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

Episode Date: October 28, 2022

Colin's new Blazing 5 picks for week 8 of the NFL How Christian McCaffrey will fit into the Niners offense The improvement of Lamar Jackson Tomorrow's headlines today   Guest: Donte WhitnerSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Here we go, our number two on a Friday, live in Los Angeles. It's the herd. Wherever you may be and however you may be listening, IHeart Radio, Fox Sports Radio, FS1, been on a little bit of a hot streak in the NFL, 4 and 1, 3 and 2. Love my picks this week. I've been going with a lot of underdogs. dogs are barking, scoring is down. That means points are more valuable in the NFL.

So I've got three dogs, four dogs this week. Four. Four underdogs this week. So the Jets are an underdog. So the Jets could be in there. Okay. Interesting. Well, you left them.

You dissed them in the herd hierarchy. I had them like 11th. The world is waiting, Colin. We both liked Baltimore last night. Yes. And so Baltimore, you know, there are teams in this league. San Francisco's not right yet, but I think they'll solve. their issues. They're solvable issues. Baltimore wasn't quite right. Last night, they solved their

second half issues. There's teams that don't have solvable issues. Like, I think Tampa, Tom Brady's divorce was finalized. It's been a really, really hard year for Tom, reportedly, but really tough in the last six to eight weeks, and you've seen it on the field. I was asked this the other day by somebody. I said, they said, do you think his off field stuff is affecting him? I'm like, of course it is. If you're going through a crisis at home. Of course it affects you at work. I mean, he's been on with divorce attorneys all week. Your kids, there's crying. You can see Tom's weight loss. It's obviously affecting him. So does he get a rebound, potentially? You know, but so some of the, we're about week seven and eight. You kind of know what everybody is. Remember Cincinnati early

had some issues. I said these are totally solvable issues. Arizona, I think, some of those issues. are solvable. But there are issues that aren't, so let's do it. This week's Blazing five. That's a hot one. Let's blaze it up. It's Collins Blazing Five. Cardinals and Vikings. I like the Vikings, not this week, though. I'll take Arizona plus three and a half. Listen, they have issues offensively, but they don't give the ball away. Only the Eagles have fewer giveaways. Kyler Murray is now running more and DeAndre Hopkins is back. And the Cardinals have been a bizarrely good road team since 2021. Don't ask me, but DeAndre Hopkins insertion back into the offense and Murray's legs now, he's willing to run, make a difference. The Vikings are good,

but they've been outgained by 270 yards. All their games are close, and they give up six yards a play. This is an explosive Arizona team. They go to Minnesota. They upset the Vikings 28 to 27. I like the Saints here plus one and a half. They're coming off extra rest. I always love that. And the Raiders, let's be honest. Their wins have been against the Broncos that are awful and the Texans.

And they needed a fourth quarter comeback to beat the Texans. The Raiders defense is atrocious. They have the worst passer rating defense in the league. Opposing quarterbacks average a 105 passer rating. And those games they won last year, all the close ones, they're 0. And 4 in close games and 0.13 on the road. The Raiders, I like their offensive talent. There's some smoking mirrors here.

Very close game. I'll take the points and the Saints to win 24, 23. Dolphins and Lions. Love the Lions plus three and a half. Love, love, love Detroit. Listen, at home, they're a different team. Jared Goff at home this year. Look at their offense.

In his 11 home starts, he has a 102 passer rating. At home, they get 38 points, 7-yard. a play and they're getting healthy. They're getting DeAndre Swift has practiced Wednesday and Thursday. T.J. Hawkins and their excellent young tight end is going to play. So they get some weapons back. And the dolphins, they're one of four teams in the league with a winning record and a negative point differential. There is a ceiling once they get off scripted plays, what they can do. And they are beat up, as J. Mack told you, a little beat up in some of their units defensively. I like Detroit to win this game in an upset 30 to 27.

Patriots and Jets. I'm going to take the favored Patriots minus two and a half. They're coming off a humiliating loss. My rule, when great players are humiliated or great coaches are humiliated, they come back the next week. Listen, Belichick has feasted off average quarterbacks, especially average young quarterbacks, and that's what Zach Wilson is.

Zach has less than 200 passing yards in back-to-back games. They're missing Breece Hall. Corey Davis, Elijah Vera Tucker. This is a bad spot for a quarterback that needs protection and a running game. He loses his best protector and running back. New England wins this game, 27 to 20 and covers the spread. Bengals at Browns. I'm going to take the underdog brownies at home on Monday night, Browns plus three and a half.

