The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Hour 1 - The Dodgers were dominant last night

Episode Date: October 18, 2024

Another dominant win by the Dodgers taking a commanding 3-1 lead in the NLCS and Colin shares the most impressive part of their run through the playoff so far The Saints were simply out coached by the Broncos last night Thoughts on Troy Aikman's critical comments about the Cowboys seasonSee 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. 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 Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered 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 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. On the Look Back at it podcast.

From 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84 is big to me. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a year, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. With our friends, fellow comedians, and favorite authors. Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s. 84 was a wild.

I mean, it was a wild year. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year.

Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, what's good, y'all? You're listening to Learn the Hardweight with your favorite therapist and host Care Games. This space is about black men's experiences, having honest conversations that's really not safe to have anywhere, but you're having them with a licensed professional who knows what he's doing. How many men carry a suit are armored.

It signals to the world that you not to be played with. And just because you have the capability that does not mean that you need to. Listen and learn the hard way on the AHA Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. 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 SportsRadio.com or stream us. live every day on the IHeart Radio app by searching Fox Sports Radio or FSR. You're listening to Fox Sports Radio.

All right, here we go. It is a Friday, and we are ready to roll blazing five of a winning week in one hour 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. J. Mack had a lot of stuff moving last night, dramatic loss for the Yankees, no drama in the Dodgers, Sean Payton's homecoming. Wow, that wasn't competitive. That guy can coach. Are you ready for a Friday show? I think we called that Denver. We just given out money on the show, right? Denver was a layup, folks. Hope you got it. Did. Well, let's start with this.

You do not need to be a baseball savant to see that the Dodgers have really, really great players. The Mets, with maybe one exception, have good players. This series is over. Well, not officially. It will be today. It is a complete and utter talent mismatch. 9-0, 8-0, 10-2. They were doing it last night without Freddie Freeman.

No biggie. Hey, Mookie Betts, go get four hits. The Dodgers scored 10 runs last night and still left 12 runners on. The Mets are struggling to get them out. It's the Avengers against a romantic comedy. It's not the same economy. The Dodgers' last six playoff games, 31 plus 31 run differential. And again, that's without an entire starting rotation on the shelf and an entire bullpen on the shelf.

But the Dodgers are also a great reminder and a great life lesson for sports and life. Even the most talented, even the biggest payroll, will have obstacles to overcome. I mean, Tom Brady severed his throwing hand before a playoff game. Michael Jordan, the flu game. Patrick Mahomes, back-to-back Super Bowls with a kind of weak wide receiver core. Even the greats have obstacles. But they overcome them. That's why they're the greats.

The Dodgers are a classic example. Forget all the pitching injuries. They lost their shortstop against the Padres. Another injury. So they take their. center field or Tommy Edmonds, hey, can you go play short? Yeah, you bet. He's hitting 412. And then they have Kiki Hernandez who was on the playoff roster. They said, hey, can you go play center field? Okay, I'll do that. He's hitting 353. Everything is working.

Their trades work, their minor league system calling up the occasional player works, injuries, they're fine. I mean, Kike Hernandez was not even really scheduled to play much in the playoffs. And he now has. has 15 postseason home runs. That's one. I think that's one behind Aaron Judge. Okay, so, I mean, good luck to the Yankees. The Mets, it's over.

They can't compete. Oh, I forgot Max Muncie. He's gotten on base 12 consecutive at bats. I mean, this is nothing the Mets can do about it. Francisco Lindor, great player. A bunch of good players. I mean, the backups for the Dodgers, guys that were on the playoff roster, not scheduled to play, or hitting 350.

Center fielders moved to short. You think they'd be a bit distracted. No, I'll hit 412 with a bunch of RBIs. Here's Dave Roberts, after. I love the way that our guys haven't let off the gas. We don't want to give these guys any momentum, and we feel good. We got some momentum, and we've got to continue to come out with some intent tomorrow. tomorrow. Yeah, 3-1 lead. One of their races going today. It feels like it's over. So the Denver

Broncos hammered the Saints in New Orleans 33 to 10. It didn't even feel that close. And this was Sean Peyton, who years and years and years ago, 2006, Sean Peyton, took over a team that was so bad in New Orleans, they were called the Ains. Fans wore like garbage bags over their head. Now, you saw it for years and years and years. And Sean Payton, first year, he didn't have all the dead cap money, but he squeezed every ounce of talent out of that team, got him to the playoffs, double-digit winning team. This is what the great coaches do, and Sean Payton's one of them.

