The Herd with Colin Cowherd - HOUR 2 - Herd Hierarchy, Chargers, QBs, Rodgers

Episode Date: November 9, 2021

Colin's new Herd HierarchyThe Chargers season so farColin discusses some of the young starting QBsMore on the comments made by Aaron RodgersGuest: Justin Herbert Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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

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

Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the 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 Tontons and Wampas on the ice planet hot, or the practicality and corporate business sense of the Sith ruling. of two.

Listen to Stuff to Blow Your Mind 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 Jay. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a year, unpack what went down,

and try to make sense of how we survived it. With our friends, fellow comedians, and favorite authors. Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s. 84 was a wild year. It was a wild year. I don't think there's a more important year for black. people. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your

podcasts. Thanks for listening to The Heard podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday from 12 to 3 Eastern, 9 to noon Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and FS1. Find your local station for the herd at Fox Sports Radio.com or stream us live every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching Heard. You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. Ah, live in Los Angeles.

Angeles, hour number two, it's the hurt. Wherever you may be, however you may be listening. Iheart Radio, Fox Sports Radio, FS1. Congratulations to the Chicago Bears. You have found your franchise quarterback. I thought Brock Heward put it perfectly. You can just see, he's getting there. And by the way, that's how it works with young people.

My son, he's trying to get his license, right? getting his license. So you watch him in the car and you watch him. And then the third time he goes drive it, in the fourth time and the fifth time. It's a little more confident. It's a little more, a little less anxious. That's about fifth time in the car,

the sixth time in the car, or the seventh time in the car. You're like, oh, that's the way it works with young people. Yeah, it would have been nice if he was, you know, named the starter from the moment he reached training camp and had those extra first team reps and all that stuff. Oh, that fails petty. Andy Dalton.

QB1. Well, this is a weird time in the NFL. So this blazing, This herd hierarchy is funny because many of the best teams. Cowboys were awful. Buffalo was awful. Well, do I think they're awful? So I try to kind of contextualize everything.

Let's just take, what do I believe today are the best teams? They may have not had the best weekend. And in some instances, I do think it's got a little staying power. But here we go, our herd hierarchy. Heard hierarchy. Time is now. Let's go. The top 10 NFL teams.

According to college. Number 10. Well, put the Cleveland Browns in because they have the number two rushing offense. They run the ball, guard, center guard as well as anybody. They control the clock, and their defense has held opponents under 20 in three straight games. This is a real football team. I don't know if they're a Super Bowl team, but I usually think there are seven or eight teams that are in the Super Bowl bubble. I would put Cleveland just on the outside of that.

But I like the coach. I like the O line. I think there's an argument to be made that OBJ. disappearing is better for Baker Mayfield. Listen, they scored over 40 points and only completed 14 passes. This is a potentially time of possession eating, clock eating offense that can keep really good quarterbacks on the sidelines. So I do believe they're a top 10 team.

Number nine. But they're not as explosive offensively. I don't believe is the Buffalo Bills. Yes, they got beat by the Jags. but they outgained more first downs, and this is the concern with them, and this is why I've dropped them. They're out gaining everybody, but their offense is a little hit and miss, because unlike Cleveland, I don't love their offensive line, but they still have the number one scoring defense. They still have the best turnover differential. They play fast. They force you into mistakes.

They can beat you over the top. Now, by the way, they get to go face the jets. They'll probably get healthy, but I am concerned with some of their offensive line and offensive inconsistency bills at 9. Number 8. Steelers right now are good at what they do. I know what I get with Pittsburgh, very good defensively. And they did beat Buffalo, and for a week I'm going to put them ahead of Buffalo, and they beat Cleveland, so I'll put ahead of Cleveland.

But they have the lowest scoring offense of any team of the winning record, and they can only win one way. Okay? But it is their four straight win. they are excellent defensively. Because they hit on their first four draft picks, they got a home run at running back, tight end, and two really good B to B plus players on the O line.

They are better offensively, and those young players are getting better at the halfway point. So the offense still feels prehistoric to me, but it's got a little bit of a life with a great coach and a great defense. Steelers 8. Number seven. But I like the Ravens because I think they're more explosive offensively. And by the way, can we put the Lamar Jackson can't play from behind to bed officially?

That's their fourth win this season, trailing entering the fourth, and they've won. They're almost getting better at that than they are leading. They're number two in total offense. They're wildly explosive. Their special teams had a bad weekend. And they had a bad weekend against Cincinnati, so they are a little inconsistent. But Lamar is super productive. They can be very explosive.

