The Herd with Colin Cowherd - HOUR 1 - Wilson, QBs, Bills, CFB

Episode Date: September 6, 2022

Russell Wilson is continually disrespected Thoughts on the second year QBs in the NFL The Bills record in close games last season Thoughts on the CFB Tournament expanding   Guest: Nick WrightSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed Human. Another podcast from some SNL, late-night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer Streeter Seidel, help an a cappella band with their between songs banter.

Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and friends on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year.

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

Listen and learn the hard way on the AHA radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. 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 here, 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. 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. Thanks for listening to The Heard podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday from 12 to 3 Eastern, 9 to noon Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and FS1. Find your local station for the herd at Fox Sports Radio.com or stream us live every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching Heard.

You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. Here we go. It's officially the start of the NFL campaign. Yep, Tuesday after Labor Day, live in Los Angeles, it's the herd. Wherever you may be and however you may be listening. IHeart Radio, Fox Sports Radio, FS1, one hour from now, one hour from now, the herd hierarchy. We've made some alterations over the last two weeks. The Niners camp has been pretty brutal. The Rams camp, according to two different people who've been on the show, has been the best team. they've seen. J. Mack is joining me today. All right, J-Mack, a lot of positive vibes coming out of your Jets. Zach Wilson could be healthy. The receivers look good. This is always the best time of the year for the Jets right before the season starts.

So you told me when I joined the show that you won a lot of Jets materials, so we're big in the New York market. I, of course, are the number one Jets fan in America. J-E-T-S. Jets, Jets, Jets. So let's start with this. things take shape very quickly in football. You can see bad quickly, good quickly, bad coaches.

It takes shape very quickly. So we are now, two years ago, there was a draft with five first round quarterbacks. They're all embarking on their second year, just their second year. And it is already this morning taking shape. So there's Trevor Lawrence. you can feel the momentum, it's good. He's now got an offensive coach who's won a Super Bowl. They've added weapons in free agency.

They spend a ton mostly on offense. It's a really, really weak division. I think he's going to have a nice year and solidify himself as the best of the five. You can feel the momentum. Then there's Zach Wilson. Now, all the other quarterbacks to me have something going for. except one. So Zach Wilson's got this going for him. His GM, Joe Douglas, is really good.

They've had back-to-back fantastic drafts. It's a division with one great team and a lot of questions, and Zach Wilson's talented. But he's got some really tasty weapons. And then there's a, there's a Tray Lance. Tray Lance has the best roster of all these young guys. This is a Super Bowl roster. The coach, Kyle Shanahan, got Matt Shobb, some MVP votes. I mean, we're talking about a coach who is a quarterback whisper. Then there's Mack Jones. Well, he's got Bill Belichick, regarded as the greatest coach of all time. And it's been a clunky preseason, but it is Bill Belichick, who oftentimes allows a young quarterback to hand off, throw 18 times, and post a W. Now, Justin Fields is the one I really worry about.

defensive rookie head coach, awful offensive line, only one, one promising young wide receiver, and let's be honest, Minnesota and Green Bay in that division, have better players. So Justin Fields is the one of the five I'm going to be the most patient with. If he goes six and 11, but I see moments, I'm okay with that. I think we all have to be the most patient with Justin Fields. He doesn't have the young, interesting weapons of Zach Wilson, doesn't have the Super Bowl winning offensive coach like Trevor Lawrence, doesn't have the legendary coach Bill Balli Check, and frankly, doesn't have Tray Lance's roster. But that is the downside, the burden, Trey Lance, who according to reports this morning, was annoyed when the Niners signed Jimmy Garapolo. Now, they get along about as well as quarterbacks battling for time could get along.

But here's the issue. How patient can San Francisco be? You can experiment if you have an expansion team. You can experiment a little bit if you're the Bears and Justin Field. You have the third, maybe the fourth best roster in division. This may be the best roster in football. Receivers, multiple. Backs, multiple.

Tide end, Hall of Famer. Rush end, Hall of Famer. D-line, fantastic. linebackers athletic corners upgraded safety's hit coach brilliant this is a stack roster and they're just adding pieces you start looking at their schedule how patient should you be let me ask you you run the niners you're in a very tough division let's say they beat chicago and the seahawks because they should they're significantly better teams one of those teams is tanking and one of them maybe should i mean chicago's not a very good team. Then they lose to Russell Wilson and Denver and they lose to the Rams. They're two and two.

