shopping has worked on defense, but a lot of the offensive bargain shopping hasn't worked. Look at Kansas City's last six games. They're averaging 19 points. That's what they are. Last year, they averaged 29. They were number one in the league. So they can't fall behind.

They don't finish drives. They make more mistakes. And we've been talking about this for 20 years. Drew Brees, didn't make a lot of money. Saints good. Took a lot of money, Saints not good. Redid his contract to be team friendly. Saints got good again and won a Super Bowl.

That's the way it works. Brady always understood that. So Mahomes is great, but he's now highly expensive. And you've got to get younger and cheaper. And younger and cheaper means more mistakes. But this offense, this is stage two of the diners. Stage two is Patrick's expensive, Kelsey's expensive and limping a lot. Chris Jones is really expensive.

We've got to find a replacement for that, but this year they don't have one yet. And some of their key young pieces defensively are hurt, and the young receivers keep making mistakes. Stage two of the dynasty. Remember stage one? Tom Brady's cheap, a lot of rings. Tom Brady, more expensive, Randy Moss years. Super Bowls, no rings. Then at the end, Tom got more rings.

it goes in stages. This is stage two. And stage two can get very frustrating. And you start blaming people outside of your control. And Patrick Mahomes after is blaming the pinstripes. Just in that moment, I mean, it's not even for myself or for me. It's just I know how much everybody puts into this game. And for it to happen on the flag change the outcome of a game in that moment, I mean, I've played.

I mean, I've played seven years, never had that, never had offense all sides called. I mean, that's elementary school. We talk about, I mean, you point to the ref, do all that different type of stuff, and it doesn't get called. And if it does, they warn you, and there was no warning throughout the entire game, and then you wait that there's a minute left in the game to make a call like that. It's tough, man. It is, and it's highly infrequently called in previous years.

it's getting called more this year. But I don't think a veteran-wide receiver would have lined up there. Tony did. He's young. It's why the Giants bailed on him. He was immature, flaky, not trustable. Tony, for the Chief, just cost him a game. He's got a lot of drops earlier in the year.

Could have cost him a game. This is part of dynasties. And it's tough. And you win all these close games for years, and now you're starting to lose these close games. They'll reboot. I still think they're okay, but the margins are tiny. The AFC now does not have a great team.

They've got several good ones. Teams like Denver feel like they're hot. Teams like Kansas City feel like they're not. They're all smushed together. Doesn't mean they can't win the AFC, but it doesn't look and feel like it did in stage one. All right, Jay Mack, uh, Dack is humming.

San Francisco looks amazing. I still don't like Buffalo despite the win. Yeah. They had a very good early, but they don't throw the ball down the field. Stefan Diggs has disappeared. I thought you were a little soft on the Chiefs there. Like Patrick Mahomes crying to the refs, going after the ref on the sideline, they're coming apart at the seams right now.

This Chief's team has some big problems, man. I know Mahomes doesn't want to go off on his receivers for the drops. Tony had a drop on the sideline earlier in the game, and Nancy Romo kind of made some comments about it. But Kansas City has real problems. They're not scary at all. Remember when Mahomes would get the ball late, you're like, automatic touchdown. Right.

It's just not happening. Now, now, it should be duly noted that most Super Bowl teams have a scary quality. They look more like San Francisco and Dallas. Not all Super Bowl teams. We also know that Brady's Super Bowl team didn't get good until the late season by, so they can look a lot of different ways. I do think one thing that helps Kansas City is we came into this season thinking the AFC was stacked at the top. Well, the truth is the NFC looks much more.

better at the top. San Francisco and Dallas absolutely look like the two best teams in the league. The AFC teams, they may have more good teams. There is no great team. Quarterback injuries. Yeah, I mean, Baltimore, but again, they were very fortunate to win that game yesterday at home. The Kyle Hamilton injury will see. But who are you more worried about right now going forward? The Eagles or the Chiefs? The two teams who were in the Super Bowl last season. Okay, that's a great question. Both are not the same teams. Once again, Philadelphia, new offensive coordinator, it's not the same offense, had to move off some defensive pieces.