Now, the Denver Broncos are not a great roster. Vegas had them at five and a half wins. I said, I think they're seven or eight just because of Sean Payton's coaching. He will squeeze every bit of juice and pulp out of this orange. So when you go on the road like the Broncos did, on a short week with a rookie quarterback that didn't play well and win by three touchdowns, that's coaching.

Dennis Allen may be the worst coach in the league. Sean Payton once again takes a dead franchise. Broncos were a dead franchise. And has squeezed every ounce of talent out of them. And again, an offensive coach. We've been on this now for multiple years. This is why I would always prefer to, get an offensive coach. I've seen Andy Reid do this twice. I've seen Sean McVeigh do this.

And now I've seen Sean Payton do this. This offensive line when he took it over was a bit of a mess. Just after last year, they were 12th. I'm watching that Bronco O line this year. Guard, center guard. It feels like a top three or four in the league. At least guard center guard. They are running the football. Last night was a great example. They come out with Bo Nicks. Bo Nicks mechanics are all messed up. That was always a concern. He didn't have a big arm. very mobile, smart kid. His mechanics aren't great. He tends to run more than he should.

He's very athletic. But his feet and his mechanics are a mess right now. Sean Payton very clearly early says, yeah, this isn't going to work. We're going to shorten the routes. We're going to run the football. And that's exactly what they did. And remember where Sean Payton learned all these tricks.

Who was his mentor? Bill Parcells. Urban Meyer in college and Bill Parcells in the NFL are the great quick rebuilders. Urban did it at Bowling Green and Utah and Florida and Ohio State. Like one year, awful to good. Bill Parcells did it multiple times in his career. Bill Parcells, he was the mentor for Sean Payton. So Sean is much better than most coaches when it comes to personnel and the draft.

He's very good at it. A lot of coaches aren't. A lot of coaches aren't good at that. Like Andy Reed just, I'm not going to do that. Andy could be good at it. He doesn't want to do it. Play design, play creation, play calling. that's what he does. Spags you do defense. Brett Veech, you do the drafting.

Sean Payton can get his hands dirty a little bit in the personality's good at it. But I mean, Bo Nix was not playing well, and nobody turns a mess around quicker. And I want to tell you how big of a mess Denver is. They still have $78 million in dead cap money this year. They will still be paying Russell Wilson $32 million next year. It's a disaster job. And yet, they're at four wins, Vegas had them at five and a half.

I thought it was seven or eight. So, this is, I mean, this is as bad as it gets financially. What's ironic is the Saints now are in cap hell for the next several years. Too bad they can't hire Sean Payton back. But if you look at Denver right now, they got some winnable games, and there's going to be games like at Baltimore, at Kansas City, they're going to lose. But they've got a Carolina, Atlanta at home, Raiders. Cleveland, Colts at home,

they're going to end up winning seven or eight games and it's going to be one of the great coaching jobs in the league. It really is. I know coach of the year goes to somebody who went in 12, 13, 14 games, give it to John Harbaugh or Andy Reid now. But what Sean Payton is doing, I mean, remember,

Vegas had two teams at five, five and a half wins. Carolina and Denver. Denver's already gone on the road, thrashed the Saints, beaten Aaron Rogers on the road, and I see at least five more potential Ws. They're not going to go to Baltimore and beat the Ravens.

That thing's going to get ugly. They're not going to go to Kansas City and beat Mahomes. I don't know if it'll be ugly. That's a tough W to grab. But here's Sean Payton on a dominating homecoming win against his former team he rebuilt. I was proud of our players. You know, they just, on a short week, played well.

And it's not often you get to do something like this. and yeah i think it was more at the end where i felt the emotion yeah that that was that was a coaching mismatch the dodgers met's is a talent mismatch and the broncos and the saints that was a coaching mismatch uh one hour from now blazing five former bronco emmanuel sanders stops by we'll love having him on the show jamaq um that yankee Yankee game. Oh my. But you know what? New York's going to win. They're going to win

a series. But it was a magical moment. I'll just say this. The baseball postseason like the drama, the, it just pops off the television. Seeing that home run, the guy chucks the bat. Listen, I'm not a Guardians fan at all.

