The Herd with Colin Cowherd - HOUR 2 - Analytics, improvement

Episode Date: October 7, 2021

How to look at analyticsThe NFL teams that are improving and getting worseGuests: Greg Cosell, Pierre Garcon Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Greg CoSell in a couple of minutes, great 15 minutes of football talk. If you're a fantasy football player, a gambler, or just love football to get smarter, Greg CoSell, 42 years NFL films is your guy. You know, I change Joy, I'm making a big change, my life. I have oatmeal every morning. I'm changing them, getting off oatmeal. It was a staggering

development this morning at the meeting. I heard it. And my staff was not, they were sarcastic. So I said, I'd like to make an announcement. I'm not going to have oatmeal from this point going forward. I want to make a radical change in my life. I'm not having oatmeal. And they all kind of rolled their eyes. They're like, oh, you're so edgy. What an edgy move? Oatmeal guy. Look, you're telling me this because I understand you. I eat the same thing for breakfast. And actually, after you said it, I was like,

hmm, I think I might make a change too. So you get sausage, eggs, and spinach. I get turkey bacon, half an avocado, and egg whites. No, I'm not going to do that. I'm going to do a green juice every morning. I want to get healthier. A green juice with a lot of lemons and green stuff.

But you used to do that all the time. I know. I'm going to get back to that column. But are you going to eat anything? No. I'm going to be very lean joy for the show. Red Bull and green juices. It's a new me. A lot of energy on the show. Very excited for it. I'm embracing the new me.

I'm going to say this now. This is a mistake. Well, that's very judgmental. You eat all day. We don't have our snack table. You're going to be hungry in like 30 minutes. They're called apples. You just got it. You know, it's full of total. Anyway, sorry to bore

America, but she's like my show mother, and she doesn't like where I'm going with this. Okay, so Joy, I do a blazing five on Friday. Last week, we went three and three. We gave you an extra pick. We took the chargers on money. We went three and three. I'm going to do it again, not because this is a trend, but my second favorite bet of the week is tonight. So this count on my blazing five.

Last week, we went six picks, three and three. Kind of got hosed, not going to get into it. Here we go today. Rams at Seahawks. I'm going to take the Rams to win this. game and cover the spread. The Rams are, under Sean McVeigh, are great after a loss, 15 and 5. McVeigh's been great against Seattle.

Six wins in nine games. They have the fewest penalty yards in the league. This is a very disciplined team. It matters when you go on the road. They have the second highest third down percentage in the NFL. They translate thirds to firsts, kills the crowd noise. Couple that with Seattle's problem. their defense is on pace to be the worst in the Super Bowl era.

And Seattle is not an efficient team. They have the lowest time of possession in the NFL. They have the fewest offensive plays second only to the Jags. Oh, actually, they have the fewest. They have 14, 3 and outs. That is worst in the league except the Jags. You have a sputtering offense that can fool people because of the exceptional big plays by Russell Wilson.

they don't do a lot well beyond Russell Wilson. They don't get you out on third down. The Rams are great on third down. I think the Rams control the clock, quiet the crowd, take a lead and win 34 to 27. This is a very good matchup for the Rams off a loss, and McVeigh is great off losses.

Also, Matt Stafford didn't play particularly well. I don't think he'll struggle in back-to-back. weeks, especially against the defense that couldn't get Ryan Tannehill off the field. That struggled to get Carson Wentz and that bad offensive line these days in Indianapolis off the field. All right. There we go. Greg Kosell, 42 years. NFL Films joins us live.

All right. You're not into the gambling stuff, blah, blah, blah, blah. But you are into the personnel stuff. And I was saying I do like, I think the Seattle CX have a problem. I don't think they're very good at corner. I think they can be at times thin. I think they struggle to get teams off the field. The Rams are pretty good at extending thirds downs to first downs.

I like the Rams matchup tonight a lot. What is the film say on the personnel matchups tonight? Well, the Seahawks have really struggled on defense for a number of reasons. They're a very high percentage zone coverage defense. They play the second lowest percentage of cover one, which is man-free, man-coverage with a single high safety of any team in the NFL. They play a ton of... split safety coverage, two shell safety coverages, and they've really struggled in zone with their responsibilities. There's a lot of open voids in their zone coverages, and that's something

they need to get fixed. All coverage is, all zone coverages, Colin, have voids. Otherwise, everybody would play the same zone coverage. They all have voids. But you have to understand, as a defensive coach and get across to your players where those voids are and how we can shrink those voids or take away those voids against certain receiver looks, against certain splits, against certain route concepts. Otherwise, you just get eaten up. People can think back a few weeks ago when they played the Vikings. The Vikings just killed them in their zone coverage concepts. It looked like pitch and catch. There was no one around a number of times Justin Jefferson caught the ball in the middle of the field. So this is a defense that's really struggling.

they play a lot of zone and they're not playing it at a very high level right now. The Rams have a very smart offensive coach and terrific weapons. Van Jefferson, Robert Woods, Cooper Copp, so it's a very, Deshawn Jackson. It's a very deep offensive skill group. Okay. So the Cardinal offense, you've been very complimentary of Kyler Murray. Is there a way to slow it down? Is there anything they do occasionally struggle with when you look at the film, Greg?