That's not the same defense. Oh, their defense can't stop a nosebley. But I still have a lot of trust in that locker room. Kansas City, young receivers, you know, their defense is banged up and young. So I think both Philly and Kansas City could use a layup game, kind of a deep breath. I mean, Philadelphia has played Dallas, Kansas City, San Francisco, Buffalo, Dallas. Like, that's a...

Philadelphia, they don't get it this week. I think they play on Monday, so they get an extra day with Seattle. Philadelphia could use a buy. They look exhausted. The Chiefs do get kind of a layup. They get the Patriots in it. They were double-digit favorites, but early money on the Patriots down at nine and a half. I like Kansas City.

Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific. on Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the IHeart Radio app. 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 you're saying. Yep, that's me, Clivert Taylor the 4th.

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

The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast, it's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me, or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to the Clivert Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you at your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Hey, this is Robert from the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Joe and I are both lifelong Star Wars fan, so we're celebrating May the 4th with a brand new week of fun, thought-provoking Star Wars-related episodes. Join us as we tackle science and culture topics from a galaxy far, far away, such as the biology of

tontons and wampas on the ice planet hot, or the practicality and corporate business sense of the Sith rule of two. Listen to Stuff to Bole Your Mind on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. So, you know, I was thinking about this this morning is that, um, patience. This is year eight for DAC. And right now I'd vote him MVP. This is his best year. He's gotten very good pre-snap. That matters. Tom Brady, you know his first MVP year? He was also age 30. Age 30 for Peyton Manning, his first Super Bowl win at Indy. Age 30 for Drew Brees, Saints won the Super Bowl.

It was arguably Drew Brees' best year. In this ongoing pursuit to find the next great Mahomes or Lamar Jackson or Josh Allen, some guys who aren't as athletically gifted need time to bake instability. brains, decision-making. That's what Dak gives you. Josh Allen, Mahalms, Lamar Jackson are so physically gifted. It's a cheat code. They can win sooner, just on gifts.

But Dax never had the big arm. He's never flown around the field. A speed demon. He's more Brady and Breeze. He can beat you pre-snap. So he needs help. He needs stability. He needs time to refine his game.

And again, as I said in the opener, Mike McCarthy's a good mentor for that. He's dealt with Aaron Rogers. He probably appreciates that Prescott. So for the athletically gifted, they can win very often and very early post-snap. But that stability, that ability to have the same left tackle. And now C.D. Lamb, multiple years. And the same two coaches, both offensive for Dallas.

And again, Jerry may be a risk taker, but Dallas provides a lot. lot of stability. It's old money. So go look, and this is what's great if you're a cowboy fan. This is sustainable. We all kind of view DAC as, okay, this is his best year. But what's after? Drew Breeze, 10 of his 13 Pro Bowls,

after 30. Peyton Manning, all four Super Bowls, 30 years old and later. Montana, both MVP's age 33, age 34. Brady, all three regular season MVP's once he turned 30.

Steve Young's best years, after 30. Now, Steve Young was more athletic than the other guys. Great pocket passer eventually, but super hyper athletic, the left hand are running around. But again, it's all very sustainable. Dax's not running around. He doesn't have to carry

the franchise on every play. you think it's all about early. No, it's not. 30 is a key year for Brady and Breeze and Manning, Montana, Steve Young, and now Dak Prescott. And remember, these freak athletic quarterbacks, Mahomes is a bit of an exception. They generally don't win the Super Bowl. It's the pre-snap stuff. It's the stuff that Brady talked about a month ago, and everybody reacted or overreacted to.

chess, not checkers. Even Brady didn't already start playing chess until about 30. I can remember as Brady aged, he was in his 30 somewhere, and he talked to Jay Glazer and he's like, I've seen everything now. You can't fool me. He didn't say that at 26. He didn't say that at 28 in his athletic prime. It was closer to mid-30s.

