The Herd with Colin Cowherd - HOUR 2 - Cowboys, Steelers

Episode Date: January 20, 2022

More on Mike McCarthy's commentsMike Tomlin talks about the Steelers QB situationGuest: Greg Cosell Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Live hour number two in Los Angeles. It's the hurt. Wherever you may be, and however you may be listening. IHeart Radio, Fox Sports Radio, FS1. Greg Kosso in a couple minutes. So yesterday, Mike McCarthy had a press conference. Joy Taylor is joining me.

It did not go well. It did not. It doubled down on a lot of nonsense. So I want you to think about this. If I was a promoter for like events, I was an event promoter, daredevil's tightrope walkers. And I was promoting in a city that's got some wind, let's say Chicago. I was promoting, I brought in a tightrope walker to walk between two buildings. And I said to him, listen, the threshold, if the wind is over 15 miles,

miles an hour, it's dangerous. Okay, it's dangerous. But we're going to go on with the event right now. And the tightrope walker said, well, what's the wind like? And I said, 14 miles an hour. So 15, it's dangerous, but it's 14. So we're going to go with the event. You'd say, that's not a lot of margin for error.

That is how Mike McCarthy explained the quarterback draw. I'll play the bite yesterday. He doubled down on it. I hated it. As you know, no timeouts left. under 15 seconds. My feeling is the sideline is your ally. You could have had two or three plays instead of a quarterback draw, which limits it to one more play after the quarterback draw. But McCarthy, he doubled down on it.

The only thing that we talked about, Doc and I was, you know, put a yard limit on it, cut it to 10 yards. I mean, that's probably going to be the change adjustment to we make. We had great confidence in that situation, you know, because we were just trying to get inside the 30-yard line for the. change the play call for the final play. So that's the right call based on our preparation. It's a 13-second threshold is the call. So at 14 seconds, it's, in my view, the right call.

Not much room for error. The tightrope walker, at 15, you could be street pizza. 15 miles an hour, your street pizza. How much wind is there? 14 miles an hour. Let's go for it. There's not a lot of room for error. I just don't like this play call.

You're asking DAC to do so much. Run the exact space. Get the Niner off him. Find the umpire. Get the organization set. Spike the ball. It's a lot to ask in a big spot. And you have one second of error.

It's a 13 second threshold. And you had 14. Boy, that's asking a lot to go right. And the other thing, and did it look like a little bit of chaos? Yes. Remember the fake punt the Cowboys had? Remember that fake punt they did that was successful? And the sidelines looked like.

chaos. That's what I sometimes aesthetics matter too often when I watch the cowboy's sidelines. This league has enough chaos. It shouldn't be self-induced. I feel like even when they succeed, there's a level of chaos. And I go back really well coached teams. You don't see that a lot. You don't see that with the Rams. You don't see it with the Niners. Remember the Super Bowl? It was Seattle and New England. And there was that crazy play at the end down the sideline. Curse made the catch on this. It was totally unexpected. It was wild and crazy and the time's running out, legacies being formed, and look at the sidelines. Belichick's not, oh, okay. And Brady's disappointed. And then go to the other sidelines with Pete Carroll and

nobody's freaking out. That's what well-coached teams look like in the biggest play of the year in the NFL. There was no chaos. Belichick waited for the Seahawks to call a time out. Even in the Super Bowl, seconds on the craziest catch in the history of the sport. Looks like the Patriots are under control. We're ready for this. Malcolm Butler said later, if Russell planted his foot, I knew to dive in for the interception. Pete Carroll's not frantic on the sidelines.

Go look at that fake punt with the Cowboys this weekend. It was a zoo. Go look at that last play with Dak. It's just, remember this fake punt? It's successful. So it's succeeded. And the Cowboys, look at this. And the Cowboys are trying to induce a delay of game penalty.

Yeah, they did for themselves. Sometimes, folks, if it looks like it's out of control, it is. And I think that's one of my concerns with Dallas. I just thought he, that's just not what I would have done. And doubling down on it yesterday, I just didn't like the way that came off either. But you know what? Jerry Jones likes him. And Jerry Jones has been historically patient with coaches.