Well, I think where they've really improved, quite honestly, is because of Kyler Murray's ability to make throws from the pocket collard. Because we know he can make those special second reaction movement plays. That's part of who he is. That will always be part of his game. But I think this year in particular, because I don't think, to me, Cliff Kingsbury isn't doing a whole lot different tactically. Yes, they have some better weapons on the outside and they line up with four wide receivers more than any other team in the league. but they did the same thing a year ago. Obviously, the players this year are better,

but it's Murray's increased efficiency from the pocket. That's the big reason why he's played so well and why the offense is really singing right now. Last year and his rookie year, he missed far too many routine NFL throws with poor ball location. He's gotten much better in that regard, and therefore he's able to play within the structure of the offense

much more effectively. Well, Daniel Jones of the general, Giants has cut down on his turnovers. Jason, Garrett, I talked to him last year. He said, you just can't win in this league fumbling the ball and throwing interceptions. So he cut down last year. He's cut down this year.

Now, so there is improvement when you don't turn the ball over. Is Daniel, because I picked the Giants to beat the Saints last week, I thought they'd upset him. Has he improved as a passer or is his improvement just avoiding turnovers? Well, I think he's a far more comfortable player for this reason, and it's

shown up this year. Their O-line, which was much maligned a year ago, and even through the preseason, has actually played very well in pass protection, and he's clearly more comfortable, because he's kind of a statuesque passer, throws the ball well, looks good, looks the part, and he's clearly more comfortable. I think back to two weeks ago,

I know they lost the game when they played the Washington football team, and they really controlled that pass rush, and he was very efficient in that game this week against the Saints. They controlled the Saints, and the Saints are difficult to deal with with their front looks and their pressures. And the Giants O-Line did a very good job. I think Andrew Thomas, their second-year-left tackle, has really advanced and is playing well. And now they have Tony, Cadarious Tony, who they move around quite a bit, plays outside, plays inside.

And I think you'll see more of him as a movable chess piece as they go forward. So Jones has always thrown the ball well, Colin, that was not the issue. The issue was he was not secure in the pocket. He would get very uncomfortable, and then you'd get the turnovers. He's only thrown one pick this year. He was on a Hail Mary at the end of the first half this week. He's actually looked very good, and people might not be taking notice because the Giants are just three and one. Excuse me, one and three.

But he's played well this year. Let's talk about the team they played this week, the Cowboys. Early in the season, Tony Pollard appeared to be a little ahead of Zeke. Zeke then emerged last week. I thought he had some juice. Do you feel when you watch the Cowboys, although we pay such great attention to their wide receiver unit, it's substantially talented.

Do they feel, though, more like a running team when you watch the film? What do you see? Yeah, they're not abiding by the NFL rules, Colin. They're running the football. I didn't think you were allowed to do that in today's NFL. The last three games, their first down running numbers, are off the charts, and they're running more than they're throwing the ball on first down. by a meaningful amount, and they've been so, so successful doing it.

Dak has thrown the ball. I think he's had three games in a row with less than 30 pass attempts. And by the way, he's playing at a very, very high level. They're just not throwing it an awful lot because their run game on first down has been so good. I think defensively, too, they need to be spoken about. I think Dan Quinn has, in a sense, taken a page from the Belichickian book of defense, with a lot of different front looks, a lot of movement with the fronts, and a lot of man coverage on the back end. So it's front multiplicity and coverage consistency with man coverage, and they're doing it

extremely well. Yeah. Speaking of Belichick, you know, Brady did not have a terribly efficient night, and it was wet and sloppy, but Tom's played in that before. He's always been a very good bad weather quarterback. What did Belichick do to, you know, he certainly didn't confirm. He fuse him, but Tom was off his game. What did you see from the film? Well, I think the film showed you that on the back end, he was essentially pretty stack until the bucks got inside the 30-yard line, and then you saw more combinations and coverage and hybrid coverages. But the large majority of what they did was they played cover one, man coverage with a single high safety. And they simply matched up. They put Jackson on Evans. They put Jones. They put Jones.

on Brown, they put Mills on Godwin. That's predominantly how they played. Where the, where the multiplicity came from, just like I spoke about Dan Quinn, the multiplicity came from their fronts. They did a lot with their front looks. They moved people around. They stunted the whole focus of their pressures, which of course is what you do with Tom Brady, was inside. But Brady missed a bunch of throws, column that he normally makes that didn't really have anything to do with what Bill Belichick did. We'll spend a lot of time on the Chargers offense because Justin Herbert is a sensational young player. But Brandon Staley has taken over this defense and held each opponent to their lowest point total of the year. He's a young coach.