Listen, for some reason, Cleveland's given Cincinnati issues. Kevin Stafansky's 4-0 against the Bengals, all right? And the five games have been decided by three or fewer points for the Browns this year. They're five games, so they get into some close games. Their offense this season, you think it's terrible, but they're running the heck out of the football in Cleveland. That's not a surprise. Nick Chubb leads the NFL in rushing yards and rushing TDs with eight. And the Bengals, listen, Jamar Chase is out.

that's a big deal Monday night in Cleveland Browns don't get a lot of Monday night football games at home. This is going to be like Marty Gras and Joe Burrell is still getting sacked a lot with Miles Garrett. I get great corners for Cleveland. Miles Garrett

without Jamar Chase. I think it goes down to the last minute. I'll give Cincinnati a win. It goes either way 28, 27, but I'm absolutely strongly believe in Cleveland and the points. There you go. A lot of dogs, a slight favorite, the Patriots.

Cleveland's a weird team. I agree with almost all of them. I can't agree with the Jets in the Patriots. I'm just dreaming last night as I'm trying to fall asleep. Like what offensive plays can the Jets dial up to move the football? Because they don't have a running quarterback like Justin Fields. I just, this could be a problem. I will try to hold off texting you during the game.

Because, you know, Sundays we text and then Cowher checks in with a call later. but this is going to be an exciting Sunday in the McIntyre household. Dante Wittner, 11 years, multiple-time Pro Bowl. We're now, slides over to the broadcast booth with the Niners, and he's fantastic, played in three straight NFC championship games. So I defended the Niners with the McCaffrey move. I said, if you want something, get something. If you want a Tesla, go buy it.

You're not going to get it on sale. This kid's good. He's a good piece. But there's a lot of people, Dante, that think, man, they gave up a lot. How do you think it plays in the locker room? There's a lot of injuries. He's been injured before. To you, does he fit?

Does it play in the locker room? I think he fits like a glove. Think about what he can do in the torment that he calls his defensive coordinators. For example, when you go 21 personnel, you have one back in the game, a fullback, a tight-in, and two receivers. Now you have him, Debo Samuel, you have use check, you have George Kittle, who are all interchangeable. How do you match that? Do you match it with bigger guys or do you match it with smaller guys? If you match it with smaller guys, they're going to run the ball down your throat

because they're all welling blockers. If you match it with bigger guys, they're going to spread you out and they're going to throw the ball. Once he's fully implemented into the system, you're going to see the Christian McCaffrey effect. And it's going to take this offense to another level. How long do you think it takes? Because this weekend, the Rams with extra rest.

You give McVeigh extra time. They are limited offensively. But how long does stuff like this take McCaffrey? Listen, McCaffrey's a Stanford guy. He's got to be fairly bright, right? He's been in the league for years. So, I mean, it shouldn't take for, I was surprised how much work he got last week. How long before he becomes a major part of the offense?

Well, he's not an all pro, mainly because of his physical abilities and attributes. It takes phenomenal intelligence to be an all pro. You have to know different levels of the offense that other players just can't comprehend. You have to understand your role in the professional. passing game. You have to understand passing concepts. You have to understand route depths. You have to understand cutback lanes. And we saw that last week. I thought that when he touched the ball, he had an opportunity to break it for a big one each time. And he was one tackle away. I think being a Stanford guy, being in the season where you're game planning, you don't have a million plays,

you don't have the playbook that you're used to going into training camp with. They have select plays that they want him to run. The zone stretch scheme is not that complicated. You don't have a complicated, and they're going to get them the ball in open space and in the screen game. So the word out of San Francisco right now is that Christian McCaffrey is caught up on this week's game plan, and we should see a lot of them. So you played for the Bills, Browns, Niners, Washington. You had a lot of coaches. You had head coaches.

You had position coaches. You had coordinators. And I've said this before. First round draft picks, 30% don't make it. It's hard. You interview people. Nathaniel Hackett apparently was a great interview. it's not working.

I'm one of those believers that we all make mistakes. Pivot off them quickly. Don't double down. Did you ever have a coach? You don't have to mention a name or a position coach or a coordinator. And Dante, you knew really quickly. Man, this isn't working. This guy's over his skis.

Yes. And it was defense coordinator. I'm okay with saying a name. It was Perry Fuel. And I'll give you an example. And it came from, you know, a game that we had, against the Dallas Cowboys on Monday night football. We had six turnovers on defense, two defensive scores.

We should have beat Tony Romo and the Dallas Cowboys that night. But at the end of the game, we didn't play a universal defensive call, which is called sideline, where you have two defenders at the 10, 20, 30, two deep guys. They have zero timeouts. All we have to do is make them throw the ball in the middle of field, tackle them. We win the game. He calls covered two, two consecutive times.

They do a good job of influence our corner at the time. number 24 Terrence. He jumps down to get a seven route for 20. Then he called cover two again. They get a seven route for 15. Kick a field goal. We go into overtime and they beat us in a game that we should have won if he would have made the proper cause.