The interesting part of the schedule is they go to Carolina and Atlanta rebuilding teams. What if he loses those games? You're heading into Mahomes. You're heading into Stafford, Herbert, and Tyler. You're going to punt the season? This roster is too good to experiment. So sometimes we always talk about in the NFL for young quarterbacks, where do you land? Andrew Luck is the outlier where it didn't matter. He overcame crap. 99% of these guys, John Elway was good enough to overcome stuff. Dan Marino could overcome stuff.

Andrew Luck could. That is once a decade. Those are once a decade, guys. Trevor Lawrence, I think, has some of that special sauce. But when you have a Super Bowl roster and a lot of those Niners, Dibos now get getting paid, Kiddles getting paid, Trent Williams getting paid, this door is going to close really fast because

they're paying a lot of money to a lot of people and there's a lot of young people that are a year or two away. How long do you experiment? This is the rare time when Trane Lance, the young quarterback out of college, inherited

too good of a roster and it may hurt him. Because this team with Jimmy G, if Jimmy G. started today rest of the season, That's a 12-win team. I watched them in the playoffs go to Lambo and outplay the Packers in Green Bay weather. So this league takes shape very quickly. And I think this is the most fascinating team in the NFL.

Not the best, the most fascinating. Generally, we say the kid needs the best possible talent to succeed. With Trey Lance, the talent is so good. The question is, we're not sitting around and punting on the seas. Dude, you got to get good by Carolina. You get four starts, you're two and two. Got to go to Carolina and win. Got to go to Atlanta and win.

And I think that's fair. It may not sound fair, but it's fair. All right. So as we embark on this season, there's a lot of great players. Okay. And they just had a top 100 list on the NFL network voted on by players. And we can argue about who the best player is. But without question, the most disrespected player in the National Football League is Russell Wilson.

in that top 100 players list, he was ranked 61st. Now think about that. You think there's 60 better players than Russell Wilson. He's never received an MVP vote. Cordell Stewart and Chad Pennington have had several. He's never gotten one? Oh, but this tops it off. I see this this morning.

We're an NFL exec asked a question to Mike Sando of the Athletic. excellent reporter. The execs said, you know, it's interesting. I wonder if Russell Wilson's success was only due to the Seahawks defense. Oh, good hell. All right. So now it's time for another. And this, by the way, this is what Russell Wilson deals with all the time.

Remember, he was a star at NC State. His coach bailed on him for Mike Glennon. He went to Wisconsin and had the greatest single quarterback year in the history of Badger football. So let's reverse that question. Not how good would Russell be without Pete Carroll in the defense. Let's reverse it. What is Pete Carroll's career in the NFL without Russell Wilson?

Oh, I'll tell you. Fired, Fired, and 14 and 18 with Matt Flynnett quarterback. That's Pete's NFL career. fired with the Patriots, fired with the Jets, and 14 and 18. Then they catch a break, get Russell Wilson in the third, and they go from 7 and 9 to 11 and 5. Many of those defensive stars, they'd already been drafted. They were already there, the Earl Thomas's, the Richard Sherman's. They were already there.

7 and 9 to 11 and 5. By the way, the executive who says, if his success is only due to the defense, you do realize Seattle's defense last year was 28th in the league and 32nd against the past, dead last. If you've watched Seattle over the last five or six years, their drafts have been atrocious, their defense has been outdated, and Russell Wilson was the life preserver to the franchise. And this is what's interesting. Books have chapters.

Right? You read a book, it's got chapters. All of our lives have chapters, but we aren't books. And so when you get these pro athletes, sometimes we just put our arms around the entire career and go, that's the career. Tom Brady's book had a couple of different chapters. I would argue three. There's the first chapter of Tom Brady's NFL book, which is Belichick and the defense

carried this promising young quarterback. That was about four years. And then there was the final 16 in New England, and we've seen proof of it in the last couple years, is Tom's team. Tom was more important than Belichick. That was the second. chapter. Now it's Tom's team. The defense wasn't always great. Good, not great. The third chapter is Tom goes to Tampa and proves it's not only a quarterback league, but even with Belichick, it's a 70-30 split.