I mean, this guy was coaching John Carroll, wherever that is, you know, five years ago. Cleveland, five years ago. Yeah. John Carroll, alum, apparently on the show right now, Greg Cosell. So I'm glad that. No, I'm not. I'm an Amherst alum, Colin. Oh, that's a brain school.

All right, here we go. You tell me about Staley. What does he do? Because this Charger defense looks really buttoned up. Yeah, Staley, what he's doing this year. See, everybody spoke last year about, oh, boy, he plays cover four, and that's the new thing in the NFL, everybody playing more split safety.

And what happens, of course, is anything you do, offenses then pick up on it and they start to do better against it. That's kind of what's starting to happen now with split safety. But this year, he's playing a lot more man coverage concepts, both cover one and two man where you have two deep safeties. He's well over 60% in playing those two coverages, man coverage concepts. So he's really decided to go more of the man coverage route, and it's been very effective.

It's very effective against the Chiefs. We saw what happened this past week against the Raiders on Monday night. But he is a very, very smart guy. And I'm sure a lot of people saw what he said about the importance of the run game. And that video has gone viral. obviously, and he made some great, great points about that. He's a very smart coach. Justin Fields got his second start. And from what I saw, there is improvement. But you look at film. What did the film say about Justin Fields? Well, they did some of the same things that they did

the week before against Cleveland. They just played a defense that wasn't as good. So they did some quick game throws, which is five-man protection. And the difference in this game was that the throws were there and Fields was not under pressure when he made those throws. But the other thing they added, and of course people are going to talk about Bill Lasers influence, was they added a lot more of the play action pass game. And what you get with the play action pass game is you get more maximum protection concepts, six man pass protection concepts, seven man pass protection concepts, and that allowed Fields to drive the ball down the field. And he's throws with excellent velocity. and a lot of those route concepts, they're not really reads per se.

You know what you're going to get. One reason I believe you call seven-man protections is because you know what the coverage is going to be. You feel very good about that. And you know that with just three eligible receivers that you can break down the coverage. Well, Aaron Rogers, after a turbulent week one is playing well. Their numbers just keep getting better and better. Their O line actually has performed better than I thought without their all pro center and their left tackle. and they've had banged up a little bit, but he is very difficult to defend.

I'm sure you're seeing that on the film. Yeah, and I think they've also run the ball with consistency. I think their offense has become a little more balanced to some degree. Balance is a relative term, of course, but they are running the football. And I don't think any of us who were reasonable thought that after week one that all of a sudden, Aaron Rogers couldn't play, Colin. You know, every once in a while, great quarterbacks have bad games and good offenses have bad games, but he's very efficient within that offense.

This is a really highly structured offense that Matt LaFleur has, and it's very structured. It's very efficient. It presents opportunities. And teams try to take away certain things, and Aaron Rogers is so smart. And that's really the play that I want to show. It's from last week against the Steelers, and we can go to that play because I think it's very reflective of what Rogers is and how good he is. And this was a touchdown he threw to Randall Cobb.

But there's a number of different elements to this play. And one of the things they really like to do is they like to line up with Devanta Adams as the single receiver to the short side of the field on the back side of Trips. He's the boundary X. And what happens here is you get the pressman corner and you get Minka Fitzpatrick on that side. So now on the other side, you get Randall Cobb, who's the number two receiver in the trips look. and what they're going to do with him is essentially they're going to double him. So now what you're going to get here is we're going to start with Adams, because Adams is the receiver that Rogers always likes to go to when he thinks he has one-on-one.

But this is not going to be one-on-one, because what you're going to see is Minka Fitzpatrick, immediately his eyes go right to Devontah Adams. Whether it's a pure double or not, I can't answer that, but his eyes go right there. So now to the other side. You get the press man on Cobb, and then you get the safety Edmonds. This is a double, because you can see the corner allow him to go inside, and you can see Edmonds move inside to bracket him. The one thing Edmonds cannot allow to happen is for Cobb to cross his face into the middle of the field, because as you can see, there's no one there. So what happens? He crosses his face and presents a clean throw for Rogers and a touchdown.

So when you design a coverage and it's not played the way you design it, these kinds of things can happen. And Rogers saw that immediately as he sees pretty much everything immediately. Yeah, and his ball placement as usual was great. Oh, it's big time. Yep. Greg, great seeing you again. We appreciate it on Thursday.

