The Herd with Colin Cowherd - HOUR 2 - Herd Hierarchy, Tomlin, QB

Episode Date: October 26, 2021

Colin's new Herd HierarchyMike Tomlin says he isn't interested in the USC jobNFL teams who need a QBGuests: Jerome Bettis, Tom Verducci 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 IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win.

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

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From 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84's 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. 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. Oh, here we go, hour two.

Great to have you in. World Series starts tonight. Jerome Bettis in five minutes. Live in Los Angeles, it's the herd, wherever you may be, and however you may be listening. IHeart Radio, Fox Sports Radio, and FS1. I haven't talked to Jerome Bettis, the former Steeler great in a long time. The bus. The bus.

Ran for 14,000 yards, just shy of that. One of the top 7, 8 rushers of all time. Very unique running back. It's funny, most of your great running backs, all had a different look. Very Sanders, very shifty. Peyton, like, bizarrely strong for his size. Derek Henry and the bus just run you over. Eric Dickerson.

O.J. Simpson would cut back and be the ultimate cutback runner. Marcus Allen could catch. Marcus Allen could have started at safety, wide receiver, running back. Probably the most talented. He could have been a quarterback in the NFL. I honestly think that. Every great running back, Earl Campbell, every great running backs had a different thing. Marshawn Lynch.

I can't believe I brought up O.J. Simpson. I just, you know, as a kid growing up, he was great. He was an all-time... Yeah, things went sideways. Nonetheless, he was... Talking about it on the field. Yeah. Honestly, if you are a young person, you're a kid,

go watch Jerome Bettis highlights. They're unbelievable. Like, he earned his nickname. He was one of those college running backs, like running over. It looked unfair. Yeah. It didn't look healthy for the opponents in college. All right, we call it to hurt hierarchy.

It is not, you know, I'm not one of these guys that if you won, I necessarily put you higher, or if you lost, I bury you. Who do I think today if they all played would be the top 10 teams in the league neutral field? Here we go. Heard hierarchy. Time is now. Let's go. The top 10 NFL teams, according to college.

Number 10. Listen, Baltimore were seven games through. Their past defense is atrocious. And they have several one possession wins. Kansas City, Detroit, the Colts. Remember, they were outplayed by the Lions. They could have lost to both the Colts. They were outplayed for three quarters by the Colts.

And they got crushed at home. It's a very good football team. They have been really banged up. I think they need to, I think they're fine. But I think right now they're about the 10th best team in the league. And here's why. Here's number nine. Number nine.

I'm going to give it to Cincinnati because they have the same record and they just blew them out in Baltimore. I have concerns about their offensive line. I think Zach Taylor's a good coach. I mean, they're getting better, so I think he can. But it's really a Joe Burrough story. He's got, you know, 300 plus yards in seven of his 17 starts. And that's, by the way, with a rebuilding offensive. line. Jamar Chase is an absolute home run. They've hit some home runs last couple of years in their

draft, and their defense against the run is better than it gets credit for Cincinnati at nine. Number eight. The Raiders. What do I do with the Raiders? Listen, since Gruden left, Derek Carr's better, like significantly better. Maybe the anxiety of Gruden and the, you know, the scowl on the sidelines, whatever it is. Derek Carr's got five games of over 300-yard passing. That is the most in the NFL this year. The protection can be spotty. but they've got a running game. They've got eight guys that can catch the ball. And their schedule, hey, listen, they've got to buy this week and the Giants next week.

So it's not getting tougher. So right in Kansas City's not playing well. So you've got to be fair with them. I did not think they'd be good. I've always been a fan of Derek Carr. But right now, I think the Raiders are a top 10 team and I would put them at eight. Number seven. But I think they'd lose in a neutral field to the Green Bay Packers.

Now, this week, Devonte Adams is out. So let's, let's be fair here. That's a huge loss. David Boktiari left tackle comes back. You know, the Packers to me this year have been somewhere six, seven, eight. They don't feel like offensively they have a second receiver they trust. Randall Cobb's been nice but spotty. I do worry about their offensive line.

Back, Boktiari helps. But I don't think they would beat the number six team if they played in a neutral field. Number six. And that's the Titans, who by the way have placed the most players on IR in the league and they're still red hot. But they did lose to the Jets. And this is why I got to keep them here. They've been a little hot and cold half to half.

And I do think they would have lost to the bills had Josh Allen not slipped. They were out gained, out played, out time of possession. But I will say this. They scored on their first five possession against the Chiefs. They played downhill. If they get a lead on you, watch out. Because Derek Henry in that offensive line can punish you. Fifth win in their last six games.

