The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Matt Nagy, the Steelers, the Cowboys and Coaching Carousel

Episode Date: November 19, 2018

Colin discusses how Chicago Bears head coach Matt Nagy is a magician with a mediocre quarterback. He thinks Dallas is slightly above average but could win the NFC East. He explains that only the Pittsburgh Steelers could be that bad on the road and still win. Colin defends Ron Rivera's decision to go for the two point conversion in the Carolina Panthers loss to the Detroit Lions. And Colin shares his thoughts on what could be happening to some prominent college and pro football coaches in the near future. Guests include: Sam Farmer, Chris Broussard, Trent Dilfer and Michael Vick Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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That's how personal it got. Wow. Then after that game seven, Mark keep coming to her. He's like, you know I love you, dog. You know, it's all love. This was just playoffs.

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heard. We're listening to Fox Sports Radio. Ah, here we go to Monday. This is the herd. Wherever you may be and however you may be listening live in Los Angeles, Iheart Radio, Fox Sports Radio, and right here, FS1. One hour from now every Monday where Colin was right, where Colin was wrong. There is a ton of both.

Joy Taylor is joining me on Monday. How are you? I'm great. Good morning. Good morning. have a huge NFL game tonight, but I want to talk about the game that was on television last night. The Chicago Bears biggest game in Chicago in a decade. And man, they threw a party, and man, they look great. And man, they're on a roll. And this is an amazing football town.

My wife's from there. I've been there. I discovered it later in life. I love Chicago. And the Bears are mostly about Matt Nagy. Okay, I said it. Nobody wants to hear it. As a fan, you don't want to hear that. You don't go to a game wearing a headset. You wear a jersey. You don't go and buy a coaching outfit. You buy a jersey. You want me to go on the air and say your players are amazing, and that's the story, and I'm not going to tell you that. Yes, Khalil Mack is amazing.

And by the way, Akeem Hicks is really, really good. In fact, pro football focus says all eight of your best players are on defense. This offense, though, is about Matt Nagy. I'm sorry you don't want to hear it. You want me to brag about your sure-handed wide receivers and your young and promising running backs. And of course, Mitch Trubisky. Come on, folks.

This bears offense in 40 years of watch a pro football, I've never seen an offense, and a coach orchestrate an offense more brilliantly around a limited quarterback. It's an orchestra. It is motion. It is efficiency. It is beautiful.

It's six running backs. It's eight wide receivers. It is a beautiful offense. And in the end of the night, 160 yards passing. That's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, coaching. Patrick Mahomes, far greater talent. Deshawn Watson, far greater talent. This is about Matt Nagy, and I'm sorry you don't want to hear it. There's two stories going on with the bears.

They have a very, very good defense led by one of the great defensive players of my lifetime, Khalil Mack, and the second part of the story is Matt Nagy. This is beautiful. I'm not saying Trubisky does not have talent. He's got a little Jimmy G, but he can't throw as well. He got a little Russell Wilson, but he can't run as well. He's got a little Alex Smith. He's not that good at the line of scrimmage. He's closer to DAC than he is a superstar. Andrew Luck, his coaching staff just puts him in the pocket.

Throw darts. Drew Breeze, his quarterback, his coach puts him in the pocket, just throw darts. Matt Nagy's game plan is telling you exactly what he has with Mitch Tribesky. We don't trust him in the pocket much. We're going to move him around. A lot of deception. This is three and a half hours of card tricks.

It's illusion. It's fantastic. It is beautiful. It is an orchestra. You know, everybody's like, oh, the Rams have the best coaching staff. No, no, Rams have better players. Rams wide receivers, they're better than Chicago's. Rams offensive line left tackle, Andrew Wentworth is better than Chicago.

Todd Gurley is better than Chicago. Jared Goff's better than Trubisky. Rams, Sean McVeigh is a great coach. But he's got some stuff to work with now. Chicago offensively, it's guys, some are better than others. It's Matt Nagy. And I know you don't go to a state. with a headset on.

And I know you want me to say, oh, my, players are, folks, you don't think coaching matters. You still watching football these years, don't think coaching matters. John Fox, de Trubisky, McVeigh, from Jeff Fisher, Saban at Alabama,

Harbott, Michigan, replacing Brady Hoke. You know, there's an old musical called West Side Story. This is Midwest Side Story. Okay, that's what this is. And I know it's going to drive. driving crazy, and you want all this sort of love and stuff for Mitch Trubisky? He's a guy. Now, he's an athlete. Again, not saying he didn't have talent. He's confident as hell.

He's got a little bit of Jimmy Garoppolo, but he doesn't throw quite that. His ball dies at the end. Garoppel doesn't. He's got a little bit of Russell Wilson, but he's not that athletic. And he's got a little Alex Smith, straight line speed. But I don't think he's that experience or that good at the line of scrimmage. By the way, really sad for Alex Smith, great dude. I think he's closer to DAC. But the offensive coaching right now in Chicago is one of the great things I've ever seen. It is just fantastic. Biggest game in Chicago, great football town in a decade. And I mean Minnesota walked into a snake pit. Minnesota and their quarterback Andy Dalton, my bad, Kirk Cousin, same guy, walked into a snake pit, snake pit. And Chicago deserves all the love.

But we got two things going on here. A really good defense with a superstar and a great head coach. Midwest side story. That's what this is. All right, Bear fans hate me. Now, let's go to Dallas fans. Dallas won yesterday. Maybe Troy Akeman was right. Maybe this is Dallas's division. Every year in the NFL, there's one division winner that feels like they're a little over their head. Let me just say this out loud this year.

Steelers, Patriots, Saints, Chiefs, Rams, Dallas. ooh, what doesn't fit here? By the way, we've seen this. Remember the Carolina won a division, 7, 8, and 1? Kirk Cousins won the NFC East, Washington 9 and 7. Tebow's Broncos won, 8 and 8. Seattle one year went 7 and 9 with Pete Carroll.

Houston Texans done it a couple of times. Listen, that's Dallas this year. If they win this division, and right now they're the healthiest team, I mean, they get another home game on a short week. It looks like Dallas is going to have. but Dallas got several breaks this year. The Redskins quarterback got hurt.

Philadelphia has got a Super Bowl hangover, and they entered this year on crutches. And the New York Giants took a running back, a good one over a quarterback, and they are what they are. That's number one. Number two, this cowboy offense is totally limited. Even with Amari Cooper.

I mean, yesterday they faced Atlanta. Everybody in the league. I mean, everybody. Eli, James Winston, everybody, hot knife through butter against Atlanta. Dallas had six points going into the football. fourth. Daq had about 250 yards throwing. I'm not saying

Dallas didn't have talent. I do not believe, like Troy Aikman said, they need an overhaul. I do not believe that. I love their defensive line. I think their young linebackers, that kid from Idaho eight-man football is a stud. I love their left tackle.

He's a Hall of Famer. Running back, Zeeke, a real deal. I even think of Mari Cooper's really good. I would have thrown a first round pick at him. And offensively, line. It's not what it was. It's not as good as the Saints offensive line, but the offensive line for the Dallas Cowboys is still very good top 10 in the league. And I think if you ask Dallas Cowboy fans, if you ask the true Cowboy fans who are really honest, not just pom-pom waivers,

people that go into a stadium, smart guys, smart women that go to the stadium and can talk like grown-ups and say, listen, we do this, we don't do this. This is the weakest playoff team that will enter this year. And if it wins the NFC East, it is absolutely the weakest. I mean, listen, Dallas's five wins. Dallas's five wins are against teams that are 18 and 34. Their wins are against the Giants, Philly, Detroit, Jacksonville, and Atlanta. Dallas's losses are all the good teams they've played. Carolina, Tennessee, Houston, Seattle, and Washington. I mean, listen, it's not all wins are the same. Not all division titles are the same. Let's not kid ourselves. They're not all the same.

This is a very slightly above average Dallas team, but they've drafted very, very well on the defensive side of the ball, and they've got a couple of stars, left tackle, running back. And they gave up a number one pick to get Amari Cooper, and I like him. Amari Cooper is like when you add a really good pitcher to a pitching staff in baseball, and everybody can go down one slot, and the former ace is now a two, and the two is now a three, and the three is now a four.

Cole Beasley now feels a little better. And the tight ends feel more capable. And that rookie Gallup, oh, I kind of like him more now. Mari Cooper's made everybody a little less important. They can just play their role, and it's nice. But they, you know, they throw for 200 yards against an Atlanta defense that is just awful. So Bears fans still don't love Trubesky. It's slight of hand, and it's beautiful.

I go see magicians all the time in Vegas, Chicago fans. That's what you're watching on offense. It's absolutely, listen, I've seen, you know, every great comedian or every great magician in America, I've seen him, Chicago fans. I've seen them all in Vegas. He used to live there. It's fascinating. I love magic. But it's optical illusion.

It's sleight of hand. When David Copperfield goes, look, there's a building, you know. Oh, I moved it. He didn't really move it. Mitch Trubisky. Oh, my God. All these magic tricks. Yeah, he's not Patrick Mahomes.

He's not Deshawn Watson. He's not Andrew Locke. He's not Russell Wilson. He's not. And Cowboy fans, I think you'd admit it. Honestly, this is going to be the weakest team to win a division. And there's always one team that wins a division. And you're like, doesn't make the cut.

Dallas is that team. Doesn't quite make the cut. Coming up next, actually, one of the most impressive things I have seen all year in the NFL. And it doesn't, if you just look at it and you watch it. the game, it may not feel impressive. But it's one of the most impressive things by one of the great players this league has had for 15 years, not Tom Brady, kind of blown away yesterday by something the Steelers did. We'll get to that coming up next.

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I'm off Thursday, Friday, but the next three days, we are packed. Trent Dilfer next hour, Michael Vick on the show, Chris Brousard. Sam Farmers, one of the longest running NFL riders will join me in about 30 minutes. The Chiefs in the Rams tonight will be the NFL game of the year here in Los Angeles, moved to course from Mexico City. He'll give you the very latest on the Rams. and the Chiefs. I like the Chiefs tonight in Los Angeles in what's going to be a complete firework show. We've had so many good games. Joy Taylor, of course, joining me. I saw something

yesterday that was impressive. And I've said this for years. You can lose sometimes in sports and I'm blown away. I've seen teams lose and, you know, they're missing a star player. They're on the road. They overcome a lot of obstacles. They lose in overtime, but I'm like, that's an impressive loss. I don't believe every wind blows me away and every loss stinks. The Pittsburgh Steelers yesterday, that's called a flex. For three and a half hours, they mailed it in. They had no juice. They had no energy.

They came off a big one over Carolina. Apparently, they didn't practice for a week. To be able to go on the road against the defense like Jacksonville, there's real players there, who in the NFL can be down by 10 with two and a half to go and win in regulation? Pittsburgh can't. Who wins on the road with 26 yards rushing? Only Pittsburgh can. whose quarterback can throw three touchdowns on the road

and have 20 incompletions and win, Ben Rothlessberger. For three and a half hours of the three hours and 40 minutes, there was nothing there for Pittsburgh. They were three for 11 on third down, O for two on fourth down. They had no juice. That was a flex.

I've seen New England not show up on the road and get crushed by Tennessee. I've seen the chargers at home yesterday not be ready to play and get beat by Denver. I've watched teams all year. Good teams in the NFL. I saw Minnesota at home not show up against Buffalo and get routed. Pittsburgh did not show up for all but the last six minutes and won the game on the road.

You know, I sat there and watched that game yesterday, and I thought the NFL's become the saint and the Steelers at the top. And then whoever wins Chiefs Rams tonight, and that's my three. I picked the Steelers to win the Super Bowl before the season. I thought they looked awful for the first five weeks. But when they played Cleveland again and blew him out, and when they played Atlanta and suffocated him, I'm not sure those were as impressive as yesterday. Because, and by the way, can we put Big Ben now in the MVP conversation?