I'm a Yankees fan. It was one of the, like, you got goosebumps when you watch that home. Of course. It was just like, oh my gosh. You didn't have to be a Cubs fan. No. To get the Cubs World Series. Right, you didn't have to be a fan to understand that. I mean, you didn't have to be a college football fan to see the journey Haribod been on for years

getting beat by Ohio State and the Conner Stallion stuff and the controversy and go, wow, this feels like this is this is goosebumps for Jim Harbaugh and Michigan football. Last night for the Guardians, the American League Central historically does not do well against the Yankees and their big payroll, but that was a magical moment.

You'll talk about that coming up. Plus, Troy Aikman, you know when a former cowboy great calls the Cowboys lazy? Mike McCarthy's in trouble. We'll talk about that next. 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 I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win.

A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me, 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. 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 blow your mind on the iHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 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 George Bush got to do a little kill. Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick it here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84's 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. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hard Way with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Kear Games. And in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, I'm bringing over a decade. of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking. Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark.

Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing. And we're still chasing it. And we don't know when we've done enough. Because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross.

Because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth. Are you a good person? because you're afraid. Because that's two different intentions, bro. Absolutely. And that's two different levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person.

Join me, Kear Gaines, as we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, Learn the Hardway. Open your free, Our Heart Radio app. Search Learn the Hardway and listen now. Well, when the Cowboy Legends, like a Michael Irvin and a Troy Aikman

start going public with their criticisms of the Dallas Cowboys. I don't see them doing that a lot. But when they do it, and they both do it in the same week, it's beyond a message to Mike McCarthy. It's the end of his employment in February. Here is Troy Aitman talking about what he sees with the Dallas Cowboy Wide receivers this year. I think the routes are terrible.

I think they run terrible routes, and I've thought that beyond this year, and I think CEDY's got to improve in his route running. And as a quarterback, if you're not certain where guys are going to be consistently, it's hard to play the position. I see guys lazy coming off the line of scrimmage. Sometimes they run, usually if they do, it's because they're anticipating they're going to get the football in that play, but if they're not, they don't, and it all ties together. And so I'm not impressed with that part of it.

So there are a couple of teams in the NFL that when I watch them on TV, I think they look really sloppy. Jacksonville 1, Dallas 2. Route running is exactly what Troy Aikman's talking about. And it's interesting because the Cowboys brand themselves as luxury. They play in a stadium, the Taj Mahal, or maybe the Taj Y'all. They pay the quarterback and wide receiver top of the league. their practice facilities, the very, very best,

the owner dropping in and the personal helicopter into the practice field. Yet, all the details stink. Penalties, a Mike McCarthy staple, among the most in the league. Turnovers, second most in the league. Red zone, terribly inefficient. Third worst in the league. Route running, as Troy Aitman called it, lazy. You know, you're going to an expensive restaurant.

You don't want the meal to be cold when you get it. They're all about marquees. not about really elite management. And everything's bigger in Texas, except the cowboys, they've gotten very small, very quickly. And just think about this. They can no longer compete at home with the better teams. Green Bay, Detroit, Baltimore.

I mean, they couldn't compete at home when the Saints were healthy. Like, that's a problem. So Jerry Jones can get on local radio and bang on the hosts all wants. But when Troy Aikman calls you lazy and when Michael Urban this week calls you soft, Mike McCarthy's career is over. It's not official. It's like the Dodgers Met series. It's over. It's just not official. It will be probably later this afternoon. But, you know, Jerry owns the team. It could all be his fault. He owns the team. So in five seasons, Mike McCarthy one playoff win. So it's over. And again, when you have the bigger Aikman and Irvin,

going out and willing to say this publicly in the same week, the messaging's pretty clear. Mike's out. Jerry wants him out. Make the landing soft. But they can't compete at home. And lazy receiver routes, that's on coaching. J-Mac with the news. No, no, no, no. Turn on the news. This is the herd line news. You know who's not a lazy receiver running lazy routes? Amari Cooper, Colin. He's going to Buffalo. GM Brandon Bean, very excited about what Coop can bring to Buffalo as the team continues to bolster its roster.

Josh Allen will be the big beneficiary of the Amari trade. He spoke about his new whiteout for the first time. All right, we don't have the sound. Very excited for him, Josh Allen said. I've been a big fan of his for a very long time, very smart, detailed, and the way he runs his routes. Yes. I think he can help us a lot. it's unclear if he's going to play this weekend.