So this DAC thing is this Breeze thing, is this Manning thing, is this Brady thing. If you can stay healthy and you can do your damage before the ball is snow, This is what it could look like for DAC now and for quite a while. Here was Jerry after the game on his quarterback. I thought this was a monumental game for him tonight. Everybody that follows the NFL and follows sports, knew that he had a lot of expectation as to how he was going to perform and how he was going to meet this challenge.

there was the ever overhang of well did he do it in the right situation and did he do it with the right competition and I don't mean to sound condescending that's fair well he

he did it tonight and did it in a very efficient way against as good as we'll play yeah but again you know it is interesting when you start looking at who wins the Super Bowls now you think Mahomes now but Josh Allen can't get there and Lamar's yet

to get there it's a lot of guys that do their damage pre-snap. And Dak is a real grown-up. He's been much more mature than the average person of his age for a long time. In fact, his intangibles have always been better than the arm and the moving. But when you watch Dallas now, they don't get in trouble a lot. And a lot of what makes great quarterback play is stuff you can't hear or see. It's the chess part that Tom Brady talked about.

And Dak is playing at that high level. J-Mack with the news. No, no, no. Turn on the news. This is the herd line news. MVP, you know I was going there. So you want to know who I bet MVP today? I already have a purdy ticket from way earlier.

Keep an eye on Lamar Jackson. Now, he had a monster game yesterday. We'll get into it. I do want to point out the schedule. Remember, these national TV games are huge. Look, Dax now the favorite after Sunday night football. On Christmas, Lamar Jackson against the 49ers. And then a week later on New Year's Eve, Lamar versus the Miami Dolphins for the number one seed.

If Lamar wins both those games, he's going to be your MVP. Would you agree? I think, I think DAC has taken a lead. I think DAC is playing really well. Not how to start. It's how you finish. And DAC doesn't have Brock Purdy's weapons. C.D. Lamb is terrific.

The voters are not looking at that. They're looking at the stats and the wins. Historically, number one seat. That's who pulls it off. Lamar's could be number one. Anyways, all right, let's get rolling here. Let's start with Ravens Rams. What a game. This was maybe one of the games of the year.

Here we go with the walk-off punt return by Tylin Wallace, who is the former Oklahoma State Kid. He had a rough injury history, second-year player. Colin, here's the best part of the punt return. He was the backup to Duvernay who got injured in this game, and they're like, Tylin, go in, and he makes his play now. We talk about handicapping all the time. I overlooked this, but the Rams were dead last in special teams. DFL in special teams.

and they give up a punt return walkoff at the end of the game. I got to tell you something. We both think Baltimore is special. I love everything about the Ravens. I think they're one of the... They've really surpassed the Steelers to me in terms of quality of organization. Pittsburgh is so loyal to a fault.

Baltimore is much more willing the Ravens to reorganize the chess pieces, take bigger risks. Pittsburgh hasn't been relevant in forever. I always feel like the Ravens are relevant. Every year, they're just willing to take big. swings on O'Dell Beckham and a new coordinator and I just love the way Baltimore is classic old school with an eye on being progressive in the future. Pittsburgh can't quite

figure that out. But I'll say this. For most of that game, my entire takeaway was Sean McVane needs to get coach of the year votes. We had a, the whole offense is banged up. Nobody's healthy. Let me just two more good things. So one on the Ravens, not great news. Marlon Humphrey was getting cooked. These are top corner. I mean, roasted by Puka and Cooper Cup. And number two, this Kyle Hamilton injury, we don't know the severity. He's been great. Doesn't look good. He's been phenomenal, the Notre Dame kid.

Now we need to say something. Oh, oh, one other note. So Lamar Jackson, three touchdown passes over 20 yards. The chunk plays were there, but down to down did not look great. They were like four for 12 on third down. But let's be sputtering in the red zone. True, true. It was raining. But it was crappy weather. And the other thing is Stafford played very, very well yesterday.

But Stafford doesn't give you the explosion plays as often as Lamar does. So you have to bake in that Lamar gives you a special level that 99% of the players don't. So he doesn't have to be as consistent. I think it's consistency's gotten better over the last four or five years. I love him as a player. But I feel the same way. Lamar Jackson to me is Josh Allen. I'm not looking for perfect because he makes otherworldly plays that nobody else can make.