But nobody gives Russell Wilson that chapter. They just put their arms around the whole career. Russell Wilson's career is now moving into its third chapter. The first was the first two to three years. small young quarterback played differently, defense emerged as young and great, and Marshawn Lynch. And it was a defense in a run game-led team. That was the first chapter. The last seven years of his 10 years in Seattle are a different chapter.

Defense got old, coach got old and arrogant and stubborn, the defense got horrible, and the drafts were anemic for five straight years. This is a bad roster. It's a bad roster. They're going to win five games. Now the third chapter, Denver.

So let's go to the over-unders this morning what people in Vegas who only care about winning think. Seattle's seen as a five-win team without Russell. Denver now, mediocre for years, is now seen as a 10-to-an-11 win team with Russell. That's their big change. And this executive is asking, oh, what is Russell's career without that? defense. Turn the telescope. What's Pete's career without Russell? We can argue who the best player in the league is. The most disrespected players, Russell Wilson. 61st best player in the league? No MVP votes? Pennington, Cordell Stewart got him? Several? Can't wait. North Carolina

State moved off him for Mike Glennon and then he went to stodgy conservative Wisconsin football and had 33 touchdowns and I think seven picks. 33 passing touchdowns or total touchdowns, I forget which. For Wisconsin quarterbacks, I've been watching Wisconsin football for three years. That feels like four seasons. He did it in one. All right, got that off my chest.

The first game, of course, is Thursday, and it is interesting. The Rams are defending Super Bowl champs, great camp, no injuries, at home, and nearly a field goal underdog to Buffalo. We love Buffalo. I love Buffalo. Everybody loves Buffalo. There's an interesting stat, though, about Buffalo and something they're not good at, and they've yet to prove they are good at it. And the Rams conversely have proven, and especially last year, they're maybe the best team in the league at it as they meet Thursday. 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. So one of the advantages to me to playing in a really good college or professional conference is that you get hardened. You have to play in close games.

For instance, last year, Matt Stafford goes to the Rams. The division is outstanding. You know, he's got to face Russell Wilson twice a year, the Niners in Garoppolo, Kyler Murray. And so you think, oh, man, he goes to a much stronger conference. Poor Matt Stafford, they win the Super Bowl because the Rams were in so many close games. and the NFL is not college football. You're in a lot of close games.

So that's one of the things about Buffalo that's interesting. So I picked Buffalo to win the Super Bowl last year, and I'm picking them to end up in the Super Bowl this year and win it. There is, if you do a deep dive, it's pretty remarkable. They are favored in L.A. against the Super Bowl Rams, a loaded injury-free roster by almost a field goal. It's like, what? It's in Los Angeles.

It's not in a snowstorm in Buffalo. So it's pretty remarkable how much respect. how much respect Buffalo has from admirers. Also, how much respect they have when you consider the weakest part of their team is a really important part, offensive line, it's just okay. When you do a deep dive on Buffalo, and again, I love them and I'm picking them to win the Super Bowl, here's the concerning thing. I've used this term multiple times over the years.

I call it a Mike Tyson quality. Mike Tyson wasn't very good in competitive fights with the Vanderholyfield or Lennox-Louis, because he hadn't been in many competitive fights. He had such dynamic knockout power. A lot of his career was over middle of the third round or sooner. So when you needed nuance and details and great corner support, Tyson didn't have it. He eroded both times against Evander Holyfield, who didn't have the knockout punch and had been more strategic in his career and had to be.

And so the bills are so audaciously talented at wide receiver, pass rush, Josh Allen, that they tyson you. They demoralize weak. They overwhelm average. And they're not in a ton of close games. They have the best knockout punch in the league along with the Chiefs. But do you realize in one score games the bills didn't win any of theirs last year? They were 0 and 6.

And that included losses to the average Steelers and the Jags. The bills were they didn't win a single one score game. And the Rams were 7 and 1. in one score games. Why? Because they were in them all year. They were in them in their division. They were in them in the playoffs. And so I don't think Buffalo is great sometimes at getting the short running yards you need in close games. Again, when Tyson needed to jab, he didn't have it. He didn't develop it. He never needed it until Evander Holyfield or a Lennox Lewis. And so it's interesting.