And I've always thought Mike Vrable is a good coach that we don't talk about. He's a former player. You know, he's not a guy that has a lot of tolerance for standing at the mic, and, you know, he doesn't promote himself. And so we don't talk about Mike Vrable much. I think Mike Vrable's a really, really good coach. I think he's a really, really good football coach. Number five. But I think they'd lose to the Rams if they played head-to-head because I think Matt Stafford and McVey, if they get a lead on you, they don't lose.

42-0 is Sean McVeigh when a lead at half. That's pretty good. They were great on third downs. The Stafford has been sacked seven times this year, fewest by any quarterback in the league, and he's not mobile. So it's a big time offensive line. They've got some depth now at running back. They've overcome the Cam Acres injury. Cooper Cup looks like Randy Moss.

Nobody can stop him. Rams at 5. Number 4. Bills at 4. I know they lost to Tennessee, but they outplayed them. I like this team a lot. Upcoming schedule is weak. Dolphins, Jags, Jets.

They're going to go on a big winning streak here. They have the number two scoring offense and the number one scoring defense. Don't overreact to a couple of close losses. Bills at 4. Number 3. Listen, you say what you want about the Dallas Cowboys right now, folks. they're averaging 6.6 yards of play. That's the most in the NFL, and that's a game against Belichick.

Okay, so Belichick's the best defensive coach in the league. They could be the first team in NFL history with 2,000-yard rushers, Zeeke and Tony Pollard, and 2,000-yard receivers, Cedley Lamb and Amari Cooper. They've got possession receivers, flashy receivers, powerbacks, wigglebacks, O-Lines healthy. I love this team. Cowboys have outgained every opponent this year, including the Bucks, week one. Number two.

Arizona, only undefeated team. I think they'll win this Thursday. Kyler Murray leads the NFL in completion percentage, and that's important. Because we think of Kyler Murray is, oh, flash, big plays. You know what? Kyler Murray is efficient, and he was not in his first two years. You got the big play, but he missed a lot of layups. He no longer misses layups.

I think their GM, Steve Kime, has taken big chances. J.J. Watt has worked. They're getting healthier, by the way. They've only allowed 16 points a game this year. year tied for the best in the NFL. That's pretty scary. When you get that dynamic offense and that good at defense, that feels like Tampa last year. Number one. The Buccaneers. They have now won fifth win by 20 points since Brady joined the team. And what you're seeing with them is, as the league gets younger at quarterback, they get smarter and better at quarterback. The defense is

playing better. Now, the secondary still banged up, and that would be tough against Arizona. But they were missing Antonio Brown and Gronk, and they led 35 nothing at half. or had 35 points. This team has it all. They don't have a real weakness. I don't think they're great at corner, but when they're healthy, they're not terrible.

And I think if you look at Tampa, neutral field with Tom Brady and that depth and those weapons and that wide receiver, I think it would be the best team in the league. And that's how I look at this. Neutral field, who would you take? I think the bucks would beat Arizona and Dallas.

Dallas almost lost in New England. So let's look at it again. Arizona 2, Dallas, Buffalo. I know Buffalo's got two losses. I don't care. First of all, week one, I almost throw out. Week one, because starters no longer play in the preseason, week one is like extended preseason.

And a game against Tennessee, they outgain them, they outplay them, they had more time of possession. So I don't hold that against them. It's not a punitive loss. Rams, Titans, Packers, Raiders, Bengals, Ravens. It is, you know, it's just so. like this morning. This is how bad the Bengals have been for so long.

I almost felt guilty. I almost did. I put the Biggles in. I'm like, no, I can't have the Bengals in the top 10. And I'm thinking, and I went back and looked at all the data and looked at all the numbers that matter. And I'm like, they're great against the run. Their pass rush is not consistent, but it can be pretty good. They're passing offense is money.

The O-line's better not great. They can run the ball generally when they have to. Because you just don't. see that B on our top 10. It just has never existed in my life. No, it took a long time to come around to the Browns in that space, too. It did. But the Bengals are the top of the AFC? By the way,

I have the Chargers at 11. I am going to the Charger Patriot game this weekend. Oh, Colin Coward in the wild. That's funny. So I asked Anne this morning, she's not a big sports fan. I said, do you want to go to the game? She goes, where do we sit? You know, Ann.

That's a great question. It's a very valid question. I said we're in the suite. We have a suite. Oh, she was like, oh, you're sweet. I'll go. So do you want to go with Jerome Bettis now or a break? You guys in the back tell me, what do you want to do with Jerome? I'll do either way.

Oh, I'll take a break. We'll have the great Jerome. We'll have the great Jerome Bettis around the corner. 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 game. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast, Superhuman, documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me. of the fourth. 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,

health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast. It's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me, or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be.

Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tap little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking.

What the hell does George Bush got to do 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 it here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill, waxing all about crack in the 80s.

