The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Hour 2 - Shady Speaks

Episode Date: December 28, 2022

In this hour of The Herd, Joy Taylor (in for Colin) starts with her NFL Power Rankings.  Then, Super Bowl champion and co-host of FS1's Speak, LeSean McCoy, joins Joy to share his weekend observations of his former team, the Philadelphia Eagles, as well as the Los Angeles Chargers quarterbacked by Justin Herbert. "Shady" also shares his thoughts on Tua's concussions and what the quarterback should do next. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Welcome to The Herd, Joy Taylor, in for Colin Cowherd. joined by Alex Curry in for Jason McIntyre. We're in today and tomorrow. Calling us the day off. We're in the upside down. The in between. The inside out. The inside out.

We're going to have like five names for this week by the end of the show. I'm going to have names for this week where time is no longer a construct. No. And we just move aimlessly through the week. We're here because sports continue, luckily, had an amazing performance by Luca Donchitch last night, which was, Oof. Oof. Chef's kiss.

He's good. If someone doesn't know, she's doing the Luca dance, she's not losing it. I mean, maybe. We all are. We're all losing. But that is Luca losing it after tying the game and sending into overtime. Unbelievable historic performance from Luca last night. LeShon Shady McCoy is in studio.

He'll be up here with us in just a few minutes. It's a speak takeover on the herd this week. We have Lechon in with us and we'll have a manual on in studio later on in the show. We'll have Dave Hellman on tomorrow to preview the Cowboys, who I'm sure are mad at me because I started the show telling them that it wasn't that great of a win. He'll talk about it later. It was a great win, Cowboys.

It was an unbelievable all-time win for the Cowboys. That's what they want to hear. We'll talk to Shady about that in just a few minutes. But I am going to do my power rankings. All right. I don't know that they're really that controversial, but people like to get mad at everything I say, so I'm sure they'll find a problem with it.

But let's start with number 10. Number 10. The Baltimore Ravens. Look, you got to be in the power rankings if you clinched a playoff first, which they did. They've won three of their last four games. I know Lamar Jackson is hurt. But you're in the playoffs now. so you can just wait until he's healthy.

Now, hopefully he does get healthy, and he is going to be healthy for the playoffs. You have two divisional games to end the season against the Steelers and then at the Bengals, so not the easiest way to finish the season, but it doesn't matter because you're already in the playoffs. So you might as well just get Lamar healthy and then try and make a run.

Ravens have completely turned it around from last season, which was a disaster, mostly due to injury, which I can get them a pass on. And we get to see Lamar Jackson, hopefully, in the playoffs. So they are number 10. Number nine. Jacksonville.

Look at scrappy little Jacksonville. No, I don't like to get too excited about Jacksonville, because I got to see enough to believe in them. But look, they've moved ahead of the Titans for first place in the AFC South. They were last place in the AFC South for the last four seasons. So this is a massive improvement. They're on a three-game winning streak. And the most exciting part of the Jacksonville Jaguars,

and I apologize, I don't know how to say Jaguars, so you just have to deal with how I say it. What are you supposed to say? I don't know. People tell me I say it weird. Jaguars. Jaguars. Jaguars. Is it Jaguire?

I say Jaguar. Am I saying it weird? Jaguar? I don't know. If you don't like it, I don't want to tell you. That's how I say it. They have the Texans and the Titans to finish the season, but Trevor Lawrence is the most exciting part of this.

Trevor Lawrence was an unbelievable college player. We were talking about him being an NFL player when he was a freshman in college. And now we are getting to see the emergence of Trevor Lawrence, which is very, very exciting. He has at the largest increase in passer rating in the NFL this season. So I'm going to put the Jacksonville Jaguars at 9.

Number 8. Number 8, Chargers. All right, now I'm going to say nice things about the Los Angeles Chargers. Because Chargers fans think I hate them. I don't know why. All I ever said was the Tua was better, and at that point in the season, he was.

And I said that Patrick Mahomes is a better all-time quarterback than Justin Herbert, which apparently is controversial. Whatever. I stand on that. Not on the Tua part, but definitely on Patrick Mahomes part. Regardless, they clinched,

they clinched a playoff berth. Justin Herbert is going to play in the playoffs, which is very exciting for all of us as NFL fans. We get to see a young emerging star in the postseason in games that matter. They have improved every single year, which is also exciting. They have held opponents under 20 points in three straight games. That's important.

We know Justin Herbert is great. We know the potential that he has. But can the defense compliment and help them out? And now they are. You have Bryn Saley as a defensive coach, and he is finally getting them into gear. They're getting healthy at the right time, trending into the playoffs. They've got two easy games to finish, Rams, and then at the Broncos, who are a complete disaster. So, congrats to the Chargers going to the playoffs, and they are at number eight.

Number seven. Vikings, all right. At one point in the season, Vikings fans were also mad at me. Look, everyone's always mad at me. It's fine. They're a weird team. But look, I kind of got to respect what they're doing. And part of the reason why I am very, very afraid of the Minnesota Vikings is they got that dude.

