The Herd with Colin Cowherd - HOUR 2 - Right & wrong, Mike Tomlin

Episode Date: November 1, 2021

Where Colin was right and wrong over the weekendMike Tomlin keeps winningGuest: Trent Dilfer 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. 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 Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfills of conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to The Clifford show on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok podcast network on TikTok. On the Look Back at it podcast. From 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84 is 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. I mean, 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. 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.

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 Herd. You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. Sports Radio. Ah, here we go. Our number two on a Monday, live in LA. It's the herd, wherever you may be, and however you may be listening.

IHeart Radio, Fox Sports Radio, FS1. There's an NFL trade, a big one today. The Rams are getting Von Miller from the Denver Broncos and giving them a second and third round pick next year. So essentially next year, the Rams have a fifth round pick and a seventh round pick. They are foregoing next year's NFL. draft. By the way, Seattle only had three picks this year because they went big on Jamal Adams. And if you have a superstar quarterback and you love your coach and you're like,

we're in a championship window and you don't feel like there's a lot of spots that draft picks can make your team and the Rams feel that way, then just go for it. Like where is a rookie going to play on this team? Especially if you don't, you know, they gave up first round picks for Matt Stafford. Where's the second round pick going to play for the Rams? Maybe on the offensive line, but their tackles are great, their centers dependable. You know, you get to a point where if you're the Rams, they're looking at it going. And we've seen, you know, the Yankees would do this years ago. They didn't have a minor league system.

The Pittsburgh Pirates and the A's were their minor league system. Like, what are we worried about the draft? We're in this championship window. Mariano is in his prime and Derek's in his prime and you had your, you know, your David Cones. And sometimes you get these teams and it's like, we've got three years here. We've got win championships. Now, I very much understand the value of the draft and in having draft picks.

But if you are in a specific window, you don't need to be hoarding up draft picks. You have to do whatever you have to do to get over the line. You have to be aggressive. It's not going to help you. There's no point of being greedy. Yeah. Just go all in. All right.

Colin Wright, Colin Wrong brought to you by Jersey Mike Subs. Get it on your mobile app delivery to your home or pick up from the nearest location, limited time, free game day delivery on Saturday, Jersey Mike's be a sub above, and here we go. Where Colin was right? Well, it only took half the year, but the Blazing Five was three and two. I took the bills.

They covered. I had the chargers being upset by the Patriots almost the exact score. And I had the Saints giving, that defense giving Tom Brady a lot of trouble. In fact, it gave him so much trouble. They lost. God, I had that call. I almost

went four and one Colts. Carson Wentz lost that game four times, I swear to God. Where Colin was wrong. I don't know how the Pittsburgh Steelers are winning. In 2021, I don't know how they're winning. They've scored fewer points than the Giants, Denver, and Washington. But they've got a winning record and they play the Lions next. I got to stop doubting Mike Tomlin.

They just keep making big defensive plays late in games. Najee Harris is their entire running game. They have a young offensive line, which I'll give them credit. yesterday that young Steeler Online had one of their better Sundays. So this is a weird way to win in 2021 with no offense. But they're doing it. And I was wrong. Where Colin was right.

I said when Mack Jones got drafted, his ceilings low, but he probably would be the most successful first year rookie quarterback because it's the perfect place. And guess what? He's the only rookie quarterback with more touchdowns than picks. He's completing 68% of his throw. throws. He's got the head coach, the coordinator, the O-line in the running game. And I said, I don't think he has a terribly high ceiling, but I think you're going to see what he is really, really quickly. And you are. He's accurate. He's gotten out of the terrible throw business. And you know what?

I'll be honest. He's a little better every week I see him. He's just a little better. And I think we may be fairly close to the ceiling. But New England wanted to be good now because they thought they had the head coach and the coordinator and the O line and the defense to win now, and the kicker to win now, and they do. So Mac is good. Of all the young guys, he's the best now. Where Colin was wrong. Listen, I had the Packers winning their division, but I thought Aaron Rogers was way too noisy

in the offseason and it would just never feel right. But that win Thursday in Arizona, missing 11 starters, is one of the great Packer wins in the last 10 years, if you count non-playoff wins. In the last seven weeks, Aaron Rogers has 17 TDs in one pick. They're doing it without their two best defensive players. They're playing physical football. I couldn't tell you the last team that was the noisiest team in the offseason, but maybe the best team during the season.