To be clear, 84 is big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day But just so y'all know I mean at this point Mark this is the second episode where we've discussed 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 IHeart Radio app Apple Podcasts Or wherever you get your podcast Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hardway with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Kear Games. And in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests.

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

because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth, or are you a good person because you're afraid? Because that's two different intentions, bro. Absolutely. And that's two different levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Kear Gaines, as we have real conversations about healing,

growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, learn the hard way. Open your free, our heart radio app, Search learn the hard way and listen now. He's a Hall of Famer. One of my favorite guys. 13 years, six-time pro-bowler, Walter Payton Man of the Year, comeback player of the year, rookie of the year.

He's done it all, and he now lives in Atlanta. His son is playing football as well. Jerome Bettis joins us live. But his son, he's like his dad. He's smart. He said, Dad, there's no money at running back. I'm going to be a wide receiver. I'm not going to get hit.

I'm going to go out of bounds. Don't blame him, by the way. I don't blame him at all. Where's the toughness? He's the running back. I know. The lettuce is all at wide receiver. So Mike Tomlin's name came up for the USC job.

And listen, Mike would crush. But I want you to take me inside to Tomlin. He laughed at it and he said, you can't write a check big enough. I don't think the Steelers would ever let him go. Your take on Tomlin and rumors that he would leave? Because there are rumors out there that he's about to leave Pittsburgh. I don't see that happening. I think it'd be really hard for a college to get a coach like Tomlin.

One, he's very a matter of fact. And so sometimes for a 17, 18 year old kid, he may not understand that or appreciate that. Now, a grown man, you appreciate the honesty and the clarity and where you are. But sometimes in college, you just can't be as a great. as he is as a head coach. So I just think it may not vote well for him in college, but I think he, you know, if anybody were to pry him away from Pittsburgh,

they were beginning one of the best coaches in all of football, you know, at any level. So I still don't think he's going to go, though. No, I think it's actually a great point. He's blunt and to the point. And, you know, 17, 18-year-old may not want to handle that. Now, Najee Harris, he's not a breakaway running back. Like you, he's got power, and like you, he can make people miss. What do you see with a rookie from Alabama for the Steelers?

You know, I see a running back that has the ability to do everything. He can do it all. So, you know, you could throw it to him 10 times out of the backfield, and he's going to make big plays for you. You can give it to him 25 times out of the backfield, and he's going to change the game. And that's what you want from your star running back. You want him to be able to change the outcome of the game.

And if you give him those opportunities, he's going to do it. And I think he's shown a little bit in terms of the passing game. He had, you know, 100 yards receiving earlier. We saw the 100 yards rushing. And I think once they're able to put it all together and get that type of consistency from him every week, then all of a sudden you see him going to a different stratosphere. Listen, I was told years ago, I was told this by somebody. They say the hardest play.

to coach in the NFL is an aging star quarterback, a Dan Marino, Jimmy Johnson struggle with that. It's hard. I get it. Big Ben's not the same player. He's taking a lot of hits. Not always the most rigid off-season workout program. And here we are at the end. What do you do?

I mean, what do you do with Ben at this point? Well, I think the key for Ben is protection. Obviously, he's gotten older and the feet don't work the way they used to. in terms of extending plays and being that real physically dominating quarterback out there. So now you have to tweak what you're doing. You can't expect him to be that 25, 27-year-old quarterback anymore. You have got to now protect him a little different than you did in years past where you didn't have to have the best offensive line in the world.

Well, now you've got to put the priority on the offensive line because if you give him time, he can still spin it. But if you're asking him to elude the rush and make plays with his feet, that's not going to happen anymore. So I just think they have to understand what they have, much like Tampa understood what they had in Tom Brady, and they went out in the first pick was an offensive tackle. Right. You know what?

We're going to make the office a line of priority because we've got to protect this guy. He can still spin it, but he can't move like he used to. And I think that's what the still has to understand. He can't move like he used to, but he can still. throw it, protect him. Yeah, you know, it's interesting. I don't think that, I mean, listen, you know how it goes in the NFL draft. Half of these quarterbacks don't work.

And you got Lamar Jackson. You got Joe Burrow. I mean, Baker Mayfield won a playoff game. I could see them absolutely saying, let's not mess around. We got the defense. We got the running back. Let's go get Aaron Rogers. We'll give up three picks.

I think that works. I think Aaron fits them. He's never had a great defensive head coach. Your thoughts on Aaron to Pittsburgh, which I don't. don't think it's a flimsy rumor I could see it. I can see it. And the one reason that I can see it is because every team has a championship window. And this defense is a championship defense. Unfortunately, the window will close eventually. So they've still got a three-year window. I would think in terms of the defense being, you know, playoff in championship caliber. Now, they have now got to figure out,

do we have enough time to develop a young quarterback in that window? And so do we have to just now go out and secure our quarterback so now we can have an opportunity to win a championship in that window? And I think when you look at aner Rogers or a player that caliber, absolutely considering they haven't got it figured out for the guy behind then. That's the big problem. When you don't have it figured out, then you want to try to go out and find something that you know it's consistent. Right. And Aaron Rogers is best in the business. Yeah, that's a really, really good point.