That dude right there. that is him. Justin Jefferson is him. I think we wore that out, but I'm still going to say it for this particular purpose. He is so bleeping unbelievable. He's unbelievable. He is indescribable to me to watch.

He is so good. And the fact that he is on the field will compliment everything else that's going on. He is just incredible. I have to take them seriously. They have an 8-1 record at home this season. The only losses came to the Eagles, Cowboys, and Lions, which are all good teams.

They're weird. They have a plus two point differential. Like it's the worst point differential with any team with 12 plus wins through week 16. It's really strange plus five, not plus two. It's strange. They're weird. But they win. Kirk Cousins, this reputation of blowing games.

And then he comes back and the greatest comeback in history. And they've got Justin Jefferson. So I got to respect him. Number six. Number six. Cowboys. All right, cowboys. Cowboys are a good team.

Still the Cowboys. We're still in the middle of the cycle. You don't know about the cycle. I'll explain the cycle to you off here. We're in the Wheat and Boys part of the cycle. We're moving into the playoffs now. Number one scoring offense since Dak returned from injury. Defense is unbelievable. I think they have the defensive player of the year in Michael Parsons. They've been consistent all season long their defense has.

They're 5-1 against teams with the winning record. That's the best in the NFL this season. They just had a nice win against the division. Rivals in the Eagles. If Dak doesn't turn the ball over at a high rate, They're in every single game, and the way that they can run the ball, they are extremely, extremely dangerous. The defense is going to get takeaways,

and they're a team you have to take seriously in the regular season. I don't know. We'll see how it goes in the postseason, Dallas. I need to be convinced. I'm sorry. I've watched this for 26 years. I need to be convinced. Whatever.

I'll be last to the band of Megan, but they are number six. They are a great team this year. And, and, and put some respect on Mike McCarthy's name. I've been on this Mike McCarthy thing for a while. He's not great situationally, but you can't talk about how good the Cowboys have been and not give the head coach some credit. It doesn't work that way.

He's done a really nice job with this team. He has put together a great staff. They're playing well. Give him some credit. Number five. Cincinnati Bengals. We don't know what they were going to be at the beginning of the season.

They look terrible. Bad, bad, as Shady would say. Bad, bad. But they are in a seven-game winning streak. That dude right there. Joe Burrow, that man. Mama, there goes that man. second leading passer in the NFL this season, over 4,000 yards behind only Mahomes.

He's in the MVP conversation. They have been playing some unbelievable football as of late, and they were in the Super Bowl last year. So here we go again. Number four. The Bills, six-game winning streak, number one seed in the AFC. They have clinched their third consecutive AFC East Division title. Only 24 giveaways in the offense. They don't turn the ball over.

They are a very strong team. Josh Allen is, of course, very. very talented. They are on pace and chugging away. They had a little clunkiness early in the season, but they've gotten back on track. The offense isn't quite firing the way you would want them to, but like I said, they don't turn the ball over. They have the Bengals and the Patriots to finish the season. Number three. The Chiefs have won eight of their last nine games. They have that man, Patrick Mahomes. He's pretty good, pretty good player, Patrick Mahomes. They have Travis Kelsey. They have Andy Reid. third team in NFL history with five consecutive seasons with 12 plus wins.

We kind of have gotten bored of the Chiefs. They're still really awesome. We didn't know what they were going to be without Tyree Kill. They're still really awesome. And it's because of Patrick Mahomes, who will probably win the MVP this year and it's deserved. He's an unbelievable season and they are great. Number two. San Francisco 49ers with Mr. Irrelevant, Brock Purdy, who has completely shed that title, by the way.

had a birthday the other day. Rock Purdy. Growing up before our eyes, he has been unbelievably impressive. Kyle Shanahan just, it doesn't matter who you put in there. They're going to win games. Their defense is generational. It's terrifying. They are firing on a level that they make other teams look like they're playing a different sport.

The 49ers are so good. They are so terrifying. And I wasn't sure I could buy into the story that the last pick in the NFL draft, The seventh round rookie could possibly take this team all the way, but I'm bought in now. And man, that is going to be a great movie one day. That's just going to have all of us in our seats watching when they pull that off. And number one is the Eagles. Number one is the Eagles.

Let's bring in LaShawn, Shady McCoy, of Speak, my co-host on Speak on FS1 to talk about the Eagles. What do you think of my power ranking, Shady? Shady. What's up? Yeah. Two times. Love it. I love it too.

It's for you. We make it cozy around here. LaShawn Shady McCoy, two Super Bowls, six-time pro bowler, two-time all-pro. Eagles leading Russia and franchise history. Do you still feel like the Eagles are the best team in the league? I do. I truly believe that.

I think this, I got some good news, right? Lane will not need surgery to after the season. That's great news. So that's always great. If you know the record when Lane doesn't play, I won't tell you because it's not good. Good. Not good. And then Jalen Hertz, our MVP, we get him back.