So since that day, I realize that sometimes it's the coaching that, you know, that really fails the team. And when you think of Nathaniel Hackett, he might be over his head. Yeah. I think that some guys are good at coaching the side of the ball. They're good at coaching the offense, defense, wide receivers, whatever it is. But when you have to be the leader of men,

you have to delegate different roles to different people on the team. You have to be the person that disciplines your team, make sure that things aren't swept under the rug. It's very difficult for some of those guys. It's very difficult to deal with NFL players who aren't just going to take it. They're going to snap back sometime.

And if you're not strong enough to handle that, then you can quickly lose the team. And that's why a lot of the coordinators that transition to the head coach role, a lot of times it don't. And workout. Yeah. You know, I said about Lamar Jackson, I had huge doubts out of college.

Like, and he's sit in the pocket on third and throw. And then about a year and a half into it, I'm like, wow, this dude just wins games. And I do believe the way I look at quarterbacks in this league in 2022 is you got to have horsepower. You can win a lot of games with Tanna Hill, cousins, too. I'm not saying you can't win games. Hell, you can win a division. But when you get into these Mahomes matchups, you get into these big boys, matchups with Burrow, Josh Allen, I need horsepower. Lamar Jackson's got horsepower. And I thought

it was totally on display last night. Are you surprised or how surprised that Baltimore is sort of waiting on the contract? Or are you not as big a fan? I'm a huge fan of Lamar Jackson. And being a defender, ex-defendant in the NFL, I know how difficult it is to stop guys with the type of talent and attributes that he bring to the game. And he's moving at a different speed than a lot of offensive players and defensive players out there. And when you can add that dynamic, when it's just like, okay, we might have it blocked up perfectly on defense, we might get the right penetration.

But his unorthodox cuts and his skills and just the moves that he can make, it can beat you at any time. You can't teach the things that he provides. Yeah. It's just like unteachable. You can't go and teach a kid. Say, hey, I'm going to teach you everything that will be. Omar Jackson does, we're going to practice this. It is impossible. Right. So it is surprising that Baltimore

hasn't pulled, hasn't really signed him up for a long-term contract. I think that he has zero weapons around him. Yeah. When you're tight-in is your number one weapon, when you have to go out and get Deshaun Jackson, who's 36 years old, about to be 37 to be a deep threat, that shows you that you didn't do anything in the offense to really provide weapons around Lamar Jackson. And then the defense, they're not playing at their usual level. So I think that with Lamar Jackson, I truly believe they can win a Super Bowl if they put the weapons around him and make it comfortable for him to go out there and play his game. Once he gets the contract, he really doesn't have a reason not to run around defenses.

I think right now he's been a little cautious. Yeah, no, I mean, I get it. You know, I said this. Obviously, as Tom Brady's divorce is finalized today, obviously off-field drama affects work. Tom looks gaunt. He looks exhausted. Is it possible?

And maybe in your career of 11 years, you had a personal drama and you just, you know, you had a two or three game stretch, Dante, where you weren't locked in. I've had that in my life. No question it's affected me. Do you think Tom, you know, it's finalized this morning the papers. Do you think it's possible that this thing really, a lot of the Tampa stuff is just Tom's the leader and he has been completely meetings, personal life. Do you think maybe it's possible?

He gets a bounce, a little more football, or did you watch last night and think, hey, that's, he's, he's not the same guy? Well, when I see him and I watch his physical attributes, I think that there's no degradation in his skill set. I see the footwork. I see the accuracy. I see the understanding of defenses. Yeah, there's a lack in some of the consistency and decision making.

But I think the offensive line is protecting them well. top five in the NFL and sacks per game with 1.6 sacks per game. So that's not an excuse. I think sometimes it boils down to the concepts that they're running on offense. And I think that a lot of times the playmakers aren't making plays for them. It's not really just Tom Brady throwing the ball over the field is getting the ball to the playmakers and allowing them to make plays. There was some phenomenal balls that he threw last week. He threw one to Evans around the money where he was jogging and the ball just popped out. Yeah. There's some balls times where he's throwing it outside the numbers, and he looked like he's 21 years old.

So I don't know if it's, I don't see a degradation in his skill set. Now, as far as his mental, yes, there's been times where I, you know, it wasn't even my wife. It was a girlfriend. We broke up and I'm checking my phone during meetings, right? You want to see if she takes back. Yeah. If you're going to get a chance to make up. Yeah, it affects you.