He's going to throw for over 5,000 yards. He's had to overcome no Lavian Bell and the Levian Bell noise. He is going to lead the NFL in pass attempts. Basically, they're just giving the playbook to him and saying, lead us. We'll figure out the defense, Mike Tom. Just figure out, Ben, here's the playbook, throw 50 times, just lead us. Here's the game-winning touchdown yesterday from Big Ben. First and goal, foot away. Rockless Burgers bounced back from a dreadful performance most of the way, coming up big, running like an option, is going to keep the dives. Did he break it? Yes, he did.

Touchdown, Pittsburgh. An improbable, incredible comeback. from Pittsburgh. The emotional whirlwind of the last seven minutes of this game. Devastating loss for Jacksonville after they played their best game of the year. I was so ploy. And by the way, nothing against Chicago, but this offense is about a Hall of Fame quarterback,

and Antonio Brown and two bowlers on the offensive line. And Juju Smith-Juester, this offense in Pittsburgh is got, this is Pro Bowl stuff. Chicago's doing it with smoking mirrors. Chicago's doing it, slide a hand. You know, Chicago's like, there's a mountain. It's gone. No, Pittsburgh's just got ballers.

I mean, I just sitting there yesterday. I've seen good teams mailed in this year. They all lose to go on the road and do that 26 yards rushing. Three picks? And you win? On social media, the kids call that a flex. Here's Joy with the News. No, no, no, no, no.

Turn on the news. This is the herd line news. The kids call it a flex. The kids do. The kids call it a flex. All right. Well, the Cowboys have won back-to-back games for the first time this year to become five and five. And Ezekiel Elliott had a lot to do with that.

He had 201 scrimand-jards and touchdown yesterday's win in Atlanta and talking with pro football talk after the game. Yeah. Zeke made it clear that all motivation has come from the urgency to win. That's where the motivation is coming from. asked about Troy Aikman suggesting it was time for a complete overhaul of the organization. And Zeke said, I'm not even 100% sure what he said. The guys don't really know either.

No disrespect to Troy, but that's not why we're winning. That's fair. Yeah, like Troy said a bunch of stuff. Troy said a little dysfunctional. I agree with that. Troy said they need an overhaul. I didn't agree with that. Troy said, I think it's their division now.

I didn't agree, but it looks like it is. You know, it's funny about Dallas. And we're going to talk about this later. You know, I've said, I think it's an average. coach football team and an average quarterback football team. But I think the thing that's been overlooked for two years, joy on this, their front seven defensively, let's give the Cowboys credit. They have hit some home runs in the draft.

That Van deresh kid, that linebacker, is a... No, he looks good. He is like Brian Erlacker, when he came into football and we're like, Brian Erlacker played where? New Mexico? And for the next 10 years, you're like, Brian Urlicklecker was a beast. This kid played eight-man football at Idaho, went to Boise State. He is unbelievable as a player.

No, their defense is solid. And I think that the obvious spot that you feel like they're lacking is DAC. Yeah. That's when you're looking around the league at the other young quarterbacks and you see the flash and the over-the-top plays and the dynamic offense. You look at the Cowboys and you're kind of like, I mean, you saw that the first year, but you're not seeing it now. But they do still have Zeke. And I agree with Zeke. I mean, we say a lot of things.

It doesn't matter. They may hear things here and there, but it's not like they're putting it up in the locker room. Like, Troy said complete overhaul. Go play harder. Like, they've got enough motivation to win. And now this Washington game on Thursday is huge. Humongous. The season.

So John Gruden and Derrick Carr had quite the heated exchange on the sideline yesterday. But Gruden says, no big deal. When a reporter said he hadn't seen Gruden and Carr go to each other like that, Gruden had this to say. That's the first time you've seen it. That's the first time it's happening. That's what I mean. Like I said, we're both competitors.

We're competing hard there. We had a man-to-man situation. He went for the big play. You know, we had a mild disagreement. But you know what? That's part of this business. We're going to have times where we clash for a little bit. We're also very supportive of one another.

I'm really proud of him. He's been through a lot this year. I'm glad he's our quarterback. That was my proudest blazing five pick. I took the Raiders and the points to win in the road. Here's the thing. This got a lot of play on social media. And I wasn't watching this game primarily.

It was one of my third, you know, it's on the third TV. But I will say this. There was a lot of discussions the team quit. I've never seen an NFL team quit before Thanksgiving. I didn't buy the Raiders quit. They actually have some decent offensive pieces. I like some of their offensive stuff. They got a ton of cap space, got a bunch of draft picks,

and they got to get better. But I don't buy the Derek cars getting traded thing. I just don't buy it. I don't buy that either. And I also don't buy into the idea of guys quitting. Not professionals. Like maybe you do this in college and you get to the end of the year and it's like it's over and it's not a big deal. Everything that you put on tape is a tryout for the next team.

It's your income. Exactly. So this idea that you're just quitting, now mentally you may know that this game that you're playing in, the outcome doesn't matter towards the end of the season. But you as an individual, you still have to play hard. This is your job. And you know that because next year coming around, you may not be on this team anymore.

And other teams are going to look at the last bit of tape that you left on the field. So it's not this idea that the guys are just quitting. Mentally, you know that you may not be heading to the playoffs, but there's levels to that. And I don't even think that exchange was that insane. Every time we clip off something on the sideline and highlight it, a lot of emotions are trying to win a game.

And it's Gruden. By the way, it would be a big deal to me if it was somebody who never showed emotion like this. Here's the other thing. Des Bryant would do this for 30 minutes. For a coach and a quarterback to have a 30-second shouting match. It's barely even 30 seconds. It's two people. When Des was on the sideline screaming and yelling and the coaches had to go back, that's distrauded.

Coaches and quarterbacks bark at each other. This is the way it works. It's always worked. It's kind of funny watching guys in the backgrounds there at them trying to figure what they're saying, but I agree. It's not that big of a deal to me. Finally, it's been a rough stretch for the Warriors in the recent weeks. The winning champs lost five of their last seven games, including three straight on their

road trip through Texas. The ship was also Steve Kerr's first 0-and-3 showing on a road trip since he took over the Warriors. So it can't be too surprising that Kerr thinks this is the toughest stretch he's faced with this team. I've had a dream run for four and a half years. We've had such a a charmed existence in the last four seasons.

So, yeah, of course, this is the toughest stretch we've been in. This is the real NBA. We haven't been in the real NBA in the last few years. We've been in this dream. And so now we're faced with real adversity and we've got to get out of it ourselves. So for the record, this is Shaq and Kobe, their last year, the championship year.

Then they came back after the third, and they fell apart, and they started arguing. They'll still win this year. But you can go back to Shaq and Kobe for a blueprint. They win a title. Then the last title they won, you started hearing rumors. There was egos.

They weren't playing hard in the regular season. They still won because they were both amazing. Following year and get along and they were done. You can see the fabric tearing, but this is still easily when Steph's back, the best team in basketball. Yeah, they're missing Steph and Dremon right now. I know everyone is freaking out and panicking,

and yes, there is something going on. here. And we talk about it all the time. It's hard to stay at the top and be consistent. You know, it's not, it's not easy to get to the top, but it is something that's about maintaining this level of excellence for as long as they have. They're injured. They don't have stuff and they don't have Dremont. When everyone's all together and they're losing like this, then I'll start, I'll start panicking. I'm not that worried about it right now. Yeah, Joy with the News. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Hurd-Lie News. By the way, I'd like to be selfish.

Joy has said many times on this show, she is petty. Correct. And explain what that means. It's a nice way of saying that I hold grudges forever and ever. All right. All right. That's your thing. I mean, you know it.

You're aware of it. Yeah, I'm working on it. Sure. And I am working on my selfish thing. I can be selfish. You know, I've this whole career. I've put aside friends and sometimes just been about me. I can be very selfish.

And like Joy, I am working on it. but not for this segment. I'm going to be selfish. I've had enough of Joe Flacko. I just want to see Lamar Jackson play. I don't think he's really ready. I mean, yesterday was a win. It was nice.

27 rushes for a quarterback is not really sustainable when he's kind of a skinny kid. But listen, the NFL has been infused with new talent. And Lamar Jackson's really fun. And you can't throw the ball 19 times and you can't carry it 27 for his size. But you know what? Running quarterbacks, it's a real thing

and it's not going away. Tribisky moves, and Russell Wilson moves, and Carson Wentz moves, and Deshawn Watson moves. And by the way, Baker Mayfield moves, and Sam Darnold's going to move. And that's a component. Now, Lamar's got to move a little less

and throw a little more, but let's be honest about it. The league has changed. Flacco is no better fit than Lamar Jackson is. When the rules all change, in the NFL that are all for the offense. It was bad for guys like Joe Flacco.

He's always been inaccurate. But now his 61% completion percentage is embarrassing when breezes it 77%. When the good guys are now at 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 77. Flacco is still 61. So you can do the big, formidable, strong, experience, 61% completion guy, or you can do the wild, runs too much, Lamar Jackson, not ready to really be a pocket passer. But you know what? Tribisky's done a great pocket passer.

He's not. And Lamar Jackson whips it well enough. My wife said this yesterday. Kind of throws like a baseball. But I'm going to be selfish here. He's more fun. It's more fun to watch. I'm over, Flacko.

I'm done with. flaco. Neither's ideal. Neither, right now, Flacco's lack of accuracy, it's not ideal, and Lamar relying on his legs this much is not ideal. But you know what? As a consumer, that

was fun. That was fun. Chris Carter talks about it. You know, this can't be going forward the way it looks every week. But he won't have no long career running that ball 27 time because he does not have the body. We just

talked about Cam Newton. 6-5-245. He is not that. So they have to design something. Congratulations. Welcome to the NFL. Good and win at home against the poorest defense that we have in the NFL. But they have to build change the game plan moving forward.

Absolutely agree. But Joy's petty and I'm selfish. I want more of that. And for the record, let me list a lot of the young quarterbacks that people like. Baker Mayfield, Watson, Darnold, Trubisky, Wents, Russell Wilson, DAC, Andrew Luck. Mobility is a weapon for all of them. And 10 of the 11, leading rushing quarterbacks right now,

are 500 or better. I'll take Lamar Jackson. I don't think he's really ready. Josh Allen not ready. I'll take him. That was fun. And by the way, if you'll watch Baltimore's wide receivers, tell me I'm wrong on this.

They looked engaged. They looked like they were rooting for Lamar. They were having fun. I mean, they were making some really nice catches. Why? They got a guy. They like him. Receivers have favorites too.

They like playing with Lamar. Not inaccurate Joe Flacco. By the way, oh, yes, I just wanted to throw this in. This is just a small story. It means nothing. LeBron James had 51 points yesterday. I don't know if you caught that. LeBron James had 51 points yesterday.

And I'd like to throw this out to you. The Lakers are 9 and 7. What does that mean? His first year in Miami through 16 games, they were 9 and 7. His first year back in Cleveland through 16 games they were 9 and 7. His first year with the Lakers, they are 9 and 7. And he now leads the NBA in scoring in his 16th year. By the way, I went to that game last week when he could break Wilt's scoring record.

he dropped 44. And yesterday in Miami, he still got a little chip on his shoulder about Miami. He dropped 51. Colin, why do you talk LeBron so much? He's in his 16th year. He is still easily the world's best basketball player. Go look at Magic's career.

Birds, Dominique's, Malones, Wiltz, MJ's 16th year. By the way, the Lakers are not a perfect team. Right now, they're LeBron, the best player in the world easily, and about six other dudes that can ball. They need a number two. But for all the critics and all the naysayers and all the doubters, admit it. I know it's hard.

Mirror still work. Look in one. You were wrong. Nine and seven through 16, just like Miami and just like Cleveland. There is no great dysfunction with the Lakers. everything is on track, only two games back of the top seat in the West, and LeBron's still easily the best player in the world. By the way, Golden State, got some dysfunction.