So Dallas is gone and we don't have to worry about them, but we have four games this weekend, eight teams. By the way, a lot of good quarterbacks. Once again, that's what's left. And Greg Kosell, 42 years NFL films now joins us. Let's start with a game that is, sometimes there's games and I can't envision it. I cannot envision Jimmy Garoppolo going to Lambo

and beating a rested, healthy Aaron Rosh. Rogers and a Packer team that has been rolling since LaFleur took it over. I just can't envision it. I can envision a lot of things happening this week. What would the Niners have to do? What does the film say, Greg? Because there are some matchup advantages, right? Like they're, what would they have to do to win?

Well, the Niners offensively have a clear identity, Colin. We all know what that is. They run the ball. They're very multiple with their run game in terms of formations. They make it difficult for the defense in terms of run. support. The way they use Debo Samuel is really interesting. So he's a part of the run game. They also like to throw screens to him. They want to get him in space. So they start with the run game and their offense works off of that. So that's essentially what they are. They throw the ball in

the middle of the field extremely well. That's the foundation of what they do in the past game. And then they have to convert on third down. So we know what they're going to do. So you're basically asking, can they play that way in Green Bay against? the Packers. Because if they do play that way, there is a controlling of pace and tempo playing that way. And those are the games in which Jimmy Garapolo can throw 23 or 24 balls. Now, if they can't play that way, if they're stopped, and the game turns into a situation where Jimmy G is forced by choice with Kyle to have to throw 30, 35 times, I would say most people would think that that's not the ideal scenario, which brings us to the other side of the ball. So, you know, if you want to jump in,

the other side of the ball is pretty important here, too. Yeah, what's Aaron going to attack? I don't love the, I don't love the corners for the 49ers. That seems like something I would try to attack. Yeah, and I think that makes sense. I think the key part of this is going to be the play of the 49er D-line and their linebackers. And they've been really, really good over the last four, six, seven weeks. And it's overlooked a bit just in general conversation because everybody focuses on Garoppolo. But their defensive front, and let's assume for the moment, Nick Bosa does play. Their defensive front has been really good. They move people around. They've gotten really good play from Arden Key, Samson Ebukam. They've gotten really good play from guys that people may not know

about, D-Tackles, D.J. Jones, Kevin Givens plays a lot of snaps. Charles Amehueh, who did really well last week. So ultimately, they have to stop the run because even though everybody talks about Aaron Rogers, Matt LaFleur comes from the Kyle Shanahan School. They're going to run the ball. So when they do throw it, the 49ers D-line has to squeeze the pocket, close it down. They just have to speed up Aaron Rogers. He doesn't get sacked a lot. He doesn't make a lot of bad throws that end up being interceptions, but you'd have to make him play a little faster. That's the goal. So Matt Stafford, Sean McVan, the Rams. It was the ideal situation. They didn't have to throw a ton. They controlled the line scrimmage. Cooper Cup was bracketed and doubled, so OBJ emerged and Tyler Higsby. So it really

worked to their favor. They didn't have to put Stafford back 35 throws. You know, that pass rush for Arizona can be at times pretty intense. It's not going to look like that. It's really hard with Vitavia clogging up the middle and Indomac and Sue. It's hard to run on the buck. So what do you think Todd Bowles is going to dial up for Matt Stafford this week? Well, it's very interesting. You mentioned that part of it first because the Bucks have been throughout the course of this season, and you saw it last week in the wild card game, the highest percentage blitz team in the NFL this year. But if you go back to when these teams played week three, one of the things that was really effective for the Rams, and the Rams won that game. Now, the Bucks did not have their normal secondary players in that game. But one of the things that was really effective was their use of empty sets. No team has lined up. up an empty sets more than the Rams by a wide, wide margin. Stafford's very comfortable on that because he could see things. I think they had 15 empty snaps in that week three matchup. Bowles only rushed five one time versus those empty sets. So I'm very curious to see if the Rams go empty, how Todd Bowles

deals with it because that's a really difficult formation to play against with the Rams because Stafford sees it really cleanly. So it's interesting. Tristan Worf's banged up. Big guy with an ankle issues. Those don't heal quickly. Ryan Jensen, a great center is banged up. So that to me is the opportunity of the afternoon for the Rams.

