The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Hour 1 - What's next for Tua?

Episode Date: September 13, 2024

Colin reacts to Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa suffering another concussion and Bills QB Josh Allen putting on another impressive performance in their win over Miami More NFL coaches should copy what Jim Harbaugh is doingSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Jay Mack will have his in the third hour. last night, yes, there was a football game. The bigger story, of course, is Tua had his fourth concussion. And, you know, I think it's something we had thought about. Last year did not have one, J-Mack. So when you see the fencing in the hands, it is so tough to watch. And I want to start with that, not the Bills win. If I was Tua, I would probably call it a career.

I would probably call it a rap. If Tua was my son, My son was playing football. I would suggest calling it a rap. But I'm not a pro athlete. They are hyper competitive. They fight to the end. And in team sports, they often feel a guilt to teammates and coaches in letting them down.

It is real. It's one of the many reasons. Pro athletes are admirable and redeemable. They fight. They play through pain. They don't want to let teammates down. They cry when they do. I'm thinking about this this morning.

I wonder if the NFL should not consider an amnesty clause. Every team gets one every five, ten years that if a player gets a concussion or a serious possible career ending injury, the payer gets played, but it doesn't go against, it's an amnesty clause, it doesn't go against one every five, ten years, your salary cap. So it doesn't punish the coaches or the teammates. because I think Tua is probably going to talk himself into playing again. And I'm not sure he should. He's a great guy, very thoughtful, and he's a wonderful teammate.

He has an incredible reputation in the league. And I think he'll talk himself into playing. I think he'll have doubts. Reportedly a member of his families suggested it's time to quit. I think I would. But that's not the way pro athletes are. Andrew Luck was rare that in his 20s, in his prime, he walked away.

But it's very hard for pro athletes to do that. I mean, think about it. Most of us go to college and we start thinking about our careers. But the journey for a professional athlete often starts when they're six, seven, eight years old. People sacrifice for them. It's their identity. It's a lifestyle. Tua has been a quarterback back in Hawaii for, I mean, probably started at six or seven years old.

And he, what, 26 years old now? Something like that. it's a big part of him. I mean, he's got a life beyond that, but it's a big part for pro athletes. And it's a real palpable thing. They feel guilt. They hurry themselves back to play. I've talked to NFL athletes.

I had dinner last night with an NFL executive, and he said, you know, we have to sometimes tell players, you can't play this week. You are too hurt. You have to protect them. They fight to the finish. It's not what I do. It's not maybe what you do, but it's what they do. should the NFL consider somewhat of an amnesty clause to protect the players from themselves. Again, to his decision, it's his, but my guess, he'll talk himself into playing.

He'll say things like, you know, I'll be smarter next time. I could have avoided that. Hey, I didn't get hurt last season. And maybe all those are true. But being a pro athlete is almost addictive. It's a wonderful life. It can be a tough life. It can be a physically punishing life.

but just to ask Tua on his own to step down and retire all the coaches, all the teammates. There's a bond in pro sports that's hard to explain. A lot of teams, there's limitations on when guys like me are even allowed in the locker room. And truthfully, I never like going into them. It's a sanctuary for pro athletes. It's a club. I haven't earned the right to be there. They have to let us in, but it's a special place.

It's a special bond. I've been around pro athletes. I've seen them cry years later. recalling games. They're in their 60s and 70s. Those were 50 years ago. There's really nothing like it. And more often than not, when you pay

a player and Tua just got the bag, they feel a responsibility to not let teammates down, coaches down, fans down, the franchise down. Oh, they could. A lot of people could get the money and then take work off a little early. But that's not how Tua works, and that's not how

most pro athletes I've known work. I think I would call it a wrap. Mike Bedaniel, the very bright head coach of the Dolphins, offered this after. I'm just worried about the human being from a medical standpoint

that's I don't approach things that I'm far inferior of expertise for me to go ahead and forecast things that I don't know in in my non-field of expertise, I don't think that's appropriate.

I was just worried about my guy, so, yeah, it's, yeah, not something that you ever want to be a part of. It's tough. Dionne Dawkins of the Buffalo Bills talked after the game. He, an opponent, a rival, was emotional. It was the saddest thing. I promise you, it was the saddest thing. We're all just watching them run and we're like, slide, bro, slide, bro, slide.

