The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Hour 2 - Tom Brady joins us

Episode Date: January 30, 2024

7-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady joins the show to tell Colin if Bill Belichick still has a desire to coach in today's NFLSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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

We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and friends on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential.

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

Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifers Show. This is a place for raw, unfilled conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but the show. celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeard Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok podcast network on TikTok. Thanks for listening to The Heard podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday on Fox Sports Radio in noon to 3 Eastern 9 a.m. to noon Pacific. Find your local station for the

herd at Fox SportsRadio.com or stream us live every day on the IHeart Radio app by searching Fox Sports Radio or FSR. We're listening to Fox Sports Radio. Here we go. It's our two. We just got a little surprise. It'll be a good show. Not like it wasn't.

It's the herd. Wherever you may be and however you may be listening, thanks for making us part of your day. I was just told during the break that Tom Brady will be joining us. This will be the start of Tom Brady coming on our show pretty regularly. I'm a kid from a sports. small town. From a very small town. They've told me someday that I'd be working at like a network like Fox and Tom Brady would just show up on my show, the best quarterback that's ever played.

We've got a pretty good life here. We've got pretty good life. Tom Brady's going to be on in 30 minutes. Okay, J. Mack, this is very interesting. So the breaking news that just happened is Ben Johnson. He wasn't the best coaching candidate. Harbaugh and Vrable were. But I thought he was the third best, is going to stay with Detroit. He's not going to go to Seattle and Washington. And I got to tell you, I like this. And I'll tell you why. Because I'm somebody that's moved a few times in my life.

Many of you know that. I always get out of a yellow piece of paper, pros and cons. People are not discussing this. There was only one great job this year. Because in the NFL, to be a great job, you've got to have a top eight quarterback. next year, these quarterbacks may, may need a coach. Jalen Hertz, Josh Allen, Dak Prescott, Derek Carr, Trevor Lawrence. Aaron Rogers may or may not be available, but he's a little bit older.

This year, Justin Herbert. The number one candidate was Harbaugh. The number one's job was the Chargers. Don Ye, the agent, connected him. It was a done deal. That was the job. Mike Frable's like, eh. in this league that increasingly you can't win at the highest levels

without at least a B-plus quarterback. Ben Johnson's saying, he took out that yellow sheet, and he's like, I love my coach, I love my line, I love my weapons, I love my quarterback, I love my running back, they're all young, we don't have cap issues. Defense is not Ben Johnson's responsibility in Detroit. Yards, points, scoring drives are. they're in a great space.

Their players are young, they're healthy, they're dynamic, Leporta, Gibbs, Penae Sewell, Amaran St. Brown. He's like, hey, guarantees in Detroit. There's no guarantees that you're going to draft a quarterback and he's going to work. There is, I just talked two nights ago to an NFL GM and a good one. And he's like, I don't know about Drake May. I don't know about Drake May. You know what you know about?

Gibbs, Leporta, Penae Soule. Jared Goff, Amar on St. Brown. I wish more coaches would say no. I tell young broadcasters, don't chase money. There's a sea of it if you work hard. Chase good management. I like this move. Now, J. Mack, apparently not loyal.

He says you just, when the iron's hot, you have to strike. And I think there are valid arguments historically to that. But I think what he's looking at, We have this thing now in the league where you just can't make the playoffs. You can't make the playoffs at any level if you don't have good quarterback play. You can make it, but you're one and done. And he's like, this is a Super Bowl roster. Do you remember, I'll just give you two names recently of coordinators who were super hot and stuck around.

Okay. Now they're not getting interviews. Kellyn Moore in Dallas. He was one of the hottest names in the league. Not getting anything. Now he's landing in Philadelphia. No one time out. And Lou Amaruno, the defensive coordinator,

or the Bengals, who was incredibly awesome with the Bengals during the Super Bowl run. Then they lose a couple guys on defense. He ain't interviewing anywhere now, even though he was interviewing for head coaching jobs two years ago. Okay, so both are valid. I'm saying situationally, I like, I don't think this is a bad move for Ben Johnson. He's 37. He's not 47. He's a 37-year-old kid, and I think he looks around and it's like Caleb Williams, if he,

if it was like Chicago and you get Caleb, that's different. Andrew Luck, Trevor Lawrence. That's different. There's no other quarterback in this draft. It's a home run. There is not. There isn't. Nick Wright, by the way, Tom Brady's going to show up in 26 minutes,

so Nick better be good today. Let's bring him on Nick Wright, first things first. He's our three hitter today. He's usually our cleanup guy. He's our three. For our radio audience. How's going, Khaled? Nick Wright's smoking a cigar.