I heard that things are going good for him. I'm not sure if he'll be playing in the regular season anymore, but I know the playoffs he'll be ready to go. We get the buy week. We're a dangerous team. Even losing to the Cowboys, you see how dangerous we really are. Like, let's think about it. When we ever have four turnovers in one game, right?

The best thing about the Eagles were we don't turn the ball over. So you look at the game, we lost the games to the Cowboys. They played an excellent game. Dak really, he showed off, right? The defense, 40 points? A 40 burger with like extra cheese, extra, come on. That won't happen again against the birds. Third and 30, right?

Come on. So I just think that I'm happy with the birds. It's hard to go this far with winning so many games, right? I think the playoffs will be ready to roll. I'll be ready to roll. So, well, I mean, if Jalen Hertz doesn't finish the season out, he's not going to win the MVP. Patrick Mahomes will win the MVP, which he will, you know, which he deserves. But yeah, Patrick Mahomes has, he's had an MVP level season. Yes, he has.

I think that Jalen Hertz has also had an MVP level season, but I don't think he should win the MVP if he doesn't finish the season out. Do you feel comfortable with him sitting for the rest of the season? Is it like a health thing or you just want to make sure that he's 100% healthy going into the postseason? You know what? It's hard to get 100% this late in the season. Right. But I think it's great if you can get there, right? And we're talking about our best player, right at least playing so yeah i think i'm not against sitting him for the whole year and then having a first starting to playoffs um they'll be practicing they'll be getting the timing together uh i mean he and he runs the ball enough where he takes hits so i think it's better for him to rest rest that body

rest that arm up especially the right arm and get back to winning games and scoring touchdowns we're talking the shady mccoy my co-host on speak on fs 1 430 p.m eastern just a little while from now i'll be on there later we'll be arguing about something or we actually agree a lot lot. We agree a lot. It's the other guy. It's the other guy. Dave Allen and Emmanuel Lachamon. We'll have Emmanuel on later on the show today. Joy Taylor in for Colin Cowherd. So we talked at the beginning of the season about Jalen Hertz and you guys weren't so sure because you and Emmanuel obviously have Eagles ties if they

were going to commit to him after the season. You think he's done enough that he's going to be the guy moving forward? I think so. I think in the beginning of the year, I didn't know. I'm just going to be honest. I don't know. The Jay Hurtz that I've seen last year, right? To this year, it's a totally different person. Like, if they had two different numbers, I'll think there are two different people. And that just shows you the dedication to hard work that he put in on the all season, right? And then I think Coach Seriani, like, I give him a lot of credit.

And also Howie, for putting the team together and also giving him some help. A lot of times with these coaches, they get so arrogant. I draft you, you're going to fit into my scheme. It's not that. No, you drafted me. So what they did is they put him, right? And the scheme that fits him, whatever you want to do, Jalen, let's do it. So, yeah, I think he's our franchise guy.

I mean, think about that, though. If Jalen Hurst leaves Philadelphia, like... I mean, I don't know Philadelphia the way that you do. I feel like it would be outrageous. Listen, when we won our first Super Bowl, they destroyed Broad Street. It was a big party for everybody, right? If they let Jailen Hurts go, it was going to be the same thing. But they're not going to be happy.

They're going to be pissed off. They're going to be burning everything. You cannot let Jalen Hertz leave. He's their franchise guy for the future. That's an easy one right there. I agree. Sign them up. No, Philly fans are something else.

I got to give you that. I experienced it for the first time during the World Series in Philly, saw them climbing the polls, going crazy in the street. That's a crazy fan base. People normally love Santa Claus, right? Like, as a kid growing up, they love Santa. I play in a game, a TV timeout. Man, the boys, you know, it's kind of cold.

so we're like, damn, it's cold, you know. We look over, they're beating up Santa Claus because he had a Santa out for him with the cowboy hat. You know, so Philadelphia is nothing to play with. Philadelphia has a reputation, and some of it is earned. But I think Philly fans are great fans. They're very passionate. So speaking of the Cowboys, let's talk about the Cowboys. Where you and I have disagreed this week is I don't think that that was as great of a game.

It was a nice win for the Cowboys. Anytime you beat the Eagles, it's a good win. Dak played great. The defense played amazing. Had forced four turnovers. That was big, yeah. But also, the Eagles had four turnovers, and they didn't have Jalen Hertz. And similar to the game early in the season when they didn't have Dak and it was Cooper Rush, we just kind of got robbed of this matchup this year. But you made everyone a little upset last week when you were talking about Dak Prescott.

And that's your opinion of how he plays. I think Dak is an above average quarterback. I think he gets criticized more than he probably should just because he's the Dallas Cowboys quarterback. I think if he was a quarterback of most other teams, we would think he's actually doing a really good job considering the fact that he is a fourth round draft pick. Right. But that's not what it is.

And he's the Cowboys quarterback, and that's what it is. And there's benefits to that and there's negatives to that. That's how it goes. Giff and a curse. Yes. Do you think DAC is a confetti guy? Can you see Dak Prescott? I don't want to say taking because Dallas Cowboys have a good team.