And this game is so fast, it's a game of inches. You know, if he would have just slid just a little inch before, it's such a sad thing. My prayers, my heart goes out to Tua, his family, his parents, and I hope that he's going to recover well because this is a violent game, and that shows it. The decision is Tua's and Tua's only. but I bet privately the NFL is having discussions this morning,

and I bet they'd prefer he walk away, not to punish the dolphins to protect Tua. Believe it or not, they've said forever this league, this sport, it's about family. And of all the sports I'd covered in my life, it really is. It's different. We wish him and the dolphins, well, it's his decision only. The game. So we've talked about this in sports,

in the NBA with Luca. Like how much Luca is too much Luca? He always leads the NBA in what they call usage rate. Well, if the NFL had that, Josh Allen would lead the league in usage rate. Last year, I think 58 touchdowns

the bills had. He was part of 51. Like that's not the way you want it. Last night, Buffalo had four touchdowns. Josh Allen was part of one of the four. That's what you want. That's what the Celtics did. The Celtics said, we love Jason Tatum. He's all NBA, first team, but we're going to lean into collaborative.

Dallas still trying to figure that out with the Mavericks. And I think Buffalo is getting really close. And I think last night was an example. This is what I keep asking with Buffalo. I didn't have him in my top 10 to start the season. Let me watch him. But last night was impressive. I mean, the downfall of the Patriots at the end, they were too relying on Brady. But the bills now have a really good running back. Joe Brady, the offensive coordinator, he and Alan work. They have depth at wide receiver. Too strong, above average tight ends. They looked efficient. Not a lot of penalties. Offensive line dominated. Zero sacks allowed. It was, now, Miami's not one of

the better defenses in the league, but they're not terrible. I mean, I look at this last night, and I think, is this a pivot? Sean McDermott deserves some credit. Last couple of years, they're drafting offensive guys in the first couple rounds, first couple picks. It's tight ends. It's wide receivers, it's running backs. They're trying to get him help. They're not being stubborn. Sean McDermott and the bills are listening. They're not being stubborn here. I mean, like, I think Lamar Jackson's amazing. I don't think he can take those kind of hits. I don't think it's sustainable. But I watched last night, Buffalo now feels more complete. They don't have any drama at wide receiver. Offensive line was excellent. A really nice running back. Tight ends. Wide receiver

depth. I mean, four touchdowns, Josh Allen, only connected to one, I think that's the Buffalo Bills that can win a Super Bowl. I didn't know. I watched the Arizona game, and my takeaway was, oh, come on. You got a, let's put the Superman Cape away. Last night, they

did. Here's Josh after. When you look at the stat sheet, I don't know what our numbers were, but I know we were really low in time of possession, and we were probably really low in total yards, but still managed to put up 31 points, and that means your defense is doing something right. So they had our back tonight, and

We're going to need them going forward. I'm just very proud of how guys stepped up into their roles. And they played together. And when you play together like that, you're typically going to have good results. All right. There's stuff on Caleb Williams to talk about. Greg CoSell yesterday was some pointed criticism. We have a blazing five.

I'm going some heavy favorites. I rarely do that, but I am this week. And just how good is Josh Allen? I mean, it's just there are certain athletes. This was LeBron in his prime, where you could have a NBA game on, you could just turn the sound down, not listen to the announcers or the crowd, and you'd be like, who's that guy? When I watch television, you just turn the sound down, and Josh Allen just doesn't look like other pro athletes. I mean, the kid's just, he's just

too talented not to eventually win a Super Bowl. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the IHeard 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 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.

I'm gonna Taylor the fourth. 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.

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Well, one of the teams that is surging in the NFL, the Houston Texans, host a team that I think could be in a little bit of trouble, the Chicago Bears. Now, the Bears are one of the more captivating teams overwhelmingly because of one guy, Caleb Williams. The number one pick, the Heisman winner out of USC is a stupendous talent. But no matter how gifted you are, there is a way to play quarterback in the NFL. Well, ask Johnny Mansell. Backyard football doesn't work. It just doesn't. I don't care how gifted you are.

It doesn't work. Lamar Jackson has always been better in the pocket. A 102 passer rating last year in the pocket, better in the pocket that anybody will give him credit for. Yes, Caleb is gifted. But there are just things you can't do. Adlib your way to wins. So Patrick Mahomes and the great ones can do this.

You think, you know, the behind the back stuff, he's practiced that 200 times in practice. 97% or higher of Patrick Mahomes is structured. It's under control. It's coached. He plays within the offense, within the pocket. And about three times a game, he goes big time. Michael Jordan lived on 17 footers.