They can score over the top. They get offense in chunks. They can beat you in more than one way, which I don't think Pittsburgh can. So Raven's at 7. Number six. Dallas Cowboys. Listen, they just didn't show up. Like, I still think they're in my Super Bowl bubble. I think they're a really good team. Dak Prescott had his worst game as a pro. The Cowboys got pushed around the field. I don't think that's going to happen again. I think they're going to go out and wallop Atlanta.

But I will say this, and this is why I lowered him a few spots. Trayvon Diggs is a risk-taking corner, and he's a magnificent talent. But when you watch that Denver game, Denver coaches were telling you, That's a liability. So is that a little bit of a blueprint to that Trayvon Diggs guy? He may get picks, but go after him. He's kind of out there freewheeling. I want to watch going forward how teams attack Trayvon Dix.

Because Denver went right at him. Their tape said he'll bite on stuff. He'll go for the pick. He's fallen in love with picks. But I think there's still a Super Bowl bubble team. Number five. The Rams. Now twice this year at home, they've looked awful.

but they're still great in all the right spots. They're great on the defensive line. They're great at corner. They're excellent at wide receiver. They're excellent at quarterback. They're excellent at head coach. Their offensive line got blown up by the Titans, and they've done it a few times. They did that a little bit to Buffalo, too, and to other teams.

So where you need to be great in this league right now is coach and quarterback and D-line. Do you protect your quarterback? Are you good at corner? Do you have a star receiver? The Rams are good at all that. but it is a little concerning that I've seen them twice at home this year get pushed all over the field. Number four. The Packers, let's not go crazy.

Aaron Rogers is coming back. I'll be honest with you. Their defense is pretty darn good considering their Jair Alexander's arguably the best corner in the game, and he hasn't been around. Stokes, the rookie corner, he got hurt. Zedaria Smith, the linebacker. They're doing it without three or four of their best defensive players. So I think we got to take a deep breath on.

Green Bay. I think they come back. I think they match up great with Seattle. I think one of their strengths is Seattle's weaknesses. I do not trust Seattle's secondary at all. I think Matt LaFleur and Aaron Rogers are on the phone or Zoom meetings. They know exactly what they're doing here. Let's not, this is not Jordan Love's team. So let's not pretend it is. It won't be by Sunday. Number three. The Buccaneers. It's still the number one scoring offense. It's the number one passing offense. They're now getting A, B, and Gronk back. We have seen this with Tom Brady. The Saints defense is his kryptonite. He has struggled now three times against that defense.

They are still now co-favorants to win. What I like about them, I think they are capable like Buffalo. They can go over the top. They can grind it. They can run the football. They can make your quarterback uncomfortable. If you have your quarterback is usually comfortable and you can make the other quarterback uncomfortable, that's Buffalo.

You can win a lot of games in this league. And I still think Tampa's fantastic. Number two. But I think we have to respect the Tennessee Titans. Since they lost to the Jets in overtime, they've won five straight. They're six and oh against teams that made the playoffs. They have a physical presence with or without Derek Henry that is, you can tangible. You can see it.

Now, they're allowing more yards per play than they're gaining this season. And not that it's smoke and mirrors. They do not have a big over-the-top component to their offense. They're a little bit like Pittsburgh, but I don't think they have one way to win, but they're a little limited over the top. And so I'll put them at two because I think, and by the way, this may not be the, this may not be true in three weeks. Right now, physically, I think they're the second, and I think Mike Brable is underrated.

Right now today, second best team in the league. Number one. But Arizona's got an eight and one record, five and O on the road. They just crushed a team with a backup quarterback. So now we know they have depth. They're not healthy. they are as explosive as anybody in the league. They also go after and get your quarterback.

I've seen them push around the Niners, push around the Rams. Folks, when you're 5 and O in the road and you've won all of them by 12 points or more, you're blowing people out regularly. When your backup quarterback can come in, on the road in the division game and complete 82% of his throws, what I love about Arizona more than anything is a couple years ago they had a coach and a quarterback, and they put them in and they realized immediately. It's not working.

They moved off both. They've taken huge gambles. James Connor was a great get. I just, I like everything about their aggressiveness. And I have them number one in the league. Now, I don't have the chargers in it.

I have them 11. 11's a good place to be. If you can't be number one in America, 11 still is a good life. So I have the chargers. I want to see one more week. I'll tell you this, that Roshan Slater, their left tackle. I saw some grading on him last night in the interweb.