They got a little bit of a health break here and they can bring pressure too. How do you think that works out? Yeah, and that's a very interesting part of this game because obviously Brady is not going to be moving anywhere. You know where he's going to be. The Rams like to play with a five-man front. And what that often does is it creates one-on-one matchup. So who's going to play right tackle for the bucks? Even their backup is banged up. So that is a very intriguing matchup. And, you know, it was really interesting watching the cards Rams game last week. You know what the cards did? They actually use the back to chip Donald as the defensive tackle. Not to chip an edge player,

but to chip Donald. And in fact, Miller got a sack when they chipped Donald and it left Miller one-on-one with the left tackle Humphrey. So that's where the rubber couldn't meet the road in this game. And, you know, that's where I think the Rams do have a distinct advantage. We'll see how that plays out. Yeah, that to me is the game. It is if Jensen is hurt, that is trouble for Tom Brady. That is a bad week for him to be hurt against Aaron Donald.

All right. So let's talk about Josh Allen. It's one thing to be good. It's another to humiliate Belichick. You were the first to say this two years ago. That on his best days, Josh Allen's the most talented person in the National Football League at quarterback. He is the single most talented player. Now, he can be uneven.

You've got to sandpaper him. He can be a little uneven. You're not always sure about every third start. He gets into these bad throw tunnels. But what did you make of his performance against a master class? class against Belichick. Well, even on his worst days, Colin, he's still the most physically gifted quarterback in the league. He just at times doesn't always play to that level.

But the bills have tried to step away from just everything being about Josh, but they're still the most quarterback-centric team in the league because they use Allen so effectively in the designed run game. You get to third and two to six yards. They will run the ball with Josh. You get in the red zone. They will run the ball with. Josh, design runs.

And obviously we know about his second reaction movement. And the throws he can make are, I mean, he's so gifted as a passer. That's ultimately what their offense is. They may try to run it, but they're not going to win this game by running the football. And you know what you're going to get from Steve Spagnolo defense. You're going to get cover one man coverage. You're going to get cover two. In fact, they play among the highest percentage of cover two zone in the NFL.

they really get to it with a lot of disguise and late movement. And I think you will see that just to try to slow down the processing of Josh Allen. And as well as he moves, you do want him to move around because that's where at times he can get a little reckless and discipline. Yeah, same in college at Wyoming. When he moved, I remember watching them in college. He, listen, he's a playmaker. He knows it. And sometimes he tries to make every play and he can't in the National Football League.

So Mahomes had about a six, seven week stretch. You talked about this. Mechanically, he got sloppy. He was missing some layups. What did you see against the Steelers, fairly relentless defense from Mahomes? Yeah, and I think you would agree. You know, you watch these games closely.

His movement now, wouldn't you agree, looks a lot more calculated. Yes. It doesn't look unnecessary and random. And I think he's just one of those guys, Colin, that will move. Like, there are plays where there's no pressure on him, and he does move out of the pocket of little. little bit. He doesn't fly out of the pocket, but he's just comfortable taking like, you know, this kind of throw right here. Yeah. He did not need to move there to throw that we're seeing,

but he does, and he still can throw the ball exceptionally well. But he definitely looks more under control. Their offense has a much more refined feel to it, a much more rhythmic feel to it. I think they're playing at a pretty high level offensively. So this, this will be, you know, the one thing, they played week five. And obviously in Kansas City, the bills won that game. they did after Davies White, because in that game, they played a lot of man coverage. They played a lot of two-man with two deep safeties and cover one with a post-safety, but they used white a lot as kind of a zero-man corner. They don't have white.

So I'm going to be very intrigued to see how Sean McDermott and Leslie Frazier go about playing in the secondary in this game. All right. So the Cincinnati Bengals are at the well-rested Titans. Derek Henry should play. We don't know how much. When you look at the Titans offense, is it as simple as it feels? Derek Henry downhill, control the clock, keep it out of Burrell's hands? Well, I mean, simple is a relative term.

My guess is Henry will get 20 plus carries. I think their offense will be pretty normal. They'll give it to Henry. They'll work the past game off of that. That's where they're really effective. They have a lot of nice play action concepts that work off the run game. That's really the way they make their big explosive plays in the past game. They've been good on third down at times this year.

Tannenhill has had games where he's made some really good third down throws. I think that I know Hedrickson is going to be back. He's been cleared, but missing Ogon Joby is a big loss in the interior of the Bengals defensive line. He's a really good run defender. The Bengals will play a five-two front, five across on the D-line, two stackbackers in Wilson and Pratt, who've played very well. but it starts with defending Derek Henry.