And twice a game, he did something you'd never seen. So Caleb in week one felt like if Mahomon, Holmes is 97% understructured in the pocket. Caleb felt like a 50-50 proposition. And you can't improv in the NFL. Now, you can blame the offensive line. But the late comedian Robin Williams, Patrick Mahomes, the great ones, they make you think they're improvising and they're not.

And they can audible out of trouble. That's the gift of Brady and Manning and Breeze and Mahomes. They don't face the pressure regularly because they can audible out of it and see it. The pocket is your friend. Seek comfort there. That's where you lay your head at night. Home. C.J. Stroud's a great example of this.

C.J. Stroud rushed only 39 times last year. Think about this. 50% of his rushes. This is how intentional C.J. Stroud is. We're touchdowns or first downs. He runs when he has to. And he can't. But 50% were touching.

downs or first downs. That's intentional. That's being able to see things coming. That's having an idea pre-snap. I may move here. That's the way to do it. Caleb looked out of sorts, a little disorganized, ad-libbing to a fault, and Greg CoSell yesterday discussed it. He was very focused on just executing the play call, whether that receiver was open or not. That's very common for rookie quarterbacks in their first start. So he made a lot of throws. That that he probably shouldn't have made. The ball comes out of his hand beautifully, we all know that. He needs to really get a better, innate understanding

of the pocket and how to play from the pocket. He tends to move and create his own pressure. He tends to climb the pocket and step up when he doesn't need to. Now in college, maybe you can get away with that at times, but in the NFL you're not gonna get away with that. Make it intentional, and so much of this, Brady talks about, so much of avoiding pressure

is pre-snap. Can you read the defense, kind of contextualize what's going to happen before it happens? That is this league. Johnny Mansell was, Nick Saban couldn't stop Johnny Mansell in college with all those first round NFL defensive players couldn't stop them. Johnny Manzell, five minutes into the league, you're like, yeah, it's not going to work at all. That's not going to work at all. And after I watched week one, I'm like, it'll work because he's more talented than Manzell,

but that's not going to work at a high level at all. J-Mac with the news. No, no, no, no. on the news. This is the herd line news. All right, Colin, let's start with the Bengals Chiefs, a prime AFC matchup on Sunday. Teams have interesting recent history. Burroughs done well against Kansas City, and wouldn't you know it, but Jamar Chase is giving KC bulletin board material. He's going after the two-time defending champions. Here's what he said yesterday.

Yeah, 100%. Everybody knows that, bro. It's not no if, you know what I'm saying? We are The team to be in the AFC, and we know it, and we got to act like it, and we got to play like it, too. All that noise, y'all making stuff, we see it, we hear it, but we're not worried about it. You know what I'm saying? At the end of the day, it's about the team, and what we're doing on the field. The outside people are not on the field, telling us what they're doing on the field. So I'll let them stay outside and how they make their own comments. Yeah, I don't think anybody knows that.

I don't even know if Cincinnati's a playoff team. I didn't know it before the season. I don't know it now. Poking the bear? Like, what are you doing? By the Bengals, I know they have, Joe, Burrow has a good record. Three and one, we got the stats against Casey.

I just want to remind people, the last time the Bengals beat the Chiefs was December of 2022. They lost the last two. Now, Burrow, though, had played well. It looks like T. Higgins is a no-go again this week. Jamar Chase will play. My question is after Jamar Chase, that rookie Burton, is that...

He had like four snaps last week. Yeah, I mean, so they don't have... You got to have something beyond the one. They can roll coverage over on the one. As it stands right now, who scares you more offensively? The Cowboys or the Bengals? Be honest. Cowboys. No.

So I don't know how the Bengals are a story here. Like, I don't know what they're doing. So, by the way, Jamar Chase, some details on his contract. He was offered the same contract Justin Jefferson was. But Chase did not like the structure of the guarantees. The Bengals, for some reason, pushed the guarantees to 2027. They're cheap. Chase is like, what do you do?

I want my money now. Yeah, of course. That's the difference between the Eagles, the Rams, the Niners. and the Bengals. That's why the Bengals' reputation. Fans get really feisty about reputation. The reputation of the Steelers is they don't spend a lot of money up front. On offense.