Now, yesterday, Stafford and Lamar. I mean, you were looking at $50 million quarterbacks. It was like those guys, with all these backups in the league, Stafford and Lamar Jackson yesterday, that was a great. Remember we talked about it last week? I said, the game on Fox to keep your eye on is the Ravens Rams. This could be really interesting. It was three and a half hours of great television.

Let's remember. Ravens were coming off a by, sloppy weather, and the Rams had like 400 yards of offense, five trips to the Red Zone. I think the Rams can make the playoffs. No, no, they can make some noise in the playoffs. They're probably going to give a scare to somebody in the first round. I heard maybe the call of the day the Rams announcer on a Stafford touchdown late. He goes, Stafford is playing like an ellipsis.

Dot, dot, dot, because he's throwing all these perfect paths. I was cracking up. Yeah, a great game from Stafford, and I will admit Rams fans, I was wrong. I thought the Rams would be rebuilding. McVeigh deserves all the props. He's been phenomenal. McVeigh and Stafford together are really, really special. L.A. is very lucky because what they're doing...

And the defense, by the way. Got to give it up. I know Ravens. Reim Morris. Yeah, they look good. One of the coordinators that. Aaron Donald and kids. I think you called the kid.

Is it young on the defense? He's living in the back field. Like he's a, that's a great pick. All right. Let's get to more positive news. The New York Jets. Get a W.

Zach Wilson. Looks like he's going to make some money as a backup quarterback next year somewhere. This is his best game as a pro. Listen, in the rain. I'll give you my thoughts on in a second. But, listen, 27 completions. 301 yards, two touchdowns, error-free football. Robert Sala spoke glowingly about Zach Wilson afterward.

The second half, I thought Zach probably played the best game of his career, just the off-schedule stuff, the timing and rhythm and getting the ball out to where it needed to get to, being aggressive but smart at the same time. I mean, he's out there having a good time, and he made a lot of things happen that weren't there. So hats off to him. I thought he was outstanding today. I thought he would just, you know, he was one of these things. You know how I've compared Justin Fields and Zach Wilson, both had great games yesterday.

Sometimes they're reluctant to let it rip. Just let it go. But when can you do that when there's no pressure on you? He doesn't care. You know what? There was a report that the Jets, now it's a report, I don't know the credibility, that the Jets told Zach Wilson, we will trade you after the season. Colin, maybe you can get Diana Rossini to confirm this.

Did the Jets say, listen, I know you don't want to go back out there, Zach? We treated you crappy. The fans hate you. The locker room. Just please go out there and try your best. We will trade you in the offseason, whatever you want. Just go out there. Because he did not want to play.

Remember, he didn't want to go out there. I'll tell you, the team that's very interesting to me is Arizona, because like Kyler, he can move and he's got a beautiful arm, is that he put that kid back out west where he's by his family. Dome. Where, by the way, they'll need a backup because Kyler moves around, gets banged up. You know, I love Kyler. I think Arizona's the place for him, and I think he would be,

and again, you saw it yesterday. He and Justin Fields, it's not that they don't have talent. I mean, the kid moves well. He's got an easy thrower. It's just this, a lot of this stuff is upstairs. Guys get nervous. They get criticized. One plays in Chicago.

Very loud market. One plays in New York. If you go play in Green Bay or Buffalo, the media is, they don't have the fangs. So here's a Chicago kid with talent. Here's a New York kid. Talk radio. And, you know, the NBA players tell you, this stuff gets in your head. Send Zach to Arizona.

Get a pick. Nobody there talks about him. and then he can reboot his career, but yesterday it was fun to watch. It's not out of the realm. Baker Mayfield's enjoying a pretty damn good, what is this? His fourth act in the NFL, third or 14? And he's more mobile than Baker Mayfield. Oh, yeah.

I mean, I think he's more toolsy than Baker Mayfield. I don't think anybody would argue that, right? Zach Wilson can make like any throw in the book. Yeah. It's just the basics that he doesn't. He escaped Will Anderson on a pass-lust. And through a dart, I was like, this guy can play. Yeah.