That's not the way the NFL works. NBA teams are noisy all the time. It's star-driven. NFL noise equals losses, not with Green Bay. Where Colin was right? I never liked the OBJ Baker connection. It doesn't work. I don't care whose fault it is.

You can blame whoever you want. It doesn't work. OBJ looks washed, although I still think he can play, but he's not as quick as he was. Baker doesn't feel comfortable throwing to him in big spots. I thought it was a weird fit. You had young Baker Mayfield, this young kid, let's give him a superstar wide receiver. I think that's really, let me defend Baker. I think that's hard on quarterbacks.

You got a young, remember when Dez and Dak and Dallas finally said, we got to let him sprinkle the ball where he wants to throw it? So it doesn't work, and I've been saying this for two years. Trade him. Now, all the injuries and his ineffectiveness, I'm not sure how much you could get for OBJ. Where Colin was wrong. I said in the NBA draft, I would have taken Zion over John Morant, but Zion's hurt again. He looks really, really heavy.

He's not playing. And John Morant is a spectacular basketball talent, 28 points, 8 assists, 5 rebounds, and now he can hit shots. He's becoming a better shooter. judge young players too much on their jumper. It takes to Ray Allen didn't come into this league as a great shooter. But, you know, the league is because you can't

hand check. The league is becoming such a guard and wing league, and you just can't stay in front of John Morant. Zion, I like him, but his weight, it's an issue. He is just he's 285, 290. And by the way, these

are the young years when you can burn off weight faster? What happens four years from now with Zion? where Colin was right? I love Mel Tucker, the coach of Michigan State. When he got hired, I said, I don't understand the lukewarm response. In two years, he made Colorado a much tougher, more physical team. How about Kenneth Walker?

They were down 30 to 14. He is 8-0 in his first truly full season at Michigan State last year, the pandemic year. And this program was the definition of average. I mean, they were average in the Big Ten. They were 7 and 6, 7 and 6, 7 and 6, and he walked in and he told these kids, we can win a national championship here. Now, I don't know if you can, but there are very few head coaches I watch on television

and think I would run through a wall for this coach. This is what USC needs. A presence, an alpha. Congratulations to Sparty and what is the best college football game I think I've seen in several years, and that includes the sooner Longhorn game earlier this year. Where Colin was wrong. Jim Harbaugh.

He now has a losing record against Michigan State. He can't beat Ohio State, and he's two and 12 against top 10 teams. I gave him a ton of credit. I thought he had a presence. But in seven years now, what does he grab? What has he done? Listen, they're not good enough at quarterback, which is bizarre to me because he was an NFL quarterback. If they had bad defense, has been good on offense.

I'd have gotten that. It's the opposite. I don't find him terribly likable. I think now he has the second biggest presence in his own state, situation. They make too many mistakes. And after seven years, and I've defended him, he's won 71.5% of his games. But he can't beat his two rivals consistently. He can't beat one of them at all.

And he can't beat top teams. Where Colin was right. Dan Campbell, I know he's likable. I know he's the one NFL coach you'd want to have a beer with. He's 0.8. And every tactic is failing. I keep hearing, he's a great motivator. Well, he lost 44 to 6 at home to Philadelphia.

That's a team that quit. You can't tell me that Philadelphia is 38 points better than the Detroit Lions. Again, he fights for his team. I think he's a good person. Maybe he's the world's best defensive coordinator. Again, I'm not saying that Dan Campbell doesn't have value coach in this league, but I didn't like his opening press conferences. I thought he came off as kind of silly and amateur-ish, and it ain't working.

By the way, when you watch Detroit play, and I don't want to come across as mean, Sean McVeigh got Jared Goff to a Super Bowl. I mean, end of tweet. I mean, seriously. And I defended Jared Goff, but I'll tell you who looks good in this whole deal. Sean McVeigh. Jared Goff's never won a football game in the NFL, mostly blowout losses without Sean McVeigh. When Sean McGa got on the phone, I was Stan Cronky owns a ram, told me this story because I'm on the tarmac and eight teams are after Stafford.

and I'm taken off. I doubt he was on a Southwest plane. Stan Cronk, he's on the tarmac, L.A.X, taking off and knows he can't talk until he gets to 10,000 feet. And McVe's like, we've got to make this move. I promise you it's the right move. McVeigh sold it, and boy, was he right. Because the Rams look fantastic and the lions are O and 8. Colin right, calling wrong.