And a lot of times people don't remember that athletes, whether there's any pro sport, you're human. And a lot of things that go on at home can seep into your work life. And I think that that's something that's going on with Tom Brady. It's a very difficult situation. But if anybody you can depend on to get themselves out of a funk, to get this team out of a funk, it's Tom Brady because he doesn't have any, again, any degradation in the skill set. A couple more plays make out there,

and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers can be right back where they are. So best of luck for him with everything that he's going through. First round pick out of Ohio State. Boy, you're good at this TV thing. Dante Wittner, you are good at this, man. You got a million things going on and happy for you. I love having you on. You know, when Michigan beats Ohio State this year,

I'll bring you on the day after. Just kidding, just kidding. Dante, great seeing you, man. I don't think that's going to happen this year, man. I think that we're on a mission. We're going to get it done. But yeah, I'll be doing San Jose State Nevada game tomorrow night, CBS.

Guys, check it out. All right. Thanks, man. All right. Thanks for having me, Colin. You bet. Dante Wittner. He's really good, isn't he? Really sees the game. Yeah, really sees the game. My wife was texting me during that interview. A lot of questions about our Halloween outfits this weekend.

So, Colin, I'm a little nervous about the picks coming up later this hour. I hope I'll be able to give it my best. Okay. I wish you the very best. It's a tough time right now. The Halloween is very difficult sometimes. My street, we have a house on our street. It is crazy fun. I love Halloween. There's a block party. They get a taco truck.

It's going to be off the hook. Off the hook. Want more herd? The herd streams 24 hours a day, seven days a week, within the IHeard 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 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 what you need to be. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever

you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Hey, this is Robert from the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Joe and I are both lifelong Star Wars fan, so we're celebrating May the 4th with a brand new week of fun, thought-provoking Star Wars related episodes. Join us as we tackle science and culture topics from a galaxy far, far away, such as the biology of tauntons and wampas on the ice planet hot, or the practicality and corporate business sense of the Sith rule of two. Listen to stuff to blow your mind on the iHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tapped Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black

people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do a little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick 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 know. I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we 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. The 2020 World Series begins tonight as Bryce Harper and the Phillies look to continue their storybook postseason run against an Astros team making their fourth trip to the fall classic in the last six seasons coverage begins at 70s turned four Pacific only on fox and the fox sports app.

Alan Lazard, Green Bay receiver, quote, I heard a snap crackle and pop in my shoulder probably won't play against Buffalo. I'm not sure there's ever been a potential game in the NFL that could be awful and I cannot wait to watch it. So, you know, I have been at times critical of Aaron Rogers. It's should be noted, duly, that I've been right. But if they do get rolled, and I think Green Bay will be very competitive early in this game, they're very good on the script. But they don't have the playmakers after halftime when the game gets, you know, like Baltimore last night.

Let's see the juice. Let's see the horsepower. Baltimore has it with Lamar. Aaron and the Packers don't. But if they get rolled, who will get blamed? We are on a little bit of a trend here where Aaron is blaming people. people. So the magic wheel of blame, the wheel of misfortune for the Green Bay Packers. Will it be Matt LaFleur, Young, teammates, media, whether himself or inflation? One of those will get the

blame. We have a very small percentage of it will be Aaron. But Greg CoSell yesterday said the Packers have a myriad of issues, including their star quarterback. There's never one single answer. You know, their O line has been in a state of flux this year. Their run game has been very inconsistent. Rogers has also missed some throws that we normally expect him to make. They've been very poor on third down. In their last three games, they've only converted 25% on third down. So this offense stops itself a lot, and they have long yardage third down plays. They're not in third and three and third and four very often at all. My guess is in the NFL that rookie receivers do tend to make mistakes. I think that you have to work through that and you have to play.

And that includes Aaron Rogers, who I would say based purely on tape study, is not playing up to his standards either. Very predictable. We said you don't hang out with the rookie receivers in the off season. You go out and do your stuff. You're going to have trouble in the regular season because now in preseason football, Aaron's not going to play. So you get no OTA, you get no preseason. Shock that guys that played at Reno and FCS schools aren't ready to step up and contribute before Thanksgiving. I do think it'll get better over time.

It should, right? But these are rookie receivers. It was all predictable. Aaron and Brady tend to like veteran guys they can trust. Nothing wrong with that. But this is your team in reality. Figure it out. Mentor.

Be a good teammate. Don't slice them up publicly. Here's the thing. Aaron said this week, sometimes the truth hurts. But what happens if Matt LaFleur came out if they get rolled and ripped Aaron? If the truth hurts and some people can't handle it, I asked Peter Schrager, then can LaFleur rip Aaron if he stinks?

I think Rogers is feeling not only the responsibility of having to do this all by himself out there with the lack of talent at the skill positions and the receivers and whatever else you have at the offensive line, not holding up. I also feel like there's he's trying every trick in the book to motivate these guys. And us on the outside are like, that doesn't work. I'm not sure there's enough motivational tactics I'm going to work with the talent around him. If they lose by 20 to Buffalo and Rogers tease off again on the coach, at some point you think LaFleur's got to answer back publicly.

