The Herd with Colin Cowherd - HOUR 2 - Blazing 5, Browns

Episode Date: October 15, 2021

Colin's new Blazing 5 picks for the weekendOBJ isn't the right fit in ClevelandGuest: Seth Joyner Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Sports Radio. Ah, here we go. Hour 2 on a Friday. Just starting out. Live in Los Angeles, it's the hurt. Wherever you may be, however you may be listening or watching, iHeart Radio, Fox Sports Radio, and FS1. Joy Taylor is joining me. Seth Joyner, one of the great Philadelphia Eagles of all time in five minutes.

So, you know, it's funny. I was thinking about this. You mentioned this during the break. Everybody's got to complain about something. Always. The Giants Dodgers, everybody's, it's so funny what fans do. They want umpires and officials to be perfect, but the Giants hit 180 in the series. Nobody outside of Buster Posey and Chris Bryant could hit.

Even one of their wins was won nothing. You want officials to be perfect, but your manager doesn't manage perfect. You couldn't get hits. Your pitchers weren't perfect. When I look at that series, it was so great and so even and so much drama. and the team that spent a little bit more, even at the trading deadline, they went and got Trey Turner,

they got Max Scherzer. Well, who was on the mound late? Max Scherzer. Who went four for four? Mookie Bats. Cody Bellinger, who can be hot and cold. Between the Cardinals, one game playoff and the Giants, he's hitting like 300, he's got multiple RBIs.

The team that's been hyper-aggressive, and by the way, Giants historically have a lot of money. That's Silicon Valley money going to that park. There's a lot of $20 beers there. they got plenty of money, they haven't spent it like the Dodgers. The Dodgers have been hyper-aggressive. By the way, the Warriors have some championships. They were hyper-aggressive.

They went and got Kevin Durant. We say this all the time. All the L.A. teams are winning. Number one is we've got a lot of really smart owners and executives in this town. Number two, and it's a fun place to be an executive because a lot of pro athletes want to live in the weather here. So when you go big game hunting on the free agent market, they take your calls. Matt Stafford literally met Shepard.

literally met Sean McVey in L.A. and had a house out here. So when you call in Green Bay and say, you want to play in Green Bay, a lot of players are like, no. In L.A., they always take your phone call. So it's a fun place to be an executive. We've got very, very good owners in Los Angeles, and we have hyper-aggressive front offices. And in the end, you look at the Dodgers that provided key moments. It was Bellinger, and it's Mookie. Mookie had a big hit in, I think, game four.

It was Max Scherzer on the M. It's the guys you spent the money on. And that's not a knock on the Giants. They are as good as the Dodgers. But these Los Angeles teams are starting to win a lot of games and a lot of championships. And now Herbert's an exception. You drafted him. But it's a lot of go get Stafford and give up picks and go get Anthony Davis and go get Mookie

bets. And it's like aggressive wins. When you're that even, we said it all year. Dodgers had more star players. Well, the stars were really valuable when it mattered most. Well, yeah, but even with Herbert, they just got a new coach. that you just, hey, blow it up. Everything is just, just keep moving.

Yeah, we're in a very competitive time here. And when LeBron came to Los Angeles, it really put the Lakers, the Clippers, the Dodgers. Everybody now is on notice like, the USC. We got to move off. We got to get things going here. So it was congrats to the Dodgers, but you get what you pay for. And their star players are the difference between beating the Cardinals in the one game series and beating a great Giants team. All right, Blazing 5, six games last week, three and three.

Here we go. That's a hot one. Let's blaze it up. Fire it up. It's Collins, Blazing 5. Chargers at Ravens. I'm going to take the Ravens minus two and a half, one of my stronger plays of the week. Teams to play on Monday Night 4 and 0 following games.

It doesn't matter. Here's the key in this one. Lamar Jackson is explosive, but it's passing this season, has been top five in key categories, yards, completions, big pass plays. He leads the NFL with 1,800 total yards, more than 17 different teams this year. But the key will come down to running. The Chargers defense is not great, and they're atrocious against the run. They know that.

They'll address it in the draft. And the Ravens are one of the more explosive run teams in the league, if not the most, at home, ready to roll. I think they dominate time of possession, and the Ravens win. take them minus the points, 3227. Bengals and Lions. Like it. I love it. I love Detroit plus three and a half. Here's why. First of all, these are the hard luck kids. They're playing their butts off. They're losing close. I mean, they even outplayed Green Bay on the road for a half.

First team Lions in NFL history to lose multiple games in a year on field goals of over 50 as the clock expires. Their defense is now increasingly getting people off the field on third down. But Cincinnati's the story here. They're three and two. They're playing with fire. Four of their games decided by three points or fewer. That's the most in the league. They could easily be one and four.

