The Herd with Colin Cowherd - HOUR 2 - Herd Hierarchy, hot seat

Episode Date: December 7, 2021

The Herd Hierarchy: Colin's new top 10 NFL teamsNFL coaches who are on the hot seatGuest: Chris Harris Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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IHeart Radio, Fox Sports Radio, FS1 in a couple of minutes. The herd hierarchy. Dan, the guy that's going to get some Hall of Fame votes when he retires. Chris Harris, Jr., great corner for the chargers will be joining us, having another great year. Highest-grated corner for the Chargers who came out that really big, Big win over Cincinnati. Really impressive win.

Got a huge lead, fell back, clenched it in the end. So last night was crazy. It is interesting. People are framing this as a disaster for the Buffalo Bills. And I watched the game last night. And I honestly felt when New England got a lead ate nothing. I was like, is that ballgame? I was like, I don't know because you can't kick field goals.

So it's just one of those things is New England got a big pop. early. You're playing from behind in a Nor'easter, and, you know, they just couldn't convert. Listen, Stefan Diggs had a ball hit his arm that 99 out of 100 times he catches and they win that game. But, I mean, literally the ball was left and right. They had a field goal with a kicker that never misses short field goals. And the wind took, so the wind really affected Buffalo on two big plays. Otherwise, they win the game. I didn't think it was a catastrophe. I didn't think it was embarrassing. I thought it was a really good football game, really good teams. I do think, Buffalo's an interesting team.

Last year, Tampa, at the end of the year, started running the football more. Why? Because Brady knows. You get into late game season football. You got to go to Lambo. You got to go to Buffalo, New England. You better be able to run the ball. I worry a little bit about Buffalo.

And it's strange because you think Buffalo would always be built for bad weather. It's almost like they're a little bit finesse. They need to really embrace the run game because it's Buffalo. your last three home games, you can be playing in weather like last night. Yeah, it's funny because they're like, it's really cold. Like, how are they going to play like that? They're at home. Like they play in this weather all the time.

Yeah. But that's how it look. It was an outlier game through the ball three times because you're not going to see that offense again. Yeah, let's not make too much of Buffalo's loss. I think it was a very good win for New England. Yeah. But let's not sell the farm.

I mean, there's a lot of circumstances. I thought the wind clearly hurt Buffalo more than New England. the wind, bad weather always hurts the more skilled team. It can be a great win for New England, and you can have no reason to panic if you're the bills. That's exactly how I feel. Well put. All right, we do it every Tuesday at this time.

I spend way too much time thinking about it. It's called the herd hierarchy. Heard hierarchy. Time is now. Let's go. The top 10 NFL teams, according to college. Number 10. Listen, I'm not taking Buffalo out of my top 10.

They've gotten very mistake-prone, 12 giveaways over the last five games, which is the most in the NFL, and they've lost four of seven games. They've got Tampa Bay coming up, and I think it's really important. But I still like the coach. I love the quarterback. I like their defensive front. I just think in 2021, they're too good not to make the playoffs. There's too many things I like. Last night was incredibly winnable.

I'm not selling my stock on the bills at 10. Number nine. The Rams, though, lead the NFL in yards per play. And that's something that Vegas has always paid attention to. And I thought it was noteworthy that Odell Beckham now has had touchdowns in back-to-back games. We know they have Cooper Cup, but that Sony Michelle rushed for over 100 yards, and Odell Beckham didn't have a ton of targets, but a touchdown, they need him to be a weekly threat.

It can't just be Cooper Cup and cross your fingers on defense, Rams at 9. Number 8. Boy, I'll tell you, the Chargers are a big play offense. We talked about an identity. This is a big play offense. Justin Herbert leads the NFL seven games with 300 plus yards passing. They're a little like Kansas City now. Like they can come back from deficits.

They can blow leads, pull it back. And I swear Justin Herbert throws that football like a javelin. They are a big play offense. And it's also noteworthy. They'd struggled against the run, but their run defense was very good against the Bengals and Joe Mixon. Number seven. Dallas Cowboys. by an inch. Listen, they've been outgained in three straight games, and that worries me.

I do think coming off extra prep, that helps Zeke, and Amari Cooper will be better. They're very good offensively when Amari Cooper and Tyron Smith are healthy. Cross your fingers there. And they're also 7 and 0 when they have over 100 yards rushing. So they've got an identity. Play action, run the football. They've got playmakers everywhere on both sides. I have Dallas 7. Number six. I still love Tennessee. They're going to get Derek Henry back.