Especially in offense. They don't like to give up guaranteed money. And the Bengals are cheap too. They're a cheap franchise. The idea that you could go to somebody and push, this isn't baseball like the Dodgers doing it to Otani. They have the money, but they're trying to help him tax-wise. So he can get a lot of his money and he lives out of the state of California,

your lower tax rate, that's clever. Smart. And the player, by the way, is all up for that. This is just being cheap. Pay the money, give him his money now. Is this game in the Blazoned Five? No. Any consideration? By the way, Hollywood Brown is, did you read the story on him this morning? No, is he in or out?

Out. No, this game's not under consideration. I just don't know. I mean, again, I think I would take the Bengals and the points because I tend to, I like to take point. This week, I'm taking favorites, three, and I don't do that very. often. And I feel good about all of them. I haven't seen

the picks, so I'm very excited for my blazing five. Let's get to the next story. And that's Russell Wilson. He's going to miss the revenge matchup against his former team, likely due to the calf injury. Now, Russ has been at practice. He's getting light work. All signs point to field starting. Steelers obviously didn't miss Russ

in the week one game against the Falcons, but Russ says he's close to returning to action. I feel like I'm getting closer and closer. I'm just trying to be smart and got to do a lot of lot of work today, you know, on the field and everything else throwing and all that. So just trying to be smart. Anybody who knows me, I always want to go and play, and that's how I get my mind ready, my body ready for that. And to, you know, play, you know, at the end of the day, I believe you've got to

play dinged up sometimes. I think coach, you know, he's also, and the trainers just want to be smart too as well. It's just because, you know, we know it's early in the season. Yeah. This is becoming the mess we predicted it would be. It's really becoming what we thought. Listen, They're 1 in 0. That's the good news. And so the Jets are potentially a much better team are 0-1-1. The Steelers are 1-0 and 0. It matters.

Yeah. I got to get that in there. So, yeah, I noticed. The third game should Russ say, hey, Mike, I'm ready to go. They play the Chargers at home next week. If they're 2-0, I just don't see how you benched Justin Field, even if he's been pedestrian. You know, maybe he has three and or something. and they win 21-20 on some fluky stuff, and they're like, yeah, Justin Fields wasn't good.

But it's not like the Broncos defense was any good against Gino Smith and Kenneth Walker last week. Were they? I mean, this is just, again, are you shocked that Pittsburgh Steelers can't get their offense right? No. Anybody surprised? Raise your hand. By the way, remember when Brady retired, it was Cam, it was Mack Jones, and a year later, they couldn't get their offense right? Anybody surprised? I mean, it's just like Seattle, you know, Gino Smith, Drew Locke. We were like, okay, that's fine, but Pete, you're getting into your 70s.

You got to start winning some big games here in the postseason. These defensive coaches, they get, hey, I'll get the offense right, the run game. We can be okay at quarterback. Those days are over. There's too many good quarterbacks, and most of those good quarterbacks have offensive coaches. You can't just ham and egg quarterback. You can't do Russell Wilson and Justin, and just with an offensive line that's got major questions, you know, it just doesn't work.

And these calf injuries, you can't mess around. 49ers with McCaffrey, you just don't mess around. Final story is the 49ers coming off that week one win over the Jets. They're going on the road to face Minnesota. Interesting line movement in this game. A lot of people like the Vikings. Talking to reporters in the locker room earlier this week, Nick Bosa talked about San Francisco's prep.

Listen closely, Colin. This week, I think we're playing a better, honestly, a better team They're playing better football, it looks like, and they run the ball well, and we're going to have to be better in our techniques. We kind of got away with some things last week. So, yeah, we have to hone in and not pat ourselves on the back. Nick Bosa basically saying, we got away with stuff last week. You can't get away with it with Minnesota's offense,

because Minnesota's got more good players on offense, and a quarterback that can move. Jetstone. I might challenge that. I mean, Jordan Addison out. Justin Jefferson. Justin Jefferson is better than Gereil Wilson. Left tackles the best in football after Trent Williams.

Running game, powerful running game with a veteran. You think the Vikings are better than the Jets? I think the head, I think the Vikings' offense is better than the Jets offense because one of them is coached by Nat Hackett and won by Kevin O'Connell. So, I mean, I don't think there's any question. San Donald scares him. Nick Bosa is telling you. He's taking a shot at the gym.