But if you lose Rogers, goodbye. And that's the thing. Aaron says the truth hurts. But everybody knows you can't rip Aaron publicly because it just doesn't go well. See, that's my criticism of Aaron. He's not wrong saying the truth hurts, but mirror, mirror on the wall. You're not playing well. So what if somebody rips you?

Is that cool too? Because that truth would really hurt. J-Mac with the news. No, no, no, no, no. Turn on the news. This is the herd line news. We should have had some Lizzo music playing in the background. The Truth hurts.

You know that song, right? No. Should I know that? Kind of a big deal, yeah. Lizzo? Come on. You know who she is, right? I've heard of Lizzo. I know who, I know.

You know, your daughter, the one who's on TikTok, is going to text you during the break. Like, Colin, step up your meeting. What's the young artist I really like? Adele. No, well, Adele is very talented. Swift. Sierra? Taylor Swift.

Taylor Swift, T. Sizzle. Yeah. Can you get her on the show, by the way? I would love to. I'm a fan. Who isn't? Taylor Swift is terrific. Extremely talented.

Yeah. Yeah. Big fan. We should probably do some of sports. Should we go back to sports or just talk pop culture? Tampa Bay Bucks, third straight lost last week. Offense struggling all season.

Todd Bowles is open to changes on the offense. He was asked last night if there would be any changes to the staff ahead of their week nine matchup with the Rams. Here's what he had to say. Todd, you got some time off now kind of a mini-buy-by, if you will, 10 days,

would you consider any changes to your coaching staff or play calling or any of that? We're going to talk about everything this weekend. You know, when you're not playing well, everything's on the table for us and we'll discuss it as a staff. Leonard Fournett means to probably watch his back.

There's some chatter about him losing his starting job. Listen, this Tampa Bay team's all. This is a seven-win team company. How about this? How about the special teams gaff early when the buccaneers ran into each other? I didn't put anything on Twitter on watching. I'm thinking, that's like a high school mistake. Like at the college level, you don't see that.

That's a high school mistake. Remember Bruce Ariens was like, I want to hand Todd Bulls a good team. We did. We did. It is a good team. Are they? Well, I think they've got a lot of good players that usually constitutes a good team. Devin White, you look up his pro football focus grade, this guy's falling off a cliff.

And he got embarrassed last night. The center for the Ravens? The young kid out of Iowa, ran him 10 yards down the field, just panicked him. No, that center for Iowa. He's awesome. Outstanding. Ravens, they draft pretty well, huh? Decent job there.

Company in Baltimore. All right. Next up, Christian McCaffrey. C. Mack. entering his first full week with the Niners following the trade last week. Although he's excited to return to the Bay Area, he admitted to trade has given him extra motivation based on the fact that Panthers were ready to let him go. Yeah.

I understand this is a business. But anytime somebody gets rid of you or something happens, you take it personally. Sure. I'm so happy to be here. But yeah, absolutely. It's part of the league. It happens to coaches, happens to players. It's just more wood in the fire.

I want to win for these guys and I want to win for the whole Bay Area because they give up a lot to get me. and I know that. So it's not extra pressure, but there's definitely a sense of urgency on my plate that I want to win. I always think it is weird. What if we were traded? How sensitive would we be?

I don't think fans ever think about this. Well, they make a lot of money. When a team gets rid of you, can you imagine Fox trading me somewhere? I'd be like, you don't like me? I think it's hard on players. I really do. I think it's...

Unless you hate this situation. Well, yeah, yeah. No, I'm not saying he's not going to a better situation, but I think sometimes we don't understand, you know, of these players, you end up becoming, you feel like you're a chess piece for the GM. So I think it's hard. I always thought if I was a GM, you've got to be, you've got to really communicate with your players.

Like, hey, listen, man, we love you, but we got to move you. And here's why. I think it can really be damaging to a player's psyche. Colin, we're talking about the face of the franchise. You go to the store in Carolina Stadium, whatever it's called, and there's Christian McCaffrey jerseysies everywhere. All that stuff is over. Who is the face of the Carolina Panthers right now?

Ryan Burns. He's good. He's on the, they're talking about trading. I like him. DJ Moore. Really? He's a good player. Yeah, good game last week.

I mean, he could use a quarterback. Brian Burns is a great player. Very talented. Brown, the Interior D-Lignment from Auburn. He's good. He's good. You could be in the grocery store in Carolina and one of these guys walks through and you're like, I don't know that was a camera.

I think I'd know Brian Burns. He's like, six four, like two-60 yet. Well, I didn't know Taylor Swift's name, so maybe I would. You talk to Taylor Swift? I know somebody who knows her. I don't know. Associate fame. Can you get her to play at my daughter's birthday party?