Oklahoma City, Minnesota, Houston, Philly, Washington. Check, check, check, check, check. Disfunction, dysfunction, dysfunction. Not the Lakers. 16 in, 9 and 7. Two back, top of the West. And, by the way, who do they play next? I could be wrong, but is it Atlanta and Cleveland?

Check, check. win-win. 11 and 7. All right, coming up next, top of the hour, 20 minutes from now, 25 minutes from now, where Colin was right, and where Colin was wrong, and there was plenty of both. This is the best week of the year.

Starting yesterday, from Sunday to Sunday, this is the best week of the year. We got great football. We got three shows. Then we go to Thanksgiving. We have huge college games. And some rumors later that I have been able to source on some massive, massive coaching moves coming up in college football. Around the corner, tonight is the best NFL game on paper in the NFL here in Los Angeles.

It is the Chiefs, it is the Rams, and one of the longest tenured NFL writers, Sam Farmer, joins us a couple of times on the couch, is stopping by for a good 10 minutes. On a game that will be the highest rated and the most watched Monday Night Football game in years, and the Chiefs here in Los Angeles. 20th year, he's in that Peter King category where he is one of the most well-connected people in National Football League. I read him long before I worked in Los Angeles, Sam Farmer of the LA Times. It is great to have you in a Monday.

Tonight, I just want to, let's talk about the importance of the Rams Chiefs tonight. You said something during the break, Sam, that you think this is bigger than just a fun football game. No, I think this is a historic moment for Los Angeles in the return of NFL to Los Angeles. They've sort of flirted around. People have, you know, they really like, you mentioned that they sort of have a crush on the Rams after Sean McVeigh and Jared Gough and all. This is the night that L.A. could fall in love with the NFL.

It's that big event here. And it's really, the Rams are using it not only as a football game, but as a tribute to the people who, the first responders of the fire, the shooting. You know, this is a big event. Roger Goodell is going to be there. And it's a mid-season Super Bowl. I have been about three weeks ago. It's not that I sold my ram stock, but about three weeks ago, I put the Saints number one and I said, listen, I'm seeing a Rams defense now that

feels to me in Domic and Sue, Marcus Peters, they're kind of doing their own thing. I do not see a lot of integrity in the gaps. I see a lot of going for the big hit. I see a lot of guys trying to make plays. and I like the Chiefs tonight. There's something about the Rams defense I do not like in the last three weeks. Have you sniffed around? I mean, I know you've seen it.

Right, right. This is a litmus test tonight because we're talking about a team that has run the gauntlet of quarterbacks. They had Aaron Rogers, Drew Brees, Russell Wilson, and tonight Patrick Mahomes. Good point. So this is a defense that's really been tested. And I agree. We haven't seen the gap integrity. We've seen guys freelancing, guys cheating, doing their own things.

things, they've got to get back to the basics. And really, that's why you brought Wade Phillips here, is to do that and to corral this defense. And, you know, we may see it. We may not see it, but I think this is going to be a real litmus test tonight. Yeah, I like the Chiefs Close. Your thoughts on that? What do you expect? You know, initially, I picked the Chiefs in Mexico City. Back in Los Angeles with the emotion, I like Rams 3531, but, you know, it could really go either way. I was at, the Chiefs last week for the Arizona game and Arizona gave him problems.

You know, Josh Rosen gave him problems until he threw a pick down at the end. So I think defensively, they're a lot like the ramps. These two are sort of mirror images. I mean, they can score like crazy and it's the defense that's going to get a couple stops that's going to

wind up determining the outcome of this game. Let's shift into that because you said, you know, it's funny about like, I watched the Bears last night. And You know, listen, you watch Michigan with Brady Hoke, you watch them with Harbaugh. Coaching matters. You watch the Rams with Jeff Fisher, you watch it with McVeigh.

I watched Chicago last night. Their eight best players, according to pro football focus, are all defensive guys. Khalil Max, amazing. Akeem Hicks, amazing. What Matt Nagy is doing with less talent than McVeigh with Trubisky is one of the great things they've ever seen. It's copperfield for three and a half hours. Even their dive plays, there's motion, there's uniques. I mean, what do you make of the bears?

Well, early on, I thought Matt Nagy was sort of too clever by half and trying to do too much and reinvent the wheel offensively. It seems like they've calmed down a little bit. They've run the ball better. But what I was really impressed with last night was the mobility of Mitch Derbisky. I mean, that was amazing. There's a little Russell Wilson in there. Yeah. And there was sort of a weaving scramble he had.

And then he picked up more yards on the – I think he might be leading the league among quarterbacks and yards per carry. So that and also this is a team that's built to go deep in the playoffs. Why? Because the defense. If you have just what we're talking about, offense is sexy. It's sexy with the Rams. It's sexy with the Chiefs.

But if you have a defense that can play these cold weather teams. Keep you in the game. Keep you in the game. Create problems for teams. That's where it's got to come from as we get deeper into December and January is the teams that can play defensively. way, everybody likes the Dome Saints and the Rams and all this stuff. But don't forget, Kansas City in January, you don't want to play there. Right. And Chicago, most of the year you

don't want to play there, we could very well have some playoff games in awful weather. It's much easier for a bad weather team to play in L.A. than L.A. to play in Chicago. Yes. It's a tall. Dan Marino, you can go to the great quarterbacks. You get them in the cold. It changes everything. And we're going to see that because L.A. is playing Sunday night football in Chicago. So we're going to see how L.A. holds up. in that game. But I agree. And particularly when L.A. is still trying to get its foothold with fans

and everything, create a home field advantage. That seems to me, if you're going to hit the road in the playoffs, coming to L.A. is not such a bad deal. Okay. Two things I want to talk about. First of all, Lamar Jackson. I said, I'm going to be selfish. He's just more fun to watch. And I'm watching all these new

quarterbacks. Wence moves, Trebisky moves, Wilson moves, Deshawn moves. And I'm watching Lamar. Maybe he moves too much. But God, he brought some life into them. What are your sources saying on Lamar and going forward? Well, the moving is fun to watch and enjoy it while

it lasts because he's going to start getting hit. It's not going to go so well. I think that if you think that Lamar Jackson is a suitable, you know, that he should trump flaco. Flacco, you're crazy. Everything's between the numbers.

They're quick throws. He threw 19 times this last week or yesterday. And And, you know, I think it's, is he tested as a passer? Is he accurate enough? He's fun. He's a spark. He's fun to watch.

But I think Flacco, who lost a lot of confidence in the three-game losing street and lost to good teams, we'll come back. He's not going to come back this week. It's going to be a Lamar Jackson this week. One more time. One more week. But as far as a long-term solution, you've got to go with a guy who's let him to the Super Bowl, won a Super Bowl.

All right. I don't like that, but it's probably true. Okay, so we saw, listen, I never liked the Gruden thing. I don't think you can leave football. You can leave baseball for 10 years, come back. It's mostly the same. I don't think you can leave football for 10 years. Joe Gibbs left it for a while, came back.

He was lost for a year. I mean, I always use this example. 15 years ago, if you had walked into the NFL locker room and said, no politics, everybody's on board. If you walk into a locker room today and say no politics, a third of the locker room bails on you. Like, it's a new world, athletes, millennials. I never bought the Gruden thing, at least short term. but I'm watching him in car yesterday and it's great for social media

it didn't bother me at all. No. Did you make some calls on? I covered the Raiders for five years. I was a Raiders beat writer and I'll tell you that was like leaked video from every Raiders practice with Rich Cannon and John Gruden. I mean those guys went back. I talked to Rich this morning. You did. And we were kind of laughing about what a big deal

people are making out of this. And he went through a litany of occasions when so much worse with Gruden. And And, you know, he was telling me about a Dallas game when he's going up against Mike Zimmer's defense. And he audibled out of playing. Gruden was freaking out on the sidelines. And Gannon, while audibling, was turning and dropping F bombs on Gruden during the audible.

Or another time they were playing at San Francisco, and Rich said, you know, he and John really went out of it on sidelines. And John told him, I'm going to stick Bobby Hoying in. And Rich is like, crazy. You know, so this. And then Gruden apologized to him later. So, you know, for a quarterback to get this far along, and Carr would never have gotten this far along if he couldn't handle a little back and forth,

verbal undressing for his coach, and I just think that's part of the process. What do you make of the Cowboys? You know, the Cowboys are getting back to running Zeke, which is the formula that really works. I think replacing Connor Williams, the rookie on the offensive lines, really helped with their blocking. I think defensively, they're a good defensive team.

They really are. No, but no. Listen, Jerry may be crazy, but I got to tell you something. You go back to their last three or four drafts. They have hit home runs on the defensive side. They don't, it didn't feel like to me, Sam, they need Sean Lee anymore. Not as much. Right.

Not as relying on Sean Lee. But I think that you also look at the rest of the NFC East and sort of falling off. Obviously, Alex Smith's injury. Giants are coming up a little bit. But, you know, Philadelphia is. is sort of lost at sea right now. So I think the Cowboys can get to nine wins, and that might be enough. Sam Farmer, one of the longest tenured NFL writers joining us in the herd.

I got to go back. I want to go back one more time to the Rams and the Chiefs tonight, because you said you believe this is bigger than just a football game. You know, it's very funny for those watching us, Los Angeles is building a stadium. And Jerry Jones was a big proponent of L.A. getting an F.O. football. I was told about four years ago, Jerry went to the SPs, and he talked to Stan Cronky and St. Louis and Roger Goodell and said, we're making a huge mistake not having an NFL team in Los Angeles.

This is NBA. It's an entertainment world. So every time you fly into Los Angeles, you see the stadium after you're right. And every time I fly in, it's closer, it's closer. We're still two years out. But you talked about the current relationship. USC has a football stadium. Rams are playing in it. are the Rams, they're just spending money. You hear about they don't practice as hard. They didn't play any starters in the preseason. I talked about this last couple of weeks. We have a minute left about the culture change.

Are you seeing it? I think it's a huge culture change. I think that Sean McVeigh has really created a situation now where preseason football is going to be worse and worse. Yes. Because nobody's going to play their starters. It's a copycat league. But I also look at the Rams and say,

they have a chance to be in that triumvirate, the triple crown in L.A. It goes Dodgers, Lakers, USC football. Now USC football's down. It's the Rams. The Rams could be that crown jewel. I totally agree with you. USC football has been shrinking since they arrived. Sam Farmer, L.A. Times, it's the herd.

Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd, weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific. Hour 2 in Los Angeles. This is The Herd, wherever you may be and however you may be listening, live on IHeart Radio, Fox Sports Radio and FS1. Joy Taylor is joining me in 15 minutes. Chris Broussard stops by. Not only the LeBron's got 51, but Kevin Durant's mad at me. Kevin Durant's taking shots at me.

And I like Kevin Durant, and I support Kevin Durant, but I think I'm right and he's wrong. We'll talk about that in 15 minutes. Joy, how are you today in hour two? I'm doing great. I feel great as well. We do it every Monday at this time. I have big opinions and strong feelings. I lay them out.

And then on Monday, where was I right? Where was I wrong? Over the last seven to ten days, here we go. Where Colin was right? Boy, I've been good on the AFC. I predicted the Patriot Steelers, Chiefs Chargers and Texans would make the playoffs, and I'm five for five.

They're all going to make the playoffs. Now, I had the Ravens over the Colts, and this morning I liked the Colts momentum more than the Ravens, but Ravens right now are 5 and 5 in the Colts or 5 and 5. Now, the NFC, not so much, but on the AFC, we have a chance to go six for six in our playoff predictions. We feel pretty good about that. Where Colin was wrong. Lamar Jackson won and was capable.