Like, he's becoming the best left tackle in football. Yeah. What was that? Alex told me this morning, and I forget there was a stat. He is surrendered one pressure or less, one pressure or less in five of eight games. Okay, left tackle faces their best edge rusher. So once a game, he gives up a pressure. Wow.

that's he's really good uh Justin Herbert's gonna be on the show today I know you'd think I would have just put him in the in the lineup but I have to be honest about this stuff I have him 11 well we are America's honesty brokers now now they did beat cleveland at 10 but you know I didn't love the officiating in that game I didn't love that call I didn't love it and I said I felt con of Cleveland had it and it was a bad call this now people always rip the officiating and it's so tedious. I love you, fans. I'm so over-officiating.

But there are moments last night was a poorly officiated game. Yes. And it makes it worse when the home team seems to get all the calls. And so I thought last night was a game. These crews, they do get graded,

and that crew will get downgraded. Like, they will not be on a standalone TV game next week. Like, that was a crew that made multiple mistakes. Not every call went against Chicago, but the first three quarters, it was a poorly officiated. game. And we've seen there's been two or three of those this year where you're like, okay, this crew, I want you to know, they may not get suspended, but they are graded,

and you will be taking off big games. Those guys will be doing Jags games for the next month and a half, because that was not a good crew last night. One more herd? The herd streams 24 hours a day, seven days a week within the IHeart radio app. Search Herd to listen live or on demand whenever you'd like. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential.

Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win 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.

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 podcast. 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 with Little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam Jay. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill, waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 is big to me. Not just because of crack.

I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so y'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 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. Saturday, Big 12 contenders square off in the Big Noon Saturday game of the week. As 8th ranked Oklahoma

faces off with number 12 Baylor. It all starts with the Big Noon kickoff crew live from Waco at 10 a.m. Eastern, all part of Big Noon Saturday on Fox in the Fox Sports app. I'm reminded of a saying

with Aaron Rogers. You can't spend your entire life being a lone wolf and then surprised in crisis when you don't have a pack. That's been Aaron's whole career.

The lone wolf. Drew Bree's got in trouble. Big pack of friends behind it. Aaron does? Where'd all his pretend friends go? Spend a life being the lone wolf. Switch to get. Joy with the news. No, no, no, no.

Turn on the news. This is the herd line news. Well, sticking with Aaron Rogers, according to a source close to him, was reported by people.com. People.com. Rogers is not pleased with the response to his effort to explain himself. He reportedly, quote, feels like he just shared his point of view, and now he's being crucified for it.

He also knew some people would disagree with him, but he didn't know it would become the bleep storm it became. People he thought were his friends are turning on him. it's still unclear whether he will be suspended or just fined for violations. Most reporters are saying it would be unprecedented for him to be suspended. So he'll just be fined for what people are saying are speaking at the dais without a mask? Well, also the NFL has the right to investigate the cameras inside of the facility. So if he was given or took his own liberties with the protocols when he was not just giving the press conference,

the NFL could potentially find the Packers. as well as him for those protocol violations. So according to the NFL protocols, because he did test positive and is unvaccinated, the earliest he can return to Packers' headquarters is Saturday. And that's when the 10-day quarantine expires. So as long as he's no longer infected and he doesn't have any symptoms. I have a question.

If you're Green Bay, would you cancel Friday practice and say, okay, Aaron can come back Saturday. Let's do a 90-minute practice with Aaron. So he gets a practice. I mean, we know he's doing all the film work. That's not a question. So can we get Aaron, look, if I can come back Saturday, I almost do it too a day. I do a Saturday morning with the receivers, Saturday afternoon with just the offense.

Yeah, or a walkthrough of some sort. Because we know he's going to be mentally prepared. Yeah. But it's the timing and, you know, we also know he's getting this week's game plan right now at home. Yeah. So I don't worry about that. But I do think there's something to be said about, let's go through this a few times. I mean, even though he's great and he has kind of a freewheeling style, as Patrick Mahom shows you,

you can lose your way real quick in this league. Right. And I mean, I don't doubt that if he comes back, if he doesn't have any symptoms, that he'll be, you know, back to form. And he's going to come with a bit of a chip on his shoulder, you know, trying to quiet this. By the way, it's not like Russell Wilson's been practicing a lot

the last three weeks. Right. No, it's not the worst situation. I mean, it is the Seahawks and they are still a good team. But Matt LaFlor said he's going to start if he knows if he's available, so which he should. there are currently four point favorites the Packers are over Seattle, according to Fox Bet. By the way, there's this picture

like floating around on the internet of people claiming that it's Aaron Rogers here in L.A. getting coffee. It's not him. So stop sharing that. I didn't see that. I saw it this morning. Because I have a degree in broadcast journalism from private university,