They don't need him against the Titans. Right. You saw the line's like eight and a half, nine. Yeah, nine. Nine and a half now we're seeing on the screen. It just feels like this is a bigger move than Devante Adams. I think you could make a case that he means more because Buffalo's closer to the Super Bowl bubble than the Jets are. Yeah, I mean, it's like a better version of Juju Smith-Schuster back to Kansas City.

It's like, Juju will get you six targets in a big game. Amario will get you eight. And it's also because if you start looking at Kinkeh, young, tight end, rookie-wide receiver. Slot receiver is fairly young. So you're bringing in, and James Cook hadn't been around for that long. So what you're looking at is a fairly young skill group, and you bring in a season veteran, an absolute pro, and you're good.

He'll be a 10-target guy within two weeks. And there are a lot of people online. I know there's some metrics out there saying Cooper was the worst receiver in the league this season. Do a lot of drops. Also, think about this. So Cleveland plays Cincinnati this week where Amari Cooper just left. Cleveland has like 19 guys on the injured list. Bengals have two.

Why? Because the Bengals have to win, and guys are, they're not telling the coaches they're hurt. They're playing through it. Cleveland, that's a sinking ship. Guys have a little, my hips a little sore. Hey, man, I may not be able to practice this week. Amari Cooper was in a horribly toxic situation. no fault of Kevin Stefansky.

But when you start seeing one team with 19 injuries and one team with a couple, that tells you everybody in this league is hurt. Nobody's healthy now. Cincinnati guys are like, play through the pain. So getting him out of Cleveland, he'll be a different player in a winning culture and a great organization in Buffalo. Remember, what was it? Was it Randy Moss, who was in a bad spot and then the Patriots grabbed him?

And then all of a sudden he's the best receiver in NFL history? Was he putting up huge numbers? I can see Cooper having a massive leap. I do wonder. So I think you can make a case the AFC is kind of sort of wide open. Like Kansas City's in the top tier. But I think Buffalo and Baltimore are right there. I think Houston's right there.

And I do believe this move helps Buffalo elevate them into like, okay, this is a real. Like I think you can make a case that they're probably as good as they've been since they've been in this. I think it's the most diverse their offense has been. They've got a slot receiver, a veteran receiver, a rookie receiver, two good tight. ends, a real running back. Oh, lines played pretty well. I mean, they've had Josh Allen and Dawkins at left tackle. That part's been good. And Dawson Knox, that part's been good for a long time. But they've drafted well. Again, this is a very quietly, a very good front office that doesn't miss on a lot of draft picks. Almost everybody they draft works. And so, you know, Buffalo, you don't

have to have a trophy for me to respect you. Like Baltimore doesn't have one. Well run. Buffalo doesn't have one. Really well run. People in Kansas City respect. Buffalo and Baltimore front office and their business acumen. So I just think it's a smart move by a smart organization. Honestly, you know, I'm a Jets fan. I've never rooted for the bills at all. I did think Jim Kelly was cool and Thurmond Thomas and Andre. I like those guys.

They were good. But if it's Bill's Chiefs in the AFC title game, I am all in on the bills. I'll be rooting for them. I think they'll be, they will be absolutely America's favorite. I think America wants to see Buffalo win. Yeah, how many failures have they had in big spots? And failures, great teams. The Jim Kelly team's at Hall of Famers.

Yeah, stacked. Next up, this is interesting. Brandon Ayuk had that drama-filled offseason, but he did get his $120 million extension before the season. Since the deal, Iyuk has struggled big time. Still hasn't scored a touchdown, Colin. His numbers are pedestrian at best. Ayuk's performance so far has Steve Young wondering whether or not

Kyle Shanahan is punishing his star receiver. Hmm. You ever just wonder about Kyle a little bit that he, I feel like he puts people in the corner with the dunce cap on sometimes. You know what I mean? You know, people used to put their nose, like in the old days, they put your nose in the corner. But it feels like the plays that are called, there's a combination of such that puts people in a position to go thrive. And I think Brandon needs to demand it in that way, right?

Like, I think that's what Kyle responds to. Is a demand of it. Like, I've done the work. I'm ready for this. Give me the frickin' ball now. Well, thankfully in the NFL, coaches GMs have some control over players, unlike the NBA. And if you're going to hold out for a championship level team, don't be surprised if you are privately punished a little. You get into the way of the momentum.