And they're going to have to do that or they're going to be behind the sticks. So this is where I think this could get a little unraveled. I think the Bengals have the weakest O-line left in the playoffs. I still think they're in a rebuild mode a little bit on the defensive side. You know, they're set at wide receiver. They're set at quarter back. I just don't know if they can block the Titans. I saw the Rams offensive line get thrown around.

SoFi Stadium. And that's a good old line. I just don't know if they can block the Titans up front. What say you? And that's a great point, Colin, because the Titans have kind of an old school field. They're a physical football team. You don't think about them as an explosive playoffence.

And even on defense, you know, you don't think of them as a shutdown defense, but they're really physical. They're really aggressive. They have a distinct defensive profile. They rush their four down linemen and they play multiple coverage concepts behind it with seven people. So rarely are they caught in the numbers game on the back end. And you're right.

That's where the rubber could meet the road in this given game, because the Bengals O line has struggled quite a bit in one-on-one pass protection this year. And they do a really nice job, the Titans, that is, inside with the Nico Archery and Jeffrey Simmons, because Autry comes inside in their subfronts. And they are really good with their stunts, what we call TT stunts, tackle stunts, very difficult to hand. handle. And I think you're correct. I think that's where it could be problematic in this game for

the Bengals. All right. Give me your big play of the week is Joe Burrell. I want to see it. Yeah, well, Joe Burrow is, he has a really refined sense of timing. And where that really comes into play is when you get in the red zone. So let's take a look at the touchdown from last week, where he hit Uzama early in the game. And this was just a great, great throw by Burrow. But there's reasons for it. It was very interesting. Borough was in the shotgun here, and we're going to work to the right side of the offensive four mates with Uzama and T. Higgins. And the Raiders did something really interesting here. They took their back-end safety, Trevin Merig, and they pushed him to the boundary side. That's the way he moved. And then the other safety to that side, Roderick Timer,

he also expanded at the snap of the ball. So what happened is you get a route by Uzama. It's basically just a sit route, a little curl route, a sit route, we call it, right one yard into the end zone. And Burrow has to throw it between the two safeties. And he just sticks his back foot and he just drills it. And there's not a lot of space, Colin. And this is what happens in the red zone. Throws have to be made with unbelievable timing, anticipation, a little velocity, and great ball location.

And Burroughs that kind of guy. And he also manages the pocket well. He moves well. But don't forget, he's also been sacked an awful lot. And that's where there could be issues in this game. Well, you pointed this out, I thought, deftly, smartly during the season, is that Burroughs arm looks stronger this year than last. And on that throw, it does.

It looks like, you know, we forget, Aaron Rogers, for three years backing up Favre, when we finally saw him, had a better arm in the NFL that he did in college. I mean, you could see it. Yeah. Guys constraint, believe it or not, it's still a developmental league, even the national football league guys get bigger and stronger. They sure do. Yep. Greg, great seeing you as well. Good seeing you again.

All right, Colin, thanks. You bet. It's just like when Max Crosby was on last hour, when the ridders drafted him. They said, dude, you got to get in the wait room. These guys are not finished products when they get to the NFL. Like it's, Aaron Rogers talks with his arms. I saw him play at Cal. I saw a game against U.S. He had a nice arm, but he used to have a kind of a rigid style. And then Aaron's gotten much looser. He's gotten more confidence. He throws off his back foot like more. He's got a stronger arm. Burrough's arm is stronger today than it was last year. And maybe in rehab, he did a little more upper body stuff.

Who knows? But it's pretty evident. That throws a great example. 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 Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care which I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way,

this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes

of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast. It's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So if you've ever supported me

or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to The Clifford show on the 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. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tap little Kim's boobs at the VMAs?

Or when Kanye They 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 camp? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam Jett. 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 all day, but just so you all know. I mean, at this point, this is the second episode where we've discussed, 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. 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. Saturday at the NFC Divisional Playoff presented by Intuit TurboTax Live is on Fox as Jimmy Garoppolo and the Niners had to Lambo to take on Aaron Rogers and the Packers.