Now, I did predict before the season, strangely and luckily, that he would start in week 11. I got luck. I'm not going to give myself a right. That was just bizarre luck. If that was your prediction and you were right, then you were right. You didn't give a stipulation for why. But this is way better than I thought. would be. That trumps, listen, I don't think he's ready to play. I mean, he's got a whip. He

runs around. I don't think it's sustainable. But there's no way in the world. I thought he was going to win an NFL game as a starter. I thought he was a three interception guy. And you got to give, again, you got to give coaching staffs credit in this league. They did a great job. They rolled him out of the pocket. They had some preferred run first play. Like that one right, there's a beautiful play. And you know what? He actually, when he's running, he may throw it like a baseball, but when he's running, got a little whip on him. He can get the ball out there. So I didn't think he'd be, if you had told me that was going to be his first start in the NFL this year, I may have gotten the week right. I didn't think it would look that good. I was wrong.

Where Colin was right? Oh, the Eagles lost 48 to 7. That was the worst blowout by a Super Bowl champ ever in the history of the NFL. Told you so. I call this the lottery winner's syndrome. People who have never had huge money, get huge money, and they don't know how to act. They don't know what to do. How would they? They've never had $25 million or more. It's the same in the NFL. Teams that don't get to the AFC championship much, Jacksonville, don't know how to act when they do. Teams like Atlanta don't get to the Super Bowl don't know how to act after they do. And Philadelphia doesn't win Super Bowls. Dallas does, Washington as, Giants do, Philly doesn't. And they didn't know how to act. They fell in love with themselves, those stupid underdog masks. and everybody's writing a book and getting endorsements.

This team is not buttoned up. They are not the Patriots. Congrats on winning one. By the way, go back to wearing those underdog masks because you're going to be an underdog the rest of the year in all your games. Where Colin was wrong. You know, I've said this.

I always consider the Warriors to be kind of the Silicon Valley of the NBA. Their owner's a little smarter. Their GM's a little smarter. Their coach is a little smarter. Their players a little smarter. Not really. it's Steph Curry.

Steph Curry gets hurt. Two weeks he's gone. They implode. They have the longest losing streak, three games now in the entire Western conference. Listen, man, they got a bunch of talent. But this thing is way, way more dependent on Steph Curry than I've ever realized. And it's not just about his three-point shots, his leadership, his IQ.

He's not insecure. He's not overly sensitive. I mean, Steph Curry has not only changed the game with the three. ball and eliminated centers essentially in the NBA. But his just overall confidence and security in this very star-driven organization, it is obvious. That's Kevin Durant right there on the screen. He didn't like me talking about him. You don't see Steph Curry going back and forth with media guys.

And for the record, I love Durant. Second best player in the league. I love the guy. I like him personally, though I've never met him. But, boy, they miss Steph Curry. where Colin was right. When Sam Darnold left USC, what did I tell you? I said, Baker Mayfield is going to leave.

Oklahoma is still going to win 11 games. USC is going to be a mess. He has been hiding one of the worst offensive staffs I've ever seen. They lost to UCLA this weekend. UCLA was what, 2 and 8? UCLA had only 57 available scholarship players. UCLA had 20 freshmen playing and only one senior starter. UCLA is going to be good with Chip Kelly.

They're a mess right now. I mean, it's like a bunch of babies. their kids, they're 19-year-old players. USC has died without Darnel. Oklahoma averages more points this year without Baker Mayfield. And by the way, Baker's fine. But Baker left, the program didn't die. What I told you was when Darnold left, you were going to see the truth, this staff.

They're fourth now in the Pact 12 South. They're a hundredth in rushing in college football. USC of 130 programs. It's a mess. where Colin was wrong. Yeah, I guess Troy Aikman was right. Here's Troy Aikman on the Cowboys a week ago. Right now, if I had to pick somebody,

I would pick Dallas. The Thanksgiving game is huge. But I think that if Dallas can keep it within two games going into Thanksgiving and then win that game, I think they're positioned pretty well. Yeah, I guess he was right. I mean, six days ago, they lost at home to Tennessee and the season was over. Then they went on the road and beat Philly. Then they beat Atlanta.

And Washington is now, with their backup, going to Dallas on a short week on the road. You know, good for Dak. I mean, to me, Dak, I like his intangibles. I don't love all the – I don't love his arm. I don't think he's that accurate. I wouldn't build my team around him. I'm not going to pay him $24 million a year. But you know what?

In the end, good for Dak. Intangibles are winning. the divisions weakened, and it looks like Dallas Aikman was right. They're in control. Where Colin was right? Carmelo Anthony, they're no longer like suiting him up and playing him, and the Rockets have won 4-05, and all their problems are solved. Listen, I've been on this for 15 years.

He's the most overrated NBA star of my life. He has, he's delusional. He can't get along with anybody. He won't play defense. He's never been in great shape. And in Vegas, they call that a cooler. Like there are people that are employed by casinos. They're called coolers.

You put them around a hot table and everybody loses and negativity. Carmelo Anthony's been fooling people for 15 years. Yes, he's a great score. And yeah, he'll be in the Hall of Fame. There's officials in the Hall of Fame. But there's never been a star in the history of the league that every locker room he exits gets better overnight. And every locker room he enters.

By the way, Oklahoma City. A good team last year. He got down there. It was a mess. It was a mess. we were right on that one. Where Colin was wrong. Yeah, that Golden Tate addition to the Eagles,

I got a little ahead of myself on that. They don't know how to use him. He had one rush yesterday for minus nine yards. Maybe it's because they've lost Di Philippo the coach to the Vikings, and they lost Frank Reich to the Colts. But the offense has actually gotten worse since he's arrived. Detroit's fine. They beat Carolina this weekend without him.

It's just done, it's been a big nothing burger. And I thought Golden State, he was going to be, Golden Tate was going to be kind of an extension of the running game. Carson Wentz, get the ball out to him, and it is just done absolutely nothing. I was wrong on that. Where Colin was right. Now, I did pick Minnesota to win the game last night,

but I've been saying this for years. Kirk Cousins, he's basically Andy Dalton of the NFC. He is. He rakes up garbage time stats. I mean, games over last night. He's got 270 yards and a couple of touchdowns. game was over. He is 4 and 12 in primetime games.

If you watch the game, here's the thing I've always said about Kurt Cousins. Folks, he's my size. He's 6-2-200 pounds. That's all he is. I'm 6-2-200 pounds. You're not very big. And obviously, he's a more talented player than I'm.

He's an athlete, professional athlete, but he's not big. He's not overly mobile. He doesn't have a huge arm. And, I mean, I've overpaid for things in my life. But this morning, if you're in Minnesota, you talk about buyer's remorse. You paid for a Bentley.

got yourself one of those little mid-sized I don't want to take a shot at any car dealers but you got a nice car it'll get you from A to B but I mean it's not in style this is he's Andy Dalton he shrinks in big spots

where Colin was right well I had the Saints three weeks ago as number one in herd hierarchy and I did this before they had played the unbeaten Rams and I've also been on the Breeze is better than Aaron Rogers. You just don't want to admit it, but he's an avalanche better in stats,

and he's going to end up with two Super Bowls. Here's the thing about the Saints, and this is what I noticed about three weeks ago when we put him number one. Their offensive line is the Cowboys' Offensive Line like three years ago. That is the best offensive line in football with Sean Payton, with those running backs, with that star receiver Thomas, with Drew Breeze. This offense, I mean, here's what this offense is.

Drew Breeze, back to pass. completed. That's the offense, rinse and repeat. Nobody is beating this team in New Orleans. So all I know is, Rams, you better win tonight, and all you NFC teams, you better keep winning and cross your fingers

because nobody's going into New Orleans and the secret sauce here is not just Drew Brees. This offensive line is blowing holes open all over the field. Coming up next, Chris Broussard. Kevin Durant went after me this week.

He did. Trent Dilfer stopping by Michael Vick. And there's a couple of major, major moves that appear to be imminent in college football with the stars in coaching. That's around the corner as well. Cold and flu season try Vick's Sinex nasal spray last up for 12 hours when congestion strikes. Vic Sinex nasal spray uses directed. Chris Brouss are joining me. Now, Chris, people think you're an NBA guy and you all. are, but football. My favorite sport. And you're actually a great football guy.

You and I were talking during the break. So before the season started, Joy was here, I said the eight best quarterbacks I've ever seen, all things considered, durability, arm strength, all this stuff. And I put Drew Breeze in my eight. And I didn't have Aaron Rogers. And I said to people, Aaron gets hurt more. I think Aaron's harder to coach. Aaron's not as good a leader.

And frankly, Aaron kind of add libs out of good plays. Now, I think Aaron's probably ninth. Drew Breeze is ridiculous. Drew Breeze is awesome. Here's what I would say. I think Drew Breeze is in the perfect system now. And his coach is the perfect coach for him. It's kind of like Steve Nash and Phoenix with Dan Tony.

It's just all come together. Now, remember a few years ago, when they didn't have that running game, they would go 7 and 9 every year. So I would like to see Rogers, and I think this year should be Mike McCarthy's last. It will. Barring some, you know, miraculous run to the Super Bowl. I would like to see him get with a coach who is more in sync and can maximize his abilities. Like I think Peyton's doing with Breeze.

I think obviously Andy Reid does with his quarterbacks. So if Rogers can get that type of system, I think it'll be better. God, look at that. I'm not ready to throw Rogers under the bus just yet. I'm not throwing him under the bus, but look at the NFL records held by Breeze. It's an avalanche. Look, Breeze is tremendous, but what do you do with those three straight seven and nine seasons? Hey, what do you do?

They had no old, because he signed a fat contract, and the bottom line was he signed a huge contract, so they couldn't afford an old line or a defense. Then, then he said, I'll take a little less money. And now he's got a good draft or two. I'm telling you, he's got the help that he needs. Look, he's tremendous. You're just throwing qualifiers in there. It's not like Aaron Rogers hasn't had help.

I'll tell you, every bar you go to an America is Brady Rogers, Brady Rogers. All I'm saying, I'm going to squeeze Drew Brees in that bar argument. Well, look, Breeze is the MVP. right now. Going to win his second Super Bowl. If he wins his second Super Bowl, it's going to be hard. Winning is huge. Winning is huge.

What was the difference between Brady and Peyton in the end? It was Super Bowls. What was the difference between Marino and Elway in the end? It was Super Bowls. If Breeze wins another and I get all the stats and all the playoffs and all the Super Bowls, I'm just at the bar, I'm just squeezing my guy into the argument. Let him win this Super Bowl and he can be in the argument. You're tough.

the argument. So listen, you have been on this thing for years about the Warriors. I've always thought they're very Silicon Valley. It's all they all connected. Bro, Steph Curry takes a little vacation. They're a mess. Kevin Durant's taking, he's reacting to me on Instagram. Well, look, we can talk, you can talk on the court, off the court. Let's go off the court first. Steve Kerr said it a few days ago. Steph is the short Tim Duncan. I was saying this years ago at our other network, I said, look, just like Duncan set the tone

for Popovich to be able to yell at all these players and everybody to be in line with what Pop does, because Duncan did it. Same thing with Steph. This team has been about selflessness, strengthened numbers. That was the model before KD got there,

having fun, Lucy Goosey, all that. Steph set that tone. Don't take yourself too. seriously. You know, look, he showed that he was selfless when he wanted Kevin Durant on the team. A lot of superstars would have been like, I just want my second MVP. We should have beat Cleveland. We'll beat him next year. No, I don't want Kevin Durant. And I wouldn't have been mad at him. I would argue no superstar, except maybe LeBron would have said, come on. LeBron's it. Right. Right. And so Steph said that now. So here's my one question. I'm getting

a little bit ahead of where we were, but my one question about the warriors going forward this year, because I think after this, Durant's gone. They have always, that's always been there one of their strengths is their atmosphere, their vibe, their demeanor, the fun, there's music, blasting,

it, practice, all that. If Durant and Draymond for the next five months of the season, six months, are going to have just a business relationship, just be co-workers, and it, it affects, the vibe of the team.

There's this unspoken tension there. Oh, you try to smile at each other. You laugh at each other's jokes a little bit. But you're no longer cool. You're no longer friends. That could disrupt this team to the point where it could stop them from winning a championship. People think I'm crazy about this.