They are not good enough to give up three and a half points on the road against everybody. Anybody. And I like Joe Burrow. But in eight road starts, he's got one win. He's one, six and one. Cincinnati's fun. A tough emotional overtime loss. They go on the road.

They are simply not good enough right now to give up three and a half. a half to a Detroit team inches from a win, I'm going to take the Lions to win straight out, 2623. Cardinals at Browns. Nick Chubbs out. I still don't think it affects the line because Kareem Hunt is the best backup running back in the league. I'll take Cleveland minus three and a half.

First of all, Cleveland's one of three teams in the league that's outgamed every team they've played. They just don't close well. Their rushing offense is number one in everything. Yes, Nick Chubb is out. Kareem Hunt is sensational. I don't worry about that. Their defense is getting better.

This again comes down to the matchup. Arizona struggles against the run. They give up 5.4 yards a carry. What does Cleveland do better than everybody? Run the football. What does that mean? Kyler Murray is going to be watching Baker Mayfield on the field. Big time of possession edge to Cleveland takes away opportunity.

for big plays. I think the Browns win it. 3326 dominate time of possession. Cowboys at Patriots. I like New England. I do at home plus three and a half. You may wait on this. There'll be more cowboy money coming in. It may move to four. That's an even better number. But here's why I like New England. Dallas doesn't have much of a pass rush. We now have enough on Mack Jones to know he is really efficient without facing a pass rush. The Cowboys defense, people are throwing the ball almost 70% of the time. Why? Because they can because their quarterback has time. They have the second worst pass defense in the league this year. And Mack Jones, let's be honest, as a rookie, his efficiency, and that's kind of what he is, his efficiency is strong.

I don't know if New England can beat Dallas. Dallas is the better team. But the number here at three and a half, the hook, I'll take New England to cover Dallas to win, and you may wait till Sunday, the number may go to four. Seahawks at Steelers. This feels obvious to me. I'm going to take Pittsburgh minus five and a half. The number was better earlier in the week.

So Seattle has a backup quarterback. They have to travel cross-country and try to score against an excellent defense. Gino Smith has not started since 2017. The Steelers defense, 36 consecutive. games without allowing 30 or more points. So I get a backup, and he's not a great backup. He's not a top 5, 6, 7 backup. He's a backup.

He goes on the road. He faces a great defense, and I only have to give up 5 and a half. And Seattle's defense is a mess. And last week, the Steelers found a running game. Big Ben got protection. The secondary for Seattle's a nightmare, and we know this. The Steelers third in the NFL in passing attempts. They throw the football.

They've got star receivers. The Seahawks do not match up on the outside with Pittsburgh. And as they have an emerging running game now, I don't know, I think Seattle, you can't ask a backup quarterback to go on the road against the great defense. A defense in Seattle, I can't stop anybody. This feels obvious to me. I'm going to take Pittsburgh to win in cover 28 to 20. All odds provided by Fox Bet and their sports book. So I like some favorites this week.

And with that, the news this morning, there you see it. I like the lions as dogs. I like the Patriots as dogs. But I'll take the favored Ravens, the favored Browns, despite Nick Chubbs injury, and the favored Pittsburgh Steelers. So Seth Joyner, Seth Joyner played for the Philadelphia Eagles, now lives in Arizona. He knows those teams really, really well. And it's interesting.

You know, he's the only player in the NFL. I just found this out. In NFL history, with over 50 sacks and over 20. interceptions. They didn't even keep that staff until like the early 80s. And he's the only guy. 13 years in the NFL. A lot of interceptions also in the playoffs. He had 13 playoff appearances, six playoff appearances in 13 years, I should say. So before he gets out in the golf course, we got to get Seth. Before he gets out in the golf course. So I said this earlier where Jalen Hurts. Philadelphia is an inpatient city. I get it. But I watched Kyler Murray's first year and I

watched Lamar. And I was a doubter. But if you can run around for a year and a half. As you grow as a pocket passer, I have to, as somebody that watches and observes, I have to be more patient because it took Lamar about a year and a half. It took Kyler about a year and a half. And I watched Jalen Hertz. And I got to tell you, part of me is like it doesn't work, but he's completing about 63%. Passer rating's almost 90. He's good in the red zone. I think he's just figuring out how to do the pocket thing and he's running around while he learns it. And I'm not ready to bail on him quite yet. As a former Eagle, where do you land on Jalen Hurts?