Buffalo is getting unbelievable support because of their knockout ability. The problem is the Rams have that two and are way better in close games. And my guess is Thursday is a really close game. It's why I would take the points and the Rams in that game. But it'll be fun to watch them because last year the bills went 0 and 6 in close games, and they were all weird. There was the punt getting blocked against Pittsburgh. There was 9 to 6 lost to the gym.

There was giving up a field goal as Kansas City drove the length of the field in like 13 seconds. There was the Derek Henry game where they couldn't stop him. Some teams did. Buffalo couldn't. So they just lost a bunch of different ways, could not win a single close game all last year. The Rams, meanwhile, were 7 and 1. So they'll battle Thursday in the opener. I do believe they are the best teams in their respective conferences.

I don't think many doubt that with the Rams. but there's a few people in Kansas City that would disagree on the bills. J. Mack with the news. No, no, no, no, turn on the news. This is the Hurdline News. We're going to have to revisit that. You know, two years ago, by the way, five and one in one score games, so they basically flipped year to year.

Fascinating. But, Colin, we've got to start the Hurdline News with the Dallas Cowboys. You know, everybody thinks FS1 talks about Dallas too much, Colin. This story is exactly why. The Cowboys didn't have a great offseason, right? some top players no longer with the team like Amari Cooper. They've suffered some injuries. And Jerry Jones spoke today, very optimistic.

Here's how Jerry Jones, Colin, is feeling. I have to believe one in one is three. I can't operate where one and one is two. Now, we all know it is physically. But the three is where you have to go. Now, you have to have optimism to operate out in that world and commit and do things. when you got to count on one in one being three. And I'm not trying to play games, but that's where the biggest payoffs are.

All right. Well, I'm not sure where he's going, but I thought it was fun. It was lively. Why is he doing radio interviews? What other NFL owners are on the radio every week? You know, I was talking to Matt Mosley, a buddy of mine who's covered the Cowboys forever, and we were talking about this last night, and I said, people don't realize when DAC came into the league, that was the best O line in the league.

and it was for about four years. Then last year, it was top 10, but it wasn't as good. This morning, it's a bad O line outside of Zach Martin. It's a bad O line. So what Tyron Smith is out, they're going to be weak at left tackle, not as good at right tackle, pretty weak at left guard, average at center. So the difference is, and we all know this, when Tom Brady went to Tampa, who was the first player they drafted? A right tackle. That was Brady's thing.

He sits and he talks to the GM of Tampa. He said, I like your roster a lot. You got to get your O-line right on the right side of it. And by the way, when Sean McVeigh went to L.A., first thing he did, get Andrew Whitworth. The smart coaches in this league, they know that Bruce Ariens knew, you got to fix the O-line for the quarterback. So this is Dax's first starting year with a bad O-line. And so, I don't know what I'm. I don't know.

I'm not real optimistic on that. I don't think he's gifted enough like a Josh Allen. I don't like the Bill's offensive line much. But there are quarterbacks that can... Justin Herbert's rookie year. Chargers O line was a mess. He was still productive. I think he's an A-plus-plus talent.

Dax never played for a bad O-line. It's no longer mediocre. If Tyron Smith is out, it is a bad O line. So Jerry Jones says all off-season, we want to run the football behind Zeke, and now one plus one is three. Colin, this is not looking good. Remember, both coordinators

interviewed for head coaching job. They were looking to get the hell out of Dodge. Dallas feels like kind of a sinking ship a little bit, Colin? I think they do. All right. Next up, Tom Brady has an incredible resume, including seven Super Bowls, three MVP awards, widely regarded as the best quarterback in NFL history. Still believes, though, that he has something to prove. Yeah, I have a lot to prove. I got a lot to prove this year.

I'm out there to prove that I'm still capable of leading the team to a championship. And that's what I want to prove to myself. and I want to prove that to my teammates. So I got to get up every day and with that dedication and commitment and focus and try to go out there and be the best I could be for them. Bad division. They'll win it.

I still think the O-line's a huge issue, guard-center guard, and I think that'll be their undoing against the Rams, the Niners. Green Bay has got a really good defensive front. Tampa's weakness is the strength of the Packers, the Rams, the Niners. We'll see Philadelphia's pass rush.