We get into the way of your production. And they're still winning despite that. This is not the NBA where the player completely controls the coach on down. Brandon Iyuk decided in the biggest year, like we talked about. Everybody's getting old with the Niners. Kittle, Christian, Trent, everybody's getting old. So this is the last great year potentially. And he held out.

And I get Shanahan saying, okay, you're not going to be at practice. We're going to build this offense without you. We will insert you later, but we're in no hurry to do it. And so I think they want to use him. But it's like, dude, we're here for six weeks, busting our butt. at practice, getting dinged up, we're going to build this offense without you. So sometimes, you know,

these former quarterbacks, Boomer Osias and Steve Young, they just want to fire off hot takes. Now come on. I think he's overthinking it here, Colin. I don't know. Listen, Sanchez told us this story about two receivers on the Jets, both fighting for a contract,

both had awesome years. One gets the contract, and what happened the next season? I'm not going to name the player. You don't have to do too much homework. He's just like last guy to the facility, first guy to leave, not running the routes hard. Do you think some of that's at play with Brandon and Iook here?

Hey, I got the bag. No. And now all of a sudden he's not getting open? No. He's barely getting targets. Is it Brandon Ayuk or the Niners? I think it's the Niners. I think most pro athletes in my lifetime, 95% of pro athletes, when you give them the bag,

I'm talking pro football players. They work harder. Well, okay, time out, time out. Probably 90%. Now do wide receivers. Well, I'll say this. Again, there are Diva wide. receivers. But when Amari Cooper

got the bag, he didn't stop playing hard. Justin Jefferson hasn't stopped playing hard. I will tell you, if football, I know a lot of football players. Well, wait, neither of those guys held out for like an offseason and were like deleting stuff on their social media and all that. You know, who did do that.

Very verbal. Odell Beckham. No, you're wrong. Very verbal. Justin Jefferson made it clear. He did some stuff, but that was not nearly as ugly. Ayukes was like three months long, Colin. You remember the summer? We were doing this story three times a week.

I will say in my experience, professional football players, when they get the bag, feel a responsibility to go kick butt. They take care of their moms. They take care of their family. And they're like, I got it. I'm secure. Now let's go get work done. There's a camaraderie in that bubble. That's my experience with football players because this is a little bit of bad into brothers because everybody's hurt all the time.

I mean, outside of kickers and sometimes kickers, everybody in the NFL by week six, everybody is going home in pain, taking an ibup prophiner 12, that's the league. So it bans everybody together. It cintes everybody together. And I think Ayuk wants the looks. I think it's a little bit of punishment, and I'll go back to it. Shanahan's saying, dude, we have to build an offense. We hope you come back.

And when you do, we will slowly insert you in it. But we're going to build this offense without you, and it's working. Well, all I can say is Iyuk had the career year last year. All pros, unbelievable numbers. Gets his contract, and now this year, he looks like a middling receiver. By the way, Ricky Pearsall back at practice. I'm sure you saw that. Now, Jennings is dinged up.

It doesn't look like he's going to go. So maybe Ayuk erupts against the chiefs here. I don't know whether put McDuffie maybe on IUC. McDuffie's excellent. It's going to be a great game. It's going to be a phenomenal game. Final story, Colin, is The Crazy Night in Cleveland. Yankees took a lead late in game three.

Aaron Judge hit a two-run bomb and then Stanton going back to back at this point. I'm going crazy. It was awesome. Okay? Yankees up four three in the night. Look at Judge. They added another to make it five three in the top of the night. But with two outs in the bottom of the night, two outs. A man whose name I will not try to pronounce, but they know him as Big Christmas started an unreal comeback, Colin.

And the 1-0 pitch. Holmes is ready. Here it comes. Swind him. That is so great. David Frye with the walk-off home run call. You know what? I love that this happened in Cleveland.

I mean, it is cool. I mean, I said when I watched the Padres at home or the Mets win a big game, we have a very anxiety-ridden October, November. That was a great moment in the history of Cleveland sports. This is like probably the best moment in Cleveland sports since LeBron did something with the Cleveland. No, I mean, I saw a piece of video. Somebody shot it from a mile away. They shot the stadium on their phone.