They're getting Julio Jones back. They're going to get A.J. Brown back. They're all beat up. I still like their culture, their toughness, their defensive front. They make life uncomfortable. This is a team you will not want to play in the playoffs. You have no it. They can get pressure without blitzing.

When Derek Henry's back, they can make your all pro quarterback, sit in the bench and watch the game. do not sleep on the Titans. And by the way, situationally, they'll go toe to toe with Belichick. Vrable knows his secret sauce. He's not intimidated by Belichick. Number five. Kansas City. Listen, they still have the best third down offense in the NFL.

So situationally, they're still dangerous. And they have held opponents under 20 points in five straight games. Now, their offensive identity is leaking. But I think once they have Chris Jones inside, that's a top. five defense in the league. Chris Jones is unblockable. He's very much Aaron Donald, although Chris now is in his prime. So I worry a little bit about their offensive identity. They don't run the football consistently, but I got a smart coach, a smart quarterback. I got playmakers. They're a little like Dallas. They don't have to play perfect football and can win games. Say what you

want about Kansas City. They're beating the teams they should beat. Number four. The Patriots. I know you want me to have them higher and they have a seven-game winning streak. They have no deep threat. and I think eventually you have to get something a little over the top. And they don't have a ton of what I would call playmakers, and they do have the best coach. I thought if you didn't have the win last night, they would have lost that game. I thought it hurt Buffalo more than New England. But I will say this.

The running game, the Oklahoma rookie running back, Stevenson's excellent with Damien Harris. Their offensive line, I swear, they're like Green Bay. The offensive line's always good. Just move the parts around. It's always good. They play power football. And Mack Jones has been shocked. rockingly efficient.

Number three. Tampa Bay, number one scoring offense, number one passing offense, and their schedule going the rest of the way. They only have one team remaining with a winning record, and that's Buffalo. This is going to be a number one seed. They could be the number one seed in the NFC. You're going to have to go to Tampa and beat Tom Brady off a bye. Good luck with that.

What I really like about this team, though, they're doing the exact same thing this year they did last year. They're getting more physical. They're running it more with Leonard Fernette, and they're going to Gronk. So they're real pretty in September and October. Now as we go into the colder months, and I know Tampa's not cold, but they're becoming the kind of team if they had to go on the road to Green Bay. I got Lenny.

I got Gronk. I got that O-line. Most underrated O-line in football is Tampa Bay. Number two. Arizona. They're 7-0 on the road. When you can go 2-1 without DeAndre Hopkins and Kyler Murray, like what? I think they're the shock of the NFL to me.

I thought they were a fourth-place team. I thought it could go sideways. I didn't know what to make of them. with J.J. Watt and A.J. Green. I didn't know what they were doing. But Kyler Murray is ridiculous. I mean, here's a stat. It's the fifth game with 120 plus passer rating this year. It's insane. He is, I'm not exactly sure how you defend him. If you told me that won the Super Bowl, how do you defend him? I don't know. Because now, unlike his first year, he doesn't make the mistakes. so I get all the efficiency plus all the playmaking.

Number one. I've done this for a month. I think Green Bay is the best team in football. Folks, they don't have their best corner, their best linebacker, their best running back. They lost an all-pro center. They lost a tight end, and they're still beating people. They went to Arizona missing 11 starters and won. Aaron Rogers isn't healthy.

When they get back Zadaria Smith and Jaira Alexander, this is the best roster Green Bay and Aaron Rogers has had. Even the Super Bowl team, they didn't run the football particularly well. They were 24th. the injuries that year really set them back. They're all beat up, and they still have the ability to beat anybody in this league. This is the best Green Bay roster Aaron Rogers has had, and I've had them number one for a month. Well, you know, one of the things that's great about the NFL, half of the players in the league are undrafted. You don't see that in the NBA.

You don't see it in baseball. Most of your great players in the NBA are top 12 draft picks. Most of your great players in baseball, first and second round draft picks. But what makes the NFL special? It's the league of the overlooked. And Chris Harris goes to a basketball school at Kansas. And nobody's talking about Chris Harris. And all of a sudden, Chris Harris now looks like a Hall of Fame corner.

He was great with Denver. The Chargers spent money. He's now their highest-graded corner. He's a free agent, so he's going to get a nice bag of money and deserves every penny of it. Chris Harris, Jr., Chargers Cornerback down, joining us live. You know, hey, Chris, good to see you. How are you? Oh, doing great, man.