I have real questions about Tom at his age and that O'Line. Specific to this quote, I have a lot to prove. Like, Colin, you can't play that I was a sixth round quarterback card. Where you got all the Super Bowls. Like, he's got to stop playing this, right? Like, he's 45 years old. Well, I think that's a little played out. Whatever it takes to motivate people I'm for.

That's all right. We'll wrap up, Colin, with this one. Lamar Jackson, right now it looks like he's going to play 2022 without the contract extension he's been hoping for. According to John Harbaal, Lamar has been completely dead. dedicated to football despite the acrimonious negotiations. Lamar has said he's focused on the season, he's under contract, he's going to have the best season he can have. He's hopeful to get a new contract, we're hopeful to get him a new contract,

but all the rest of it is business. I mean, there's nothing other than coming to something that's mutually agreeable. My interactions with Lamar have been all football, and he's been focused and locked in on that 100% from a football standpoint. By the way, memo to the American sports media, not every quarterback or player gets a contract early. That's not the way it works. He's got a contract. Kyler got, you know, Kyler went to the wall, went public, he got an early one. Mitch Trubisky didn't. Baker didn't. Now you could say, well, Lamar's a lot better. Well, Dak, by the way, didn't get an early one. Gough did. It didn't work out. So he's got a contract. They have had discussions. But the idea

that it's like an obligation. Now I think from my personal opinion is when you get somebody as good as Lamar, sign them early, not late. That's always been, and I don't think there's another Lamar in the market. Every year, he looks bigger this year than last year. Every year he's gotten slightly better. Every year's slightly more accurate,

so I would do it. But there is no, you don't have to pay anybody early. Dallas rolled the dice, and frankly, it was a mistake. They should have paid DAC two years earlier. Now they're paying $40 million for a guy that's probably in the big world, B plus quarterback. You know the saying happy wife, happy life. Yeah. Doesn't it also apply happy quarterback, happy organization, happy franchise?

Not necessarily. Remember, it was it Joe Flacco who had a chip on his shoulder and played to get a new contract and won the Super Bowl. So a lot of guys want that chip. Kirk Cousins has often played very well right before he got the big money. So not everybody is, you know, I mean, in essence, Russell Wilson had to leave Seattle to get the big contract because he wasn't happy. You talked about Justin Herbert earlier. Let's say they paid Lamar a ton of money. Isn't Herbert going to just exceed that contract in a year or two? And the next quarterback after that, Trevor Lawrence, these guys are going to make this contract look small. The other thing I keep hearing is you have to give, because Deshawn Watson signed a guaranteed,

fully guaranteed contract, timeout. Since one of the Cleveland Brown's been the market setter for anything, they're a desperate second tier franchise. Who cares what they do with their quarterback? Baltimore is well-run, smartly owned, excellently coached. They've never, never been desperate in my lifetime. You don't have to guarantee Justin Herbert or Lamar Jackson all their money because the Cleveland Browns did. When is a bad business ever, if the Kansas City Royals or the Pirates came out today and gave somebody a contract, do the Dodgers have to follow sued? So, or the Braves, well-run organizations? So I don't think, I wouldn't give Lamar a fully guaranteed contract. I would give no quarterback a fully guaranteed contract. I think Josh Allen's

about as close as I would go. Burroughs about as close as I would go. Justin Herbert wants it fully guaranteed. I'm giving it to him, Colin. That guy looks awesome. It doesn't have been two years. All right, J-Mac with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Hurd-Ly News. Nick writes around the corner.

So I got a full weekend of college football. And some things you can see very clearly, very quickly. And that's not necessarily a bad thing. But college football is going to a 12-teenth. team playoff, maybe in as early as 2024, no later than 2026. I am here for it because I want more good games. And I think in America, polls and votes, just get to a playoff. We don't really watch college basketball as a country during the regular season. I see the numbers. Nobody really watches it. We watch the tournament for betting, for brackets, for fun. It's this jumbleaya where you put

all these 68 teams together. And it's great. It's one of my favorite two, three weeks stretch. in America every year for sports. College football is significantly more popular than college basketball based on every data point in metric. But they've always had the worst ending where it's like, you know, you lose two games, have fun at the Alamo Bowl or something, right? So a 12-team playoff is not only good for those 12 teams, but it means there'll be 16 to 18 teams vying for the playoff the last two weeks.

almost the entire top 20 will be vying for the playoff. So it's not just 12 teams included at the end. It's probably 16 to 18. That's good for the sport. That's really good for the sport. So I've seen everybody that counts play this weekend. And I think I can say college football, and I'm just talking to big dogs. There's 130 Division 1 programs.