Thanks, Colin. Appreciate it. Yeah, it's not Christmas, but I am giving gifts. Rams win cover tonight. They're going to win by a touchdown up in Seattle. Did you notice what he said is that there's just big gaps and holes? All the Seahawks do is play zone. Why?

They don't trust their corners. If you don't trust your corners and play zone, so you know the Seahawks tonight because they know they're not going to be able to cover those receivers, man to man, they'll play zone. They're going to have to create pressure. Otherwise, Stafford's going to pick them apart. So expect Seattle to bring a lot of pressure, a lot of different fronts, to confuse him, put pressure on Stafford.

Because if not, it's just going to. to be pitch and catch. You know what tonight's game's going to look like. They're going to try to create turnovers by Stafford, short-field it, and the Rams are going to try to play efficient, which they do, and just pick the Seahawks apart in Seattle. Want more Herd? The herd streams 24 hours a day, seven days a week within the IHeart radio app. Search Herd to listen live or on demand whenever you'd like. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashed. Others say it's reaching 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, Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement

to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music.

The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast. It's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to The Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Hey, it's Edwin Castro, also known as Castro 1021. and I'm Kunky, his best friend, and business manager. And we've got a new show called The 1021 Podcast. I'm taking you behind the scenes on how I became one of Twitch's most popular streamers.

We also love sports. And with the World Cup right around the corner, we'll be breaking down the biggest storylines ahead of the big tournament here in the USA. Listen to the 1021 podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, I'm Deanna Maria Riva, actress, mother, lover, and a Gen X woman walking through life one hot flash and hormonal crime jag at a time. You ladies know what I mean. I'll bet you a perimenapausal chin here you do.

So let's talk about it. Join me on my new podcast. How hard can it be with Deanna Maria Riva, where I call on my Gen X squads from Ohio to Hollywood as we navigate Midlife's most fantastic BS. All of a sudden, I'd had hanginess happening on my own. I was like, what the hell is that? was married when I had her, so I didn't even consider how empty that Ness was going to be. Mood swings, night sweats, Fupa's, sex drive. Wait, what sex? Dating at

45. How hard can it be? Getting naked at 50 with the new guy. That one's kind of hard. Well, that's lighting. They say we can't polish a turd, but we're sure going to try. So let's get blunt with laughs, tears, or tears of laughter, and dive into it, unfiltered and unbothered and ask, how hard can it be? I cannot believe I'm about to say this out loud in public. to How Hard Can It Be with Diana Maria Riva as part of My Cultura Podcast Network

available on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Today on FS1, it's a huge ALDS game one double header. First, the White Sox take on the Astros, then the Red Sox battle the raise. Coverage begins at 3 p.m. Eastern only on FS1 and the Fox Sports app. Greg, too, he's not going to want to hear this.

I'm going to take the White Sox and the Rays. Too, he's from Houston, and he gets very protected and provincial with his teams. I'm going to take the White Sox. So I just want to throw this out there. I think analytics are good for sports because I just like more information. So I'm not anti-analytics, but I do believe analytics are really valuable in regular seasons. And then I think when you get to post-seasons and sports, all of them get very situational. Take baseball. Analytics are very important. Over the course of 162 games, it gives you averages, things you shouldn't, shouldn't do. But then you get to the postseason and you'll shorten your rotation. Certain players you'd put in key spots against the Rockies in June, you're not going to in October against the Red Sox. And so that doesn't mean analytics no longer mean anything, but they're just not as relevant. And in the same. In the same, in

basketball. I talk about this all the time. The referees in the NBA change in the playoffs. They start allowing more physical, advantage older, more physical, defensive-minded teams. Also, we've seen in the last three years, the last three champions, two were not great three-point shooting teams. Even the Bucks, a top five three-point shooting team, their best player couldn't shoot, Janus. So analytics are important over the course of a long regular season. in any sport. When you get into playoff football, basketball, baseball, it's much more situational. In basketball, we just need to stop and we need a basket and we don't care if it's a midrange. We just need to stop the bleeding. We need to stop. We need a basket. And in baseball, sometimes

we just need a hit. We need an out. Who do we trust? We don't care. We trust Justin Turner. I don't care what the analytics say. He's been in this before. Let's go. Some guys shrink. Some guys flourish in the big moment. And I use Justin Turner just kind of randomly. He's probably a very good analytics player. So it's funny in the NFL. So the NFL and analytic people are just deeply offended if you ever even submit to them that analytics are not to be all end all. But here's another analytics survey from an ESPN poll. And I laugh at all these because they always prove my point. Which NFL team is the most analytically advanced? Cleveland, Baltimore, and Miami. Yeah, two of them are good because they've got good quarterbacks. One Miami isn't.