Jets. No, no, no. He talked slowly. He was not trying to take a shot. He almost talked. He backwards. He kind of backtrack what he said because he knew it sounded bad for the Jets, but he was like, we got away with some stuff with the Jets. We will not be able to get away with it with Minnesota. What is that telling you? The coaching's better, the details are better. And Sam Darnold, week one, was better than Aaron Rogers. He was playing the Giants. Like a college defense. Those guys stink. All right. Wow. So both so. Okay.

All right. I guess I'll just say we'll see you in the Super Bowl, pal. Sure. I'm just kidding. Okay, you bet. J. Mack with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Herd Lie News. You know, it's, I saw yesterday, I really do try to stay off the phone.

I saw Elon Musk and Travis Kelsey going at it. Travis Kelsey taking a shot at Elon Musk on X. Tom Brady had his top five yesterday. He had Kansas City number one. I honestly think the Chiefs are the best thing to happen to the NFL since like the 90s Dallas Cowboys. They're rock stars. They lean into it.

Distracted. What distractions? You know, they're kind of like a 1980s hair band. You know what I mean? They have a really good time. They lean into it. They don't always seem like they're focused, but they never disappoint. They put on a great show.

And I think Kansas City is great for the league. It's like it's nothing against the Patriots dynasty or Alabama's dynasty or the Tim Duncan dynasty. It was like Shakespeare. You knew it was historically great, but it was like, could you guys lighten up a little? ArtVow lighten up a little dry. Kansas City, the Chiefs, the Warriors with Steph, you know, Pete Carroll with USC, the Cowboys in the 90s, they're rock stars. And they're, I think it's good for the league.

By the way, the week one ratings, last two years, ratings going up and up and up and up, and Kansas City keeps leaning into it. And I just think they're really, really good for the league. Really, really exceptional for the league. So I want to say this about Sean McDurbit in the Buffalo Bills last night. So I've been very critical of defensive coaches like Belichick who just keep digging, digging, digging into defense. I mean, he made a defensive coordinator and offensive coordinator. I've been very critical of Mike Tomlin.

Again, a more than capable leader and motivator of men. But he's digging in. The Steelers once again lead the NFL in paying their defense over there. offense year after year after year is that Sean McDermott was getting a lot of heat last year. Remember the Tyler Dunn article and some of its quotes in the locker room, but I don't see Sean McDermott as an old, rigid, stubborn coach. And the reason I don't see it is because I'm watching him evolve. He's not digging in.

He's not old school. I think Sean McDermott has listened to his critics. I mean, they drafted a tight end last year, first pick. This year, their first pick overall. I think it was second round was a wide receiver. James Cook was a second round pick. So the first four or five years there, you know, after the Josh Allen picked, they were going defensive guys heavy in the draft at the top of the draft,

their first picks. Now they've evolved. They're going heavy offensive guys. He's also moved off multiple offensive coordinators. He understands the value of the right OC. He's also let some really good defensive players go. I look at Sean McDermott at a guy who's evolving. He's not being old.

school. He's not digging his feet in. He's trying to get Josh Allen help. A lot of teams don't draft tight ends in the first round. He's going tight ends. He got a running back in the second round. A lot of teams first second round, they don't want to get running backs. They want to get that stuff later. So they're using their draft capital on offensive guys very early. They're moving off first round guys as defensive guys. He's moving off defensive players. He keeps fine. Joe Brady appears to be a great fit with Josh Allen. So like Mike Tomlin has. has not had a playoff win in six years. Belichick didn't have in his last five years in New England,

and it just felt like they kept doubling down on defense, and it feels very old school to me, and I don't think Sean McDermott's old school. I think he's evolving. That's what I'm watching. Here's Sean McDermott after the win last night. We've got a lot of new players and whatnot, and you're never really sure.

There's so many unknown stars. a season and you know we'd come back the first week of the season and win and I think that was a step for us for any team to be able to say that you can do that you can play in close games and then this game being able to come down here in a short week to your point at their place and and play like we did we played we played our style of football yeah I mean no penalties not having turnovers running the football offensive line dominance it was like it wasn't that totally Josh Allen reliant. And the reason being is because of the rookie receiver,

the other tight end, the running back, they've done a good job. They, you know, listen, they've won four straight AFC East titles. I didn't have been in my top 10 week one because I just, I wanted to watch them. I just watch them play Arizona. I'm like, eh, it's just too Josh Allen.

I was totally impressed last night. Like, that's a Super Bowl team. And I do feel with Josh Allen, he's too talented not to win one. But that, that's as good. a win, not just because of the outcome and not just because of the separation with Miami. That's about as good a win and as hopeful a win if you think the bill should win the Super Bowl. That's as good as it gets.