And they just said, listen to the video. And you can hear the crowd. It's like, it's hum, it's loud, it's loud. And all of a sudden you just hear this eruption and fireworks start shooting in the air in Cleveland, Ohio. Pretty cool. It was awesome. We saw Watson Stadium last week, the same kind of. kind of thing. When those games are at home and you upset the favorite Ohio State of the Yankees,

great American sports. Now, Yankees did have a fairly memorable collapse against the Red Sox. Hopefully this won't spur. I think they're better than... I do, too. It's a bummer we don't have the Stanton call because that one was awesome. When the Yankees, when they went back to back, you're like, wrap it up, baby, series that we got this. And... No, you don't. Jay Mack with the news. Well, that's the news. Thanks for stopping by. The herd line news.

Well, we have some disturbing data for J-MAC. This should come with a surge in general warning. For all the Mahomes isn't Mahomes talk this season, I looked it up this morning. There's some details here. Fourth quarter passer rating for Mahomes, 122. Third down passer rating for Mahomes, 101. He's excellent when it counts. As the Chiefs travel to Santa Clara, where they're four.

4-0 against Kyle Shanahan. Mahomes this year is actually the opposite of Seattle Seahawks quarterback Gino Smith, who leads the NFL in passing yards a game, yet Gino is a bad fourth-quarter passer rating guy, 83, and a bad third-down quarterback, 59 passer rating. So again, Gino is great when it doesn't matter with great wide receiver talent. Mahomes is doing patchwork stuff again on the outside. Yes, he's got six interceptions and only six touchdowns. But if you look at the Mahomes' interceptions, many are on first and second down.

And what does that tell you? He is taking risks. Even though he may not trust his wide receiving core or as Greg Kosell told us yesterday, he may not trust the offensive line. He has taken risks and big swings. Okay. And that's the difference between a great quarterback. talent and a great quarterback.

Take some risks. The great ones take risks, and even the great talent, quarterbacks take risks. But the truly great are great when it matters. And Mahomes passer rating in the fourth quarter, elite. And Mahom's on third down, elite. So that's the difference in all these quarterbacks. When are you great?

Geno's putting up big numbers, but it's a lot of fools gold. Patrick is money Mahomes, fourth quarter and on third down, even with a suboptimal wide receiving group. That's the difference. Kyle Shanahan this week on facing a guy he can't seem to beat. I think everyone says down here just because their numbers aren't just crazy, but I mean, Pat's as good as it gets. He's been as good as it gets since the first year that he got to play.

all their games, I think, except for one, have come down to the last possession, and he's as good as anyone in that last possession. Yeah, he is. Disturbing data presented to JMAQ. Now, blazing five, 30 minutes away, off a three-in-one week. Love the picks this week. Separation week again in the NFL. Best quarterbacks take them.

Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays at noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific. 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. I don't care what you're 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,

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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 blow your mind on the iHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever. you get your podcasts. 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 a 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, 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, so... 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. Welcome to my new podcast, learn the hard way with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Kear Games. And in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations

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Life becomes about wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross, because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth, or are you a good person because you're afraid? Because that's two different intentions, bro. Absolutely. And that's two different levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Kear Gaines, is we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood,

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They're just completely stacked. So I saw this quote. Remember, okay, I want to, I don't want to sound, I don't want to humble brag here. But 99% of the media, I won't tell you who the 1% was, but 99% of the media crapped on the Atlanta Falcons

when they went and paid Kirk Cousins, not big money, paid him good money, and then drafted Michael Pennix. Okay, I'll tell you who the 1% was. I said, since one in the NFL, is it a bad scene to have two capable quarterbacks, the future and the present. What are you guys talking about?

And a lot of ex-front office people, a lot of NFL experts, bad Atlanta. Yeah. The Steelers could have had Kirk Cousins. Nah, we're going to roll with Russell Wilson and Justin Fields. So I saw this quote. There are a ton of people in Pittsburgh right now that feel like Russell Wilson would limit them on offense in a way that Justin Fields does not. That was Albert Breer.