Well, Colin, I just think that you know, when you talk about Kyler and you talk about Lamar, these two guys were drafted in the first round so the expectations were different. You got to remember Jalen Hertz was the guy that was drafted 51st overall and everybody was wondering, what the heck

are you guys doing? You just sign wins to a long-term deal and you go out in that same year and you turn around and you draft Jalen Hurks. Well, he's not going to get the time that some of these other quarterbacks have gotten because that's just Philadelphia

and that's just the way, you know, it all works. Listen, I like the kid, but I think he's at a disadvantage because this head coach is on a bench to just pass the ball and such a... I mean, every time you turn around, they throw on the football. Last night, they ran the ball one time

in the entire first half from the football game. That's unconscionable. How do you ask? ask a young guy who's essentially, listen, he's not essentially a rookie, but in terms of playing experience, he's still a rookie. You're going to ask this kid to line up

and shotgun 95% of the time and just throw, throw, throw, throw, without, you know, not giving him the benefit of being able to use a guy like Miles Sanders to his benefit. Yeah. No, it's very fair. But there are times, they were three and three in the red zone. He's a playmaker, and I'm just,

I'm going to hold off on saying it can't work. I just want to see another 10 starts. Now, you live in Arizona, at least part of the year, and they went and got Zach Ertz this morning, and it tells me, they're like, hey man, we're maybe a little better than we thought. We're going all in. Do you buy Arizona so far? Do you like what you see? Are they good enough defensively? They don't have much of a run defense. What do you see, Seth? They're balanced enough on both sides of the ball to be a team that can get in the playoffs and make some noise. My only concern will be, you know,

when you get Kyle of Murray in the playoffs and you're playing against the best defensive coordinators that are in the NFL, you're talking about the last four. Once you get past the Wild Card Week, you get into the division around. Now you're going to face some of these defensive coordinators that are not going to allow him to run around the way he's running around.

Now, can he stand in the pocket? You know, can he evolve his game? the way that we're watching Lamar Jackson evolve his game as of late. If he can play from the pocket now with all the weapons that he has and the running game that they have, they can make some noise and they can do some things. But I just think that you look at them defensively, they play with a great sense of urgency. And, you know, anytime you've got a guy that can make plays with his legs

when all things fall apart like Kyle Murray, then you're in a better situation, not a pocket guy where you know, where he's going to be. He can get out of the pocket and make throws on the run. He can make plays with his legs. There's so much that he can do. And that's an advantage in today's NFL unless you've got a guy like Tom Brady or Aaron Roger. So there are things during a season, Seth, as you know, that you can correct. And then there are some things like, we just don't have the dudes. When you look at Kansas City, they'll get Chris Jones back. But do you look at their talent, Seth, and say, this is just, this isn't going to be a good defense.

or do you think, okay, they get Chris Jones back, they get a better pass rush. Because right now, I mean, the holes in Kansas City's defense against Buffalo, Seth, it was like high school. I mean, it was like guys wide open. Can you correct that defense? Well, you can try to correct the problem is, you know, I almost get the sense that these teams, they have these scrupable windows. Right.

I think their offensive line ran its course last year, and they're still trying to figure that out this year with all the moves that they've made. On the defensive side of the ball, you've got Chris Jones and Honey Badger, and that's about it. Name me another guy in that defense, you know, that's a name that you know that when they play,

you're looking at that defense and you're expecting for him to do something. You know, they've whiffed on, you know, past rushes in the past. you know, they don't look really good, you know, at the linebacker position, you know, and the other safety, you know, has turned out to be a liability. So I think, you know, the window on talent for Kansas City from a defensive perspective may have slammed shut.

And now you're going to have to rely solely on Patrick Mahomes and the magic of his arm, excuse me, and the guys that, you know, that are on that offense to do it all. And I don't think that they can do it. Yeah. You know, it's interesting. I said it's okay doubting a player, but then when you get data, you have to be able to pivot and say,

hey, I was wrong. And with Lamar, I said he could be great, but I was a doubter. He was thin. He ran a lot. I mean, I remember after the first year, I'm like, God, he looks thin.

The next year he came with traps. He put on like 25 pounds. It's like, okay, this kid's a pro athlete. This kid's totally serious. And the one thing I always loved about him, he cares so deeply. He wants to win so much. And there's guys in this league, Seth.

You know it. You did. you care. A lot of guys in this room they get the check they don't care. This kid just lives for football. But you played with Randall Cunningham. So you probably had an advantage on all of us. You've seen the mobile quarterback.

But are you even surprised by how much better Lamar's gotten? How much better he is in the pocket? No, because I think if you go back and you look at him at Louisville, you know, you don't win the Heisman trophy not being able to throw the ball. You know, the thing that bothered me about, you know, him coming out was his mechanics was just flawed. Yeah. But you could just see on the collegiate level, you could get away with flawed mechanics. You couldn't do it at the NFL level.