Big running game, no penalties, no mistakes, didn't have that many tonal yards, not a lot of Superman plays. It was just help Josh. We said this about Luca Dantage. You start looking at this schedule now, and they've got a tough one against Baltimore. I mean, they've got, they're going to need some balance here when they face Lamar, C.J. Stroud, Aaron Rogers. I don't know. This schedule looks like a lot of wins to me. It gets really tough in November, but I thought that was really impressive last night. Arizona, the first half, you weren't quite sure what they were. It's week one. Nobody knows what anybody is.

Wait, Colin, hold up. Hold up. Are you sure that the bills are very good with these two results? Because if you look at the holes in that run game last night, Miami just had no defense. I mean, the Jags went up and down the field against them in the first half on Sunday. They wore down. But I'm looking at the Josh Allen passing numbers. In week 1, he threw 23 passes. In week 2, he through 19. Yes, that's perfect.

This is a totally different bills team than the ones of years past. That's exactly what I want. But is this sustainable? Throwing 20. Against good teams. Well, they're too in a lot. I mean, Arizona is a five-win team. Miami looks like a 6, 7, 8-1 team. Well, what I would say is, get past the result.

When you're throwing 19 and 23 times, the bills are sending a message. What we're doing is fun. It's not working. It's not working. So the bills are pivoting to we need to become more balanced and more run first. The other thing, as good as Josh is, every season, December on, it's four degrees. Thurman Thomas, you have to run the ball. This is not Miami. We always talk about Miami's great in September. It's warm in Buffalo for about two home games. And then all of a sudden by November, you got snowfall. So to me, the way to win with this organization is power running in defense. And with McDermott, we know the defense is always going to be fine.

I mean, just what they do. They're always going to be above average defensively because of Sean. But I look at those passing totals and I'm like, stop worrying about winning MVP's. 23 to 24 passes with Josh Allen. You know what that shows me? Discipline. Okay. Like the offensive coordinator is disciplined.

So I love this conversation. Remember in the summer we said there was a wide receiver bubble happening and these guys are overpaid. You cannot pay your quarterback and your receiver this much and expect to continue to win. What did we see in week one, Colin? The fewest 300-yard passers in week one in over a decade. There was only two of them. And we saw a lot of 100-yard rushers, I think, of the most since like 2011 or something. Are we seeing a pivot from passing league heavy to let's go back to the run? We've overemphasized passing. Let's pivot back to running. Yeah, I think there's two things here. When you pay quarterbacks, what you're paying them now,

Protecting them becomes even more vital. So you do not want your quarterback throwing 45 times a game. You're trying to protect the number one asset. That's always been the case. Now you're paying guys $500 million. The second thing is everything is cyclical. In the NBA, it's all about three-pointers. Then you go to the playoffs.

In the mid-range teams, the team's getting buckets. You know, you get to the playoffs and it's like there's a lot of, you know, there's a lot of teams not shooting threes winning games, right? The NBA, it's a small league, small ball. Now it's all the big guys dominating the league. What the Celtics have is length. What Denver had, Denver had length. What Dallas to the finals had, Biggs, length.

When they acquired it at the trade deadline, they were a better team. So everything is cyclical in sports. It used to be in baseball. You could not strike out. Now it's the ground ball is the killer. Get the ball in the air. And so in the NFL, you had this time where it was like, no, it's all about passing.

And I still think that's the way to win. But the difference is, quarterbacks now are so expensive, and you have to pay them, because all the rules now favor the quarterback. What you don't want is that 40 passing attempt number. That's the number to avoid. You want your quarterback throwing 38 or less. Go look at DAC. The minute Dak throws 40 or over, losing record, 38 and under, winning record.

Well, the only thing about paying the quarterback, okay, Jordan Love goes down in week one. We'll see what the health status is. Could be out three to six, maybe he's back. Yeah. Tua goes down in week two. those teams are cooked if the quarterback's out for a prolonged period of time. So I, listen, I'm hopeful that Tua's okay. I like.

That contract looks horrible. Well, that's, and I know you had to pay him, but there's other options. Well, no, I think Tua's contract, I said it before. I think a lot of media members. I remember when Tua signed, I read a lot that day because my take was I wouldn't have gone there. I think I said that on the show. I was not comfortable based on his concussion history and his, inability to win cold weather in January.