But Robert Solent, did you notice how he was like very monotone? it almost looked like he knows he can go home and tell his wife we don't have to sell the house, we're not moving Zach Wilson just saved my job and I think for now I think he's they needed this win. I wish the league would look at Jerry Jones who everybody rolls their eyes

but he is old money Jerry stayed with Jason Garrett two to three years longer than anybody wanted. Fair. Okay and Mike McCarthy we were all done with him he stayed with him. We've had reservations about Dak Prescott. You know Jerry's the old money

he's like, I don't want to make moves. New money gets impatient. So it's like firing Robert Sala is not the answer. Go get a second round, third round pick for Zach Wilson, get Aaron a left tackle, get another receiving weapon, go back to the offensive line, you'll be fine. I will just point out Jet's defense was great, but this was the rain.

Nico Collins went down. They didn't have Tank Dell, no Dalton Shultz. It just fell apart. That Stroud concussion does not. I know it's, all these people are joking. hey, late in the season, concussions become, hey, we're going to look the other way, get in there, we've got to make the playoffs. That did not look good for stress.

And also, but let's not discredit the Jets because of bad weather and injuries. That's called the NFL. The Rams and Ravens played in bad weather. Part of the NFL is you've got to be able to play in December and January, and injuries happen. So you can't just say, well, the Jets won because. No, the Jets won convincingly. Well, it was zero, zero at halftime. Let's not go overboard.

Zero, zero at halftime. That's right. Yeah. And the Vikings and Raiders were zero at halftime, and the offense is now. never caught fire. The Jets deserved credit for playing a great second half. All right. Final story. We're wrapping up Victory Lap Monday here. Colin Cowherd on Friday. Listen, if people want to bag on you on the internet, that's fine, I bag on you. But when you nail it like you nail the Otani Dodgers story. I mean,

Colin, it was official. Ten years, $700 million. The majority of the deal is said to be deferred so the Dodgers can build around Otani and win now, a move that was Otani's idea. It is the largest contract in MLB history by a mile. Mike Trout had signed a 12-year $426 million. This was always going to happen. Otani didn't because he was growing to the cross-town rival Dodgers. Otani didn't want to make it obvious. He and his camp wanted to make it look like there were several suitors

and were considering a lot of options. Otani made his mind up a year ago. And the Dodgers moved off, Bellinger and Turner and Kershaw got a short deal. The Dodgers started creating a cash reservoir a year ago. They talked about Otani two years ago in the organization, but they didn't want to make it look obvious like they're poaching. And the Angels and Otani, you know, Otani wanted to be sensitive because the Dodgers and the Angels are rivals.

So you don't want to be like, hey, I'm splitting the date and your ex. It was like, hey, this is a hard decision. I want to consider the Angels. But to me, this thing was, the wheels were turning on this thing. Then all of a sudden you get all these, oh, Toronto. So what did I say Friday? You nailed it. You got to give you credit.

This thing was Dodger, destined to be the Dodgers for a year. And by the way, there's nothing wrong with that. But a lot of people were sensitive. The Dodgers didn't want to seem like the big bully that steals the Angels player. The Angels, O'Tonnie didn't want to look like he had been not concentrating on Angels baseball during the season. So there's a lot of stuff here. You wanted to do it in a classy fashion. And then when Dave Roberts sets up publicly, the Dodgers scolded him.

Because I think the Dodgers thought, hey, we've got him. Don't screw it up. This was one of your best calls. And just so the audience knows, like, we can make fun of each other every now and then. Every now and then a squirrel finds a nut. So good job, Colin. Well done. Nice to know.

J. Mack with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Hurd Lie News. Just because I consider Sean Payton a friend doesn't mean he shouldn't win coach of the year. Blazing Five, Sean Payton Love, and what do we make of the bills today? What do we make of them?

We'll talk about it. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific. Pauli Fusco here with Tony Fusco. Yo, of course you know us as the host of the number one rated show in all the sports talk, the Pauley and Tony Fusco show. Yeah.