But they have all the analytics. By the way, which teams are the least analytically advanced? Tennessee, Cincinnati, Washington, and the Raiders. Well, they've played 15 games. They've won 10. That's interesting. And the two teams that have three wins are the Raiders with Derek Carr and Joe Burrow with Cincinnati. Two best quarterbacks in that group.

By point being, oh, by the way, which teams are among the top five most analytically inclined? Oh, Jacksonville, Minnesota. Philadelphia. They're not very good. The quarterbacks are pretty average. Also, Buffalo, Baltimore, Cleveland, Rams. Well, the quarterbacks are good. You can have all the slide rulers you want, all the graphics, all the data.

The NFL is so pro quarterback. The rules are now so lobsided in the favor of the quarterback and the offense that if you can't pick up first downs, doesn't matter what the charts say. If you're not good at quarterback, you are not good. Look at the current NFL standings, and we're only in October. It'll get worse later in the year. The Pittsburgh Steelers do a lot of things right.

They're not good at quarterback, therefore they're not good. Baltimore can be flawed. Seattle can be very flawed. Seattle's got a great quarterback. If they didn't, they would arguably be 0 and 4. Tonight they'll try to go 3 and 2. So I'm pro-analytics, but increasing we know analytics are used heavily in basketball and baseball.

We know that. They're not used as much in football and soccer. But when you start looking at all these analytics that are presented to me, I always go, well, that's funny. They use analytics. They're not very good. Their quarterback's not very good. When you have a sport which is so inclined to benefit one player, how good is that one player?

If you got Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes or Matt Stafford, you're going to be good. But if right now if you have Jalen Hurts, an aging Matt Ryan or rookie Trevor Lawrence, you're not going to be very good. Joy with the news. No, no, no, no, turn on the news. This is the Hurdline News. Jimmy Garoppelow is battling a calf injury. He suffered in last week's loss to the Seahawks. He did not practice yesterday, and Tray Lance took first team reps instead, but he is still, Jimmy G, hoping to be able to start on Sunday. Yeah, definitely. I think, you know, the initial. reaction. You obviously bummed about it and everything, but yeah, just pulled the calf a little bit, so it's nothing too serious. And just taking it day by day at this point, I tweak the muscle,

whatever, I mean, whatever word you want to use for it. Yeah. I strain it a little bit. See where I'm at tomorrow and everything. But yeah, just, I don't want to put anything in stone yet. Calf injuries are the worst. You think they're done. They never are. They're the worst. Well, yeah, I mean, anytime it has to do with a muscle, it's, yeah, it's just a lot of rest and rehab, but you have to try to go full speed and you have to be delicate with it because you could go full speed and make it worse. Now, this is Jimmy G. So who knows? He's missed, I missed 13 games with a torn ACL in 2018. Spring day and goal. He missed 10 games in 2020. And now we have another

injury this year with this strained calf. Kyle Shanahan said before practice yesterday, the doctors believe he has a chance to play on Sunday. I mean, again, this isn't really like particularly news with Jimmy. We knew this was coming into the season that he probably wasn't going to play all of the games this season. It's just a part of his game. He's not always healthy. It's not like saying anything personal about Jimmy G. He's just a injury prone player. Yeah. And he's not reckless. So it's not a Carson Went situation. He's just injury prone. Like some guys just run into, they run into traffic. He doesn't. He just got hurt once just running to a sideline. His lack of availability is the reason why Tray Lance is there. That's right. It's not that he isn't capable

of being a winning quarterback. We know what Kyle Shanhan's record is without Jimmy G. So he is absolutely a winner. He's just availability as a skill. So it's a day-to-day situation with Jimmy G. My question with the situation is if it does end up being a week-to-week thing with this injury, which is obviously entirely possible,

and you have Tray Lance out there, at what point does it become Tray Lance's team if Tray Lance is playing in a competent fashion? Now, if he's out there looking like a rookie and making huge mistakes, a different conversation. But at what point, like three weeks from now, Trey Lance is out there playing and winning games? Do you go back to Jimmy G? Probably not. Because we know that Trey Lance is the future. If you're winning games, no.

What if you're in games? And losing an Arizona's... Well, he wins the next three games. I mean, if he loses the next three games or something like that, so hypothetically if Jimmy's out. Yeah, Jimmy G played and lost the next two games, I think you would probably go to Trey Lance. I think it's very much, let's watch the game and see what happens. I really do think this is a, we'd prefer Jimmy G. I think they'd prefer Jimmy G this year. No, I think they would too, obviously. That's why he's there and they didn't trade him. But my question is if he is out for a significant amount of time and Trey Lance is looking competent, how do you go back to Jimmy G? Because Trey Lance is there to be the future anyway.