Thanks for having me. You bet. So I got to ask you a bunch of questions. Let's start with Joe Burrell. I love the kid. You got a real look at him last week. Now, you guys got pressure on him. You got picks.

What was your interpretation of Joe Burrow and what you saw? Man, we had to speed up his process, man. He's a great quarterback, you know, a young quarterback, ascendant. He can run. He can make a lot of all the throws. But we just had to speed up his process, make him decipher and really read the defense. And we thought we did a great job. getting pressure with the D-line and then confusing them in the secondary.

Yeah. So I want you to go back to the first time you saw Justin Herbert. He's this big tall kid from Oregon. And I don't know if you sit around and watch Oregon games. But he comes into camp. And I want you, Chris, to tell me the first moment you're driving home from practice thinking. This guy's pretty good. First day, man.

First day, I knew he could be a top quarterback. Just seeing his fundamentals, he can make a. all the throws. And I was just thinking in my head, man, it's going to be hard for Tyrod to keep this guy off the field because he had all the intangibles. The first day I've seen him, I just knew that he had to get comfortable with the receivers. And this guy is the real deal. So I'm excited to see him continue to raise his level of play as the games get bigger. Were you worried at all that Anthony Lynn out? So in his second year, he's got a whole new playbook. He's got a whole new staff. Were you worried at all about a new coach, a defensive

coach for the kid? You can get worried about that sometimes, you know. I did think about it. You know, he had such a great chemistry with the O.C. last year and then coming in this year with Coach Staley, Joe Lombardi. It's worked out great. I think he's been able to showcase everything that Justin can do, have him on the run, throwing on the run, shotgun, under center.

So Justin's been able to show everybody. He can make all the plays from whatever type of play the coach, wants him to run. So I think it's been very impressive for him his second year to continue to play at a high level. By the way, you played with Peyton Manning and older Peyton Manning. I don't think of them as similar players. I mean, they're both big physical presence, but do they have anything in common? Oh, they do, man, the love of the game. And then also, Jessel is a perfectionist like Peyton. He wants to be perfect in everything that he does. And that's one thing that I've seen with Peyton and him. They definitely have that same connection.

And of course the talent, man. When you can see this guy can make all the throws just like Peyton. Payton just had, Justin throws real hard, man. He could throw some rockets. Peyton had a little bit more touch, you know. But that's probably a little bit of the difference right there. So you guys played New England earlier this year, and we're watching him last night win a game throwing, you know, three passes.

So when you play, and one of the things they've said about New England is they've always had a physical presence and an identity. And I think like the Chargers identity, I look at you guys and I think that's a big play offense. You're a big play team. Big sacks. Ball downfield. You're a big play team. When I look at New England, all this stuff about Brady, I always thought the key to them was they were built to play in bad weather and Foxborough.

So, I mean, they're just physical. So when you played them earlier this year, when you face a Belichick or a Josh McDaniels offense, is it smarter? Is it trickier? What is it like to face? Yeah. Oh, it's a test match every time, and it's been like that since I've been to league 2011. You know, they're going to test your weaknesses. They do things game to game. That's why people see, all they ran the ball three times. Well, that's his bill. He's going to do whatever it takes to win that game. And it's week to week with them. And when we were in a tight game with them, they had a better fourth quarter than us.

They stretched out on us in the fourth. Yep. But we feel like we can play with those guys, man. So we have confidence and going against those teams. But we understand when you play against Bill Belichick, you've got to be able to execute at a high level for four quarters. You know, Chris, what's interesting, you know, we always talk about guys have a chip on their shoulder,

and Breeze got overlooked, and Brady got overlooked. Well, Chris Harris, you got overlooked. And we don't ever talk about defensive guys. So you go to a basketball school, and then and then but Akeeb Taleb did but Akeeb was getting a lot of notoriety and you weren't getting the notoriety what go back

how much do you think that chip has helped you in your career man it was that that's really made me be who I am you know playing that dog mentality a fighter out there on the field and that was always my identity and

when I had lost whenever I lose that that fight that dog mentality that's when I know it's time to hang it up and I still got that. So that's just been my identity. And that's what it was kept me in the league 11 years, just being able to have that fight along with being able to play every position in the second day. And by the way, that's really interesting, Chris, because you're a free agent, and I know Telesco loves you. I know Tom well. But you're going to get some offers because there's never been more good wide receivers. And I'm not sure corners are keeping up with receivers. There's not many