It all starts at 730 Eastern 430 Pacific, only on Fox in the Fox Sports app. Terry Bradshaw still has plenty of cash left, so Fox Bet Super 6 is bringing back Stack the Cash to give away even more of his money, scan the QR code, download the Super 6 app and enter the divisional round contest featuring Niners Packers for a free chance at the growing jackpot. Then invite your friends because the more people who enter, the bigger the jackpot gets. There's a lot of cash right there. I could just, right now if I wanted to, I could grab it and hit the road and never see

me again. Go retire. In a small hotel and El Paso and just have a good time and go to the Sun Bowl and you never see me again. It's easily happen at any point. Have you been to El Paso? Three times. Twice.

I've been in two Sun Bowl. It's great. They treat you like gold. They just treat you like gold. Great, great food. I've been there once to see my sister. She was stationed there. You go out to eat?

I went to a really cute bar. I can't remember the name of it. And we went to a minor league baseball game, which is always a good time. I love minor league baseball games. I'm a big fan of that. Food, good hang, very intimate. I used to work in minor league baseball.

Yeah, it's super fun. Very fun. Don't remember a lot of it. It was Vegas. What minor league baseball teams do a good job of is really incorporating the community in it. Yes, yes. Because it's a smaller place. It's great.

The team is very accessible. So it was a good time. A joy with the news. No, no, no, no, no. Turn on the news. This is the herd line news. Well, Jim Harbaugh is rumored to be in the mix for the head coaching jobs this NFL off season.

He's coming off his best year at Michigan and could have some options this offseason. And according to Bruce Feldman, multiple sources have told the athletic that Harbaugh would take the Raiders' job if it was offered to him. I think at this point, this is kind of a leveralibular. coverage play for Jim Harbaugh? I think it's a 60-40 lean Michigan. Yes. I think I could believe that if the Raider's job was offered to him, that he might take it. But here's the thing. What is Harbaugh's motivation at this point in his career?

Because he can probably jump to the NFL at any point that he wants to. I think he's got the Pete Carroll thing. He got fired in the NFL, had some success in the NFL, got fired, did really well in college, but he wants to prove no. Did he do the NFL? again? To me, I'm like, well, you got to a Super Bowl. I have no doubt in my mind that Jim Harbaugh is better than, would be better than half the coaches the minute he stepped in. Well, I also don't think that he failed in the NFL either. I don't either. I think he was a-look at his career in the NFL as a

failure. So, I mean, just because you move on from a place, it doesn't necessarily mean that it was a failure. He was 44-19 and won in his four seasons with the Niners. That is a success. Yeah. He also, he is in a, and it usually takes, you have to get, as a successful person, and you usually have to do this in your late 40s or 50s, you get to a place in your life where you can keep your great job or go get another great job. So Harbaugh at this point can be super picky. There's no reason.

Well, that's what I'm saying. So if it's not the Raiders job, does he really want to leave Michigan? I would say no. But he could fight for all the money he deserves at Michigan. Yeah, I mean, the Raiders, only downside is it's a little bit of a quirky ownership situation. Sure. And the division's brutal. It's a tough division.

The division is tough. The other, it's not the most functional situation. We don't give the Raiders enough credit for how it's functional. They've been year after year after year. They've been very Cleveland. Yeah. I mean, they are. They have a great brand.

That's why we don't talk about them that way. Yeah. The Raiders have a bigger brand than the Browns. They do. Yeah. They have a bigger imprint. It's a unique kind of rebel brand. Yes.

He's 61 and 24 at Michigan. So I could see. I believe he'll end up staying at Michigan and just getting more money, which he obviously deserves. You ask him to take a pay cut and he's successful, so now he got to pay him. That's how it works. But Rich Basatia is interesting because he's seven and five as an interim head coach. He's been the special teams coordinator for the Raiders since 2018. So he's been in the building for a while.

Yeah, and Harbaugh was a special teams coach. He's become a very prominent coach. Yeah, I don't, the special teams coach thing doesn't bother me. You get great coordinators. And as a special teams coach, you have to work with both sides anyway. So you're kind of in a unique position where. if you really bring on good coordinators, you can be more of the management type and not have to lean towards one side or the other. You do have the quarterback in place. He's been coaching in the NFL

since 2002. He's on the Bucks coaching staff from 2002 to 2010. He's been with the Chargers and the Cowboys. So, you know, he's been around as a coach. I think he did an excellent job this year considering all of the dysfunction that went on. The Raiders had a wild roller coaster season with everything. And it seems like the players really enjoy having in there. And as we talked to Max Crosby earlier and Derek Carr obviously wants them there, they're going to have to do their due diligence to interview everybody. But I think that Rich Missachi has earned the job there. So Mike McCarthy has been taking a lot of heat for that final play call against the Niners last weekend. But he continues to defend it as the right call.