I think we have three tiers. I watched Clemson play last night. The number one tier, Alabama and Georgia are faster, bigger, and stronger, brilliantly coached. Those are the two best teams, and I think significantly. Clems's defense is great, but their offense would not move the ball on Alabama or Georgia. And Ohio State's offense is dynamic, but I don't think their defense is nearly as good as Alabama or Georgia's. That's Tier 2. And then there's about six or seven teams in Tier 3 that are got some sizzle, well-coached, some NFL bodies, but they don't quite feel they've got

the roster top to bottom. Michigan, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, SC, Miami, Baylor, Arkansas, and A&M. They're really good. And there's NFL guys and they're well coached. But I think Miami and USC, you can't turn around bad programs in a year. USC's offense is great. Their defense isn't. Miami's still got some work on their offensive line. They got a good quarterback and a couple of good receivers, but they have work to do. But to me, of the 130 teams, this, So far is what I've seen. Tier 1 is clearly, Alabama offense and defense is great. Georgia, likewise.

Clemson's offense, not good enough. DJ, everything looks hard. Just their offense would not move the ball on Bama or Georgia. I'm not sure. I don't know who would win if Clemson and Ohio State played. Because I think Clemson's defense is a really good defense. And Ohio State's offense is wildly dynamic. But that's what it feels like.

And I have no problem saying that this morning. That's what it looks like to me. All right. Nick writes around the corner. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific. Hey, this is Jason McIntyre. Join me every weekday morning on my podcast, Straight Fire with Jason McIntyre.

This isn't your typical sports pod pushing the same tired narratives down your throat every day. Straight Fire gives you honest opinions on all the biggest sports headlines. accurate stats to help you win big at the sportsbook and all the best guests. Do yourself a favor and listen to Straight Fire with Jason McIntyre on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Oh, it's great to be here. So Nick Wright, we'll get to this at the end of the interview, but his show now follows me as his mentor. It must be just the career arc for him must be splendid. He must be in a great mood.

So let's go to the new set in New York. It looks fantastic. We'll get to that in a second. First thing's first is now after our show. Look at that. That looks like that is got a big old like city urban hipster. We're not all sitting on like an iron throne like you are, you know, looking down upon the audience.

But short of that, it's about as good as it gets. But yeah, we can talk more about that at the end. I know you want to talk football, so let's do it. All right, let's start with this. I like Buffalo to get to the Super Bowl, but there is a hole in this operation. The Rams are very good in close games, seven and one last year, mostly because they're in a lot of close games in their division. Buffalo is 0 and 6 in close games. They melted down against the Jags, the Steelers, Tennessee.

And I do think it's a hole that Kansas City has a history of coming from behind. That's why they're good at coming from behind. And that is the hole with Buffalo. In fact, they're favored by almost a field go over the Rams in L.A. And I'm like, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, that is a lot to get my arms around. Yeah, so you left out one other close game they lost. Of course, you know, having a lead with 13 seconds left to go to the AFC championship game and then let Mahomes rip their heart out and then they, you know, they get the rules changed.

The Chiefs, by the way, didn't get the rules changed when Brady did it to us four years ago in the same building. We asked either here nor here. So you focused on the point spread, Colin. this is one of the most baffling lines I can remember to start a season. I'm not saying Buffalo can't beat the Rams, of course they can. But Buffalo being two and a half point favorites in Los Angeles. That means if this game were in Buffalo, they'd be eight and a half point favorites. So what are the bills going to be favored by when the Jets come to town?