I want to see Trey Lance be competent. I think Justin Fields is way ahead of him, like way, way ahead of him. So we're four weeks into the NFL season and some rookies have already begun to make a name for themselves in the league. Daniel Jeremiah ranked the best from this year's class so far for NFL.com and only one quarterback cracked the top 10 and that was Mack Jones coming in at number six. He has Michael Parsons at one, which is very fair. Sean Slater, two. Jamar Chase, Asante Samuel Jr., Creed Humphrey and Mack Jones is six. If you want to know why betters in the media are on the chargers, they continue to draft really, really well. So they have two of the top four rookies. Asante Samuel has been surprisingly good.

Slater's been predictably good. And by the way, Michael Parsons is not what they needed, Joy, but he was the best player available. By the way, Jemar Chase was not what the Bengals needed. He was the best player available. So in both Dallas and Cincinnati were rewarded. They didn't need a linebacker receiver. He was the best on the board. You hear coaches say that.

Who's the best on the board? It's a lot of BS. You usually draft what you need. You look at those players. Mostly are the Patriots needed a course. quarterback. But in this instance, Dallas and Cincinnati just said, and they got some criticism, do you really need that? Well, it paid off. They're great players. Well, the Broncos have two as well in Patrick Sartan and Javonsay Williams. Yeah, I'm with you. I think it depends on each team's

situation. Obviously, it wasn't necessarily what Dallas needed, but their defense was also terrible last year. So you could argue that getting a playmaker was going to be a difference maker and Micah has been unbelievable for them. Trevor Lawrence was a second rookie quarterback on the list. He was at 11 and Zach Wilson was ranked 22. So the NBA season starts just around the corner and the nets are still unsure about Kyrie's availability for the team due to New York's COVID protocols. He currently can't attend practices or play in home games because he's unvaccinated. But Kevin Durant is still optimistic that his teammate will help Brooklyn this season. He said, I'm envisioning Kyrie being a part of our team.

Maybe I'm just naive, but that's just how I feel. But everybody here has that confidence in themselves in our group that if we keep doing it, we can do something special. Envisioning is. It's an interesting word to use. Yeah, I'm envisioning. Hey, listen, I'm defending Kevin Durant. I don't like that he went to Brooklyn, but now I feel bad for him because I think he is a very committed, great player. And I think his career now is in the hands of somebody that is disruptive.

and I've said this before. Kyrie Irving, now it's too late now. Both Ben Simmons and Kyrie, the minute you see trouble move, now it's too late maybe for both, right? Because you're going to get in trouble. But I think this team would have championship with Durant and James Hardin.

I would have traded, I said this at the end of last year, Kyrie for good bench players. It's the only time in my life I would have traded a star for bench players because I thought he was so toxic. But also, KD and Hardin are massively talented offensive players. They don't need a third great offensive player. Right. So while I do think that

Kyrie healthy and available would be a huge asset for them and he is a star and I love Kyrie's game, it is a problem. And when you're in a situation like the Nets, what are you going to do with Kyrie? If he's not available. Nick Wright talked about yesterday, you can't trade him.

It's too expensive and he's not going to be available for other teams as well. I almost think there's value and I don't know how you would do this but cutting him. I don't want him in the building. I don't want the distraction. I think this team is better with Patty Mill. He's not vaccinated. You don't have to get him. He's not going to be there. But I mean, I would just let him go, eat the salary. They have a zillionaire hedge fund guy. Eat the salary.

If you can do that. But he's also a player on your roster. I know, but I just don't want him. We're better without the disruption. I'm serious. I mean, I don't know what they can do. Like they can't. It's everyone's talking about like, oh, like they're forcing him. There's no COVID vaccine jail. Okay, point me in the direction of the unvaccinated jail. It doesn't exist.

There is no force. You are absolutely free, free to choose to not get vaccinated, but that does not mean that you are free from consequences, just like anything else in life. You are not free to go get a car and drive it. You have to get a license. You have to get it registered. You have to pay for insurance. There are things in place that keep society in order.

Whether you feel any type of way about it is irrelevant. You are free. You're not going to jail and nobody's forcing you or taking, you were throwing you out of your home. But there are consequences. and in this situation, it is affecting the team. And the rest of the league, for that matter. Now, him not being able to play in the Bay and New York is one thing.