great corners. So you're going to have teams come after you. And I never begrudge a player for taking more money. But you're also in a really cool situation. New stadium. Cool roster, star quarterback. How important will the money be

for you? Oh, man, I love it here, man. It's something I haven't even thought about. I just really just been focused on this season and doing whatever it takes to help out these young players here and get us on this strong run right. now. It's time. This is when you've got to make

big time plays, winning plays in December. And that's the only thing we've just been focused on, man, the right now and whatever I can do to help this team get over this hump. So we feel like we got the pieces right now to do it. And so that's what the focus is. By the way, Kansas City is the rival in your

division. You beat them earlier this year. They're a little off, Chris. They're not running the ball. What do you make of their struggles? What do you see? I think they just started out slow, you know, when it's hard when you got that target on your back. And I think they've been running the football a lot better, also been playing defense a lot better. So it's going to be a great matchup.

We got them in two weeks, I think. But first, we know we've got to take care of business with the Giants. You know, we haven't been able to win two games in a row in a long time. So that's our focus right now is to try to start stringing these runs together. And it's going to be a great battle, man, two weeks, Thursday night football. versus cheese. I was watching that game last night, and it was terrible weather. You get the Giants at home. Have you ever played in weather as bad as last night? Oh, yeah, definitely. I think we had Tom Brady in the snow game in Denver. So we had, you know, we had some tough

games out there in the snow. So weather games like that, you just got to, you got to pack your defense. You got to pack your defense in your special teams because you know it's going to be a tough game for the quarterbacks. Chris, great seeing you. Congrats on the season and the Chargers. Gigantic win at Cincinnati. And good talking to you. Thanks for having me. You bet. Going to get Hall of Fame votes. He's been a four-time pro bowler, 11 years, a Super Bowl champ, and the highest-graded secondary guy corner for the Chargers this year. Undrafted out of a basketball school, it's really what makes the NFL very unique is that if you work hard, you're coachable, you fit in, you find your role. He can play multiple positions in the secondary.

He's going to have a lot of offers. And he's 11 years in as a corner. He's still fantastic as a player. We got a lot today. Man, the Lakers, got grumbling. Want more herd? The herd streams 24 hours a day, seven days a week within the IHard Radio app.

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

I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care which I'll say. Yep, that's me. Clifford Taylor the 4th.

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

It's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me, or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast.

And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Hey, this is Robert from the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Joe and I are both lifelong Star Wars fan, so we're celebrating May the 4th with a brand new week of fun, thought-provoking Star Wars-related episodes. Join us as we tackle science and culture topics from a galaxy far, far away, such as the biology of taun tons and wampas on the ice planet hot,

or the practicality and corporate business sense of the Sith Rule of Two. Listen to stuff to blow your mind on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-taped Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do with a little Kim?

Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam J. 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. Yeah, yeah, literally.

But just so y'all know. I mean, at this point, Mark, 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. This week on Thursday Night for,

It's a clash of playoff hopefuls as Big Ben and the Steelers had to Minnesota based Kirk Cousins and the Vikings. Thursday night football at 730 Eastern, 430 Pacific on Fox NFL Network and streaming on Prime Video. I'll tell you what, a Big Ben can go on the road and win that game. It's not great for Cleveland. Not going to talk about their quarterback. Also, Mike Zimmer has to win that game, or I think, you know, we talked about

coaches in trouble. So what was the list of people? Matt Nagy's in trouble. Yes. I think Joe Judge is in real trouble. They have no identity. What are they two years in? I think Mike Zimmer, who I think is a really good coach, could be in trouble if they don't win that game.

And Mike Zimmer should be unemployed very briefly. He's a little rigid offensively, but he's got Kirk Cousins. So there's some things he's just not going to do. But I don't think it's going to be a big turnover league in terms of coaching. I really don't. I think Pete Carroll and Russell Wilson, if they play well in the next four weeks, Pete will keep his job. Russell will be happy. They just have to rebuild in the draft. I don't think Pete is going anywhere.

I don't think Pete's going anywhere. I don't think Joe judges either. You think they're not going to, you don't think so? No, I don't. I think they might let go of some of the front office. Well, they already let go of Jason Garrett. Gettleman's done. Yeah. Joy with the news. No, no, no, no. Turn on the news.