And then all of a sudden they bring him in and they create this offense form and is based upon him running around. Well, I said, listen, if he doesn't fix his, his throwing mechanics, And if they don't adjust and put him in a pro-style offense and give him some weapons, they have no shot at winning. And in five years, they're going to say, well, we got to go find ourselves another quarterback because this guy can't play. No, no, no, no. You get these guys that come in, you know, they made a mistake with RG3.

So then you come in, you get a guy like Lamar Jackson. You got a guy like Jalen Hertz. You know, you got these guys that have the ability to run around, teach them how to play football first from the pocket, how to be a quarterback in a pro-style offense. And then the message to them is that, you know, when everything falls apart, when the defense gets the best of us,

when they've disguised and we didn't figure it out pre-snap, now use your ability to scramble. You know, if it's man coverage, take off. Because you know you're going to get plenty of yards because everybody's back is to you except for the single high safety. And he's 30 yards from you. So you're going to get 15, 20 yards before the defense. can even react.

When it's zone coverage, okay, we want to scramble, we're scramble horizontal to the line of scrimmage because we're trying to buy time for our wide receivers to adjust and move around in that manner. But let's learn to operate from the pocket first. Let's be a pocket quarterback first. Throw it on time, throw it on rhythm, do all the things that, you know,

great quarterbacks do from the pocket. And then when everything goes to hell in the handbasket, now use your athleticism. And I think that now Lamar Jackson is at that point. If their defense can get it together, of it, I think they got a legitimate shot, you know, to contend for a Super Bowl the way he's playing. But it seems like now that he's ready, the defense is going in the other direction. By the way, finally, I know you're a former Eagle and this is difficult, but Dallas looks good.

What do you make? Can you acknowledge they're at least capable of winning the Super Bowl? Is that fair? Listen, I am a football analyst. You know, I don't like Dallas, but I'm not that petty that I can't. admit the fact that they got a pretty darn good football team. You know, listen, I'm shocked and surprised that Dan Quinn has been able to not only make the transformation on the defensive side, but to also transform himself as a defensive coordinator in the way that he looks at defenses. Because it was just a cover three shell, not a whole lot of blitzing, you know, just real vanilla. But when you look at them, they're multiple defense and they do a lot of different things.

And they're getting a lot done with these young players that they have. over on the offensive side of the ball, this is the difference for Dallas. If you go back to week one, they lost the Tampa Bay the first game of the season. That threw the ball 58 times. For 400-something yards

and a whole bunch of touchdowns, they lost the game. They came back the second week, and they made the decision for the offense to run through these two running backs. They've run off four wins in a row. And I'm not just talking about wins.

I'm talking about beatdowns in a row. Their formula, they figured it out, and they've gone to it. Okay, we're going to run the football. We're going to go play action. And yeah, you know what? Dax's not going to throw for 300, 500, 400, 400, yards.

He's going to throw for right around 250, 260, 270, and a couple of touchdowns. But we're going to control the line and scrimmage in all phases of the game. And we're going to play complimentary football for this defense that's fine in this way. Now, if they can stay healthy and they can continue to do what they're doing,

yeah, it pains the hell out of me, Colin. But you know what? They look good. And, you know, they can. They can't make a run at a Super Bowl the way that they're constructed. But you know what? Again, it's Dallas. And Jerry will find a way.

They will find a way to mess it up. They always do. They always do. Seth Joyner, go get the clubs, hit some balls today in beautiful Arizona, my man. Good seeing you. Good talking to you, my friend. Take care. Yeah.

No, I mean, he's really right. Week two, they figured out what they were. So much of this whole league is, do you know what you are? and do what you do. Like Cleveland, they're losing some close games, but Cleveland has a recipe. That's a real big step. We run the football.

Nick Chubbs hurt. We still run the football. That's what we do. The best way to beat, if you don't have a great quarterback and Baker's not great. If you don't have a great quarterback, the best way to beat him

is keep the quarterback on the other team on the bench. So Cleveland's recipe for winning is perfect. If you got a great quarterback, Kyler, open her up. If you don't, try to get Kyler this week in Cleveland watching the game. So Cleveland's figured out this is what we are. That's half of it.

Dallas has figured out this is what we are. If we play Green Bay, we're not going to let Aaron on the field. We play Tampa again. We're not going to let Tom Brady on the field. If you got to B plus or a minus, keep the A plus off the field. One 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 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. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes,

creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, And the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast. It's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be.

Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hardway with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Kear Games. And in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking, Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark.

Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing. And we're still chasing it. And we don't know when we've done enough. Because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross, because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth,

or are you a good person because you're afraid? Because that's two different intentions, bro. Absolutely. And that's two different levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Kear Gaines, as we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose

on my new podcast, learn the hard way. Open your free, our heart radio app. Search Learn the Hard Way and listen now. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tap Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do with Little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast.

I'm Sam Jay. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill, waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 is big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so you all know.

I mean, at this point, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack. So I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now. Thank you for finishing that sentence. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history.

Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Tonight on Fox, the ALCS begins as Dander Bogartz leads the Red Sox against Jose Altube and the Astros. ALCS game one tonight, 730 Eastern, only on Fox and the Fox Sports app. We are so lucky this is a remarkable time of the year, these baseball playoffs. Dodgers Giants was everything you could have hoped. By the way, order Jersey mics on your mobile app. Get free delivery on Saturday's limited time there for that.

Jersey mics, be a sub above, get the app now. Takes 30 seconds to download that puppy. And Joy Taylor now has the news. No, no, no, no. Turn on the news. This is the herd line news. Well, Kevin Durant will be without Kyrie Irving when the next season kicks off next week. And while he wishes that Kyrie could be with the team,

KD is not angry about the decision his teammate made. What is being mad going to do? We're not going to change his mind, you know what I'm saying? So it's like, you know, we'll, let him figure out what he needs to do and the team figure out, you know, what they need to do. And us as players, when we're in the locker room, we're on the floor. We're going to work with each other. So, you know, life is amazing.

So I can't be too mad at somebody making a decision for themselves, you know, that's who am I to get upset at that, you know? So just focus on what we got in this locker room. So I think over time, we're going to start to figure out which guys are going to step up and play and fill that void of, you know, those minutes, those shots, those opportunities. I think we'll do it as a collective. He also said, Durant said, that he has not spoken to Kyrie since the Nets announced he will not be with the team until he can be a full-time participant. Now, that was only a couple days ago, though, right?

Like Hardin's like, I've not talked to him at all. Kevin Durant saying, I haven't talked since the Nets announced that. That's only like three days. Or is that a long time? I mean, that feels like a long time for a situation that, you know, the whole sports world is talking about every day. But I don't know what their relationship is. Maybe that's not how often they talk. the season's about to start and he's the other star in the team.

So I would imagine that they would have had some communication. But what this is telling me and what Hardin is telling me and what Nash is talking about is just pointing to, all right, it's time to play basketball. And you're not going to be there. What if I, what if you were Brooklyn and we just said this, let's not play Kyrie. Let's just see for two weeks to three weeks what we are without him. Yeah. Because my takeaway is they're going to be really good without him. Offense will be ahead of defense in the NBA.

And so Brooklyn can go, let's just play without him. We don't even want the disruption. We don't want the false sense of, oh, we're with him, with that. Let's just not, there's two ways to look at it. You can do that. And then we know what we need. The other thing is, well, the numbers are going down on the variance and that eventually the cities will open it back up and he'll be allowed.

You could also, if you're Brooklyn, let's just be patient. It'll open back up, which is, quite, quite possible. But I do wonder if I ran the team if I said, let's not plan for three weeks. Can I just see what we are without him? Because I think Milwaukee, Brooklyn, and the Lakers are the three best teams in the league if Kyrie is not a net. That's how they played so well

last year against Milwaukee. Their only problem was you can't ask Kevin Durant to play 47 minutes. If you could rest him for make him play 40. Well, again, I maintain that they are a better team with Kyrie healthy and on the floor and consistently there. even without this whole situation, Kyrie is a wild card.

We don't know if he's going to be there. We saw that last year. So I'm agree with that. Like, it's time to play basketball. And as far as the Kyrie conversation goes, at this point, we know what it is. He's not going to get vaccinated, not because he's an anti-vaxxer,

but because he's a, you know, sticking up for the voiceless. Yes, right. The season's starting next week. Yeah. It's not the NBA, by the way. It's the New York City protocols. Like, this isn't the NBA's protocols.

You can play if you are unvaccinated. Right. It's the city. that he is in. So everyone's talking about the NBA is this and that. Like, sorry you don't know how to read, but it's very clear the reason that this is happening. Like, ask someone if you can't figure it out. It's not complicated.

It's not about the NBA. You can play in the NBA if you're not vaccinated. It's going to be difficult. Just be like you can play in the NFL if you're not vaccinated. They make it very difficult. There's not a mandate. It doesn't exist. It's not on the NBA.

By the way, Cole Beasley's not vaccinated. He's playing for Buffalo. But they make him, they make it harder. You have to get tested every day. But there's not a mandate by the leads. Like, I really can't. There's a lot of misinformation out there. But dummies can't figure it out.