I do take the time actually to get real news and facts before I start blurting them all over the place. You know, it's just a hazard of my education. So I waited to see if that was true, which it's not. It's just some guy that resembles Aaron Rogers. Well, Aaron has kind of an L.A. Malibu look. It would be absolutely, it would be madness if he was breaking protocols right now in L.A. getting a coffee. Madness. So he's not. He's quarantining right now. He is not in L.A. getting a coffee and walking around.

He had a mask on this guy. So it's not Aaron Rogers. that was a false report. But the crucified thing is a bit much for me. I mean, first he's a civil rights leader and now he's Jesus. All right. Let me just tone it down on the victimhood a little bit, just to dial. So in the fourth quarter of last night's game, Cassius Marsh, Cassius Marsh, was flagged for a taunting following a Ben Rothesberger sack. And he was not happy with what followed.

It's pretty clear to everybody who saw it. that I wasn't taunting. It's just sad to see stuff like that happening a close game like that. On my way to the sideline, I got hip checked by the ref, and it's pretty clear. If I were to do that to a ref or even touch the ref,

you know, we get kicked out of the game and possibly suspended and fined. So I just think that that was incredibly inappropriate. This is the unfortunate outcome of having a rule like this in place. You and I both were not particularly, we're showing the video of it now. We weren't particularly upset when they announced the rule at the beginning of the season. I didn't think that it would get this out of hand.

But here's the problem. Most of the calls have been like, okay, you know that's the rule and you got to be a little more careful of it. I disagree with the rule, but it is the rule. But this is the liability of having a rule this subjective in place. First of all, it's very punitive. It is actually affecting the outcomes of games. It's punitive, yes. And there's no reason why you should be calling a call like this,

but because it is such a subjective call, it's completely based off of what mood the reps are in, what the rest's life experiences are. Why did he go over to the Steelers side? Like, why did he do that? He was nowhere near that sideline, nowhere near it. The purpose of this call is to avoid fights, right? We want to avoid situations like what happened with Miles Garrett.

I don't like this walking over to this. It's funny. It's complete nonsense. Look at this. I wanted the Steelers to win this game. Come on. What is that? The only reason he even looks like anything is because they're coming on to the field.

He's not going to cause a fight. And then that right there is really, really the problem. Well, I didn't like it. The ref got in his way, bumped into him and then made a spectacle of throwing this flag. Yeah. The reason I don't like the ref throwing the flag there. Because, by the way, and I'll say this, having worn a football helmet. So Marsh has got a football helmet on.

Your peripheral vision isn't great. He's active and he's moving. And all of a sudden there's like a little ref next to him. And the ref can see him better. And the ref's not really looking initially. Can we just say that? The ref throws his body into him. Well, I think it's just a bump.

I think people. But if a player did that to a ref, to Marcia's point, he would be thrown out of the game and fine. Well, he should be. Right. So what's going to happen to this ref? It has to go both ways. Yes. I do think if a ref, listen, it's both bad.

But I do think a professional athlete going to, after an official. We have a history there. That's the ultimate no-no, because then you're sending the message to the fans. But that's not what happened there. This is my problem with the rule. You either have to have a, and listen, there's subjective calls all throughout all of sports. There are. But when it comes

to regulating emotion in sports, these men are putting their bodies and souls on the line. I'm not being dramatic here. You're literally putting your body, your ability to walk on the line, and you're going to make a big play, and then

going to because you referee are in your feelings or whatever your experiences based off of what you're looking at his celebration, then you determine and make a call that can affect the outcome of games. It's awful. It has to be removed. Like, forget the fact that of the- By the way, Mike Tomlin loves it. Why wouldn't he in this situation? I want the Steelers to win too, but this is the problem. And if this affects a playoff game, it's going to be anarchy. Fans hate it, and it's really just, it's nonsense. It has to be. be removed. So according to Shams Ronia of the athletic, Ben Simmons and the Sixers

are now budding heads on how Simmons is communicating with his mental health progress to the team. He said the 76ers feel like they should be given more details about Simmons' treatment plans, process, and return time frame. Team officials say they have sought a good faith effort from Simmons to help understand his return to action

process. Not the specifics of his mental health guidance, but they claim that that has not happened. Simmons meanwhile is not obligate to share the details of his work. Well, is it going to work or not? Is he going to, because the Celtics are terrible defensively.