I said, I couldn't have gone there. Dak, I'm actually more comfortable with because Dak's a bigger, stronger guy. And I don't look at Dak as a guy that can't win North. With Tua, it was always like, you know, I just don't think, I mean, look at all the good teams in the AFC. Baltimore, Cincinnati, Kansas City, Buffalo. It's all cold. What you're playing in January? None of them have domes.

Where in the NFC, a lot of the good teams north have domes like Detroit. And so I had repercussions. And what happened last night was the elephant in the room. Nobody wanted to talk about it. But it was something that, you know, I mean, he had three concussions. And by the way, before the concussion, he was awful. Well, he was. Interceptions were.

Yeah, he was struggling. Maybe it's just Buffalo, because against Buffalo, he always stinks up the joint. Yeah. And, but I think this is why you need to have these conversations. I said this when Joe Biden was still president. I said, you have to have hard conversations. This can't be the president going forward. That can't be the candidate.

Like, have hard conversations. It's painful. You like Joe Biden. Democrats eventually had hard. conversations. You have to. The Tua thing, as you were going to sign this contract, there were people that were like, hey, let's not get into the, no, no, no, no, you got to consider everything. Because once you go, four or five years at $45, $55 million, it changes the entire organization. So, you know, you just, we're happy to have got paid, obviously. Like, you know,

I'll go back to it. I think there should be an amnesty clause. I think, I think, I would like to see Tua retire. That's what I would do. He gets all his money, but I feel bad because Tua's going to feel, he'll probably feel guilty. He's, you know, he'll probably feel like I got to come back and help the franchise. I'd rather we retire. That said, I, if he does, then all of a sudden, his teammates, his coaches, I mean, you got this contract without a player. So this has a lot of tentacles. I think everybody sides on compassion. We're all hoping to is fine. Um, you know, and I think some of us, I'm one of those. I would probably lean toward, called a career. I love but pro athletes just don't do that, man. Those guys are, they are warriors out there. They fight to

the end. They feel guilt. They want to be part of something. He'll, you know, he'll probably have sort of an abandonment thing. Like he's, he's, he's quitting. So pro athletes go through, I know they get paid a lot and they're famous, but they go through a lot here. He's, you know, they've built this franchise around Tua. And I think he feels that responsibility. My guess is he feels that. I mean, he's a very bottom line, religious conviction. This, this is a guy, not a guy that's got his head all over the play. He's always football, family, faith. He's a very centered kid.

And I think faith, family, and football matter to him. And I think his teammates are everything to him and his family. In sports, your teammates are family. And so I think it's going to be really difficult for him. I really do. Just last note on the bills real quick in the running game. You like to talk about seeing

around corners. I'm just telling you, look for a lot of two tight end sets around the league this weekend, a lot of running the football, controlling clock. Guys like the Minnesota Vikings, they get that early lead. And Aaron Jones, did you see them lean on the running game against the Giants? Donald's early passing? I think Donald threw like three passes second half.

Like we just get out of here with the win. The run game is starting to come back in the NFL. Remember two summers ago? It was like nobody wants to pay running backs. They're back now. And here's what happened. Linebackers got smaller. Safety's got smaller and faster.

Well, all of a sudden you start looking after a two or three-year trend. You got 220-pound linebackers, not 240. You can run the football. So this stuff is all cyclical. Jim Harbaugh takes over. He drafts Joe Alt. And what does he get? J.K. Dobbins.

So Harbaugh comes into the NFL. The first thing he does is, I'm not going fancy. I'm not going finesse. I'm going physical. And you watched it against the Raiders. J.K. Dobbins, Joe Alt. So I think what we're having is in a cyclical world we live in sports, it is moving back toward, hey, all these linebackers that weigh 225 pounds and can run, run over them.

Can't run away from them. Run over them. So this is why I love football. This is why I love sports. It's constantly evolving. It's a small ball league. It's a big ball league. Launch angles, what everybody talks about in baseball.

Now, get the ball in the air. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific. Hey, gang. This is Jay Glazer, host of Unbreakable, a mental wealth podcast. And every week, we will have on leaders from sports entertainment like Sean McVeigh, Lindsey Vaughn, Michael Phelps, David Spade, Guy Fiami, and also those who can help us in between the ears. Anyone from a therapist to someone like Ed Milet or John Gord. We've all been through some sort of adversity.

To get to the top, we've all used different tools. Listen to Unbreakable with Jay Glazer and Mental Wealth Podcast on the IHart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get podcasts. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year.

Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th.

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

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

Join us as we tackle science and culture topics from a galaxy far, far away, such as the biology of taun tons and wampas on the ice planet hot, or the practicality and corporate business sense of the Sith rule of two. Listen to Stuff to Blow Your Mind on the iHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your part. podcast. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tapped Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do with Little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look

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

Thank you for finishing that sentence. Yes. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get Your podcasts.

Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hardway 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 hard way. Open your free, our heart radio app. Search, learn the hard way, and listen now. Start Saturday Strong with Big Noon Saturday. Jalen Milrow in fourth-ranked Alabama take on Wisconsin in a huge SEC Big Ten clash. It all starts at 10 a.m. with Big Noon kickoff live from Madison, Wisconsin.

Then it's Alabama, Wisconsin at noon on Fox. So something I've thought a lot about. Why do men, especially coaches, have such a hard, time copping. Like I watch guys that go in like Jim Harbaugh. Everywhere he goes, immediately it works.

He builds a culture. He's the best culture builder in American football. Sabin's retired. Belichick's gone. He's the best. And Chargers, when they're opening game, their defense with the same dudes totally revamped. He goes and gets a right tackle.

Joe Alt, who was 11 for 11 against Max Crosby, one of the best pass rushers in football. And I think what Harbaugh does, it's not schemes, because I've had multiple friends on his staff. It's culture. He builds toughness and belief. And it's a great example.

So they're going to Carolina to play this week. And then they would have to fly back to L.A. and go out to Pittsburgh. And Harbaugh said, no, no, no, no, no. We're just going to bring the board games and the snacks and we're going to stay out east. And that is Harbaugh. And he's done this multiple times. this in San Francisco. So it's not an ideal situation where you fly cross-country. NFL doesn't love their teams doing that. So he just said, hey, bring the board games, guys. It's going to,

which can be like training camp. We're going east. We're not coming back for two weeks. And I don't know why more teams don't do this. It's just, coaches have this thing about, it's like their way and my style. You know, if I ever had to replace Jim Harbaugh, I would be like, whatever he's doing, we're going to do more of it. Like, just do what he's doing. coaches don't like to do that. They bring in their own sensibility and style. But, I mean, they have, last year, this was the worst defense in the league. It was the worst culture in the league.

I mean, the team almost had a mutiny before the end of the season. They got rid of the coach. They had to. They lost the locker room. They're one game in. Everybody's all in. One camp, one game. They're all in.

And you start looking at this schedule. Went over the Raiders. They're going to beat Carolina, I would imagine. They should beat Pittsburgh. Okay. Kansas City's tough, but they get them at home. There are a lot of Ws here. I mean, we said before the season,

J. Mack and I both felt this had a chance. We both felt this had a chance to be an 11-win team. We didn't think that was hyperbolic. We thought 11, you know, you get into 13, 14, 15. I don't think they have the firepower. They're going to have to get in some shootouts in this league. I don't think they have the firepower to do that. But you start looking at the Chargers,

and there's a lot of wins there. There are a lot of Ws there. And what you see with Herbert and Harbaugh, because it's a coach quarterback league, Early success makes selling your culture easier. Early success makes all this stuff. It's much easier to buy into a culture with Ws. And I didn't think they played a perfect football game against the Raiders,

but the Raiders kind of uglied it up. But they were the more aggressive team. They ran the ball better. I know it sounds crazy to think you can be as bad as you were last year, an 11-12 win team. Because it is overwhelmingly outside of a new, little slot receiver and a right tackle. It's the same roster. It is all the same dudes. It's just Harbaugh and his guys. Same players for a team last year they lost the opener.

Got into a crazy shootout against, I think it was Miami. Lead lost the lead. They lost leads all last year. It's amazing. Why more people don't copy them? It works. It works instantly. San Diego, Niners, Michigan, Chargers. Bring the snacks and board games. We're going to Carolina. up. Another podcast from some SNL late night comedy guy, not quite on Humor 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 I-Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all,

embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, what's good, y'all? You're listening to Learn the Hardway with your favorite therapist and host Kear Games.

This space is about black men's experiences, having honest conversations that it's really not safe to have anywhere, but you're having them with a licensed professional who knows what he's doing. How many men carry a suit or armor? It 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 AHA radio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast.

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, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care which 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, 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 IHeart 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. This is an IHeart podcast, guaranteed human.