I had not thought of that. They have all these young defensive players, and they're all going to get paid here within two to three years. So you better take advantage of that window. Finally, you know, Derek Henry, some would say he's got some Jerome Bettis. He's certainly powerful. Did you think he would be this good as a pro? I did not.

I knew he was going to be really good. I followed him from high school. I mean, he was a top high school running back in the country. I mean, did amazing things. And then you say, okay, well, he gets to college, I don't know how well that's going to, you know, how he's going to develop in college was sensational in college. And then I said, okay, when he gets to the NFL,

these guys are a little bit different. There are a lot twitchier, fast twitch. These guys are going to get to them a little quicker, not going to allow him to get going. And boy, was I wrong? I think, one, he got with the right team. Because had he gone to anywhere else, he probably wouldn't have got that opportunity.

Early in his career, he wasn't. They were two platoon in him. That's right. That's right. 25, 30 carry. So originally people were like, a little skittish on him. But then everything turned around. And once they gave it to a 25 times and saw, uh-oh, he could do some things.

I think that changed everything. And I think the runnerback, he got hurt. the little guy that came in from from England. He had gotten hurt. Yes, yes. And so they had to go with him. Yep. And all of a sudden, you're like, whoa, we got something.

Yeah. I think they realized it. And he's been rolling ever since. Yeah, everybody's an expert on Derek Henry, but he was a platoon player for the first two years in this league. He was not like Zeke. He was not Adrian Peterson, where he was a home run initially. All right, yesterday I was just telling the staff,

yesterday afternoon I had Quaker Oats and blueberry for a snack because I had blueberries that they go stale in about an hour and a half from the grocery store. You are working with Quaker Oats, the Quaker Oats Good Time Challenge. What is it? Well, we're trying to inspire people to help tackle hunger and support eating America. And how do we do that? It's called the Quaker Good Car Challenge. We're asking people to just get an empty canister like a Quaker canister and turn into a bank, collect some. spare change that's in your car, that's in your seat cushions, somewhere all over your home, as it would be, and take that change to your local Coinstar kiosk and select Feeding America. And I'm telling you, it's going to make a difference because Quaker has already donated

$125,000 that's going to be going to feed America. And we want to do that to just get those. meals out because 38 million people in America are facing hunger. So we can do some good in this holiday season. Yep. Jerome, you're always so thoughtful. Good luck to your son and your family living in a beautiful city, Atlanta. It's great seeing you again. Love to have you on whenever you have an opening.

Thank you. Appreciate you. All right. Jerome Bettis. It's a really good point. They don't have time to waste with a developing quarterback. That defense has got dudes that are going to get paid. You've got a couple windows. You've got to make it work.

It's a really, really good point. All right. This show is moving. You know, I start talking to Tom Brady regularly. Maybe, you know, I'm becoming a big deal here. When it's game time, everybody has a favorite. And my go-to is the number seven turkeys. Oh, you know what?

What am I doing? I don't know. It sounds like you're reading a commercial. Joy Taylor with a news. What do I do? Turn on the news. This is the herd line news. I forgot.

But we do love Jersey mics. Well, I love Jersey mics. It's just I got to read it in 10 minutes. Well, speaking of the Steelers, Mike Tomlin has been one of the names swirling as a potential hire for the USC head coaching job. And this morning, Mike Tomlin addressed the rumors as only he can. Hey, guys, I don't have time for that speculation. I mean, that's a joke to me. I got one of the best jobs in all a professional sport.

Why would I have any interest in coaching college football? That would be the last time that I address it. And not only today, but moving forward. Never say never, but never. Okay? Anybody else got any questions about any college jobs? There's not a booster with a big enough blank check. Thank you.

Anybody asking Sean Payton about that? You know, anybody asking Andy Reid about stuff like that? he is there's never been a coach as good as him on the mic is that it is and you listen it came out yesterday and it was fun to speculate but it's like but i felt like it was it was not even said in a way that it should have spiraled but it's just too juicy not to to take a little squeeze at all carson was saying was that that's somebody that USC could swing for like that's how high they're going to go. Yeah.

But then, but, you know, this is, that's why, you know, how your contract structures is important. But Mike almost sounded, I would say, Mike almost sounded kind of offended. Right. And as, as he should be, if, because there's never been any inclination from him or anyone else that he would ever be leaving the Steelers. Also, of all the organizations in sports, talking about the Steelers head coaching position being vacant. It's never vacant. It's silly. They've had three coaches in my life.