And let's segue into LeBron. 16 games in with Miami, they were 9 and 7. 16 games in back with Kyrie, 9 and 7. 16 games back with the Lakers kids, 9 and 7. Next couple of nights, Atlanta, Clems. Cleveland, they'll be 11 and 7. I think it's working. I think it's working. I don't think they're Golden State, but I think they are ahead of schedule.

I would agree because the 9 and 7 in Miami and Cleveland seemed like the sky was falling. This 9 and 7 is like, oh, the Lakers are rolling. I've been saying that I think they could be the second best team in the West. If Houston gets it together, maybe third best, but they're elite. They're an elite team. And here's the thing. and I hope LeBron realizes this. Don't be so caught up in, I need my second star.

Now, next year when you get, who knows, KD, Anthony Davis, whoever, great, get them. But for this year, it's not the worst thing in the world to see LeBron James without a star, another star. Remember what he did in Cleveland, his first go-round. Second guy was like Mo Williams, Delante West, guys like that. They won 66 and 61 games. He was two-time MVP, and I think he was good enough. He wasn't ready mentally, and he knew that, so he went to Miami. But he was good enough physically to lead that team in Cleveland to a championship, I believe, is last year.

Now he's got the mental strength. He's got the experience. He's a smarter player than he was in Cleveland. I'm enjoying watching this. I didn't even bring up in 2015 against the Warriors when Kyrie and Love are hurting the finals. they're up to one with Matthew Delavadovin, guys like that, playing his supporting cast. So if LeBron embraces this and says,

okay, next year we're getting somebody, but this year I'm good enough to take us to elite status without a second star. If you would have, do it. All the doubters in the world, if I'd have said to you two months ago, they're going to get to the Western Conference finals, they're going to lose in five to the Warriors,

nobody thought, that was going to happen. There wasn't I mean, you and I are on the, LeBron's going to win 48 games. I said 53 and he's MVP. Okay, I said 48 and I didn't care about the MVP. But I think right now he is the MVP and I think

they're on track to win about 50. I've got Janus right now, but LeBron's closing fast. Good seeing you. Chris Broussard. Can you believe Kevin Durant? I love Kevin Durant. I kind of in a weird way. I wish Aaron Rogers would go on social media and take shots at me. I kind of like it. It's fun.

I have an opinion. He's paying attention. Well, no, I mean, I have an opinion. There's nothing wrong with reacting to it. I've said. Durant and Aaron Rogers are, they're sensitive guys, they hear everything, and they react to some of it. We can't bang on guys because young guys in their 20s and 30s react to social media.

This is what I say with those guys, as long as it doesn't impact them on the court. Some guys can hear everything and it impacts them on the court as a voice in their head. If he can respond to everything, people, say and still go out and play great basketball, more power to him. Good seeing you, buddy.

Yep. Chris Broussard. Joy Taylor with the news. No, no, no, no. Turn on the news. This is the herd line news. All right. This is a part of your selfish rant earlier. John Harbaugh has been in the hot seat lately, but his team responded in a big way yesterday.

Luar Jackson's first career starts. He did just enough on offense, put the team in position to win, and the defense made some stops late in the fourth quarter when they needed to. so let's watch Harbaugh have a very fired up post-game speech. Cool. Good, good, good. All right?

We lined up the wrong way on 4,0001. Good. All right? We're not scrambled around, do a pig. Good. What the hell happened? Kick the field, go.

Good. And finally, when the quarterback on his first ever start, tomorrow Jackson, you are one in a row. That's good. Good for him.

That's great. I'm not really sure what was happening at the beginning of that. I think it was just like a lot of yelling, but it was a good win. And it was very nice to see Lamargo out there and be successful. Way better than I thought he would be in his first start. Way better. First quarterback to rush for 100 yards since Kaepernick in 2016. By the way, what if Baker was starting his first game this week?

Do you think he'd be a little more refined? All these guys should wait until things. I mean, I know you want to start all these guys, but I would make the argument if Darnold and Rosen and all these guys were making their first start like this, they could, Watch the game develop a little. I don't think there's a better teacher than experience. But, you know, it's very easy to say this now because Sam Darnold is struggling. So, you know, there is that.

There's some other elements of the Jets that are playing into that as well. He's not playing this week either. I love this, but this is not sustainable. So I enjoy it. I'm happy for them. And I'm glad he went out there and proved everyone that was saying that he should be a wide receiver in the NFL wrong. But you're going to need to throw a little more than that. All right. So Ben says he heard it throughout the game from Jacksonville's defense after they picked him off three times.

That's Big Ben, Ben, Rothensberg. Were they chatty? A little chatty. A little chit-chat. But he said he had the last word. Obviously, he scored three touchdowns in the game's final 16 minutes and 43 seconds to pull out an improbable 2016 win. And, you know, he had the nice stretch there. It was like, it was like, it was like, centimeters. I know.

I was like, oh, Ben. But it was a touchdown. It was. It was. It was. Had you a little nervous there for a second. This wasn't the most finesse of a strategy. It was the ugliest win by a good team in the league this year.

It's fine. Take the ugly win. And he had this mic drop after the game. They're a really good defense. Like I said, they like to talk a lot before the game during the game. But I'm carrying a game ball home. Yes, very luckily, by the way. And there was a flag there at the end of the game that saved Ben from having a quite different press conference.

By the way, Jacksonville, he'd run for a net into the line. three times. I mean, you can just tell. They just don't trust them. They don't trust Blake Bortles. Well, Ben has had 10 picks in the last three games against Jacksonville's defense. So they have a little room to talk there until the very end. He's a risk taker and their risks taking DB. So he gets, he burns them and they burn him. This is, he is, these Jags, Steelers games, you ever noticed? They're all crazy. Yes. They're all crazy. Absolutely. But I will say this. I feel like watching the end of that game kind of reassures you how you feel about NFL offenses. I'll take a Hall of Fame quarterback in an ugly win over a great defense in any situation moving forward,

the way that offenses are trending now. Finally, LeBron had a season high 51 points last night in Miami against my heat. However, Lance Stevenson provided him with a little extra nudge there at the end of the game to get LeBron to exceed the 50-point barrier. Let's take a listen to LeBron. Lance told me to finish the game off, and I bet you won't shoot a three. He said, go for the three. I bet you won't go for the three.

So I went for the three. So I was pointing right at Lance. Did I tell you I went to the Likers game last week, and LeBron talked to me? Yes. Have you looked in that video again? Yeah. I'm trying to figure out what he said. And I got to talk to my guy, Maverick, Carter, Hill Nauty.

I'll ask him. You haven't asked him? No, I just don't like to bother him. I don't like to bother. This is what we do. bother people. I'm not a good bother. I just don't like to do it. I don't even bother my wife yesterday. I just like, I'm going to watch football.

You do your Netflix stuff and I'm not a good bother. I do my thing. I just get out of you know. I mean, I guess that is kind of an annoying text. I did bother. Hey, it's Colin Cowherd. I was just wondering if you could do some investigation and find out what LeBron said to me in the middle of the game last week. I'm sure he remembers. Yeah, I mean, see, I would sound like a big

dork. Yes. In hindsight that would be dorky. That's a very dorky text to send. Yeah. What Johnny was talking to me. That would be bad for you. If he was like, oh no, he was talking to that guy right behind you. Yeah, that is a liability too, because then you get it clarified and then it ruins the mystique.

He was talking right to me. We'll leave it at that and assume that he said something to you that was positive. Enjoy with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Hurd-Ly News. You guys think I don't like Cam Newton, but that's not

true. His inconsistency drives me crazy, but let me support Cam Newton on this and the Carolina Panthers. who I do feel like a playoff team to me. Borderline, not the Saints, not the Rams, not the Steelers, not the Chiefs, but they're a playoff team. It feels like a playoff team to me. NFC, I've not been great predicting this year,

been very good on the AFC, not the NFC. But yesterday, Ron Rivera went for it at the end of the game on the road to win, and Cam didn't make it. And, you know, Cam after the game, everybody's saying, why did you go for it, a two-point, let me defend Ron Rivera. number one, Cam Newton had played well all afternoon. He played great. Number two is Cam had just had a very nice confidence-building drive to get into the end zone.

Number three is Cam's Carolina's kicker had missed a field goal in a PAT. I'd rather have Cam, my guy, over a kicker. And number four is, on the road, you always go for the win. The NFL rule since I've been a kid is, on the road, go for the win. At home, tie it up, go overtime. you should win the home game. But never forget this, is that Frank Reich in week four for the Colts

went for it with his star quarterback, and they didn't make it on fourth down, and they gave the Texans a short field that kicked a field goal in one. The Colts have been on fire since that loss. And remember what Andrew Luck said after his team and his coach went for it, and they failed, and they lost to Houston. Remember what Andrew Luck said?

Love it. Yeah. Again, we're not going to play for a tie. And I think everybody in that locker room freaking likes that. I love that. I love that. Now, we've got to execute. I've got to play better. I've got to throw a better ball. We all know where we have to improve. But that attitude, we can get behind that. We can get behind that. Ron Rivera has held his job for, you know, like outside of Belichick a long time in this league because players like him and players trust Ron and players get behind Ron. He never loses that locker room.

You got to go for it. Don't judge crap off results. Okay, even in Vegas, professional sports gamblers in Vegas hit 58 to 59% of their picks. Okay? There's always a right side to be on. Minnesota was the bet last night. That's what professional gamblers were on.

You didn't win the bet, but that was the right side to be on last night. The Raiders was the right side to be on. If the Raiders had lost by seven and I lost my bet, it was still the right side to be on, based on analytics and numbers and history. What he did as a coach, Cam had played well. Cam just had a great drive. I don't trust Carolina's kicker, and they're on the road. It was the right thing to do.

And, man, listen, I say this before. I'm now old enough now. I've lived through generations, right? Like I'm 50s. And let me tell you something. What wins in America? It's not your education. It's not your LinkedIn profile.

Aggressive wins. The guy that goes up to the prettiest girl and says, want to go out? 90% of the guys at the bar won't do it. Aggressive wins. It doesn't win every Sunday, but over time, aggressive wins. I love what Carolina did,

and I love that he trusted Cam. And Cam sometimes is not easy. to coach, but the reason Rivera and Cam have co-existed, they're on the same page. They're alphas. Go for it. Trent Dilfer. We've got Michael Vick. Trent Dilfer's coming up next, as smart

a guest as I have every week, to break down all this stuff. Saturday, buckle up for one of the fiercest rivalries in all of sports as number four Michigan and number 10 Ohio State. Battle for a spot in the Big Ten championship. Coverage begins at Saturday at 11 a.m. Eastern on Fox

or watch it anywhere on the Fox Sports app. Ohio State's beaten Michigan six straight times. Winner of this game wins the Big Ten East. I like Michigan to win by a touchdown. It will be close. Jim Harbaugh has done what I thought he would do, which is take control of the Big Ten. I'll have thoughts on Urban Meyer. There are some massive changes coming in college football for some of the biggest names,

and we'll get to that next hour with Michael Vic. But now a decade and a half in the NFL, a pro bowl, and a Super Bowl. His name is Trent Dilfer v. The Coward Global Satellite Network. All right. Chicago's mad at me because I keep saying, listen, sometimes it is the coaching more than the players. And my eyes are telling me is that there's a lot of David Copperfield going on with Matt and Aggie.

I mean, it is just mirrors and illusion. And what do you make on Chicago's offense? What do you make of it? It's good stuff, though. I agree. A lot of bells and whistles, a lot of misdirection. A lot of stuff to help Mitch Trubisky have success at this stage of his career. Mitch is a talented kid.