Simmons is very good defensively. The Celtics are not good right now. And so, I mean, Boston's not a championship team right now. And so Philadelphia, I think, is closer to it. So I'd be fascinated to see if you could give me, what would I get? The name has come up as Jalen Brown. Oh, God, I love that for Philadelphia. Yeah.

I love that. I get Embed, Andre Drummond, a curry, Tobias Harris, and Jalen Brown. You can win the east with that. According to Sharana, any deal for Simmons would have to include Brown. So they are still working on things. And this is why the Sixers were finding him again. Because if you are saying that you are dealing with mental health issues, which is the same as dealing with a physical issue,

then you have to keep some communication with the team about what you're actually doing. You can't just be like, well, I'm doing with mental health. And I'm not going to talk to you about what I'm doing. Like you have to report back to the team. Not what your actual treatments are, but what and how your treatments are progressing. and, you know, communication. Otherwise, you're not there.

You're not at work. Right. So, again, this is still an ongoing situation. Wow. The Celtics is now the points of conversation for the straight. Embed, Andre Drummond, Seth Curry, Tobias Harris, that is a good team. And you're removing a massive conversation piece around your team.

It's not like Jalen Brown doesn't play defense. No, I think Jalen Brown's a great player. I think it would be great move for them. And clearly that's what they want. And Moria said he'll wait until he gets the deal he wants. Man, I like that. That is something. Woo!

Joy with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Hurd-Lie News. So the rest of America, you're all sitting there watching Packers, Kansas City, snooze fest. You know what I was watching? Eagles Chargers.

That game was great. That was fantastic. You guys are all watching the headlines. I'm digging into the sports page. Page 4 watching the better game and the quarterback for the Chargers. Justin Herbert, second year in the NFL is now joining us live. That was fun. You know what I was thinking about this?

You know what was fun about that game? So I was listening to Jim Harbaugh talk about this the other day. I thought it was really funny. He said, you know, when you go on the road and the fans are cheering and you're on the road, he goes, I always just tried to think, oh, they're cheering for me too. they love football and I love football. I'm watching that game in Philadelphia. Those fans are abusive and they're loud and you're playing as good as you've played.

So I want you to take me in our audience, Justin, into being on the road, northeast town, angry fans. You're playing, is there part of it that you're like, I like playing on the road in this environment? Is there part of that there? It's kind of fun. First of all, it's great to be here and talk with you. But I think that's one of the best parts about playing on the road is you get, these fans that are so loyal to their team. And as you're riding in on the bus, you see them.

And they're making eye contact with you. And you're just trying your best to just not give them a response. But it's a lot of fun to play on the road. Now, you were not sacked, I think, for the first time in your career. So you had time to throw. And, you know, I say this all the time, is that Tom Brady with pressure isn't the same. And for you, what is it the difference between 2.4 seconds and 3.1? like I just felt you were so comfortable in that game.

And how much, did you sense in that game, how much extra time do you need to feel just a little more comfortable? Yeah, that's a great question. I think we move the ball so well because of the guys up front blocking. And we had such a great protection plan going into the game. And we knew that, you know, they've got a really impressive front seven. And we're going to have to do our best to kind of keep those guys away from disrupting the passer. And I think it also helps having the receivers that we have.

When they get open, they make my job so much easier. So when you get that combination of the line protecting and blocking and guys getting open, I think it makes our offense super powerful. So I watched Justin Fields last night with a late drive. I thought he was fantastic. He felt very composed. You can watch the body language of a quarterback. And I thought Justin looked very confident last night.

Your last drive. I really watched your feet. And I'm like, oh, God, you're feeling it. You feel confident. So when you go to the sidelines and you know, All right, here's the ball game. Here's the ball game. What is the conversation with your coach?

Or are you talking to your coordinator? Or are you talking to your receivers? Give me that communication for a couple of minutes when you know, all right, guys, ball game in Philadelphia. Here it is. Who are you talking to and what's the conversation like? Yep. So it starts with Shane Day, our quarterback coach, and Chase Daniel and Easton Stick, the two other quarterbacks. They're all together.