This is the herd line news. Well, speaking of coaches, Bill Belichick seemed to have the purpose. game plan last night to deal with those elements. Buffalo Bill's head coach, Sean McDermott, doesn't think that it's on Bill Belichick at all. Let's not give more credit than we need to give credit to Bill Belichick in this one. It was, whether it's Bill or anybody else, they beat us, right? You sit here and you tell me when they start with the average starting, when we start with the average starting field, it's under the 40-yard line,

and he starts with the 23-yard line, and I'm rounding up in both cases, and we were one-for-four in the red zone, and they're 0-for-1 in the red zone, and they're 0 for 1 in the red zone, you give me that ahead of time, I'm saying, I like my chances. I like my chances. So it's not, I don't think, with all due respect,

it's not a Bill Belichick type thing. Respectfully, disagree. I think it's 90% to Bill Belichick type of thing. Some of it happened before the game. They have not developed a run game. So that's some of that is you're in Buffalo. There's certain things you know to be true.

When you play in the Northeast, It is going to be more physical football because that's why New England builds this. The last thing they worry about is a vertical dimension. Right. Like we know in December, you're not throwing the ball over the top anyway. So, and I think Buffalo is very well run. But in the end, they really haven't developed a run game now for a couple years. This has been a problem for two years.

They rushed for 99 yards and no touchdowns. In a game in which they reeled back off their pass game. Like, that's a lot for them. Also. Mac Jones threw the ball three times last night. So at some point in the game, you had to kind of figure out they're not leaning into the passing game in this one. You're going to run the ball.

Mac Jones wasn't sacked and wasn't pressured last night. So really the story of the evening was the offensive line for the Patriots. That's remarkable. You know they're running the ball, and they still weren't able to get to Mac Jones at all. That's incredible. is also coaching. That's development.

That's leaning into what you do best. It is Bill Belichick. How is that not Bill Belichick? If you throw the ball three times and an NFL football game, and I remember what the reporter said earlier was like that's not happening in like 40 years or something. Yeah.

Yeah, that's coaching. That's guts. And it's almost like saying Sabin didn't beat Georgia, Bryce Young did. But the reality is, Georgia couldn't get pressure on Bryce Young. and that's shocking because Alabama's O-line was spotty all year, and yet it was its best against the best pass rush.

So something happened in that week of preparation by Nick Saban that changed everything. And I like what New England did. They made decisions up last night. Buffalo made decisions in games, in the game. New England made a lot of decisions before the game. Like, we're not kicking a field goal unless it's 10-yard line or closer. Like, they made a lot of decisions. they knew going into that game.

I bet you they knew we're not going to... Bail and check, I guarantee you, told the staff, we're not going to throw the ball ever into the wind. And the only time Mack threw back-to-back throws, he had the wind.

Because if you look at how close that game was, if Mack made a crucial mistake, the game's over. Yeah. And because of the weather, you're not going to be able to play from behind. So what do you do? Get out ahead early and run the ball,

which is exactly what they did. So the bills are three and four since starting with the season of the four and one record. They're second in the AFC East and they hold the last wildcard spot in the AFC. They base the bucks on Sunday, so not getting any easier for the bills moving forward. So Oregon defensive end, Kvon Thibodeau said last night he will forego his senior season and declare for the NFL draft. He will also not play in the Valero-Alamo bowl game against number 16 Oklahoma on December 29th. shouldn't. Mel Kuyper has the Bidow rated number one overall in his latest rankings.

He was the Pact 12 defensive freshman of the year in 2019 and the first team all Pac-12 selection last year. If you're a great player going to go top 10, you've had an injury this year and you're playing in a second-tier bowl game, that's where I will defend the player. This is not a playoff game. It's different. If they were in the playoff, I'd be like, dude, you go play. Come on.

Yeah, of course. They committed to you. You commit to them. But the Alamo Bowl is not that level. So I got no problem with it. No. And for anyone who's complaining about this, like this is a rarity.

Most of the players are going to play. He is somebody who is elite, and he's not going to risk his NFL career in his future to play in this bowl game that is not the college football playoff. If you don't understand that, then you simply just don't make good business decisions yourself because that's what anyone would tell him to do. No, I would have no problem if he did play.

But it's his decision moving forward, and he can't risk his career. He also signed a couple of deals. eBay, United Airlines, and a six-figure memorabilia deal. So he has some money coming in, so he'll be all right. The current draft order for the NFL right now,

you love the draft. We've got a long ways off from the draft column, but we can start warming up these conversations. Cibodeau will go to Detroit. Although I've told you this, Detroit and Jacksonville, to me, should trade down. I think they need multiple players.