Oh, sorry. Sorry, one last track. Listen, people often ask me, Nick, do you ever think you'll ever be able to pay back Colin Cowherd for all he's done for you in your career? And up until right now this moment, my answer would have been no. It's impossible.

But now, thankfully, I feel I have done it in at least small order because it is only thanks to, you know, last Tuesday, around 105 p.m. Eastern, that you and J. Mack had any correct Chiefs' Ravens commentary on the show all week. You could have been the wrongest show in the world on that game, if not for the weekly spot with me. I think Jemak had them losing by 21.

You had the Chief's best defense in the league, given up close to 30, losing by 8 or 10, I'm not sure. And then everyone's so shocked, amazed, appalled, that the Chief's defense did what it did to teams all year. But I'm glad to be here, Colin. I'm glad we now maybe the score is at least closer to even. And thank you for having me on as a nice little lead off to Tom Brady. Yeah, I've moved them up to two, Kansas City and my herd hierarchy, right behind.

In the heart, there's two teams left. He's going to have them too. Yeah, that's right. I want to say this, though, and I said this, is that we get too caught up on stats. If I think of Brady who's on later, some of the most impressive stuff with Tom was later in his career when he had Gronk was past his prime. He didn't have Randy Moss. It was a lot of guys, frankly,

that would have been the fourth receiver on most teams. And that's when I'm like, holy man. And he was beaten in those later years, like Mahomes. Like it's like, okay, this guy's insane. So I think with Mahomes, I'm more impressed with him here. They have one receiver I trust. And all, does this get him closer to the goat thing?

Not his most profound year. The year when he has, the least offensively and he's in the Super Bowl. So I think showing that he can win this way is really noteworthy. And so the last time Patrick Mahomes threw an interception in the playoffs was his last bad half, his really only bad half of his postseason career, the second half against Cincinnati in the AFC title game. Since then, he has not taken sacks, five sacks and six. six games, zero interceptions in six games, and it's six for six as far as winning those

games. And I'd love to hear what Tom thought about Patrick's second half on Sunday, because again, people say it's because I'm a home or I wear rose-colored glasses that I saw it this way, but I think it's just because it's what happened. I think Patrick Mahomes had some open-ish throwing windows in the second half. I think he had some plays. he could maybe have made in the second half. But because the entire second half, they had a two-score lead, not a one-square lead, a two-score lead.

I think his number one objective, every play of that second half until the driver they hit MVS was, don't make the mistake, don't turn the ball over. Get to the finish line. And I feel like that is something Brady mastered later in his career,

which was, understand, we use game manner, and we throw it at quarterbacks who don't have a ton of talent, sometimes fairly. But for the most talented quarterbacks to then be able to pivot into a manage this game mode, I think that is what honestly separates Patrick from a show favorite in Josh Allen. A guy who can understand, you know what? Baltimore can't move the ball. And until we are in a position where it's a one-score game, I need to.

just not turn the ball over. And I don't think it's a coincidence that the moment in the second half against Baltimore that it was a one-score game, that's when once again Patrick put the cape on and hit the pass to MBS. That was there, but it was too risky to take it. And it's why, and I don't know where you stand on this, Colin, this Chiefs team, which has been called the most vulnerable, it might actually just be the most versatile. Because if they can do what they did to Buffalo and then do a total reversal of the game playing against Baltimore, that's going to be a very, very difficult team to beat. You and I have been on the same page, however, and in fairness, I had said all year, is that

I did like Baltimore a lot, and I thought this was the most vulnerable Chiefs team, but I wouldn't be shocked if Andy Reid and Mahomes, and I always felt that with Brady. It's like Brady, Belichick, Dante Scarnacia, I'm not going to be shocked if they get there. And I kind of feel that with Mahomes. They've moved into that territory. But you and I have always been on the same page with Brock Purdy. Is that basically, I mean, there's where you land matters. Even from a Holmes, Andy Reid has helped a lot.

Where you land matters. He basically came out of college, got a Mercedes-Benz, and they said, just don't drive it into the neighbor's tree. It's perfect. But I did think, and I said this yesterday, that I haven't given him enough credit for playmaking. He's got a little of it. And I always saw him a little small.