The only thing that we talked about, Dac and I was, you know, put a yard limit on it, you know, cut it to 10 yards. I mean, that's probably going to be the change adjustment to we make. We had great confidence in that situation, you know, because we were just trying to get inside the 30-yard line for the change of the play call for the final play. So that's the right call based on our preparation. It's a 13-second threshold is the call. So at 14 seconds, it's, in my view, the right call. I try not to pile on people, but I do think the situation and the circumstances that surround your loss, the team that you have, the expectations that you have, real or imagined, should factor into how we evaluate your loss.

Eagles, excellent season. I mean, first year, Nick Siriani, huge steps for Jalen Hertz, established an identity. I'm not banging on you for that loss. not even the Cardinals, who we had higher expectations for this year, certainly not the Raiders. Steelers, okay, no one expected them to win that game. They're 12 and a half point underdogs. You lose this game in the way in which you lost it. You shouldn't have even been in it. You have an opportunity at the end because of Jimmy Garoppolo's mistakes to at least have an attempt to win the game. This was the wrong call. And on top of it being the wrong call, you lost on this call.

clearly wasn't the right to call. Like whether it's like, oh, like, yeah, you can lose that way. Like, can you? Because you have an opportunity and you blew it on one play. Everyone knows you could have had multiple plays if you had thrown it, right? Yes. So to say the threshold is 13 seconds and there's 14 seconds left on the clock, that's a no-brainer.

This is the wrong decision. But if you get up there and constantly defend this clear, bad decision, it starts to confuse me about, do you actually understand that this was the wrong decision? Like football, situationally, this was the wrong decision. But you keep doubling and tripling down on defending this. Just come out and say, hey, we made a mistake. At least that I can respect.

But you're doubling and tripling down on a terrible call. You did not have a timeout. You blew the game. It was not the refs fault. It was not DAC, not sliding. This was not the right call. You cannot call a quarterback draw of the middle of the field with no timeouts left at the end of the game.

in the playoffs. It's just not good. But how do you come out and continuously defend it? That's what makes me question. It's like, now I'm starting to think you think this was the right call. Well, also, I think he lacked self-awareness. I mean, when he did, I mean, he was clearly irritating for years, Aaron Rogers. He just didn't get how bad it was.

Right. He clearly, with the analytics and the McCarthy Project in his basement, it was very hokey. He then lies that he watched every play and then admits that at the podium later that I lie to Jerry Jones. And now he's doubling down on this. I often criticize athletes because they kind of lack self-awareness at times, but they're 27. You got a mid-50-year-old coach who I got multiple moments in his career now that I question if he has the self-awareness to, I would never admit publicly that I lied to the guy who owns my team. Right. I would never take that public. I don't think that he's a bad guy. It's just we all know people who cannot admit that they're wrong.

And it's like, I don't know. Are you not admitting you're wrong because of pride? Or you fundamentally not understand that you're wrong? Because those are two different things. And the latter is very scary. So Russell Westbrook had another bad game in the Lakers. Benched. 11-104 lost to the Pacers last night.

Finished with 14 points, 5 of 17. And was, as you mentioned, bench pulled from the lineup for the final four minutes. And after the game, Frank Vogel was asked about his decision to take Westbrook out. Frank, you opted to go with Russ on the bench at the end of the game. What were you looking for there? What was the thinking behind that choice? Yeah, playing the guys, I thought we're going to win the game. Boom.

Yeah. Well, that's important because Russell can't shoot, been in a slump, and they were trailing the Pacers. You needed buckets. Here's what's concerning me about the Lakers, because I know fans are getting a little disgruntled and everyone's trying to pile on Vogel and is it LeBron's lineup? Is it Palinka?

why does Frank Vogel not have the authority to create his own lineup at the end of the game? Why does he have to get it cleared? He needs the green light to bench Westbrook? It's weird. What that tells me is someone in that organization who's above Frank Vogel has too much power. Yeah, you would think. Someone who does not have the student should never be in that situation to make that decision has too much power. Why can't Frank Vogel say this is not the lineup we need at the end of the game?