And we meet on the sideline and we talk about the situation. It's a four-minute drill. This is what we're going to do. Follow the ball, protect the ball, secure it. stay in bounds and try and drain the clock. And then you go out to the huddle and you start talking to your guys and you tell them the situation and say, hey, this is what we got to do. We've got this great opportunity. Let's go do it.

And you look into their eyes and you see that they're confident and they believe in each other. I think when all of that stuff happens, I think you're setting yourself up for a good shot. Not only have you been outstanding in year two. Rishon Slater, your left tackle, I mean, listen, we all knew he was good. When did you first know? Because, I mean, I swear to God, he literally, looks like a 12-year pro-bowl veteran. Did you know instantly this kid?

To me, he's really serious, but at the same time, he's not rigid. Like he gets his job. There's a coolness about his personality. Like, did you know when you first met in first practice that he would be this good? He's been awesome. We knew really early on how special he was. And it was kind of unfortunate that we didn't really have spring practices. We kind of had these walkthroughs.

and you did your best to kind of make up for the speed of the game, but he picked up the offense so quickly, and he looked comfortable out there. And as soon as we got to fall camp practices, you could tell how quick he was and how he was able to pick up the offense. And he goes against Joey Bosa's and Chenna Nuos, and these guys that are the real deal. And so he's had plenty of reps to go against those guys.

And all year he's been solid, and he's only getting better. So I think it's a great shot for him. So we move into November, year two of your career. We move into November. It gets a little cooler. It gets, it's colder out. There's more wind. This is different football than September, you know, week after Labor Day football.

Take me into sort of, and by the way, now you're going to deal with a few more injuries. Now everybody's got a book on your offense. Take me to November football compared to September for you. And did it feel different last year? And are you starting to feel it's a little different this year? It's all about getting better. And I think that's the most important part of, of the NFL and the game in general.

And as long as you keep getting better and you keep moving forward, you're going to prepare yourself for November, December, and hopefully January and February. And, you know, I think we've done a great job of taking care of our bodies and giving those guys breaks up front and allowing them to recover and to be fresh on Sunday. And I think that's a super important part of the game as well. As long as you take care of that, keep getting better,

I think you're setting yourself up very well. Justin, I want Justin Herbert, Sunday Drive, and go back one year to Justin Herbert on a big drive. Where have you improved the most, where you're literally sitting there thinking something's easier? Like, where have you improved the most? I think experience is huge. I think having gone through it and lived through it,

and you look back to last year, and we lose a lot of those games. Those games where we're putting them away. We're turning the ball over, we're putting it away. And I think this year you kind of see a difference, And I think it started with the Washington game. And that was another six-minute drive that we went and drained the clock. And we just believe in those guys.

And I think it's different. We're not the same Chargers team as we were last year. And I think as long as we're getting better and we continue to move forward, I think we can play some really special football. Trager Grills, creator leader in Wood Pellet Grills. Last year, Justin started a tradition. They win. He smokes them up. This week, I'm sure it was great.

I want you to go to Tragergrills.com. Of course you got a grill. You're a Pacific Northwest kid. You had a lot of bonfires and grilling as a kid. I think all that, you know what? What I think of you, Justin, it's interesting. There was almost an advantage for you playing in Oregon and an advantage going to the Chargers because there's so many high-profile quarterbacks right now.

And it's kind of special. Like the Chargers, it feels like you're the best team in the league nobody talks about. Do you ever feel like that? I think very highly of our team. And, you know, like you mentioned, back at Oregon, it was an awesome opportunity for us. And we grew up and I was a big fan of the Chargers as well. And so it kind of worked out well. And, you know, I think we've got such a talented roster.

And as long as we keep putting those pieces in the right place and keep getting better and doing all those things that are important to this team, you know, I think we can play some really good football. But at the same time, you know, we came off of two tough losses and it's all about how you react. It's adversity. And that's the NFL. No game is going to be easy. And we've talked about that so often in our quarterback room about how you react and how you react and how you, come back from those losses. I thought it was great to see on Sunday of us bouncing back from two tough losses. By the way, do you ever watch the other young quarterback? Did you see any Justin