They have a great defense, and they have some pieces on offense that don't. they don't get enough credit for. So can you see Dak Prescott being a Super Bowl winning quarterback? I can't. To answer your question, and I would say yes, this is the reason why. So, like, okay, I got excited. It was the Eagles first Cowboys, right?

And I should have said that he's playing, you know, a certain way, which he was. I mean, the numbers can't lie. He's throwing picks everywhere. He is doing a lot of terms. Even that game's Eagles, that first pick, everybody was, oh, my God, is it happening again? And he turned it on. So, yes, I do think that Dax's above average quarterback. Right?

And you can win with him. I think if he has to be more consistent, right? He can't turn a number all over. But not only just about that, if you look at that team, that team is capable of winning the Super Bowl. Let's think about it. That's to have a good defense to get after the quarterback, right? They got a MVP slash defense player of the year,

Michael Parsons from Harris, where I'm from, shout out to the Parsons. But he's a dog, right? He mix in the Marcus Lawrence with the other defense, like a players they have. in the back end. They had some injuries but they played well as a defense.

And then they run the ball. So in the playoffs, it gets cold. That's what happens. It's cold in the playoffs. You got to be able to play defense and run the ball. You got a pro ball running back and Tony Poller.

And then his backup is Zeke? Like, that's a form of winning football. So yes, I think if that Prescott can play that level he's played against the Eagles, which was top-notch, like crazy work everywhere, he protects the ball

a lot better. They run the ball. They play defense. They have a chance to win the Super Bowl. I think they do too. Cowboys fans are mad at me right now. I don't know why. They always mad at somebody. But the thing is, the only thing about them winning that championship is Philadelphia's the NFC. And before you go to Super Bowl, you got to beat them. I don't know if that's possible. Yeah, I mean, I would pick the Eagles too. Yes. Also, they need to focus on winning a game in the postage at first. I know DAC has won. Several just real. I know. I know he's won in the postseason before. Well, another team that's made the postseason that is also mad at me is the Chargers, and you are always on Justin Herbert. I don't even want to say that. I'm not on Justin Herbert.

I think Justin Herbert is great. You're an auto, but you're an option to not give him his love like he deserves. No, no, no, no, no, no. First of all, we can't be linked together because people are lumping me into Emmanuel's opinion of Justin Herbert, which I don't necessarily disagree with, but I didn't say. one, I think Justin Herbert is great. Right. I think he will have a great career. I do too. I think he is extremely talented and athletic.

I think he's smart. I think he's a great franchise quarterback. He does all the right things, says all the right things, puts fires out, seems like he's a good teammate. Love all of it. Right. I don't have any problem with Justin Herbert at all. I think he's great.

In fact, I was sitting right over there when Colin and I were talking about how great Justin Herbert was going to be and everyone was like, no, he won't in Oregon. It's not that good. I'm like, no, I watched him in the Rose Bowl. He's pretty awesome. He's going to be great if he gets into the right situation. Right. Okay.

So I've actually never slander Justin Herbert. Okay. What I don't like is a conversation around Justin Herbert because everyone gets excited. The hype. No, no, no. He deserves the hype. Okay. But don't get so hyped on something that you disregard what we just watched.

Yeah. Like, don't elevate people past other people who have done as much, but accomplished more. Right. Like, how does he get above Justin Herbert? I mean, Patrick Holmes. Oh, I mean, whoa. Like, how did he jump? I mean, I can't put anybody over Patrick Mahomes.

Like, that sounds crazy. Listen, I know it sounds crazy. I did not think this was an outrageous opinion. Patty gets busy. Yes. And look, if you want to argue about Joe Burrow, talent-wise or whatever, you can do that too. I'm not going to put, he just played in a Super Bowl earlier this year. We got one week left of 2022, and 2022 Joe Burrow was in the Super Bowl.

That's a great argument, though. Like, and that's going to go down for years. Justin Herbert, Joe Burrow, right? And then, like, that's what the NFL. was made on. The NFL's made on quarterbacks. Right.

So I get paid so much and they try to find the comparisons, right? It was. But it's a great comparison. They're in the same draft class.

I just think that like, if I had to go and pick a quarterback in that draft class, right? Just speaking like right now. Now, I think my boy Jaylen Hertz is going to catch some guys.

So if you redrafted right now, you redrafted that class of Burrow to Herbert and Jalen Hertz, what order would you do it? So, now, This is my argument with people. If I'm doing, if I'm redrafting,

I'm drafting my franchise for 20 years. These quarterbacks should be playing for 20 years. That's, no, no, no, no. That's the new standard now. The new standard is like... No. What you're doing Tom standards? We can't do Tom standards. Let's do. Okay, so let's say 15. Okay, 15, 16, right? I mean, because... Okay, let's do 15.