Yeah, that's that. So what happens when you get a situation like this, and it feels like Mike Tomlin, like promises were made to Russell Wilson. It feels like Mike Tomlin is kind of usurping the power of Arthur Smith. I don't know that, but it feels like it. Arthur Smith already

publicly backed Justin Fields. He had a good second half against the Colts. They're four and two. They're not two and four. There's no reason to panic. But it feels like, it feels like a promise was made to Russell Wilson and Mike Tomlin's a man of his word. So when you have two very so-so quarterbacks, you have a divided room, a divided staff, and divided decisions. And again, Kirk Cousins was available. Now, I will give Mike Tomlin a lot

of credit. He moved off Kenny Pickett very quickly, even though they got to the playoffs, and the guy is trying. Since Big Ben left, it's Mitch Trubisky, it's Mason Rudolph, it's Russell Wilson, it's Justin Fields, it's Kenny Pickett. They're trying. Mike Tomlin's doing his job defensive They're trying. But it is interesting. The Patriots and Steelers, since Brady and Big Ben have left, every year it's getting worse at quarterback.

Those franchises are lost at sea. And you'll wonder why I defended the Atlanta Falcons, who lead their division, favored again at home this week, Kirk Cousins, now Michael Pennix for the future. And so this is what happens when you have defensive cultures, New England and Pittsburgh, you lose a legendary quarterback, you just keep drafting quarterbacks and signing them. And Pittsburgh now has got two guys. And both have talent, both can move, one young, one old, one has a brand, one doesn't, both fine people.

But now it feels like it's divided. And there are certain things in the world you should never go cheap on. Transportation, mattresses, and quarterbacks. Just pay the money. I mean, if you're struggling to get to work, you can't keep work. If you're struggling to sleep on a bad mattress, you're bad at work. Transportation, mattresses, quarterbacks. Spend the money.

Now, don't pay a B quarterback A money. Kirk Cousins is A minus B plus, and they're paying him A minus B plus money. So, I mean, you know, this whole thing with Russell Wilson, and Justin Fields swapping one for the other, you're still going from 28A to 27C on Southwest. You're not even in a comfort section. And Kirk Cousins may not be in first class, but he's the first role of comfort,

and he can see first class. Spend the money. Don't go cheap. You just got to pay a little more, have more urgency. This is what got Ron Rivera fired in Washington. He had opportunities to go get better quarterbacks. Nah, this will be fine. Out of work.

like spend the money on it and you'll have to spend Mahomes money. Kirk Cousins money. You can still go acquire P. They spent money on Kirk Cousins, had enough money to go get Matthew Judon and a safety from the Broncos. They still had money. I mean, Baker Mayfield, they spent the money. They still have money to go get acquisition. I mean, Kirk Cousins, they needed an edge rusher. They went and got Matt June on. They needed a safety. They went to the Broncos. Here's, here's Russell Wilson on prepping to start.

I'm more myself, physically being out of the run and all that stuff. So I feel good. It's been a great week so far. I think every time you step into the White Lines, you're proving something. You're proving who your team is as a group, you know, who we are as a team. That's the focal point. Okay. They're four and two, not two and four, so that's good. Here's the other thing. So for the last forever, I didn't know if Lamar Jackson, first year in the league,

I didn't know if it's going to work. He ran around way too much. Now, he was good at it, but he ran around too much. And eventually you have to win from the pocket. But at the last three or four years, I've spent three or four years defending him. He's good from the pocket. I don't know what you guys are watching. In fact, this year, last two years, he's better this year than last year, his MVP year.

The kid is just fantastic. And he does two things that the great quarterbacks almost all do. He wins about 75% of his games. And he always says the right. thing. And he was asked about winning another MVP. And listen, he does this so well. Listen to what Lamar said. I really don't care about the hype. I'm not from

to dwell on an MVP trophy or anything like that. I never have. You know, even when I won it, I never, like, dwelt on it. It was about me just trying to win each and every game I'm in man. And same thing from now. You know, I'm still trying to win these games to get to February and win in February. Perfect. I said, Baker Mayfield is actually talented, but he kept starting fires, not putting them out. You're never going to hear Lamar Jackson calling out publicly Zay Flowers because he ran the wrong route, unlike a guy in New York. Being really good and being really humble, it's really important for a quarterback.

Eli Manning in New York would not talk after wins. always made himself available to the New York press after losses. Smart guy. And what's great about Lamar, he's only 27 years old, which is crazy. It feels like he's been in the league forever. And with all these God-given gifts, he could be a little peacocky.

He is one of one. There's nobody like him in the league, and there's been nobody like him, maybe Michael Vick, a little, ever. And he could have an ego. And he doesn't have to be humble. I mean, go to Twitter, three minutes, look around. I mean that guys struggle being humble.