Man, yesterday was crazy. Some of this stuff is hard to explain. I can't explain what I saw with Brady. And, you know, what really happens is, you know, on shows like this, we want to give you all the answers. But this stuff is complex and it's hard. And it moment, like yesterday, New Orleans just, Trevor Simeon just got a little momentum going. And Tampa couldn't get any offensive momentum going. And then it's not like Tom was making terrible throws.

It's like the saints have a real good defense. And you're on the road. and, you know, Tom's kryptonite is now New Orleans. And even for Brady, football games, football careers, you need a kingmaker. You need momentum. And Tampa just couldn't get momentum. Trevor Simeon made two really, you know, solid throws early. And it's like, oh, he's got confidence.

Oh, the coaches have confidence. Oh, now they're throwing on second and three. You look up and you got Mike White and Trevor Simeon and Cooper Rush. Cooper Rush made that big pass to Cedric Wilson. and you know, you're kind of tentative. It's Cooper Rush. It's not Dak. And all of a sudden they make that big pass to Cedric Wilson.

You're like, tonight we may have the better quarterback. In this moment, in this little window, confidence-wise, with our personnel and our O'Line, Cooper Rush, in this moment for the next hour, he may be the better fit at quarterback in this game. Well, there's moments within the season and then within parts of the season, and then within games that can go, look at the Bills game. First half is a disaster. Second half, the bull dolphins out. They're all professionals.

They make tweaks. You're not supposed to win every single game every single week, unless you're the 72 dolphins. That's right. Oh, boy. I have to hear that again. That's just obnoxious. One more herd? The herd streams 24 hours a day seven days a week within the IHeart radio app.

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

I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the 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. Cliver Taylor the 4th.

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

The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast, it's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to the Clifford Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-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 a here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill,

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

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. Welcome to my new podcast,

Learn the Hard Way 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,

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Crazy Sunday. Trent Dilfer played for a decade and a half in the NFL. He won the 2000 Super Bowl with the Ravens. He's now the Lipscomb Academy head football coach in beautiful Nashville, Tennessee. We were saying the way it works is in the NFL is if your quarterback's not dynamic enough, you've got to be careful because everybody starts blaming people. They blame the coach and the play caller and they blame the defense. And all of a sudden the GM hears this and he reaches on a trade.

And whatever it is, and I don't care whose fault it is, but Cleveland's offense is broken. They don't trust Baker. Baker doesn't look like he trusts Baker. OBJ doesn't work. Again, I couldn't give a rip whose fault it is. but you've been in those rooms where all of a sudden, like Kansas City's got a problem, Trent, but we acknowledge where it is.

It's on defense. Cleveland's offense is broken, and I don't know if anybody's going to take accountability for it. What do you see? It's a tough one. You know, I want to see, I'd like somebody to tell me how many games have Beckham, Landry, Chubb, Hunt all played together.

Like you go into the season with certain things on paper, and then you never really get to play with. all the people you've planned around. I want to see them all play together a bunch before we start writing the Browns off. I've always been a believer that you really can start hitting your stride now. They're four and four. They've underachieved. I agree with you.

The offense is broken. But I do think it needs a chance to get fixed. I do think they can fix it. I think Baker can be better than he's been, given all the appropriate weapons around him playing. I think part of it is how the game's been. been called because they don't have everybody they call a very conservative type of football it is i've always thought when you run the ball well and you throw short passes that doesn't mix like if you run the ball well you should take chunks if you don't run if you don't run the ball well then

you do all those short little completion um plays to me they're they try to run the ball between the tackles they try to establish that but they also just kind of throw the short boring stuff yeah i like to i'd like to see him become more explosive in the past game now if they don't trust Baker, and there's times you see them not trusting them downfield, and that's an issue, then that's a Baker issue. But when they get both backs in the game, when they have those two-star receivers playing together and healthy, you would think they could fix it pretty simply. Run the rock with two great backs and throw the ball deep. It's not rocket science. You don't need the greatest schemes in the world to realize that you have two guys that can take the top-hop, the defense, and make explosive

plays in the passing game, especially if you're getting heavy boxes because you have two guys you can share the wealth with running the football. I don't recall what your take on Mac Jones was. Mine was basically the ceiling's low, but because he's really going to a perfect place, we'll probably see his, he'll be good early. Whatever his ceiling is, I don't think it's tremendously high, but what do I know?