I got. She sent a pick to my daughter. I framed it. So that's my, that's my connection. Oh, that's the person you know who knows her daughter? She sent a pick, a Taylor Swift autograph picture with one of her picks from a concert. How's that? That's his famous.

That's not bad. That's the most famous person I know. And I don't know. That's saying you know Taylor Swift because she's. Stop it. All right. Let's go to the NBA real quick. Damien Lillard left Wednesday's game against the heat in the third quarter due to a

sore calf. You know, calf injury is very risky in basketball. After the MRI said he's diagnosed with a grade one calf strain out up to two weeks. Now, Portland started super hot. This is crummy news. You don't mess around with the calf strains. Ask Kevin Durant. So this probably lingers a little longer than two weeks. Here's what Dave had to say. The last shot that I made, when I rose up real quick, I just felt it get real tight. and went back on defense just to see how it would feel. It felt fine running up the court, and the next time I did another move, I tried to stop,

and I just thought how tight it was, and it wasn't like something happened. It was just like, let me just get it off the court and see what's going on. But it wasn't nothing that I was, like, overly concerned. I just knew it wouldn't. It would make sense to try to push through it and then fucking good game with the season.

Let's get to the back and see it. It'll be fine. I think he and Steph Curry are, favorite players in the league. In the league. I like Dave Curry's definitely number one. Luca Donchich, bro. No, he's kind of feisty. I like Janus now a lot. I like Janus. I like LeBron. I like Dame. I like Steph.

Ad. Dremont. D.M. On's my guy. Did you see somebody on Twitter cut-up video of Anthony Davis slow to get back on defense against Denver? I mean, AD, you know, your trade of him. I'll be honest. I thought that was a little insane. Yeah. And the more I talk to Lakers fans, they're like, we got to get AD out of here. Wow, everybody's bailing on Anthony Davis.

Not bailing, you're moving him. Not bailing? You're saying it's time to have a transition in your life and ours. Yeah, I'm sure LaBroad would love that. The O and 4 Lakers. I don't know who they have next, but they're probably playing this weekend and it's must work. All right, Jay Mack with the news. Well, that's the news.

And thanks for stopping by. The Herd Lie News. So, you know, it's funny. No matter how great of a coach you are, at some point you'll have a quarterback controversy in this league. Bill Walsh, you know, had the Joe. Joe Montana, Steve Young thing. Jimmy Johnson went to Miami and eventually he got an old Dan Marino. It's just, you know, Pete Carroll had the Russell Wilson thing.

It's the reality of coaching in the NFL. But Belichick, he had a little drama early with Bledsoe and Brady. And then he was very, very lucky. He went 20 years and didn't have quarterback drama. That is unheard of in the NFL. That is, that is like being a parent and not having kid drama. That's not a real life. For 20 years, not having kid drama.

In the NFL, 20 years. Tommy was the perfect student. Got good grades. Had a local job. Showed up every day. Never in trouble. Never pulled a fire extinguisher at school. Never was a bully.

He literally had a perfect life. But now, the reality of the NFL, he's got a quarterback mess with Bailey's Appie and Mack Jones. They face the Jets this week. A real defense. This is a real defense. It should be a very competitive game. game. And Belichick, here was Bill putting an end to the quarterback controversy.

We started the game the way we wanted to start it last week and we talked about the way it ended up. So this week's a different week's a different situation. That could be a quarterback. Like here we are today, we're practicing for the Jets. It's Thursday getting ready for the Jets. Like that's where we are. So anything that happens beyond that, I mean, it's not current. How can I get into it? as hopeful as I can be. I mean, come on, man. I'm putting it into it.

I do like New England in this game, but it's one of those things like this league. It's like Andy Reid, even with Mahomes, who's perfect, about every year he goes off into the weeds mechanically for about a month, and Andy's got to coach him back and kind of bring him back. Thank God Mahomes is a smart kid. He's coachable.

He's likable. But, you know, the bigger and more important quarterbacks are, the uglier and more inflamed these dramas are because the league is so quarterback driven. Bill's got a little mess on his hands, but I think they turn it into a W this week. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the IHeart Radio app. Hey, this is Jason McIntyre. Join me every weekday morning on my podcast, straight fire with Jason McIntyre.

This isn't your typical sports pod pushing the same tired narratives down to you. your throat every day. Straight fire gives you honest opinions on all the biggest sports headlines, accurate stats to help you win big at the 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 Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds.

I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me. Clever Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football,

or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated.

One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast. It's a space. For honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger.