Toronto is the other location right now, which I think this might change in L.A. too. I'm not sure, but November 4th, they're changing the vaccinate. You can't go in somewhere if you're not vaccinated here in L.A. So L.A. might be added to this list as well, which will be even more games that they could miss. But NBA players were informed yesterday that unvaccinated players that breach quarantine protocols in Toronto. They're only able to leave the team, the hotel for team activities. They could be in jail for six months, well, six months in prison or $750,000 in fines if they break the protocol there. Now, that's another country, guys, so it's not, they can make their own rules as well.

But it's just a very complicated situation. And for a star and a team that it's a contender. Joy with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Herd Lie News. A lot of show left. Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd, Weekdays, and News.

noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the IHeart Radio app. Hey, this is Jason McIntyre. Join me every weekday morning on my podcast, Straightfire with Jason McIntyre. This isn't your typical sports pod pushing the same tired narratives down your throat every day. Straightfire gives you honest opinions on all the biggest sports headlines, accurate stats to help you win big at the sports book 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. 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 which I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined.

And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast, it's a space for honest conversations,

stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me, or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to The Clifford show on the IHeard radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Hey, it's Edwin Castro, also known as Castro 1021.

And I'm Conky, his best friend and business manager. And we've got a new show called The 1021 Podcast. I'm taking you behind the scenes on how I became one of Twitch's most popular streamers. We also love sports. And with the World Cup right around the corner, we'll be breaking down the biggest storylines ahead of the big tournament here in the USA. Listen to the 1021 podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts,

or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, I'm Deanna Maria Riva, actress, mother, lover, and a Gen X woman walking through life one hot flash and hormonal crying jag at a time. You ladies know what I mean. I'll bet you a paramedapausal chin here you do. So let's talk about it. Join me on my new podcast. How hard can it be with the Adam Maria Riva, where I call on my Gen X squads from Ohio to Hollywood as we navigate midlife's most fantastic BS.

All of a sudden, I'd had hanginess happening on my own. I was like, what the hell is that? I was married when I had her, so I didn't even consider how empty that nest was going to be. Mood swings, night sweats, fupas, sex drive. Wait, what sex? Dating at 45. How high can it be getting naked at 50? with the new guy. That one's kind of hard. Well, that's lighting.

They say we can't polish a turd, but we're sure going to try. So let's get blunt with laughs, tears, or tears of laughter, and dive into it, unfiltered and unbothered and ask, how hard can it be? I cannot believe I'm about to say this out loud in public. Listen to How Hard Can It Be with Diana Maria Riva as part of My Cultura Podcast Network, available on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts,

or wherever you get your podcasts. He was a six-round pick yet played for over a decade, decade in the NFL with Peyton Manning, Jimmy Garoppolo. He had coaches like Sean McVeigh and Kyle Shanahan and Pierre Garsohn is now retired in his mid-30s, the former NFL wide receiver working on his golf game as he is in good health and he is joining us today. So let's start with this. You know Shanahan well. Joy and I just talked about this. Garapolo can't stay healthy. Trey Lance is good, but Pierre, he's young, not a lot of starts in the last two years. Where do you think his head is at? with Garoppolo and Trey Lance today, in your opinion? I think Coach Shanahan is in a great position

because he's given Trey Lance a lot of opportunities to get real-life and game activities in-game because he's done it through the preseason and inserted him in through the regular season. So I think he's comfortable with Trey Lans, but Trey Lans is not ready yet, but if he has to take on that low, it's better than coming in fresh with no experience.

He's just giving them a lot of opportunities to perform during this season to get a feel for the game. When you were playing with young quarterbacks, do you have to adjust your game as a receiver? Were there limitations? You have to adjust your game and your patience because they are learning and everything is getting thrown at them.

But you have to understand that this is a different speed for them. This is different lingo for them. This is different things. But Coach Chanahan is doing a great job of inserting in-game activities during the regular season to get them familiar with being in the huddle and calling the plays when it's all-lawed bullets. So Taylor Heineckee is a gamer for your former team, Washington. I don't know if he's a franchise quarterback, but he's a little bit of a playmaker.

When you look at him, is he the long-term solution? How do you view him? I mean, we know he's not Peyton Manning. He looks like to me, Pierre, he looks like a bridge quarterback. I could win games with him. I'm not sure I'd back the Brinks truck up and make him the franchise guy. That's how I view him. How do you view him?

I view right now as he's actually doing very well for the position that he's put in. We didn't think he'd be in this position four games, five games into the season, but he's actually has performed very well to, you know, Redskine, watching football team standards and our standards. He hasn't lost games. He tried to lose one, but he did it against that Thursday night against the Giants. But he's definitely, we're very pleased with him. I don't think he's the franchise quarterback yet,

but this is definitely the opportunity for him to show that he, is the franchise board he's auditioning right now because the way this season goes would depend on if the Washington football team pick a quarterback in the first round or there you know continues to see his growth in development yeah my guess is they draft a quarterback um Carson Wentz your former team the Colts what have what have been your impressions as a former cult receiver your impressions on Carson Wentz what do you like what would worry you you know the thing that worries everybody is the injuries Carson Wins is a great quarterback he has a great relationship with Frank Wright there in Philadelphia together.