Now, Detroit may take the pass rusher from Michigan. Yes. If he does, Jacksonville. Yeah, it's funny about Jacksonville and Thubedo. Their issues are speed. They don't have any speed. An offensive line. Again, I know everybody's going to say I'm crazy.

I would trade, nothing against Thibodeau. But they generate a decent pass rush. Jacksonville needs like six starters out of this draft. They don't need one great defensive end. I wouldn't be surprised if Jacksonville, the lions I could see staying there. Jacksonville, I would not be surprised if they trade down because they have Trevor Lakers. Texans are taking the Jets are probably taking. Jets currently have the fourth and fifth pick.

Then the Giants have the sixth pick from Chicago. They have the seventh pick as well right now. Falcons, Panthers, and Vikings is the order for the top ten. So the Lakers are 12 and 12, and head coach Frank Vogel has been receiving some criticism as of late. But LeBron said it's the player's responsibility to improve things. I think criticism comes with a job. you know, Frank is a strong-minded guy. He has a great coach's staff.

And we as his players have to do a better job of going on, and producing on the floor. We're a team and an organization that, you know, that don't mind some adversity. Frank doesn't care. We don't either. What people are saying. Well, Vogel's in his third season as the head coach

and let it's the Lakers obviously to his first NBA championship in 10 years in the bubble. They are seventh in the Western Conference and they host the Celtics tonight and currently are two and a half point favorites according to Fox Bet. Again, nothing that's really happening

with the Lakers is particularly surprising to me. LeBron has been out for a significant amount of time. He's getting old. We know what Anthony Davis is at this point. We know he's not a number one. And they're an older, they're an older roster. Like this is predictable.

coming into the season with a lot of new pieces. It wasn't an older roster that rolled over from last year. So there's some chemistry things that work out. Westbrook is a very unique player that you have to work into the system without LeBron there. So I don't really think there's anything to panic about with the Lakers at this point.

We know what they are. You can see the roster and see where this could go. I still have faith in them because LeBron James is on the floor and if he's on the floor in the playoffs, I'm going to give them a chance. Yeah. But this is what they are right now. Good stuff. Joy with the news. Well, that's the news.

And thanks for stopping by. The Hurd-Ly News. By the way, throw that draft order up again. So Detroit's going to take an edge rusher, the local kid. Let's say Jacksonville can't trade down. They have their quarterback. They probably take the edge rusher, Thibodeau. Texans take a quarterback, whoever they find out to be the best quarterback.

See, again, if I'm the Jets, I have the four and the five, I would trade one of those picks down. my rule is, unless you're getting a great quarterback, I would always trade down in the first round. Now, Detroit's going to say, this is not a great quarterback draft, and Detroit's going to say, we got a Michigan kid. There's valued us getting a Michigan kid. I get Detroit. And Jacksonville, again, if Thibodeos, who your scout says is the big, nothing wrong with having a great edge rusher. You know, there's nothing wrong with that.

And the Colts have a good old line. So you've got to have somebody to be able to get to Carson Wentz or whoever the quarterback for the Colts is. Jets, Jets, Jants, Giants, giants. Giants could use everything. I still contend the best, the guaranteed player in the draft, the one guy that is a can't miss is the center from Iowa. Chase Young a couple years ago, like, that can't miss. There's about, you know, they always say, the NFL guys always tell you, they're about 16 to 17 first round picks. If you're drafting late first, you'd rather actually trade it to second because you don't have to pay them as much.

And the gap between the 19th best player and the first player taken in the third round is not that big. There's always about 15, 16, 17, really high-end players. And, you know, Max Jones ended up being one of those. I didn't think he would be. He ended up being, what do they draft? 15. And he was like, you know, a great player. But, you know, if you're a bad team like the Jets and the Giants, it's not a player.

It's not. I would turn two into three picks in the first round. I do whatever I have to do. I do think the Iowa Center, I've watched them play like three times, just grabs and throws people. That's hard to do. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd

weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the IHeard Radio app. Hey, what's up everybody? It's me, three-time Pro Bowl of LaVarrington, and I couldn't be more excited to announce a new podcast called Up on Game.

What is Up on? on game, you ask, along with my fellow pro bowler, T.J. Hushmanzada and Super Bowl champion. Yep, that's right. Plexico Burris. You can only name a show with that type of talent on it. Up on Game. We're going to be sharing our real life experiences loaded with teachable moments. Listen to Up on Game with me, LaVar Arrington, T.J. Hushman Zada, and Plexico Burris on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or 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 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, Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media.