But I watched the last 14 quarters, the second half of the Texans game in the last three games, and he's gotten out of something all rookies do, and this is what they do. They make the awful throw. About once, twice a game. game, you just cringe. He's kind of gotten out of that. I mean, is he better now? Is he more comfortable? How has he gotten out of that space? Is the play calling better? He plays the position

at a very, very high level. It's professional quarterbacking. When you see these other young guys, they're playing more. They're trying to figure it out. There's a lot of streetball to it. There's a lot of wild plays and a lot of shake your head plays. You see very, very few shake your hair plays. head plays with Mac. He's playing the position, especially with his eyes, as well as a seven, eight, nine-year vet. I've asked some other quarterbacks about it because I've been super impressed with them since the very beginning. His stats haven't been great, but even in the preseason and in those first couple of games, I saw a level of professionalism in his game that kind of made me take a step back. So I called some other quarterbacks, and they see the same thing.

They see him using eye manipulation. You see his starting points correct. His feet and his eyes are tied together. He makes good situational decisions. I actually think he has more horsepower than people give him credit for. I'd call him a mid-ceiling guy. He's not a high-ceiling guy like a Mahomes or a Wilson Lamar, those guys, but he's a mid-ceiling guy. His ceiling's higher than, say, a Kirk Cousins. Yeah. I think he has a mid-ceiling. I think his floor is super high. And that doesn't get talked about enough. He's not going to play poorly very often. In the next 10 years, we're not going to have a lot of disaster Mac Jones games that we're talking about. There'll be a handful of them, but he's not going to try to make the play that he can't make. He's going to let his better athletes on the team

make those plays. He's going to get the ball out of his hand. He's going to handle the run game, protection game really well. He's going to be really good in critical situations. Again, you see a lot of these guys that have kind of phony stats. All their stats are 20 to 20. They stink on third down. They stink in the tight red zone. They stink in two-minute drills. I think you're going to see Mack thrive in those situations. He's going to thrive in the critical situations when a lot of the playmakers don't play those situations very well. So I'm very, very bullish on Mack Jones. I think he has a chance to be a perennial pro bowler, get that Patriots team back where they belong as a consistent talking point as a championship team. And

again, I couldn't say more good things about Mac Jones. So it's interesting. Gino Smith, Trevor Simeon, Mike White, Cooper Rush, all Ws yesterday. And really, you can argue they all outplayed somebody that's considered much more talented and kind of take me to that space of being a backup. You know, my guess is with Cooper Rush, they knew midweek he was going to play. They sent Dak there to, you know, make it look like he was going to play. But how are they all effective? Like, is it easier than we think? Well, three of the best schemes in all of football.

Maybe not the Jets. I think the Mike White was the most eye-opening one because that scheme is still evolving. but they did a lot of good things to support him. But if you look at Simeon, you look at Rush, you know, Kellynne Moore, Sean Payton, who are the best coordinators in the league, very creative offensively. It wasn't heavy lifting.

They didn't ask them to make a lot of impactful plays in the course of the game. A lot of them were scheme-driven, system-driven. I also think just the quality of quarterbacking, Colin. We've talked about this for the last, I think, seven, eight years. It's ridiculous how some of these guys that maybe you at home haven't heard about, but how talented they really are.

And they get a chance to sit back and play behind really good players and watch how they conduct their business. And they play for really good coordinators who get them prepared well. There's a lot of talented quarterbacks in the NFL. There's a lot of talented quarterbacks in college football. And like you know, I'll go all the way back to the high school space. I mean, there's 50 guys every year that we see in the high school space. Like, yeah, if they go to the right situation, the right people around them, that guy can play in the NFL. It's just a loaded position nationwide at all the levels.

And it doesn't shock you when the guys. guys come in that play for really good coordinators and play at a high level. Now, it's always been, this has always been the thing. Can you do it for a long time? Right. I think Gino Smith is one, a kid, I've always thought I've always thought he's the ultimate backup to have on your team. He can do what he's doing. He can play at a high level for a period of time. He can write the ship until your starter comes back. That's really the job of the backup. Now, can these guys be long-term starters? Can they take a franchise and put on their shoulders? Teddy Bridgewater is another example. He's gotten the starting job in Denver. I think Teddy at his best, yes, he's a starter. Yes, he's

going to win some games. But ideally, you want them backing up of Patrick Mahomes. So you have the Teddy Bridgewater backing up of Patrick Mahomes. So in case Patrick gets nicked up, you have a really quality guy to come in and write the ship. I think you have a lot of those guys. There's nothing wrong with being that guy. That guy, by the way, makes about $50 million in his career. It lives a pretty good life. So we're not knocking them. But there's still only 10 to 15 guys they can put the weight of the franchise on their back and do this for 7, 8, 9, 10, 15 years. You know, Trent, I was saying about the Cowboys,

and I want you to go back to your 2000 Ravens team. To win a championship, you need some breaks. You need usually a rookie like Dallas. Micah Parsons is insane. Last year for the bucks, Tristan Wirfs. Oh, my God, is he the best right tackle? You need a guy that had been eroding Zeke to come back in shape and be great.