Every smart person can figure it out. But it's not about being dumb or smart. It's about if you're going to go on this whole tangent about how you do your own research, do your own research then. Get the answer. It's very clear. It's not the NBA. You not have to be vaccinated to play in the NBA.

You have any friend that can't figure that out. Yeah, no, lots of people that can't figure it out. It's very frustrating. I don't have lost a lot of friends as well. I don't have time for stupidity. I have a lot of stuff to do. And if you can't read and, figure it out. If you can't talk to someone who's an expert and trust what they have to say,

I don't know what to tell you. You're living your life in a fantasy world. It's not a mandate by the NBA. It is a New York City mandate, which is the government. They make some decisions for our lives sometimes. That's why we have a government. So we don't all just make our own decisions. It's not up to them. It's not up to the NBA. And Kyrie has made his choice. And the Nets are now moving forward, which is why I think that the conversation about Kyrie kind of stops now. He's not going to be available. He can't play for the team because the Nets can't play with the guy that's halfway available, and they're going to move forward and try and win a championship. And I'm cool with the decision all around.

Like, if you want to decide to not be there, don't be there. So Alabama suffered their first loss in nearly two years last weekend, falling to Texas A&M, 4138 on a last second field goal. And Nick Saban thinks this loss changed the public perception of his team. He said, I feel like in a lot of ways after this past game, we're no longer viewed as an elite team. Oh, boy. So what I'm hopeful of is that our players are going to respond in a way that they go out and

play with more consistency. I hope everybody supports them in a positive way. This is a little dramatic. I think Nick is, I think he's tweaking his locker room because we all still know they're going to be favored to win the chance. The only team that I have watched this year, I test, Georgia's defense will make Alabama can match Alabama's talent. George has NFL defensive players as Bama has NFL offensive players.

So George's offense is good. But Georgia's defense in Alabama's offense, that is no edge. That's as good as it gets. If whoever's going to win on that day is going to win. If Alabama's offense had George's defense, it would be over. They would win it by three touchdowns. But Alabama is either the first or second best team. By the way, losing on a Saturday night to a really good Texas A&M team.

It's kind of a shot at Texas A&M. Yeah, I mean, Texas A&M is not. They're talented. This was their circle game. The whole year, Jimbo used to coach undernick. Yes, it should be. But, like, it's kind of a shot at Texas A&M. Like, it didn't knock Alabama off from being an elite team.

I'm with you. I think this is more for the locker room. And nobody thinks Alabama's washed. All right. They're favorite by 17 this weekend against Mississippi State. Then they have Tennessee, LSU, New Mexico State. They're going to crush. They're going to win by 30 the next four weeks.

Arkansas. And then they're at Auburn, which will be a great game, as it always is. But, yeah, nobody's freaking out. Alabama. If you looked at Alabama's schedule, what was the one game you had questions about? It was at Texas A&M. You knew they were going to run the table. Well, I mean, Florida. No, that's fair. No, no, you're right. You're right. There were two games. And by the way, Dan Mullen at home. You're right. There were two games. They barely won one and they barely lost the other. It's going just as planned. That's fine. So Jaylen Hurts struggled early last night before turning things around the second half. He had two rushing touchdowns and threw a two-point conversion during Philly's late rally.

It was too little too late to get the Eagles win, and Jalen acknowledged he needs to be better going forward. I haven't executed well enough to win clearly, you know, and I take responsibility for that. I always take responsibility for that because the ball touches my hands every play. And I enjoy that. And we all know it's a team sport. It takes a collective group. It takes all 11. But that one and that 11 is me, and it starts with me.

And I will be better. I wasn't down on Jalen after that game last night. I do think he needs to hit more of the layups that are provided to him. There was a couple throws that I think he'd want back. But, you know, it was 12, 26, 115 yards. We know that he's able to use his legs and he did in the moments that he needed to, two rushing touchdowns, 44 rushing yards. And he had a couple, he had a couple impressive throws in moments as well.

Like, this is not, this is a rebuild. They've shown some fight and some growth. He's better than I. You know, I will say this. When he got drafted, I thought he was more of a third round guy. I didn't really see him. But I'm to the point now where anybody that can buy time with their feet, I'm just going to give him time. Yeah.

I'm just going to give you more time than I would have 10 years ago. He needs to develop in the pocket a little bit. And, you know, when he's able to really drive the ball, he can get it there. It's just, he's a young player. I was patient for Daniel Jones with 25 starts. And I said about two weeks ago, I said, Daniel's not the problem. You can win with Daniel Jones. But I'm not going to give Daniel three years, but I went about 25 starts.