Right. Because once you get to like 18 and stuff, it starts to look a little different. But I mean, but even that, like, Rogers, he's not playing well this year, but he just won an MVP back to back twice. Right. So let's do 15 years. Okay, so 15. So if I'm picking this quarterback for 15 years, let me put my GM hat on.

Let me put my Howie Roseman hat. All right. Howie McCoy. Okay, anyway. So I would take, for my 15 years, I'm going to take Herbert. I'm going to take him.

I mean, I think it's outrageous. It's hard. You have to go on Madden, right? The video game and like draw it up. 16, four, six, four, five. What team are you drafting him to, too? That's a whole new ball name here.

That matters too, no, no, no, no, no, no. I see where you're going with that. Because I'm like, ooh. He ends up on a different team. Then I'm going with Jalen Hertz. Right? Jailen Hertz, out of all the quarterbacks, he can do everything. He runs the ball like a running back.

He throws a quarterback. So it's all how you want to build your team, right? But then that changes the conversation. Even Burrell, right? Because they love to argue the Burrell thing. But I would love to put Justin Herbert with them boys. That office is stable. Oh, my God.

You want Herbert? on the Cowboys? I'm saying, if Herbert was with the Bengals. They said them boys. Like, them boys, them boys is, they can play. Of course. Tyler Boy, they would say the third bass, he's a beast. So we might actually have this argument on our show later.

It's a hard. It's a hard one. We're talking to Shady McCoy. I hear you, but. But you don't feel with me. No, no, no. I don't. Like, if I disagree, it's not like, it's splitting hairs.

I'm like, it's crazy. It's a hard argument. It's a hard argument. It is a hard argument. It is a hard argument. I think that Joe Burrow went to a worse situation initially than Justin Herbert. Now, obviously they got him, Jamar Chase, and then obviously we know what they were at wide receiving corps looks like now.

But they went there his first year. And what happens? His offense line was terrible. And he got injured because his offensive line was terrible. Like, I think he's overcome and very quickly took a bad organization to the Super Bowl. So, like, this is where the Justin Herbert, Burrow argument starts to split. Okay. because you feel like the statistics

with Herbert matter more than the results do with Joe Burrow. And that's where I differ. I think that if you can take an organization like the Cincinnati Bengals through the AFC, beat Patrick Mahomes on the way there and go to the Super Bowl and be competitive in the Super Bowl.

It's not like they got blown out. I mean, but like, see, that sounds good, right? Until you really look at the team. The defense was solid defense. And then the office was lights out. You had a thousand-yard running back in the backfield. Joe Mixing is a dog. He's not just some regular play.

He's a dog. And then you look at all three to wide receivers. They each had a thousand. Am I correct? Yeah, but Joe Burrow was throwing them the ball. Yeah, but he also throwing Jamar Chase eight-yard passes. He's taking it for 68 yards. It's like, like, sh-you-s-s-you-s-s-s-all-all-all-all-all-old-old-old.

You see what I'm saying? So all I'm saying that it's a hard argument, and I think Joe, Joe deserves his credit. Joe Burrow is a beast. Yeah, he's in the MVP conversation right now. So I think this argument is hard. It's not just like a- I think it's a matter of preference. I think it's splitting hairs.

They're two great players. And I'm with you. I think Jaylon's going to catch both of them. I mean, he's having an NEPB level season this year as well. And I'm sure we'll talk more about this as the postseason goes on. We're talking to Lashon, Shady McCoy, on the herd. See, you were chilling, right? Yeah.

To relax? It's the herd slash speak take over. It's a speak take. Not to end on a down note before I get you out of here. I don't know if you saw the news. that Tua is going to be out for this weekend now. He has a concussion. We talked about it on our show, speak,

and you were the first one to suggest it that perhaps he should consider retiring. It's very serious. So now you can fully say he's had two concussions in three months. Three head injuries, two concussions. If you don't want to consider the first one, which we all know was a head injury

in the Buffalo Bills game, within a matter of three months. Not a year, not even a full football season in three months. and he is now just recovering. They're not even talking about when he's going to be back. I mean, you played. Right. I'm sure you've had concussions.

Two. Two in 12 years. You say? Right. Yeah. That's a big span. Not great, but still a long time. I would not want my brothers going back out there, certainly this season,

no matter how this plays out for the dolphins. And it would have to be a real conversation about whether you played again, because it's not something that you can replace. Yeah. See, this is my thing. Like, when I watch Tua, I think Tua is an excellent player, right? He's a lot better when people thought, given the stance of having, like, good player as a good coach, they believe in him, right?

So you build his confidence on him. He's playing well. Then he starts getting these head injuries. So my thing was, like, typically in football, you're going to get injured. That's how it works. But sometimes, like, an ankle here, it's a shoulder here. It's a, it's a, you know, a sore knee. You know, with Tua's case, it's like, it's always his head.

and you could, you know, ankles, you could break them, get them back, et cetera, knees, whatever it is. But you only get one head. And it's like, man, when I heard the news that, you know, he was feeling like he had a concussion. And then for a player to go to the doctors, like, hey, doc, I'm not feeling good. You know, most players, we try to, you know, hide it to keep playing. He must have really been messed up to tell him that. So then when you fast forward it and then now it's out of that, hey, he had a concussion. It's like, yeah, it's two concussions in three months.