And I watched Dallas and I'm like, they got two things going on here that championship teams have. They got a playmaker in every unit. Every unit's got somebody. And they're getting guys who either we gave up on or we thought, is too young. And they're popping. And I watched them last night and I'm like, if they end up in the NFC championship, I'm not, I mean, go back to your Baltimore year. Like we all just think it's all veterans.

and I'm like, I don't know. You need rookies to be great. Do you need some cheap labor? I mean, Trayvon Diggs and Micah Parsons. C.D. Lamb are stars in this league. What do you make of Dallas? I agree. I mean, you used our team.

I wouldn't have brought it if you didn't, but Jamal Lewis was a rookie and, you know, was arguably one of the best backs in football. And then Rod Woodson, a Hall of Fame corner, moves the safety for the Baltimore Ravens, becomes the best safety in football. Peter Bull, where our beat-up body that was still young becomes a dominant pass rush.

I can go on and on. on the formula that we had in Baltimore, and you see that around the league. I like which said you need cheap labor. You need your lower paid guys, your rookies, your second year guys to play at a high level. You need your veterans that some have maybe set or past their prime to go back and capture magic in a bottle

and play at their highest level for a year or two. All those things have to happen. I also think you need an edge. And the biggest thing that sticks out to me about the Cowboys is, you know, they kind of were just lolly gagging through the league the last couple years. you know, resting on their talent. They got an edge to them.

They got, there's something there with that culture where they're playing with the chip on their shoulder. That is a different vibe for the Cowboys. I watch them every week for whatever reason. I'm a big DAC fan. I like watching the Cowboys. They're edgy. They're tough. They're physical.

Yeah. Confident. They don't hang their heads when something bad happens. Their body language is good. I mean, all these things that, the common fans are like, I don't know how much that matters. Well, it matters in a locker room. and I bet you there Mondays through Saturdays are a lot more intense than they've ever been before because you see that intensity and that edge come out on Sundays.

Yeah. Trent's got a new podcast comes out tomorrow, Beyond the X's and O's with Trent Dilfer. It's fantastic. That's why we bring him on a weird Sunday, but that's why we love this game. You just don't know what you're getting, baby. You have no idea what you're getting. How did you guys do this weekend, by the way? We're in the playoffs now.

We went 9-1, the regular season. season. We're doing well. We've got to finish the race this year. You're like Mel Tucker out there. Just a present winning games right out of the shoot, buddy. Good seeing you. Thanks, brother. All right. Wolf and Shepherd, my favorite shoe brand, feels like an athletic shoe, looks like a business shoe, amazingly comfortable footwear. Check them out. Go to Wolf and Shepard.com. I love them. Joy Taylor with the news.

No, no, no, no. Turn on the news. This is the herd line news. Well, it was the week of backup quarterbacks this week. Mike White stepped in for the injured Zach Wilson and led the judges to a win over the Bengals. White threw for 405 yards, three touchdowns, caught a two-point conversion pass. Yes. On the go-head score in the 3431 win.

He became the first quarterback with at least 400 passing yards and three touchdown passes in his first career start. Let me ask you this. So he wins here and Jack Wilson still hurt. So he plays again. and he wins again. And Zach Wilson's healthy. What do you do?

What am I supposed to do? Like he's a veteran present so he doesn't make Zach's mistakes. I know Zach's the future, Joy. That's not it. But if they go on a two-game winning streak, what do I do? It makes it complicated. It does make it complicated. I would go back to Zach Wilson.

All right. Because you're not doing anything this year. You're not making the playoffs. And Zach Wilson's development is more important than some arbitrary wins. to me. All right. Now, fans probably don't want to hear that. Yeah.