Rain bothers him. not a big arm. Is it fair to say he's a little better, at least as a playmaker, than you and I thought maybe a month ago? Well, listen, I was impressed by the scrambling. So I, listen, and folks can say I've been unfair to party. I don't think I have been. But I will be consistent in that the game he had against Tampa,

where he had a literal perfect passer rating, I was not that impressed. With that said, the flip side of that coin is this game, where I thought he was really bad for the first half and into the beginning of the second half, I was actually quite impressed. It felt like the moment that passed that bounced off Bill Dor's helmet, that I got it, that Purdy felt a second life and started making better decisions, using his legs more, and the moment clearly was not too big for him. and the scrambling is the biggest distinction I see right now between Purdy's performance in the playoffs and Jimmy Garoppel with this Niners team is that highlight reel you just showed, which is Jimmy could never move with the legs.

If you got pressure on Jimmy, he was dead. He might close his eyes and throw a pass. It was done. Purdy has done some things with his legs that present real problems. Now, I also think he has gotten very fortunate, it on about four or five really bad passes in these two games, and only one of them has really bitten him. So I still think there's a bit of holding your breath if you're the Niners,

but he didn't fold down 17, and that scrambling, making some plays with some athleticism, was an impressive element on Sunday night. Yeah, five of the eight quarters in the playoffs, he's not been very good. He's been outplayed by golf and love, whereas Mahomes has had 12 for 12 great quarters. So we have to contextualize that and be honest. Brock Purdy's had some bad quarters. I will say this. The three best tight ends I've ever seen in my life are Kellynne Winslow, Gronk, and Travis Kelsey. And I always kind of thought that. I think Tony Gonzalez, Shannon Sharper, great. But I thought Kelsey's performance was incredible. It really did, and they're not perfect comps. It was very gronk-like. It was like, you're just about, you see them

limping all regular season. Were you even surprised how fantastic. That's a top five game for him. Were you surprised by Kelsey? Oh, I was surprised in that Ravens game, yes. Because if there's any team in the league built to be able to stop him, it's a team with two outstanding inside backers in Queen and Smith and the best and longest and most athletic safety in football in Kyle Hamilton.

The Raven's roster is better suited to stop Travis than any other roster in the league, and he had, in my opinion, arguably the finest game of his career. And so there's two points I want to make about Travis. One is, I really believe that having Week 18 off helped him for this playoff run, and a lot of guys would have played that Week 18 because he was 16 yards away from 1,000. It would have been his eighth straight thousand yard season. No other tight end has more than three. He would have had eight straight.

Just needs 16 yards. He set that aside to take the week off, get healthier, and now you're seeing this. And the other element is, I think Gronk is a legend. Obviously, Shannon, Tony, I didn't watch Kellynne Winslow, but those guys are all legends. Travis Kelsey, when it comes to the postseason, is competing not with those guys anymore. He's competing with Jerry Rice. Travis Kelsey is, no, he is the all-time postseason leader now, in catches, in 100-yard games, in yards per game. The all-time leader, he is second in yards, touchdowns, and multi-touchdown games in the postseason.

The person first in all those categories is Jerry Rice. Every single postseason receiving record, it's Rice Kelsey or Kelsey Rice. That is unfathomable when you consider that Jerry played for 20 years and was on great teams almost every year that Travis has done this in a decade. So yeah, I do think with respect to our colleagues and friends who have done it, that Travis Kelsey is the greatest tight end of all time. And I think he's widening the gap. All right, Tom Brady, bottom of the hour. Finally, Nick, I will say I guessed the spread for the Super Bowl once the game was over. and I said Kansas City minus two and a half.

I was told it was San Francisco minus two and a half. And I said, the Niners have struggled. Nobody believes in us. I know. You know why, though, Colin? Colin, you're to, now, I shouldn't say you're to blame because, listen, I'm not trying to sound arrogant here, but thanks to people missetting the lines because, you know, you move lines, you have said the chiefs are flawed, pick Buffalo, pick Baltimore, I've been

able to make tens of thousands of dollars betting these two players. It's really been wonderful because the Chiefs are underdogs. And so, and now you've done it again. You tell the whole world all year that there's ceilings, the AFC title game, the offense is broken, it's fine, it's a dynasty transition, and all of a sudden folks like, you know what? This Niners team that hasn't looked great in six weeks. What's the last time the Niners looked amazing?

It's fair. It's been forever. They should be the favorite. So listen, the Underdog Chiefs, that nobody believes in us, Kansas City Chiefs, with the best defense in the league, the best quarterback, best tied-in, best head coach. We'll just see if they can beat, you know, Brock Purdy, Joe Montana, 2.0, Tom Brady, that's who you should ask Tom about. I know everyone's doing a Mahomes Tom discussion.