17 and a half, 18 points? I think the general public right now is a little skewed, and it sounds like you are as well, if you're picking them to go to the Super Bowl by how they ended the year, blowing the doors off the Patriots and then looking great offensively against the Chiefs. They had all that talent throughout the year and yet by round two of the playoffs

they were on the road with a softer schedule last year than they have this year. Why? Because they do have some question marks and Alan as high as the ceiling is and he's unbelievable talent-wise and I was wrong on him. He still has some games where it's like, oh, you guys

did lose to the Jags, didn't you? And at the beginning of the year, the other reason I don't understand the line for week one, Colin, is you know the Rams are going to be throwing the ball to Cooper Cup, and Trey White is out the first month at least. So this is a head-scratching line. I think the bills are going to be really, really good, but overwhelming Super Bowl favorites, I don't buy. Listen, I could be totally wrong on this.

I don't think I am. But I said to start my show, okay, you cannot call Russell Wilson great. But there's not 60 players better in the league. Cordell Stewart and Chad Pennington have been given several MVP votes. He's never gotten one. And Pete Carroll was fired twice, 14 and 18. He arrives, and for six years, they beat the brakes off everybody. He's got talent.

He may not be the Mahomes, the thrower. Alan, the physical dimension, whatever. But can we acknowledge this? He's probably the most disrespected quarterback in the game. Well, he sets him. Listen, I used to be with you on this. Because when you and I first got to know each other, Colin, that was back when I was trying to convince you Russell Wilson was better than your beloved son, Andrew Luck.

Oh, we forget about those times. Colin loved him some Andrew Luck. Oh, my goodness. You think the way he looks into the eyes of Justin Herbert and Josh Allen, how he used to look at Andrew Luck. But that's either here nor there. Colin, he does some of this stuff to himself. He really, really promotes and publicizes himself in a way that makes himself maybe a bit of a target.

And when he signs one of the richest contracts in NFL history, weeks after buying, quite literally, the most expensive home in Denver's history, and then tries to give us the Mike Hampton. I did it for the school districts. You know, I did this because, you know, I'm about winning multiple superals. I was like, come on, buddy. I'm happy you got your money, but you know why you wanted the $49 million a year? Because it's $49 million a year. And so I think all of that combined with the fact that you're right, his career started amazing.

But it's also true he has won one playoff game in the last five years. Peyton Manning was unbelievable once upon a time, too. Peyton's been to a Super Bowl more recently than Russell Wilson. Cam Newton has, Nick Foles has, Matt Ryan has. It's been a long time since Russell Wilson was a guaranteed difference maker come the postseason. So I guess maybe I'm proving you right because I guess I'm disrespecting Mr. Somewhat Limited a bit. But I do think he has a nice, catchy, you know, new catchphrase with the, what is it? Well, it's not go hawks anymore. Let's ride. That's what it is.

Let's ride. You know, how big was the focus group on that, Colin? You think? Did they bring an outside consultants? Was it just Sierra's marketing team? I'm not sure. Don't, don't, don't ever scoff at Sierra. You can take your shots at Russell. Listen, I know. Colin Coward, once at a time, was in a party where Sierra was, and he was so struck by, I heard from across the room, he will never get over it. You'll never get over it. Believe me, I'm acknowledging that. So, you know, Jay Mack and I were talking about this is that I'm not a, you know, like Skip obviously loves the Cowboys.

I'm not pro-Dalice, anti-Dalice. I do think they've become the Lakers where, you know, if you're not a friend of Jeannie Bus or somehow tied to the Lakers, they won't let you in the door in the front office. And I think the Cowboys need a new set of eyes, a fresh set of eyes. I haven't liked their last two drafts. I think they waited too long on Dax's contract and spent too much money on Zeeq too quickly. Jerry's still doing local radio hits. I don't think, I think they're too insular. And I look at this team, and I was talking to a friend of my Matt Mosey last night,

and he said, this is the first time DAC will play behind a bad O line. That's right. Tyron Smith is out. Outside of Zach Martin, they don't have a lot of starters on that O line for top teams. What do you think it looks like this year? I think this could be the worst year they've had since Dax's been there when Dax's been healthy. You know, throughout the year, DEC broke his leg, obviously. I'm really concerned about exactly what you said.