Now, the suits at Fox Sports Radio gave us this air time because they wanted us to tell you how great our show is. Why? Yeah, instead of us doing that, let's just let our millions of fans do the talking. Yeah, play the tape. You don't know crap about sports. Why am I even own this crap? Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.

That's the wrong tape. Wrong tape. Just forget that. Look, listen to the Pauli and Tony Fusco show on the iHart radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential.

Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win.

Yep, that's me. Clever Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the 6th. 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. 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. Hey, this is Robert from the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Joe and I are both lifelong Star

Wars fan, so we're celebrating May the 4th with a brand new week of fun, thought-provoking Star Wars-related episodes. Join us as we tackle science and culture topics from a galaxy far, far away, such as the biology of taun tons and wampas on the ice planet hot, or the practicality and corporate business sense of the Sith rule of two. Listen to stuff to bowl your mind on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Sunday, we got a huge doubleheader on Fox. First Patrick Palomes and the Chiefs take on the Patriots or other regional action. Then in America's game of the week, Jack, Prescott, and the Cowboys take on Josh Allen and the bells.

Check for the games in your area Sunday on Fox. Oh my gosh. Have you bet that one yet? We both had a winning week. We feel very good. Second best week of the season for me, large financial windfall. But that game, you need to bet it today. Tell me, you know the side, right?

Yeah, I know the side. Okay. I'm fired up. So are the Buffalo Bills better today? Do I feel better about the Buffalo Bills today? Not really. The clock management at the end of the game was horrific. Stefan Diggs has disappeared.

Gabe Davis didn't have a catch. But Josh Allen is so gifted. He's like Big Ben Plus. Several levers better than Cam Newton, who maybe the best college player ever seen. Complete and passes falling down. Buffalo is completely utterly reliant on one player. He is Atlas holding the world of the bills above his shoulders.

There is no team in this league that is as dependent on a singular player as Buffalo is on Josh Allen. It's like Cam Newton and Carolina, though Josh is much better, that won an MVP at 26 and then never made a Pro Bowl after that. Too many shots, too much of a burden, had to carry too much. And again, Josh Allen is going to be fine for the next three or four years. but you do wonder how this thing ages. I mean, it is a lot of post-snap, running for your life, making plays happen. And Buffalo is the oldest team in the league. So as Josh starts making, I mean, Josh Allen's cap hit goes through the roof next year.

Well, all of a sudden you have to start peeling back on those old veteran players, and he's going to be asked potentially to carry a larger burden of the Buffalo bills. So I hope I'm wrong on this, but I feel like this is not going to end well. in about four more seasons. He's going to be 31, 32, and you're going to say, he kind of looks like he's aging. He's just carrying the franchise. And Buffalo now is 7 and 6, not a playoff team,

bunched in with the Bengals and the Texans and the Broncos. And I feel much better about the Broncos today. They're not absolutely carried by one player. So I don't think it's getting better. I think Sean McDermott's a good man who had a very, very bad week, and that happens. And as we know about social media, everybody loves to jump on the avalanche and bury people.

The 9-11 stuff, it was a miss. We know that. And that clock management at the end of that game was a mess, and he still can't deliver a running game, and Stefan Diggs has disappeared. I love watching Buffalo. I worry they're just wasting Josh Allen's best years, but he was defending his coach yesterday.

This week wasn't easy. It wasn't easy for Coach McDermott. You can question a lot of things about coaching style. You can question a lot of things about my decision-making. You can question a lot of things about this team. But to question his character and who he is, his man, there's no, he's one of the better humans on this planet, how he carries himself. And, you know, we saw it for what it is.

We're just trying to focus on winning each week, one game at a time. All right, top of the hour, right, Colin wrong. I want to talk Broncos. This is one of the best in-season coaching years I've ever seen. I said Friday, coaching mismatch, take Denver to win. Utter coaching mismatch. So we all know, you know, I know, Jason, we all know. It's a quarterback league.