Ownership probably doesn't want to hear that. But if you are truly invested in developing for the future of your organization, which you should be at this point. Yeah, I think you're right. Then you go back to Zach. I said it this weekend. If Jimmy Garoppolo could not beat a rookie quarterback, then you just go with Trey Lance and you lose games.

But Garoppolo wins. Russell's still not back. Arizona lost. So if you're San Francisco, do you say to yourself, okay, we don't have time to develop Trey in the season. our head coaches are a play caller. So, I mean, I do think there's... Well, that's the ongoing conversation of when and how do you bring in a rookie quarterback.

Speaking of the 49ers, they were on a four-game losing streak. And there were some calls for Trey Lance to become the permanent starter. But Jimmy Garapolo did a good job yesterday. 33, 22 win over the Bears, threw for a season high, 322 yards, and rushed for two touchdowns. After the game, he said it meant a lot to have this performance back in his hometown. And the team really needed this win. They play the Cardinals at home next week.

Jimmy was 17 of 28th at two rushing touchdowns. To your question, to your point, the Niners do feel, or maybe we just think of them as a better team, a team that could, if everything went smoothly, make a run. Kyler Murray's banged up. If Kyler didn't play next week and you beat Arizona, then you're like. Yeah, you're legitimately in it. Especially right now in the NFC where right now the seventh playoff seat is Carolina. So. You know, the season's not over.

Not for them. It's not. No. So each situation is different. However, I do think, you know, we all kind of went into this year assessing that Jimmy Garoppolo was going to be the starter, build his trade value up. If he's healthy all season, he will play. The only way that Tray Lance would see the field is if he was injured, which is exactly what happened. But again, you're essentially, by not starting Jimmy, essentially losing a year of Tray Lance's development on the field.

Now, off the field, sure, he's learning the plays and doing whatever off the field stuff you can do. Right, right. But you are losing time on the field. Right. So how does that affect you moving forward? Again, you're building a team with a young quarterback. You don't have to pay him. You're bringing in other guys.

But the development is going to be stunted to some degree. Yes. The point that everyone goes to is Patrick Mahomes. And again, it's Patrick Mahomes. There's only one of him in the world. There's one Patrick Mahomes. Now, there's other great quarterbacks. But the idea that everyone can just keep doing that and it's just going to work,

lock step is, I think is absurd. It does take time away to develop on the field. So to your question about Zach Wilson, I think you're losing time, not developing him. So the Rams were dominant once again, and they went over the Texan Sunday, not terribly surprising outcome. 38-0-0 at one point.

And I mean, it looked like a bad high school matchup. Between that one, this game and the Lions game, it was like, all right, guys, something's got to give here. This is the middle of the season, essentially, and these teams are literally, terrible. The Texans did try to get something going at the end, scored three straight touchdowns. I mean, it was garbage time, so way too late to make a comeback. But the Rams

improved a seven and one on the season. And of course, big news just came down that the Rams are sending the Broncos a second and third round pick in the 2022 draft in exchange for eight-time Pro Bowl linebacker Von Miller. Now, I don't know. I would have given up probably a third for Von Miller or a second. I don't know if I would have given up a second or third. but the Rams probably said, we're moving him, do you want him? And the Rams have been, to your point, very aggressive. I don't know if he's worth a second and a third.

I don't know because he's had some health issues. But I do know this. Situationalally, if you're in a conference with Tom Brady, Kyler Murray, Aaron Rogers, I would love to have Vaughn Miller for a year or two. I mean, I think a lot of this is the Rams look at who they're up against. They don't worry about their offense. What they worry about is not getting Aaron.

and Rogers or Tom Brady off the field. Right. And Vaughn Miller will help get them off the field. That's what it feels like to me. Yeah. And again, we've been talking about this earlier. If you are in a situation where you're able to go to the Super Bowl and win the Super Bowl this year, which we feel like the Rams are one of those teams, draft picks are

not helping you next year. That's not, or this year. So there's, you don't want to be in a situation where you have absolutely no draft picks because you want to be able to make trade. You want to have some flexibility and you do have to build for the future. Well, you do need some guys. You do need some. Cheap labor as well.

Yes. You have to have, I mean, Dallas right now is four. Although I don't know if he lies to the Rams because they think to just do whatever they want when it comes to the money. Well, a few of their, they have a great rookie, they have a great young cornerback. They're not paying big money. They have a good safety. They have a couple linebackers. So on the defensive side, there are some players making place who are not paying yet.