You know, so that's tough. We love the game. I love the game. Like, they pay you good. It's fun. You're your brothers. As a kid you dream to play on this level. But now it's like you think about your health.

After football, I've retired at with 33 or something like that. You have so much years to live. I don't know if he has children. You know, actually living in the same development. So I see him jogging around sometimes. And I know he's married. It's like, yeah, you have a whole family to worry about. So let's just let's say that, you know, he doesn't play this year.

then the first concussion he has next year now you put the NFL on alert because the NFL, I love NFL but they're worried about that shield and how would they look if a quarterback, I mean, I hate to say this but that's the most important position that's why they get paid like that.

So a quarterback having another head injury concussion, what happens now? So I'm worried for him because it hurts because when you see a player out there, we have to be from the same team Like, we're a brotherhood, and I feel bad for him, man. So hopefully he really thinks about his career because your health is everything.

Yeah, and it's devastating because it's not something that he can control. You know, like, if you're out of shape and you're, you know, not taking care of your body and you pull something or whatever that leads to an injury, like some people don't take care of their bodies. This is nothing that you can control, which makes it even all the more devastating and serious. Well, thanks for jumping on with us, Shady. Appreciate it. I'm done already. Yeah, we have a fly by. Yeah, we have Bill's pay.

He had fun, huh? The big guy's next. We'll have Amanda on later. We're going to have Dave on tomorrow, so I'll let you know if he says anything slingers. Listen, if you need to talk about some eagles, cowboys, like, call me up. Are you going to sneak on? You should just sneak on to his appearance tomorrow. He gets carried away.

Just steal his appearance. Yeah, I might just like get an eagle, like, I don't know, bag in his pillow. Just take him up and we're here for it. Join us later at 4.30 p.m. Eastern on FS1 for Speak. When we come back, we'll get to Alex Curry with the news. Hey, this is Jason McIntyre. Join me every weekday morning on my podcast, Straight Fire with Jason McIntyre.

This isn't your typical sports pod pushing the same tired narratives down your throat every day. Straight Fire gives you honest opinions on all the biggest sports headlines, accurate stats to help you win big at the sports book and all the best guests. Do yourself a favor and listen to Straight Fire with Jason McIntyre 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 I-Hard Radio app,

Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions,

my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw,

unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment 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 a 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 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 know. I mean, at this point, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack. So I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now. Thank you finishing that sentence. 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. Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific. Welcome back to The Herd. Joy Taylor in for calling Cowherd alongside Alex Curry. Thanks to Shady, LaShawn McCoy for joining us here on set. We'll talk to Emmanuel Ocho later in the show. Let's get to Alex Curry with the news.

No, no, no, no. Turn on the news. This is the Herd Line News. Well, Joy, the Bears head into week 17, sitting half a game behind the Texans for the number one overall pick. Now, with Justin Fields banged up, some have questioned whether the Bears should look to bench fields for the remaining two games. But Matt Iberflus wants everybody to pump the brakes, and here's what he had to say. Absolutely not. No. Why?

Because we've got to get better. You know, we want to improve. We want to get our team. We want to see where we are. these last two games matter. They're division opponents to us. Very important to our football team to see the competition, to see guys compete against our division.

I think it's important for each man and it's important for each unit and it's important for our whole football team. I love this response. I think it sends the right message that you fight till the bitter end. You leave it all on the field. Obviously, you don't want your number one player, Justin Fields, to get hurt. So if he's not able to play and you do have to make that evaluation,

you don't put him in. But if he's healthy enough to play, why not fight it? He said they have to learn to finish games. That's their biggest thing. They got to go out and they've got to learn to finish. You have two more games to leave it all out there. I'm not mad at this response.

It's nonsense. If he's healthy, he should be playing. Exactly. Stop it. I know fans want to imagine the team should just tank and shut it down. That's not how this works. They pay these players a lot of money, okay?

Yeah. People pay a lot of money to go watch them play. and they get a lot of money to play on television. It's not all about money, but that's part of this. First of all. Second, they're a developing team. They're in a rebuild. They're a young team.

You're going to take games off for a draft position? No. Make the right choice in the draft. What are you talking about? No, absolutely not. If Justin Fields can't play. If Justin Fields is hurt, no. Obviously, you're not forcing a player out there in games that don't matter.

You're not making the postseason. and the season is essentially over, but he's a young player who needs to get better. If he had some unbelievable lights out season, sure, maybe you arrest him so he doesn't get injured for next year. But he's not. He's been playing better as of late, but he's got to keep getting better as well.