Chuck Knoll, Bill Kauer. And they actually have the franchise. If Bill Kauer would have wanted to stay, he retired. They'd still have Kauer. Yes. They don't fire coaches. He's in his 15th season with the Steelers. He's a 148, 81, and one record.

He's led the team to nine playoff runs, seven division titles, three AFC championship games, two Super Bowls, one Super Bowl win. He's not going anywhere. And he's certainly not going from the Steelers to USC. which is a great job. It doesn't even geographically work for me. Like I think of Mike Tomlin. If he took a college job, I mean, he wouldn't.

But I would be like, Ohio State. You know, Pittsburgh's not far from. I'd be like, yeah. It's a physical Mike Tomlin, tough guy, Big Ten. USC's out here and fancy throw the ball 80-time West Coast. No, I do think that Mike Tomlin would do a great job at USC. That's the, I think he just walks into a room and mom's like, wow. And dad's like, wow.

And the kid's like, wow. And he gets all the good play. Right, but he has no need to do that. And why would he take a job at USC? Because if he were to leave the Steelers for whatever reason in fantasy land that this would happen, he would get whatever NFL head coaching job was available immediately, which there are always head coaching jobs available in the NFL every single year. Eight. Right.

So why wouldn't he take one of those jobs? And look, the Steelers are at the bottom of the AFC North right now. They're three and three. And it's not, it's been a bumpy year, but he's never had a losing season. They're going to get back on track and he's not going anywhere. And I'm perfectly fine with him having the attitude that he. That is my favorite. I could run that.

Let's run that again next hour. I love that so much. That is my favorite. I mean, and this is hard to top. There's never been a coach who has more. He's like. He doesn't waste a. Not a single word. And by the way, everything is urgent.

Yeah. He literally could ask him about a receiver, a number four receiver stubbed a toe. And he would go to toe. It gets stubbed. This is football. We stubbed toes here. Next. Everything feels massively important.

Well, is that going anywhere, guys? So the Packers announced yesterday that might be without one of their top weapons for Thursday night against the Cardinals. They've placed Devonce Adams on the COVID-19 list. team didn't confirm that so he doesn't mean that he's contracted COVID but he is on the list. So it could result from a positive test or exposure to someone who has tested positive. Either way, his status is up in the air for Thursday's game against the Cardinals. Good luck. They previously announced the Packers did that their defensive coordinator Joe Barry has tested positive for COVID and isn't expected to join them for Thursday's game.

So they could be without some key personnel Thursday against the undefeated Cardinals who are currently favored by six according to Fox Bet. Now, I still think I, well, it's certainly like the Packers to cover. Oh, I don't. You don't? I think it can get ugly fast. Because I think what happens is you get into a little bit of a space where you have to be very patient because if you fall behind Arizona, you don't want to get into a track meet.

The way Green Bay wins this game, run the football, slow it down a little. Yeah, I mean, they want to keep. Control the clock. Keep Kyler on the side. Keep Kyler on the side. He's completing 74. percent of his throws. But the Cardinal's defense is good. So it's not

that simple to be like, we're just going to run the ball and take advantage of their defense. It's not that simple. But I do think that they'll cover six. That's a lot for Aaron Rogers and the Packers. I know. It's a lot. Well, Ben Simmons has so far got his wish to not play for the 76ers, despite being

under contract for four more years. But he was getting heavily fined while holding out. And since reporting to the team, he has been claiming and restating that he's mentally unready and dealing with back injury. According to ESPN's Ramona Shelburne, Simmons admitting his reason for wanting to sit out, the sixers have decided to stop issuing fines to Ben Simmons. So the Simmons contract includes protections from mental disability. So this could even open the door for him to recoup

his previous fines. There's still no timeline on when he is going to return to practice. So again, an ongoing situation there in Philadelphia. I don't even know what to make of this situation at this point. I watched NBA last night before the Monday Night Football Game. I watched The Wizards were 2 and O. I think they were. They watched Brooklyn. You know what? You know what I thought about that? Because I want to talk about good things about the NBA. I watched Kevin Durant and Joy, and here's what I thought watching it. In the history of the NBA, you can't count centers. Kevin Durant's the only guy that would beat Michael Jordan in a game of one-on-one. Kevin Durant is insane. He's the only guy that would

beat Michael, because LeBron hit and miss on the jumper. Kevin Durant midrange, ball to the basket, three-pointer. It's an interesting debate. I don't think, I think Michael would be like, pass, not going to play. No, Michael would play. Michael would play. He's the most competitive person. I think Kevin Durant is the greatest.