So, if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to The Clifford Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Hey, this is Robert from the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Joe and I are both lifelong Star Wars fan,

so we're celebrating May the 4th with a brand new week of fun thought-provoking Star Wars-related episodes. Join us as we tackle science and culture topics from a galaxy far, far away, such as the biology of taun tons and wampas on the ice planet hot, or the practicality and corporate business sense of the Sith Rule of Two. Listen to Stuff to Boar Your Mind on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 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 a little count? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick it here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it.

Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill, waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 is big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so y'all know. I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed. That's correct. So I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now.

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

We're moving them up one hour. We do it every Friday. Usually last 10 minutes of the show. But we're going to the World Series, which starts tonight. then. So Jason McIntyre shows up. The former newspaper guy makes his NFL picks, and he predicts the headlines with stunning accuracy. He has had a great season. Four and one last week. Yep, four and one last week. One losing week all season. Yep. Let's see if we can keep it going. Tomorrow's headlines today. Vikings off a buy headline for Cardinals in Minnesota. You got to stole my thunder earlier this hour because we're on the same side. The headline will be Minnesota begins manhunt for

Old-blooded Kyler. He's a new quarterback. Kyler Murray and the Cardinals win outright in Minnesota. He's a different quarterback with DeAndre Hopkins. So we saw last week 14 targets against the Saints. But Colin, the other interesting thing was they didn't just line him up outside, which is what Kingsbury had done last year. They moved him into the slot. A lot of creativity. I love to see that. And remember, Cliff Kingsbury away from home, he's won eight straight road games as an underdog outright. I mean, this guy is really playing well. And just keep an eye on this. Cousins against the Blitz has not been great this year. We've seen some Minnesota miracles, late comebacks against the Saints and the Bears. This Vikings defense is shaky.

I like Arizona to win outright. Tomorrow's headlines today. What a messy match of Panthers Falcons for sole possession of first place. What say you? This is your corner TV game. You're not going to watch this. It's ugly. The headline will be Scarolina.

Falcons leave droppings on field. I'm going with PJ Walker. And I know you don't want to take them the week after they pull that huge upset. But again, you've got to look at the Atlanta. team cluster injuries in the secondary. Within the last hour, they ruled out their second best quarterback, AJ Terrell. Their top corner, Casey Hayward's on IR.

Colin, PJ Walker, I can't believe I'm saying this, could have some success with your guy, DJ Moore, through the air. And remember, Atlanta only wants to run the football. Even when they were down to the Bengals last week, they kept handing it off because they don't trust Marriota fully. And guess what? Carolina's run defense is good. And there's a couple players on that team who may be looking to get moved. Derek Brown, Brian Burns.

Playing well. I'm going to showcase myself. Come get me out of this mess. like Carolina to win. That's very sharp, by the way. Tomorrow's headlines today. Giants won four in a row in Seattle. I cannot wait to watch

this game. Only matchup of two winning teams this week, which is insane. The headline will be Sequin Carves as Gino turns into a pumpkin. Sorry, Seattle fans. Listen, this feels like a boomer bus pick. I like the Giants to win this outright. So do I. Or they could get blown out. This is a bad

travel spot for them. Remember they went to London? Then they came back against a Ravens tough fourth quarter comeback, down to Jacksonville, now to Seattle, and they have the buy week next week. They're a little beat up on the offensive line we talked about. However, however, I think the Seattle team without D.K. Metcalfe is going to look kind of ordinary. Wink Martindale. We've seen him dial up the blitz. That's what he does. Lead the league in blitzes. I think Gino Smith, who struggled against a blitz against Arizona a couple weeks ago, I think the Giants keep this close, and I like Saquan Barclay to put in the hammer and come out victorious.

Colin, I can't believe this. I think the Giants move to 7-1. Wow. That's the story of the season, I believe. Giants going to 7-0-8. And what Brian Daibold's done with Daniel Jones. I mean, he's, you know, he's not carving the world up, but he looks

like somewhat like a franchise quarterback. Tomorrow's headlines today. Let's go to Dallas. Dack, second start off an injury. Bears Cowboys. You talk about it all the time. You don't like to teak teams off of bad losses or big wins. Listen, Dallas Cowboys against the Bears? The headline will be. Dax slashes Bears in Texas chainsaw massacre. You like the Halloween theme, obviously. Listen, this Bears team, they got a little

lucky against a Patriots. This slow defense, didn't spy Justin Fields. Listen, Dan Quinn has seen running quarterbacks. Daniel Jones, Jalen Hertz. They're very familiar with it. They've got a fast defense. That's a good point. I think the Cowboys are ready, and this is a Bears team. I'm curious how that locker room react is. You get that big win. Oh, right, we're not dead. Packer stink. And then you trade Robert Quinn.

Like, wait, what are we? Are we tanking? What are we doing? I mean, I know it went the other way in Carolina, but they hadn't won when they traded McCaffrey. I just think this Bears team is still one of the worst teams in the league. And I think Dallas, I don't like big spreads, but if you can get this under 10, I think Dallas puts it on them.