He's big, strong as a good arm, accurate to his primary receiver, can extend plays, can attack the line of scrimmage, get yards with his athleticism, move the chains, but he's still remedial in his development as a quarterback. So Nagy puts a lot of pressure on himself and the other 10 guys

by moving them around and giving all these crazy looks to help create some really advantageous situations for Mitch Trubisky. I think it's the right way to coach young quarterback. You want a young quarterback to be a young quarterback to be a legend in his own mind. You want him to think he's better than he really is. The way you do that is you get him cheap completions.

You throw a lot of screens. You get your primary receiver open. You create plays for him. So I don't think it's wrong to say that Mr. Trubisky is more product of Nagy's system. But at the same time, this is going to help speed up Mr. Trubisky's learning curve and help him become a better player long term.

So Lamar Jackson, he's better than I thought he would be. Do you feel kind of the same way? I don't think he's as sustainable that running, but I got to tell you he's got a little bit of a whip on him. He kind of moves around. I thought the Ravens did a nice job with his game plan. They're a fantastic job. I mean, to me, it's the best backup quarterback situation you can have

when your starters hurt and you can roll out a guy that you can put a whole new offense out there for. It puts tremendous pressure on the defense, hard to prepare for, a lot of big plays in the running game. Is it sustainable? Heck no. Running a quarterback 10 times game in the NFL is a sustainable, let alone 27. I watched every snap of that game and I had anxiety watching it.

It was fun and totally frenetic. I mean, listen, he's Lamar's where number eight better than I worked Baltimore. So I am rooting hard and I want this thing to work. And I'm sitting there with sweaty palms because I just know that you can't win consistently this way. You can't win with no rhythm and timing in your passing game. You can't win when you're running the long critical downs on quarterback fraud. You just can't win long term that way. You can win a week or two, which is awesome.

But I definitely think go back to Joe Flacco, if your goals to be the best you can be this year. Now, it's a lie to think that every NFL team is trying to be the best they can be this year. Many teams are building for next year or the year after. If that is the case in Baltimore, then go ahead and make the move and grow Lamar Jackson through the rest of the year and teach him to play traditional NFL football and still have this component to his game. Now you've got a chance next year to maybe see a really special player. I liked when the Colts went for it, failed and lost.

I liked the Panthers going for it, thought Cam played well. You've been in that situation before. What did you make of Ron Rivera saying, we're on the road, we're going for it? Did you like the Titans going for and losing? I like going for it. it. If, if. So you like Maryland, you like Maryland going for it and losing, like Oklahoma State going for it and losing? Here's my point, Colin. I'm with you. I just watched your rant. I love the more hyper-aggressive mindset, the more analytic-driven mindset of coaches these days. I definitely

think it's the right trend. Here's the problem is that all these analytic geek tell you that make it formalized, make your decision that in certain situations you're going to go for on forked out. you're going to go from the two-point conversion because it's the right thing to do. The problem with that is you're not looking at contextually. You're not bringing circumstances into it. For instance, yesterday and Carolina, and again, I'm agreeing that is probably the right call. But you're not taking into account momentum. You're not taking into account the other team stalling.

You're not taking into account the timing and rhythm of the play being called on the sideline. If the offensive coordinator is ready to make that call, if the quarterback's comfortable with that, call at that time. Maybe it's a play you practice three times on Friday and each time you had an open receiver and the quarterback didn't see it and missed it like what happened on Sunday. So here's my bigger problem with this discussion or the bigger point to this discussion is it can't be formal land. If you're Ron Rivera, you cannot go in and say when we're on the road, we're going to go for two because now you're being narrow minded. You're not taking enough into account. I agree the mindset that should be, hey, if we feel good about it, and if all the other circumstances we feel

comfortable with, then we're most likely going to go for it in this situation. But I'm sick and tired of my Twitter feed being blowing up and listening to people on TV and the radio say, hey, it's the bottom line. The analytics say it, do it. It's not a completely linear game. It's fluid. There's other things going on. And the great coaches, the Bill Belichick's, the Bill Parcells, or whoever it is. They have a mindset going in,

but they're willing to adapt and change because they realize that the art of coaching is fluid. It's not linear like all the other geeks out there saying it is. Rams host the Chiefs. It's going to be a firework show. I lean a little Kansas City. I see a little selfishness on the Rams defense. I see a little bit of guys doing their own thing on the Rams side,

losing some gap integrity. Marcus Peters kind of playing his own style. I like the Chiefs. What should I look for tonight in this game? Look for this. If the Rams are stubborn defensively, if Wade Phillips is stubborn defensively, you cannot play this Kansas City Chiefs offense in man.

They create too many middle-to-field mismatches, skill position players on linebackers. They, through motions, through formations, through shifts, if you're playing man, you will not hold up and there will be free runners on offense running down the field. Wade Phillips is famous for playing primarily man. That's why he gets gashed against tight-in play, running back play in the passing game over the years. If they come out and play some zones, and they have players that are very capable of playing zone,

they have a front four that can rush the passer and you can play cover two, cover four, you know, passive two deep shells behind it and still be successful and keep things in front of them. If the Rams come out and play zone and keep the game in front of them on defense, I like the Rams. The Rams come out and they're stubborn, and they say we're a man team. We're going to bring five. That's what I've done, my whole coaching career. And that's what we practice all off season.

The Chiefs will absolutely steam just railroad them. Boy, I like talking to Trent Dillfer. Absolutely great having you on the show, buddy. A decade and a half in the league is Super Bowl, the Pro Bowl, and we will talk soon. Thank you so much. Thanks, buddy. You bet. I got to tell you this.

I love college football, but I'm more of an NFL guy. And one of the reasons that – and again, I'm sitting in. watch college football. But one of the reasons I like the NFL over college football was this weekend's another example. It's just too many blowouts in college football. I think people that like college football like dominance. I have no interest

watching a team up by 28-0 first quarter. Look at the scores since Thursday of the NFL games. It's unbelievable. 10 of the 12 were one-possession games. The only two games that weren't the Saints and the Colts were still good matchups. They became blowouts because

Andrew Lux's on fire. He's the hot quarterback right now in the AFC, and Drew Brees is on fire. He's the hottest quarterback in the NFC. Look at these scores. You just don't know. If you knew, you'd all bet professional football because it'd be a great life. In college football, this is why years ago, I said, keep your eye on the UFC over boxing. Boxing had no centralized leader. UFC had Dana White, a centralized figure to make the calls. The NFL has Roger Goodell. One of the first. One guy lays it out, this is what we're going to do. College football is a mess.

The SEC plays eight conference games. A PAC 12 plays nine conference games. You get buys and these awful Citadel versus Alabama like three times a year for every team in the South. It's a joke. The NFL, by the way, the ratings this year are up. This is why it's four times more popular than college football. It's always been more popular, but I think it's separated now.

It's up to four times more popular. you look at the digital, if you look at the TV, if you look at, it's just more popular. Look at this weekend's games. They were just crazy. Just crazy. Like, I'm sitting there watching the NFL Red Zone. Like, every game is down to the last snap. And I think a lot of this is the NFL figuring out the better offenses, the closer games are.

Because the reality is, whoever has the ball last, it's just hard to stop them. So if a team gets down by two scores and the other. team just gets a little conservative. The other team, though inferior, can catch back. Pittsburgh probably struggles to win that game four years ago, five years ago. We are seeing

so many come from behind games. We're seeing some average quarterbacks, like Mitch Trubisky to me, playing in an elevated level. The NFL's always been better when quarterbacks are the stars and catches and completions come easier than harder. But this weekend's

a great example of why this league is so hot why this league is on fire. We bet it, we watch it, and the parody is unbelievable. By the way, the best game of the week hasn't even been played yet. The best game of the week is tonight. Forget yesterday.

Ten of twelve, one possession. The best game. I mean, even the Raiders Cardinals yesterday. I'm sitting watching that day. I got Gruden screaming at his quarterback. It's unbelievable. Michael Vick is around the corner. Plus, major news I'm being told on some of the heads.

of state in college football coaching. Vick, Synex nasal spray, cold seasons here, 12 hours when congestion strikes. Vick's sinex nasal spray uses directed. Okay. Listen, one of the things I found out watching football this weekend is the agents for all the... There's about three agents that control all the college football coaches, about three of them. And there's about two agents that control all the NFL coaches. The wheels are spinning, baby.

calls are being made right now. Coaches deny it. What coaches do is they have their agents make the call so they can deny any knowledge. The wheels are spinning on this stuff. There is major stuff happening behind the scenes that, you know, you can go to your message boards. The agents are talking.

I'm talking to them. I'm talking to people who have talked to him. Let's play coaching carousel right now. Five names you're hearing a lot of. Urban Meyer, Brian Kelly, Green Bay is Mike McKelly. Green Bay is Mike McCarthy, Cowboys, Jason, Garrett, John Harbaugh. So let's spin the coaching carousel and see where it lands right now. Oh, Urban Meyer.

Here we go. Two separate sources told me this weekend. Urban Meyer is done after this year. He's going to retire from football. There's a fissure between the administration there and Urban Meyer. He doesn't owe his field. They've had his back. He's not going to admit this.

He's going to say this is ridiculous. I don't know what you're talking about, but you saw him on the sideline this weekend. Some people, he does not look good. Some people are saying he's acting. I don't think he is. This is a guy that takes every loss personal. I've been told by two people that I trust way up the food chain,

Urban Meyer, after this year, could be after Michigan, after the Big Ten championship, after maybe they play a huge bowl. Whenever it is, this is it. Let's spin the coaching carousel again. This one will surprise you. Brian Kelly. Brian Kelly told me three years ago.

Notre Dame is not a job you coach at for 20 years. It's too intense. Three years ago and two years ago, Brian Kelly put his name up there, had his agent sniff around the NFL. Nobody was interested. I am told there are a couple of NFL teams that have been really impressed with Brian Kelly this year,

that he is getting the most in 2018 out of Notre Dame football. They've got tough academics. It's a small private institution, religious overtones, tough schedule. This is as good as Notre Dame can be. They're not Alabama good. They're not Clemson good. But there are NFL people interested in Brian Kelly. And Brian Kelly, to me, if he gets his team into the playoff, win or lose,

if the job was right, would tap out at Notre Dame. And frankly, I think it'd be a great move by him. Let's spin the coaching carousel another time. Mike McCarthy, Green Bay Packers, it's over. Again, Aaron Rogers has a massive brand. He's on every darn commercial I watch. He's not going to ding that brand and take a hit for this. He doesn't want to look like the bad guy.

I have been told that Aaron Rogers and Mike McCarthy no longer share the same offensive vision. And they've grown apart. It's like any relationship. Some grow together. Some grow apart. Even if Green Bay goes on an improbable run, it doesn't matter. The relationship. Again, there's a fissure here.

Aaron doesn't want to take the hit. They'll deny it if it's asked. But they were always two different guys, and this puppy is over. Green Bay will have a new coach. I'm told there's not a long list to hire McCarthy, but I'm sure somebody will. Let's go back to the coaching carousel for one more. Oh, John Harbaugh. Keep your eye on Harbaugh.

If Notre Dame loses a coach, he'll be the number one candidate. He has told people he would look at college jobs. and he's not sure of his future in Baltimore. They've underachie for several years. If USC looks for a coach, a couple of names to look at, James Franklin and John Harbaugh, he would be interested in a high-end college job. The situation with a quarterback right now at Baltimore is a little dicey. You got Flacco, you got Lamar, you know, who knows how that's going to work out.

Just keep your eye on John Harbaugh. He will be at the top of any great college job that comes open, and Baltimore may be looking to make a change. By the way, who did not show up on that coaching carousel, Jason Garrett. Yeah, he's not going anywhere. All weekend long, everybody I talked to, he's not going anywhere. Let's be honest about this. Jerry has been incredibly loyal to coaches through the years.

He gave Dave Campbell and Barry Switzer more than they probably earned. Jason's his guy. they may do some tweaks to the staff. They've done that, but I've heard nothing on Jason Garrett. Moving, in fact, I've heard the exact opposite. He's in Dallas for a long time. And with that, I bring in my friend 13 NFL seasons for Pro Bowls, Michael Vick. I got to tell you, when I watch, let's start with Trubisky.