The real discussion is Brock Purdy's the next Tom Brady. See if he's worried about Purdy getting on his corner. I'm interested to hear that, Colin. All right, and stop smoking indoors. The alarms will go off at Fox and New York. I shut them off. I shut them off before I came on because celebratory cigars. only do this when the chiefs make it, we're in the Super Bowl. So we only do it twice a year every year,

Colin. I've got him cemented at number three in next year's opening a herd hire. Okay, the Kansas City Chiefs, Nick, right? Unbelievable. First things first, the show with no budget, and it's crushing, and we love him for it. Yeah, I think both of us were surprised. Kansas City feels like the side, but, you know, it happens. I'm occasionally wrong on these things. I love Baltimore and egg in face. What's new? 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. Pauli Fusco here with Tony Fusco. You know, as the host of the number one rated Polly and Tony Fusco show, we get tons and tons of fan mail every day. Piles of it. In fact, Tony, why don't you open up one of those letters right now and read what's inside? Yeah, listen to this. Dear Pauly and Tony, your sports takes are the dumbest and most terrible...

Wait, not that one. Open this other one. Dear Paulie and Tony, you suck more than anyone. Not that one. Try this one. Dear Paulie and Tony, you guys are the absolute best. There you go. At coming up with the stupidest takes possible.

You know what those clowns say. Just listen to the Paulie and Tony Fusco show on the IHot Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Yeah. 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.

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. Hey, this is Robert from the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Joe and I are both lifelong Star Wars fan, so we're celebrating May the 4th with a brand

new week of fun, thought-provoking Star Wars-related episodes. Join us as we tackle science and culture topics from a galaxy far, far away, such as the biology of taun tons and wampas on the ice planet hot, or the practicality and corporate business sense of the Sith rule of two. Listen to Stuff to Bo Your Mind on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. All right, two things. Ben Johnson, offensive coordinator. Excellent. Staying with the Detroit Lions figuring why screw up a good thing. there'll be much better opportunities next year with much better quarterbacks in franchises next year. Six or seven top quarterbacks in the league could need coaches, maybe.

This year, one did Justin Herbert. Speaking of the Chargers, Jim Harbaugh was on a pregame show, talking the new Charger coach, talking to the media. And I've never been this excited for a head coaching hire than Jim Harbaugh with the Chargers, not just because I live in L.A. and know people with the Chargers. Good, good people. But I just love the Harbaugh vibe. And here was Jim.

I love Michigan, but I love the NFL too. And there's no Lombardi trophy in college football. And I got so many sands left in the hourglass. And I want to take a crack at that. And there's nowhere better to do it than with the Los Angeles Chargers, Susie Spanos, Dean Spanos, Ed McGuire, John Spanos, and this great quarterback. Oh, yeah.

So have you talked to him? I have, I have, and I met him, and Derwin James. I mean, pros, pros, these guys, Keenan Allen. But I was a little starstruck. I love that. Listen, there's a scale on what we view success as. Matt LaFleur went nine and eight this year, and I thought Matt LaFleur, I thought Matt LaFleur had a great year coaching.

What will be success for Hardbaugh? Well, think about this. To get to a Super Bowl over the next five years, years. He will probably have to face Mahomes and Andy Reed three times. Okay. So he may not get to a Super Bowl. But San Francisco doesn't have a ring with Shanahan. Do you think they're happy? He's their coach. Fans tend to judge everything through a very small hole. Super Bowl or bust. Don Shula's the winningest coach ever. He won a Super Bowl in 1973. Never won again. And he coached till 95.

In fact, Don Shula's last 22 years, and he was more than capable. Dan Marino was part of those teams. Last 22 years as a head coach. He missed the playoffs 10 times. Don Shula, Marino. Another six times he was won and done, meaning 16 of his last 22 years coaching in the NFL. No playoff wins. And he's a legend.

and Kyle Shanahan will be too. I think getting to the Super Bowl and even winning a division through Reed and Mahomes for the next three to four to five years will be tough. I think Andy's probably got three years left to coach. Cross your fingers on health. Kansas City right now has so much institutional knowledge. It's very New England when you had Brady and Belichick and Dante Scarnackia and Josh McDaniels and Tommy. And you just have all these rings and all this knowledge. everybody's sacrificing, everybody unified.

It's just hard. There's a lot of good Pittsburgh teams and a lot of good cult teams that couldn't get through them. I think if Jim gets to a Super Bowl, gets to one, I think you're going to view it as a success. But the Chargers in Los Angeles, a very distracted, busy market, are kind of getting lost, and they are no longer lost. They are no longer lost. I am actually going to call the Chargers today. they had 51,000 season tickets last year. They could sell out their stadium.