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

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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

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What the hell does George Bush got to do a little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam 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. 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, so... Then you're finishing that sentence. Yes. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really?

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So Dan Orlovsky used to play in the NFL. He's a commentator now. He was talking on a show at another network. He said Bryce Young would go number one if he was available this year in the draft. and I agree. Bryce is a, I watched him play in California, very unique talent. Now, Orlovsky compared him to Aaron Rogers, and they are both very light on their feet. The ball comes flying out of their hands. He's a very unique athlete, and I love watching him play. He's fluid, great feet, super quick, nice arm, quick release. There's nothing I don't like about him, except he's a little thin. He's six feet tall and about 195. And if you're going to be a little smaller, quarterback, I prefer you be Jalen Hertz or Russell Wilson or Kyler Murray. You're thick. Even those guys are hurt and they're thick. And two of them play baseball and know how to slide. So he's a little thin, but I got to be careful about being too judgmental on that. So I think he's a better athlete

than Tua. Tua is on a winning streak. I think he throws, I mean, I think he's such an incredibly special athlete. I mean, just everything just is fast. And I think the Aaron Rogers comparison, there's something there. The way he gets rid of the ball and sees the field. You know, some of the stuff guys is innate. He just, he made a play in this game against Georgia that was ridiculous. You know, when you're playing Georgia, the game's going really fast because they got NFL players everywhere, everywhere. So the game is just faster. And a lot of players get uncomfortable with fat. I mean, look at that throw. It's insane. But he's running around and he's, you know, pitching the ball to players. His quick decision-making is so good.

I just don't see him as a mess. I worry that he's a little thin. He's a little, 194 pounds, six feet. I mean, he looks small. Look at him right there. He looks small. But he just, right there, that is so precise and so hard to do. He's a really special player.

You know, some of this stuff, I remember talking to USC coaches. They were number two getting him, Alabama, got him number one. And one of the coaches saying there's just stuff you can't explain. Some guys just do stuff and other guys can't do it and they see the field quicker and they get rid of the ball faster. And when they get rid of it fast, it doesn't affect their accuracy. The kid is spiked. He would be the number one pick in the draft today. No question.

And he didn't, I don't know if he redshirted last year because of COVID, they had Mack Jones. He didn't play much. So he can leave after next year and he should. Especially I consider this too. When you're a little smaller, I leave earlier. I don't want to take any more college shots. Like he is, he is, he's my size. I'm six, one and a half, six two, one 94.

He's six feet one 94. Now he can gain six seven pounds, but he's going to be a 200 pound athlete. That for a quarterback, you can watch those highlights, a little smaller. So that's another reason. That's why I always say with running backs, if you have to, don't stay for your senior year in college if you're running back. If you're good enough as a junior, just go. There's just no reason to, you're the guy. Nobody can protect anymore.

You can't protect running backs. Rules can protect quarterbacks. Even offensive linemen, there's rules you can't hit them in certain spots. You can protect receivers, tight ends. You can't protect running backs. So can't wait to watch him play. So it's interesting. Joy was talking about the Lakers.

LeBron was asked earlier this week if some of the recent criticism of head coach Frank Vogel was fair. Here he is. I think criticism comes with a job. You know, Frank is a strong mind. guy as a great coach's staff and we as players have to do a better job of going on and producing on the floor.

We're a team and the organization that don't mind some adversity. Frank doesn't care and we don't either about what people are saying. You know, the Lakers are very interesting. We've talked about this before.

It would be very easy to come and do this show every day and just talk about what happened. But part of the fun of this job is predicting what's going to happen, trying to see around corners. And I said this for the Seattle Seahawks when they won 10 games, 11 games, 12 games. I said it's a house of cards. They don't do anything well beyond Russell Wilson. And this year, Russell Wilson gets hurt and you're like, oh, man, overboard. Seattle's not very good.

Even this weekend, he comes back, plays well, they win. He has to play well for them to win. Sometimes your quarterback doesn't necessarily play well. And, I mean, Kyler Murray left. and they went two and one without him. One of those was a divisional road game at San Francisco.

Colt McCoy won the game. So when teams can win more than a singular way, it feels like Buffalo to me has gotten very much into the Josh Allen has to save us for us to win. That's not a good space to be in. But the Lakers have three things here I think about. Number one, this is obvious.