I said, give me till thanks. We're in October and I watched Daniel Jones beat the Saints and I said he's not the problem. He's not great, but he's not the problem. Well, this is, look, the timeline has been moved up. I know traditionally it's like three or four years to decide if it's a new quarterback is the guy. That's not the case anymore. There's too much talent coming into the NFL. There's too much turnover.

There's too much of the older generation of quarterbacks playing for longer at a high level. So like there just is the quarterback level of play is too high right now to give a quarterback four, three, four years to see if they're the guy. So that's accelerated. But if you are taking steps, if you're growing and you're showing that you're developing, I like Jaylen Hurts in this situation. Like I wanted them to give him an entire year, which obviously they're going to do. Right.

And that's the right thing to do. So I think that Philly's building something. Good stuff. Joy with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. By the way, Ryan, get me if you could. I just, Joy said something popped into my head.

me think about this. Give me the current NFL draft order if they drafted today. Just give me the top 10 and we'll come back and talk because something popped into my head. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific. He's my Carmen. I'm Dan Byrd. We have a brand new

fantasy football podcast called I Want Your Flex. Twice a week, every Tuesday and Friday, we come up with new episodes to not only look back at what happened, what you need to do at that minute, and also look ahead of what's coming up in the fantasy football world.

That's right, Dan. Every week we're going to scour the waiver wire to find the pickups to turbo boost your fantasy lineup. Sit, starts, fantasy football players' rankings to get you ready to dominate the competition. Listen to I Want Your Flex with Mike Harmon and me, Dan Byer, on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you be 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 put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts,

or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. Yep, that's me. Clever Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skis. It's, 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. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hardway with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Kear Games. And in recognition of mental health awareness month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking. Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark.

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

because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth? Are you a good person because you're afraid? Because that's two different intentions, bro. Absolutely. And that's two different levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Kear Gaines, is we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast,

Learn the Hardway. Open your free iHeartRadio app. Search Learn the Hardway and listen now. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tap Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do with a little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast.

I'm Sam Jay. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick it here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill, waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 is big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so you all right. But just so y'all know. I mean, at this point, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack.

So I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now. Thank you finishing that sentence. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Perform at your best with MDrive. Go to MDrive for Men. free shipping. Don't let AIDS define you support your healthy testosterone levels. Brady Quinn talking college football next hour, Jason McIntyre. So it's really interesting. We're going to have, it is not a great year for quarterbacks in the NFL. So as Joy knows, because we talked about this, I was a proponent of Miami drafting a quarterback last year because I said this is like a great college quarterback class.

This one's not very good. in fact, two of the top three or four quarterbacks, Spencer Rattler of Oklahoma, that's not going to work. Kedon Slovis at USC, the freshman backup appears to be, well, he is more talented. So those two guys don't feel like franchise guys, right? Good kids could be the kid at Howell at North Carolina appears to be the best quarterback available. Somebody may emerge. But it is a weaker quarterback class. That is not really, you know, we've had some really good ones in the last four or five years.

So Miami, I'm not a backseat driver. I said, go get a quarterback. If that bothers Tua, then Tua is not the right guy. If that bothers him, move on. But what is fascinating next year in the draft, as of this morning, Philadelphia has Miami's first pick and the Colts. So right now, plus their own, Philadelphia has three of the top eight picks. That's incredible. Now, what does that mean?

what it means is even if you liked Jalen Hertz, would it behoove you, your first pick, you're like, listen, we got to get better defensively, we go get the best defensive tackle in the market, the second one we go get the best corner on the market. But by the third pick, you almost think you'd probably take a quarterback and just say, listen, we already had two picks. Just sit him for two years.

It's a really, because I think Jalen's one of those where you kind of just got to watch him. I wouldn't bail on him yet. About three or four weeks ago, I did. And I'm like, I'm going to wait and watch this play out. So it's a develop. He's not there yet. But he may be. But what you don't want to be in this league is without a quarterback.

So if Jalen over the next 20 games, 15 games, isn't it, you got to have somebody there. And Gardner Minshu, nice backup, but he's not the guy. So we have a weird situation in the draft where, and it really signals this again, is that, God, it's almost hard to find anything in sports in the last several years we're being passive one. It never wins. Like just three words for all pro teams, go for it. Just go for it.