I don't think they want to. In fact, they know they don't want to. But Harbaugh makes them relevant. He'll make him consistent. He'll make him physical. I don't know if he'll win Super Bowls. I just don't. I don't know if he'll get to him.

I've said this before. If Tiger Woods never played, we'd look at Phil Mickelson differently. He'd have like nine more majors. But that's not the reality. So there's a lot of people in the NBA, Malone and Stockton. A lot of people, Michael Jordan, shut out. That's just the reality. And again, the word is today that Ben Johnson, this is another story of note,

Ben Johnson is going to stay in Detroit as the offensive coordinator. And I think this is something we've touched on a lot on this show. People get very impatient in coaching. They think they're never going to get another opportunity. Ben is 37. That's all. And you can talk about Callen Moore, but that Cowboy said, situation and Dak Prescott and Jerry Jones meddling it doesn't feel like Detroit Detroit's front

office is sensational uh Detroit's O line backs receivers tight end sensational and all of them young almost all I think their center's got a few years on him so I don't think Ben Johnson passing this job up he's 37 years old sometimes the best answer is no and there was one great job this year in my opinion the one with Justin Herbert. Next year, there are multiple B plus to A quarterbacks, like Trevor Lawrence, Josh Allen level, that may need a coach. I think in this moment, Ben Johnson's making a pretty bright decision. No is not a terrible answer, right?

The more power leverage you have, you should use no more frequently. And with that, what a pleasure. Seven-time Super Bowl champ. Tom Brady, now at Fox, five-time Super Bowl MVP. second time I get to talk to him. There he is. So first of all, I got to start with this. So I watched Edelman for years, and I've argued he's a Hall of Famer. I had no idea he was going to be good on TV. I thought he was a slot receiver. He'd come in here, ham and egg it. That guy's fantastic. So did you know? I had, Tom, had no idea he'd be that good. You must have known. I did know. He's such an honest, authentic guy.

I think what you saw on the playing field is exactly the way that he approached his after football career too. So nothing Julian does surprises me. He's an incredibly hard worker. He's very endearing to a lot of people. And I think what you see with him is what we always saw behind the scenes, in the locker room, getting ready for his prep on the field. And you could see why we always had a great relationship because he's just such an authentic guy. And I love what he's done in his post-football career.

You know, you had a comment about chess and checkers. And I said that day, I said, there was a moment in your career when I thought you graduated to like a supernova, and it wasn't just the rings. You had an interview, and I think, I don't know, it was after a practice with Jay Glazer. And Jay asked you a question, and you said something. You said, Jay, you can throw anything at me now. Like, I've seen everything. And I'd never heard you say that.

And so as I watch a Mahomes or a Lamar or Mahomes, that was over 10 years in your career. Do you believe that Mahomes, Josh, where are they, Tom? And by the way, they also have unique physical traits. And I would understand an athlete spending a little less time on film if they ran a 4-4-40. Where do you think Mahomes is in the pre-snap stuff now? Is there growth left? Yeah, absolutely.

I think a lot of it comes down to, when I think of my growth as a player, it was really about who was pushing me to succeed and who was pushing me to learn more about the game. And I was fortunate, I had Coach Belichick earlier in my career that I had meetings twice a week with them about defenses, defensive players, skill sets, defensive coordinators, how they were going to call the game against us,

you know, what they were going to do when we motioned across the formation, and when we lined up in certain formations, how they were going to adjust based on their calls, and we motioned out of that what to expect. So there was such a high level of football IQ that I was getting every single day in practice from my own coach. And then when Josh took over as the coordinator, he came in with his own philosophies and ideas

about how to attack defenses. And then I had mine, and then Josh left. And then I, okay, great, a little bit was more on myself and working with Billy O'Brien to really dive into the deeper parts of offensive football. And then Josh came back. And then we saw another kind of explosive movement in our offense when we got Grunk playing the way

that he played for his entire career. So I think it's all about evolution as a player. I think everyone's going to evolve and grow at different stages. Some people grow and evolve earlier in their career. You don't see much growth after three or four years. I always love the late bloomers, the guys that really appreciate how hard it is to get to this, professional moment where you become dependable and consistent and really a

prime time player for your team so I think Patrick obviously I think he's tremendous player he's a great leader I think that's one part everyone would look at all a pass that's a no look past I look at how do his teammates care about them do they respond to him and that happens week in and week out with him so that's why I think they're always the team to be beat because he can play in an elite level and he can bring his teammates along with them. And I saw that a lot when I played Peyton Manny. He was the same way.