Yeah. I like the aggressiveness of it. It's worked for them. I can say whatever you want about the golf situation. They made it to a Super Bowl. Yeah. Like, that's, that is something. thing and it paid off. Now look, somebody's got to win, somebody's got to lose.

But making two super bowl is very difficult and that mentality got them there. So why shouldn't it this year within a better quarterback? Good stuff. Joy with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Herd Lye News. I just love aggressive teams. Got to give Mike Tomlin more props. No idea how he's winning football games. Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the IHeart Radio app. Hey, what's up, everybody? It's me, three-time Pro Bowl of LeVar Arrington, and I couldn't be more excited to announce

a new podcast called Up on Game. What is Up on Game, you ask? Along with my fellow Pro Bowler, T.J. Hushman Zada 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 Arington, T.J. Hushmanzada, and Plexico Burris on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, 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 which I'll say it. Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became.

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

And the next, we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast. It's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing some. 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 J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick it here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill, waxing all about crack in the 80s.

To be clear, 84 is big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack 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. 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. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hard Way 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. Trip 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.

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the bigger the jackpot gets. That's pretty cool. Yeah. So Ben Rothlisberger is now officially 24, 3, and 1 against the Browns. Yesterday, he won his 50th game in the state of, versus the state of Ohio. not a shock Cleveland and Cincinnati erode yesterday and Mike Tomlin again wins you know and I've said this before with Tomlin and Pete Carroll have always been similar to me sometimes the lack of

attention to details drive me nuts but there is there's an ability to win games close you're not sure how and they have these performances and you know it's I've been very critical of Pete Carroll much more than other people. I didn't really get Tomlin for a long time. He was like, is he a, is he a, you know, where are the details in offense? And now over time, I've discovered through basic, you know, sleuthing that a lot of it's big Ben. And he didn't give you much of an offseason.

He's not very good pre-snap. And, you know, in Pittsburgh, the coach doesn't decide who the quarterback is. The GM decides personnel in Pittsburgh. Okay. The front office of Pittsburgh's deciding who gets drafted. So it's just very funny to show you that Mike Tomlin, the value of Mike Tomlin, so what I'm about to say you all know, it's an offensive league. The defense's coaches, Ron Rivera, Vic Fangio, a lot of the defensive coaches,

Brian Flores in this league, they're not winning games. They're struggling. Offensive coaches, who we don't even know if they're good coaches, Cliff Kingsbury, are crushing. And here's the 16 lowest scoring teams in the NFL. These are the worst offenses in the NFL. One has a winning record. Mike Tomlin and Pittsburgh.

Now think about that. One of the 16 lowest scoring teams has a winning record. Why? Because he holds himself accountable because he builds great defenses. If you look at the last three wins for them, in all of those games, they have just made a play on the defensive side. of the field to win a game that was ugly. In fact, they only win one way now in Pittsburgh, ugly.

But they win, and they keep winning. And that's Mike Tomlin. By the way, Sean Peyton's getting all the credit this morning. Oh, my God, Trevor, Simeon. Well, why can't you give the defensive coach credit when he keeps winning the exact same way every week with a great defensive play late? They just make a play in big games. They got one running back they trust, Naji Harris.

He gets all the carries. They got two receivers. Claypool and Johnson they like, and they had literally one great offensive play yesterday. They're tied in. The rookie at a Penn State made a great catch. And they won. On the road against a very good roster. Tomlin gets credit.

He always holds himself accountable. He's blunt. He's to the point. Here's what he said after. This is so Mike Tomlin, it hurts. Everybody just played a selfless game. You know, they put the collective in front of personal agendas, man, and we fought. And that's the only way you get out of those environments.

particularly with some of the adversity that we face today, some of which was created by us, some of which was created by me. You know, the fake field goal man was a bad call because we poorly executed it. And so I take responsibility for that. I appreciate the guys back in my play and fighting for 60 minutes in delivering victory and making it a side note. Yep, that's coaching. In this era, when you cannot score and you have a winning record, got to give the coach.

We're giving Sean Payton credit today. Remember, Sean Payton's one of those names. Mike Tomlin brought up a week ago. We're going to get Peyton all the credit for winning without James. Well, you keep winning the exact same way and can't score. And again, Mike Tomlin doesn't get to say on Ben. That's Kevin Colbert. The front office in Pittsburgh does all the drafting.