And worry about the repercussions later. And that gets me into another segment on Odell Beckham. So there's an argument to be made. Albert Breer made this. The reason the Browns, because. clearly there's data. It doesn't work in Cleveland. It was always a weird fit. He was a Paris guy, a New York guy, an L.A. guy. Cleveland's a weird fit. Plus, Baker was a young kid. You're putting a superstar receiver to a young kid. Baker tries to overcompensate. He fits way better than

with Jarvis Landry. I mean, literally Odell Beckham's had one big game against Dallas, that terrible defense. I mean, he's just not productive. But they're kind of thin at wide receiver. They're waiting for Jarvis Landry to play again. So it's interesting. So Cleveland can be passive and just not trade him at the deadline and just next year he's a huge cap hit, but it's a huge risk because Odell gets hurt a lot. And when you think he's going to go 15 games and not get hurt, that's a big risk. When we talked to Jimmy Garoppolo, he couldn't get through September. So do you go passive, not move him, take a chance.

Well, the history is with all this stuff is move him. Go aggressive and move him. Now you can say to yourself, well, we won't be very good at wide receiver. You got Peoples and you got Jarvis Landry coming back. You have good tight ends. You have two great running backs and good old line. That's not saying at the trade deadline. You couldn't go get a three receiver.

There's a lot of teams that are deep at wide receiver. You may have to give up a draft pick, but if you think you're in a Super Bowl window, give up a number three pick, go to a team in week eight that's out of the play. I mean, Seattle loses four or five games here. You may go to Seattle and give us Freddie Swain. We'll give you a third round pick. Whatever. Go get a number three wide receiver.

So it's really interesting with Cleveland because aggressive wins. the aggressive move, trade O'Dell gets, he's a huge cap next year. You're not keeping him. What they're hoping for, they're going passive. They're going a little conservative, which is cross our fingers. He stays healthy. He comes back. We know it doesn't work.

We know we can't keep him. He's way too expensive. But we're kind of thin that I don't know if I take that risk. I always think that I don't like drama. I've said this before. Like the show intervention. I couldn't even watch it. I don't like drama in my life.

If something's a problem, just pay to get rid of it. I'm too busy. I don't deal with drama well. And the O'Dell Beckham thing, you're going to be sitting there for the next 13 weeks praying he doesn't get hurt. Because if he gets hurt, he has no trade value. He has none.

He's got a little bit now because I do think, I thought about Green Bay. I would make a move to get O'Dell Beckham if I was the Packers. I got a veteran quarterback at a great locker room. We are so overwhelmingly dependent on Devante Adams. Who's had a couple of injuries? Just go for it. Give up a fourth round.

pick. I mean, you don't have any desperate needs. You know, in the draft, you had a developmental draft next year. By the way, if Aaron leaves, you're not paying Jordan love anything to be a quarterback, so you have cap space next year. If he worked out, well, you could resign him.

But if I was Green Bay, I'd go for it. By the way, Brandon Ayyuk has not been good in year two as he was as a rookie for the 49ers. That may be a go-for-it move. Now, there's not a lot of cap space right now. You've got to move stuff around. But it's funny because aggressive is winning.

We saw it with the Dodgers. We've seen it with the, we've seen it all through the NFL. Who, even if you have a brilliant coach, what is New England not been and what have Green Bay not been last five years? Like aggressive with stars. Packers have Aaron Rogers. Patriot have Belichick. Aggressive is winning.

Lesser coaches that are lesser organizations. Tampa was aggressive. How are they doing? New England wasn't. So I don't think Nelson Aguilar qualifies as aggressive. So OBJ, by the way, talked about getting, you know, more involved in the offense. Here's OBJ. I can't sit in a lot like I don't want the ball.

Like I tell you, every time I get up here, they don't pay James Hardin for defense. You know what I mean? He's a shooter. I feel like I'm a shooter. The ultimate goal is to win the championship. And I feel like I'm in a great situation to do that. and it may not be me. You know, there's going to be days where it will be my day.

And we'll be sitting up here and the conversations will be different. And then, you know, it's like it's all as well. We'll see. So I'd probably move him. And I don't know. Go get another receiver, give him a draft pick. I thought he was a month ago, I said he's kind of necessary. Maybe he'll be the over-the-top thing.

It just doesn't work. It's just, he's not productive. It doesn't work. I'm not blaming anybody. It just doesn't. Bad fit. Move on. All right, good stuff. Hour number three next.

Another podcast from some SNL late night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer Streeter Seidel help an a cappella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter.

Listen to humor me with. Robert Smygel and Friends on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. On The Look Back at it podcast. From 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84 was big to me. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a year, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it.

With our friends, fellow comedians, and favorite authors. Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s. 84 was a wild 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. A win is a win. A win is a win.

I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifers Show. This is a place for raw, unfilled 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 IHard Radio app,

Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok's podcast network on TikTok. 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-Hart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an I-Hart podcast. Guaranteed Human.