When I played Drew Brees, when I played Philip Rivers, when I played Brett Farr. I mean, these are guys that were great leaders for their team. And then you could see why that team was always knocking on the door. And I had a lot of other great players with me along the way that pushed me behind the scenes every day in practice to be a little bit better. All the defensive players, they were as competitive as I was. and I wanted to get the best of them every day, and they wanted to get the best of me.

So I felt like we were always so battle-tested in these moments. We'd get the number one seed because we played well over the course of the year, and then we'd go out that first week of the playoffs when we weren't playing, and we practiced like we were getting ready for the Super Bowl. We had competitive drills, two-point plays, end-of-game situations, two-minute drills, and Coach Belichick was pushing us to make sure that we stayed sharp in those moments. So there was never a chance to take the foot off the gas pedal. And again, I appreciate about those guys that you mentioned.

I think their development, the key to their development is who's really pushing them to get better? Because as an individual, you could push yourself to a certain point. But there's days where you need people to push you. And that's what team works all about. That's his people that are pushing each other to be successful. And I love the fact now that in my second career, I get to be on Fox with an amazing group of teammates, with Kevin Burkhard and Aaron and Rich Rousseau and Richie Zions and what they do for everyone in the booth.

I love watching Greg do his thing this year. So I transitioned from one team to another group of teammates that I'm equally as excited about to share the stage with. Yeah, it's the best group I've ever worked with by far, and I have great respect for the other place. I said something about Brock Purdy. I said, you know, if you're, and I tell I have friends that are GMs in the league, and I was texting a couple last night, and I'm always asking questions. And I said, I can measure arm and strength and even a little bit cognitively. I can watch tape.

But what I can't, and this is why quarterback is so hard. I mean, it's just amazing. You go late round. Montana goes later. Russell Wilson goes later. Peyton Manning's rare. Number one high school, number one college, number one pick. That's rare.

It's not linear. Yeah. But the one thing you can't judge, and I did see it from Brock Purdy this weekend. And I could test you on paper for hours. Do you get nervous? Bill Russell threw up before every game. You didn't have great first quarters. Sometimes I remember your first quarters.

You were amped. I mean, that ball was flying out of your hands. But there's something about later football. I always felt like you were just, you couldn't wait to get back on the field in second halves. And I saw it with Brock Purdy. So I have to ask you, as he goes into his first Super Bowl, go to your last. Were you nervous?

How did you just suppress it if you were? Yeah, I think part of it, part of that is putting yourself in those positions where you make yourself nervous. I would go out to practice and I would be so ready for practice. I wanted to see how I responded to my own teammates in practice when they knew what we were doing, when they knew the kind of routes we like to run. And I put a lot of pressure on myself so I could deal with those feelings of whether it was anxiousness or nervousness that you're always going to feel as an athlete because there's nothing guaranteed when you go out there on the field. There's no part of the game that is knowing exactly how it's going to unfold, which is great why we watch the television and why we watch the games is because we want to see

how they unfold as well. So none of these games are predictable. I think there's parts of them and say, oh, I think they're going to do these things, but how's the other team we're going to respond? I didn't think in the Niner game that Detroit was going to get the ball first, run the ball three times, and be in the end zone on a 40-plus yard reverse. But when I saw that, I was like, wow, what's the Niners defense going to do? How are they going to stop the run?

How are they going to stop the boot? How are they going to stop the reverse? They struggle with that the entire first half. Then they come out in the second half, and they found a way to say, okay, this is how the game plan is identifying itself. This is how we're going to now go in there and try to defend it, and then they tighten it up. So I watched Novak Djokovic lose so many first sets.

And then he's just feeling it out. And he's not exactly, you know, you don't need to. dominate 6060 60 60. Sometimes you could lose a little bit early, not that you're trying to, but the other team's got a plan as well. And I think as the game goes on, you see what the plan is and then ultimately you adjust your plan to try to counter it, you know, almost like a counterattack. And our teams were really good at that over the years. We had a lot of really sophisticated minds that were out there. Not only did we had a plan going in, but we did have a backup plan. And then we adjusted. I remember the 2007.