Fields last night? Yeah, I watched that game and, you know, I think he's crazy talented. What he's able to do outside of the pocket, in the pocket, you know, he's been able to step up big time for his team. And, you know, I'm really looking forward to watching his career over the next simple years. Yeah, he is good. Okay, Tragergrills.com, the creator and leader in Wood Pellet Grills. Justin is great to see you. Stay healthy. We love watching your play. and go bolt. Good seeing you. Always a pleasure. Thank you. You bet. Justin Herbert. Yeah, it was a really great game. And I said this. Jalen Hertz was productive too. It was back and forth, a lot of big plays. It's, um, quarterback, it's so hard now. All the stuff I watched my whole life,

not all of it matters now. It's like now, if you're a pocket guy, it's like, well, you got to be, you got to move a little. You can't just be a pocket guy. You got to move a little. And then, then you have players now like six, six jumping over people, and you're like, all right, you should stay more in the pocket. No, no, no, don't stay in the pocket. Well, Lamar can't come from behind. Oh, now he's done it four times this year. Like the rules for quarterback play, it's just, it's, listen, you know, we have five

quarterbacks that came into the first round this year, right? And the rule has always been you get about one a year that hits. I could make an argument. Every single quarterback has looked exactly joy like we predicted. And I'll get to that next. Literally, this year, it's all worked out exactly as, by the way, fans, a lot of fans had these same opinions. We may have all gone five for five. That's coming up.

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. I'm George Reister, host of the Reister or Wrong podcast. This is the intersection where sports. business, society, and pop culture, meet the truth. Absolute fire on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Facts only. Make sure you check your feelings at the door because no BS is allowed. We keep it 100.

This is where real conversations happen. Listen to the Rights or Wrong podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app,

Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win. A win is a win. I don't care 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. 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 with Little Kim? 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 a here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill, waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84's 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 crack So I'm starting to see that there's a through line We also have AIDS on the table right now So Thank you finishing that sentence

I don't think there's a more important year For black people Really? Yeah for me it's one of the most important years For black people in American history Listen to look back at it on the IHeartRadio app Apple Podcasts Or wherever you get your podcasts

It's holiday season, also Tommy John's softness season, get 20% off your first order. Tommyjohn.com slash heard. Tommyjohn.com slash heard. Check it out for details. The, so if you look at the history of the NFL, very rarely do you get two or three star quarterbacks in one draft. It just doesn't ever work. There's the Marino L-Way draft, you know, right?

You get the occasional, but it just doesn't work out that way. You usually have three or four guys taken in the first round. There's one bust. There's one really good quarterback and two, wash out. They're okay. They're not disasters. This appears to be the only time in my life. I've gone five for five, and I think many of you have gone five for five.

So Mack Jones, New England. Lower ceiling, we said he'll probably succeed earliest because he gets a great coordinator, a great O-line, a good running game. They won't ask a ton from him. Good defense, good special teams. He will succeed quickly, but he's always going to have kind of a low ceiling. When you watch him play, that's kind of what you see. Zach Wilson, my prediction was, he's a showoff.

This could be a potential disaster. I think you'll have the fourth best head coach. It's still a bad offensive line. There's too much Johnny Mansell where he doesn't take the easy stuff. It's always got to be about him. And we've heard his coach say as much in two press conferences. That's what we've seen. Trey Lance, talented but not really ready to play.

He's not really playing. Trevor Lawrence, big, tall, fast. You'll see glimpses of great, but it's going to take several years. This is a terrible roster. And I think if you've watched, and you're honest, he's had moments of great. He throws the ball down field. He is special. Team roster bad.

And then Justin Fields. And this is what we thought. Oh, he's super talented. Can he overcome the Bears? And when I watch him play, my takeaway is he's super talented. Can he overcome the Bears? They've been trying to rebuild this offensive line for three years. The Packers once again did it in one year.

The Chargers did it in one offseason. New England did it in about an offseason. Three years. It's still awful. The defense couldn't line up on the right side last night. The sideline, I like Matt Nagy. He got Mitch Trubisky to the playoffs twice, but it feels frenetic on the sidelines.

It's a little bit out of control. But I think all these quarterbacks, by and large, look, this is what we thought and this is what they are. And that may never happen again because I've had years when, you know, you go one for four and you feel great. But I think the low ceiling quarterback, the not ready quarterback, the talented, terrible team quarterback. I think it's all, I think Justin Fields is exactly what I thought I would see. Give him time. Let him play a little bit.

It's going to be ugly. He'll be up and down. But he is so big and he is so strong. He's got to learn to slide. Man, is he got to learn to slide. When his safety can come up and knock a 235-bound quarterback into the bleachers, This is a different league, man. This is not Northwestern.

This is not Purdue. You got a slide. But I think Justin Fields looks like a franchise quarterback. The question now, I have my doubts about the front office. I will give you two years to rebuild a unit. It's been three on the offensive line. It's still bad. Let me segue to the Steelers.