If there's a one-on-one tournament in the NBA history. Well, he just has an, it's almost like Kareem. He just has an unstoppable, unguarable shot. Okay, that's my, that's my internet, do what you do. It's my hot take. In the history of the league, Kevin Durant would be the greatest one-on- on one player ever. He was, last night, there was about a five-minute stretch, and I'm like, these are NBA players. They don't even try to stop it. Yeah, he's brilliant. You can't stop.

On the break, it's embarrassing. It's like, all right, just go ahead and score. I don't want to be part of your poster. Just go ahead and score. I mean, he's so gifted. Joy with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Hurd-Lie News. By the way, we now have one more team that needs a franchise quarterback. Can we say that? Because New Orleans, James throws a beautiful ball. He throws a beautiful, I would say that. He throws a beautiful ball. If they could catch him, it would help.

I don't think it's going to work. So I was, you know, listen, if you take away the Green Bay game, even with Sean Payton and Alvin Kamara, who was one of the great receiving backs, maybe in my lifetime. He's like, Alvin Kamara and Edger and James, like, could they just be receivers? But he's completing, you know, 57% of his throws with a passer rating lower than Mac Jones.

This is not going to be the future. He does throw a pretty ball. He's either the world's best backup, James Winston, or he's a low-end franchise quarterback, and I don't think Sean Payton's going to sit around and coach somebody that, you know, you're in a division with, I mean, Deshawn Watson, of Carolina got him, Tom Brady, I don't think they're going to keep him.

So I was thinking this morning, the NFL cycle never changes. Here's the teams that I think are looking for a quarterback. Saints, Washington, Denver, Carolina. Yeah, I said it. Pittsburgh, Texans, Dolphins. And two that could absolutely draft one. May not be in the first round, maybe in the second. Lions, Eagles.

So that's nine. So it never fails, does it? Every single year, you think we've reached the saturation point. I talk about it every year. And here we are. Nine teams probably draft the quarterback. Three will find theirs. One or two will hit in the college.

draft, Deshawn Watson, Aaron Rock. Somebody, you know, three or four, and then six won't. Mark it down. By the way, you know what it made me think of? Here's another thought. Jordan Love, remember Jimmy Garoppel on injury history, and he had a market for him. This list, you know what it made me think of? If you're Green Bay, go break bread, have dinner with Aaron Rogers, give him a new contract.

Oh, trade Jordan Love. That's exactly what I thought. Because I looked at that bottom eight list. Some of those teams, we love Sean Payton. We love Mike Tomlin. You could be in quarterback hell for years. That's what I said when they drafted Jordan Love. It sounds good that you're just going to replace Aaron Rogers.

Yeah. It sounds good. This is not a knock. Jordan Love, somebody would make a run at him. Yeah, well, I mean, there's so many teams that need a quarterback. And he's been in a great system. Somebody liked him that now he's available. I honestly looked at that list and I thought,

Mike Tomlin and Sean Peyton are, if you think it's easy, it's a bad college draft for quarterbacks, right? Maybe it's Green Bay's time to honestly say, listen, Aaron? We're sorry. Boom. There you go. I've been saying this the whole time.

It sounds great. You drafted his replacement. Sure, you're going to plug him right in. Everything's going to work perfectly. Okay. You can talk to some of these teams that haven't had a franchise quarterback for 20 years. Just say, listen.

Listen, a third of these draft picks all with anyway. Just go to a team and say, give us a second or a third for Jordan Love, redo Aaron Rogers deal, get David Boktiari signed. You got Aaron Jones signed. And by the way, you know what you do with Aaron? You give way more guaranteed money so you can lower the cap. And I think Aaron would do that because Aaron eventually wants to win more games. And so if you have this massive, you know, this gigantic cap hit, you're in big trouble. I honestly looked at that list this morning.

I'm like, some of these are great organizations. great GMs, great coaches, and they're an inch from four years of nonsense. I think Green Bay needs to apologize. I'm glad you finally come over to my side. All right. World Series, we're talking that. Mark Sanchez joins us next hour to The Hurt. 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, it's me, Rob Parker.

Check out my weekly MLB podcast Inside the Parker for 22 minutes of Pipe and Hot baseball talk featuring the biggest names and newsmakers in the sport. Whether you believe in analytics or the I-Test, we've got all the bases covered. New episodes drop every Thursday, so do yourself a favor and listen to Inside the Parker with Rob Parker on the IHeart Radio app or wherever you get your podcast. 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 I'm saying. Yep, that's me. Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way,

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

and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast, it's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So if you've ever supported me, or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to the Clifford Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at 10. TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok.

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 J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick it here, unpack what went down,

and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill, waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 was big to me not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack all 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 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 Podcast. or wherever you get your podcasts.

Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hardway with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Keer Games. And in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking, Tript Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing. And we're still chasing it.

and we don't know when we've done enough. Because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross, because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth, or are you a good person because you're afraid? Because that's two different intentions, bro.

Absolutely. And that's two different levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Kear Gaines, as we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, learn the hard way. Open your free,

iHeartRadio app search learn the hard way and listen now. Fox Bet Super 6 wants you to stack the cash. Scan the QR code, download the app, and enter the free-to-play NFL Sunday challenge contest, make your picks, and then invite your friends to play as well. The more people who enter, the bigger the jackpot gets. Well, the game one in the world series tonight, 7.30 on Fox Braves Astros. It's going to be a lot better than that awful Monday night football game last night that was just dreadful. Tom Verduci's the best guy that's ever covered that in my opinion.

and Fox Sports MLB analyst is joining us now. First of all, you know, the brave, some of this in baseball is crazy. Not like it's luck, but it's crazy. So the Astros had Charlie Morton, and he's like, you know, 37, 38-year-old. And they're like, yeah, we don't need Charlie Morton. And he goes over to Atlanta, and he's starting tonight against his former teammate. They also made it, you know, these deadline trades, a lot of them are, they don't pay off. And they went and got, you know, Atlanta went and got Eddie Rosario from the twins.

he's been a huge get. So is it when you sort of look at the Braves, we know they're well run. Some of it is, you know, I mean, would you have picked them early in the year to be here? What do you make of the Braves' path to get here? Hey, Colin, full disclosure, before this year started, I picked the Braves to win the World Series.

Now, I got to tell you, I did that thinking that Ronald Ocunia Jr. would be the MVP. Right. And here he misses virtually a whole year, right, blows out his knee. So you touched on something really interesting. The Braves are not here without the trade deadline, right? They went all year trying to replace Acunae. They couldn't do it. Trade deadline, they start, you know, looking at the bargain bin shelf for outfielders.

Jack Peterson, Eddie Rosario, Jorge Soler, Adam Duval, completely redid their outfield on the fly at the trade deadline. Lo and behold, they played great the last two months. Yeah. And you look, the team they're playing here, the Astros, who really struggled bullpen-wise. Trade deadline, they go get Ryan Stanick, Phil Maeton. Kendall Graveman. And most fans are going, who? Like, we're all looking at Scherzer and Turner, blockbuster deals, right? Just goes to show you at the trade deadline, it's those finishing pieces. Neither one of these teams would be here without those trade deadline moves.

Astros, bullpen, Atlanta outfield. Yeah. By the way, you know, Charlie Morton's funny. There are these guys that I just trust, I said this two weeks ago. If Charlie Morton's going in a big game, you just kind of feel like he'll be fine. There'll be no chaos. He'll get you to the seventh inning. Why did Houston let him go? Was it a cost thing? Was it an age thing? Well, first of all, Houston turned his career around.

I mean, this guy had a 4-5-ERA career-wise, 36 years old. It blew out his hamstring the year before. He thought, nobody's going to want me. Astros wanted him because he could spin a curveball. And they told him, Charlie, you've got to throw your curveball more. And he basically doubled it, and it's one of the best curveballs in the game. Watch the game tonight. You'll see that.

It's actually two of the best, Valdez for Houston and Morton. for the Astros. A ton of great curveballs tonight. So they turned his career around. And each year, Charlie was like, yeah, I may want to retire. He's got kids at home. He's getting his late 30s. And it was about comfort then, about being close to home.

He lives in Florida, the Braves train right near where his home is. So give the Astros credit for turning this guy around. And I'm totally in agree with you a calling here. Charlie Morton may not be the biggest name, but it comes to biggest games. He's on my list of five guys I would trust the most. to handle that game and pitch well. Yeah. So listen, the Astros, you know, I was telling somebody the other day,

we got into this discussion. I said, you know, aggressive wins in sports. And we know what the Astros did, but they didn't give up the World Series. And here they are with all these great players. And in the end, they're a little bit of a villain. And I understand it. And every sports got them. And we can talk about the past.

But in the end, last five years, you can make an argument. It's the best baseball team. If you start stacking up the last five years, Is there a secret sauce to the Astros? You know, everybody's, oh, they're cheaters. People say that about the Patriots. You get that a lot, right? So, you mean, in the end, you got to win games.

You got to win road games. You got to win series. Here's Houston again. Give me a little bit for somebody that doesn't follow baseball religiously. What is it about this entity that keeps ending up in these big games and winning these big series? Yeah, well, I take it one step further. You have to win, yeah, on the road during a regular season. You have to win in October.

It's a different kind of baseball in October, right? You're saying the best pitchers, the best teams. The Astros have two things why they keep getting back here to the World Series. To me, number one, they put the ball in play, right? This team strikes out the lowest rate in Major League Baseball. We've seen it throughout this postseason, Colin. This team is just racking up a ton of runs with two outs. So these pitchers can't get the third strike.