This kid has God-given gifts, and it's all about team, it's all about us, it's all about we. I don't, I mean, again, I didn't know if it was going to work. I'm the first to admit, my first year, I'm like, I don't know, I don't know if it's going to work. But I feel like I spent the last four years. He's literally everything I want. Athletic, good from the pocket, humble, hardworking, mostly available, total team guys. incredible work ethic. Locker room loves him.

He feels like, not all quarterbacks feel like this. He feels like the soul of arguably the second best run franchise in the league outside of Kansas City. And I say that simply because Kansas City keeps winning the final game of the season. He is the soul of that franchise. To me, completely impossible not to root for Lamar Jackson. J-Mack Blazing Five. top of next hour. And I've got to be honest,

I told you I thought this was either the first or second best week potentially for picks. I think there's some, I think we're starting to, we saw it last night. The longer a season goes, coaching and quarterback play,

which we know are crucial, become more important. Why? Because what happens is bad coaches or mediocre coaches lose locker rooms, right? they start losing games, they start losing locker rooms, Mike McCarthy.

Feels like Dallas kind of quits. Last night in New Orleans, I know they have injuries. This team's not galvanized. So I looked at Denver last night, and I'm like, that wasn't just a roster win. That was really a coaching win. You start looking over these games. Now, there's a handful of games every week where you have two good quarterbacks, C.J. Stroud against Jordan Love. To me, that's a stayaway game.

I'm going to watch that game. I really like both teams. I think both teams feel a little young to win a Super Bowl. Both Houston and Green Bay have Super Bowl talent. They're really young at quarterback, really young at wide receiver. You have a lean either way in that game? My lean, I mean, as a gambler, I say C.J. Stroud getting a field goal, but I told you three weeks ago, I thought Green Bay was going, they were going to go in a heater.

Yeah. And so there is a little advantage. the weather in the north up this week at Chicago is going to be gorgeous. There's really good weather. So you're not this. You get late October generally, you're like, all right, it's 42 degrees. Indoor team in Houston going north. The weather is not a factor.

Little nugget. Check the surfaces the Texans have played on this year. This might be their first outdoor game. No fast track for Houston this weekend. We'll see. We'll see. I don't have a strong conviction on that game. It's a really good game.

Anytime you give me a great quarterback and a field goal, I like it. So my gut is, oh, Houston's the side. I can't bid against Green Bay. I think there's... Hey, you have some kind of affinity for Jordan Love. I like it. Listen, I was late to the game. I was late to the party.

It's fine. You were early on that one? Well, I was... Like Lamar, the first year, I had real questions. But at some point... You can't... You can't dig your feet in. You have to watch the games.

And if you're one of these people that just wanted... wants to be right instead of getting it right, then you're just going to double down. Like Lamar, I'm like, I don't know if this works. Start it, middle of second year, I'm like, and not only works, it's unbelievable. Jordan Love, first six games, I'm like, that doesn't work. Week 16, I'm like, no, he works.

It looks like a modern farve. Yeah. Yeah, Lamar, I'm sorry, I just get the playoff. Every time you start saying all this awesome stuff, yes, it's all true. It's wonderful. It's great. Can he do it in January when it matters most?

That's all I want to know about Lamar. I know he's a great regular season quarterback. Can he deliver in January? Yeah. You're sure, because he has not. Yeah, I am sure. Hasn't been proven. I'm sure there's not Bigfoot.

Also. Another podcast from some SNL late-night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smigel 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. or street or sidel, 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 I-Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. On the Look Back at it podcast. From 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84 was big to me. I'm Sam Jay. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a year, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it.

with our friends, fellow comedians, and favorite authors. Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s. It was a wild year. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win.

I don't care what you're 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. Now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfills of conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it.

Listen to The Clifford Show on the IHeard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok podcast network on TikTok. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year.

Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, what's good, y'all? You're listening to Learn the Hardweight with your favorite therapist and host Kier Games. This space is about black men's experiences, having honest conversations that it's really not safe to have anywhere, but you're having them with a licensed professional who knows what he's doing. How many men carry a suit or armor.

It signals to the world that you're not to be played with. And just because you have the capability that does not mean that you need to. Listen to learn the hard way on the IHard radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. This is an IHart podcast. Guaranteed human. Thank you.