All these reps matter. It's really silly. That's not going to happen. And it should not happen. If he's healthy, you should be out there playing. And they should all be playing. That's why I love the response too. Because obviously, as I said before,

there are half a game behind the Texans for the number one overall pick. Meaning, if you don't win your last two, games, you possibly could get that number one pick, but you're tanking. No, they're going all in. They're fighting for it, and they're going to give the fans a good show. But most importantly, give the players experience because the only way you get better is by playing and getting experience. So it's, no, it's a non-starter for me. All right, well, let's move on to your Steelers. All right, because they are still in the hunt for a playoff berth in the AFC with a matchup against the division rival Ravens. Now, the NFL has flexed their matchup into the Sunday night slot.

Now, some may not like their schedule getting moved around at the last minute, but don't count Mike Tomlin among them. Here's what he had to say. When I got the call the other night that the game was flexed, man, I didn't hate that. I love that. If your games are not getting flex this time of year, you're not doing it right. You're not insignificant ones. And so we don't run from that. We run to that, although we do respect their environment and the hostility of that environment on Sunday night football.

We're not going to hate the factor we're there. We're going to embrace that and smile in the face of the adversity that those variables create. I love it. You went on to say, I think this is the 10th time Harbs and I have played Sunday Night Ball together. He's an awesome dance partner. They're awesome dance partners. It's just good to be in significant games. He is the best quote in all football.

He's tremendous. Yeah. And he does not waste a word. No. Which is what I love most about Mike Tomlin at the podium. And he's right. Mike Tomlin is such an unbelievable coach. I know people like to dump on the Steelers when they're struggling

because the Steelers have been so awesome for so long. Mike Tomlin's never a losing season. And when you consider everything that's happened with the Steelers this year, the fact that they are still in the hunts to make the playoffs, that they're getting, as Mike said, flexed into this spot. Yep. It's just a testament to what an incredible organization and coach he is. It's really remarkable.

And I just love listening to him talk about football. And it's so valuable for these players and his team that is still developing. Because again, would you call them they're in a developmental stage right now? Yes, they are in development stage. Yes. This is a valuable game and experience for their players, like we just said with the Bears. It's like the only way you get better with these developing teams is getting in these big experiences and having these big games. It's only going to improve them and make them better.

And what better leader? And listen, this is going to be a tough game. The Ravens have clinched, but they're not interested in letting the Steelers get into the playoffs. No. So they want to keep playing consistent ball this time of year. It's going to be a great game. It's going to be a great game. Moving on to college football.

So we have a couple great games coming up. The college football playoff is just under two weeks away with number two Michigan taken on number three, TCU, and number four, Ohio State taking on the defending champion Georgia. Now, Michigan is looking to avoid regret after last season. College football lost and say that it fueled their undefeated run this season, And meanwhile, their arch rival Ohio State is rarely considered an underdog, but are embracing the role ahead of their matchup against the number one ranked bulldogs. Georgia's red hot this year.

They went 13 and 0 this season and have won 31 of their past 32 games. Who are you taking in that matchup? Georgia or Ohio State? I mean, look, there's two great teams. Yeah. But Georgia is playing a different sport. I watched Georgia against LSU. went down to the SEC national or the SEC championship game.

My nephew Mason was playing for LSU. And listen, they're fast, they're big, they're physical, they're good. They're good. I know everyone is good at this time of year, but Georgia's good, good.

They're good, good. I'm fun to watch. I'm going to go with Georgia in this matchup. They're unbelievable. Next matchup. Michigan. I've been told to tell their story. So I'm going to tell the story.

Georgia's good, good. Love it. Next matchup, Michigan and TCU. Who are you taking there? I'm sorry to upset our TCU alum that are in the building, and I have some friends that are TCU alum as well. But, yeah, I've made more friends that are Michigan alum. I'm going to go with Michigan in this matchup.

But really, I'm just hoping, I just hope everyone has fun. I'm interested in great matches. When you have a dog in the fight. I want a good viewing experience. I have no dog in this fight in either of these games. I just want to watch some really competitive football. I think this college football season is a reflection of what we have to look forward to in the coming years. I think the NIL has even the playing fields for a lot of teams.

Everyone was freaking out about how it was going to ruin college football. College football will be ruined my children making money. It hasn't happened. And in fact, it's actually even the sport out, which was a major complaint that there are teams that can never get a hold of these top level recruits. So now that's not the case. And they're going to expand the playoffs. And it's going to be great. It's been an amazing season for college football.

And I can't wait for the playoffs. That's Alex Curry with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Heard Lye News. Joy Taylor and Alex Curry in for Colin Cowherd today and tomorrow. We had Jacina Anderson and LaShawn McCoy in studio. We're going to have Emmanuel Ocho in studio in the next hour.

Coming up, though, Shannon Sharped, drop some pretty interesting, an interesting little nugget on Russell Wilson on Undisputed earlier today. Obviously, Nathaniel Hackett has been fired there. And he said something really interesting that I want to get into and discuss about what direction the Broncos really should go in. That's coming up next on the herd. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque.

Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast, Superhuman, documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care which I'm saying.