But it really helps to have a smart offensive coach. Ask Jared Goff in L.A., Tua in Miami, Brock Purdy in San Francisco, and ask Russell Wilson. Russell's career was in jeopardy three, three and a half months ago. Sean Payton has taken an older, not ideally sized, very unique, expensive quarterback, and has taken him from washed to highly effective and a passer rating around 100. Meanwhile, the Seahawks who bailed on him are now in a free fall. D.K. Metcalfe out of control, though I love him, they don't really have a quarterback for the future. They've lost four straight games, and they just thought it was the right move.

Maybe it was for Seattle. But I'd rather be Denver today with Sean Payton and Russell Wilson than a defensive coach and Gino Smith and Drew Locke. It's always felt my entire adult life. It's felt like it's kind of a 70-30, quarterback's the most important, coach is about 30%. And we've seen that with Belichick and Brady. but the Broncos were such an absolute mess that coaching became more crucial. This may be a 70-30 coach quarterback or at least 50-50.

This is an extreme makeover quarterback edition. It is an absolutely marvelous in-season coaching job. Denver does all the things. They're not great. They're not Dallas. They're not stacked. They're not San Francisco. They don't have them a homes.

But they get first downs, take away last week. it over. Their quarterback makes one or two brilliant plays a game. Their quarterback is mobile. They don't make a ton of mistakes. They've got a linebacker in Singleton. They've got somebody in the back end, Simmons. They've got a top corner. They get a good enough pass rush.

They have running backs who run hard and don't fumble. Cortland Sutton's a playmaker. You just look at Russell Wilson right now. Those numbers, he is top five or six in the league. And if you look at Denver schedule, Detroit next, reeling. Then New England. reeling, then chargers, reeling, then Raiders, not very good.

7 and 6, 8 and 6, 9 and 6, 10 and 6, 11 and 6. So nobody's patient anymore. It took a month and a half to figure this nonsense out. They were 1 in 5. But Denver now is 7 and 6. The schedule works in their favor. They're actually very healthy. They got their left tackle back.

They've got a brilliant coach. This is who they are now. they're not the one in five team this is what they are this is what they give me virtually six of the last seven weeks and russ talked about it after we're in a horse race you know and you know you're you're midway to the third you know three quarters of the way through and you got to finish the last quarter strong the truth is our season we're five and one over the past six weeks now now six and one you know and that's we kept telling the guys they we kept you know talking about that I kept telling the guys early in the week you know that's the

reality that's the truth over the past you know, seven weeks, you know, now we're six and one. I think that there's great belief. I told the guys in the huddle before the last knee, stay humble and hungry. Let's keep going. We're not even at our best yet. You know what's interesting about Russell Wilson's career. So I remember the first time I watched him, I was on the couch,

and I texted a friend who's a college football announcer, and I said, who's Russell Wilson for North Carolina State? Because the announcer had said, yeah, he plays baseball, and I'm like, who is this guy? He was great. Coach bailed on him. goes to Wisconsin. NFL draft, people bail on him, despite having absolutely profound numbers at Wisconsin, goes third round, and that he's great. And then Seattle bails on him. And he goes to Denver.

And everybody, including myself, kind of bailed on him after Nat Hackett. And now he's good again. Russell Wilson's journey has been about production and doubt. And then production at Wisconsin, but doubt in the draft. And then Seattle, production and then doubt. And then he goes to Denver, and it's flipped. It's doubt back to production. So this is part of his journey. And I got to tell you, I love watching Bronco games. I think they're well coached. It's not always pretty, but I kind of know what I get every weekend.

And this feels, like I said about Green Bay last week in the NFC, this feels like a late producing team that's going to make the playoffs. Colin Wright, Colin Wrong next. Another podcast from some SNL late-night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and friends. me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier.

This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer, Streeter Seidel, help an a cappella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and friends on the 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, this is Robert from the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Joe and I are both lifelong Star Wars fan, so we're celebrating May the 4th with a brand new week of fun, thought-provoking Star Wars-related episodes. Join us as we tackle science and culture topics from a galaxy far, far away, such as the biology of tauntons and wampas on the ice planet hot, or the practicality and corporate business sense of the Sith Rule of Two.

Listen to Stuff to Bole Your Mind on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an IHeart podcast. guaranteed human.