The NFL, when you came to the league, you were the outlier. And there was a lot of people that said, until you got there, you're running around stuff. Steve Young Dillowell, but he can't run around. Now, if you don't have mobility, people aren't interested. I'm watching Ms. Trubisky last night. It's pretty good runner, right? Yeah, he can move.

I've seen that in North Carolina, and I knew that that would be a big asset for him, especially being with Matt Nagy. I knew that Matt would find a way to utilize him. Yeah, he was in Kansas City, and he was also in Philadelphia with us, you know, threw our little four or five-year run. And, you know, Matt always showed signs of business. being a great coach. He's gotten better over the years and when I was with him in Kansas

City, he spoke a different language. So the way Mitch Chubisky has been playing over the last couple weeks is a testament to Matt Nagy knowing how to use his quarterback. By the way, he's a better athlete than a thrower. Is that fair? I think Trubisky's a better athlete right

now than he is a thrower. Yeah, and I think he's doing whatever works right now. And, you know, being a second year quarterback, it's almost like how have I have the mood of changes. That's how I'm going to get it done. Just move the change. And I respect that.

And as him and Matt grow together, he'll become a better quarterback. He'll become more polished. He'll understand the dynamics of the game. And, you know, this will be a marriage that will last for a long time. And he should evolve and get better, you know, as time goes on. So Cam, I defended Cam. I thought he played well yesterday. And I like teams if the quarter, if I have an MVP-level quarterback,

I'm going to go for it most of the time. Andrew Luck, if I have Russell Wilson, if I have Brady, I'm mostly a go-for-it guy. You didn't love going for it. I didn't like it. I'm an overtime type of guy. I like the fact that you have an opportunity to win. And you get the ball at some point. I mean, it wasn't like that in the past, so you kind of had to go for it.

So, you know, having an opportunity to go for it now, I think even yesterday, I mean, it just wasn't the time for. You know, whether your offense is playing well or not playing well, defense can't stop, you know, the opposition. Then you say, okay, this is desperation situation. Let's go for two. You never liked going for the two. No, I just liked the end of the game. You see my running overtime run, my overtime run back in the day, you know,

things don't always happen like that I got lucky. And I just feel like Kim could have done the same thing. in that particular situation. If you'd have gone to overtime, you'd have had a chance to win the game. Playing better of the two quarterbacks. Let me ask you this. When you go in these go-for-it situations, do you think Carolina had a play specifically for that moment?

Well, I think every team has two to three plays just in case you reach that point in the game, that juncture where it's a two-minute or it's an opportunity to go for two points. You have to have some in your back pocket, but you have to believe in it, but it's a hit or miss. If you get it, great. If not, it's a bummer. And I just hate the fact that the game boils down to one play.

I think you give yourself a plethora plays an opportunity to get a drive and go down to field score. Lamar Jackson was better than I thought he would be. What did you make of it? I thought it was a great game yesterday. Obviously, you can't run the ball 27 times and sustain in the national football day. I think the most I've run was 15 times in the football game. That's it. Yeah, I never ran for, yeah.

maybe in the two games span close to 27 carries, but that's still a lot on your body. It takes a toll on you. And I can almost guarantee you that next week will not look the same. It won't be nowhere close. And Lamarci and I want that. Norse's that. Wadi born and awake. When you run

as many times as he does, and he took one or two shots, I mean, is he running right now because, listen, man, first start, Bengals got Marvin Lewis, defensive guy, throwing a bunch of stuff. How much in a perfect game, Michael.

How much did you want to run? Maybe 10 times on average. Now, when I say that, when I say that, were these design runs or you're ad-libbing? Ad-libbing runs. Maybe 10. Because I knew at some point I was going to get some pressure, escape, use my ability to be effective in the game. Design runs, as I got older, we didn't have as many. When I was young, we were going to game with maybe seven or eight different runs that we can call multiple times.

but as I got older, I won at least amount of runs in the game plan because I didn't want to put myself in jeopardy or harm's way. When you're younger and you're 22, 23 years old, you can handle it. But as you get into year 5 and year 6 and year 7, your body don't feel the same, so you have to preserve your body and not want to do as much. But, you know, if this is working for him right now and it's a great asset for him to have, then you can do it to get by.

But ultimately, he has to get better in the passing game. So tonight we have the Rams Chiefs. It will be crazy. Kansas City's weapons are, the very few teams have better offensive weapons than the Rams. Kansas City is one of those teams. Now, you know Andy Reid very well. Andy Reid, weren't a lot of takers. He put his hand up and said, I want Michael Vick in Philadelphia.

You say he changed your life. Yeah. To talk about Andy Reid for a couple of minutes about, tell my audience, what did he teach you? Why is he great? What will people see tonight? Well, tonight you'll see explosiveness. And Andy, you better believe, has cooked up some things that will take advantage of what the L.A. Rams do on defense. I can assure you that he spends countless nights making sure that he has the right game plan for his quarterback to go out and be effective.

And for me, not only did he change my life and changed my game, he made me see life in a different form. I took on a different perspective, a more work-hard approach and believe-in-yourself type of approach. and you're only going to get out of anything as much as you put in. And, you know, for me, it was my profession and trying to be the best quarterback that I could be, but he told me that I had to work for. And that was the promise that we made to each other that I made to him and we both made to each other

when I first came in. I promised him that I worked hard. He promised me he'll be the best coach that he could be. And that player-coach relationship really was probably the reason I felt like I couldn't fail on the field and I did everything I could to, you know, help our team be as good as we could. When you look at Patrick Mahomes, I mean, of all these quarterbacks,

you got Russell Wilson, Mitch Trubisky, Deshaun Watson, I mean, there's a million of us. Is there one Patrick Mahomes, is there one that you do feel aligned with? Like you kind of feel like if you could do it over again, you kind of feel like that's me. I would say Deshawn Watson. I think Patrick is very dynamic. He don't run the ball as much.

He tends to pass first. He's got a huge arm. He believes in it. He got a great coach cooking things up for him to help him spread the ball around. But I think Deshawn's offense looks not as sophisticated, and it's not conservative, but it's good enough for him. And I felt like when I first came in the league, my coaches did enough that was good enough for us to go out

and execute the game plans and be good. doing it. And I kind of see that in Deshaun. You know, Billick does a great job of putting him in positions where he can be successful and where he can go out and not, you know, have a lot of pressure on himself. You know, he got DeAndre Hopkins and

he can turn around and hand it off to his backs. He had two of them. So, you know, I think that was our style of play. I had Warg done. Roddy White. Roddy White. T.J. Duckett. So I had some guys around me, but we lean more on the run game and then pass second. When you look at the NFL now that it is, I mean, the rules are all offense. It's incredible.

I mean, the rules are all offense. And, you know, I look at a situation like Aaron Rogers. We all know Aaron's great. And, but he and McCarthy, I mean, listen, sometimes, and this is what I was told this weekend, they just don't share the same vision. Yeah. They just don't see the world the same. Yeah.

And you've been in situations. You and Andy Reid totally clicked. Right. But you've also been in situations. More was more of a defensive coach. Yeah. And I'm not calling out Jim. What happens when you get into a situation that is what I'm told McCarthy and Rogers is where you've been together a long time.

Yeah. It's not as tight and you don't share the same vision. What's Aaron going through? Well, it's the old saying that all good things come to an end. But I think, you know, at some point, you take a look at what's going on outside of, you know, your organization and throughout the league. Did you used to watch what's happening elsewhere? Yeah. And I wanted to sometimes pattern our offenses, you know, around, you know, what I was seeing around the league and tried to share that input.

But I think Aaron is taking a look around them, seeing that, you know, things are looking a lot easier. Chicago. Can you imagine him watching that game last night, Michael? Yeah. And just knowing that he can do that. ability, understanding that, look, this game is not that hard. You know, when you're a professional, it shouldn't be as hard, especially when you can, you know, build the offense around, you know,

your knowledge and your experience. And I think that's very important. And Aaron has played for a number of years, and he knows offense, and he knows how to manipulate defenses. And I think it's time for him to start doing things a different way, maybe doing it his own way. Yeah. You know, I take into account.

you know, when I was in Pittsburgh and watching Big Ben come to work every day and throw ideas. You know, Ben took an approach to the game where he wanted to make it not just easy, but easy for everyone to understand and go out and execute. So it was always back

and forth with him and Todd Healey, but good back and forth. And they was able to find some common ground at the end of the day. And it made the game a lot easy and simplified. And, you know, I give Ben credit for always trying to find a way to make the guys around him better and be productive.

And by the way, Ben would spar with his coaches yesterday, John Gruden and Derek Car spard. You know, Ben would go back and forth. We've seen Brady yell at coaches. We saw Gruden yesterday. Did you ever get into a spat with the coach? Yeah, I got into it with Dan Reeves. Dan Reeves.

Yeah. I had to go to him at some point in my second year and just let him know, like, coach, I need you to call the plays that's in the game plan. And call him and believe in me and know, I can go out and execute them in the passing game. And we got into a riff on the sideline and they had to break it up. And, you know, I wasn't the most vocal guy. I was only 22 years old at the time.

No, when I first met you, you're not totally vocal. Yeah, so I felt like it was a need for me to step up in that moment in order for our team to be successful. And I did it. He changed his play calling. He got more aggressive. We went eight straight. And sometimes, you know, you need that. It's kind of therapeutic for the relationship.

Good to see anybody. It's in you. Michael Vic. Joy Taylor with the news. No, no, no, no. Turn on the news. This is the herd line news. All right, so the Washington Wizards are struggling a little bit this season.

It's not worked at all, yeah. No. Five and 11, they're 11th in the east. And because of those struggles, Adrian Roganowski reports that the Wizards are making John Wall and Bradley Beale available for trade along with everyone else on the team. Oh, I love Bradley Beal. I love Bradley Beal.

Dude can shoot. He can, but he may be. being moved. This is according to Wode. Washington's preference remains to reshape the team around John Wall and Beal. But poor play among key teammates is limiting their trade value and paralyzing the wizard's efforts to make meaningful changes to a roster that no longer appears functional to get.

Okay. I've said this before. Outside of Clay Thompson, I can make, am I crazy saying this? Dee Wade was the best two guard in the league forever. And now it's Clay Thompson. I think Bradley Beale's the second best two guard. I love Bradley Beal. I loved him in Florida. I love him now. I think he's really good. He's averaging 21.5 points per game, 4.5 rebounds and 3.5.

James Hardin doesn't count. He's got the bonus. He has to one. I mean, when Chris Paul's off the floor, he's the one. I think Bradley Beal, let me tell you, you think I'm crazy on this. No, I don't think you're crazy. I don't think Bradley Beal to the Lakers is the nuttiest thing in the world. I don't. I mean, what would they have to give up? Brandon Ingram, give you a little Lanzo. I don't know. But I think Braddock, I think Braddock, Bradley Beal's wildly underrated in this league. Ingram and Lonzo feels like a lot. But he's signed through the 2021 season with an average salary of $25 million.

I'm so, this is great. I love Bradley Beal. And John Wall is under contract through 2023 with an average salary of $42 million. Nobody's taking John Wall's contract. Well, we'll see what happens. But that is big news. All right. So it's been a rough stretch for the Warriors in recent weeks.

The rain champs have lost five of their last seven games, including three straight on their road trip in Texas. So this is Steve Kerr's first 0-N-3 showing on a road trip since he took over with the Warriors. So it's not too surprising that he is saying this is the toughest stretch he's faced with this team. I've had a dream run for four and a half years. We've had such a charmed existence in the last four seasons. So, yeah, of course, this is the toughest stretch we've been in. This is the real NBA. We haven't been in the real NBA in the last few years.

we've been in this dream. And so now we're faced with real adversity and got to get out of it ourselves. I wonder how the rest of the teams are taking that. Well, I mean, even dynasties are fragile because the NBA is always star-driven, so it's built around personalities. And if one or two friction, it just combust. Well, I mean, there's not a lot of guys on the court. So if you lose Steph Curry and Raymond Green, you're not good.