It's one thing to have a below-average offensive line. A lot of quarterbacks do when they overcome it. It's another thing to have a below-average offensive line when you've never been taught how to deal with that. Dack has gone from the best offensive line in football to a very good. good offensive line to all of a sudden this year until Tyron Smith gets back, I think you nailed it. Aside from Zach Martin, who is it that you're like, oh yeah, pencil him in for having a great season. You don't have it. I think they're starting the wrong running back. I think Dak has one right now until Gallup gets healthy, one receiver he trusts. And when you remember the last time

he had a substandard receiving court, that was the year they had to trade for Amari Cooper and that kind of saved their season. All of that concerns me. You then add to the fact that last year the most penalized team in football, and then they lost a playoff game because they had 14 penalties and ran one of the most boneheaded end of game plays we've ever seen. And that guy is still the head coach. I don't necessarily buy the hype of the Eagles being a Super Bowl team, but I absolutely buy that, and I've been, I wasn't on this three months ago, but I am now, that the Eagles can win the division. And I think Dallas has a real chance at an under 500 year. I don't think Washington or the Giants are going to be good, but I don't think they're

automatic wins anymore. So I think you have a slightly tougher schedule. You won the division last year, so you have the division winning schedule. You have all of that. And the note, Tyron Smith and Ryan Jensen, the center from Tampa, those are the two biggest injuries this offseason by a mile. And I think they significantly hamper both of those team's abilities to do what their fans hope they do. All right. So Nick's show, Nick, Chris Brousard, Kevin Wilds, are going to be after our show going forward, which is awesome for me. Nick is somebody I care deeply about and I've known for a long time. So their show, we will push you hopefully into their show. They've got a snazzy new set. And now, used to the morning show, which I've got to be honest, I heard about

12 minutes a day driving to work. You're on very early. And it's, oh, if you have not heard it, folks, The chemistry between these guys is outstanding. Wild was a stand-up comedian. It's great. The set looks amazing, too, as well. Well, listen, so let me say a couple things. I'll take 60 seconds here and then give you a show back. You said something at the beginning,

which is me following you and how special it is to me. And you were being kind of joking, but you also know it's true. So I'm going to tell America something. Five and a half years ago, I had been working for FS1 for about nine months, and they hired me to work with, Colin in some capacity, didn't exactly know what capacity. And then they offered me this show in New York City. And hand to God, Colin can attest to this. I was going to turn it down. I was scared. I was like,

I don't know. I don't know anyone in New York. I don't know about this. And Colin took me to lunch and in not so many words that are you out of your bleeping mind? They want you to front a television show. You should probably go do it. I'm like, I don't know. I kind of like being your sidekick, buddy. Seems fun. This is what they hired me to do. So he pushed me and was correct. At that same time when I got hired, they hired Joy Taylor. And Colin took us both in different ways under his wing. And to see Joy go from sitting across him at the desk, now host being one of the co-hosts of the show after me, and for me now to be able to take the baton on FS1 from a guy who really truly was my professional idol until I met him. And everyone says, and I apologize

for doing this to you, Colin, don't meet your heroes. And that's usually true. But if they kick ass and they're kind and they invite you to your home, definitely meet them. And so, Colin, being able to do this and you and I potentially be able to talk at the end of your show every day or quite a bit, I'm so excited. The show's going to be great. And for the LA audience, the Lakers fans that love me and the Warriors fans that hate me, now you can finally see the show because it's not on so early in the morning. So I'm excited for all of it, and it's an honor to be able to follow you on the network. You know how I feel about your brother. Well, you and Joy are both unbelievable talents, and that's why the shows have succeeded. And, uh, you, you know,

You can see that behind these in New York, watch the show, full of energy, big laughs. And even I find you occasionally annoying, but that's why I love you, is that you drive me nuts. You take shots at me, and I think it's a riot, and watch the show. It's first things first, which is now in the afternoons. And congrats, buddy. You're the best, Colin. I love you, and congrats to J-Mack. You're the best.

I love you guys. All right. Good stuff. So we have a whole new lineup today. Craig Carton is a wildly popular, talented guy to New York. I think New York's most talented radio performer is now doing the morning show at our network, into Skip, us. These guys I just told you about, then Joy, Ocho are after them.

All new look today, FS1. 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 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 Hardweight with your favorite therapist and host Kear Games. This space is about black men's experiences, having honest conversations that's really not safe to have anywhere,

but you're having him 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 to learn the hard way on the AHA radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. On the Look Back at it podcast. For 1979, that was a big moment for me.

84's big to me. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick you here, 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 year.

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. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.