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

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

And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tap Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking What the hell does George Bush Got to do a little kill Well you can find out On the Look Back at it podcast

I'm Sam 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 At this point Mark this is the second episode where we've discussed crack.

So I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now. Thank you finishing that sentence. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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. Tonight on Fox, the holidays keep on given as 15th ranked Oregon takes on North Carolina in the San Diego County Credit Union Holiday Bowl. It all kicks off at 7.30 Eastern, 430 Pacific on Fox and the Fox Sports app. Welcome back to the herd, Joy Taylor, in for Colin Cowherd, and Alex Curry and for Jason McIntyre today and tomorrow. A bit of a speak on FS1 takeover.

We'll be on at 4.30 p.m. Eastern. myself, Emmanuel Acho, LaShawn McCoy, and Dave Howman. We've already had Shady on today. We'll have Emmanuel on next hour. And we're getting some stories, as we often do when things are to fall apart in organizations. And Shannon had an interesting quote on undisputed yesterday when he was talking about what's going on in the Denver Broncos facility and teammates reacting to Russell Wilson. I don't know who the head coach is going to be. The first thing you do, Russell Wilson, I'm locking this office.

You will no longer have an office. All those parking spaces that you get at the stadium, they're gone too. Because you're putting yourself in front of the team. And I said it before and I say it again and I stand by. You ticked a lot of people off with your attitude, bro. Now, you can come out here and talk about we're a team and I'm good with my teammates. But deep down inside, they see them, and I'm going to leave it at that. Okay.

Well, look, everything gets worse. when you're losing. If you're playing great and you got a bunch of parking spaces, no one really cares because you're winning. But when you're losing, everything is something. Nothing is everything. Everything is something. And when you're losing, everything is something. And they lost a lot this year. And they lost a lot in part to Russell Wilson's play. So this isn't terribly surprising news. What is the lack of awareness from Russell Wilson and that there is some animosity towards him. That's what makes me question,

how much of a leader are you if your teammates are talking like this? Then Andrew Whitworth came out, a big wit, and said on Twitter, I have been told this consistently over the last six months. I refuse to believe it. No way this is real.

Can't be real, right? Well, he's hearing it over the last six months. Shannon just said it. Shannon has quite a few ties to the Denver Broncos. So I'm going to go ahead and believe that what he's saying is true. And it's not really that far-fetched to imagine that things are toxic in the locker room. We've seen it on the sidelines, guys arguing. We saw guys yelling at Russell Wilson as he's coming off the field or going on to the field.

It was bad there, which is why another part of the reason why Nathaniel Hackett had to be let go, because it wasn't just that Russell Wilson was underperforming. The whole team was falling apart. There was a lack of culture there. and this is an organization that isn't dysfunctional or devoid of culture or history or winning or legends. They've done that before. Their fans have expectations. Now, they've struggled to find a quarterback, obviously,

which is why they've made this massive trade and gave up half the team and paid Russell Wilson what they paid him. But you've got to come in and be a leader also. And I didn't want to believe that there were some issues with Russell Wilson as a leader. but this is not the first time that we have heard chirping about this type of treatment and how it irritates teammates. Several members of the Seattle Seahawks have been on this for quite some time. And it was always a little strange because when you win with someone, you tend to not really bring up stuff. You know, like, yeah, whatever. I didn't really get along with this person.

I didn't really like this, but whatever. We won. I'll get over it. I'm fine. I've got some hardware. We did good things. It's very concerning to me because now it's more than just how you're playing. Does anyone in the organization believe in you?

Do they want to rally behind you? Do they look at you as the guy? Or do they look at you as the guy that's taking advantage of the position and not producing results? We all know the quarterback's the most important position. I mean, Shady just, Shady's had a really great career. everybody knows it that's why you get paid the most that's why you get criticized the most that's why you get the posters that's why you get the ads that's why you get the endorsements that's why you get the jersey sales that's why you get the parking spots in the office but with that comes an expectation of awareness

i'm not a humble person i don't really believe in humble it's not my lifestyle i don't buy into it why do i need to be humble for you who are you you're another human being i don't need to be humble for you. I'm humble before God. Before the maker. Are you that? Nope. Okay. Keep it pushing. But I do have self-awareness. And I think self-awareness is very, very important. Because when you bring yourself down to a level to make other people feel comfortable, when you make yourself feel small, you're sacrificing your power. But when you are aware of who you are and how other people are affected by you and what you say and the power of your words and the power of your actions, that's self-awareness. I don't know that that's humility. It

does feel a little bit the way that Shannon's saying, there's not really a whole lot of self-awareness there. It's very concerning because the Broncos have a lot of issues and it's going to take everyone being on the same page for them to overcome this and they've got a lot to overcome. Joy Taylor in for Colin

Cowherd today and tomorrow with Alex Curry, Emmanuel Ocho on the other side when we come back on the herd. Another podcast from some SNL late night comedy guy, not quite unhumor me with Robert Smygle 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 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, Cliford 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, unfilled 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. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.