LeBron's expensive and old. And what's not so obvious is he doesn't attract young players like he used to. There was a quality to LeBron in Miami where if he got on the phone, like everybody wanted to play with him. Like you knew you were going to play in the finals, especially coming out of the East. Well, there's no guarantee you can get out of the West of the finals.

And these young guys, they don't want to make LeBron richer. They've got their own brands and their own thing. And John Morant wants to be his own guy. And Tray Young wants to be his own guy. And LeBron can't get on the phone anymore and just, hey, come on, let's play. That's why, if you look at the Lakers roster, generationally, it's old guys. It's Dwight Howard, it's Westbrook, it's Carmelo. Those guys, LeBron can get on the phone and pry him away, right?

Number two is AD has an old body. He is no longer an ascending player. He should be like Yokic of Denver, where he's really good, MVP, and you still think he can ascend. 80's 28 and his body's about 33. He's had too many injuries. He's been banged up. He's no longer an ascending player. He's about one more injury from the Lakers feeling like, damn, we're trapped on this contract.

Number three is the West is really good at the top and really young. Phoenix is loaded and young. Golden State is fluid, loaded, and mostly young. You know, Draymond Green and Steph got some years on him. So the interesting thing for the Lakers to me is at what point do the Lakers come to terms with this? The future isn't LeBron. The now is, but the future isn't. And AD is probably not the future either. He feels like since he got to L.A., he's more of a two than a one.

Yokic feels like a one. Yonis feels like a one. 80 kind of feels like a two. And so this is an old, bad defensive team. It's very old. They can't defend the three. That's not going to change at the trading deadline. It's not going to change. If they get Trevor or Reza back, it's not going to change. It's old. They don't shoot the three. They can't defend the three. So there's some real interesting questions. They have a little bit of a Seahawk feel to them. Is that if LeBron's not connected to stuff, it's a house of cards. The minute Russell Wilson's hurt and then comes back not 100% Seattle's bad. And last week, Pete Carroll admits, yeah, Russell's close to

100%. Oh, look at Seattle's good again. And so there's nothing wrong with that. Like, Russ in his prime makes a rebuild much easier. But LeBron's not in his prime. And as he's been gone and not playing in 100%, you can see what do they do well? Not a lot. They don't fend well, they don't shoot well. I don't think they have a lot of fluidity. They don't have great chemistry. I think Frank Vogel, I think he wants, you know, this year Anthony Davis can't hit a jumper. I think he wants AD to play closer to the basket. AD'd rather drift out. He's having a bad year shooting jumpers. So I do think, like the Seahawks, the Lakers feel like if LeBron's not directly connected to something, they don't do it well. And that's a scary proposition because it is easier to

rebuild in the NFL. Half the league is undrafted. There's like Hall of Famers who have been undrafted. I mean, even quarterbacks, Russell Wilson, Montana, Brady, late round quarterbacks own the league for a decade or more. So it's very hard to do that. They've given up draft picks. Young people aren't attracted to the organization. I mean, really, they have one player in their prime, AD. And he's not an ascending player. He's a good player. He's very good player. But I I think we thought LeBron was going to hand the baton to him as the number one. And it kind of feels like last year he dropped the baton. And he's kind of a two.

His personality is a two. His game is a two. And so I think there's a little house of cards field to it that you shouldn't be in LeBron's 18th year, needing LeBron to be healthy to beat bad teams. Yeah. Is that a LeBron? Nick Wright last week talked about the Lakers have an AD problem. They do have a player who is supposed to be in the absolute apex of his prime.

His name's Anthony Davis. He has been living out on the perimeter. And this year statistically, this is not an exaggeration, he has been the league's worst jump shooter. So the Lakers path is very clear and obvious. Get the Anthony Davis that existed, his first year with the Lakers, that there's no reason that it should have left,

should have gone anywhere, hope and pray LeBron's got one more great run in him and see what you can harness out of Russ. The bigger problem may be Phoenix is exceptional and Golden State's just an inch behind them. You may not be the best team in your old own building if Kauai Leonard plays this year. All right, our number three on a Tuesday next live in LA, it's the herd. Another podcast from some SNL late night comedy guy, not quite, unhumor me with Robert Smygle and friends. 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. On the Look Back at a Podcast. For 1979, that was a big moment for me.

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. Before it 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, Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey,

or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Cliford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to The Clifford Show on the IHeard Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network,

on TikTok. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.