You may. Well, I mean, I'm not going to say that. they're not good, but they may have some struggles. And look, as far as Kevin Durant's not being the leader of this team or having leadership qualities, I don't know that I'll go that far, but this is Steph's team. And it's felt that way since even with Durant there, even the last two years with Durant being the finals MVP, I think Steph kind of has allowed him to kind of take over that role and Steph is one A.

But it's not surprising to me that Steph not being around is causing some problems for them. Like he's, it's, it's Steph Curry. It's not surprising to me. And Dreyman being out is not helping situation either, but I'm not, I'm not ready to push the, uh, the panic button yet. When Steph and Draman are back and they're losing like this, then, uh, everyone can start freaking out. Finally, Cowboys have won back-to-back games for the first time this year. They're not five and five, and Zik had a lot to do with that. He had 200 and once. Scrimmage yards and touchdown and yesterday's win in Atlanta. And he talked with pro football talk after the game. And made it clear that all of the motivation is just coming from an urgency to win. He was

about Troy Aikman's suggestion that it was time for a complete overhaul of the organization. And Zieg said, I'm not even 100% sure of what he said. The guys don't really know either. No disrespect to Troy, but that's not why we are winning. Zeke had 25 touches against the Eagles last Sunday night in Philly and out of another 30, Atlanta, and they have a short week. Listen, they're running. When they run and they're effective, they're a good football team. Yeah, he's, yeah, he is.

John makes a good point. He's our leading receiver. I actually think the Amari Cooper thing, it's not like a huge move. So if you watch this game closely, and I did, Amari adds just a little dimension on the outside with Gallup getting better and Zeeke. Listen, this team is good enough in a playoff situation. Their defense is too good. They're going to be in games.

I don't think they'll close them well against the elite teams. But that defense is going to keep them outside of maybe going to the Saints, that defense can keep them in every game. Well, it's just become a very interesting couple of weeks for the Cowboys because what looked like a completely wasted season is now pretty much possibly a playoff season because with Alex Smith out, they have the Redskins on Thursday. This is a huge game for them. Pretty much determines the season.

Short week, backup quarterback on the road. The Eagles are struggling. I mean, you know, the Giants are doing all right now, but don't think anybody thinks this is sustainable. Dallas is a seven and a half point favorite. I mean, that's more than a touchdown in the NFL. Dallas should win that. game. Yeah.

Joy with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping back. The Heard Line News. Coming up, I'll sum each NFL game yesterday in three words. That's next and best for last. Saturday, buckle up for one of the fiercest rivalries in all of sports as number four Michigan and number 10 Ohio State.

Battle for a spot in the Big Ten championship. Coverage begins Saturday at 11 Eastern on Fox or watch anywhere on the Fox Sports App. Ohio State has won six straight. They've dominated this series, but I love what Harbaugh has done. By the way, the unspoken genius of Michigan's success this year is Don Brown, who outside of Nick Saban is the smartest defensive guy in college football. Michigan, series to series play to play.

It does an unbelievable job manipulating their defense. That is a well-coached football team at Michigan. We do it on Mondays. It's our three-word game. We go back to the Thursday game. Every NFL game can be explained in three words. Here we go. First Packers and Seahawks.

winless in Seattle. Aaron Rogers now 0 for 4 against Russell Wilson in Seattle. The Packers this year, 0 and 5 on the road. If a team can't win on the road and looks much different at home than on the road, there's a reason. And with Green Bay, they give up on the run. Aaron Jones, feed him the rock. What are you doing?

They quit on it. They couldn't win in Seattle. Next up, Cowboys and Falcons. NFC. East champs. Dallas is 5 and 5. one game back of Washington, and they host the Redskins short week Thanksgiving Day. Listen, Dallas is limited offensively against Atlanta. They had six points entering the fourth quarter.

But when Zeke is churning out 100 plus yards, 130, 140 yards, this football team with that front seven defensively is a real team. They'll be the weakest division champ if they win it, but it does look like now they control the division. Titans Colts, 10 and 0. Andrew Luck has, this is weird. He's never lost to the Titans. Can you imagine being a Titans fan? You go to one game a year, the Colts game? Do you think Andrew Luck is the Michael Jordan of the NFL?

Andrew Luck now has an offensive line for the first time in his career, appears to have a decent running game. The defense is young, not great, playing their butt off. Coaches deserve credit. I called it three weeks ago. I said, keep your eye on the Colts. They're not going to win the division. They're going to get in as a wild card team.

They're favored, by the way, by 10, Joy, over your dolphins. 10 over, well, your dolphins. I mean, I can't. What am I going to say? Yeah. It's the dolphins. Ravens, Bengals. That was fun.

Tebow had the record before Lamar Jackson. 22 rushes by a quarterback. Lamar Jackson shattered it with 27. Listen, he's better than I thought he would be. He sat around for 10 weeks. They developed some plays for him. It was fun. Got a little whipped there.

throws it more like a baseball than a football, but it was fun. Now, not sustainable. Not going to last forever, but that was way more entertaining than what Joe Flacco has given me for the previous 10 weeks. Buccaneers, Giants, still alive. I can't believe I said that, but the Giants are three and seven. Only three games back of Washington and actually have a chance to be a wild card team or win the division. Oh, my head hurts. and Eli's been comfortable.

Now, I will say this. They had a new coaching staff. Is it fair to give them eight weeks to get their act together? Yeah. I mean, it was really bad for eight weeks, but it does look like in the couple of last weeks the protections better. Eli's kind of clicking with people.

Looks a little better. Eagle Saints, while the Saints say who Dad, the Eagles should say, what was that? 41 point loss, biggest ever for a defending Super Bowl champ. Listen, it's the lottery winner syndrome. When you're not used to being rich, you don't know what to do with the money.

And when you're not used to win in Super Bowls, Philadelphia, you don't know how to act. They're not great at anything. I mean, Carson Wentz visibly upset on the sidelines, there's no other way to put it. They got a little money, they got a little win, they got a fancy new trophy, and they weren't grown enough. They weren't adult enough to handle it. Steelers, Jaguars. Mail it in. Steelers came back from a 16-0 deficit.

That's what they call. The kids call a flex. Pittsburgh unfocused, 26 yards rushing. Three interceptions were an absolute, inarguable mess. Rothersberger had more passing yards in the fourth than the first three quarters combined, but this is why I picked them for the Super Bowl. I contend they're the biggest, strongest, fastest, most athletic team in the league

with a Hall of Fame quarterback. Give Mike Tomlin credit. Labian Bell is out of that. locker room, not a lot of noise, and that was impressive. Texans Redskins, Joe Thysman again. Do you realize the Alex Smith injury came 33, exactly, 33 years after Joe Thysman broke his wrecked leg? It's so bizarre.

By the way, not only to the day 33 years, but the final score of the game in 85 was also 23-21, Redskins winning. That is a spooky coincidence. Raiders, Cardinals. Here we go. Gruden, Magic, back. Raiders 2 and 8 first win since week four. Listen, I like the argument in the sidelines.

Derek Carr and John Gruden, I don't buy. This isn't going to last. I think John Gruden is smart enough to know that really talented quarterbacks and Derek Carr's absolutely coachable and talented. He's a good kid. They don't grow on trees. I think the Raiders would be nuts to get rid of him.

I think you pay quarterbacks now $25 million. Deal with it, John. That's what you pay a good quarterback. You don't want to be in the NFL is in chaos at quarterback. And if you let Derek Carr go, there's a chance for chaos. Derek Carr and Rich Gannon are the two best quarterbacks Gruden's ever had. They connected yesterday. Derek, nice final drive and they won the game.

Panthers Lions, go for two. Well, listen, I have the better quarterback. I have a chance on the road to win. Cam had just come off another really good drive. I don't want to go on the road. I don't want to give Matt Stafford the ball again. If I can close out a game on the road and my quarterbacks played great and I feel I have the better team, I'm going to put it in Cam's hands.

By the way, Cam played great. Was not a great throw there. So what? Go for it. Broncos Chargers. What the, Philip? Good hell. Philip Rivers was awful.

I defend Philip Rivers. I bring him on the show. I love him. But yesterday, two brutal picks. And at the end, instead of taking a sack and running out the clock, he threw an incomplete. Philip, you've been in this game way too long to make that mistake. Philip Rivers, that was bad. That was, as Jason Whitlock just told me, that was J.R. Smith for forgetting the score.

That was bad. Vikings Bears, Cousins equals Dalton. Among active quarterbacks, Cousins and Dalton have the two worst records in Pime Time. Do you realize that? Ryan Fitzpatrick is third. Listen, they're not terrible. I mean, Kirk Cousins and Annie Dalton. one NFC and one AFC.

They're not terrible, but they're a little undersized. They're not great athletes. They've got sort of average arms. And I'm watching Kurt Cousin. Listen, the Bears defense is real. I'm not saying it's an easy place to go in Chicago. That was the biggest game in a decade. But good God, was that frustrating.

I mean, at some point, we've all overpaid for something. You've got to believe the Vikings have a little buyer's remorse. Finally, tonight, Chiefs Rams, not a preview. I do not think this is a Super Bowl. preview. I think the Rams defensively have some holes. I think Indomac and Sue and Marcus Peters up to their reputation are kind of doing things

their own way. Neither is known as very coachable. They're doing a little ad-libbing. They've lacked some gap integrity, as they call it, on the defensive line with Sue, and Marcus Peters doing his own thing. That's why Andy Reid let him go. I don't think the Rams defense is good enough

to get to a Super Bowl and win it. And I think the Steelers are going to win the AFC. And I think the Saints, good luck for anybody wanting to go to New Orleans in January and beat the Saints. That's not going to happen with anybody. I think this is going to be the biggest best Monday Night Football game in a decade. I'll take the Chiefs close, although there's going to be so much emotion at the Coliseum that may just may elevate the Rams to pull off that game light. Don't be the guy in the room with a long, sloppy looking untuck shirt. Go to untuggett.com. put in the code, Heard for 20% off GQ calls, Untucket shirts.

Perfection. Tony Gonzalez tomorrow, Heard hierarchy tomorrow. Peter King tomorrow. It's The Herd. One more Heard? The herd streams 24 hours a day, seven days a week, within the IHeart Radio app. Search Heard to listen live or on demand whenever you'd like. Last night, a blown call changed a game.

This morning, the internet lost its mind. And nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where SportsSlyce comes in. I'm Timbo, and every episode we're cutting through the noise, breaking down the biggest moments in sports and giving you the real story behind the headline. And we're going straight to the source, the athletes themselves, their locker room stories, their reactions in the moment, and the stuff nobody gets to hear.

Listen to Sports Slice on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Sliced Life 12 in the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. Another podcast from some SNL late-night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and Friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer, Streeter Seidel, help an a cappella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform?

We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and Friends on the I-Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. What's up, guys? This is Clever Taylor the 4th. And on my podcast, The Cliverts Show, I'm bringing you conversations about all kinds of stuff, like being an internet famous referee.

We're in the middle of a game. This linebacker, this linebacker walks up to me. He goes, hey, ref, my mom wants you to wave at her. What? Time out. Quarterback on office blue 42. Hey, rep, my mama want you to wave at her. What?

Where's she at? Hey, Miss Palm. Mark, Listen to the Cliverts show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. What's up, fam? It's Isaiah Thomas. And I'm C.J. Toledano.

It's our favorite time of the year on our podcast point game, the playoffs. We're digging into the biggest surprises of the season. And I'm looking back on some of my greatest playoff moments. If we didn't talk ever again, I was crying. You just understood. That's how personal it got. Wow. Then after that game seven, Marquis keep coming to him.

He's like, you know I love you, dog. You know, it's all love. This was just playoffs. This was just basketball. So listen to Point Game on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.