And for the record, mostly does it well. And if you're a Steeler fan today, you've got to feel good for two reasons. Number one, your offensive line, I thought yesterday actually played pretty well. It's young. It's rebuilding. I thought the Steelers. line yesterday, open some holes for Naji Harris. Here's a second thing.

I was just talking to Trent Dillfer about this. To be a championship team, you need old guys who are eroding to pop and young guys that you wouldn't think you'd get much from to pop. Very interesting watching the Cowboys. So Zeke, we thought, was eroding. He had the best run maybe in the league yesterday. Randy Gregory, who I gave up on years ago, is now completely disruptive. Trayvon Diggs, second year maybe the league's best corner.

Micah Parsons is virtually unblockable, arguably the best rookie in the league. Amari Cooper now is ninth in touchdowns. C.D. Lamb is top 10, I think, in yards. You got rookies popping. Cedric Wilson's a six-rounder has become a playmaker. This is what a championship team looks like. Every single unit, there's a star somewhere in it. And you're getting stuff from six-rounders.

I mean, I thought Zeke was done. I'm like, okay, three straight years. I mean, this is why Green Bay drafted a quarterback because Aaron had this slight decline. Zeke's was much more obvious. He did not have juice. So every unit has a playmaker. Linebacker's got Micah Parsons, secondary Trayvon Diggs, receiver. You got Amari Cooper, C.D. Lamb and Cedric Wilson.

What's great for the Cowboys is their best pure pass rusher, Demarchus Lawrence hasn't stepped on the field. Michael Gallup, probably their fastest straight line receiver, is done on the field. They've got their tight ends now. We're getting a ton of work. You know, you do need to be a Super Bowl team. You need unexpected production.

You can't plan all this stuff. You're just going to have injuries. You're going to have guys not play well. Actually, what's interesting is their offensive line now is one of the few things I question, which is going to go down as one of the great. offensive lines in the last 20 years. Tyron Smith was in the tent yesterday. He's hurt.

Connor McWilliams is not great. Terrence Steel, right tackle has been a huge. He's another guy. Terrence Steel's playing at a Pro Bowl level right tackle. Nobody expected that. So it's good for the Dallas Cowboys. By the way, I want to do this one more time. I had the, cracks me up.

The NFL standings through essentially halfway through the season. It is insane right now this morning who would go to the playoffs. So right now in the NFC, I think the team to keep your eye on is Seattle because Gino Smith won a game yesterday. Now they have a buy and Russell Wilson comes back. So Seattle is a good football team with a legendary coach and they have playmakers. So right now Seattle is not a playoff team. They're a game out of it.

but with Arizona losing you know Packers won Cardinals Cowboys Bucks Ramp the top of the NFC is jammed it does feel like Seattle with Russell Wilson coming back remember when Drew Breeze got hurt

and the Saints stayed viable it actually was a benefit because Drew Bree's aging got like five weeks off Russell Wilson running around saved his legs for the last three weeks. Just something to consider because Russell uses every ounce of energy to play. Hadn't been running around now for three weeks. So now he gets a buy week. So you're going to get a

kind of semi-rested Russell Wilson second half of the season. If you go to the AFC playoff picture, Kansas City and Cleveland are not in it. The AFC is a much deeper conference right now. So not only is Kansas City not in it and Cleveland not in it. New England's not. And New England's playing really good football. So that's why, if you're Cleveland right now, the key to solving a problem is identifying the problem. Kansas City knows what their problem is. I think New England knows we need more pop offensively.

The problem with Cleveland is, they're all arguing about what it is. You go to their fan base. Half them want case, half want Baker. Now it's Stefansky, blame OBJ. The key to solving a problem, you've got to. to identify it. So that's the problem. In the AFC, I think New England knows we need more speed offense. I think I think Kansas City knows like to have another pass rusher. In Cleveland, it's all finger-pointing. Not a good place to be. You got to stop worried about who gets blamed and

who doesn't. The problem is Cleveland's offense is broken. Period. It is broken. The coach doesn't trust the quarterback, and right now the quarterback may not trust the quarterback. All right, hour three around the corner on a Monday today. How about Sparty? So happy for Michigan State. What a game that was. All right, hour three next. Another podcast from some SNL late night comedy guy, not quite.

Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman helped make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer, Street, 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 podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me. Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media.

Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my podcast. brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfilled of conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to the Clifford show on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcast,

or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok podcast network on TikTok. On the Look Back at it podcast. 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

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. 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.

Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashes. 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 IHart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an IHart podcast. Guaranteed

Human.