He's a veteran. He's got a strong arm. Just staying healthy is always the main goal. But I'd be happy for him to do my quarterback anytime. He's a great player. He's won big games. It's his position. It's just the injuries, the offensive line have some injuries as well.

So it's not all on him that's getting injured. It's the help around him. So you had Sean McVeigh at Washington. You know him well. Matt Stafford is brand new. He's only had four games. Was McVeigh's system complicated? Was it hard for you to figure out?

What do you make of McVeigh as a former McFay pupil? McVeigh is a great play caller, a great play designer. His system is not complicated because you see what he's trying to attack. And if you understand that, it becomes easier for the player. And I expect them to do very well, especially with Matthew Stafford. He loves the football. McVeigh, love the thought of thought of thought of body. They love to, you know, open up the defense so that they can work about everything.

It's just that it'll block me in all one person and one receiver. Okay, so we go back to Kyle Shanahan. You were under his system. Do you believe that his is difficult for Trey Lance? Now tell me, so McVeigh wasn't difficult. Was Shanahan's system difficult? Shanahan's system is not difficult, but it gets a little complicated because every play is carried over from another play. There's a play action based off of a run, which makes sense for the offense, but for a defense,

it confused because every play it looks like. But it's not super confusing, but overwhelmingly as a rookie, it can be overwhelming for you to hear it the first time and to notice everything should look alike. So Justin Fields Bears, he's going to get a start this week. He's a kid. Now, we have to limit our expectations. When a young quarterback is playing, and he's playing with a team like the best, Bears doesn't have a great offensive line. His top running back is hurt. What would you look for in Justin Fields that you would say to yourself, oh, he's growing? Throwing no interceptions. That's the most

important factor for a young quarterback, protecting the ball. We don't want him to give the other team more up team than they already need or have. He is a great quarterback. He's a great thrower. He can use his legs. He can protect his body. But protecting the football is the most important thing. And if he leaves this game with no interceptions, I think that would be a victory. You have Robert Sala in your resume as well. So Zach Wilson has been a turnover mess for him. How do you think that sits with Robert Sala, who, by the way, defensive coaches are very restrictive on quarterback.

So your thought on what you've seen with Zach Wilson, Sala, and the Jets? Physically, I love Zach Wilson. He's a great quarterback. He throws the bar very well. Obviously, as a young quarterback, the game. of the game of football speed is different. He will clean that up. He has to clean it up to stick around in this league a lot longer. But it comes with time, which they're going to start simplifying things for him to read one side of the field instead of, you know, full field reads.

Hey, work on your golf game. Great seeing you. Pierre. Appreciate it as always. Oh, thank you. I really appreciate it. You bet. Speaking to Justin Fields, this is interesting. So as we watch him this weekend against an angry Raider team that I think is one of the best bets on the board, It's not just about winning. I'll give you an example. Tebow won. I didn't buy it. Two is six and three in nine starts.

I don't buy it. Mitch Trubisky got to the playoffs twice. I didn't buy it. Yet Joe Burrow is currently 5-8-1. Totally buy it. Trevor Lawrence is winless. I watch him. I totally buy it.

You have to consider when you watch Justin Fields. What is he working with and what is he inheriting? It's a bottom five offensive line. The best running back David Montgomery has heard. for some reason Alan Robinson has disappeared and Matt Nagy is under fire. Their next four games, I don't see wins. They're at the Raiders, off an ugly loss. Then it's Green Bay at Tampa and the 49ers.

And the 49ers may have their quarterback issues, but they're a really good defensive team, and it's going to be a must-win game because every game in the NFC West is a must-win game. So when you watch Justin Field, watch it with context, I'll be looking for this. Does he feel calm? Does he have his feet under him? Does he feel poised?

If he gets reasonable, reasonable protection, he should this weekend. We don't know that. Does he feel like he's controlling the game or he's under control? I'm not looking for doubles. 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, S&L'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. 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, unfilled of conversations

with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to The Clifford Show on the IHeard Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged.

It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts,

or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, what's good, y'all? You're listening to learn the hard weight with your favorite therapist, host care games. This space is about black men's experiences, having honest conversations that it's really not safe to have anywhere, but you're having them with a licensed professional who knows what he's doing. How many men carry a suit or armor? It signals to the world that you're not to be played with. And just because you have the capability that does not mean that you need to, listen to learn the hard way on the IHard radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your

podcast. This is an IHart podcast. human.