This could be like a 37-10, the Bears Stink kind of game. All right. Tomorrow's headlines today, Titans, Texans. What do you like about this mass? This goes against everything I like to do. I don't like these divisional matchups. I got two to end it. The headline will be.

Oh, Henry, Derek is sweet as candy. Derek Henry dominates the Texans. This line's coming down. There's some questionable stuff with Ryan Tannahill. He's got that injured ankle. He's shown up at practice. Yes. Listen, if this goes to Malik Willis as a starter, I'm going to regret it.

But Derek Henry missed two games against the Texas last year. The last three games that he's played against them over 200 yards rushing. He just obliterates him. Did you see Josh Jacobs last week against this team? Just dancing around. I think he had 160 yards. Houston dead last in the league, stopping the run. I don't love Tennessee, but Bud Dupree, sneaky return from injury.

Comes back, remember the Pittsburgh star? Comes back last week and was really effective in that Colts game, causing problems for Matt Henry. Matt Ryan, sorry. I think Tennessee beats up on Davis Mills, and I would not be surprised to see a couple Texans, Brandon Cooks. Maybe Laramie Tunsel get shipped before the trade deadline

as the Texans go for that number one pick in the draft. Very interesting. Now, a game that's not getting a lot of press because the teams are banged up, but Niners and Rams, tomorrow's headlines today. McVeigh, Shanahan, Stafford, Jimmy G. What say you? All anybody says is Shanahan owns McVeigh's won seven straight in the regular season. Did lose the NFC championship game.

Tables turn in this one, Colin. The headline will be SoCal Exorcist. Rams have Niners' heads spinning. Good scary movie if you want to watch it with the kids. Just kidding. that's not appropriate at all. I think the Rams off the by are kind of ready for this one. And this is a sell of the Niners injuries.

I like the Niners. I think they can still get to the Super Bowl. Colin, this Debo Samuel injury is going to be the biggest one we're tracking today. He's killed the Rams on these big yak plays. Remember in the NFC championship game in the game earlier this season? If he doesn't go and use check, their fullback, who's key blocking on those wheel routes,

he's huge. And if you look at the defense, Armstead, their best run stopper, the linebacker Greenlaw, injuries. Niners have the buy next week. Does Shanahan say, okay, we already have one win in the bag against the Rams. Let's dial it back a little bit. Save these guys. We may lose the battle, but we're going to win the war, you know,

the long-term prospect. So I think the Rams bounced back. I would not be surprised to see McVeigh during the buy week. Dial up some interesting stuff here. Vance Jefferson, your guy, expected to return. Brian Allen, expect, he's in practice this week at Center. That's a huge help. Brian Allen at Center is a big deal for the Rams. And Troy Hill, their quarterback, I saw.

saw him pop back up at practice. So they're getting a little healthier. Everybody's out on the Rams and they have not looked good at all. I think if they don't look good this week at SoFi, by the way, low-scoring game, So-Fi unders for the Rams. I saw a stat, 17 of their 22 games at So-Fi under the total. So I think there's a low-scoring Rams win, maybe like a 17-14 Rams triumph, which would be big for McVeigh.

He needs a win here. Well, listen, you do a really good job on this. Brian Allen, centers in this league are the most under- position now. You saw Baltimore center last night, the rookie from Iowa. How important he was. Chargers lost their center for a while. O-line survived without their left

tackle for a few weeks. It was a mess without their starting center. That's the game against, was it Denver? Remember they had the third string center. Justin Herbert had nothing. One final note on the Rams, Colin, this Van Jefferson return could be big. You have been hyping it for a while because he can stretch

the field and then you have Alan Robinson, Higby, and Cooper Cup. Yeah. That's a lot of problems for San Francisco. Philly's Astros World Series Game 1, Discover card key matchup. You can talk about how complicated other banks make it to redeem credit card rewards, not at Discover. Learn more at Discover.com slash redeem rewards.

Terms apply. You can redeem your awards in cash any amount, any time. How amazing is that? Our number three, Packers Bills, that's one we'll talk about. Can't wait for that. Hour three in LA. 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 Smigel and friends on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts,

or wherever you get your podcasts. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds.

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

not mean that you need to. Listen to learn the hard way on the AHA radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. Hey, this is Robert from the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Joe and I are both lifelong Star Wars fan, so we're celebrating May the 4th with a brand new week of fun, thought-provoking Star Wars-related episodes. Join us as we tackle science and culture topics from a galaxy far, far away, such as the biology of tontons and wampas on the ice planet hot, or the practicality and corporate business

sense of the Sith rule of two. Listen to stuff to blow your mind on the IHeart radio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.