Can you imagine an NFL? coach having to ask a GM if he can sit a player? Like it's not even a topic. We don't even, that wouldn't be nonsensical. Like that doesn't happen anywhere in the league. Everything else aside, Westbrook's struggling. LeBron wanting him there. No one else wanting him there. And now he's here. A.D. being injured. The lineup, the roster being the oldest roster in the league. You're coming off of winning a championship two years ago. Now you guys are talking about firing the coach. Who is this person that is tell, that he, that has to talk to Frank Vogel about what lineup he can have at the end of the game. And that's not on Frank

Vogel. He should be able to make whatever lineup he wants. He's the coach. He's a championship winning coach. Well, the NBA has always been a players league. But we've gotten to a point now where somebody in the league told me this a couple years ago, they said the NBA coach is the worst great job in America, that you really have no power, that you have to kind of babysit your stars. And I mean, when's the last time? And, you know, NFL coaches, I mean, Bruce Ariens got in trouble this week for hitting a player on top of the head, which he shouldn't do. But NFL coaches, dog cuss stars regularly. Like get into their face and like, come on, let's do better.

When's the last time an NBA coach offered even mild criticism of a top player? Like, you can't. No, but criticism of a top player and having control over your lineup and then being blamed for the failure of the season are two different things. Steve Kerr's not asking anybody what his lineup is at the end of the game. Eric Spolster is not asking anybody what his lineup is. Greg Popovich doesn't need to get a green light to sit someone. You want to blame the coach for the situation, but then this is what you're dealing with. Vogel did not want Westbrook in the trade.

He wanted to keep Caruso and resign him and keep KCP because Frank's a defensive coach. And KCP and Caruso are really good defenders. And by the way, the Caruso situation's weird because LeBron liked him. Right. And so that was always an interest. Well, then who's the one who's building the roster then? Like there's enough blame to go around in the situation. but I think the biggest thing is have realistic expectations for this team.

Like that is the biggest thing to me. Like fans are screaming and hollering about they want this change and that change. Is someone going to come in and magically make this roster five years younger? Is AD going to all of a sudden be healthy? Is Westbrook going to be more efficient? Not good. Joy with the news. Well, that's the news.

And thanks for stopping by. The herd lie new. 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. Mike check. Do you want exclusive insight from the biggest names in the sports game? What's good?

This is national champion and former pro baller Chris Johnson. Let me tell you a little bit about my new series, KJ Live. KJ Live is the only show featuring me going one-on-one with the brightest basketball minds on the planet to get the real. And when I say real, I mean that real. I got legendary Hall of Famers, elite coaches, and the top. basketball insiders bringing you a unique perspective on all things hoops culture that you will not find anywhere else. To make your next move, your best move, and tap in with me on KJ Live, wherever you get your podcast from. 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 game. and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying.

Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music.

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

or the practicality and corporate business sense of the Sith rule of two. Listen to stuff to blow your mind on the iHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. All right, Joy, we announced two weeks ago. We're doing this in waves. the franchises in four of the newest coaches. Mike Riley, who I know well, New Jersey Generals, Kevin Sumlin, well-chronicaled career Houston gamblers.

Todd Haley, he coached the Chiefs for a while. He was also Big Ben and he had some skirmishes as the Pittsburgh OC. And then Bart Andres. So those are the coaches that have already been revealed. So we're revealing two more today, Birmingham and Pittsburgh. All right. Ready? Yes, I am.

Okay. The head coach of the Birmingham Stallions will be Skip Holtz. Twelve bowl appearances, son of Lou Holtz, in 16 years. He had 11 wins over Power 5 programs, notched eight conference or division championships. So had a very successful career, not as prominent as his dad, obviously, but very successful. A lot of bowl wins, a lot of conference championships.

All right, very excited about this one. Head coach of the Pittsburgh Mallors will be Kirby Wilson. Who has been in the NFL. He was with a Patriots in the late 90s. He's been with eight different teams. He's coached from junior college, Pasadena City College. He was a football player, by the way. He was in Canadian Football League.