seven Super Bowl, the one we lost to the Giants. We had a really hard time blocking them in the first half. They had a lot of blitzes coming at us that were tough to pick up. Spagnullio was on fire and he was hitting us at the right time. We went in at halftime and we said, screw the game plan we had. Let's throw it out. Let's get to things that can slow down the rush. And then we had a little more production in the second half, not a lot,

but at least they weren't barren down on us every single play. So football really is a chess match. And I love to see them unfold over the course of the game. You judge games based on a four-class. quarter performance, not a one-quarter performance or a half-time performance, but I want to see how it unfolds over the entire game. Brock really showed, I think, what he could do in the second half down against another great team to rally his team and that offense to a great second half that allows them to play for

a world championship. By the way, before we go, I know both you and Peyton, but mostly casually like this, but you know I can tell you're both smart because neither one of you went into coaching. you both went into television. And let me tell you, it's way easier because I can work in TV. So I can't wait to have you. Smart guys. You and Peyton both, I'm going to skip the front office stuff.

Did you know you were going to do TV? I had, when Eric and Brad approached me, it was not on top of mind, and I walked out of that meeting going, wow, what an incredible way to move out of the playing field and how do you impact people in a positive way in the second part of my life? And I get to use my voice doing that rather than just like my physical skills on the football field and how I thought about the game. But now I get to sit there and be in a booth and I've actually walked through that studio that you're sitting in right there several times and you see it and then you get excited about

what the opportunity can bring. And I love the fact that I'll have a voice that can carry a lot of credibility with what I say and ultimately for me it's about getting really comfortable in a new role but I also know that going into it I'm not a finished product and I've reached out to a lot of different people this seat this football season and had a lot of phone conversations with people who have really helped me out and I'm looking forward to continue to that over the next eight months I don't have to go on air till September of next year but I really want to be prepared for that first time out but I also know I'm going to improve and grow as it goes over the next 10 years so I'm excited

I love being part of the Fox family. I love feeling like I can still make a contribution to the game by highlighting and showcasing how great it really is. And I want to do that in a very authentic way, in an honest way. And I do feel like I'm going to call it as I see it based on the really unique perspective that I had over a 23-year playing career. By the way, Belichick doesn't look like he's going to land one of these jobs, although I think if you're Washington, you have to consider him.

A lot of cap space, they've got the receivers. He had struggled offensively drafting. if Bill doesn't get a gig, can you see him retiring or do you think the fire still burns with Bill? I think the fire burns with him because he's got, he loves the sport, he loves the preparation, he's been doing it for decades, and in my mind there's nobody better than him at it. So whoever gets him at some point is going to have, in my opinion, the greatest coach ever. And I know he's as competitive as convenient. he wants to be out there winning football games as a coach.

Yeah, there's only so many golf rounds. Competitive people complain. I love golf too. And I can see palm trees behind you. Golf is great, but it's fun to be in the game. It's fun. It's fun to talk about it being it, you know? I think golf's a fun side gig.

I think the main gig is, for me, is making a contribution. And how do I do that? And I can, again, use my voice because we're talking to 25 million people. every weekend and on I saw the ratings for this last weekend against almost 50 million people and then we got the Super Bowl on Fox next year in New Orleans where I had my first Super Bowl appearance with John Madden as the on the call it was you know it brings back goosebumps for me thinking about that day so I want to be able to do that I'm doing that in business I merged to my company say with another great company called Noble out of Boston yeah to really amplify the

message there so how do we you know when when I feel like I've been blessed with so much and so many people came into my life that's impacted me in a positive way. I want to get back to those people and I want to try to provide the lessons that I've been able to learn being around some of the greatest people in the world. I've had dinners with people that, you know, the greatest in their field. So the only thing I can do is spread that message of what it takes for other people to maximize their potential. I can do it in business, but I really want to do that next year on Fox. I'll be able to do that. Be partnered right there with you. I don't know if I'll be in that studio at the same time as you, Colin. Hopefully one day.

but I love being a part of that Fox family. Tom, it's great to have you seven-time Super Bowl champ, five-time MVP. Great to have you here. I think you'll love it. I know you will because I have and it's been the greatest eight-year run of my career. Tommy, it's great seeing you. Thanks for coming on. I appreciate it.

Thank you, Colin. Appreciate it. See you soon, pal. You bet. And I don't even have a contract coming up. I'm still saying nice stuff about management. What am I sucking up for so much? No, it's good to be part of the family.