They can't get their team off the field because up and down the lineup, these guys are going to battle you. They're going to put the ball in play. Watch these games. You won't see a ton of shifts. the Astros are batting. Why? Because they use the whole field. So that's number one. And now you're talking about supreme experience. And you can't tell me that that doesn't matter in these big spots. It's sort of like the Yankees in the late 90s. They've been through every circumstance that

you can imagine. I've seen this team play poorly. I've seen out too they have a bat at bat, comes back the neck of the bat, it's a home run. Nothing phases this team. And it's sort of like a college football team, a college football coach who makes great half time adjustments. The Astros do that in the course of these games. I mean, look, the Red Sox were the hottest team on the planet in the postseason. All of a sudden, they stopped hitting. And Alex Cora, I asked them, I said, what happened to your club? And he said, what happened was Brent Strom, the Astros pitching coach, and Martine Maldenado, the catcher.

They just made adjustments in the middle of game four series completely changed. So that's what the Astros do. They put the ball in play. They're so smart. They've been through these wars. so they may have a bad game here or there, even a bad inning. It doesn't phase them at all. Yeah, I kind of have a soft spot for Atlanta because the town really loves,

they got a lot of sports in Atlanta, but the team that's closest to the heart of that city is the Braves, and it has been for years. And part of that is because of losing, because they lost so many big series that emotionally people have been so sucked into the Braves for years and they've been so disappointed that there's this, you know, they've been very, back to the show, They've always been a really well-run franchise, and they've been so close.

They haven't won a title since 95. So part of me is like, and they lost their star players. Part of me is like, I'd like to see Atlanta win it. This would be great. Your gut feeling on what the series will look like if you lean either way. Well, I think they have a couple of things in their favor, the Braves do. First of all, you know, American League rules here for the first couple of games in Houston, all these bats we talked about that they traded for in the outfield.

They put another in the light up, right? with the D.H you probably see Solair is the D.H. They now have an American League lineup playing an American League rules. Then they go to Atlanta, and I think the National League rules really help the Braves because the Astros are going to have to play Michael Brantley and you are Don Alvarez in the same outfield with probably Kyle Tucker in center field. So that's an advantage for the Brage. Also, I was talking to Walt Weiss.

He's, you know, been there forever. He said the crowds at Truist Park. And maybe this gets back to what you're talking about, not calling, are so much louder and have so much more energy than the crowds at Turner Field, which were great. But he said it's a whole different level. So when you've waited, what, 22 years for the World Series, you've got it first time in the new ballpark. There's a hunger there.

So I think the ballpark will help them. The rules will help them. Bottom line here, Colin is that the Braves are going to win this World Series. They're going to win it with their three lefties in the back of their bullpen, right? It's going to be Minter, Matzick, and Smith. Hitters are hitting a buck 14 off them this postseason. and Brian Snicker goes to them a lot. You have the two off days in the series where you can afford to do that.

If the Astor is going to win, they're going to have to beat those guys late. It's a very unique circumstance with three, their best three relievers are all left-handed. It doesn't matter. They get out lefties and righties. We've seen this postseason, Colin, it's really been about relief pitching. 31 post-season games. Starting pitchers have won only 11 games. Wow.

Two out of every three post-season games are decided by bullpen. So we talk all about the starting pitchers. But really, it's bullpens who decide. And for the Braves, I really like their back end. Braves Astros, 730, Fox. Great seeing you. We'll be watching tonight, bud. Love it.

Thanks, Colin. You bet. Tom Verducci. Good as anybody who's ever done it. He's in that Peter Gammon's class. Really great. And, you know, it is interesting that in a weird way, the places that Atlanta Braves, baseball, and Georgia football, have been so close so many times and have broken their fans' hearts.

You know, like Houston, when they were good with a Lajoan, they won some rings. And, you know, the Astros, you got some rings. And they're like, okay, Houston, when they're good, they've had their opportunity. Atlanta feels like one of those cities. They deserve a break from the sports gods. I mean, do we even need to mention the Falcons? I refuse to bet them. It's the one professional football team.

By the way, this weekend, I love them against the dolphins. I did. I wouldn't bet them. I refused to bet Atlanta. Smart. No, I almost filed Chapter 11 a couple years ago on the Falcons. Limited time, buy a Casper mattress and get some free Casper products, up to two original Casper Pillows. It's a $400 value.

Go to casper.com for details. Casper.com for details. Great stuff. Hour three. Mark Sanchez around the corner 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 your podcast. 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. Clivert 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, unfills of conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to The Cliford Show on the I-Hard 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. On The Look Back at a podcast. For 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.