He was a DB. And so Skip Holt and Kirby Wilson are the two new coaches we're unveiling today. Now, it's 38-man rosters. Camp starts March 21st. game start April 16th, and as I've told you before, I've been wrong twice. I am a believer in spring football, and I'm now a big believer more so because of legalized gambling in America,

because what we're seeing in the NFL, and we saw it in college football this year, is the ratings are going up. Now, the national championship rating is down because people are getting tired of the same two teams, famine, Georgia, and the SEC. But college football and NFL ratings are up, because the gambling matters, because you watch sometimes blowout games for the over,

the under the cover. So football is the right business to be in. Spring football, I believe, is going to work. This is a well-capitalized league, which Fox is an owner of. So I got good vibes for it. And by the way, the slowest time of the year for us can often be in late February and March and early April before the NFL draft. So I am all for content.

I'm not going to lie to you. I am dying for content there. No, I'm looking forward to it. COVID was obviously a big issue for the spring leagues in 2020 and last year. So we've all figured out how to manage our way through that. So I'm looking forward to these. Speaking of football, Mike Tomlin yesterday was talking a lot about the quarterback situation for him. So they got Mason Rudolph. Nobody wants to hear that.

Duane Haskins, I still contend, is I'd still like to see him in a stable organization, Washington's not. So the bottom line, if you're a little flighty as a personality, like Baker Mayfield could have been more successful. If you gave him a more, I really believe this. Baker needed to have a very stable organization because at times he can be a little juvenile. So I think, you know, like Jay Cutler, if you put him in a stable organization, but he went to the bears and they went to the dolphins and those are always kind of dysfunctional.

And he has the kind of personality. he needs guidelines and walls and borders and certain personalities to do. Dwayne Askins was just really immature. So how do you overcome that? You have a very stable organization. Washington's not. It's a mess. So it was just a bad place for him.

That doesn't mean he's going to be a success, but he's a big kid. He's got a nice arm. He can move enough. There's a lot of things. Urban Meyer told me one time he was the most talented high school quarterback. He had recruited and landed. I mean, there's stuff. there. But, you know, Tomlin, I would like to see Dwayne Haskins, at least preseason camp.

Let's roll with it. As Joy said, if you don't make the playoffs, it'll be the first time in a while. But Mike Tomlin yesterday talking about quarterback. Right now, you know, all options are on the table. We have to improve our football team. There's two major ways that you do it. You do it through a free agency and you do it through the draft. We have to look at what's available to us potentially in free agency, positionally. And then we kind of bring those two discussions together. Quarterback mobility is valued. Not only by me, but everyone.

It's just a component of today's game, and increasingly so. Well, there are five NFL teams. Nobody knows what the Giants are going to do with Daniel Jones, but there's five NFL teams that have a help-wanted sign at quarterback. The Steelers, the Washington football team, the Denver Broncos, the Carolina Panthers, and regardless of Taysam Hills contract, the Saints. okay, there's a help wanted sign there.

I think Pittsburgh, for a lot of reasons, is the best landing spot. Stable ownership, draft well, a ton of young offensive pieces. Chase Clay Pools, excellent. The tight end from Penn State to star. Naji Harris is good. O-line's a little rebuild. My only concern with the Steelers, because I think this is a really great opportunity. My only concern with Emmys, Tomlin doesn't have a great feel for offense, in my opinion.

I don't like a lot of his offensive coordinator hires through the years. Don't like Pete Carroll's either. Didn't love Vic Fangio's. Don't always love Mike Zimmer's. It's like my thing with defensive coaches that don't quite have the feel I want. The second thing is I do worry a little bit that Tomlin runs a little looser situation. Chase Claypool and Juju Smith-Schuster to me need to grow up like fast. Am I walking into that if I'm a Russell Wilson?

Like I've got to do a little babysitting with some of my players. I worry a little bit about that, not a ton because what I really want is talent and wide receivers have always been kind of their own guys, their own personalities. But I think Pittsburgh's a really good space here. I think it's for a veteran like Aaron or Russell or for a young person, I get stability. I got a Super Bowl winning coach. By the way, I got a legitimate defense, so I don't have to win shootouts. I can win a lot of 2420s here. I do not have to win shootouts.

I've got weapons. The O line is in rebuild, but they drafted two kids, both started. It's not terrible. It's not great. And this is a good year. Offensive linemen, especially Interior O. lineman, it's a good year in the draft. Hour 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 Smigel 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 you here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it.

with our friends, fellow comedians, and favorite authors. Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s. 84 was a wild year. It was a wild year. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is 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, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfills of conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated.

So let's get to it. Listen to The Clifford Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok podcast network on TikTok. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth.

Listen to Superhuman on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.