And it is a family. Nick Wright and Tom Brady in one hour. It's a good Tuesday. It's a pretty good Tuesday. One was a little more likable than the other, but nonetheless, we enjoyed both of them. Take a break, back in a second, The Herd. 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. Pauli Fusco here with Tony Fusco. You know, as the host of the number one rated Polly and Tony Fusco show, we get tons and tons of fan mail every day. Piles of it. In fact, Tony, why don't you open up one of the, those letters right now and read what's inside. Yeah, listen to this. Dear Paulie and Tony,

your sports takes are the dumbest and most terrible. Wait, not that one. Wait, what? Open this other one. Dear Paulie and Tony, you suck more than anyone. Not that one. Try this one. Dear Paulie and Tony, you guys are the absolute best. There you go. At coming up with the stupidest takes possible. You know what those clowns say. Just listen to the Pauli and Tony Fusco show on the IHot Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Yeah. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games.

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

A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football,

or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes,

creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrating. 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 and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Hey, this is Robert from the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Joe and I are both lifelong Star Wars fan, so we're celebrating May the 4th with a brand new week of fun, thought-provoking Star Wars-related episodes.

Join us as we tackle science and culture topics from a galaxy far, far away, such as the biology of tantons and wampas on the ice planet hot, or the practicality and corporate business sense of the Sith Rule of 2. Listen to Stuff to Blow Your Mind on the IHeart Radio app, Apple podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. All right, Tom Brady, want to thank him for stopping by, part of the Fox family. Let's not waste any time.

J-MAC with a news. No, no, no, no. Turn on the news. This is the herd line news. Well, Lamar Jackson, you know, I called him James Hardin yesterday. You did. You seem to like that. Some people on the internet didn't love it.

But listen, Colin, the stats don't lie. In the regular season, he's phenomenal. But then he gets to the playoffs, and in each of the four seasons that he's made the playoffs, Lamar has had a massive drop-off in his passing performance. Take a look at these stats. I mean, whether it's completion percentage, pass-er rating, you name it. Like, Lamar just isn't the same guy. Defenses can scheme for him in a certain way. Well, there is now a book on, here's how you play Lamar in the playoffs, and it's heavy. Both DiMico Ryan's and Steve Spagnola saw the same thing. Flush him. Let everybody come in,

force him to read the defense quickly. By the way, there were times that he did have time. We should give Kansas City's back end credit. They have the best corners in the league. So Kansas City, it should be noted, did a pretty good job defending him. There are very few teams of great corners. Jets have good corners. Kansas City does.

I'm not even thorough a kid. I couldn't name the third best corner group in the league. So some of this is Kansas City's got good players. And Lamar didn't make plays. I mean, he wasn't running the ball. If it's not open, tuck and run, Brock Purdy had almost a as many rushing yards as Lamar Jackson. Isn't that crazy?

Nobody. All right, we'll do another story here. The Steelers have reportedly hired former Falcons head coach, Arthur Smith, as their next offensive quarterback. I like this, actually. You do? Yeah, I do. The head coach is different. Coordinator?

First of all, he knows what it takes to be a head coach. So he's worked with Vrabel and Tomlin. He had success with Brable, who very much has Tomlin's alpha personality. So I think he's actually a really good fit. You don't like it? I don't. Just the tendencies were strange. Not using B. John Robinson, force feeding Alger. Like having Ritter throw in the Redsville where it was just a disaster every

single time. It's not like he's upgrading a quarterback. Well, that's the bigger issue. What do you do a quarterback? Because the verdict's in. You want to get Super Bowls? Now you're going to have to go through Harbaugh and Herbert. Mahomes and Reed. Lamar, say what you will. Josh Allen. Like, it's a pretty steep climb. Pittsburgh's not close to good enough at that position. And, I mean, even a marginal upgrade. It's not happening.

But let's say Baker Mayfield left Tampa, went to, like, Pittsburgh. Baker Mayfield's an upgrade from whoever Pittsburgh decides is their starter. Yeah. But is he getting you over the top in Pittsburgh when you don't have a lot of talent in one of the top of divisions in football? I think Baker Mayfield in Pittsburgh absolutely wins a lot of games. He got a Cleveland team with a wacky culture.

Fair. No, I would take Baker and Pittsburgh in one second. Yeah. I don't know. Arthur Smith. With those receivers? And Warren, I think Nagee Harris, they're not going to pick up. He may be leaving. Well, we'll see. He was okay at the end, but Warren looks like the guy. No, he looks like the guy. Yeah.

My takeaway was I didn't know if they'd be the same team next year. I was worrying they were losing the secret sauce as Shane Stuyken to their offense. No longer. He's staying. I love it and I love Detroit now next year. Another podcast from some SNL late night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smigel 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 acapella 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.

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 Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. On the Look Back at it podcast. From 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84's big to me. 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. With our friends, fellow comedians, and favorite authors. Like Mark Lamont, Hell 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. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.