Haven't talked a ton about them. Last two years, I don't buy the Steelers. Haven't bought them. Why? Because it's an offensive league. And they're 28 in the last year and a half in yards per play. Only the Jets and the Dolphins and the Washington football team are in that category. But they do draft well. They do. It's a good organization. And they did something that I'm fond of.

Their first four picks, they said, we're just going to do all offense. They got running back. It's very good. They got a tight end. He's great. They got a center and an offensive tackle, and they're both starting. And because they're young players, they're all getting better every couple of weeks. So their offense is better than last year. It does have a pulse. They went and a really good running back and a star-tied end and two starting offensive linemen. But the number one issue remains, they're a dinosauric quarterback. Forget the succession plan. They can't make a lot of plays at quarterback.

And if you look at the Steelers' last eight wins, one has been by blowout. Their margins are incredibly small. If you look at Tennessee and Arizona and Tampa and the Rams and the Cowboys, they are blowing teams out fairly regularly. They can't do this here. I mean, the last team they blew out was like eight games ago. It was like Jacksonville. So they're just not blowing people out because their margins are thin.

And I still think you can win games like the Steelers. You can win games. Their last 25 games, they're 17 and 8. They can win games. But they don't have the ability to win them a lot of different ways. Baltimore does. Rams do. Cowboys do.

Tampa does. Arizona does. The bottom line with Pittsburgh, it's got to look like last night. It's got to be fairly low scoring. Your field goal kickers got to make some kicks. You know, your offense is going to not average a ton per play. And in fact, if there are 14 wins in the last two years, 14 of the wins in the last two years, they have scored less than 30 points.

So that's nobody's really close in the league at that. So they're winning games, but they all have to look like that. And I just think in the league we have now, the more ways you can win, the more viable you are in December and January. And Pittsburgh's kind of got one way they can win. That's why I say it's impressive. When Green Bay went to Arizona without DeMonte Adams two weeks ago, I was like, whoa, I didn't know Green Bay could win that way.

Green Bay, we thought this was a rebuilding offensive line year for Green Bay. Green Bay ran up and down the field physically on Arizona, a team that's pushed other teams around. So when we saw Green Bay without many top defenders, missing 11 starters, physically, they didn't ask, I mean, Aaron didn't told the ball down the field. Physically, they just lined up, it was screen passes running game. When they beat Arizona that way, you're like, okay, this is a Green Bay team that can beat you that way. Because that's always been the thing about Green Bay, they're pretty.

They're not good in the Octagon. Boy, they're pretty. They're good with a lead. They're not great trailing. Punch them in the mouth. Now Green Bay can win another way. And so that matters. I feel like Pittsburgh kind of feels like a more physical version of the Green Bay.

Here's the way we can win. Only one way. It's going to be close. You can't live like that. This year, Minnesota is in every game. But their margins are so small, they're losing all of them. Now, Pittsburgh, you know, they got more good players than Minnesota. They're winning a lot of these close games, but it's inches.

You can't get you. That catches up to you in this league. All right. Very excited. And I'll say this again, is that in pro sports, people, now everything's politics. Conservatives now are for Aaron Rogers. I mean, a week ago, he was hippie-dippy liberal California guy, and no conservative could stand Aaron Rogers.

Today, every conservative is like, freedom. I'm an Aaron guy from way back when you hated him a week ago. He was California hippie-dippy guy. You know, dating actresses, very left. Now you all love him. So that's the way it works in America, you know, with a vaccine now. Even our vaccines are political. Our vaccines are political.

Our weather's political. Everything's political. So I do think, though, you can solve a crisis in sports generally one way. Go win. And we just, you know, in the end, what's the scoreboard say? And I do think Green Bay, not that it's a perfect opponent, but boy, see. Seattle's issues are Green Bay strengths, and I would not be surprised. I mean, it's not like Russell Wilson's been practicing a lot.

I would not be surprised if Aaron came out Sunday and kind of free-wheeled it, and they were really good. And they beat them, and I think you could quiet a lot of this stuff down. Fans ultimately are loyal to one thing, the W. 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 I-Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get. Get your podcasts.

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

Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your 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 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 podcast. On The Look Back at it podcast. From 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84 was big to me.

I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a year, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. With our friends, fellow comedians, and favorite authors. Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s. 84 was a wild year. It was a wild year.

I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Listen to Look Back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.